Est. 1872 | Wyoming, Montana, Idaho | 3,290,242 acres

The world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park is a testament to nature’s power and beauty. A pristine prairie oasis packed with explosive geysers, multicolored springs, jaw-dropping waterfalls, and endless forests and lakeshore, the park sits atop a sleeping supervolcano fueling these unique geothermal attractions found nowhere else in the world. And to cap it all off, Yellowstone, dubbed “America’s Serengeti”, draws crowds as a world class wildlife refuge, boasting great herds of bison, pronghorn, elk, grizzly, and wolves.

This massive park contains two central loops of roads fed by five park entrances. The southern loop circumnavigates Yellowstone’s central plateau and the supervolcano’s caldera granting access to Yellowstone Lake, all the geysers and Hayden Valley, while the northern loop encircles the northern mountains offering passage to hot springs, peaks, and Lamar Valley. The two loops unite at the central feature of the park, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

There is much to do in Yellowstone. Wildlife enthusiasts flock to Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley for its congregations of wildlife. Hikers hang in the north, for a chance to summit the tallest peak, Mount Washburn. Families and newcomers stroll the boardwalks of the geysers and hot springs. And fishers steal away to Yellowstone Lake and the many surrounding rivers. Though Yellowstone routinely ranks among the top five most visited parks, if you’re strategic it is not hard to find a secluded slice of nature off the beaten path in this vast wilderness of the American west.

Park Highlights

1. Old Faithful—Perhaps the world’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful is a must see erupting roughly every hour for a few minutes like clockwork. As the park’s premiere landmark, you can’t miss it. Surrounded by an amphitheater of seating, Old Faithful is the most prominent geyser in Upper Geyser Basin. Arrive late afternoon to see the fountain catch the setting sunlight.
2. Grand Prismatic Spring—At about 300 feet in diameter and over 120 feet deep, Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone. It is known for its colorful layers of thermophilic bacteria that adapt to different levels of heat. For an intimate view of Grand Prismatic, stroll the short boardwalk in Midway Geyser Basin, or hike along the Fairy Falls Trail for the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail offshoot for a panoramic vantage of the widespread hot spring.
3. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone—Featuring Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a great venue to spend half of a day. Artist Point offers superb views of Lower Yellowstone Falls while Brink of Lower Falls Trail leads hikers right up to the falls. At sunset, consider a walk along North Rim Trail for stunning views of the canyon walls.
4. Mammoth Hot Springs—In the northwest corner of the park, sits Mammoth Hot Springs, a terraced cascade of mineral deposits from hot springs. On cold mornings, walk the boardwalks above steaming hydrothermal features, or tour the Mammoth Terrace Drive loop through layered calcite deposits taller than cars.
5. Lamar Valley—Nicknamed “America’s Serengeti”, Lamar Valley is a wildlife hotspot. On any given day, elk, wolves, grizzlies, moose, antelope, and bison could be seen here. Hike the Lamar River Trail for the best chance to spot the animals on their turf. Remember to maintain a safe distance from all animals as attacks in Yellowstone are not uncommon. Hayden Valley to the south is a decent alternative for wildlife viewing if Lamar Valley is out of the way.
6. Mount Washburn—Hike the Mount Washburn Trail from Dunraven Pass Trailhead for a chance to get above the trees. Views atop the park’s highest peak allow hikers to survey the surrounding area. Grizzlies and black bears have been known to frequent this trail so stay alert and travel in groups if possible.

Best time to visit Yellowstone

Yellowstone is open year round and offers equally wonderful experiences in the summer and winter, so the best time to visit depends largely on trip goals. Peak hiking season begins in June as summer temperatures warm up higher elevation trails and ends with the popular elk rut in late August and September. Wildlife is most active during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall when visitation is lower. Lodging and transportation are generally cheaper at this time as well. And winter offers unique activities like skiing and snowshoeing. Park roads will also close depending on winter weather, allowing visitors to ski or snowshoe the routes on foot. Cold months accentuate the thermal features with dramatic steam clouds and misty frost. Though main facilities in Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful remain open all year, many campgrounds and facilities shut down for the winter months in late September so plan accordingly.

