Old West Dinner Cook-out Yellowstone National Park - June 2017

Our first night in Yellowstone was one to remember!  We had made reservations long in advanced for the Old West Dinner Cook-out and we were very excited to take the wagons out into the wilderness.  You could also choose to go there on horseback if you'd like, but we opted to keep the family together since we all hadn't reached the appropriate age and/or height to ride the horses.   The wagon ride, although a little dusty, was a lot of fun.  Each of the kids were able to help "drive" the team across the prairie and the driver pointed out all sorts of wildlife and geological features.  We saw lots of yellow-bellied marmots and bison.

The cook-out was nestled in a little grove of trees in a location that seemingly felt in the middle of nowhere.  There were quite a few people attending but we still felt the remoteness of the location.  They had some interactive animal skulls and antlers for the kids to touch and observe.  When it was time for dinner, the lines moved quickly and there was PLENTY of food and ice cold drinks.  The menu consisted of steak,cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, muffins, and a delicious peach crisp for dessert.  I admit I helped the kids finish off their steaks while they ate plenty of the juicy watermelon.

 

The kids spent some time visiting the teams of horses, relaxing around the campfire making new friends, and listening to the "Singing Cowboy" during and after dinner.  Susan and I also enjoyed some Campfire Coffee.

The ride back was just as enjoyable as the ride there.  We were pretty exhausted after such a long day.  We saw more bison and the landscape was beautiful.  I would highly recommend this experience.  You do have to make your reservations pretty far in advance.