plan visit to yellowstone national park

A beginner's guide to visiting Yellowstone National Park: Everything you should see and do

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I recently returned from an incredible trip to Yellowstone , our nation's first national park. It was very strange to be there in the days of COVID-19, but it was also one of my best visits yet, as it wasn't as crowded as it's been in the past. It was also my first time actually staying inside the park, which was quite a treat.

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Of course, you could easily spend weeks exploring the sprawling 2.2 million acre park and still not see it all. But even a day trip here or long weekend getaway is well worth your time. Here's everything you need to know to plan your trip to Yellowstone National Park.

What to see and do in Yellowstone

Let me start with the highlight: the wildlife.

Among the many rare species you might encounter are grizzly and brown bears, wolves, mountain lions, foxes, coyotes, elk, deer, buffalo, moose and every matter of birds. You can easily pull off the road and see any or all of these animals at once. Buffalo, in particular, are known to cause traffic jams as they use the same roads you do to commute.

Travelers will also discover a ton of adventure in this park. You can camp, hike in the backcountry, boat, fish, cycle and, in the winter, you can even try cross-country skiing.

Both biking and hiking are great ways to experience the natural wonder of this incredible park, and there are plenty of mountain biking and off-roading opportunities. Campsites are available from just $5 a night, and there are approximately 900 miles of trails to explore in the park — just be hyper-aware of your surroundings, as you'll be sharing the territory with some fearsome predators. When I was there last, I saw both bears and wolves.

There are so many amazing hikes here that aren't too difficult and are within walking distance of accessible parking areas. My favorite was probably the hike to Mystic Falls from Biscuit Basin, not too far from Old Faithful. The 2.5-mile round-trip walk takes you to a dramatic waterfall. If you hike a little farther you might luck out like I did and see Old Faithful erupt on the horizon.

Old Faithful

Probably the most famous of all Yellowstone's attractions, Old Faithful is a massive geyser that erupts reliably every 60 to 110 minutes. It's a cone geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin and easily accessible by road, and park rangers can tell you when the next eruption is during the day. There are benches from which you can watch the spectacle. It erupts about 20 times per day, and the plume of water and steam can be as high as 180 feet!

You can usually stay at a lodge near Old Faithful, but for the 2020 season, only cabins are available.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

This river valley formed by the Yellowstone River is probably my favorite part of Yellowstone. I've been here now in several different seasons and it's always changing, always distinctly different and always awe-inspiring.

There are several viewpoints, and it's one of the most dramatic areas in the country. I'm especially fond of Artist Point. As you can imagine, they call it that for a reason.

You can also check out the Canyon's Lower or Upper Falls viewing areas. I highly recommend doing the Brink of the Lower Falls observation point where you can really get a sense of the river's immense power. If you're driving, be prepared to pull over constantly to get a new perspective.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs was one of the first parts of the park that saw policing back in the 1800s when poaching was a problem. The U.S. Army had a base there (it still houses park employees) and it's home to historic Fort Yellowstone.

Travelers will also find the Mammoth Hot Springs lodges and cabins, places to eat and even a gas station.

But the best features are the dramatic hot springs laced with boardwalks for closer observations. You can get a good look at the many steaming hydrothermal pools and the travertine terraces. You can walk (or drive) to the Upper Terraces. There's also a hiking trail circling the pools and falls, but bring your bear spray. In a 24-hour span, I saw a grizzly bear and her cubs, and the next morning I saw another grizzly near the road.

There are also herds of elk that call the area home. You're pretty much guaranteed to see elk during a trip here.

Biscuit Basin and Mystic Falls

Not far from Old Faithful you'll find Biscuit Basin, which is home to gorgeous hot springs and small geysers with fairly regular eruptions.

The mix of colors and textures in the rocks is striking. You can follow a wooden walkway and it will eventually lead to an easy hike to Mystic Falls and a spectacular waterfall in a river valley.

Related: State-by-state guide to reopening America

There are also plenty of fun family-friendly activities just outside the park in cities such as Gardiner and West Yellowstone, Montana. Consider, for example, the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. You and the kids can see live bears and wolves who can't return to the wild and learn a ton about the fearsome animals from a safe distance.

Whether you're exploring the park by foot or car, don't forget to grab an $80 annual national park pass . Yellowstone National Park normally charges a $35 entrance fee per vehicle, so if you have any other national park trips on the horizon, you can easily get your money's worth.

The best times to visit Yellowstone

The peak time is definitely summer when everything is open. It can get hot, but it's generally not humid. You should pack shorts for the daytime, and be sure to bring sweaters, a sweatshirt or a coat. Yellowstone is in the mountains and it gets cold at night even in the summertime.

You can travel here all year long, including during the winter , which would be a magical (albeit cold) time to visit Yellowstone. Warren Smith, a chiropractor at HealthSource in Butte, Montana, told me he has cross-country skied into the park from West Yellowstone, and outfitters will take even take you snowmobiling.

My personal favorite time to visit is in the early fall when the crowds are thinner, and the colors begin to change. Temperatures are more moderate and it's not quite so hot. You get more of the park to yourself and wildlife is more likely to be around. Keep in mind, though, there can be freak snowstorms even in September — so pack for anything.

Read our complete guide on the best times to visit Yellowstone .

Where to stay in Yellowstone

There are plenty of places for you to stay in and around Yellowstone. Both vacation rental properties and hotels are plentiful at all five entrances to Yellowstone (there are three in Montana and two in Wyoming).

Related: How to visit the national parks for less

Points hotels near Yellowstone

Search Cook City, Gardiner, Red Lodge or West Yellowstone in Montana for hotels or rental properties near the trio of Montana entrances. There are also plenty of places to bed down at the two Wyoming entrances. You can search Cody, Wyoming and areas in Idaho.

If you're looking for places to spend points, however, there are far fewer options unless you're willing to stay a few hours outside the park in places like Bozeman, Montana or Idaho Falls, Idaho.

There's a nice Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone where last-minute rooms in July started at $281 a night. That's steep, but if you book early you can certainly find better rates. A long weekend in September will set you back $252 a night, or you can use 45,000 IHG Rewards Points per night.

I booked a room here in July and, despite the last-minute reservation, managed to secure a decent rate. Just watch out for added taxes and fees (unlike the rest of Montana, there are taxes in West Yellowstone). The final price ended up being almost $300 a night. Ouch.

There are also two Choice hotel properties travelers may want to consider: An Ascend Hotel for $212 a night and a Comfort Inn starting at $186 a night in West Yellowstone. Choice also has select properties in Livingstone, Montana, but that's an hour away from the park.

Travelers can also consider the Days Inn by Wyndham West Yellowstone (from 15,000 Wyndham points per night). And if you have Best Western Rewards points, you could try the Best Western Desert Inn or the Best Western Weston Inn , both from 28,000 points per night.

If you're looking for a major chain hotel, you'll need to head to Bozeman, Montana for a Hilton or a Marriott property. Rates are generally better, but it's a good 2-hour drive to Yellowstone. Prices are also high during the peak summer season — yes, even in 2020 — and can easily run at least $250 per night.

When it welcomes its first guests on Aug. 18, the 122-room Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman will be one of the area's most exciting new properties. The art deco building dating back to 1941 and features a whiskey bar, a rooftop pool and a concert hall. It's about an hour from Big Sky and two hours to the north entrance to Yellowstone .

In Big Sky, the relatively new Wilson Hotel, a Residence Inn by Marriott, is one of the first from a major brand in the area.

Related: How to use points to stay near national parks

Staying inside Yellowstone's borders

Within the park, travelers will discover several rustic lodges. Xanterra is the concessioner for all accommodations inside Yellowstone National Park (as well as Glacier and others, too). Many of the large lodges have existed for more than a century, so keep that in mind and manage your expectations accordingly.

Related: I went to Glacier and Yellowstone during COVID-19 and it was weird

Hotels sell out quickly during the high season. Even this summer, with the coronavirus crippling travel, there isn't much availability. In fact, only cabins are available in the park right now. Lodges are closed and are likely to remain shut down for the remainder of 2020. That makes inventory even scarcer than it usually is this time of year.

I was able to find some dates with availability, but prices are high. At Mammoth Falls Lodge cabins, rates were $277 a night for dates in July and August.

Back in June, I stayed in the cabins at Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge. They are charming but basic. The beds are small, and there's no air conditioning. Still, it was really fun staying inside the park and having easy access to hiking trails and the beautiful Mammoth Springs.

The cabins at Old Faithful Lodge are cuter and just steps from the famous Old Faithful geyser. They're tiny, sure, but the perfect base for exploring the nearby geysers, mountains and hot springs when I stayed there in June. Rates in August start at $174 a night.

If you're thinking about staying inside the park this summer, you want to act fast.

Betsy O'Rourke, chief marketing officer at Xanterra, told TPG earlier this year, "We open the inventory 13 months out and we sell out in a few hours. However, about 30% of that inventory cancels and gets rebooked."

Her advice? Check back frequently. "Our cancellation policy is 48 hours out, so we do get cancellations even close in."

You can find better deals if you're willing to stay at a vacation rental instead. Airbnb has plenty of properties, especially for travelers who want something unconventional like a traditional log cabin, glamping-style tent or a treehouse.

Even last minute, there's availability on Airbnb outside the park. I recommend searching for West Yellowstone or Gardiner. I found plenty of options near Montana's Western entrance to the park starting at $157 a night.

Luxury accommodations near Yellowstone

It can also make a lot of sense to use your credit card points to help offset the cost of an upscale stay near the park. Consider redeeming a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a stay at an independent property. You could also "erase" a qualifying travel charge by using a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

The Under Canvas "glamping" lodge is just 10 minutes from Yellowstone's West Entrance. I found availability in August for $264 a night. With taxes and fees, a four-night stay would be just over $1,200.

If you really want to splurge, try the Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana — it's about 4.5 hours from the park, and rates start around $1,600 a night. Paws Up resort in Greenough, Montana is also a 4.5-hour drive, and rooms will set you back about $1,700 a night. And the first five-star, ultra-luxury hotel in the entire state, a Montage in Big Sky, will debut in 2021.

Camping in Yellowstone

Of course, you can always camp inside Yellowstone. Yellowstone has 12 proper campgrounds with over 2,000 individual spots. You can head over to Yellowstone National Park lodges to make reservations, which cost $27 a night, on average.

Other campgrounds are available on a first come, first served basis. They fill up quickly in the summer, and in 2020 not all campgrounds are available because of the pandemic, so your mileage may vary. A search in July found just four of the 12 campgrounds open and accepting reservations. In fact, most were full by 7 a.m.

If you have an RV or camping equipment, you can stay outside the park in the surrounding national forests for very little — or nothing at all. It's called dispersed camping, and travelers comfortable with a more primitive stay should consider the surrounding Custer Gallatin or Bridger Teton National Forests.

How to get to Yellowstone

Flying to yellowstone.

You can fly to a number of cities that put Yellowstone within reach. The easiest and closest airport is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana, which bills itself as the "Gateway to Yellowstone." It's the busiest airport in Montana with nonstop service to 21 U.S. cities.

Related: New routes make it easier than ever to visit these top US National Parks

American Airlines has been betting big on Montana and added four seasonal flights last year for this summer. American was set to fly to Bozeman from Los Angeles (LAX), New York-LaGuardia (LGA) and Philadelphia (PHL) and to Kalispell (FCA) from LGA. None of those flights are happening, but we're hoping they return next year.

American normally flies from Newark (EWR), Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) nonstop to Bozeman. I found tickets in September for between $377 and $425 in the main cabin. Award prices started at 25,000 AAdvantage miles in coach or 50,000 miles for first class, plus $11.20 in taxes and fees.

United flies to Bozeman from six of its hubs, and Delta Air Lines also flies from six hubs, including Salt Lake City (SLC). At this time, Delta is only flying from Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) and Salt Lake City (SLC). Alaska Airlines has flights from Portland, Oregon (PDX) and Seattle (SEA), and Allegiant flies from four cities including Nashville, Tennessee (BNA). Frontier flies from Denver (DEN), and Sun Country now flies from its Minneapolis hub. JetBlue normally flies from New York-JFK and Boston (BOS) but this summer, they're not flying from New York.

Give yourself two hours for the drive from Bozeman to Yellowstone depending on traffic, weather and which park entrance you're using. There are a variety of operators that offer guided tours of Yellowstone. Karst Stage is one touring company that operates charter buses and day trips from Bozeman to the park.

You can also fly into Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) in Jackson, Wyoming. The airport is only 45 miles south of the park. It also gives you easy access to Grand Teton National Park. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines all fly to Jackson Hole airport, and Frontier offers seasonal service.

Delta has flights from Salt Lake City for about $300 in the main cabin in August or 23,000 SkyMiles plus $11.20.

You could also fly to Idaho Falls, Idaho and its Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA). It's just under 100 miles from Yellowstone. Allegiant offers year-round, nonstop flights from Las Vegas (LAS) and Phoenix-Mesa (AZA), and seasonal service from Los Angeles and Oakland (OAK).

Delta offers year-round, nonstop flights from Salt Lake City and seasonal service from Minneapolis, and United has service from Denver. United's flights to IDA were about $347 round-trip in main cabin or 25,000 United miles and $11.20 in taxes and fees.

Of course, there's always Yellowstone's eponymous airport. Yellowstone Airport (WYS) is located just 2 miles from Yellowstone National Park . Delta flies into this airport from Salt Lake City, and I found tickets from $175 in August.

Where to eat in Yellowstone

Montana and Wyoming aren't exactly known as foodie paradise. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants, but haute cuisine isn't exactly a thing.

Personally, I recommend doing grocery runs and always keeping a picnic ready for those mountain meadows you stumble upon. Be sure to pack lots of snacks, as restaurants are typically only open in the high season and often have limited hours.

They are also few and far between, especially inside the borders of the park, and they're especially scarce in the age of coronavirus. In fact, most restaurants inside the park remain closed, and the few that are open are take-out only. Forewarned is forearmed.

Smith, the chiropractor from Butte, told me he really likes two places in West Yellowstone: the Slippery Otter Pub that serves bison and elk burgers, and The Branch Restaurant and Bar. Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited in early July (probably due to COVID-19). Hopefully, it will reopen next year.

One of the most important things to know about visiting the national parks right now is that most of the bathrooms I encountered in both Yellowstone and Glacier were closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. If you go, definitely have a plan for the call of nature. Folks driving motorhomes will be fine, but be sure to plot your visit and use bathrooms wherever you find them.

Getting around Yellowstone

I strongly recommend renting a car (or an RV!) for your trip to Yellowstone National Park. The park is really designed for drivers, with major roads taking you to most of the iconic attractions. Still, if you really want to explore, bring hiking boots. And don't forget to pack your bear spray. You can't fly with it, though, so buy bear spray after your flight.

If you'd rather not drive, seasoned park veterans take visitors on the famous Yellowstone Yellow Bus Tours . The vintage 1920s buses are an iconic part of the park's heritage. The long, yellow buses with rollback tops are perfect for gazing at the mountains without worrying about the notorious curves in the park's roads.

"These days, a fleet of eight vintage White Motor Co. buses ferry visitors on guided wildlife-watching tours, photo safaris, sunset tours and more," says operator Xanterra. "The distinctive antique yellow vehicles have retractable canvas roofs and panoramic windows, making them ideal for sightseeing. Plus, they're really cool to ride around in."

They also book up quickly, so you'll want to be aggressive with your planning. But, unfortunately, Yellow Bus tours are not running during the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns.

You could also bike around the park, but there's not a lot of separated bike lanes. There are, however, a few trails specially designed for mountain biking. There's a complete guide to biking in Yellowstone here , but you can also rent bikes at Old Faithful Lodge.

Bottom line

Yellowstone National Park should be very high on your travel bucket list. It's a great time to go local and explore the nation's many national parks. Yellowstone is a personal favorite, and getting to see wolves and bears here was one of the highlights of my entire year.

If you're traveling to Montana, don't limit yourself to Yellowstone National Park, though. Across the state, there's Glacier National Park and countless sites that tell the incredibly important history of Native Americans in the United States. Big Sky, not far from Yellowstone, is also surging in popularity. It's a great spot for skiing in the winter.

I highly recommend a visit here this year, especially since travelers with a U.S. passport might find they can't venture too far from home. Just be sure to pack your masks and have a firm plan for where to stay — and use the bathroom — before you go.

Additional reporting by Meghan Hunter.

All photos by Clint Henderson/The Points Guy.

Yellowstone Itinerary Ideas from 1 to 5 Days (+Map & Planning Tips)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: March 29, 2024

Planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park and wondering how much time you need to visit the park, how to plan your trip, or what’s the best Yellowstone itinerary for your vacation?

In this post, we share our experience-based advice for visiting Yellowstone National Park, essential tips for planning your trip, and a suggested Yellowstone itinerary for one to five days . Find out!

These planning tips, Yellowstone itinerary for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days, and handy maps will help you get the most out of your trip to Yellowstone, no matter how much time you have.

Good to know: Note that these are all summer itineraries only (approx. mid-May to mid-October). That’s the period when all the roads are open and you can explore Yellowstone to the fullest. In winter, most of the roads in Yellowstone are closed and you can only visit the Old Faithful and the Mammoth Springs areas.

TIP: If you want to visit Yellowstone, but are overwhelmed with all the planning, you can also easily see the park with an organized tour. There are day trips or multi-day tours available. Here you can find our selection of the best Yellowstone tours .

Below, you can find a detailed day-to-day itinerary for Yellowstone. I also included a map for each recommended Yellowstone trip itinerary. That way you have a better idea of where all those places are and how to best plan your time when visiting Yellowstone.

Of course, you don’t have to follow these itineraries precisely, but it gives you a good idea of the main landmarks and the time you need to see them.

TIP: You can jump straight to our Yellowstone trip itinerary suggestions . However, before going into the details of your Yellowstone itinerary and starting to plan your trip, there are some important things you should know! So I suggest that you read that information first. Take a look!

Yellowstone Itinerary & Trip Planning Tips – OVERVIEW

• Essential info – read before planning a trip to Yellowstone!
• How much time you need in Yellowstone?
• Entrance fee
• 1 day in Yellowstone
• 2 days in Yellowstone
• 3 days Yellowstone itinerary
• 4 days Yellowstone itinerary
• 5 days Yellowstone itinerary

Important Info for Planning a Trip to Yellowstone

ACCOMMODATION: Your Yellowstone itinerary will depend so much on the location of your accommodation. Price-quality-location-wise, West Yellowstone is one of the best places to stay near Yellowstone. You can also see what’s available in this area for your travel dates via the map below.

Alternatively, check our detailed guide to the best places to stay in and near Yellowstone via the links below.

READ MORE: Where to Stay In Yellowstone National Park Best Hotels & Cabins Near Yellowstone

TIP: Using the map below, you can find the best deals for your stay. Simply insert your travel dates and group size, and you’ll see all the best deals for accommodation near Yellowstone.

DRIVING DISTANCES & TRAFFIC: Don’t underestimate driving distances in Yellowstone. The park is big and the traffic is busy in summer. On top of that, you may experience delays due to road works and wildlife traffic jams. Furthermore, parking spots at the most popular landmarks are scarce, so you may need some extra time and patience.

Important!!! Please always check the official website for up-to-date information on any road closures or planned works in the park when planning your trip! Also, things can change before your trip, so it’s always a good idea to check it again a few days before your trip.

HOW TO ESCAPE THE CROWDS: All that being said, we visited Yellowstone end of July, the busiest season of the year. It was only busy around the most popular attractions. Actually, it’s quite easy to escape the crowds in Yellowstone if you want to – just go for a walk.

I read somewhere that around 80% of Yellowstone visitors never walk further than 10-15 minutes from their car. We could definitely confirm that from our experience. Don’t be one of those tourists! If you have some time to spare and are physically capable, make sure to make at least several short walks in Yellowstone.

Of course, you have to see the main landmarks and attractions of Yellowstone , but it’s those unplanned experiences, hidden gems, and unexpected encounters that will make your trip more memorable.

WHEN TO VISIT: If you are not sure when to go to Yellowstone, please check our guide for the best time to travel to Yellowstone . If you are planning to visit in the peak season, please check out our experience-based tips for visiting Yellowstone in July and in August .

How much time do you need in Yellowstone National Park

When I was researching our American road trip itinerary , I quickly realized that one or two days are simply not enough for visiting Yellowstone. Not only is Yellowstone the oldest National Park in the world, it’s also one of the biggest and most diverse National Parks we ever visited.

After thorough research, we decided to spend four full days in Yellowstone. It gave us just enough time to see all the main highlights without having to rush. We did quite some hiking, went for a swim, spent time driving the scenic loop road and looking for wildlife…

Yellowstone is so big and so diverse that you could easily spend a week or two here and never get bored. However, if you just want to see the main landmarks of Yellowstone, three or four days is enough. You can also see a lot with just a day or two, especially if you plan your time well and focus on the ‘musts’ – our itinerary suggestions below will help you do just that!

TIP: Don’t pack your days too much and leave some space for unexpected wildlife encounters, bison traffic jams, a beautiful hike, a soak in the warm river, etc. Yellowstone is so much more than just the most famous landmarks!

LEARN MORE: Tips for Your First Trip to Yellowstone

Yellowstone Entrance Fee

You’ll need an entrance pass for Yellowstone. It costs 35 USD per private vehicle and is valid for 7 days. You can buy it at any entrance gate of the park.

However, if you are visiting several National Parks in the same year, it’s better to get an annual National Parks Pass. It’s called America the Beautiful Pass and costs 80 USD for the whole family traveling in the same vehicle. It is valid in all National Parks and 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States for one year from the month of purchase.

TIP: If you only visit for a day, you can also opt for this day tour that includes all the fees . Also this popular 4-day tour includes entrance fee, so you don’t have to worry about any of that.

And now that you know all the practicalities, below, you can find our Yellowstone itinerary suggestions. Take a look!

Here are our Yellowstone itinerary suggestions for any trip duration:

One Day in Yellowstone National Park

If you only have one day in Yellowstone visit the Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin , Grand Prismatic Spring , and drive at least part of the scenic lower loop road .

If you are short on time when visiting Yellowstone, I suggest driving the lower loop passing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (stop by Artist Point), Hayden Valley, and Yellowstone Lake.

Below is a map indicating all the main landmarks that you should be able to see in Yellowstone in one day.

One Day Yellowstone Itinerary:

• Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail (optional)
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Hayden Valley
• Yellowstone Lake
• West Thumb Geyser Basin

For more details and information for this Yellowstone itinerary, please see our 1-day itinerary via the link below.

READ MORE: One Day in Yellowstone

TIP: If you only have one day in Yellowstone, it might be wise to join an organized day trip rather than go on your own. Experienced local guides will make sure that you get the most out of your very short stay in Yellowstone. Here’s the best Yellowstone day tour (departing from Jackson Hole or Teton Village) that I was able to find. And here is a one-day tour from West Yellowstone .

Here is a map indicating all the best places that you should be able to see in Yellowstone in one day.

How to use this map:  Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.

2 Days in Yellowstone

This is our suggested two day itinerary for the best of Yellowstone. Please note that to see all of this in just two days you will need to start really early and you won’t have much extra time to explore deeper.

This itinerary will make sure you get to see the very best of Yellowstone in 2 days. Take a look!

Two Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Old Faithful Geyser, Old Faithful Inn, and the Morning Glory Pool (Upper Geyser Basin). Grand Prismatic Spring. Norris Geyser Basin. Mammoth Hot Springs .

Day 2: Undine Falls and/or Wraith Falls. Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass. Yellowstone Grand Canyon. Hayden Valley. Mud Volcano. Yellowstone Lake. West Thumb Geyser Basin.

You can find our detailed 2-day Yellowstone itinerary and tips for your trip via the link below.

LEARN MORE: Two Days in Yellowstone

TIP: If you have 2 days in Yellowstone and want to see the very best of the park without having to do much planning, consider joining this highly-rated and very complete Yellowstone 2-day/1 night tour (departs from Jackson, WY).

Below is the map illustrating the 2-day itinerary suggestions for Yellowstone. The places indicated in red are described in the 1-day itinerary above, purple – day 2.

Yellowstone Itinerary for 3 Days

If you have three days in Yellowstone , you can explore all the main areas at a more relaxed pace. In addition, you’ll have some time for some lesser-known places that will make your Yellowstone trip even more special. Below is our suggested itinerary.

