Yellowstone is the jewel of the US National Park system. Established in 1872 by Ulysses S Grant, it was the nation’s first national park. Mostly located in Wyoming and sitting on a dormant super volcano, it’s an incredibly unique and diverse park with geothermal wonders, lakes, canyons, waterfalls, wildlife and some great places to stay.

I have been lucky enough to visit Yellowstone four times and it takes my breath away each time. Here’s my ultimate guide to this spectacular national park.

The Layout Of The Park

Yellowstone is a big park. The figure of 8 Grand Loop road contains the major sights and this loop road can take 4-7 hours to drive around depending on how often you stop. And you’ll want to stop. A lot. To get the most out of your trip to Yellowstone you’ll need to stay for multiple nights.

What To See In The Park

From dramatic canyons to rivers and forests. Hot springs and geysers to lakes and wildlife galore, there is so much to see in Yellowstone.

Old Faithful

Perhaps the most famous and iconic part of the park is Old Faithful. This magnificent geyser reaches heights of 140 feet and erupts like clockwork every 90 minutes, earning its faithful accolade.

No matter how many times you see it, and no matter how many people are watching it with you, you cannot fail to be awed by Old Faithful erupting. It is peaceful and powerful and has the crowd enthralled every time. There is mostly a stunned silence when it starts erupting, punctuated only be a few oohs and aahs from the crowd.

If you’re coming at a busy time you’ll want to arrive early to secure a seat on the benches. If you’re staying overnight at Old Faithful – which you should – make sure you catch it erupting after dinner, when most of the crowds have gone. Something about watching it erupt at sunset is extra magical.

But the Old Faithful area is not just about our favourite geyser. There are other geysers in the area that if you’re lucky you might see erupting too. Check the Old Faithful visitor centre for the approximate timings of all the geysers in the area.

Old Faithful is located in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone. There are a number of boardwalk trails that take you up and around this beautiful geyser basin where you can see colourful springs, hot pools, fumaroles and a different view of Old Faithful.

Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a brightly coloured canyon carved by the mighty Yellowstone river. One of the most iconic features of the park thanks to it’s red, orange and yellow hues, the canyon contains two powerful waterfalls at Upper and Lower Falls.

If you’re not a hiker the best view is from Artist Point which is a multi-tiered observation area with views of the Lower Falls. Thanks to its easy access this viewpoint can get crowded. If you’d prefer to stretch your legs there are a number of flat paved trails that meander along the rim of the canyon providing viewpoints as you go.

If you’d like to get closer to the waterfalls I recommend the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail. This is a short but steep 1 mile round trip hike that takes you right to the top of the Lower Falls for a breathtaking up-close experience. With the water thundering down you’ll really feel the power of the waterfall.

Geyser Basins

Thanks to Yellowstone’s position right on top of a massive volcanic caldera the geothermal activity stretches all over the park. The bubbling mud, brightly coloured hot springs, fumaroles and crystal clear pools will astonish you. The Old Faithful area in the Upper Geyser Basin is the best place to see a display of these, with the Midway and Lower Geyser Basins also in this part of the park.

Make sure you stay on the boardwalks at all times when exploring the geyser basins. However inviting the colourful pools may look they contain scalding temperatures and toxic gases and are extremely dangerous.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Probably the most other-worldly geothermal feature of the whole park is Grand Prismatic Spring. This is a massive multicoloured spring that looks like a giant eye, You can walk right up to and around Grand Prismatic Spring on a boardwalk, and you should do this to get a sense of its size. But you really can’t see the full effect of it this close.

To experience the whole effect don’t miss the climb to the viewing platform.

When I first visited Yellowstone there was no viewing platform. You just walked from the Fairy Falls trailhead for a mile, turned left when you thought it was about the right place, then scrambled up a very steep hill full of tree debris for as far as you dare before looking back down over a stunning birds eye view of Grand Prismatic Spring.

In 2017 Yellowstone added a proper trail and a nifty viewing platform to allow people easier access to this beautiful view of Grand Prismatic Spring . The view from this viewing platform is unmissable.

Just remember that with easy access comes lots of people, so be prepared for a fight for a parking space and to wait your turn on the busy viewing platform.

To access the viewing platform, park in the Fairy Falls Trailhead parking lot and hike the 1.2 mile round trip up to the platform.

Mammoth

Mammoth is an underrated area of the park due to it’s location right on the northern tip. If you’re coming from Montana Mammoth makes for a great place to stop for your first night.

Mammoth is the best place to spot elk in the park, and you’ll see them all over the place just relaxing around the village and cabins. If you visit in early fall you may even hear the bugles of their mating calls.

Mammoth is also home to the Mammoth Hot Springs, a large complex of travertine terraces created by thousands of years of mineral deposits. This makes for a bright white display of tiny pools flowing over the terraces. There are trails and boardwalks that wind through the Mammoth Hot Springs area and you can do as much of these as you are inclined to.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in the park and a great spot for some hiking. The area also contains the West Thumb Geyser Basin on the shores of the lake including the large Abyss Pool, one of the deepest hot springs in the park.

The Yellowstone Lake area makes a good last base if you are travelling east towards Cody or south towards Grand Teton National Park.

Wildlife

We can’t talk about Yellowstone without mentioning the wildlife. It is plenty, varied and you have an excellent chance of spotting it. Yellowstone is home to bison, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, moose, elk, deer and chipmunks. During our many trips to Yellowstone we have been lucky enough to see all of these animals.

If you find yourself in a traffic jam and you can’t figure out why, get excited. It’s most likely because there’s wildlife on the road. Bison jams are very common in Yellowstone. The bison seem to delight in standing in front of cars and blocking the traffic and there’s nothing you can do about it but be patient and enjoy the show! The first time you see a bison up close will be memorable. Their massive bulky heads and grumpy expressions are awe-inspiring.

