edfgrf1951 Loc: Chatsworth Ga.

I would take a wide-angle zoom and longest telephoto lens you are comfortable with carrying and fits the budget. Went there last year and never can get close enough to animals. I had a D7200 and Tamron 150-600 not that bad handheld.If you are on the bus it might not be practical. Maybe 100-400 and Nikon 10-20. I also had a Sigma 17-50 2.8 and it was a lot better than the 18-55. You can get by with 17mm for wide shots and a little more reach with 50mm.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

If you can (and want) to afford it, GET THE NIKON!!!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I've had the Nikkor 200-500 for about 3 years now. My 24-70 is my most used lens, the 200-500 is second, and the 70-200 is third. The 200-500 has the new version of VR, which makes the lens easy to hand hold so you rarely need a tripod (unless the light is poor). I have a couple shots at 500mm hand held at 1/10 second. Not perfect but usable and way better than anything else I have. The 200-500 is moderately heavy, but it's lighter than the old Bigma (Sigma 50-500) and way sharper and faster to focus. You might want to limit your use of it to outlooks where you're observing animals rather than taking it on hikes. Depends on how much you're used to carrying.

I once took all my photos and analyzed them for focal length. The distribution showed two peaks, at the extremes: 24mm and 500mm. Of course YMMV, but I believe that on a trip you should pay attention to both ends. As far as ultrawide is concerned, I have the Nikkor 14-24 and it's a great lens but it doesn't fit in my bag and it's a bit awkward to use. Consequently when I want a wide landscape I use the 24 and stitch shots together. If you're hand holding your camera for stitching take 2 or 3 sets of shots because occasionally it bombs out (in photoshop -- haven't tried other stitching programs recently).

If you can afford it a second body would be useful for quick focal length changes. WA on one and Tele on the other. No fumbling around trying to change lenses as a condor flies past your bus while you're taking a landscape shot. Might consider a bridge camera with superzoom as someone suggested above.

Another lens I use a lot for casual shots is the Nikkor 28-300. I don't consider it the sharpest tool in the bag but it's sharp enough for vacation photos and family photos that you're not planning to offer for sale. It's a versatile lens if you can only have one.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

You’ll love the 200-500 on your D5300. You’ll be so glad to have it in Yellowstone.

Wide angle will serve you better in the other parks you mention. Check out Nikon’s new AF-P 10-20.

You might need to upgrade your D5300’s firmware for it to work right. It is a free download from Nikon.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

18-300 better choice than 28-300 for D5300.

bel air bill Loc: Bel Air Maryland

I bought a 300 Nikon REFURBISHED Telephoto from Nikon and had a Warranty. Works Great at about 1/2 the Cost. Good Luck.

sathca Loc: Narragansett Rhode Island

If you’ve got the budget....24-70, 70-200, 200-500. Three lenses and you’ve got the whole range covered. As for the weight of the big lens I use a harness like the Black Rapid design. You can completely let go of the camera and give your hand a rest. I’ve shot all day hand held like that with the 200-500 and I’m 61yrs old. I also have a belt clip like the one from peak design that helps secure the camera when you’re walking. I put the Black rapid attachment on the tripod collar and the peak design “stud” on the camera body. I have two of the peak design belt clips so I’ll put another stud on my 70-200 tripod collar and the wide angle in my pocket and I’m pretty comfortable hiking.

Dun1 Loc: Atlanta, GA

You may also add a 18-200 mm lens to the lenses you may want to consider