Three Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Old Faithful and the Geyser Loop Trail (don’t miss the Morning Glory Pool). Grand Prismatic. Norris Geyser Basin.

Day 2: Mammoth Hot Springs . Undine Falls. Wraith Falls. Petrified Tree (not a must). Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass.

Day 3: The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone River (Artist Point, Uncle Tom’s Trail, Lower Falls). Hayden Valley. Yellowstone Lake.

TIP: If you’d like to do some hiking in Yellowstone, on day 3, you could go hiking along the rims of the Yellowstone Canyon. There’s also a very highly-rated hiking tour with a local guide that you can join in this area.

This Yellowstone itinerary for three days includes pretty much all the main landmarks that you really have to see in the park.

Below is the map showing suggestions for things to see when visiting Yellowstone in 3 days. Places indicated in red are the ones described on day 1 of this itinerary, purple on day 2, and yellow – on day 3.

4 Days in Yellowstone

We stayed four full days in Yellowstone with kids , but our trip itinerary can be used by all types of Yellowstone visitors. More adventurous travelers might want to do a bit more hiking, but if you want to see all the main highlights of Yellowstone without having to rush – this is it .

Here is my suggested four-day itinerary for Yellowstone based on our experience. We visited the Grand Prismatic and the Old Faithful area at the end of our trip and I think it was a good decision. It’s often better to leave the most impressive places for last; that way you appreciate the rest more.

We also spread the visit of three thermal areas (West Thumb Basin, Norris Geyser Basin, and the Grand Prismatic/ Old Faithful areas) over separate days. That way you have more diversity every day. Otherwise, it’s easy to get ‘geysered out’ in Yellowstone :).

Four Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Lewis Falls. West Thumb Basin. Yellowstone Lake. Storm Point hike. Mud Volcano area. Hayden Valley.

Day 2: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Artist Point, Uncle Tom’s Trail, Lower Falls). Norris Geyser Basin. Firehole River (swimming).

Day 3: Mammoth Hot Springs. Undine Falls. Wraith Falls. Petrified Tree (optional). Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass.

Day 4: Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic). You can also hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Lower Geyser Basin. Upper Geyser Basin (the Old Faithful Geyser, Old Faithful Inn, and the Geyser Loop Trail), also Biscuit Basin and/or Black Sand Basin.

TIP: If you are looking for the best guided tour option, check out this beautiful 4-day/ 3 night Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip with a focus on wildlife (departs from Jackson, WY).

Below is a map indicating each of the suggested places from our 4-day Yellowstone itinerary. Places indicated in red are the ones described on day 1 of this itinerary, purple – day 2, yellow – day 3, and green – day 4. The blue dots are the places that we mention in the 5-days Yellowstone itinerary further below.

5 Days in Yellowstone

If you have five days in Yellowstone, make sure you see all the main landmarks and highlights described in the four-day Yellowstone itinerary. In addition, you could hike to Mount Washburn . It’s a long hike (6-7 miles (10-12km) depending on the route you choose) and requires a good part of the day.

Another nice option on foot or by bike is Lone Star Geyser . It’s located about 3 miles south of the Old Faithful area and can be reached via a hiking/biking trail from there. It erupts every 3 hours.

Otherwise, you can find plenty of other nice hikes, go for a boat ride on Yellowstone Lake, go for a scenic float or rafting nearby, join a hiking tour , etc.

Take a look at the map above (4 days in Yellowstone) – the blue dot next to Dunraven Pass is Mount Washburn, and the blue dot south of the Old Faithful is the Lone Star Geyser.

So, these are my suggestions for the best way to plan your Yellowstone trip and see the main landmarks of Yellowstone. None of these itineraries are very detailed as they would require separate articles, such as the ones for 1 and 2 days that we linked to above. So if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try to help.

Please note that every trip and itinerary will be somewhat different because so much depends on the location of your accommodation. We have lots of information and detailed guides for visiting Yellowstone , so please check those articles for more suggestions on how to plan your Yellowstone trip.

Update: Since so many of our readers asked for suggestions on how to best combine Yellowstone NP with Grand Teton NP, Glacier NP, and also with visiting Mount Rushmore, we have now published dedicated articles for those places. Take a look below!

• Here you can find info on the best places to see and things to do in Jackson Hole .
• Here you can read more about the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park in one day .
• Here you can find a suggested itinerary for both, Yellowstone and Grand Teton .
• Here you can find Glacier National Park itinerary suggestions .
• Here you can read more about visiting Mount Rushmore and things to do near Mt Rushmore .

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More information for planning your trip to Yellowstone:

• Overview: Yellowstone Travel Guide
• What to see: Best Things to Do in Yellowstone
• When to go: Best Time to Visit Yellowstone
• What to pack: Yellowstone Packing List
• Accommodation: Where to Stay in and Near Yellowstone & Best Hotels Near Yellowstone
• For families: Yellowstone with Kids
• Must-see: Grand Prismatic Spring & Old Faithful Geyser
• Fun to do: Boiling River

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Tracy Hughes

Tuesday 17th of October 2023

What airport did you fly into? Also, how far was the drive from the airport to Canyon Lodge?

Wednesday 18th of October 2023

Hi Tracy, Yellowstone was just part of a much bigger road trip for us. We flew out of Salt Lake City after we left the park. That was like 6 hrs drive. But there are plenty of smaller airports nearby (1-3 hrs). You can find this information in our Yellowstone travel guide.

Tuesday 19th of September 2023

We just returned from Yellowstone and I wanted to thank you for all the information on your website. It was invaluable for our trip. We could have never seen this much without your tips. THANK YOU!

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Glad to help, Muryel.

Friday 11th of August 2023

Hi Jurga, I'm planning a camping trip to Yellowstone NP for my family in early Sept 2024. We'll be pulling a 30' camper. I like your 4-5 day Yellowstone itinerary and was wondering if you stayed at one particular camp site or did you move to different camp sites to cut drive times? Which one(s) would you recommend? Thank you so much for your help! Brent D.

Sunday 13th of August 2023

Hi Brent, we do not camp so we stayed at the hotels - Canyon Lodge most of the time, plus the Old Faithful Lodge for a night. You can find more info about Yellowstone campsites here.

Monday 24th of July 2023

hi jurga i am thinking to come in oct end and thinking where ot fly from NY and with best price in mind where to stay and how to plan for 4-6 days total .

Tuesday 25th of July 2023

Hi Claudia, first, keep in mind that most roads in Yellowstone close for the winter season on November 1. End of October can also already be quite cold and snowy, so you have to be prepared for some uncertainty. Check the official site for the road conditions and planned closures. For the rest, if you do indeed go in October, you should be able to visit most places as described in our itinerary suggestions, so please check our article for how you could plan your time. As for where to stay, many accommodations inside the park will also be already closed for the season. Only Mammoth Hotel and OF Snowlodge remain open somewhat longer in October, but also not the entire month. So the best places to stay are likely West Yellowstone and/or Gardiner. Please take a look at this article for more information on the best hotels near Yellowstone. Having said all this, if you can plan your trip somewhat earlier, even if just a few weeks, it will make a big difference. End of October is really the very end of the main season. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

Sunday 14th of May 2023

We’re booked for 7 nights at Grizzly RV park in mid July. This will be our first trip to Yellowstone! We’re traveling in an RV with a tow vehicle, so we’ll have transportation for traveling around. Any thoughts? I’ve been looking at itineraries and it almost seems like we should have tried to stay in a couple of different places. We’re heading to Lava Hot Springs after that and making our way to Salt Lake City. Thanks!

Monday 15th of May 2023

Hi Mindy, this RV park is located in West Yellowstone which is really one of the best locations to stay for Yellowstone if you can't find a place inside the park. My best recommendations would be to focus on different area each day so that you can explore deeper and drive a bit less. But yes, it's quite inevitable that you will have to cover big distances on some days, for example, if driving to Lamar Valley. So yes, with a week, ideally, you would split your stay between several different areas in the park, but if you can't change your bookings anymore, just make the most of it. With good planning and early start (to avoid the long queues at the park entrance), you can see all the best places using West Yellowstone as your base location. Have a great trip!

Best 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary For First Timers (2024)

Feeling overwhelmed about planning your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary? You’ve come to the right place!

Yellowstone National Park embodies the ideal road trip destination. It’s got wildlife, natural wonders, beautiful scenery, lots of outdoor adventures, family-friendly activities, and so much more!

Planning your trip? Use our favorite resources!

For accommodations –   Hotels.com  |  Expedia  |  VRBO ​ For car rentals –   Discover Cars ​ For tours & excursions –   Viator ​ For cheap flights – FareDrop ​ For travel insurance –   Safety Wing

My husband and I visited Yellowstone as part of a 2-week trip out west in August 2020. We had four days designated to Yellowstone, and for a first-time visitor, I think that’s about the perfect amount of time to see the highlights and get a good feel for the park and what it has to offer. While there is so much more that we didn’t get to see, I feel that we did the park justice in the amount of time we had.

related: One-Week Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton Itinerary

So if you are looking for the best Yellowstone 4 day itinerary, look no further! Let me be your Yellowstone trip planner! Here’s everything you need to plan and make the most of your trip!

Best 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary

Ok, let’s get into the good stuff! Here’s the road trip itinerary for four days in Yellowstone National Park.

This itinerary was created with West Yellowstone being the base camp for your trip. All maps, mileage, and drive times are based on this. I suggest you stay in this vicinity in order to make the most of your time at Yellowstone. I found it to be a great area to stay. If you are staying somewhere else, then your mileage and drive times will differ, but you can easily adjust this itinerary to work with wherever you’re staying.

Day 1 – Northern Section

Total distance: 171 miles Length of drive: 5 hours

Start your Yellowstone trip itinerary by exploring the northern section of the park.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Get an early start and drive north through the park towards Lamar Valley. You can head directly there if you’d like, but a nice detour is Blacktail Plateau Drive. It’s a one-way dirt road so if you’re going to take it, take it on your way to Lamar Valley. It offers some nice scenery and when we took it in August, we only saw a few other cars, so it’s a nice place to drive to get away from the crowds when visiting Yellowstone.

• Lamar Valley

After finishing the Black Plateau Drive, continue through Lamar Valley. The earlier you get here, the better your chances of seeing the wildlife.

Did you know that Yellowstone has the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states? While some animals are more elusive than others (wolves, moose, bear, etc.) you have the potential to see bighorn sheep, bison, elk, moose, mountain goats, mule deer, pronghorn, white-tailed deer, black bears, Canada lynx, coyotes, grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolverines, and wolves.

We were fortunate to see bison, elk, pronghorn, a coyote, and a moose while in Yellowstone. We didn’t get to see a bear which was on my bucket list, but there’s always next time!

After you’ve spotted some wildlife, make your way to Trout Lake.

It’s a short hike to the lake but it’s steep, so make sure you have proper footwear. This is a nice scenic area where you can walk around the water and take a little break. There weren’t many people here either when we went, so you’ll also get a break from the crowds.

If you packed a lunch this would also make a great spot for a picnic or a snack.

Lamar River Valley and Specimen Ridge Trails

After a bite to eat, if you want to do a bit more hiking, consider exploring parts of the Lamar River Valley and Specimen Ridge trails. I’m sensitive to heat so it was a little too warm for me to do these hikes in August, but they are on my list for next time!

More details on these and other trails can be found on the AllTrails website or app.

After a bit of hiking (or after Trout Lake if you don’t want to hike) swing by Tower Fall. You can admire it from the viewing area or take the hike down to the bottom.

Mammoth Hot Springs

End your day with some time exploring Mammoth Hot Springs. Take some time to walk around the geothermal wonders and then take the Upper Terrace Loop drive to see some more of the features up close.

Day 2 – Geysers and Waterfalls

Total distance: 135 miles Length of drive: 3 hours 30 minutes

BONUS: Mount Washburn

If you’re a hiker and want to get a good trek in this morning, get an early start, head to Dunraven Pass, and take the hike up to Mount Washburn. It’s a 6.8-mile out-and-back trail and is rated as moderate. You can get all the hike details here.

Upper and lower falls

This can either be your first stop of the day, or you can head directly here after hiking Mount Washburn. The Upper and Lower Falls of Yellowstone River near Canyon Village was one of my favorite parts of our 4 day Yellowstone road trip .

There are so many different places you can view the falls based on how much walking you want to do and how much time you want to spend. At the very least, I recommend checking out the Lower Falls from both sides of the river and then going down ALL the steps to the brink of the Lower Falls. It’s a LOT of steps but it’s worth it.

When we were there we hiked the South Rim Trail to Artist Point which was a beautiful walk with lots of lookouts. We had wanted to do Uncle Tom’s Trail but it was closed when we were there.

• Hayden Valley

This is another great area of the park to see wildlife. This is also where we saw the moose! Drive along and see what you can spot!

Just be courteous to other drivers and if you do see any wildlife and want a closer look, find a safe, designated place to pull over to view. Don’t stop in the middle of the road and do your best to allow traffic to keep moving.

Hayden Valley is a very busy section of the park because of all the wildlife, especially the bison. They can sometimes wander into the road and cause a “bison jam” which will back up traffic. Park rangers will sometimes use emergency vehicles to move the bison off the road. Just keep alert and be patient if you have to wait for the wildlife. This is their home after all!

Mud volcano

This area has a lot of cool features, like Dragon’s Mouth Spring and the Mud Volcano .

Norris geyser basin

Wrap up your day with the Norris Geyser Basin. As the name implies, there are a lot of geysers here, like Steamboat Geyser and Echinus Geyser . See how many you can catch erupting!

Day 3 – The Famous Attractions

Total distance: 64 miles Length of drive: 1 hour 45 minutes

Today is all about seeing the sites that make Yellowstone famous!

fountain paint pots

If you’re not tired of geysers yet, start your morning by walking around the Lower Geyser Basin and the Fountain Paint Pot Trail.

grand prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic is part of the Midway Geyser Basin and is world-famous for its rainbow of colors. Anyone planning a trip to Yellowstone needs to stop here! Visiting in the middle of the day will show off the colors the brightest and has a better chance of not being too foggy.

You should view it from ground level first and then head down the road a minute or two to Fairy Falls Trail parking lot to hike up to the Prismatic Spring Overlook.

fairy falls

If you’re up for an easier hike today, continue down the trail from the Grand Prismatic overlook to Fairy Falls. It’s a 4.8-mile out-and-back trail. It can get a little crowded but it’s a beautiful waterfall and worth the hike.

This would also be a nice place to eat a packed lunch. You can see the hike details here.

Upper Geyser Basin & Morning Glory Pool

This is another section of geysers and pools that would be a great way to spend some time while waiting for the next eruption of Old Faithful.

I would suggest heading directly to Old Faithful after Fairy Falls and finding out when the next eruption is predicted. If you have time, hit up some of these trails. If the next eruption is soon, then you can explore these if you want to afterward.

old Faithful

Finish out your day with the grand finale of Old Faithful. This famous geyser erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and is well worth fighting the crowds to see.

As mentioned above, if you have some time to kill before the next eruption, you can explore the Upper Geyser Basin or just relax and walk around the general store, visitor center, lodge, and the beautiful Old Faithful Inn.

Day 4 – Southern Section

Total distance: 150 miles Length of drive: 3 hours 30 minutes

On the final day of your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary, you can either hit up some of the areas you might have missed during your first 3 days or you can spend some time in the southern section of the park. When we were in Yellowstone, most of this part of the park was closed due to a wildfire, so this is the itinerary I would have done if the roads had been open.

Lone Star Geyser

Begin your day with a hike to Lone Star Geyser . This is an easy 5.3-mile out-and-back trail.

Lewis Falls

Next, take the drive down to view Lewis Falls.

• West Thumb Geyser Basin

This area of geysers right along Yellowstone Lake looks very scenic.

• Yellowstone Lake

Take the rest of the day to drive along Yellowstone Lake. You can either drive partially along it and then turn around and head back the way you came, or you can drive all the way along Route 20 until you reach Grand Loop Road and then drive back to West Yellowstone through Hayden Valley again for more wildlife viewing. The time and distance will be about the same for either choice.

If you have less than 4 days in Yellowstone…

If you can’t do Yellowstone in 4 days because you have less time, here are a couple of modified options to help you still see the best of the national park in the time you do have.

If you have 1 day in Yellowstone:

Make sure you hit up the main attractions:

• Upper and Lower Falls
• Norris Geyser Basin
• Grand Prismatic
• Upper Geyser Basin & Old Faithful Geyser

If you have additional time, you can drive up to see Mammoth Hot Springs or drive to Hayden Valley to look for wildlife.

If you have 2 days in Yellowstone:

On Day 1, visit Mammoth Hot Springs, drive through Lamar Valley to look for wildlife, stop at Tower Fall, continue to Upper and Lower Falls, and end at Norris Geyser Basin.

On Day 2, visit Grand Prismatic, head to Upper Geyser Basin & Old Faithful, drive along Yellowstone Lake and spend some time there, and then head up through Hayden Valley for wildlife watching in the evening.

If you have 3 days in Yellowstone:

Follow my four-day Yellowstone itinerary but skip Day 4.

If you have more than 4 days in Yellowstone…

If you have more than 4 days for your Yellowstone National Park itinerary, here are some things you can add:

• Beartooth Highway –   this is one thing I wish we would have had time to do. This is a 68-mile road from Red Lodge to Cooke City that many consider the most beautiful drive in America. This road is also closed from around October to April/May depending on the snow, so check conditions before you go.
• Boiling River – a popular section of the Gardner River to go swimming. It’s located right on the Montana/Wyoming border off of Route 189.
• Add in some hikes – we did not get to do much hiking/walking on this trip so I don’t have any personal recommendations, but you can use the AllTrails website or app to find the best ones in the area. Some that I’d like to do next time include the Lone Star Geyser Trail and Shoshone Lake .
• Explore the town of West Yellowstone – we walked around the town a bit in the evenings to get dinner or just window shop. There are plenty of places to eat and pick up souvenirs, and also family-friendly activities for the kids, like the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center and the Zipline Adventure Park.

Quick facts about Yellowstone National Park

• Yellowstone is not only the first established national park in the United States but also in the world! It became a national park on March 1, 1872.
• Yellowstone is 3,472 square miles, which equates to over 2.2 MILLION acres! It’s one of the largest national parks in the US. Within these acres, there are about 290 waterfalls and over half of the world’s active geysers and hydrothermal features.
• In 2023, Yellowstone was the 7th most-visited national park with 3.2 million visitors.

Top 10 Best Things to do in Yellowstone National Park

Oh man, it is so hard to choose the top 10 things to do in Yellowstone! The park is massive and there are dozens of amazing sights to see.

However, here is what I believe are the things every first-time visitor needs to see when exploring Yellowstone:

• Old Faithful
• The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Upper & Lower Falls
• Mammoth Springs

The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is open all year round and there are activities to do in every season, but parts of the park do close down in the shoulder seasons and in winter.

View current conditions for Yellowstone National Park here.

The roads in the interior of the park (Old Faithful, Upper and Lower Falls, etc.) are closed during the winter as are many visitor centers and facilities, so keep this in mind when you’re planning your trip.

However, in winter there are very few visitors, and if you enjoy winter activities like snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling, you’ll get to see a side of the park not many others do! Check out what other things you can do in Yellowstone in the winter.

On the flip side, the summer is the busiest time to visit the park. Half of the yearly visitors to Yellowstone come in June, July, and August. You will for sure be fighting big crowds and the heat, and accommodations will be harder to book and will be more expensive. You also risk the chance of wildfires closing parts of the park.

However, all the facilities and roads are open at this time, so you’ll be able to experience just about everything in the park in the summer.

Spring and fall are great times to visit Yellowstone. The crowds are fewer, the weather is cooler, and you’ll have more options for places to stay. Generally, the interior roads start opening around April and start closing around October. Check the Yellowstone road status page for up-to-date information.

So no matter when you decide to visit, there are plenty of things to see and do!

How to get to Yellowstone National Park

If you are flying to Yellowstone National Park, the closest airport is West Yellowstone which has flights from early May to mid-October from Salt Lake City. Other nearby airports include Cody and Jackson in Wyoming, Bozeman and Billings in Montana, and Idaho Falls.

If you are driving, here are the approximate driving times to West Yellowstone from some of the closest larger cities:

Boseman, Montana:  1.5 hours Billings, Montana:  4 hours Cody, Wyoming: 3.5 – 5 hours, depending on seasonal road closures Jackson, Wyoming: 2.5 hours Idaho Falls, Idaho: 2 hours

NOTE: There are five entrances to the park, but the most popular (and therefore the busiest entrance) is West Yellowstone. Since this is a popular place to stay (and my personal recommendation), all the above drive times are to the town of West Yellowstone, but if you are arriving from another side of the park (Cody, WY for example) it will take you less time to reach the park itself.

How to get around Yellowstone National Park

Having your own vehicle is going to give you the best experience in Yellowstone as there are no shuttles in the park. You’ll be able to plan your own itinerary based on what you want to see and spend as much time as you want at any of the sights.

Consider downloading your maps, itinerary, and directions before leaving so you can access them offline. Cell phone service can be spotty in Yellowstone and you’ll want to make sure you know how to get around the park. Google Maps is a great option. You can download any map you create and navigate without cell phone service.

If you will need to rent a car for your road trip, I highly recommend using Discover Cars . They search all the rental companies for the best price, and if your plans change, you always get free cancellation.

However, if you do not have your own car, there are a couple of other options.

There are a few local Yellowstone tours and shuttle bus companies that operate in the area. You can find out more about them here.

However, I’d recommend using Get Your Guide to book a tour or any activities. You can check reviews and you will often have a smaller or private group and a more authentic, enjoyable experience.

What to pack for your 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary

In order to make the most of your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary, here are some things you should not forget:

National Park Pass

If you have the  National Park Pass , make sure you don’t forget it! They come with a rearview mirror holder so you can hang it up and not have to dig around for it when you enter the park.

This is a given, but you are going to be so amazed by all the beauty and geothermal wonders, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t have a good camera to capture it all.

A good phone camera would work well for most landscapes, but if you want to get some awesome wildlife pictures, you might want something with a zoom lens.

Is that a moose or just a log? If you have binoculars, you won’t have to guess!

Hiking shoes & good socks

If you plan on doing any kind of hiking, I’d recommend hiking shoes or boots rather than sneakers. The socks you wear with your boots will also make a huge difference in how your feet feel. I like  Cloudline  wool socks, but there are lots of great brands out there.

While Yellowstone can get very hot in the summer, especially around the geothermal pools and geysers, you should make sure you pack along a variety of clothing, including clothes you can layer. If you head out early or stay out late, it might be a bit chilly and I’m sure you’d rather be prepared than be cold.

More than likely, you’ll be out and about in the park all day and may not have quick access to a store. Plus it can get VERY hot in the summer and you will want to stay hydrated.

While the visitor centers do sell water, it will be much easier to just bring lots of water with you so you don’t have to worry about running out or changing your plan in order to go find some.

Hiking pack + the 10 essentials

While most of the trails and boardwalks in Yellowstone National Park are well-traveled and you’ll see people frequently, you still want to be prepared. Bring along a hiking backpack or something with good back support and keep it stocked with the  10 essentials for hiking and you’ll be set.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat

Nothing can ruin a trip faster than sunburn, am I right? Yellowstone is hot and often very sunny in the summer, so you’ll want to make sure you protect your skin and your eyes from the sun. A hat would be a good idea as well.

Certain parts of the park can get buggy, so just be prepared and carry some with you.

Spotting bears is one of the big things on people’s Yellowstone to-do list, but usually from the safety of your car!

If you plan to do some hiking, just make sure you hike with at least one other person and carry bear spray (and have it easily accessible and know how to use it). Pay attention to your surroundings, make plenty of noise, and you’ll be fine!

NOTE:  You can’t fly with bear spray so I’d recommend purchasing it once you arrive if you are traveling by plane.

You should also give any other animals that you encounter plenty of space too. Any wildlife can be unpredictable, and you want to keep yourself and the critters safe!

Swimsuit & Towel

If you plan to spend some time at any of the lakes or hot springs, you’ll want to make sure you have a swimsuit and towel along.