If you see a traffic jam and a ranger truck get really excited because there’s a good chance it’s a bear.

There’s nothing more thrilling than watching a massive bison walking past your car or a bear running across the road in front of you. Summer is the best time to spot wildlife, but in the early autumn you may see the bears close to the road munching on berries to fuel up for their long winter hibernation.

My favourite Yellowstone wildlife encounters were seeing a mumma black bear with her two cubs crossing the road right in front of us, and a pack of wolves slowly hunting an elk in the river.

The biggest wolf population lives in Lamar Valley. You’ll see lots of wildlife spotters with long range cameras positioned on the hills off the side of the road where they’ll camp out for the whole day just watching and waiting for the wolves. However, because Lamar Valley is such a large area it’s not the best for casual wildlife spotting as it’s unlikely you’ll see anything near the road. Your best chance is to ask nicely if you can have a look through one of the wildlife spotter’s cameras.

The best place to see elk is around Mammoth village or in the fields next to the Yellowstone Lake lodging.

Hayden Valley

Known as the “American Serengeti” because of it’s incredible wildlife viewing, Hayden Valley is the best place in the park to spot the animals. It’s a lot smaller than Lamar Valley and thanks to it’s position right between Lake and Canyon you can easily have a drive out at dusk when the animals are easiest to spot.

You’ll always see bison here – herds of them in the distant hills, and also frequently right by the side of the road. If you’re lucky you may also spot coyotes, elk and bears in Hayden valley.

Hiking

As you would expect from a national park of this size and calibre, Yellowstone has some awesome hikes. From the trails that meander through geyser basins to backcountry hikes, there is something for everyone here. Remember to be sensible and bear-aware when hiking. This is grizzly bear country, with over 1000 grizzlies in the park at last count. At the very least, hike in groups and make lots of noise. Even so, it can be a little unnerving when there aren’t many people on the trail and you see fresh bear scat or footprints.

The Storm Point Trail near Yellowstone Lake is a flat 2.5 mile loop trail that includes walking through open meadows and thick forest with views of the lake. Watch out for signs the bears have been taking down the trees and if you’re eagle-eyed you may also spot a colony of yellow-bellied marmots.

How Long Do I Need In Yellowstone?

Because the park is so large you’ll want to split your time. 5-6 nights is a good amount of time to see everything the park has to offer.

Depending on which direction you’re coming from, and where you’ll be heading after Yellowstone, this would be my ideal itinerary. This itinerary could easily be reversed.

• 1 night in Mammoth
• 2 nights in Old Faithful
• 2 nights in Canyon
• 1 night in Lake

Where To Stay in Yellowstone

Yellowstone has some fantastic lodging. In the villages of Old Faithful, Canyon, Mammoth and Lake there are complexes of well-appointed cabins of various types. In these villages there are also restaurants, gift shops, general stores and visitor centres so you’ll have plenty to do in the evening.

Accommodation fills up quickly so book this well in advance so you have your pick of the lodging. Reservations open a year in advance.

If you’d like to push the boat out a little you can stay inside the lodges themselves, and Yellowstone has some fantastic ones.

Old Faithful Inn

This is a beautiful historic lodge. Don’t miss spending time inside the inn of an evening. The magnificent main lobby has a real buzz about it. You’ll see people milling around after dinner, looking in the gift shop, sitting on a rocking chair listening to the fiddle player or enjoying a huckleberry ice cream next to the giant fireplace.

You can stay in the Inn itself which is a great experience, albeit a pricey one. Due to the historic nature of the building some rooms have shared bathrooms.

Lake Hotel

The oldest hotel in the park, Lake Hotel was built in a colonial style and is an unmistakable bright yellow colour. This hotel is an upmarket choice in Yellowstone with a nice dining room, bright and airy feel and string musicians playing in the lobby some evenings. If you’d prefer a cabin, the Lake Hotel cabins are a step up from the Lake Lodge cabins.

Yellowstone For Kids

The kids will have the time of their lives at Yellowstone.

Don’t miss:

• The Junior Ranger program. After completing activity books based around the park, the kids will take a pledge with a park ranger and be awarded their junior ranger badge.
• A scoop of huckleberry ice cream, the flavour of the park. The bears would agree!
• Wildlife spotting. From bison to chipmunks, the kids will delight in the wildlife of the park.
• The colours. Ask the kids how many different colours they can spot in the thermal hot springs and pools.

When To Visit Yellowstone

Yellowstone is technically open all year round, but most entrances and and roads are only open seasonally in the summer. Yellowstone has its own microclimate thanks to its elevated position. The weather can be unpredictable. We’ve seen scorching days in July and snow in September. At any time of the year it can get chilly so be prepared for all weather.

Yellowstone can also get crowded during the summer. To avoid the crowds but still have pleasant weather and good chances of spotting wildlife, my favourite month to visit is September.

Getting There

The visitor numbers in Yellowstone are kept down thanks to its fairly remote location.

This does pose more of a challenge for visitors, however. The nearest major city with an international airport is Salt Lake City, a 5 hour drive to the south. The nearest airport is Jackson, only 2 hours from the heart of the park. If you’re flying in domestic for a short trip this would be your best bet.

Otherwise I would recommend adding Yellowstone to a larger road trip.

Further Afield

Grand Teton National Park is directly to the south of Yellowstone and can easily be visited as a day trip from Yellowstone. With spectacular mountains and clear blue alpine lakes, Grand Teton is a very beautiful park.

To the east of Yellowstone is Cody, with its old cowboy feel and world class Buffalo Bill Center of the West museum. Further east you’ll encounter the eerie Devil’s Tower National Monument. You can carry on into the Black Hills of South Dakota to extend your road trip.