Be sure to check out our Wyoming and South Dakota 2 Week Itinerary and the Rocky Mountain Region page for other ideas around the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park!
*Last updated March 20, 2024
Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park
Table of Contents
- How Long to Stay at Yellowstone National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Old Faithful Geyser
- Upper Geyser Basin
- Grand Prismatic Springs and Overlook Trail
- West Thumb Geyser and Yellowstone Lake
- Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls
- Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Springs
- Lamar Valley
- The Beartooth Highway
- Mammoth Hot Springs
- Camping and Overnight Options
- Also Consider Nearby
How Long to Stay at Yellowstone National Park
How Long to Stay in Yellowstone, really depends on how much interest you have in the thermal features. For some, a day or two to see Yellowstone Falls, a couple of geysers and hot springs is enough. For others, a lifetime is not enough to take in the wildlife and experience the geysers that may take months of patience.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is the nearby neighbor to Grand Teton National Park and a visit to one wouldn’t be complete with a stop to the other. Also, Yellowstone was the very first US national park and remains one of the highlights of the park system.
Old Faithful Geyser
Old Faithful is the most recognizable geyser in Yellowstone due to its frequent and predictable eruptions. It will go off about every 90 minutes. We watched it erupt on 3 separate occasions.
The Old Faithful parking lot and eruption area both get very busy. However, a lot of people never make to see any other features in the Upper Geyser Basin, but it is easy to walk and see numerous other geysers and pools.
Additionally, it is worth a stop into the Old Faithful lodge to view the timbered, multi-story inside. They also serve ice cream there if you are looking to beat the heat.
Upper Geyser Basin
There is a lot more at Upper Geyser Basin than just Old Faithful. However, the majority of the visitors don’t make it beyond just Old Faithful, but that is there loss!
Here are some of the more popular features in the area, which takes about 15-20 minutes to walk up to the far end:
- Morning Glory
- Riverside Geyser
- Grotto Geyser
- Daisy Geyser
- Grand Geyser
Additionally, they list the geyser eruption times on a board by the visitor center. The times are estimates, so try and get there 10-15 minutes early in case they go off early.
Finally, there are apps you can download that will give you eruption estimates. However, there is no cell service or wi-fi anywhere in the park so they can’t update. These apps probably are best for people staying outside the park like West Yellowstone or Gardiner, where you would have service before driving into the park.
Grand Prismatic Springs and Overlook Trail
There are two ways to view Grand Prismatic Spring. First, you can view Grand Prismatic close up on the Midway Geyser Basin Trail. Second, you can view Grand Prismatic from an overlook on the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail. The latter gives you a nice view to take in all the colors of the pool.
West Thumb Geyser and Yellowstone Lake
West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the south side of the park and it makes a nice stop either on the way to or from Grand Teton National Park.
It is pretty to see the geysers and pools with the backdrop of Lake Yellowstone. Also, you can view the “fishing cone”. Back in the early days of the park, it was the most popular thermal feature. Visitors could catch a fish from the lake and with the fish still on the line, drop it into the fishing cone to boil it. It is no longer permitted due to damage to the feature (as well as carcinogens in the water).
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls
There are a lot of viewpoints along the canyon and river, so if you have plenty of time plan to stop at each one for a quick view.
Along the north side of the canyon is Lookout Point, Grand View and Inspiration Point. Along the south side is Artist Point, which is probably the most iconic viewpoint of the falls. From the south is also Uncle Tom’s Trail to the Upper Falls View.
Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Springs
Hayden Valley is on the east side of the park and makes for a good addition to a visit to either Yellowstone Falls or Cody. Bison roam around Hayden Valley so it is a good spot for bison herds. While in the area you can also tour the mud volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Spring.
Lamar Valley
Lamar Valley is located in the north-east side of the park and is a popular place for viewing wildlife. We had talked to someone in our camp who had seen a wolf there, so we woke early and departed at 4am to make it up to Lamar Valley at sunrise.
We lucked out and saw a wolf trot along the road in front of our car before heading into the trees and disappearing from sight. This is also a great place to view the large herds of bison.
The Beartooth Highway
The day we woke up early for Lamar Valley, we decided to keep driving and drove the Beartooth Highway up to Red Lodge, Montana. This is a very scenic drive with numerous overlooks. Also, you can visit the “Top of the World” store along the route.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Unfortunately, we ran out of time and did not get to visit Mammoth Hot Springs. However, we will definitely make sure to visit the next time we are back at Yellowstone!
Camping and Overnight Options
There are 5 main campgrounds in the park: Maddison, Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant Village and Fishing Bridge RV (the last one requires a hard side RV). We stayed at Maddison Campground, which is inside the park just a little north of Old Faithful.
Additionally, you can choose to stay outside of the park. West Yellowstone and Gardiner are the two main areas close to the park.
Also Consider Nearby
Make sure to visit Grand Teton National Park, the city of Jackson and these other sites in the Rocky Mountain Region.