Walkie Talkies

Cell service isn’t great in the park, and if you are traveling in a group and want to split up when visiting some of the landmarks, walkie-talkies can be a great way to keep in touch with the others in your group.

Find the best road trip walkie-talkie options here.

Optional: Hiking poles

While not a necessity, I thought I’d include this one since a lot of people find them useful. I tend to use hiking poles more when I’m backpacking than just day hiking, but some of the hikes in Yellowstone can be long and challenging and hiking poles might come in handy.

For a complete road trip packing list, check out this post.

Places to eat in Yellowstone National Park

We didn’t eat out much on our trip, but we did eat at the Firehole Bar-B-Que Company in West Yellowstone and it was quite good. Some other recommended places include Ernie’s Bakery & Deli and Wild West Pizzaria & Saloon , also both in West Yellowstone. If you make it up to Cooke City, Miners Saloon is also supposed to be good.

If you’d like to eat in the park, there aren’t a lot of options. I would suggest packing a lunch along on most of your days. However, lots of people want to get a chance to eat at the historic Old Faithful Inn . There are a couple of restaurants there. This might be a nice place to relax and eat before or after viewing Old Faithful.

Where to stay in Yellowstone National Park

We stayed in our friends’ RV on this trip and parked at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park . We don’t have a lot of experience with RV parks but it was a nice one in my opinion.

If you want to stay in the park, there are nine lodges to choose from, including Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the famous Old Faithful Inn . However, these places tend to be on the more expensive side and can fill up VERY quickly.

No matter where you stay, make sure you plan ahead and book as soon as you can. Places can book up very quickly, especially in the summer .

But don’t stress! There are plenty of reasonably priced accommodations of all kinds outside of the park. In fact, I wrote a whole post on the best ones so you don’t have to spend hours doing the research!

Here are the best places to stay near Yellowstone!

How to avoid crowds in Yellowstone National Park

As the second most visited national park, it’s going to be pretty tough to avoid the crowds. Everyone comes to see Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, and for good reason!

But how do you get away from the masses when there are just so many people in the park? Here are a couple of tips:

Visit during the shoulder seasons

Yellowstone is at its busiest between June and August. If you have the flexibility, try to come during another time of the year.

If you come in late April to May, the interior roads start opening up and there will be a lot fewer visitors. Plus this is the time of year the bison and pronghorn give birth to their babies.

September to early October is also a great time of year to visit. The interior roads do start to close sometime in October, but you’ll have a greater chance of seeing bears as they come down from the mountains, and you’ll have gorgeous fall colors!

Arrive early and stay late

As with most national parks, the earlier you get in, the smaller the crowd will be. The park is open 24 hours a day, so if you can swing it, get in as early as you can to enjoy the first hour of daylight with fewer people around. You can catch the sunrise and have a better chance of seeing wildlife too.

You can also choose to stay in the park late. A lot of tourists leave the park around dinnertime, but if you pack your dinner and stay out until sunset, you’ll not only get a gorgeous view, but this is also a great time to see animals. This is also when I’d recommend going to see some of the biggest attractions, like Old Faithful or the Upper and Lower Falls.

Consider exploring less popular areas

Yellowstone National Park as a whole is incredibly busy, but there are definitely places that don’t see the crowds of Grand Prismatic and Mammoth Hot Springs.

The area south and east of Old Faithful, around Yellowstone Lake, and down to the Wyoming border is a less-visited part of the park that still has a lot to offer. There are tons of hiking trails and lakes along this section, and you can also see waterfalls and some geysers too.

Parts along the northern section of the park, between Tower/Roosevelt and the Northeast Entrance Station, can also be less crowded. We found hardly any other cars on Blacktail Plateau Drive and the area around Trout Lake.

If avoiding crowds is a top priority for you, consider spending more time in these areas, away from the popular attractions.

Places to visit around Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is a perfect jumping-off point to so many other great locations. If you want to extend your Yellowstone National Park itinerary to include a few other places, here are some suggestions:

• Glacier National Park
• Grand Teton National Park
• Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
• Bighorn National Forest
• Black Hills & Badlands National Park

Yellowstone National Park FAQs

When is yellowstone national park open.

Yellowstone National Park is open all year round, 24 hours a day. Parts of the park are only open seasonally because of snow, but there are things to do in the park all seasons. Check out the Yellowstone National Park Service website for more details .

How much does it cost to enter Yellowstone National Park?

A 7-day park permit costs $35 per vehicle.

If you have an America the Beautiful pass, entry is free.   I highly recommend getting this pass if you plan to visit more than one national park in a year  – it will save you money. A one-year pass costs $80.

A Yellowstone National Park annual pass is $70, but this would only be worth it if you are going to be visiting the park for longer than a week and you aren’t planning to go to any other national parks within the year.

There are also several days throughout the year when entering any national park is free!  Check out the list of free National Park days here.

How many days do you need to see Yellowstone?

We spent a full 4 days in Yellowstone when we visited in August 2020, and I think that was the perfect amount of time for first-timers. You get to see all the main sites without being too rushed, but it also leaves some time for you to relax if you wish.

If you want to do more hiking and also explore more off-the-beaten-path places, you might want to add an extra day or two.

What is the best month to visit Yellowstone National Park?

Overall, I’d say the best month to visit Yellowstone would be May or September. Most of the interior roads to the park are open, but it isn’t as hot or crowded as in June, July, and August.

How long does it take to drive the loop in Yellowstone?

There are actually two loops in Yellowstone, the Upper Loop and the Lower Loop. Essentially, if you wanted to drive them both in their entirety in one day, you would make a figure 8. This would take about 5-6 hours to complete without stops.

The Upper Loop takes approximately 2 hours to drive without stops. This section includes Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, Mt Washburn, and Lamar Valley.

The Lower Loop is a little larger and takes just under 3 hours to drive without stops. Here you would see Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, and the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.

Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone is basically the outside of the two loops. It is 142 miles around. If you wanted to drive this in one day, it would take approximately 4-7 hours. This would all depend on how many stops you wanted to make along the way.

Conclusion: 4 Day Yellowstone itinerary

And there you have it! I hope this was helpful for you in planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park.

If you want to see a more inside scoop of what our Yellowstone trip was like, check out the video below from Happily Ever Hanks . They are good friends of ours and traveled with us on our 2-week trip to Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.

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Stefanie Henne is an experienced road trip travel blogger who specializes in helping others plan their dream vacation, no matter their budget or time restraints. Go here to read more about Stef's story. If you want to send Stef a message, visit her contact page here.

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10 things you should know before visiting Yellowstone National Park

Jan 30, 2023 • 6 min read

Most people see Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring from the busy boardwalks of Midway Geyser Basin © Jonathan Percy / Shutterstock

After 15 years living in Yellowstone County, Montana , and authoring four editions of Lonely Planet’s guidebook to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks , I’ve learned a trick or two about visiting Yellowstone. 

From avoiding the summer crowds to staying safe in grizzly country, here’s what I wish I had known on my first visit to Yellowstone National Park .

1. Visit in shoulder season 

More than 4 million people visit Yellowstone National Park every year, with almost 70% of visitors arriving in the three summer months of June, July and August. Campgrounds, trailheads, restaurants and roads are stuffed to capacity. 

If your vacation dates allow, visit the park at the very beginning or end of the summer instead. September is a fabulous month for both good weather and lower crowds, especially after Labor Day, and this continues until mid-October. May is also good, especially in the northern half of the park and at lower elevations (high passes and some roads are still snow-covered in May). 

Also remember that, unlike Yellowstone’s other entrances, the northern section of the park is accessible year-round via the Mammoth to Cooke City road, so you can explore it any time you want.

2. Book accommodation well in advance (even campsites) 

If you do decide to visit during the mad months of July and August, you will need to book your park accommodation months in advance, even campsites. Since 2022 all of Yellowstone’s campgrounds are now reservable, whether they be the seven National Park Service (NPS) sites (bookable through Recreation.gov ) or the five sites run by Yellowstone National Park Lodges (YNPL). NPS-run sites take bookings six months in advance, whereas YNPL accepts them 13 months in advance.

A few NPS campsites are released just two weeks in advance, so all is not lost if you are gambling on a last-minute trip, though you will need to be flexible. A tip: Indian Creek campsite, south of Mammoth Junction, is normally the last of the park’s campsites to fill up. Without a reservation, you’ll have to camp outside the park, which will add to your daily driving time.

One important note is that flooding in June 2022 damaged Mammoth, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, Tower Fall and Norris campgrounds, which were closed throughout 2022, so check with the park service for 2023 opening dates.

For hotels inside the park, you need to book up to a year in advance. The reception desk at any of the park’s accommodations can advise you of any last-minute room cancellations at any lodge inside the park.

3. Check that the roads are open

If you are visiting in April or May, be sure to check the road-opening schedule on the NPS website, as roads and accommodations in the southern half of the park open on a staggered schedule, ending with the road between Tower and Canyon junctions by Memorial Day. A couple of campgrounds here (Lewis Lake and Grant Village) don’t open until early June. Travel a park road that has only just opened and you’ll largely have that section of the park to yourself.

Road construction dates are also posted online, so check in advance to see if you need to budget some extra driving time. For example, the Yellowstone River bridge between Tower Junction and the Lamar Valley is under reconstruction from 2023, meaning traffic delays and the closure of the Yellowstone River picnic area.

4. Keep your distance!

Yellowstone is an elemental, untamed place, not a petting zoo, and its wild nature demands respect . Every year tourists die in the park, due to everything from being attacked by a grizzly bear to falling into a boiling hot spring.

Your natural instinct for self-preservation should keep you the requisite 100 yards away from bears and wolves, but it’s also important to keep at least 25 yards from bison, elk and moose, especially if there are young around. Bison injure more park visitors than any other animal.

5. Carry bear spray

If you are hiking off the boardwalks into Yellowstone’s wild backcountry (something we strongly recommend), be sure to invest in a can of bear spray and know how to use it. Outdoor stores at regional and gateway towns (and inside the park, at a premium) sell spray and you can even rent it inside the park, so there’s no excuse not to take one. It could save your life, and the bear’s. And no, bear spray is not like mosquito repellent – you don’t spray it on yourself, but rather at an advancing bear.

6. Practice your Western pronunciation

To blend in with the locals, be sure to hone your best Montana/Wyoming pronunciation, particularly for words like creek (pronounced crick ) and coyote (normally KAI-ote,  not kai-O-tee ). Pronounce Slough Creek as Slew Creek  to gain kudos with the local fly fishers. Brits should be aware that geyser is pronounced guy-zer , not gee-zer (which is an elderly dude). And while we are on the subject, those are bison, not buffalo, grazing the Lamar Valley.  

7. Be prepared for limited cell phone reception

Teenagers and digital junkies should be warned that Yellowstone has limited cell-phone service, mostly focused around the junction hubs of Mammoth, Canyon, Grant Village, Old Faithful and Lake Village. Wi-Fi is even patchier, with free Wi-Fi only available at Mammoth’s Albright Visitor Center. Don’t panic, you’ll survive.

If you simply can’t live without connectivity, you’ll have to drive to gateway towns, such as Gardiner and West Yellowstone, outside the park.

8. See the most popular sights from a different perspective

Many of Yellowstone’s most dramatic sights naturally attract big crowds and full parking lots, but you can often dodge these and snag your own private viewpoint by doing a bit of legwork.

Calcite Springs Overlook in the Tower-Roosevelt area, for example, is most commonly accessed via an often-full roadside parking lot, but it’s possible to hike an hour from the Yellowstone River Picnic Area, on the other side of the Yellowstone River, to enjoy the same views in RV-free serenity.

Grand Prismatic Spring is another spectacular sight, one which most people see from the busy boardwalks of Midway Geyser Basin. But you can score a much better view over the pool’s rainbow-colored rings by walking 0.6 miles south from the Fairy Falls trailhead to a magical, semi-secret overlook.

9. Make use of park intel to maximize your time

Inside the park, visitor information centers can be a mine of useful information for your trip. The Old Faithful visitor center , for one, lists the predicted eruption times for the basin’s most impressive geysers, which allows you to plan your time there to witness as many as possible.

Mammoth’s Albright Visitor Center in the north of the park details the locations of the latest wildlife sightings, which is particularly useful if you want to spot a bear or wolf pack. It’s all about maximizing your chances.

10. Read up on the park

The more you know about Yellowstone’s incredible geology and wildlife, the more astonishing it becomes. The park’s most popular hike , for example, leads to the top of Mt Washburn for epic views over the park, but it’s only when you realize that you're standing on the lip of a 30-mile wide super-volcano caldera (collapsed crater) that the true mind-blowing significance of what you're seeing sinks in. The more you learn about Yellowstone, the more you’ll want to return.

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Home » Blog » Ultimate Yellowstone National Park Guide and Itinerary

Ultimate Yellowstone National Park Guide and Itinerary

Yellowstone National Park is world-renowned for its epic landscapes, unique wildlife, and fascinating natural history. Each year millions of people come from all over the globe to witness Yellowstone’s wonders, and for some, it has been a lifetime dream. In this blog post, I am sharing everything you need to know to plan your own trip to Yellowstone National Park, including all the best things to see and do!

If you’re new to my blog you may not know that I visited all the US national parks in 2017 , so this guide truly comes from firsthand experience. To date I have visited Yellowstone National Park five times, and I plan to visit many more times in the future!

Disclaimer : This blog post may feature some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). It’s one of the ways I can keep producing free guides and resources for my readers. Learn more about my affiliate policy  here . Thank you for the support!

Yellowstone National Park Guide

Yellowstone National Park has a rich history. It was established as a national park by US congress in 1872 , and signed into law by president Ulysses S Grant. This was the first national park in the entire world, and paved the way for the protection of future national parks all over the globe.

Today, Yellowstone remains as probably the most well-known of the US national parks, and in recent times has opened its gates to roughly 4 million people each year . It sits in the north-western portion of Wyoming, but a small part of the park extends into both Idaho and Montana. Within the boundaries of the park also happens to be the Yellowstone Caldera , a 34 x 45 mile super volcano within the national park. With this comes extreme volcanic and seismic activity, the reason for its thousands of geothermal features, geysers, and springs.

Taking a road trip to Yellowstone is a dream for a lot of Americans, and it’s also a huge draw for visitors from all around the globe. Thankfully it is quite easy to get around Yellowstone, and can be rather affordable if you are willing to camp or plan ahead. In this guide I will go over everything you need to know , including how to get there, where to stay, the best things to do, photography tips, and more! I hope this is able to make your Yellowstone adventure the best it could possibly be.

When to visit Yellowstone

Yellowstone is technically open year-round , but there are a lot of closures during the winter period in the park from October till May. The most popular times to visit are June through August, but personally my favorite months in the park are May, September, and early October when the crowds are smaller and it should be free of snow. You can still visit Yellowstone during the winter , but personal vehicles will be limited to the road between Gardiner (MT) and Cooke City (MT), the only part of the park where the road is open and maintained in winter. To reach the other parts of the park you will need to have a means of cross-snow travel such as a snowmobile, or take a tour through the park on one of the snow-cats. Be sure to check out the park’s website to research road closures before visiting as dates change every season depending on the weather.

How to get to Yellowstone National Park

The Yellowstone region is in a pretty remote area of the country, located almost 5 hours from the nearest major city (Salt Lake City). There are a number of ways for guests to access the park , and I will go into detail about some of them below.

Arrive by car

Yellowstone has five entrance stations that are each located in different sections of the park. Where you are driving from previously will determine which of these you will want to enter. The most popular entrance is West Yellowstone as it is the quickest entrance to reach from Salt Lake City (4.5-5 hour drive). Salt Lake City is the nearest major city from which you can fly into and drive from. Another popular way to enter the park is the south entrance station, being just a short drive from Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole Airport.

Use Skyscanner to find the best flight deals and for car rentals compare using Kayak across multiple rental agencies.

Arrive by plane

While you cannot fly directly into Yellowstone National Park, you can fly into one of a few nearby towns . The closest of which is West Yellowstone, only a short 5 minute drive from the West Yellowstone entrance. Bozeman (MT) and Jackson Hole (WY) are a couple of alternate options, both being less than a 1.5 hour drive from Yellowstone entrances.

Arrive on a tour

There are a variety of options if you would prefer to visit the park on a guided tour . The advantage of this is that the logistics are all sorted for you! Here are some amazing tour options:

• 4 Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Nature Tour
• Private 2-Day Tour of Yellowstone National Park
• Yellowstone National Park – Full-Day Lower Loop Tour
• Yellowstone Private Fishing Trip
• Yellowstone Lake Guided Sea Kayak Tour

Where to stay

Guests have a range of options for accommodation during their visit to Yellowstone National Park. You will have the choice to stay in Anything from camping in a tent to a stay at the historic Old Faithful Inn,

Yellowstone hotels

• Old Faithful Inn : historic lodge located in the most popular part of the park. Walking distance to Old Faithful Geyser, as well as many others on the Upper Geyser Basin Loop. Also features a beautiful dining hall, cafeteria, gift shop, and coffee cart. Lodge rooms and suites available.
• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins : famous hotel located near the Mammoth Hot Springs. Options for hotel rooms, suites, or cabins. Walking distance to Mammoth Hot Springs area and nearby dining hall, general store, and gift shop. One of two accommodations open in the winter, and the only accessible by car in winter.
• Canyon Lodge & Cabins : Largest hotel in the park, featuring more than 500 rooms, restaurants, and a gift shop. Options for cabins, suites or standard lodge rooms.
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins : beautifully located right next to the Old Faithful Geyser. One of only two accommodation options in the park in winter, and only accessible by snow cat in winter. Has a dining room, grill, and gift shop. Other options include Lodge Lake Cabins , Old Faithful Lodge and Cabins , Lake Yellowstone Hotel , Roosevelt Lodge and Grant Village .

Yellowstone camping

• Twelve campgrounds located in the park. Five can be reserved through  here  (options to tent camp or stay in a camper van/RV), rest are first-come, first-served.
• Nearby dispersed camping can be found through  freecampsites.net ,  Campendium , and   iOverlander
• Alternatively use The Dyrt to find your campsite, use my code reneeroaming for a free 30 day trial.

Stay outside of the park

There are a range of options outside the park , but the closest are in the towns of West Yellowstone (MT), Cooke City (MT), and Gardiner (MT). Here are a few of my recommendations:

• Crosswinds Inn : comfortable and affordable hotel that is walking distance from West Yellowstone restaurants, and a 3 minute drive from the west entrance station.
• Under Canvas Yellowstone : try out glamping and be located just 10 minutes from Yellowstone’s west entrance.
• Travelodge by Wyndham Gardiner :  affordable accommodation just a few miles from the north entrance station.
• Alpine Motel of Cooke Cit y : basic accommodation in the heart of beautiful Cooke City. Great base for wildlife viewing at the Lamar Valley.

Nearby vacation rentals

Below are some suggested vacation rentals close to Yellowstone National Park, including near the west, north and east entrances:

• Trapper Cabin : adorable cabin in West Yellowstone with covered porch.
• Kozy Cabin : larger cabin option also in West Yellowstone with views over Denny’s Creek
• The F ishing Shack : located on the Madison River this spacious cabin sleeps up to 8 people and is in beautiful peaceful setting
• Denny Creek Cabin : basic newly built cabin in West Yellowstone with gorgeous wooden rustic beds
• Yellowstone Beauty Loft House : as the name suggests this beautiful loft house is an amazing place to stay in Gardiner
• Rigler’s River Rest : Riverside cabin with beautiful deck and firepit for cosy evenings near North Yellowstone entrance
• Riverfront Cabin : Spacious cabin with incredible views to the north entrance
• Carbella Cabin : Beautiful A-Frame cabin with huge windows and wonderful views across the park.

Best things to do in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is a huge park, with so many stops along the way to keep visitors busy. As such, below you will find each area broken down into it’s own section along with my top recommendations.

Old Faithful / Upper Geyser Basin

Upper Geyser Basin is the busiest area of the park, and for good reason! Here there is ample parking, a gas station, lodging, a variety of food options, and access to many hiking trails. It is also home to the famous Old Faithful Geyser , which was first discovered in 1872 and named for its long history of predictable eruptions. This is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the park, and can get very busy. I recommend visiting it in the early morning or later in the evening when it will be a little quieter. You can see the estimated time of the next eruption on the board at the nearby visitor center..

This area is also home to the most densely populated geyser basin in the world, the Upper Geyser Basin. It can be seen via an easy 3 mile loop , and is one of my absolute favorite things to do in Yellowstone National Park. It’s hard to go wrong on any of the hikes in this area (they’re all spectacular!) but you can join a guided hike if you want to get a little more local knowledge while you explore.

Many of these geysers along this walk go off at regular, predictable intervals, so be sure to check in at the Old Faithful Visitor Center before beginning your hike to help you plan when to see the eruptions. Some of the must see stops are Castle Geyser, Riverside Geyser, Grotto Geyser, and Morning Glory Pool. Beehive Geyser is incredible if you can catch it going off!

While you are in the area, I also suggest you going inside the Old Faithful Inn , even if you are not staying there.

Built in 1903 using local wood and stone, this is considered the largest log construction in the world and is absolutely stunning. The dining hall food is also quite delicious if you’re feeling hungry! If you are after something a little faster and cheaper, the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria on the other side of Old Faithful geyser has some great options.

Biscuit Basin

Just north of the Old Faithful is another beautiful part of the Upper Geyser Basin, Biscuit Basin . The best way to explore Biscuit Basin is via its short loop trail (0.65 miles). Along the way you will see geysers and colorful hot pools, including Black Opal Pool, Jewel Geyser, Sapphire Pool, Shell Spring, Mustard Spring, Avoca Spring, and Black Pearl Geyser.

Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is possibly the most recognizable feature in all of Yellowstone. Due to its popularity, I recommend getting here early in the morning or later in the afternoon so it’s a little quieter in terms of crowds. If you don’t want to plan all your stops yourself, consider taking a guided tour! This full-day tour includes Grand Prismatic as one of the highlighted stops.

There are two ways to see the spring. The first way is to park at the Grand Prismatic Spring Parking Lot and take a short boardwalk loop trail that goes right by the spring. This is beautiful, but if you will also want to see that famous postcard viewpoint from. To do this you will need to park at the Fairy Falls Trail Parking Lot and hike a short 1 mile round-trip trail to the overlook . Be aware there is a short but relatively steep uphill section, so those with difficulties walking may want to stick to the boardwalk mentioned previously.

Norris Geyser Basin

The Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most impressive geyser viewing areas of the park. It is home to the hottest and oldest of the geysers in the park, with some thermal features in the area dating back at least 115,000 years. It is also the home of Steamboat Geyser , the tallest geyser in the world, which can erupt up to 400 (120m) feet high! Unfortunately Steamboat’s eruptions are not on a predictable schedule, but you might just get lucky! There are two sections to explore in the Norris Geyser Basin, one being the Porcelain Basin (3/4 mile, 1.2km), and the other being the Back Basin (1.5 miles, 2.4km). I recommend checking both out as they are relatively short walks and both have some really unique features worth seeing. If you only have time for one, Porcelain Basin would be my pick.

Mammoth Hot Springs

The travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are a unique and beautiful sight within Yellowstone National Park. The soft, earthy tones here and so pleasing to the eye, and there are some really amazing textures throughout the landscape which are always really cool to see. The area has a few different parking lots that you can use to park for exploring these terraces, just pick one that has space and walk as far as you like. There’s a nice boardwalk that takes you from the parking lots to all of the features, but do be aware there are quite a few stairs. Mammoth Hot Springs is a popular stop on any visit to Yellowstone, so you can always explore this area with the help of a tour. This 2-day guided exploration of Yellowstone and this 4-day tour both include stops to explore here.

If you’re a history buff, you can also check out the historic Fort Yellowstone . In the early days of the national park US soldiers were sent into Yellowstone by the Secretary of Interior after issues with poaching, vandalism, etc. Their living quarters remain to this day and tours are available through the park. In this area is also the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel , as well as a gas station, public restrooms, cafeteria, dining hall, gift shop, and general store.

