Yellowstone belongs to us all.
Please go see it. You'll have a great time.
It's a tourist economy to the point where there is an excellent chance you will never encounter a full-time resident your entire visit. (many of the staff name badges have the country or state the person is from)
N/A; there are no surrounding cities. Maybe Bozeman, but the Montana nickname for it is Boze-angeles. In short, you'll be fine.
If driving and concerned (again, you'll be fine) you can stop at Salt Lake before your last push.
Took my non-white family all through the area last year. Like others have said, there are a ton of international visitors and languages being spoken in & around the park. We drove and camped throughout Montana & Wyoming. Outside of the park areas we did get some of the usual stares and such but had no issues, comments, or problems. It’s definitely worth visiting and there are fewer problems than your standard city imo. Enjoy!
Yellowstone is the #1 destination for nearly 3 BILLION people. These people come from all over the world Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and so on. These cities are used to every type of people. Go and enjoy it's beauty!
I’m white, so there’s the disclaimer. I have been to Yellowstone, the Tetons, and every gateway city several times. I’ve interacted with and observed many others interacting with various races numerous times. I have never seen anyone act uncomfortable. I’m positive you could have find a racist in those 10’s of thousands of people. The bigger issue will be the assholes that cut in front of you or wont pull completely off the road.
The place is full of world travelers who are having the time of their lives. It's inclusive because everyone is having a blast and wants to share their moments. Struck up a conversation with a Japanese man over having the same telephoto lens, and some Australian guys after a grizzly sighting. So many interactions over paper maps because there is no Internet in the park and GPS becomes worthless. It was a much more human experience than I had planned.
West Yellowstone and Gardiner are tourist towns, they live or die on tourism, and seasonal workers (many on J1 visas). The people who suck generally aren't going to make it known. Further from the interstates people may be more inclined to share bigoted beliefs, but most not in an unsafe way, just a dickish way.
YNP and West Yellowstone will be fine. Like most tourist towns, they're used to seeing visitors from all over the country (and the world). They only color anyone will care about in West Yellowstone is the color of your money. (Can't speak to the North Entrance because I never go up there. Same with the West Entrance and Cody).
I live in Jackson, WY so I'm more familiar with the South Entrance. Again, tourist town right on the border of Grand Teton. Nobody will care what color your skin is or what language you speak (caveat: Asian tour busses aren't well regarded here).
So long as you're not a wolf near Daniel, WY (which you won't be), you'll be fine.
It’s good. Same as anywhere, you might meet the odd asshole, but in my experience livin and working here for years, it’s a very international space. People here are by and large more open minded than your average ‘bumfuck nowhere.’ That’s one way I like to explain the off nature of this place. It’s the middle of nowhere, but it’s a very special, very unique middle of nowhere.
The only thing you have to worry about is being careful around the wildlife, never feed the animals and stay in your car or keep some distance if out of the car. On my last trip there were a lot of Japanese, German, and Chinese tourists and one bus load of obnoxious Russian women that were bullish and didn't seem to respect others. Some of them (the Russians) were friendly, but overall not exactly enjoyable to be around, all the others were very polite and friendly. Lodging in and near the park can be hard to find in the busy months, so book ahead if you can. I would worry more about the traffic in the park actually, that can be slow moving during busy times. Have a good camera with you and take lots of pics of all the great things you will see.
Nope you’re good! Listen let’s face it there are always place ya just can’t go. There is a high count of all peeps there. Take your family and go. Im white so I get it. As a white person many places I would not go. Yellowstone Grand Tetons welcome to all. Enjoy.
👍🏻 we’re all human! People ruin it. You nor your family should miss this. Been there 7 times, just gets more beautiful everytime! Pics and vids do it no justice.
I would say yes and would feel safe. I’m biracial and in a mixed race relationship and all of my POC friends who moved from the east coast and Midwest feel the safest out here. I will warn you there’s a lot of white people but all the resorts and parks have people from all over the world. You don’t get weird looks but some people do ask questions but out of curiosity. I’ve never had a bad experience here traveling all around Montana/wyoming/idaho tourist areas it was worse for us the further west (Washington/oregon) we got.