How long should I visit Yellowstone?

The sheer size of Yellowstone can easily consume an entire week and still leave room for further exploration, but the highlights can be best explored in 3 days. Because each area of the park is so vast and speed limits are slow for wildlife crossings, allow some buffer time for driving. Roughly 50 miles separates each area of the park so allow 45–60 minutes to travel between destinations. The best strategy is to camp out in an area each day, exhausting it of its activities before moving on, or find a centrally-located campground to basecamp each day’s excursions.

We suggest spending one day in Madison and exploring the surrounding geyser basins, one day in the north touring Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley, and a third day in Canyon Village and Lake Village visiting the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Lake, and Hayden Valley. These highlights will give you a broad overview of the park’s attractions.

Getting to Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is centrally located between Wyoming, Montana and Idaho offering many options of approach. If flying into the region, commercial flights land in Bozeman (MT), Billings (MT), Idaho Falls (ID), Cody (WY) and Jackson (WY). Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD) in Cody is by far the nearest airport but is twice the cost of Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Bozeman, Montana. Only 1.5 hours north of Mammoth Hot Springs, Bozeman is traditionally the best airport to visit the park.

If driving from home, you can enter Yellowstone from any one of five entrance stations. The famous Roosevelt Arch is located in Gardiner, Montana, at the North Entrance, but the East Entrance from Cody, Wyoming, is equally popular. The South Entrance connects Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park, making it a popular route to combine a trip to both parks. The West and Northeast Entrances are more remote and less busy. In the summer it is typical to expect long lines entering the park.

Where to stay in Yellowstone

Because Yellowstone is a remote wilderness paradise, there are no major cities offering nearby accommodations. Cody and Bozeman are the closest with abundant hotel and vacation rental options, but require nearly an hour commute into the park. But between Yellowstone National Park Lodges and Recreation.gov, the park hosts 9 lodges with over 2,000 rooms and 11 campgrounds with over 2,000 campsites providing a convenient stay minutes away from the action.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins: Large lodge and cabins.
• Indian Creek Campground: 70 campsites
• Mammoth Campground: 82 campsites

Tower-Roosevelt Area

• Roosevelt Lodge: Cabins
• Tower Fall Campground: 31 campsites
• Slough Creek Campground: 16 campsites
• Pebble Creek Campground: 27 campsites

Canyon Village Area

• Canyon Lodge and Cabins: 400 rooms across 5 lodges and 100 cabins.
• Canyon Campground: 272 campsites

Madison Area

• Madison Campground: 276 campsites

Old Faithful Area

• Old Faithful Inn: Rustic lodge
• Old Faithful Lodge: Cabins
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge: Large lodge and cabins

Lake Village Area

• Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins: Large lodge and cabins
• Lake Lodge Cabins: 186 cabins
• Bridge Bay Campground: 431 campsites
• Fishing Bridge RV Park: 310 sites

Grant Village Area

• Grant Village Lodge: 300 rooms across 6 lodges.
• Grant Village Campground: 429 campsites
• Lewis Lake Campground: 84 campsites

When should I book?

The lodges and primary campgrounds book up very quickly for the summer months, whereas the lesser-known campgrounds have more leeway. Spring and summer accommodations start booking 6 months out and usually sell out immediately; there are however, first come, first served campsites available throughout the park for last minute trips.

How much should I budget?

A 3-day trip can range from $500–$1000 depending on your required needs. Here is a breakdown of what to expect:

Roundtrip Airfare to Bozeman	$150–$300
Car Rental	$80–$150/day (not including taxes/fees)
Campsite	$20–$50/night (not including taxes/fees)
Hotel Lodging	$140–$350/night
Restaurant Meals	$15–$25/meal

Packing list for Yellowstone

Each park requires different gear for its unique characteristics. For Yellowstone National Park, we wouldn’t want to be caught without hiking shoes, sunscreen, warm coat, and binoculars/scope.

Want to learn more? Check out our detailed trip report for a peek into our trip to Yellowstone.

For more detailed information on Yellowstone National Park, visit the official park website.