Lamar Valley

America’s Serengeti – this is a name often used to describe Lamar Valley . This is probably my favorite part of the whole national park, and one that I spend a lot of time in with each visit. The Lamar Valley is a large river valley surrounded by mountains and filled to the brim with wildlife. It is home to the famous Junction Butte and Lamar Canyon wolf packs , as well as huge herds of bison, pronghorn, grizzly bears, badgers, bald eagles, and more. What I love about the Lamar Valley is that you are always bound to see something exciting. Whether it’s being held up by a large herd of bison crossing the road , a lucky encounter with one of the wolf packs, or getting to see a grizzly bear cross the Lamar River, I’ve always been left in awe by this place. Your best chance at these special sightings is getting there very early in the morning , or staying out close to sunset as the animals are more active during these times. Remember to bring binoculars! IT is also a really fun experience to visit Lamar Valley with a naturalist guide. You can book a tour that will provide all the scopes and binoculars you need, too.

There are no hotels in the Lamar Valley, but there are a couple of small primitive campgrounds (Slough Creek and Pebble Creek). These are first-come first-served, and are definitely hard to secure with their limited availability, so plan to get there very early if you want to snag a site. Another option is to stay in nearby Cooke City . One of my favorite things to do in Yellowstone is to head to the Lamar Valley in the late afternoon , drive up and down watching wildlife until sunset, and then finish up the day by driving north-east out of the park to Cooke City (MT) and getting a delicious pizza at the Miner’s Saloon … SO GOOD!

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one of the most dramatic views in Yellowstone National Park. I remember the first time I saw it I was blown away. The powerful Lower Falls drop into a gigantic canyon, which is accented by steaming thermal features and colorful walls.

Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon can be viewed from many viewpoints, but the classic view is from Artist Point . Another of my favorite viewpoints is from Uncle Tom’s Point which requires you to walk down 328 stairs down (and subsequentially back up) and 500 feet of elevation to the overlook. The payout is a really close view of the impressive lower falls, and on a sunny day, you will probably even get a beautiful rainbow! This is one of the highlighted stops on one of my most recommended guided full-day West Yellowstone tours .

West Thumb Geyser Basin

West Thumb Geyser Basin is the first large geyser basin that visitors coming up from the south will encounter. Although in my opinion there are more impressive geyser basins in other areas of the park, West Thumb is unique in that it sits right next to the gigantic Yellowstone Lake which provides some pretty epic views. The two most beautiful and impressive features in West Thumb Geyser Basin are the Abyss Pool , Black Pool , Collapsing Pool , and Fishing Cone , so make sure to check these out!

Fun fact – Fishing Cone was named in the old days when visitors would catch a fish from the lake, then cook it while still on the hook over the geyser. This is now prohibited and actually has been found to be unhealthy, so please don’t try to replicate this haha.

Hiking trails in Yellowstone

Yellowstone, although a very beautiful national park, is not one that’s famous for its hiking trails. Due to the geothermal activity in the area and abundance of wildlife, trails are kept to a minimum in the park. In saying that, there are still some really great options for those wanting to get out and move their legs. Here are a few hiking trails I recommend:

Dunraven Pass to Mount Washburn

Dunraven Pass to Mount Washburn is 6.5 miles (10.4km) roundtrip and has 1400 feet of elevation gain. One of the most famous in the park, this hike takes you to an old fire lookout at the summit of Mount Washburn. Keep an eye out for Bighorn Sheep that are known to frequent the area!

Bunsen Peak out-and-back

Bunsen Peak out-and-back is 4.6 miles (7.4km) roundtrip and has 1285 feet of elevation gain. This hike has great 360 degree views at the top including the Gallatin Range and Mammoth Hot Springs area.

Trout Lake is 1.2 miles (1.9km) and located near the north-east entrance. This hike is an short loop trail that takes you to a picturesque lake that has plentiful wildflowers surrounding it in the summer. Not surprisingly, this is also a great lake to fish for trout (make sure to have the right permit!).

Avalanche Peak

Avalanche Peak is 4.7 miles (7.5km) round-trip and has 2073 feet of elevation gain. It’s a fun, steep hike up to Avalanche peak which features epic views down to Yellowstone Lake and beyond.

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls is 4.9 miles (7.8km) and has 216 feet of elevation gain. This is a classic Yellowstone hike that is mostly flat and a great one to get out and see the park by foot. Fairy Falls at the end is also a pretty great payoff for the exercise.

Yellowstone photography tips

Yellowstone National park is famous for its wildlife viewing and photography . Large game roam free throughout the valleys and mountains here, and you are guaranteed to come across something cool on your visit here. Not only that, but the vibrant springs and dramatic geysers also make for great photography subjects. Below you will find tips to help you capture images you will be proud of during your visit to Yellowstone!

My tops tips for Yellowstone photography

• Bring a zoom lens . Something like a 100-400mm will be great for capturing wildlife while still staying at a safe distance. A 70-200mm lens can work for animals like bison and elk where you only need to keep a distance of 25 yards (25ish meters), but most likely won’t be enough for bears/wolves.
• A teleconverter can help to give your current lens some extra range. I use a 1.4x teleconverter often when photographing wildlife and it definitely helps me capture some images I otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
• Always have your camera set up and ready to go. Wildlife can appear at the most unexpected times, so having your camera ready to go will help you capture those fleeting moments instead of having you miss them while you fumble through your camera bag.
• Explore Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley for the golden hours just after sunrise, and just before sunset. The light during these times is beautifully dramatic and golden, much better for photography than the harsh light in the middle of a sunny day.
• Try using a wide aperture to create separation between the animal and the background. This will help create better photos in busy scenes and also has the benefit of helping to draw the viewers eye to the subject.
• Pack a wide angle lens (like a 16-35mm ) so you can also capture images of the various hot springs and geysers.
• Bring a circular polarizer (like this one ). These are fantastic at cutting annoying glare that you might get on the springs, helping you see deeper into them and assisting to bring out more of the natural colors. It also often helps bring some more definition to the eruptions from the geysers.

Getting around the park

Yellowstone is a big park (the largest of the national parks in the lower 48 states to be exact!) and it can be confusing to navigate. Below you will find all the insiders tips for getting around!

Get a Yellowstone pass

Firstly, to enter Yellowstone National Park you will need to purchase a 7 day Yellowstone pass which will cost $35 for a private vehicle, or an annual Yellowstone pass for $70. Alternatively, you can use the America The Beautiful pass which covers you for all National Parks (+ other places) for a year. These can be purchased for $80, and is the best option if you plan to visit a variety of national parks in a 12 month period. Read this blog post for tips on how to plan your trip .

Driving around the park

Yellowstone is an easy National Park to drive around from May-October . Depending on the season, most/all roads should be open during these months, and they are all well maintained. Parking lots can fill up and be pretty crazy during the busiest months of June-August , so I recommend getting to the most popular areas such as Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

Winter travel

As I spoke about earlier, it is much more difficult to travel around Yellowstone in the winter once the snow settles in. All roads are closed to private vehicles, except the one up north between Gardiner (MT) and Cooke City (MT). To visit any other parts of the park during this time, you will need to take a tour on one of the snow cats , or have your own cross-snow travel vehicle.

Bison traffic jams

Something unique to Yellowstone is the “ bison jam “. Sometimes you may come across a herd of bison that just decided to cross the road when you arrived. Give them space, snap a few photos, but be sure to move on as soon as it is safe to go around them so you don’t hold up traffic . Please also make life easier on the rangers (and fellow visitors) by pulling completely off the road whenever you want to stop, and only doing so in purpose built pull-outs. Just because you see something cool doesn’t give you the right to block traffic, find a safe spot to pull off and walk back if necessary.

Be sure to check for and observe all road closure before your visit to Yellowstone National Park.

Take a tour

If you prefer a guide there are a lot of amazing tours available, this Yellowstone Tour with Local Guide is a great way to get the locals perspective as you explore the park. If you go in the snowy months this Snowmobile Tour avoids any road issues, as does the Private Snowcoach Tour . For anyone interested in wildlife spotting it can be really helpful to go with someone who knows the patterns of the animals habits, this Wildlife Watching Tour or the Winter Wolf and Wildlife Tour are great options for optimal wildlife spotting. For longer guides this Full Day Lower Loop Tour will cover all the bases in one day or take the Self Guided Audio Tour . Another great option to think about is the Old Faithful and Hot Springs Tour .

Yellowstone National Park itinerary

There are numerous itineraries you could take for exploring Yellowstone National Park. In my opinion three nights / four days is the perfect amount of time to explore the park, so that is the itinerary I have created for you below! This itinerary is perfect for spring through fall when the park roads and accommodations are open.

3 night / 4 day Yellowstone itinerary

Keep in mind that I chose West Yellowstone as a starting point because it is the most popular entrance to the park. In saying that, you can tailor the itinerary to suit wherever you are coming from.

Enter Yellowstone National Park via the west entrance station . You can get to West Yellowstone by driving or flying and I suggest arriving as early in the day as possible.

Your first stop will be Lower Geyser Basin where you will take the Fountain Paint Pot Trail . Spend about 30 minutes strolling past hot pools, mudpots, steaming fumaroles, and erupting geysers.

Next stop by Midway Geyser Basin to explore Grand Prismatic Spring. I suggest stopping at both the main boardwalk and also take the hike up the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail (via the Fairy Falls Parking Lot). I would allow at least one hour to explore both these areas, but you may want longer.

A quick stop to walk the Biscuit Basin Loop will be the next thing on your list. This short boardwalk trail will take approximately 15 minutes and you will see plenty of colorful hot springs and spurting geysers.

Your last stop of the day will be at Old Faithful Inn , where you will stay the night. Check into your accommodation, make a dinner reservation, and check the lobby for predicted geyser eruption times. Then spend the last remaining hours of the day viewing Old Faithful Geyser and walking as much of the Upper Geyser Basin Loop (3 miles) as possible. I highly recommend viewing Castle Geyser, Riverside Geyser, Grotto Geyser, and Morning Glory Pool.

Set your alarm early because today will be busy! If you didn’t get a chance to properly explore Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin, be sure to do that this morning. Then check out of the Inn and start driving east.

Your first stop will be West Thumb Geyser Basin . Take a short walk around the area (about 30 minutes) and be sure to stop by Abyss Pool, Black Pool, Collapsing Pool, and Fishing Cone.

Jump back in the car and start heading north to the Canyon area of the park. On the way you will see beautiful views of Yellowstone Lake and the Hayden Valley . Be sure to look out for wildlife!

Next up you will be exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone . I suggest viewing the canyon via Artist Point . If you are feeling adventurous then also take the short walk to Uncle Tom’s Point (keep in mind that it requires walking up/down 328 stairs).

The day isn’t over yet! Get back in the car and start driving northeast towards the Lamar Valley . On the way you should definitely look out for wildlife as we have spotted numerous bears between the Canyon and Tower Roosevelt areas.

You will want to arrive in the Lamar Valley at least a couple of hours before sunset. Take your time driving around valley as you take in the beautiful landscapes and wildlife . You are almost guaranteed to see bison and may very well also see moose, antelope, wolves, and bears.

After sunset make your way out of the northeast entrance and stay the night in Cooke City . I suggest having dinner at the Miner’s Saloon .

Wake up early so you can be driving back through the Lamar Valley at sunrise or just after. That will give you the highest chances for wildlife watching and enjoy the valley with beautiful golden light.

Once you are done exploring the Lamar Valley you can start heading west towards Mammoth Hot Springs. This is a great time to get a Yellowstone hike in. Some suggestions are Trout Lake (1.2 miles) or the Dunraven Pass – Mount Washburn Trail (6 miles).

Make your way over to Mammoth Hot Springs and spend the rest of your day exploring the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces . Walk as far or as little as you want and if you’re a history buff you can also check out nearby historic Fort Yellowstone . Stay the night in Mammoth Hot Springs or Gardiner.

Your first stop today will be Norris Geyser Basin . There are two sections to explore in this area, one being the Porcelain Basin (3/4 mile, 1.2km), and the other being the Back Basin (1.5 miles, 2.4km). I recommend checking both out as they are relatively short walks and both have some really unique features worth seeing. If you only have time for one, Porcelain Basin would be my pick.

Next up you will have some time to explore anything you missed on day 1 (e.g. Lower Geyser Basin or Grand Prismatic Spring) before driving back out to West Yellowstone.

You could also join an organised multi-day tour to take the planning out of your hands. These are great options with different meeting points.

• 2-Day Guided Tour
• From Jackson: Grand Teton and Yellowstone Winter 4-day Tour
• From Salt Lake City: Grand Teton and Yellowstone 4-day Tour
• 4-Day Tour with Lodging
• From Bozeman: 4-day Winter Tour

Map of itinerary

How to stay safe

Yellowstone National Park hosts some of the most breathtaking, but also some of the most dangerous natural sights on the planet. As such, it is vital to follow the National Park Service’s rules when visiting the park.

Stay on trail

Firstly, never stray from the path . Yellowstone’s geothermal activity spreads all throughout the park, and falling through what looks to be safe ground into a boiling hot spring is not a nice way to go. Many people have died or become disfigured as a result of this, so for the safety of yourself and the protection of these areas, stick to the trail.

Keep your distance from wildlife

Secondly, give wildlife space . They are called WILDlife for a reason, and these animals are unpredictable. They may look cute, but if you get too close and they feel threatened, they may threaten your life in retaliation. The national park recommendations are to keep a distance of 100 yards (90m) from bears and wolves, and 25 yards (23m) from bison and other animals. If you get too close and an animal attacks, not only are you in trouble, but the animal is likely to be destroyed in response. Give them space.

Bear safety

It is important to note that Yellowstone is home to some large predators, including grizzly bears . You shouldn’t need to worry too much in busy geyser basin areas, but if you are planning on hiking less busy trails it is recommended you hike in groups of three or more, and carry bear spray with you at all times. Bears should not be feared, but you do need to take extra caution when hiking through a region like this with such a high population of them. Check our my bear safety blog post for more in-depth information.

What to bring

What you should pack for a trip to Yellowstone will depend on the time of year you visit and the activities you have planned. Below you will some general items that everyone should consider bringing on their trip.

It’s a good idea to bring a pair of binoculars to Yellowstone. These will allow you to see wildlife from a safe distance and zoom in on the interesting geothermal landscapes. Invest in a pair ( like these ) or rent them once you arrive at the park.

Reusable water bottle

There are free water bottle refill stations almost everywhere in Yellowstone, so be kind to the environment and bring a reusable water bottle on your trip. Some of my favorites include those by Hydroflask , Nalgene , and Stanley .

Walking shoes

Even if you don’t plan to hike, you will be wanting a pair of walking shoes when exploring Yellowstone. The boardwalks can sometimes get slippery and some trails may be muddy, so a waterproof and grippy pair of shoes will be ideal. I also have a blog post all about the best hiking shoes for men and women to help you choose what is best for your needs.

What you pack for layers and outerwear will heavily depend on what time of year you visit. During the summer months I would recommend a lightweight windbreaker or light down jacket . For the spring and fall I would suggest a warmer insulated jacket as the temperatures can get down to freezing. For winter I would recommend a heavy insulated parka .

Sun protection

Even winter can bring sunny (but cold) days in Yellowstone and sun protection should be a consideration year round. I would suggest packing sunglasses , a sun hat , and sunscreen .

You will definitely want to pack your phone or a camera to capture pictures in Yellowstone! Click here to read all about what’s in my camera bag .

Nearby places to explore

Yellowstone is located relatively close to many other incredible destinations. These are some of my top recommendations for nearby places to explore :

• Grand Teton National Park ( read my in-depth park guide )
• Jackson Hole, Wyoming
• Glacier National Park
• Yellowstone Hot Springs
• Big Sky, Montana
• Cody, Wyoming
• Stanley, Idaho

PIN for later planning

Related guides.

How To Visit Katmai National Park – A Comprehensive Park Guide

Best Things To Do In White Sands National Park: Epic 1 Day Itinerary

Discovering the Best Things To Do in Punta Gorda: Florida’s Hidden Gem

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10 comments

Hi i am planning a five days four nights trip from salt lake city to yellowstone this June. Kindly help me routing my trip.

René muchas gracias por esta guía está maravillosa! Super facil y guiada, es la mejor guía de todo internet! Estaba estresada por estar leyendo y buscando en otros sitios, entoces me dije, pero yo sigo a René, ella debe de tener algo en su sitio web, y bingo! Lo tienes todo!

How do I save your my google maps so I can edit it to make it work for me?

I visited Yellowstone National Park when I was 6, I don’t remember much but I do remember it was beautiful and Old Faithful was amazing to me at the time. I hope to go back in the next couple of years so I can see it again and take more time to explore some of the sites you’re recommended and appreciate the wildlife more. Thanks for sharing.

I agree with Idalis above. I have researched and read and read and just got more and more overwhelmed. Your blog is wonderful. Just what I needed. Thank you.

Great guide. Road tripping this summer from PA. Thanks heaps Renee. Cheers, Erik

This is literally the best guide ever. I have seen so many and they all ended up confusing me more. Thank you!

I’m planning a trip for my sister’s family this June. They will be staying in Island Park, they will have 4 kids, 4 adults, and 2 seniors in their party. Im looking at your 4 day itinerary, can you provide me with which color is for each day and would this itinerary fit their family and place they are staying?

Awesome blog – very helpful – Thank you !

I was lucky enough to visit Yellowstone a few years back and it was one of my most memorable trips. Reading your blog and seeing your photos brought back so many wonderful memories. Thankyou Renee.

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Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days: The Ultimate First Time Visitor Guide

by Mark and Kristen Morgan

Published: June 18, 2020

Yellowstone National Park is an extraordinary and unique landscape. After visiting the park in both April and October, we know how challenging but rewarding planning the best Yellowstone National Park itinerary can be. We’re going to share all of our knowledge about Yellowstone National Park here, including an amazing 4 days itinerary example.

Above ground, Yellowstone can be described by every synonym of the word breathtaking. But lurking just below the surface is a super-volcano known as Yellowstone Caldera.

As hot magma rises from Earth’s Mantle toward the Crust, pressurized heat escapes in the form of thermal geysers, creating a spectacle worthy of millions of tourists each year.

This ultimate Yellowstone National Park Itinerary explains how to get to Yellowstone, all the best things to do, where to stay and of course walks you step-by-step through 4 amazing days ticking off everything that makes this place so special.

Let’s get stuck into planning your Yellowstone itinerary!

Why Visit The World’s Original National Park?

What is the fist thing you think of when you consider Yellowstone National Park? Probably super heated geysers blowing steam high into the sky, right?

We’d seen geysers before high up in the Chilean Altiplano and they were the one thing we knew for sure we would see here at Yellowstone.

However, the billowing plumes of pressurized steam had stiff competition for our favorite aspect at the park.

Spotting wildlife immediately becomes more exhilarating than looking at steam, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is immeasurably more awe-inspiring than steam, and the sheer scale of the world’s very first National Park blows the mind more than steam.

Now, that’s not to say we weren’t impressed by the gigantic geothermal caldera and all of its features, trust us, we were. It’s to let you know Yellowstone is far more than simply clouds of hot, sulfuric acid smelling steam.

Yellowstone is one of the most immense USA national parks and it covers a total of 2.2 million acres of land. Yes, it’s a little bigger than your back yard!

So in a nutshell, why should you visit Yellowstone National Park?

• Beautiful scenery throughout the entire park, plenty of wow-factor moments
• Some of the best wildlife spotting in America – including Grizzly Bears
• Fantastic hiking opportunities surrounded by nature at its finest
• Majestic waterfalls with multiple viewpoints cascading into deep canyons
• And of course Geysers, Hot Springs, Steaming Rivers & Bubbling Mud-Pots

Why 4 Days Itinerary For Yellowstone National Park?

For us personally, Yellowstone National Park had been sky high on our travel bucket list since – well, forever! Who hasn’t always wanted to visit one of Earth’s most unique and natural marvels?!

But we made one mistake the first time we visited. We only gave ourselves 3 days to explore this vast volcanic landscape. We needed 4.

Needless to say we never made the same mistake again second time we visited Yellowstone and planned a full 4 days itinerary.

If you’ve already been to the park before and this is a second or third visit, you might not need as many days. However, if you are planning for a first visit to Yellowstone, plan for 4 days.

Here’s why:

• With 3 days in Yellowstone you aren’t going to have enough time to see and do everything. You’ll spend a lot of time driving, and you’ll rush some of the most popular attractions. Plus, you will have to compromise on some things.
• With 5 days in Yellowstone you are going to find you have already seen and done everything. You will spend a lot of money on accommodation and you should instead drive down to Grand Teton if you do have this spare time.

You will strike the perfect balance between costs, attractions, drive time and being efficient if you plan a 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary.

Grand Teton : Combine Yellowstone with the  stunning  Tetons for the ultimate 6 or 7 day vacation. Our extensive Grand Teton National Park  travel guide covers the 7 best things to do and an ultra scenic 2 day itinerary.

Park Statistics And Factfile

Address : PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 Website : nps.gov/yell Phone : (307) 344-7381

Park Hours : All day, every day Entrance Fee : US$ 35 Vehicle (free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass )

Backcountry camping : Permitted, you will need a backcountry permit Accommodation : Hotels, Lodges, Cabins and Campgrounds

Annual Visitors : 4 million Peak Season : July-August

Size: 2.2 million acres Yellowstone Caldera : 45 by 30 miles Last Eruption : 640,000 years ago Geothermal Features : 10,000 Geysers : 300

How To Get To Yellowstone National Park

Okay, we’re talking about Yellowstone and 3,500 square miles of wilderness here! The park has several entrance and exit points, so getting to Yellowstone will depend entirely on where you begin your journey.

There are no fancy names for the entry points, simply the direction they bring you into the park from. But we have included the nearest town to each entrance for reference:

• North – Gardiner, MT
• Northeast – Cooke City, MT
• East – Cody, WY
• South – Jackson, WY
• West – West Yellowstone, MT

Once inside the park, getting around is easy thanks to a well maintained 142-mile figure of 8 road network known as ‘Grand Loop Road’.

Be aware this road will be almost unbearably busy if you visit in Summer, we even experienced some traffic flow issues in snowy October!

Here’s a factor to consider that will impact your 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary:

• Are you visiting only Yellowstone, from point A with a plan to return to point A afterwards in a loop?
• Or is Yellowstone part of a wider road trip?

For example, on our first visit we drove West from South Dakota to Yellowstone, before heading South.

We visited Badlands , Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore , and stopped at Devils Tower National Monument on the way across Wyoming. We then took the South exit out of Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park.

Therefore, we entered and exited Yellowstone at different entrances. That meant we had to work out how to efficiently see the park on both loops of the figure 8 road without driving back on ourselves.

Consider which entrance you plan to use on the way in and out when planning your visit.

Important Note : When we visited Yellowstone in October after a heavy snowfall, many of the roads in / out of the park were closed. Please be sure to check current road conditions  before setting off.

Popular Yellowstone National Park Road Trips

Salt lake city to yellowstone.

• Option 1 : Take I-15 North to Idaho Falls, then 20 to Yellowstone West entrance (320 miles / 4h 45m).
• Option 2 : Take I-80, 16 and 89 to Jackson, WY and Grand Teton before entering Yellowstone South entrance (330 miles / 6 hours).

The route via Jackson is far more scenic but takes much longer once you factor in driving through Grand Teton.

Read our amazing 7 day  Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton  road trip itinerary for more information.

Denver to Yellowstone

• Option 1 : Take I-80, 287 and 26 to 191 which is the link road between Grand Teton and Yellowstone South entrance (500 miles / 8h 30m).
• Option 2 : Take I-25, 26, 20 to Cody, WY and 14 into Yellowstone East entrance (545 miles / 8h 30m).

South Dakota to Yellowstone

• From Mt Rushmore, drive through Spearfish Canyon and take I-90W towards Buffalo, WY.
• Scenic Byway US-16 from Buffalo to Ten Sleep (Cloud Peak Skyway) is awesome.
• Take 31, 20 and 14 to Cody, WY and then on to Yellowstone East entrance (440 miles / 8 hours).

Read our popular 10 days road trip itinerary from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone for a day by day break down of best things to do.

North Dakota / Billings to Yellowstone

• Take I-94 to Billings, I-90 briefly and US-212 (known as Bear Tooth Highway).
• This is the route we eventually took first time as we were forced to enter Yellowstone via its Northeast entrance due to road closures.
• Bear Tooth Highway is one heck of a scenic drive – particularly when covered in snow (150 miles / 3 hours).