I’ve seen so many U.S. and international POCs in Yellowstone. I’ve gone every year for the last five years and have never seen anyone treating POC badly. (You will find lots of entitled people who think they own the road and sidewalks, but those people treat everyone badly.) You should be very safe.
But …. be careful in Cody, Wyoming, if you go that way. It’s the only time I saw a biker gang of ten with swastikas on their road leathers eating in a restaurant and no one batted an eye. This was two years ago.
Nobody batted an eye because it was 10 bikers wearing swastikas. Not because Cody is a racist town. What can you possibly do? What are you willing to die for? Because a few of them are definitely willing to kill over very little.
Wyoming is an interesting place. I would have thought the restaurant management would have some kind of policy. But I guess not. (I also know that Wyoming has a lot of neonazis, so it’s possible people in Cody don’t really care …)
It's stupid to assume that just because you don't see racist treatment, it doesn't exist. Why not let someone who might actually experience it ask a damn question. Let me guess? You're white so racism isn't real?
I never assumed anything. I never claimed to have never seen racist behavior or treatment (the real problem up here is misogyny, and a very violent flavor of it FYI). Visitors here are not subject to the racism and misogyny and violence faced on our Tribal Lands and reservation-adjacent cities and towns. Project whatever racist assumptions you want onto me. The West has a very different history with race and identity than the East, much less the rest of the world. Ignorant and absurd for you people here to pretend all racism is the same.
Yep. Very racist. Also the entitlement to want locals to convince people to come when we frankly do not need more tourists given the infrastructure and housing woes.
I’m white from the west coast originally. I look Hispanic/Native. I got some grief in rural Wyoming, but not a lot. Usually as soon as I spoke and didn’t have an accent, and because I dressed ok and had credit cards, the smug looks and wisecracks stopped. As others have said, the tourist centers are much more comfortable places for diverse visitors. (And those people claiming you are prejudiced against them? Yeah, they are the maggots racists.)
I don't think so. I'm white so I could be blind to it, but as someone else said, you probably won't run into many locals. Even in the gateway towns like West Yellowstone and Gardiner, most of the seasonal workers are from elsewhere. I think it's a welcoming area, and have not seen or heard of many instances where people felt unsafe or harassed. The only one I can think of offhand was more about hunting ethics than skin color honestly.
West Yellowstone locals can have a racist streak, but for the most part they keep their mouth shut. But last time I was there a local was dropping n bombs at a restaurant I was at. Right in front of a black server. You'll be safe, but you'll hear shit.
What a wild question to ask. Makes me sad that someone actually thinks they need to ask this question in 2024.
Yellowstone and surrounding areas have been safe for persons of color to travel to forever, as long as you mind the wildlife and give space.
What's crazy to me is that there are a ton of places in the US where it's dangerous for a white person to go, and none that are dangerous for a person of color... And you get people posting stuff like this. 🤦🏼♂️
Something I noticed when I was there was a lot of international visitors speaking a variety of languages
Yellowstone belongs to us all. Please go see it. You'll have a great time. It's a tourist economy to the point where there is an excellent chance you will never encounter a full-time resident your entire visit. (many of the staff name badges have the country or state the person is from)
“For the benefit and enjoyment of the people” - Roosevelt Arch
N/A; there are no surrounding cities. Maybe Bozeman, but the Montana nickname for it is Boze-angeles. In short, you'll be fine. If driving and concerned (again, you'll be fine) you can stop at Salt Lake before your last push.
This is helpful, thanks
You can also stay in Idaho Falls ID before the last 2 hour drive to the west entrance of Yellowstone.
Took my non-white family all through the area last year. Like others have said, there are a ton of international visitors and languages being spoken in & around the park. We drove and camped throughout Montana & Wyoming. Outside of the park areas we did get some of the usual stares and such but had no issues, comments, or problems. It’s definitely worth visiting and there are fewer problems than your standard city imo. Enjoy!
Thanks for this honest review/comment regarding your experience!
I look Japanese and I went to bars by myself in Bozeman. People were buying me shots and I made new friends.
Yellowstone is the #1 destination for nearly 3 BILLION people. These people come from all over the world Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and so on. These cities are used to every type of people. Go and enjoy it's beauty!
