I spent the last two days of September and the first week of October in Yellowstone National Park. I totally understand why it is a favorite of so many. My piddly few days simply were not enough to see everything I wanted, plus the snow obscured the view and closed some of the roads at times. While standing in freezing temps and falling snow, I more than once wondered if it was indeed autumn or if summer skipped directly to winter.

I had an incredible time and got to see just about everything I wanted, compared to the couple of days I spent in this national park during the height of summer back in 2018 (I wrote an article for the Traveler about that summer stay). This time around, I not only found ample parking (well, except at Midway Basin), but I often was the only person at some view areas. It felt wonderful to breathe in the chilly air and just stand in silence, drinking in the breadth of the landscape.

Speaking of standing in silence, this very short article is not so much about photography, but rather about video. Why? Well, with video, I was able to capture the sounds of the park, in addition to the sights.

You see, it’s my opinion Yellowstone is a national park that’s as much about listening as it is looking. And, as I watched other people standing around me, I got the impression that they weren’t really listening. They didn’t take the time to simply stand and hear the birdsong, the wind singing through the trees, the hissing of steam from a geyser, the powerful thunder of Yellowstone Falls, the spooky booming echo of Dragon’s Mouth Spring, and the constant “plopping” of mud pot bubbles at Artist Paint Pots.

Perhaps our ears are so used to screening out the wails, clangs, jangles and swishes of civilization that it takes a little bit of effort – and patience -  to detect Nature’s sounds around us. I can’t tell you how many times I had to re-take some of these videos because people were constantly yakking as they looked, took selfies or photos of other friends / family members, then walked on, or returned to their cars to drive, to the next sight. I wonder how much of what they saw (and maybe heard) actually imprinted itself in their memory cells?

To that end, I’ve compiled some of the videos I created using my iPhone (because it’s super-easy to get videos and the detail is pretty good) and Canon SLR. I never managed to get audio of bison snorting or bull elk bugling, but I think I did capture an essence of Yellowstone during my short stay.

The next time you visit Yellowstone National Park, or any national park, really, do take the time to enjoy the view and savor nature's soundtrack.

P.S. -- If you liked this video montage, it's pretty easy to create one of your own, you know. There are a gazillion easy video editing programs out there, including Wondershare's Filmora, Adobe Premier Rush, and Apple iMovie. As a still photographer, I don't have as much experience creating videos, but I managed to add all of these separate videos into a timeline, insert a 3-second transition from one clip to the next, and voila! So, while you are out there photographing the national parks, take a little time to video them as well.