Jackson, WY / Grand Teton to Yellowstone

Take US-191 scenic road (John D Rockefeller Jr Road) all the way to Yellowstone South entrance (80 miles / 1h 45m).

Need help organizing your visit to Yellowstone? Our popular 60+ page Yellowstone Guidebook can help you with planning every aspect of your trip.

Best Airports To Use For Yellowstone

Yellowstone is enormous and if you’re traveling from further afield in the US or internationally, you will of course need to fly.

Our in depth guide to the 6 best airports near Yellowstone will help you plan exactly which airports to arrive into and depart from near the park.

Pro-tip : Remember, you can fly into one airport and leave from another.

There are a dozen or so airports ranging in size close to the park, here’s  a summary of the best airport options along with which entrance you would enter Yellowstone:

• Bozeman, MT (North entrance)
• Cody, WY (East entrance)
• Jackson, WY (South entrance)
• Yellowstone airport, MT (West entrance – seasonal)
• Salt Lake City, UT (South entrance)
• Denver, CO (East entrance)

International travelers can fly directly into SLC or Denver and either drive or take a connecting flight to on of the smaller regional airports listed above.

For US based travelers, check prices for all airports from your closest origin airport. The smaller and closer airports are far more expensive than SLC or Denver. You will pay for convenience!

• When it comes to booking flights, we always use and recommend  Skyscanner flights search engine  for finding the best value in air tickets.
• Similarly, when we need to pick a car up at the airport, we always use  Rental Cars hire car search engine  to find most options and best value for vehicles.

What Are The Best Things To Do At Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone is blessed with having an endless amount of amazing things to do for visitors to include on a 4 days itinerary. You could spend a month here and still not see or do everything this incredible place has on offer.

The only way to plan effectively is by structuring the park into regions. Therefore, in this guide we will break down each region of the park and explain some of the best things to do in each.

Read our ultimate list of the 30 Best Things To See And Do In Yellowstone National Park next for a detailed overview of the most popular geysers, waterfalls, hikes and wildlife spotting areas.

There’s a lot of information coming your way but we will organize it and clearly display everything on a map!

First up, let’s take a look into what makes Yellowstone National Park one of the most sought after landscapes in the world, before we break the park down into 6 distinct regions.

Yellowstone National Park Wildlife Spotting

Wildlife spotting is one of the biggest drivers of tourism to Yellowstone National Park and it has to be a major part of your 4 days itinerary.

This is one of the best places in America to observe a wide range of wild animals in their natural environments.

You have the opportunity to see Grizzly Bears – seldom seem in the lower 48 US States – if that is of interest to you. Personally, we didn’t mind NOT seeing a grizzly!

However, Grizzlies are just the beginning. If you are lucky you might also see Black Bears, Wolves, Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Moose, Antelope, Mule Deer, Coyotes, Lynx, Mountain Goats, Cougars and Bald Eagles.

It is extremely difficult to predict exactly where these animals are going to be at any given time. But you can give yourself the best shot at seeing wildlife by visiting the right places at the right times of day.

That being said, if these particular areas become busy with humans, animals are likely to move to quieter areas. In truth, we saw more wildlife when we didn’t go looking for it, instead we waited for them to come to us.

Top-tip : If you see small gatherings of people with professional looking photography / telescopic equipment, there’s a good chance of spotting wildlife. However, be polite, don’t make a lot of noise. You might even get a chance to look through their equipment .

Wildlife Respect & Safety

Something vitally important to remember is respect for wildlife. Keep your distance, don’t try to feed them and don’t intimidate the wildlife.

Our number one disappointment with Yellowstone was other tourists. Yes, it can be exciting to see an animal, but that doesn’t mean slamming on your brakes and abandoning your car in the middle of the road so you can take a picture.

More than once, we witnessed altercations between tourists who wanted the best angle from their car window. Be civil toward each other, as well as animals and the environment .

We use the word safety and that’s not for the animals, its for you.

Each year, Yellowstone National Park has to deal with injured tourists who thought they could get close to animals, but they were wrong. Bear in mind (pun intended!) that some of these animals can become dangerous if threatened.

Yellowstone Geyser Basins & Hot Springs

There are over 10,000 geysers and hot springs within the 2.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park, making this the largest geyser field on the planet.

Almost all geysers and hot springs throughout the park can be viewed from safe distances along wooden boardwalks. It is important to stay on designated board walks, otherwise you may lose a toe or two!

We will cover Yellowstone’s most famous geysers and hot springs within each region of the park below.

You will either have to visit the lesser known basins or plan your visit outside of high season (more on seasons later) if you’re looking for a less crowded experience

Remember there are also bubbling mud pools, smaller colorful geysers and lesser known hot springs. If Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring are too busy, try again early or late in the day.

Yellowstone Hiking

Hiking is less synonymous with Yellowstone than geysers and wildlife, however, you should not overlook this aspect of visiting the park.

Did you know there are over 900 miles of hiking trails here? The problem is, how do you choose which trails to hike?!

To begin with, err on the side of caution by checking Yellowstone’s backcountry situation report   – particularly if you intend to hike away from major trails.

This live updated report will inform you of bear activity, trail closures, rising water levels and depth of snow among other important aspects.

Hiking is the best way to escape crowds and see Yellowstone’s best sites from different (and quieter) perspectives. Plus, you drastically increase your chances of spotting wildlife away from roads and hordes of tourists.

The downside to hiking at Yellowstone National Park is how much time you will lose from an already tightly packed itinerary. Can you really afford to lose a day hiking a 10 mile trail?

That depends on what your goals are and how you like to explore new places.

There are a number of shorter hikes well worth your time, but the longer hikes / backcountry hiking should be reserved only for those who are more interested in hiking than sightseeing.

Is this your second or third vacation to Yellowstone? Try hiking more on this visit if you’ve visited the famous geysers on previous trips.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Yellowstone Upper and Lower Falls

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone has allured avid photographers to the park for decades. Upper Falls is an impressive spectacle but Lower Falls is the major draw and has to be included on your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary.

The Yellowstone River crashes into a stunning canyon from 308 ft (twice the height of Niagara Falls), making Lower Falls a paradise for lovers of dramatic scenery.

The best part?

There are various viewing platforms along both the North and South Rim drives running adjacent to the river. Each observation point offers its own perspective of the mighty falls, plus the chance to escape big crowds.

Our top recommendation is to visit the falls on more than one occasion and preferably at sunrise (for more special sunrises see our guides to Sunrise in the Grand Canyon and  Mesa Arch in Utah ).

Although temperatures were below zero in mid-October, we witnessed a gorgeous sunrise over Lower Falls with just a handful of others.

Let’s Break The Park Down Into Regions

As we mentioned earlier, it’s hard to apply a typical list of ‘best things to do’ list for a place like Yellowstone, then expect to turn up and tick them off easily. It is simply too vast a landscape.

Many of the ‘must visit’ sites are spread out across the National Park, meaning planning your visit can become a little overwhelming (one of the reasons we recommend your Yellowstone itinerary to be 4 days and not 3 days).

Therefore, we will break down the park into regions. Take a look at the image below depicting the 6 major regions of Yellowstone:

• Mammoth Hot Springs (North)
• Tower-Roosevelt (Northeast)
• Canyon / Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Central / East)
• Norris Geyser Basin (Central / West)
• Old Faithful / Upper Geyser Basin (Southwest)
• Yellowstone Lake / West Thumb (Southeast)

Within each region, we will discuss the following where appropriate:

• Most prominent Geysers / Hot Springs
• Best hiking trails
• Wildlife spotting opportunities
• Must visit miscellaneous attractions
• Lodging / Camping

Note : At the end of this section, study the interactive map showing all accommodation and sites of interest. The map will give you an idea about which regions will be top of your wishlist.

1. Mammoth Hot Springs (North)

Mammoth is one of the more built up areas inside Yellowstone National Park and is located just 5 miles from the North entrance.

You will find a hotel, cabins, a grand dining hall, post office, gas, campground, shopping and Albright Visitor Center. Nearby attractions are all within a stones throw of Mammoth village.

Mammoth Geysers and Hot Springs

A spectacular complex of terraces formed by calcium carbonate (travertine) dominates a hillside just minutes from Mammoth village.

By far the busiest attraction in Mammoth, these terraces are best seen at sunrise to avoid crowds and enjoy the first light of day burn through hazy steam in the morning.

Mammoth Hiking Trails

Mammoth isn’t known for epic hikes and we would recommend not using up any time on your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary with a hike here.

That being said, if you have extra time in the area, there are 2 shorter trails worth looking into:

• Boiling River  – a popular short hike (1 mile roundtrip) and don’t forget your swimwear!
• Lava Creek  – mid-distance (7 miles round-trip) passing by Undine Falls – 60 ft waterfall.

Mammoth Wildlife

Although this area is not usually regarded as prime wildlife spotting territory, we saw our fair share around Mammoth. There were around 30 or 40 bison walking through Mammoth village during our second visit in April, which was really cool to see.

You will more than likely see mule deer wandering the hotel and dining hall car park when you arrive. We also saw pronghorn and elk but bison are well known to be regular visitors to the area.

Black bears can be found around Mammoth. If you want to find one, look in forested areas around less busy areas away from the travertine terraces.

But if you want to avoid bears (particularly if you head up to the terraces for sunrise) is to make noise, talk and clap intermittently.

Mammoth Accommodation

Campgrounds – Mammoth campground is the only campground open all year at Yellowstone. This is a first come first served site and costs US$ 20 per night. More information .

Hotel and Cabins – Mammoth offers a Frontier Cabin, Hot Tub Cabin, Suite, Premium Hotel Room and Cabin without bath. We stayed in a Frontier Cabin and it was perfect with a wonderful hot shower. More information .

2. Tower-Roosevelt (Northeast)

Tower-Roosevelt is located to the Northeast of Yellowstone and is one of the lesser built up areas of the park. You can find gas, primitive lodging and camping here.

This region is best used as a gateway for wildlife spotting in Lamar Valley and hiking Mt Washburn before continuing on to another region for accommodation.

Unfortunately, the section of road between Tower and Canyon has been completely closed for the entirety of both our visits.

Therefore we are yet to hike Mount Washburn or see Tower Fall. There’s always the third time, right?!

Tower Hiking

Mount Washburn is one of the most popular hikes in Yellowstone National Park and one of the most iconic hikes in the US thanks to its panoramic sweeping views stretching as far as Grand Teton on a clear day.

At 10,243ft (3,107m) and with just a 2.5 mile one-way hike from Chittenden or 3 mile on-way hike from Dunraven Pass, the rewards are more than worth your efforts!

Specimen Ridge is a long point to point hike beginning just after turning onto the road into Lamar Valley. It is the perfect trail for those searching for wildlife who want to get away from the main road filled with tourists.

You can hike for 10 minutes or an hour before turning around but you can expect to see wildlife, particularly early in the morning.

Tower Wildlife

Tower Junction is where Yellowstone’s top rated wildlife viewing area ends, as US-212 reaches grand loop road from the Northeast entrance.

This area is known as Lamar Valley and it is the place to be if you are visiting Yellowstone for wildlife observation.

We strongly recommend you visit early or late if you want a real chance of seeing abundant wildlife. You’re all but guaranteed to spot Bison roaming but you can see much more if you time it right.

We entered Yellowstone via the Northeast entrance and drove the entire way through Lamar Valley but it was right before midday (and snowy!) so we didn’t see many animals.

Note : If you are visiting Yellowstone primarily for wildlife spotting, Tower Fall campground is the closest accommodation to Lamar Valley.

Tower Attractions

Yellowstone River Overlook  and Tower Falls are the two major attractions around Tower-Roosevelt region.

Tower Falls is a 132 ft narrow needle-like waterfall. A 4 mile roundtrip trail allows you to see the Yellowstone River flowing powerfully through a gorge.

The trail is family friendly but there are steep cliffs for children to be aware of.

3. Canyon (Central / East)

Canyon is one of the most popular places to set up base in Yellowstone thanks to its central location and volume of accommodation, with over 500 rooms available.

You will also find a good selection of food at Canyon Lodge Eatery, which is more like a canteen than restaurant.

Canyon is your best choice if you prefer to stay at just one place for your entire Yellowstone visit. Right around the corner is Yellowstone Falls.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls

Prepare to be blown away!

This is one sight you will not forget from your Yellowstone National Park itinerary. We encourage you to visit each and every viewpoint along both North and South rim drive – and do that more than once.

For the best photographs, arrive before sunrise to Artist Point . We couldn’t get enough of these dramatic views as the Yellowstone River pounds its way through the breathtaking canyon.

Canyon Hiking

There are no hikes worth mentioning around Canyon for a Yellowstone itinerary only lasting 4 days. With more time, maybe!

We don’t consider each of the small trails along North and South Rim roads to Yellowstone falls viewing platforms as hikes.

Canyon Wildlife

Just South of Canyon Village and Yellowstone Falls, you will find Hayden Valley , regarded as the second best part of the park for wildlife spotting.

This is the place we saw by far the most wildlife including coyotes, mule deer, bison and our first ever bald eagle . We saw bald eagles here again the second time we visited so you do stand a good chance of seeing one soaring around this area.

Again, it is best to arrive early or late to increase chances of spotting animals but be warned – Grizzlies roam alongside Yellowstone River. We never saw a grizzly, but we did see a lone Grey Wolf from afar, which was awesome .

Canyon Accommodation

Campgrounds – Canyon campground is open late May to Mid Sept. There are 273 reservable sites at a cost of US$ 32 per night. More information .

Hotel and Cabins – Canyon offers the most accommodation by far at Yellowstone. It is open from the beginning of June until early October.

You can choose between a Western Cabin, Standard Lodge Room, Superior Lodge Room, Premium Lodge Room and Suite.

We snagged a free upgrade to Premium Lodge Room (from Western Cabin) which was a welcome escape from the cold nights! More information .

4. Norris Geyser Basin (Central / West)

Norris is the oldest and hottest of Yellowstone’s thermal regions, with the highest recorded temperature measuring a whopping 459 f (237 C) just over 300m below the surface.

This region is where your Yellowstone geyser hunting experience springs to life and you can witness the tallest active geyser in the world.

Norris Geysers and Hot Springs

At Norris geyser basin you will find several thermal geysers in very close proximity. The area is easy to explore via boardwalk and has to rank as one of the must visit regions on your 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary.

Waters around Norris basin are acidic, rather than alkaline, which means bacteria creates those colorful patterns you associate with Yellowstone.

Steamboat geyser – the world’s tallest at 300ft – went years with barely any activity but in 2019 there were 48 eruptions.

But there’s no guarantee boiling hot water will erupt the day you visit and you could be standing around a long time waiting. We saw it blow a few times but not to it’s maximum height.

Norris Hiking

Artist’s Paint Pot – This 1 mile hike beginning just South of Norris Geyser Basin is definitely worth a quick stop off.

After a short walk through a forest you will come across a small open area featuring thick grey mud bubbling pools and blue/grey/brown colored holes in the ground.

Highly recommended easy hike.

Norris Region Campgrounds

Norris campground – Open late May to late September and just to the North of Norris Geyser Basin. There are 111 first come first served sites at a cost of US$ 20 per night. More information .

Maddison Campground – Located 14 miles Southwest of Norris and open late April to mid October. Longer opening times and central location make this one of the most popular campgrounds at Yellowstone. There are 278 reservable sites for tents and RV’s at US$ 27 per night. More information .

5. Old Faithful (Southwest)

Old Faithful is the iconic Yellowstone geyser everyone knows about before visiting the park.

But the Old Faithful region has much more on offer, including perhaps the most eye catching feature of all: Grand Prismatic Spring.

This region contains Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser Basins – which means a lot of geyser hunting. You can find almost all amenities here, except a campground.

Old Faithful Region Geysers and Hot Springs

Lower Geyser Basin – Fewest geothermal features in the region but one of the most sought after spots for sunset in Great Fountain Geyser along Firehole Lake Drive (closed in Winter).

Midway Geyser Basin – Smaller in area but possibly the most rewarding in terms of natural beauty.

The vibrant colors of Grand Prismatic Spring are difficult to appreciate from its boardwalk, so you will need to climb Fairy Falls Trail for that postcard perfect view.

Excelsior Geyser can not be overlooked as it’s on the same boardwalk and produces an enormous amount of hot steam, often shrouding the Firehole River.

Upper Geyser Basin – The crown Jewel, Old Faithful is located here along with the highest density of geothermal activity in the park.

Old Faithful erupts once every 35-120 minutes for anywhere between 1-5 minutes. This isn’t the most spectacular of geysers, it’s just the most regular and predictable.

Don’t miss Morning Glory Pool at Upper Basin.

Old Faithful Hiking

Fairy Falls – Begin at Fairy Falls Trailhead for an easy 5 mile roundtrip to one of Yellowstone’s most spectacular falls. This trail also offers postcard-perfect views over Grand Prismatic Spring.

Observation Point – If you want to escape the crowds (knows as ‘the bleachers’) sitting in a half circle around Old Faithful, take this moderate 1.5 mile roundtrip hike.

You will be rewarded with a much more tranquil viewing platform.

Old Faithful Accommodation

Old Faithful Lodge – Simple Frontier Cabins are more affordable and offer views over Old Faithful. More information .

Old Faithful Inn – 327 rooms and open from early May to mid October, but get in early as this is the most requested lodge in Yellowstone. More information .

Old Faithful Snow Lodge – Open mid December to end of February, only accessible by over snow vehicles. Wide range of rooms available at various prices. More information .

6. Yellowstone Lake / West Thumb (Southeast)

One thing you probably don’t know about – and certainly won’t appreciate until you see it – is the sheer scale of Yellowstone Lake. It is enormous!

We’ve combined West Thumb Geyser Basin and Grant Village with Fishing Bridge and Lake Village into the one region here.

They all hug the lake edge in Yellowstone’s Southeast corner. All amenities can be found at both locations on the lake.

Yellowstone Lake Geysers & Hot Springs

At the Southern end of Yellowstone Lake you will enter West Thumb Geyser Basin. What makes this place unique is stunning views of Yellowstone Lake and snow capped mountains behind geothermal features.

A boardwalk loops around West Thumb Basin allowing you to see the most impressive features while enjoying some of the best views in the park.

Look out for Fishing Cone and Big Cone Geyser in the lake.

Yellowstone Lake Hiking

Yellowstone Lake isn’t the place to visit if you’re looking for serious hiking trails on your 4 days itinerary. However, there are two easy going walks ending with excellent views over the lake and West Thumb.

Lake overlook – Easy to moderate 1.5 mile roundtrip hike from West Thumb parking lot for elevated views over West Thumb Basin.

Storm Point – Easy 2.5 mile roundtrip beginning close to Fishing Bridge for close up views over Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake Wildlife

The Northern part of Yellowstone Lake is where Yellowstone’s East entrance (from Cody) arrives into the park.

Areas surrounding East entrance road are known to be a favorite of the Grizzly Bear, but you can also expect to see a wider variety of wildlife in this region.

We saw coyotes and mule deer (pictured above) around Lake Lodge during our visit.

Yellowstone Lake Accommodation

Campgrounds.

Bridge Bay has 432 reservable sites at US$ 27 per night. It is open late May to early September ( more information ).

Grant Village has 430 reservable sites at US$ 32 per night. However, this one is only open mid June to mid September ( more information ).

Fishing Bridge RV Park has 310 RV only electrical hookup sites at US$ 79 per night. The RV park is open early May to mid September ( more information ).

Hotel and Cabins

• Lake Yellowstone hotel offers a wide variety of rooms from basic to extremely expensive ( more information ).
• Lake Lodge Cabins – Consisting of 186 Frontier and Western cabins at much more budget friendly prices ( more information ).

Example Of A Perfect 4 Days Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

You can begin to construct your plans now you have an idea about each region inside the park.

The following example itinerary is 4 days long, which means you can relax and take things slowly but still see and do the best of Yellowstone National Park.

Our biggest frustration when first visiting with 3 days was only having enough time to visit each attraction once and having to rush through. If a geyser or waterfall viewing area was crowded, or if the weather wasn’t playing nicely – well, that was just tough luck.

But with that extra fourth day, it means you can re-visit any place you missed, was too busy or you enjoyed the most.

Best Entrance To Begin 4 Days in Yellowstone Itinerary?

You can start your itinerary at any entrance. The figure 8 road inside the park makes it easy to adapt this itinerary to suit beginning from any direction.

The most popular entrance into the park is West Entrance / West Yellowstone and the second most popular in North Entrance / Gardiner / Mammoth.

However, we will begin this itinerary as though you are entering from Northeast Entrance / Cooke City and exit on Day 4 via South entrance to Jackson and Grand Teton.

This is the most efficient way to visit because you can drive through Lamar Valley early on your first morning for the best chance of seeing abundant wildlife, see the park and leave without driving back on yourself too much.

If you are staying in West Yellowstone or Gardiner for the duration of your visit, or are entering via any other entrance, simply move around the days as we list below. The same things to do still apply, you can just adjust the itinerary to fit.

Driving Distances Between Major Yellowstone And Grand Teton Regions

One final thing to touch on before we get into an example Yellowstone itinerary is driving distances between major areas in the park.

We have mentioned it’s a big park and there can be a lot of driving, but we thought it would be more helpful to show you in numbers.

Use the distances to gauge how far you might travel on any given day during your Yellowstone itinerary.

This is a Yellowstone guide but many visitors will also want to see Grand Teton either before or after, so we included Jackson and Jenny Lake for reference.

We have also included West Yellowstone because a lot of people stay here for their entire visit to Yellowstone and it helps to see how far it is to each major region.

OK, let’s finally get stuck into our 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary example!

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 1 – Lamar Valley, Tower-Roosevelt and Mammoth Hot Springs

Lamar Valley

Entering via Northeast entrance isn’t always reliable in Spring or Fall, but North entrance is always open. If you can’t enter via Cooke City, it’s easy enough to enter at Gardiner and drive straight to Lamar Valley early in the morning.

Approaching from Northeast / Cooke City – As you draw closer to Grand Loop Road you will pass through Lamar Valley , widely regarded as the best wildlife spotting in Yellowstone.

Try to arrive early morning for the best shot as seeing Bison and other animals. Spend an hour or two stopping at various pull-offs. Remember, if you spot any serious gear, that’s where you need to pull out your binoculars .

Just before Grand Loop Road you will find Specimen Ridge Trail , hike this trail if you didn’t see a lot of wildlife in Lamar Valley, you want to see even more wildlife or you just love hiking.

Tip : By getting away from the road you give yourself a much better chance at seeing animals in the wild.

When you arrive at Tower Junction turn left and drive a few miles to see  Tower Fall  and if time allows, hike to Yellowstone River Overlook.

Turn around and head back the same way but pass US-212 and continue on Grand Loop Road towards Mammoth.

Your next stop is Yellowstone’s  Petrified Tree . Now, this gated tree stump isn’t the most wow-factor attraction you will see on this 4 days Yellowstone itinerary.

But it is around 50 million years old, which means it is in fact, mightily impressive.

Mammoth Hot Springs

There’s not much else between Tower and Mammoth with the exception of Lava Creek hiking trail. If it’s earlier than you expected, hike this trail past Undine Falls, but if it’s already getting on, it’s time to check in at your Mammoth accommodation.

You’re likely to see mule deer and / or bison wandering around the car park so drive carefully .

You need to check in inside the hotel whether you’re staying in the hotel or a cabin. Mammoth dining hall is directly across the car park ready for once you’re all settled in to your room.

Alternatively, Gardiner is the best place to stay outside of the park boundaries on this first night.

After dinner (depending on light and time of year), drive a couple minutes up to Mammoth Hot Springs for a quick look around the area.

Don’t forget your camera because these terraces are extremely photogenic. It’s a shame the sunset is directly behind a huge hill but you’ll be back here at first light.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 2 – Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Mount Washburn and Yellowstone Falls

Norris Geyser Basin

Wake up early. If you’re animal mad, head back out to Lamar Valley at sunrise, otherwise make your way over to see the vibrant colors of Mammoth Lower and Upper Terraces and dense steam penetrated by soft rays of morning light.

We’ve seen Mammoth at sunrise and in midday. Sunrise in October was in the snow and stunning but we didn’t last long. Midday is busy but allows you spend more time walking the boardwalks comfortably and better chance to see the radiant springs.