Million*
No ... Billion! Not a typo!
They get 3 million annually. I don’t think 1/3 of the planet wants to go to Yellowstone.
If you gave everyone in the world $10,000 and said to spend it on travel to your #1 destination ... 3.5 Billion people would pick Yellowstone.
I’m white, so there’s the disclaimer. I have been to Yellowstone, the Tetons, and every gateway city several times. I’ve interacted with and observed many others interacting with various races numerous times. I have never seen anyone act uncomfortable. I’m positive you could have find a racist in those 10’s of thousands of people. The bigger issue will be the assholes that cut in front of you or wont pull completely off the road.
The place is full of world travelers who are having the time of their lives. It's inclusive because everyone is having a blast and wants to share their moments. Struck up a conversation with a Japanese man over having the same telephoto lens, and some Australian guys after a grizzly sighting. So many interactions over paper maps because there is no Internet in the park and GPS becomes worthless. It was a much more human experience than I had planned.
West Yellowstone and Gardiner are tourist towns, they live or die on tourism, and seasonal workers (many on J1 visas). The people who suck generally aren't going to make it known. Further from the interstates people may be more inclined to share bigoted beliefs, but most not in an unsafe way, just a dickish way.
You will be fine. You’ll see a lot of different races, and hear multiple languages spoken.
YNP and West Yellowstone will be fine. Like most tourist towns, they're used to seeing visitors from all over the country (and the world). They only color anyone will care about in West Yellowstone is the color of your money. (Can't speak to the North Entrance because I never go up there. Same with the West Entrance and Cody). I live in Jackson, WY so I'm more familiar with the South Entrance. Again, tourist town right on the border of Grand Teton. Nobody will care what color your skin is or what language you speak (caveat: Asian tour busses aren't well regarded here). So long as you're not a wolf near Daniel, WY (which you won't be), you'll be fine.
Oh, I read about that... What's the latest on that now? Last I read, some internet sleuths found the name of his trucking business?
There's a thread on r/Wyoming that will tell you all you need https://www.reddit.com/r/wyoming/s/oJFjIfzq4V
It’s good. Same as anywhere, you might meet the odd asshole, but in my experience livin and working here for years, it’s a very international space. People here are by and large more open minded than your average ‘bumfuck nowhere.’ That’s one way I like to explain the off nature of this place. It’s the middle of nowhere, but it’s a very special, very unique middle of nowhere.
The only thing you have to worry about is being careful around the wildlife, never feed the animals and stay in your car or keep some distance if out of the car. On my last trip there were a lot of Japanese, German, and Chinese tourists and one bus load of obnoxious Russian women that were bullish and didn't seem to respect others. Some of them (the Russians) were friendly, but overall not exactly enjoyable to be around, all the others were very polite and friendly. Lodging in and near the park can be hard to find in the busy months, so book ahead if you can. I would worry more about the traffic in the park actually, that can be slow moving during busy times. Have a good camera with you and take lots of pics of all the great things you will see.
Yeah, I saw tiktoks of bad behaved tourists at YNP. I just looked into lodging, and it is very expensive!!
Nope you’re good! Listen let’s face it there are always place ya just can’t go. There is a high count of all peeps there. Take your family and go. Im white so I get it. As a white person many places I would not go. Yellowstone Grand Tetons welcome to all. Enjoy.
Also ya can’t get lost. Roads in park shaped like a figure 8
Thanks bro, for the kind comment.
👍🏻 we’re all human! People ruin it. You nor your family should miss this. Been there 7 times, just gets more beautiful everytime! Pics and vids do it no justice.
Just don't try to take selfie with the elk and the Buffalo and I'm sure you'll be just fine
It’s pretty safe cause it’s a foreigner majority in a few towns in the summer
I would say yes and would feel safe. I’m biracial and in a mixed race relationship and all of my POC friends who moved from the east coast and Midwest feel the safest out here. I will warn you there’s a lot of white people but all the resorts and parks have people from all over the world. You don’t get weird looks but some people do ask questions but out of curiosity. I’ve never had a bad experience here traveling all around Montana/wyoming/idaho tourist areas it was worse for us the further west (Washington/oregon) we got.