Return to your cabin or the dining hall for breakfast, check out and get on the road heading South towards Norris Geyser Basin . Scenery along the way is gorgeous, stop if you see anything you like the look of but not for too long .

There’s a lot to see today!

Park up at Norris, be sure to look around the educational Visitor Center before spending the next few hours wandering the Geyser Basin boardwalks.

You have plenty of geysers to take in throughout two loops of boardwalks . D on’t miss Steamboat geyser – it was extremely active when we visited.

There are dozens of springs and geysers in all colors and varieties here, just keep following the boardwalks and the crowds.

Echinus geyser is a popular stop, however, this once prolific steam sprayer has become far less inclined to blow its top in recent years.

A few minutes drive South you will find Artist’s Paintpots trail . We highly recommend this quick 1 mile roundtrip hike where you can see deep earthy colors surrounding small hot springs.

In addition, you have an opportunity to get up close and personal with boiling mud bubbling in grey molten clay-like pools. Don’t miss this hidden gem.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Take Norris Canyon road due East towards Canyon without stopping before checking in at your Canyon accommodation. If you’re not staying inside the park tonight, book a hotel room in West Yellowstone.

Drive a few miles North from Canyon and park up at Dunraven Pass, before setting off on the most popular hike in Yellowstone National Park – Mount Washburn . Panoramic views from the summit will be worth the time and effort.

Closure : This is the hike we unfortunately couldn’t access and unfortunately it is still scheduled to be closed in 2022 as the road between Canyon and Tower is under works.

• If the road and hike are open, it will be late afternoon / early evening by the time you finish your hike.
• If not, head straight down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Drive back past Canyon and turn onto one-way North Rim Drive.

Your first time seeing the powerful  Yellowstone Lower Falls is from Lookout point, which is awesome, but less awesome than some of the other viewpoints coming up.

Continue driving round to Grand View, before either driving or hiking (if time allows and you’re not too tired) to Inspiration point – the best observation area along North Rim Drive. It shouldn’t be long until the sun sets directly behind Lower Falls.

At dusk, on the way back to Canyon, drive slowly and look out for wildlife. We saw Bison and a lot of Mule Deer on this stretch with a stunning deep purple sky sunset and moonrise over the plains.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 3 – Yellowstone Falls, Hayden Valley & Yellowstone Lake

Hayden Valley

Another early start and this one is non-negotiable!

Check out and leave at least 30 minutes before sunrise ( check times here ) so you can get parked, walk the very short trail to Artist Point .

Get your camera set up before the sun rises and illuminates the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone . It’s worth waking up for this iconic Yellowstone sunrise.

On the way back out of South Rim, stop off at Upper Falls View and hike down Uncle Tom’s Trail for an amazing close up vantage point of Lower Falls.

The steep staircase trail descent was not open when we visited so be sure to check trail closures and current conditions before you visit.

Once the sun has risen and you’ve marveled enough at the wonderful canyon, jump back in the car and drive South towards Hayden Valley .

This is Yellowstone’s second major area for seeing animals and if you’re early enough, you’ll have a high probability of spotting wildlife.

The key is not to go looking for the animals, but to park up where nobody else is parked along the Yellowstone River and wait for them to come to you.

You might see a multitude of amazing wildlife, or you might not see any animals at all, it all comes down to chance. Be prepared for both eventualities.

Next up as you head South is Mud Volcano. There’s a short circular boardwalk here covering a number of caldrons and springs, most notably Dragon’s mouth spring .

No need to spend long here and you’ll be hungry by now. Grab lunch at Fishing Bridge / Lake Yellowstone. 

Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb Geyser Basin

Remember that just because an area isn’t recognized as a wildlife ‘hotspot’ it doesn’t mean you won’t see any animals.

We spotted a gang of Elk and more coyotes right on the lake edge around Lake Yellowstone lodge. Explore the area before following the Lake South to West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Spend the remainder of the afternoon walking around West Thumb Basin , taking in the likes of Abyss Pool, Black Pool, Big Cone Geyser and Fishing Cone.

Don’t forget you can take the short Lake Overlook hike right from West Thumb parking lot.

Drive West to Old Faithful and check in to your final accommodation. Again, if you’re not staying inside the park on night 3, book a hotel room in West Yellowstone.

Depending on the time, you can either stick around Old Faithful for sunset or drive 11 miles North to Great Fountain Geyser , which has a magnificent sunset.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 4 – Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser Basins

Grand Prismatic Spring

You get to sleep in a little (finally!) on your last day. No rush this morning, you’ll be driving up to Lower Geyser Basin and working your way back down to Old Faithful. Slowly does it today.

It is important to note here – if you want to get photographs of one particular area such as Grand Prismatic Spring, it might be worth beelining straight there first thing in the morning.

Start the day by entering one-way Firehole Lake drive – where you can now visit Great Fountain Geyser if you didn’t the night before.

Opposite the one-way exit from Firehole Lake road, park up at Fountain Paint Pot trailhead and walk the very short trail.

If you missed swimming in Boiling River at Mammoth due to closure, you could drive a few miles North to Firehole swimming area .

Otherwise, heading South once more, your next stop is one of Yellowstone’s finest geothermal features: Grand Prismatic Spring .

Firehole River will likely be engulfed in a cloud of steam as you walk towards Grand Prismatic, giving off an eerie effect. This huge heated cloud is produced by Excelsior Geyser , which was once the tallest geyser at Yellowstone.

Without question, the place will be packed with tourists, so try to be courteous as you walk the relatively narrow boardwalks.

Stop off as much as possible on the looped boardwalk to soak up Yellowstone’s largest hot spring and one of its most iconic features.

If you would like to see Grand Prismatic Spring’s colors in all their glory from above, you will need to drive a few minutes to Fairy Falls Trail and hike a 1 mile round trip trail to GPS overview.

Old Faithful

Finish your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary back where you started this morning at Old Faithful .

What better place to sign off an incredible experience than its most iconic feature. Check times of eruptions, noted all around Old Faithful area including the dining halls. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the predicted eruption.

The bleachers will be busy so be sure to walk around and behind Old Faithful, before taking the Observation Point trailhead to a much better vantage point.

The crowds will cheer once Old Faithful begins to erupt and you will have finally seen the most famous geyser in the world spurt its hot steam into the deep blue sky above!

Don’t forget that you are in Upper Geyser basin, the most active of all geothermal areas within Yellowstone and more than a one trick pony.

Behind Old Faithful – past the trailhead for observation point – you can follow a path leading to multiple hot springs and geysers.

Geysers : We highly recommend you do spend time walking behind Old Faithful as far as incredibly vibrant Morning Glory Pool, one of our favorites in the entire park.

Exit Yellowstone via the South entrance towards Grand Teton National Park. If you like to kayak, Lewis Lake on the way out of Yellowstone is the best place in the park to paddle .

There’s plenty of time left on Day 4 to make it down to Jackson, WY with a few detours along the way in Grand Teton.

It’s almost like you planned it that way!

Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park

Animals are very active as they come out of hibernation, grizzlies are very grizzly so care must be taken. Snow melting causes waterfall volumes to increase and the weather begins to warm slightly. May and June are excellent months to visit Yellowstone before it gets too crowded.

April in Yellowstone is interesting, you will have attractions almost to yourself but road access is limited and no park lodging is open.

Summer in Yellowstone is jam packed with tourists, which personally isn’t our cup of tea. However, you get more daylight and warmer temperatures which means perfect conditions for crushing hikes, sightseeing and comfortable camping.

Of 4 million annual visitors to the park, over half visit in July and August. Not only will every attraction be busy but getting a camping spot or hotel room would be tough going.

When we visited Yellowstone in October it had snowed heavily just a few days before our arrival. The scenery was staggeringly attractive, with glittering ice and snow dancing under sunlight.

It was the first big snowfall of the year so we just missed those beautiful rustic fall colors. September would be a fantastic alternative if you prefer to avoid crowds and enjoy cooler temperatures.

Yellowstone in Winter

Although we didn’t technically visit in Winter, both April and October had a ton of snow and cold temperatures. Most of the park shuts down in Winter and access can only be achieved by snowmobiles.

Our photographs will give you an idea of what Yellowstone would look like if you were to visit in Winter. We were blown away by the ‘Winter Wonderland’ scenery and felt fortunate to have visited when we did.

Following a huge snowfall, the temperature stayed below zero for 3 days but the sun was shining brightly from a deep blue clear sky every day.

On our second morning in October we woke up to a thick mist and fog which left Yellowstone feeling positively spooky!

Yellowstone Accommodation

Certain US National Parks can be notoriously difficult to secure accommodation. Yellowstone is one of those parks.

There are options inside the park (as we listed in each region earlier) but they are in high demand and can be out of many visitors’ budget range. You can instead stay at hotels near the park boundary.

Either way, you need to be as organized as possible when it comes to booking your Yellowstone lodging. Start booking as soon as you have dates to avoid missing out on rooms inside the park or at good value near the park.

We think booking hotels, lodges or cabins is the most difficult and important part of planning this vacation. Once rooms are secured, you can begin to plan your Yellowstone itinerary.

Resources and Tips

• Lodging – We have written an extremely popular where to stay in Yellowstone guide to help you figure out the best places to stay for your visit. It has helped thousands of visitors to find lodging around the park.
• Hotel tips – If you decide to stay outside the park in hotels, you have control over budget. Read our ultimate guide to booking cheap hotels  to learn about ways you can save money.
• Booking platform – We always use and recommend booking hotels with  Booking.com for best value and most options to suit your budget.
• Camping – Take advantage of our exclusive  30 day free trial of The Dyrt PRO  to get reservations at sold out Yellowstone campgrounds with no extra booking fees, and gain access to free dispersed camping locations around Yellowstone National Park. You can try The Dyrt PRO for free, no strings attached!
• The earlier you book, the more chance you have of securing the exact locations you prefer. Be flexible and adaptable if planning your vacation last minute.

Suggested Lodging for this 4 Day Itinerary

• First Night – Mammoth Hot Springs or Gardiner MT
• Second Night – Canyon
• Third Night – Old Faithful or West Yellowstone
• Fourth Night – Jackson WY

Note this is a North to South route. If your entrance and exit points will be different, plan your accommodation accordingly.

If you want to take a much closer look at the top rated hotels around Yellowstone, head over to our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere to see the best hotels in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody and Jackson.

You can only book accommodation inside the park using  Yellowstone National Park lodges  service, which means set prices and limited availability.

Expect to pay handsomely for hotel rooms if you stay inside the park, it is Yellowstone after all!

Read More About Yellowstone and Grand Teton …

• Things To Do: 30 Most Popular Things To See And Do In Yellowstone National Park
• Airports: 6 Best Airports Near Yellowstone for Domestic and International Travelers
• Hotels: Where to Stay Inside and Near Yellowstone – Best Hotels and Locations
• Spring: 10 Key Things To Know About Visiting Yellowstone In April
• Fall: 10 Important Things To Know About Visiting Yellowstone In October
• Grand Teton: 7 Amazing Things to do and Perfect 2 Day Itinerary
• Mormon Row: Sunrise and Sunset Photography Guide to Mormon Row Grand Teton
• Schwabacher Landing: Complete Photography Guide to Stunning Schwabacher Landing

Yellowstone Road Trips:

• SLC – Salt Lake City to Yellowstone 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary
• Rushmore – Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

More Incredible US National Parks …

• Death Valley: Perfect One Day Death Valley Road Trip Itinerary (Las Vegas and Yosemite)
• Zion & Bryce Canyon: Epic 3 Day Road Trip Zion and Bryce Canyon Best Bits
• Yosemite: The Ultimate Guide to Yosemite For First Time Visitors
• Grand Canyon: Perfect One Day Itinerary Grand Canyon South Rim

We hope this guide helped with planning your 4 Days Yellowstone National Park Itinerary!

Yellowstone is one of the very best places to visit in the USA and we sincerely hope you have the most amazing vacation to this special part of the world.

Please let us know if you have any questions or you need any help planning your Yellowstone trip, we’ll be happy to help.

Happy Travels ,

Mark and Kristen

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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.

Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us .

24 thoughts on “Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days: The Ultimate First Time Visitor Guide”

Hello, I am driving from spokane to Teton on June 7th. I want to do teton, YN and glacir and drive back to spokane. So I think it would be best for me to stay in jackson or teton for one night and then drive up to west entrance for 2 nights and stay in Gardiner for one night because my plan is to do teton in one day 3 or 4 days for Yellowstone and then drive on to Glacer national park. I know it makes perhaps more sense to to go Glacier first and then drive down to YN and to teton but I have to take a return flight from spokene and Galcer sun road is not open untill June 15th or so, so I decided to drive down to Teton via Misoula and then drive up so I reach Galcier park around 13th or 14th and have more chances to see the sun road. I know it is driving double a little but looks like best optin to me. I am also doing this loop so I can take the car from spokane and return it at spokane. Taking a car from spokane and returning at teton is very expensive.

Am I on right track?

Hi Anjana, yes it sounds like you’re exactly on track with your plans. That’s exactly what we would do in your circumstances. Have a great trip!

How long does it take to get a guidebook to Yellowstone? Is it downloadable?

Hi Melissa, yes our Yellowstone guidebook is a digital download so you can get it instantly to your phone and computer. Thank you and have a fantastic trip!

Looking to also go in through Cooke City. Any recommendations on where to stay in Cooke City that night before entering the park? Thanks!

Hi Bret, glad to hear you will be visiting Yellowstone soon. Take a look through our where to stay in Yellowstone guide to see our hotel recommendations for Cooke City. It is a great place to start because you get instant access to Lamar Valley for wildlife at dawn. Have a great trip!

is there an actual print out of just the 4 day yellowstone itinerary? point to point to see?

Hi Tricia, At the moment we do not have a printable version of this itinerary, but we hope to have one soon. You are more than welcome to print out the travel guide and if you have any specific questions about Yellowstone, feel free to ask any time. Have a great trip!

Yikes! We are planning a trip this summer starting in South Dakota and heading into Yellowstone for 4 day. Unfortunately we have to go in the summer since I work at a high school. Yellowstone is so overwhelming and it looks like we will be entering Yellowstone the week of July 4th. Planning is so overwhelming 🤪 We will be pulling our RV as well. There are no campsites available in Yellowstone so hoping to find something not too far away. Since we will be driving in each day which entrance makes themost sense or should we split time between a couple of. Entrances?

Hi Holly, we are glad to hear you have a trip planned to Yellowstone but “yikes” is definitely a great word to describe your situation! If it were us, we would try staying at a campground in or around Gardiner the first and maybe second night, then staying at a campground in West Yellowstone for the next 2 nights. We have driven from South Dakota to Yellowstone twice, entering once into northeast entrance and once into north entrance at Gardiner. Your drive over on I-90 won’t be very exciting but for you it will be about efficiency and getting to Gardiner as quickly as possible is your best bet. Then you can see the “top half” of Yellowstone in the next 2 days, before pulling your RV to a campground in West Yellowstone so you have easier access to the “bottom half” of Yellowstone. Hope that helps and best of luck getting booked up. Have a great trip!

I’m so grateful to have found this site. It’s amazing! You are so thorough and organized – I am in awe. Without this guide I would have just booked a full week in West Yellowstone and then spent most of my days driving and being stressed about being in the park after dark. Now I think I’ll book 4 nights at YGI and 3 nights in Jackson. I have dogs, so I can’t stay in the park or move around too often. We primarily want to see wildlife – I hope we see a wolf!!!

Thank you Noelle, we’re glad our guide has helped you plan your trip to Yellowstone! Last time we visited we saw a wolf near Grand Prismatic Spring, just look for a group of people with expensive cameras / binoculars / telescopes and it’s either a wolf or a bear. Have a great time!

Hi, how does one find out the driving time or distance to different areas within the parks – Yellowstone and GTNP?

Hi ALice, thanks for getting in touch with a great point – we have updated our Yellowstone itinerary with a driving distance chart to show how far it is between the major regions in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We didn’t include times because that will change heavily depending on season but it should give you a better idea of how much driving will be involved during your visit.

Wow thanks for taking the time and sharing all that info! With that said, it is a bit overwhelming 🙂 appreciate your help in planning my trip with my teenage daughter in early July 2022. We’re flying in from San Francisco for 4 days. Is there any way to contact you directly? Thanks

Hi Meytal, yes planning a trip to Yellowstone can be overwhelming! Head over to our contact page and send us a message with any questions you have for your trip 🙂

Great article, thank you for the detailed information. We are headed for 4 days with a stay booked at the West entrance for all nights. All things considered, would you advise that I keep that spot or split it up between other entrances? All of the lodging INSIDE the park is booked up…so our only options would be to head out of the park for overnights. Looking at your itinerary for the 4 days it looks like staying where we are may just be the best option vs moving each night out to the North and then the East entrances…what do you think having been?

Hi Mel, yes getting booked inside the park is going to be a challenge this year. Stick with what you have booked in West Yellowstone for the 4 days. It’s the most central location with easier access to each of the areas inside the park. We were in Yellowstone again a few weeks ago and stayed in West Yellowstone both nights. It is a bit of a pain driving in and especially out each day as you drive directly into the sunset, but it’s by far the best option for keeping drive time down. That being said, if you are really keen to see wildlife, Lamar Valley at sunrise is your best bet and staying one night in either Gardiner (North entrance) near Mammoth or even Cooke City (Northeast entrance) would cut your driving time down significantly early in the morning. You will see wildlife without doing that but it would likely be a better experience. The drives East to Cody and South to Jackson are too long. Let us know if you have any more questions and have a great trip!

planning a trip for the summer, reading through piles of pins about Yellowstone and this is the most helpful yet! thank you so much!

Thank you Chelsea, we’re glad you were able to find the info you needed for Yellowstone. Please let us know if you have any questions about your plans but if not have a great trip!

This is such a helpful and informative review! With limited time in Yellowstone, we will be following your suggestions, but in reverse, coming up from Tetons.

Thank you Sarah, we’re glad you found it helpful – doing both Grand Teton and Yellowstone is such an amazing trip. Please do let us know if you have any questions about either park and have a great time!

Wow this has to be the best national park yet, something for everyone there, it must of been amazing.

Yes this was one of the most diverse US National Parks we visited, you’re spot on with something for everyone. We had a love / hate relationship with the snow, it was freezing cold and we might have missed out on some wildlife spotting opportunities, plus the Mt Washburn hike was closed and we couldn’t see much at Grand Prismatic Spring – but the Winter Wonderland scenery was unique and spectacular. Hope you are able to visit Yellowstone one day Graham!

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See wildlife, geysers and mountains views.

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8 Best Historic Hotels in and Near Yellowstone

Entrance Fees and Where to Get Your Park Pass for Yellowstone

Yellowstone visitors have several options for paying an entrance fee to get into the park or even getting in free.

Editors’ Picks

• How Far in Advance Do I Need to Book Hotels and Campgrounds?
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Itineraries

10 Best Things to Do in Yellowstone and Beyond

Here's your bucket list to visiting America's first national park.

• 3-Day Eco-Friendly Vacation Itinerary for Yellowstone and Grand Teton
• 10 Things to Do with Kids at Yellowstone
• 4 Best Places to Stargaze under Night Skies in Yellowstone

Where to See Bears, Wolves and More in Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Wildlife is abundant throughout these two national parks. Go wildlife watching in their natural habitat in the areas they frequent most.

• How close can I get to wild animals in Yellowstone?
• Bear Spray: Buying, Using, and Recycling It in Yellowstone
• Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone

Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone’s Midway Geyser Basin

Old Faithful may be more famous, but the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is the most photographed thermal feature in Yellowstone. That's because of its crazy-bright colors and enormous size.

• About Old Faithful, Yellowstone’s Famous Geyser
• 8 Best Yellowstone Geyser Basins and Map
• Mammoth Hot Springs Looks Like an Inside-Out Cave

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Which Yellowstone Trail Should I Hike?

Use our personalized guide

• Hike Mount Washburn in Yellowstone
• Hike the Avalanche Peak Trail in Yellowstone
• 6 Best Hiking Trails in Grand Teton National Park

Natural Wonders

Did You Know There is a Grand Canyon in Yellowstone?

Giant waterfalls pierce the Yellowstone River while pastel colors mark the locations of hot springs and steam vents in the canyon walls.

• Yellowstone Lake – Where Fire Meets Ice
• 3 Waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
• Listen to the Recorded Sounds of Yellowstone

Chicago to Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone Road Trip

Take the All-American Road Trip to Yellowstone, starting in Chicago.

• Salt Lake City to Yellowstone Road Trip
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A Quick Overview Map of Yellowstone

Do you know where you're going?

• Official Yellowstone National Park Map PDF
• Official Grand Teton National Park Map PDF
• Quick Overview Map of Glacier National Park

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2-Day Itinerary in Grand Teton National Park

Only have two days? Here's what to do.

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Gateway Towns

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>", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/park/faqs/yellowstone-basic-information/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "Yellowstone Essentials: 12 Basic Things You Need to Know"}}'> Yellowstone Essentials: 12 Basic Things You Need to Know

Read this before you plan your visit to the park.

This remote steamy landscape in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho became the world’s first national park and is one of America’s most famous thanks to the Old Faithful Geyser and the brightly colored Grand Prismatic Spring. Come to Yellowstone National Park to see grizzly and black bears, thousands of wild bison, packs of wolves, giant waterfalls and the largest concentration of active geysers on Earth. But before you head to the park, here are a few basic Yellowstone essentials you need to know.

At more than 3,400 square miles, Yellowstone is huge. It can take hours to drive from one part of the park to another and speed limits are 45 mph or slower on all roads. Not to mention notorious bison jams often cause delays. Plan your trip strategically so you don’t spend all your time driving.

You can buy a $35, 7-day pass at a park entrance station, or use your America the Beautiful or other interagency annual pass to get into the national park. If you’re planning to visit Grand Teton as well, an America the Beautiful pass is the way to go to avoid paying double entrance fees. Here’s how to get your pass.

Yellowstone’s thermal features are fatally hot. Always stay on trails and boardwalks, keep small children close to you and never enter a geyser, hot spring or other thermal feature for any reason. It’s also illegal to throw things inside them.

If you’re lucky, you might spot a grizzly or black bear in Yellowstone. While majestic, these creatures can be dangerous. Stay alert at all times, especially when hiking. Carry (and know how to use) bear spray, always hike in groups and make noise to ensure you don’t spook a bear. Store all food and scented items in bear-proof containers.

PET-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

Pets are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas at Yellowstone, but there are plenty of activities just outside the park for you and your pup.

If you are planning on bringing your dog with you to the park, make sure to check out these  regulations from NPS .

• Take a lap around Earthquake Lake.
• Go for a stroll through West Yellowstone. You’ll find various pet-friendly coffee shops and retailers to visit.
• Hike Coffin Lakes Trail, a moderate hike with stunning views and stream crossings.
• Don’t miss out on the popular Old Faithful geyser. Dogs are allowed on the sidewalks around the visitor center with a leash.
• Have a picnic at Yellowstone Lake and let your dog dip their paws in the chilly water.

Enjoy comfortable, modern, amenity-rich lodging when you stay outside Yellowstone National Park.

Wildlife Viewing

Yellowstone is home to more than 200 species of animals, and spring is one of the best seasons to see them in action.

West Yellowstone Snowcoach Tours

Gardiner Snowcoach Tours

Yellowstone Vacation Snowmobile Tours

Two Top Snowmobile Tours

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Car Rentals

Epic Guide to Yellowstone National Park

C omplete guide to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Everything you need to know to plan an epic trip to this amazing national park including lodging, camping, things to do, history, wildlife, and information on the local area. 

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park was created by the United States Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone is located in the United States, mainly in the state of Wyoming, although it extends through Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone, the first national park in the United States,  is also widely considered the oldest national park in the world.

About Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is located above the caldera of the largest volcano in America, very alive but without an eruption since 640 000 years ago. Because of that, it has numerous geothermal phenomena, especially the Old Faithful geyser , one of its most popular attractions. It is famous for its diversity in fauna, due to the fact that hunting of any kind has been prohibited for over  150 years.

The main road in the park is the 142-mile Grand Loop Drive, with upper and lower loops, forming a rough figure eight in the center of the park. On the undulating Yellowstone Plateau, you cross the Continental Divide twice, both with signs showing the elevation at the Continental Divide 8391 feet and 8262 feet.

On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses Grant signed into existence Yellowstone as the world’s first national park. This 2.2 million acres of wilderness covers three states including Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, and was set aside“For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.”

Today, you can see these famous words as they are written on the Roosevelt Arch, the rock arch entrance as you enter from the north in Garnier, Montana. 

There is just a special feeling driving through the arch as you read these words. You know that you have entered a special place, a place of unspoiled beauty, iconic western scenery, and the birthplace of something truly special, the U.S. National Park System. Perhaps America's best idea yet.

Is Yellowstone National Park worth visiting?

Yes! Yes! Yes! How many times can I say yes? 

At nearly 12,000 square miles, it has an amazing variety of sights to offer, whatever your interests.

Where else in the world can you find geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and other signs of hot geothermal activity, with snow-capped mountain peaks close by, huge meadows dotted with bison, elk, and mule deer, rivers steaming as hot springs empty into them, waterfalls and a canyon, all in one park?

History of Yellowstone National Park

The Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field resulted from three volcanic eruptions that spanned two million years.

The first cycle occurred over two million years ago and it created the Island Park Caldera. The second cycle happened approximately one million years later and it formed the Henry’s Ford caldera situated west of the first caldera.

The third cycle, which occurred 640,000 years ago, shifted to the Yellowstone Plateau and formed the caldera which is present today.

In Yellowstone, traces of human presence have been found, dating back at least 11,000 years. In the 1950s, construction work on the Gardiner Post Office uncovered a projectile from the Clovis culture.

In 1806, John Colter, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, left his fellow travelers to join with a group of trappers led by Manuel Lisa. Under his orders, Colter was sent to explore the upper reaches of the Yellowstone River.

He was probably the first European to have visited this region and come into contact with the Amerindian tribes.

In 1869, the Folsom expedition ascended the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake. It was the first to provide a detailed description of the Yellowstone region.

In 1870,  Montana  residents also organized an expedition (the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition ), led by surveyor Henry Washburn and involving Nathaniel P. Langford and an army detachment, commanded by Lieutenant Gustavus Doane.

For a month, they studied the region, collected numerous specimens, and christened several places. Cornelius Hedges, a writer, and lawyer from Montana participated in the Washburn expedition. Between 1870 and 1871, the newspaper Helena Herald published several articles that detailed his observations.

He was one of the first, with the governor of Montana, Thomas Francis Meagher, to propose making the Yellowstone a protected national park.

In a letter of 1871, addressed to Ferdinand Hayden by Jay Cooke, the latter claimed that his friend, Senator William D. Kelley had suggested creating a law that would make Yellowstone a public park.

Hayden led a second and more important expedition, financed this time by the Government. He wrote a full report on Yellowstone, illustrated with photographs by William Henry Jackson, 33, and illustrations by Thomas Morgan, which made the US Congress protect this region.

On March 1, 1872, US President Ulysses Grant signed the decree creating the "Yellowstone National Park" in order to create a place "free of commercial exploitation, dedicated to the satisfaction of the people." The Hayden Valley takes its name from this geologist.

In order to mitigate the insufficiency of means to protect the national park, between 1886 and 1918 its administration was entrusted to the Army but On October 31, 1918, the Army ceded control of Yellowstone to the National Park Service.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a 146 miles road with an "8" shape was built connecting the most interesting points of the park.

Between 1933 and 1941, the Civil Conservation Corps built the tourist information centers, the campsites, and most of the current roads.

In 1959, a powerful earthquake struck west of Yellowstone on Hebgen Lake and damaged the roads and facilities of the national park.

On October 26, 1976, Yellowstone Park was declared an international biosphere reserve alter on September 8, 1978, it was integrated into the  UNESCO world heritage .

But in 1995, this Committee placed it on the list of endangered world heritage areas. The poor quality of the water, the tourist crowds, and the use of snowmobiles were other reasons for concern.

Following the efforts of the federal government, the situation has improved and in July 2003 the park was removed from the list of endangered areas.

During the dry summer of 1988, some fires caused by lightning devastated 36% of the surface of the park, 783,880 acres, and the most affected part was North Fork.

Today, the National Park Service intentionally causes fires, circumscribed to certain areas already studied in advance, to prevent a catastrophe like the one of 1988.

Things to know before your visit to Yellowstone National Park

The park is open year-round but many features are closed in the winter. 

Entrance fee  

A fee is charged for entry to the park, with a 7-day permit available. The permit provides access to all areas of Yellowstone National Park, as well as nearby Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone Entrance Fee - Private Vehicle - $35

Yellowstone Entrance Fee - Motorcycle - $30

Yellowstone Entrance Fee - Hiker/Biker - $20

Yellowstone Annual Pass - $70

Planning a National Park vacation? America the Beautiful/National Park Pass covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.

The park pass covers everyone in the car for per vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

Buy on  REI.com  and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

Free Entrance Days - Check out the 5 days during the year that entrance fees are waived. 

Learn more about  National Parks Passes !

Time Zone  

MST- Mountain Standard Time

Pets  

Pets are allowed in Yellowstone NP but they must be on a leash at all time.

Please remember that there is a ton of wildlife in Yellowstone and they may be attracted to your pet.

Keeping your pet on a leash helps to keep them safe during your visit.

Leashes cannot be longer than 6 feet in length. You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet.

Pets are not allowed on any park trails or in the park backcountry. Pets are not considered pack animals.

Cell Service

We have had fairly good service in the park especially on the main roads. There are definitely parts of the park where cell phone service is not available or there may be a intermittent cell signal. 

The park remains open year-round, with the operating hours for the visitor centers depending on the time of the year.

Wi-Fi may be available at the park visitor centers. 

Insect Repellent

It is always a good idea to bring insect repellent with you. We use permethrin bug spray that can be applied to your clothes before you leave for your trip.  

Water Bottle  

Make sure to bring your own water bottle and plenty of water with you. Plastic water bottles are not sold in the park.

There are large parking lots available near Old Faithful. 

Other attractions in the park have smaller parking lots and can be difficult to find parking.

If you are planning to visit Midway Geyser Basin to explore Grand Prismatic Spring you can almost guarantee having to wait for a parking spot.

Food/Restaurants

There are multiple restaurants and fast service counters within Yellowstone.

Canyon Lodge -  Eatery, Falls Café, Ice Creamery, M66 Grill 

Canyon General Store - 60s-style burger counter and ice cream counter

Washburn Lodge - Washburn Lookout (snacks and drinks)

 Grant Village Lodge - Dining Room, Lake House at Grant 

Grant Village General Store - Snack bar and ice cream counter

Lake Hotel and Cabins - Lake Hotel Dining Room, Lake Hotel Deli, and alcohol bar

Lake Lodge and Cabins - Cafeteria

Lake General Store - Snack bar and ice cream counter

Fishing Bridge General Store - Snack bar and ice cream counter

Bridge Bay Marina Store - Snack bar

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins -  Mammoth Hotel Dining Room, Terrace Grill,  Map Room Bar

Mammoth General Store - Snack bar and ice cream counter

Old Faithful Inn - Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, Bear Paw Deli, Bear Pit Lounge

Old Faithful Snow Lodge - Obsidian Dining Room, Geyser Grill, Coffee counter, 

Old Faithful Lodge -  Cafeteria, Bake Shop, Lobby Snack Shops, Ice cream counter

General Stores (Upper and Lower) - Store Soda Fountain

Roosevelt Lodge - Roosevelt Lodge Dining Room, Old West Dinner cookout

Tower Fall General Store - Snack bar and ice cream counter

There are gas stations located near Old Faithful, Grand Village, Fishing Bridge, Canyon, Tower/Roosevelt Junction, and Mammoth Hot Springs.

National Park Passport Stamps

National Park Passport stamps can be found in the visitor center.

Make sure to bring your  National Park Passport Book  with you or we like to pack these  circle stickers  so we don't have to bring our entire book with us. 

Yellowstone NP is part of the 2022 Passport Stamp Set , was the national stamp in the 1989 Passport Stamp Set , and in the 1988 Passport Stamp Set as part of a collage of parks. 

Large Vehicles

There are several large parking lots at the main attractions but will prove difficult on many other roads and smaller parking lots. 

Electric Vehicle Charging

Public EV charging stations are now available in a number of park locations.

The stations are Level 2, and provide 208/240 volt electric service. Charging takes about 4 hours from empty to full. 

Yellowstone Forever , the park’s official nonprofit partner, installed one of the public charging stations at their headquarters and retail store at 308 E Park St. Gardiner, Montana 59030.

Yellowstone National Park Lodges, the authorized concessioner operating the park’s hotels, has installed public charging stations near several of the park hotels:

Mammoth Hot Springs : In front of the Haynes PhotoShop; and behind the Northwest corner of the Mammoth Hotel.

Old Faithful: At the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins (Lower Loop), outside of Shower house 1.

Canyon Village:  In front of both Rhyolite and Washburn lodges.

Lake Village:  In front of Teal employee dorm.

West Entrance/ West Yellowstone MT:  The Gray Wolf Inn and Suites, 250 S Canyon St., and the Holiday Inn, 315 W Yellowstone Ave, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. Tesla stations are also located in West Yellowstone.

Details about Yellowstone National Park

Size - 2,219,790 Acres

Yellowstone NP is currently ranked at 8 out of 63 National Parks by Size . 

The Yellowstone National Park covers an area of 2,219,790 acres that includes lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges, Yellowstone Lake being the largest mountain lake in North America.

Date Established  

Yellowstone National Park was created by the United States Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.

Visitation  

In 2020, Yellowstone NP had 3,806,306 park visitors.

In 2019, Yellowstone NP had 4,020,288 park visitors. 

Yellowstone is one of the top ten most visited National Parks in the United States. 

Yellowstone National Park Address

2 Officers Row

Yellowstone National Park Headquarters

Yellowstone National Park, WY.82190

Yellowstone National Park Map

If you want to check out a detailed map of the park you can purchase a trails illustrated map which highlights 1,000 miles of mapped trails and the main attractions within the park. 

They also sell a Yellowstone map pack that includes:

• Map 302 :: Old Faithful: Yellowstone National Park SW
• Map 303 :: Mammoth Hot Springs: Yellowstone National Park NW
• Map 304 :: Tower, Canyon: Yellowstone National Park NE
• Map 305 :: Yellowstone Lake: Yellowstone National Park SE

Every Trails Illustrated map is printed on "Backcountry Tough" waterproof, tear-resistant paper. 

Where is Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is about a seven-hour drive north of Salt Lake City, three hours from Jackson, and very close to the town of West Yellowstone.

Estimated distance from major cities nearby

Gardiner, MT - Borders the north entrance of Yellowstone

West Yellowstone - Borders the west entrance of Yellowstone

Idaho Falls, ID - 108 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes

Bozeman, MT - 78 miles, 1 hour and 25 minutes

Casper, WY - 267 miles, 4 hours and 40 minutes

Salt Lake City, UT - 320 miles, 4 hours, and 50 minutes

Boise, ID -  340 miles, 5 hours and 10 minutes

Estimated Distance from nearby National Park

The road through Yellowstone is closed for the winter. 

Grand Teton National Park - 65 miles

Glacier National Park - 366 miles

Arches National Park - 557 miles

Canyonlands National Park - 563 miles

Bryce Canyon National Park - 587 miles

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - 541 miles 

Where are the Yellowstone National Park Visitor Centers?

Albright visitor center.

Location - Located in the northern part of the park near Mammoth Hot Springs

Canyon Visitor Education Center

Location - Location near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. 

Fishing Bridge Visitor Center and Trailside Museum

Location - The Fishing Bridge Museum and Visitor Center is located one mile off the Grand Loop Road on the East Entrance Road. 

Flagg Ranch Information Station

Location - The Flagg Ranch Information Station is located in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway

Grant Visitor Center

Location - The Grant Visitor Center is located on the western shore of Yellowstone Lake, a short distance south of the West Thumb Geyser Basin. 

Madison Information Center and Trailside Museum

Location - halfway between Old Faithful and West Yellowstone

Museum of the National Park Ranger

Location -  The Museum of the National Park Ranger is located off the Grand Loop Road at the entrance to the Norris Campground.

Norris Geyser Basin Museum and Information Center

Location - On the trail within Norris Geyser Basin. 

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Location - Near Old Faithful Geyser

This large visitor education center has a great windowed view of the geyser. There is a nice park store, natural wonders of Yellowstone exhibit hall, restrooms, and rangers available to answer questions. 

West Thumb Information Center

Location - West Thumb Geyser Basin

West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center

Location - Located in West Yellowstone near the entrance to the park.

This visitor center includes NPS Park Rangers who can answer questions specific to the park. There are also staff members for the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce who can answer questions about lodging and information on West Yellowstone.

Getting to Yellowstone National Park

Cody and Jackson, WY; Bozeman and Billings, MT, and Idaho Falls, ID are close airports that are open year-round. The West Yellowstone, MT airport is serviced from June to early September from Salt Lake City, UT.

The Jackson, Wyoming airport is great! You can rent a car on-site and be in the park pretty quickly. On your way back home you can enjoy comfy leather couches, fireplaces, and a relaxing airport before flying out.

Commercial airlines serve the following airports near Yellowstone National Park all year: Cody and Jackson, WY; Bozeman and Billings, MT, and Idaho Falls, ID.

Yellowstone Airport (WYS)

Located in West Yellowstone just outside of the park. This airport is open from early May to mid-October from Salt Lake City, UT.

Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD)

Located in Cody, Wyoming. Delta and United offer year-round flights to this airport. One thing to know is the east entrance to the park closes in the winter. 

When making a reservation make sure to confirm if you are flying into Yellowstone Airport or Yellowstone Regional Airport. 

Jackson Hole Airport - JAC

Jackson Hole Airport is located within Grand Teton National Park just south of Yellowstone.

Alaska, American, Delta, and United Airlines all offer year-round flights to and from Jackson Hole. 

Allegiant, Frontier, and Sun Country Airlines offer direct flights between Jackson Hole and Denver in the summer months only.

International Airports

Salt Lake City International Airport - SLC

Regional Airports

Idaho Falls Regional Airport - IDA

Cody, Wyoming

Bozeman, Montana

Billings, Montana

There are five main entrances to the park. These are open depending on weather conditions.

Be prepared that your GPS may not work correctly within the park. Bring a paper map and pick up current maps from the visitor center when you arrive at the park.

For current road conditions call (307) 344-2117

Entrances to Yellowstone National Park

West entrance .

The West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park is open during the summer only from Mid-April to early November. 

Winter access is only open by a commercially guided snow coach or snowmobile.

Closest City - West Yellowstone 

Closest Airport - West Yellowstone Airport (WYS)

The West Yellowstone Airport is located one mile north of West Yellowstone. It is open from Mid-May to early October and served by SkyWest Airlines (Delta Connection).

Bozeman Airport is 90 miles north of the west entrance.

Idaho Falls Airport is 110 miles south of the west entrance. 

North Entrance

Closest City - Gardiner, Montana

Closest Airport - Bozeman (BZN)

Northeast Entrance

Closest City - Cooke City, Montana

Closest airport - Billings-Logan International Airport (BIL)

The northeast entrance is not only the gateway to Yellowstone but also on the most scenic drive in America the Beartooth Highway.

Traveling the Beartooth Highway takes you through the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains

Closest Bus Station to Yellowstone

Bus service from Bozeman, MT to West Yellowstone, MT via Highway 191 is available all year.

Bus service directly from Idaho to West Yellowstone is limited to the summer months.

Commercial transportation from Bozeman, MT to Gardiner, MT is available during the winter and summer seasons.

Commercial transportation to the park from Cody and Jackson, WY is available during the summer season. 

Closest Train Station to Yellowstone

Train service is not available to Yellowstone National Park.

The nearest train depots are in southeast Idaho, Salt Lake City, Utah, and northern Montana.

Best time to visit Yellowstone National Park

The best time to visit Yellowstone is any time you can make it to the park. Every season in the park brings the opportunity to see something amazing.

Yellowstone National Park Weather and Seasons

During spring the roads start to open to visitors starting the third Friday of April.

Spring visitors to Yellowstone can enjoy wildlife viewing including bison calves, black bears emerging from their dens, spring birds, and wildflowers breaking through any remaining snow.

Visitation increases as the days move closer to Memorial Day. All roads within the park are open most years by Memorial Day weekend.

Summer is by far the busiest visitation within Yellowstone NP. More than half of the annual visitors visit the park between June, July, and August.

Starting from Memorial Day weekend visitation increases for the remainder of the summer.

The highlight of visiting during the summer is all of the roads are open and services are available including all of the lodges and campgrounds.

Early in the summer bears are visible as they are enjoying roadside meadows and emerging from dens. Later in the summer, they will start to move to higher elevations.

Bison Rut starts in July and can be seen in Lamar and Hayden Valleys. 

One thing to know about late summer is there is a chance of wildfire smoke obscuring views and making it hard to see anything. 

Visiting Yellowstone during the summer takes planning and a lot of patience! You want to plan to arrive to the park entrances as early as you can! 

By 9 am you could be in a long line just trying to get into the park. 

One benefit of visiting in the summer is the longer days. Plan to stay late to avoid crowds. A lot of visitors will head out to West Yellowstone and surrounding areas for dinner leaving the park easier to explore.

From 10 am to 3 pm the main park attractions of Old Faithful , Grand Prismatic Springs , Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Norris Geyser Basin are crowded and then some!

Plan to visit other attractions like Black Sand Basin , Biscuit Basin , Mud Volcano , and Firehole Lake Drive during the busiest parts of the day. This is also a great time to enjoy a picnic in the park.

Autumn/Fall

Starting in September campgrounds will start to close and some roads may experience temporary weather closures.

Elk are in rut during the Fall which is amazing to see. Listening to an elk bugle is a true National Park bucket list moment.

By October many park roads will begin closing for the winter season. This date can change based on the weather.

Both Dunraven Pass and Beartooth Highway normally close by mid-October. 

By November the park has started winter travel restrictions for all areas except Mammoth. 

During the winter most of the roads within Yellowstone are closed to automobiles.

The roads are open to limited snowmobile and snow coach travel from mid-December through mid-March.

The only road that is open for visitors to drive their own vehicles is between the North and Northeast entrance through Lamar Valley.

Most park facilities are closed in the winter. The only lodging open is Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge and Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

The only campground in the park open year-round is in Mammoth Hot Springs, located 5 miles south of the park's North Entrance.

Visitors in the winter can enjoy cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snow coach tours, wildlife watching, and a winter wonderland.

Visitation is low during the winter making it feel like you have the park to yourself. 

Best Things to do in Yellowstone National Park

It is physically impossible to see all of Yellowstone in a day! In fact, a week will go by fast in this amazing park with so many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Remember the size of the park, throw in over 200 miles of roads, 900 miles of trails, and fight to get to attractions as Yellowstone has more annual visitors than the population of 24 of the 50 states in America. 

The most visited areas of the park include Old Faithful Geyser, Midway Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin , Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,  West Thumb Geyser Basin, the standing trunk of a petrified redwood tree, about 50 million years old, Mammoth Hot Springs, Fountain Paint Pots , and Morning Glory Pool.

Millions of park visitors come to Yellowstone each year, the number one thing on their bucket list to do is go to the Upper Geyser Basin and see Old Faithful erupt in a predictable fashion.

Of course, Yellowstone is filled with geysers and people explore all through the Upper Geyser Basin plus Biscuit Basin, Black  Sand Basin, midway geyser basin, Norris Geyser Basin, and West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Yellowstone is America's Serengeti. It is here that you will see one of America's healthiest ecosystems with incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Some of the best places to view wildlife include Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley . With that being said we always suggest keeping your camera in your lap because you never know what wildlife you will see as you drive through the park. 

Bring your patience when visiting Yellowstone. What draws visitors to the park-like yourself, is the outstanding wildlife viewing opportunities which include Elk, Bison, wolves, Grizzly, and Black Bears. With wildlife this abundant, it is guaranteed to create traffic jams going from one location to another. Remember that for most park visitors, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event and they are just as excited as you are. 

Yellowstone is the core of one of the last, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone.

Picturesque Mammoth Hot Springs is located just south of the north entrance of the park. Make sure to take time and walk through the boardwalks and get close to this amazing feature! Wildlife is often seen hanging out in the lawn areas including elk and bison.

Just remember to enjoy these animals from a distance as they are still wild animals.

Take advantage of the park's 900 miles of trails! Besides nothing is better than stretching your legs after a long road trip.

Make sure to stay on designated footpaths as these geysers, pools, mud pots, and vents are heated water and can cause severe injuries and even death.

Remember that Yellowstone is an active volcano, some call it a supervolcano! The 1000-3000 earthquakes a year, active ground deformation, and the 10,000+ thermal features are all evidence of its activity.

There are many beautiful waterfalls within Yellowstone but nothing more famous than Yellowstone Falls. Not only are the falls huge but so is this canyon!  I found myself just staring in amazement.

What are you waiting for, start planning that trip to Yellowstone! It is the one you and your family will always remember.

There is so much to see and do and a week is not enough to see it all. You also have the Grand Teton National Park just South of Yellowstone which is just as spectacular and has just as many recreational opportunities! 

Junior Ranger Program 

The Junior Ranger Program can be picked up at the park visitor centers. This program is a fantastic way for visitors of all ages to learn more about the park. 

There is a special snowflake patch for completing the winter Junior Ranger program. 

Yellowstone allows bicycles and e-bikes on established public roads, parking areas, and designated bike routes. 

All bikes are subject to the same traffic rules as automobiles. Bikes are prohibited on backcountry trails, boardwalks, and over snow routes in Yellowstone.

If you don't want to haul your bike with you to the park you can rent them at Old Faithful. 

During the spring visitors can ride 49 miles between the West Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs. The park plows the road but it is not open to motorized vehicles for a limited time. 

Check the  Spring and Fall Bicycling  page for road segment status.

There are designated bike trails within the park including the Abandoned Railroad Bed Bike trail, Bunsen Peak Loop Bike Trail, The Old Gardiner Road Bike Trail, Fountain Freight Road Bike Trail, Lone Star Geyser Bike Trail, and Natural Bridge Bike trail.

Bike trails range from 1-6 hours in duration. 

Guided Tours

From West Yellowstone - Park Tour with a local guide

Discover the stunning natural beauty the flora and fauna in Yellowstone National Park with this tour from West Yellowstone. See sights like Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon waterfalls, and Artist Point.

From West Yellowstone - Lamar Valley Wildlife Tour by Van

See the wildlife of the Lamar Valley with a naturalist guide. Watch wildlife with high-powered spotting scopes and binoculars from the comfort of a van.

From West Yellowstone - Lower Loop Active Van Tour

See Yellowstone's hot spots by van with a naturalist guide. Visit Grand Prismatic Hot Spring, Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Lake half day guided kayak tour - Enjoy a relaxed morning with a guided kayaking tour along the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Look for local wildlife as you make your way over sparkling waters towards the West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Guided sunset lake kayaking tour - Paddle the glassy waters of Yellowstone Lake and see the awash in sunset tones on this guided kayak tour.

From Jackson - Day tour with entrance fee included

Join a local guide for an amazing day in the world's first national park, home of grizzly bears, elk, bison, wolves, eagles, foxes, and 60% of the world's geothermal features. Stop at Old Faithful, Grand Canyon waterfalls, and other geyser areas.

From Jackson - Park and Wildlife Viewing Tour

Explore Yellowstone National Park on a guided day tour. Visit Old Faithful, the Lower Falls of Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and enjoy opportunities for wildlife viewing throughout the day.

From Jackson - Full Day Yellowstone Lower Loop Tour

Spend a day exploring Yellowstone's Lower Loop, departing and returning from Jackson. Visit the Old Faithful Area, Midway Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pots, the Canyon Area, Hayden Valley, and more.

From Gardner - Yellowstone River Whitewater Rafting Trip

Feel the rush as you raft through rapids, crash over waves and conquer the Yellowstone River. Travel in a raft with a certified safety guide.

From Cody - Full day park tour

Experience the beauty of Yellowstone on this tour from Cody. Visit top sights like the historic Fishing Bridge, the bubbling Mud Volcano, Hayden Valley, Artist’s Point, and Old Faithful.