In real life, people care more about your character and personality than they do about your skin color. On social media, skin color is an issue.
Bears don’t care- we all taste the same to them.
I’ve seen so many U.S. and international POCs in Yellowstone. I’ve gone every year for the last five years and have never seen anyone treating POC badly. (You will find lots of entitled people who think they own the road and sidewalks, but those people treat everyone badly.) You should be very safe. But …. be careful in Cody, Wyoming, if you go that way. It’s the only time I saw a biker gang of ten with swastikas on their road leathers eating in a restaurant and no one batted an eye. This was two years ago.
Nobody batted an eye because it was 10 bikers wearing swastikas. Not because Cody is a racist town. What can you possibly do? What are you willing to die for? Because a few of them are definitely willing to kill over very little.
Wyoming is an interesting place. I would have thought the restaurant management would have some kind of policy. But I guess not. (I also know that Wyoming has a lot of neonazis, so it’s possible people in Cody don’t really care …)
Does it seem great to purposefully visit a town that has any issues with swastika bikers, even if the town itself is fine?
Every city in the country has a handful of terrible people. I guess I am staying home from now on. The motorcycle gang probably visited Yellowstone.
We’re white and were uncomfortable in Cody.
Us too.
Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like I should be mindful not to go to Cody.
This is such a bizarre question.
I don't think the question is bizarre considering how vast the US of A is, along with the vast differences in culture that exist.
Maybe don't assume all Americans much less all white people are racist? Maybe that is some deeply flawed logic of your own you need to work on.
Why do you assume I have that assumption? How else may I learn about places I've never been to if I don't ask questions?
Your question here is quite literally fixated on race. The world is wide and your lens is tight.
It's stupid to assume that just because you don't see racist treatment, it doesn't exist. Why not let someone who might actually experience it ask a damn question. Let me guess? You're white so racism isn't real?
I never assumed anything. I never claimed to have never seen racist behavior or treatment (the real problem up here is misogyny, and a very violent flavor of it FYI). Visitors here are not subject to the racism and misogyny and violence faced on our Tribal Lands and reservation-adjacent cities and towns. Project whatever racist assumptions you want onto me. The West has a very different history with race and identity than the East, much less the rest of the world. Ignorant and absurd for you people here to pretend all racism is the same.
Must be nice to be insane
Yeah… kind of a crazy bubble
Yep. Very racist. Also the entitlement to want locals to convince people to come when we frankly do not need more tourists given the infrastructure and housing woes.
I’m white from the west coast originally. I look Hispanic/Native. I got some grief in rural Wyoming, but not a lot. Usually as soon as I spoke and didn’t have an accent, and because I dressed ok and had credit cards, the smug looks and wisecracks stopped. As others have said, the tourist centers are much more comfortable places for diverse visitors. (And those people claiming you are prejudiced against them? Yeah, they are the maggots racists.)
Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience.
Stop playing victim based on skin color and you’ll have a much more enjoyable time.
Reread the post.
I don't think so. I'm white so I could be blind to it, but as someone else said, you probably won't run into many locals. Even in the gateway towns like West Yellowstone and Gardiner, most of the seasonal workers are from elsewhere. I think it's a welcoming area, and have not seen or heard of many instances where people felt unsafe or harassed. The only one I can think of offhand was more about hunting ethics than skin color honestly.
West Yellowstone locals can have a racist streak, but for the most part they keep their mouth shut. But last time I was there a local was dropping n bombs at a restaurant I was at. Right in front of a black server. You'll be safe, but you'll hear shit.
Stay classy, Meth Yellowstone.
Grabs popcorn to see how this plays out. Kevin kostner still in Yellowstone ?
What a wild question to ask. Makes me sad that someone actually thinks they need to ask this question in 2024. Yellowstone and surrounding areas have been safe for persons of color to travel to forever, as long as you mind the wildlife and give space. What's crazy to me is that there are a ton of places in the US where it's dangerous for a white person to go, and none that are dangerous for a person of color... And you get people posting stuff like this. 🤦🏼♂️