Hiking at Yellowstone National Park

There are more than 900 miles of hiking trails within Yellowstone National Park. 

Heading out on a day hike does not require a permit. You do want to make sure you have the ten essentials and someone knows where you are headed.

One thing to always remember when planning to hike in Yellowstone is the park is 7,000 feet above sea level. 

Many areas of the park will still have snow until late May and into early June. 

Make sure to check with a visitor center for current trail conditions and closures. Many areas of the park can be closed for bear management.

Hiking in Yellowstone is hiking in bear country! Bringing bear spray with you is always a good idea. 

Wildlife in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is home to numerous species of mammals including the gray wolf (reintroduced species), and the grizzly (threatened species). Other mammals include bison, black bear, mountain lion, elk, deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain goat, and Bighorn Sheep.

The park has well over 1000 native plants in Yellowstone including wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and plants. 

How to beat the crowds in Yellowstone National Park?

The majority of visitors come to Yellowstone from June through August. Holidays and weekends in the Spring and fall are offer very full as well. Winter has far fewer visitors. Try going on weekdays in the spring and fall and if possible, visit in the early morning or late afternoon, when there are fewer tour buses.

On peak days, in July and August, as many as 25,000 people wait for the famous geyser, Old Faithful, to erupt.

Where to stay when visiting Yellowstone National Park

When planning where to stay while vacationing in Yellowstone you will want to determine which area of the park you are planning to visit.

We suggest if possible staying at a few different lodging options to provide easy access to different portions of the park. 

Yellowstone National Park Lodging

There are nine National Park Lodges located within the park offering over 2,000 rooms. 

Only two lodges are open during the winter - Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

From late spring through fall all of the lodges are open. 

• Canyon Lodge and Cabins : 400+ guest rooms spread across 5 hotel-style lodges, with 100+ cabins being more rustic accommodations. Available to book on Expedia
• Grant Village Lodge: 300 guest rooms spread across 6 two-story, hotel-style lodges. Available to book on Expedia
• Lake Hotel and Cabins : Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations. Available to book on Expedia
• Lake Lodge Cabins :  186 cabins.
• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins :  Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations.
• Old Faithful Inn : Rustic lodge with hotel room-style accommodations. Available to book on Expedia
• Old Faithful Lodge :  Cabin accommodations.
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge : Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations. Available to book on Expedia
• Roosevelt Lodge:  Cabin accommodations.

Lodging near Yellowstone NP

Gray Wolf Inn & Suites in West Yellowstone - 3-star hotel. Gray Wolf Inn & Suites is located close to Yellowstone Park West Entrance, and provides a firepit, laundry facilities, and a 24-hour gym. Adventurous travelers may like the snowmobiling at this hotel. For some rest and relaxation, visit the hot tub. Free in-room Wi-Fi and a business center are available to all guests.

Stage Coach Inn in West Yellowstone - Yellowstone Park West Entrance is located near Stage Coach Inn, which provides free continental breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. For some rest and relaxation, visit the sauna. Free in-room Wi-Fi is available to all guests, along with a gym and a 24-hour business center.

Yellowstone Westgate Hotel in West Yellowstone - At Yellowstone Westgate Hotel, you can look forward to free continental breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. For some rest and relaxation, visit the hot tub. Free in-room Wi-Fi and a business center are available to all guests.

Brandin' Iron Inn in West Yellowstone - Brandin' Iron Inn is located close to Yellowstone Park West Entrance, and provides free full breakfast, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. Skiers and snowboarders can spend time on the slopes at this motel offering ski-in/ski-out access and cross-country skiing. Guests can connect to free in-room Wi-Fi.

Kelly Inn West Yellowstone - Close to Yellowstone Park West Entrance, Kelly Inn West Yellowstone provides free continental breakfast, a free roundtrip airport shuttle, and a firepit. For some rest and relaxation, visit the hot tub. Free in-room WIFI is available to all guests, along with laundry facilities and a business center.

Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel near Gardiner, MT- Along with self parking, this campground has coffee/tea in a common area and a microwave in a common area. Free continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi in public areas are also provided. Additionally, concierge services, a garden, and barbecue grills are onsite. All 17 accommodations boast heated floor (bathroom) and offer Wi-Fi and 8 bathrooms. Other amenities available to guests include memory foam beds, premium bedding, and rainfall showerheads. Private bathrooms are not ensuite.

Absaroka Lodge near Gardiner, MT- Absaroka Lodge provides amenities like a terrace and a garden. Stay connected with free in-room Wi-Fi.

Yellowstone Big Rock Inn near Gardiner, MT- Yellowstone Big Rock Inn provides a garden and more. Stay connected with free in-room Wi-Fi.

Super 8 by Wyndham Gardiner near Gardiner, MT- Super 8 by Wyndham Gardiner/Yellowstone Park Area provides dry cleaning/laundry services and more. Guests can connect to free in-room Wi-Fi.

Yellowstone Gateway Inn near Gardiner, MT- 3-star hotel near Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Gateway Inn provides amenities like a garden and laundry facilities. Treat yourself to a massage or other spa services. Stay connected with free in-room Wi-Fi.

Yellowstone National Park Camping

There are over 2,000 campsites within Yellowstone spread among 12 campgrounds. 

The only campground that is open year-round is Mammoth Campground. 

The majority of campgrounds within the park open in May and close in late fall. 

Five of these campgrounds are managed by the concessionaire who manages the Yellowstone Lodges. Reservations are handled through the concessionaire. 

• Bridge Bay Campground
• Canyon Campground
• Fishing Bridge RV Park
• Grant Village Campground
• Madison Campground

The National Park Service managed seven of the campgrounds. Reservations are handled through Recreation.gov

• Mammoth Campground (Reservable)
• Norris Campground
• Slough Creek Campground (Reservable)
• Pebble Creek Campground (Sites 1-16 Reservable)
• Tower Fall Campground
• Indian Creek Campground
• Lewis Lake Campground

Backcountry Camping

The process for reserving backcountry campsites and obtaining backcountry permits has changed for 2022.

Early Access Lottery - Reservation applications will be accepted beginning in March 1 to the 20th, 2022 on Recreation.gov

Advanced Reservations - On April 26, remaining permits for open campsites will be available on Recreation.gov . Reservations must be made at least 3-days prior to the start date of a trip.

Walk-Up Permits - Walk-up backcountry permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis in person at a Yellowstone Backcountry Office. Hikers can obtain these permits up to 2-days prior to the start date of your trip.

Walk-up Permits cannot be issued over the phone or online through Recreation.gov.

Back Country Permit Fees

Early Access Lottery Application Fee:  $10 non-refundable. The application fee is charged for all applications to the Early Access Lottery regardless of success.

Recreation Fee:  $5 per person, per night plus a $10 reservation fee. The recreation fee is charged year-round for permits secured through Recreation.gov or in-person at a backcountry office.

The $10 reservation fee is charged for all permits except those acquired during the Early Access Lottery.

Permits are required year-round for all overnight stays in Yellowstone's backcountry. A backcountry permit allows the permit holder and group members to camp in a designated location.

Yellowstone maintains 293 designated backcountry campsites. 

Each designated campsite has a maximum limit for the number of people and stock allowed per night.

The maximum stay per campsite varies from 1 to 3 nights per trip.

A list and map of campsites can be found in the  Backcountry Trip Planner  and the online  Backcountry Trails and Campsites map .

For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans . These campervans have built in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss! 

Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Orlando

Travel Tips

Be prepared for CROWDS!!!

Have a hit list and plan of attack for what you want to see in the park. There is a lot of driving and construction in Yellowstone

Know your game plan and have a backup plan for weather, construction, too many people

Download the Geyser App for Yellowstone so you know Old Faithfu l times and don't miss it by a few minutes and have to wait an hour

Pack snacks and water

Dress in layers

If you want to stay at a Yellowstone lodge make your reservations as far in advance as you can. Many dates sell out a year in advance.

Know you will see more Bison than you can imagine. Don't worry about getting the perfect shot when you see the first one.

Be careful! Be aware of your surroundings.

Be bear aware, practice bear safety

Ask people what they are looking at when you see them pulled over or standing staring in one direction. It will make it a lot easier to see great wildlife.

Use the bathroom when you see it. The park is huge and it can take time to get to the next bathroom.

Go early in the morning and stay late in the evening to decrease the crowds you have to deal with.

Have a full tank of gas when you enter the park.

The park is a high elevation park. Be prepared for weather changes

Check weather and road conditions before you head into the park. Check for updates on Facebook and Twitter from the park and also on the website.

Be prepared to wait in road construction. I know we said it already but really be prepared! You could spend 20-40 minutes staring at the back of an RV or looking at the same trees.

Give yourself as much time as possible to explore the park! While you can drive the entire park in a day it will be a long day and you may not see as much as you want too.

Research the times for Old Faithful during your visit. This will help prevent having to wait for an hour or more to see Old Faithful

If you plan on visiting Yellowstone Falls try and get there early in the day. During the afternoon, the sun is directly behind the falls making it really hard to photograph.

Keep your camera ready during your drive through the park. You never know when a bear or other wildlife will appear.

If you are vegetarian the black bean burger at the grills inside the park is great.

Pack extra camera batteries and smart cards. You will take more pictures than you plan on

Be careful pulling off on the side of the road. In some areas, the dips are a lot bigger than you expect them to be. In the Lamar Valley , there can be quite a drop on the side of the road. If you have a low clearance vehicle be very careful.

Be prepared for road construction while driving through the park. You can be delayed for a few minutes to a lot longer.

Check your gas tank while near the few gas stations in the park. The gas stations are pretty spread out so make sure you have enough gas to get from one area of the park to the next.

Bug spray is your friend! Make sure you have some with you.

Yellowstone National Park information

How did yellowstone get its name.

Yellowstone National Park is named after the Yellowstone River which runs through the park. 

The river was named by the Minnetaree Indians who called it Mi tse a-da-zi, or Yellow Rock River. 

This name was passed on to French trappers who called it Roche Jaune and then later changed by American trappers to Yellow Stone. 

For those who enjoy spirits, the gift stores in Yellowstone carry a Bourbon that is only sold in their stores. It is Roche Jaune Whiskey. This is a very good bourbon, in fact, I get emails from visitors every year asking how they can get another bottle. Make sure to check out my article  Spirits inspired by the National Parks . 

How big is Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined!

The park covers 3, 472 miles including 1,000 miles of trails, 52 picnic areas, 900 historic buildings, and 290 waterfalls. 

Is Yellowstone the largest National Park?

No! Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is the largest park unit with over 13 million acres. 

What is the highest peak in Yellowstone?

The highest peak in the park is Eagle Peak in the southeastern part of the park at 11,358 feet.

Can you swim in Yellowstone rivers, lakes, or hydrothermal?

Swimming is not really recommended in the lakes or streams because they are COLD!

Firehole Canyon near Madison Junction has a popular swimming area in the summer.

Soaking in any thermal features is illegal and really dangerous!

The only exception to this is the Boiling River north of Mammoth Hot Springs where a large hot spring enters the Gardner River. This area has a mixing of hot and cool waters that make it comfortable to soak in.

How many Geysers are in Yellowstone?

There are more than 10,000 hydrothermal features in the park. Of these hydrothermal, there are 500 geysers with 300 active geysers. 

Over half of all the world's geysers are found in Yellowstone.

When does Old Faithful erupt?

Each eruption prediction is based on the last eruption so times vary by the day.

The average eruption is every 92 minutes. 

Yellowstone National Park Facts

Size - 3,472 square miles

Trails - over 1,000 miles of trails

Picnic areas - 52

Historic buildings - 900

Waterfalls - 290

Hydrothermal Features - 10,000

Geysers - 500, 300 of them are active 

National Parks near Yellowstone National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Craters of the Moon National Monument 

Timpanogos Cave National Monument  

Fossil Butte National Monument

Golden Spikes National Historic Site  

City of Rocks National Reserve

Check out all of the great  National Parks in Wyoming  along with neighboring  Colorado National Parks ,  Idaho National Parks ,  National Parks in Utah ,  Nevada National Parks ,  Arizona National Parks , and  New Mexico National Parks . 

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These are the best U.S. national parks to visit for National Park Week

Hike, watch sunrises, encounter abundant wildlife and hang out with friends at these magnificent national parks.

By Alyssa Bradford

This week, until April 28, marks National Park Week! Throughout this period, parks, programs and various partners will host events and activities for you, family and friends to enjoy.

Whether you’re seeking the challenge of a hike, the tranquility of a scenic drive or the thrill of wildlife watching, national parks provide endless opportunities for adventure and discovery. Moreover, many parks offer accessible trails, facilities and programs designed to accommodate all ages, individuals with disabilities and pets.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a breathtaking landscape found in Colorado, perfect for outdoor lovers. With towering mountainous peaks, thick forests and stunning lakes, it is a great spot for hiking, wildlife viewing and photography.

Wildlife: Elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bears and birds.

Personal tip: Go on the trail ridge road, which will lead you to the highest point in the national park and give you the chance to see elk from only a few feet away. For a once in a lifetime opportunity, I recommend biking, but most visitors drive up.

Haleakalā National Park

Haleakalā National Park, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii, is a place with cultural significance. The park is home to the world’s largest dormant volcano, rainforests, bamboo forests and pools.

Wildlife: Nēnē (Hawaiian goose), mongoose and ‘Ua’u (Hawaiian petrel).

Personal tip: Wake up early to make it to the sunrise. While it is possible to view the sunset on the top of the volcano, the sunrise is more spectacular, it is less crowded and you can participate in the traditional Hawaiian E Ala E chant.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park’s red rocks, found in southwestern Utah, were carved by the Virgin River. Here, visitors can explore scenic trails, hike through the Virgin River, see waterfalls and visit ancient rock art.

Wildlife: Mule deer, bats, bighorn sheep and rock squirrels.

Personal tip: Getting a permit to hike Angels Landing is worth it. The thrilling hike takes you across steep portions of the mountain, holding onto chains to safely navigate the landscape. Besides feeling accomplished, being able to view the whole park from the summit is incredible.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is located primarily in Wyoming but extends into Montana and Idaho. The park is most known for its geysers, including Old Faithful, which erupts regularly, and wildlife.

Wildlife: Bison, moose, bears, wolves and elk.

Personal tip: Visit Yellowstone in the early spring, around April. At this time, you will be able to see all of the newborn bison with their beautiful red coats. Furthermore, in early spring, it can still snow! When snow lands on a bison’s coat, it does not melt. It is incredible to see.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park, located in Montana along the Canadian border, is a wilderness of mountains, ancient glaciers and lakes. Glacier has over 700 miles of trails and gives individuals the opportunity to do a wide range of activities such as whitewater rafting or horseback riding, besides hiking.

Wildlife: Bears, moose, bats, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, mountain lions and pikas.

Personal tip: Plan a trip to Glacier with friends or family and spend the entire week! Biking Going-to-the-Sun Road, boating, fishing, hiking and stargazing are all available at this park, many of which activities are fun for all ages.

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What to Know Before Booking a National Park Trip This Summer

Additional routes in popular parks now require reservations, the annual pass gets a big change, Juneteenth is now a new free entrance day and more changes for 2024.

By Lauren Matison

In 2023, the seashores, lakeshores, battlefields, historic sites, monuments and more that make up the National Park Service had 325.5 million visits , an increase of 4 percent from the year before.

The National Park Service director, Charles F. Sams III, praised the surge of interest in “learning our shared American story throughout the hidden gems of the National Parks System.”

Expecting an even greater turnout in 2024, the Park Service and Recreation.gov , the booking platform for federal land reservations, have implemented new measures to streamline the park experience, manage overcrowding and safeguard the environment.

More parks are requiring reservations

To better avoid congested trails, packed parking lots and overflowing trash cans, additional parks are joining Rocky Mountain , Arches and Glacier National Parks this year in requiring day-use permits, timed entries and other reservations for travelers who wish to visit, particularly during peak hours, holidays and the parks’ high seasons. Yosemite National Park is reinstating a timed-entry system it instituted in 2020, but paused in 2022.

Many park enthusiasts expressed mixed feelings about the reservation policies, with some lamenting a lack of first-come, first-served campsites while others find comfort in knowing they have a confirmed booking. As nearly 75 percent of visitors each year descend on national parks from May to October (and often on weekends), park officials stand by the system.

“In some parks, the level of demand is exceeding the capacity for which infrastructure was designed or is outpacing the National Park Service’s ability to sustainably support visitation,” said Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist for the service. “This trend is resulting in the need to explore new strategies to protect natural and cultural resources and provide opportunities for safe and meaningful visitor experiences.”

It can be confusing.

New to implementing timed-entry reservations for vehicles is Mount Rainier National Park , in Washington, for its popular Paradise and Sunrise Corridors during certain times in the summer season. Reservations cost $2, are valid for one day and must be purchased along with the park ticket, but do not apply for visitors with wilderness permits or camping or lodge reservations. Similar vehicle reservations are now required for certain periods for viewing the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park in Maui, Hawaii , and driving the Cadillac Summit Road in Maine’s Acadia National Park .

Visitors wishing to hike Old Rag Mountain in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park must obtain a day-use ticket between March 1 and Nov. 30, and in Zion National Park, in Utah, hikers wishing to visit Angels Landing , the dramatic 1,488-foot-tall rock formation, also need to purchase a permit. Fees range from $1 to $6, in addition to the parks’ entrance fees.

As each destination is managed differently, check the park’s webpage for the type of reservation required. Although most bookings can be made through Recreation.gov, some sites, such as Muir Woods National Monument, use a different system.

New features on Recreation.gov

In 2023, Recreation.gov reported that more than 4 million camping reservations and 2 million timed-entry reservations were booked online, and 1.5 million permits were issued. Some 2.9 million new users signed up for the site. With its expanding user base, the booking platform has added 58 reservable national park locations — including 17 campgrounds — such as Central Avenue Walk-in Sites at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Bluff Hike In Camping in South Carolina’s Congaree National Park.

Recreation.gov has also improved an alerts feature, piloted in July 2023, that can notify users through email or mobile push notifications when a sold-out campsite becomes available. After Recreation.gov notifies you of availability, you must book the campsite yourself online — and quickly, as you’ll be shown how many other people (possibly hundreds) have received the same alert.

While its customer support center and mobile app are still only available in English, Recreation.gov recently introduced a Spanish language translation option. The Park Service partners with Latino Conservation Week , which hosts nationwide hikes and events on environmental education and in-park stewardship, and will celebrate its 10th year in September.

A limit to the annual America the Beautiful pass

The 2024 America the Beautiful pass no longer allows two owners. The annual interagency pass, which costs $80 and covers the entrance fees for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites (of which roughly 100 do not charge for admission year-round), is now marked by a single signature line on the back of the card. The pass owner must show I.D. and be present with any accompanying travelers wishing to access the park with the pass. (Annual passes issued in 2023 will still be valid until their expiration date.) The pass covers all passengers in a vehicle — up to four adults, and children under 16 are admitted free — or up to four cyclists riding together. Active military or veterans and people with permanent disabilities are eligible for a free lifetime pass; 4th grade students may receive a free annual pass; and senior citizens may purchase a $20 annual pass or pay $80 for a lifetime pass.

At the parks, more accessible features, E.V. chargers and new lodging

To better protect against global warming, the Park Service is putting more than $65 million from the Inflation Reduction Act and Great American Outdoors Act into climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration.

Using $15.9 million budgeted for zero-emission vehicle deployment, charging capacity and infrastructure, the Park Service is prioritizing a reduction in carbon emissions, said Mr. Sams, by installing new electric-vehicle charging stations and running electric buses.

An interactive online locator tool created in 2023 shows E.V. charging stations throughout 27 national parks and the type of chargers available. In addition to the tool, every national park page displays alerts on road closures, parking lot capacities, construction work and other incidents.

Mr. Sams also said the Park Service is investing $1.3 billion from the Great American Outdoors Act to improve accessibility features, ranging from a new A.D.A.-compliant visitor center at Morristown National Historic Park in New Jersey to new beach wheelchairs at Sleeping Bear Dunes , Channel Islands and Virgin Islands National Parks . Each destination’s website has an accessibility tab to help visitors plan their trip, and Recreation.gov now has a search filter on its homepage to make it easier to locate accessible accommodations.

New lodging options now available across the country include the Flamingo Lodge , which opened inside Everglades National Park last fall with 24 guest rooms built from repurposed shipping containers. In March, along the southeastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cataloochee Ranch reopened with 11 renovated cabins and a new restaurant. This spring, the Clubhouse Hotel & Suites will welcome its first guests in Rapid City, S.D., the closest major town to Badlands National Park , and opening in May in Idaho is the Yellowstone Peaks Hotel , a 30-minute-drive from Yellowstone National Park. This fall, California-bound travelers planning a visit to General Sherman, the largest known tree on Earth, might book at AutoCamp Sequoia , just outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park .

Also in California: Those who don’t score a highly coveted (and contentious) spot at the newly reopened High Sierra Camps in Yosemite could book Wildhaven Yosemite in Mariposa, which offers more affordable rates, hiking trails and views of the Sierra Nevadas. Reservations for its first season are available beginning May 1.

Celebrating milestones and a new free entrance day

On the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, visitors can pay tribute to African American heritage at over 100 parks , including the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument , and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail . This year also marks 100 years since Indigenous people were recognized as United States citizens. Although many parks have Indigenous programming , Mr. Sams, who is the first Native American to serve as N.P.S. director , suggested visiting Hopewell Cultural Historical Park in Ohio and Whitman Mission Historic National Historic Site in Washington, where he recently brought his daughter.

“In order to celebrate the diversity that makes our country great, we must share the complete story of America, which includes both the successes and challenges encountered on the way to form a more perfect union,” Mr. Sams said.

Juneteenth National Independence Day is the National Park Service’s newest free entrance day . Visitors can also take advantage of free admission on April 20, the first day of National Park Week; Aug. 4, the four-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act ; Sept. 28 on National Public Lands Day ; and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the location of the Flamingo Lodge. It is inside Everglades National Park, not outside the park.

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Yellowstone National Park announces road improvement projects

by NBC Montana Staff

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY — Yellowstone National Park announced there will be two major road improvement projects in 2024.

The work will be on the Lewis River Bridge and Yellowstone River Bridge.

Officials recommend planning ahead for delays along the park's southern and northern road corridors.

To stay up to date with road closures and changes at the park, click here .

Yellowstone National Park sent out the following:

There will be two major road improvement projects in Yellowstone National Park in 2024. The Lewis River Bridge and Yellowstone River Bridge projects will cause traffic delays. It’s important that visitors plan accordingly for these delays located along the park’s southern and northern road corridors.

Lewis River Bridge

Location: Nearly 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South Entrance Road

Access: In 2024, expect up to 20-minute delays while roads are open to wheeled vehicles (May-Oct. 31). Nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be closed during construction.

Improvements: This project began in 2022 and will conclude fall 2024. It includes the removal and replacement of the Lewis River Bridge. The existing bridge will be removed, and a new bridge will be constructed immediately downstream. The project includes additional parking and viewing opportunities.

Yellowstone River Bridge

Location: Near Tower Junction along the Northeast Entrance Road

Access: In 2024, expect up to 30-minute delays. The Northeast Entrance Road is open year-round to wheeled vehicles. Hiking trails in the area may temporarily close during the duration of the project. Visit the Backcountry Situation Report for details.

Improvements: This project began in 2023 and will conclude fall 2026. It includes the replacement of the structurally deficient Yellowstone River Bridge built in 1961. A new 1,285-foot-long, 175-foot-high steel girder bridge upstream will replace the existing 604-foot-long bridge to preserve year-round access to/from the Northeast Entrance and communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana. New pullouts, paved parking areas, and dedicated route across the new bridge will increase access to trails, fishing and viewpoints. The Yellowstone River Picnic Area will be enlarged to accommodate increased visitor use.

Temporary delays or closures can happen at any time on park roads. Stay informed:

Visit Yellowstone’s website at Park Roads.

Call 307-344-2117 for recorded information.

Receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions).

Before traveling, check road conditions outside of Yellowstone in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Grand Teton National Park and view the park webcams to see current traffic conditions at the North and West entrances to Yellowstone.

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Last updated: May 1, 2024

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Contact info, mailing address:.

PO Box 168 Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168

307-344-7381

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