Yellowstone is one of our two favorite national parks!! I grew up going to Yellowstone quite a bit, and since moving to Cache Valley we have been quite a few times as well. It's probably the national park I have explored the most and know the most about! It's home to forests, lakes, geysers, hot pools, wildlife and much more. While there are many more than just ten great things to do there, these are my favorites.
Yellowstone was officially made a national park in 1872. It was the very first national park in the US! It's also one of the largest. It spans over three states, Montana, Idaho, and mostly Wyoming. There are five different entrances, and only one, the northeast entrance, is open to cars in the winter. The rest are only open to guided snowmobiling trips. Our favorite entrances are the west and south entrances. The south entrance goes through Jackson Hole WY and Grand Teton National Park. The west goes through a fun town called West Yellowstone MT. We have also been to the north and east entrances, which are much smaller towns than the others.
Yellowstone is so historic. The best way to learn about it is going and seeing for yourself. There are areas you can clearly see where the 1988 fires tore through. There are historic lodges and visitor centers. You can take a bus tour of the park in a vintage yellow bus! And you can even stay inside the park at the Old Faithful Lodge or cabins at a few geyser basins. It's so fun! Make sure to visit as many visitor centers and general stores as you can in the park, they are all super cool and different. The stores are one of our favorite parts here!
Here is some vocab I'll be using: Geyser basin - what YNP calls the areas where there are a concentrated amount of geysers. There are boardwalks you can loop around to see them all at each basin. Geyser - a thermal feature that shoots up water every time period because of natural underground pressure. Hot pool - a thermal feature that heats up water and bubbles to the surface. Often includes colorful bacteria mats. Mud Pot - a thermal feature like a hot pool, but instead of water it's molten liquid mud bubbling up.
Let's jump in!
Things to do at Yellowstone National Park:
1. Explore the Geyser Basins! A must do at Yellowstone. There are many geyser basins across the park, in the center, west, and south. Norris Geyser Basin is my favorite. It's also the hottest, temperature wise, in the ground! I love that it's not as crowded as the others and has a cool little visitor center. Don't miss geysers and hot pools at Norris: Emerald Spring, Steamboat Geyser (Abby's fave), Minute Geyser, Echinus Geyser, and Green Dragon Spring. Upper Geyser Basin is probably the most popular. The boardwalk trail here is super long, and I recommend spending at least half a day, sometimes a whole day, just at Upper Geyser Basin. Don't miss geysers and hot pools at Upper: Old Faithful Geyser, Beehive Geyser (Abby's fave), Morning Glory Pool, Castle Geyser, Riverside Geyser (Daylen's fave), Opal Pool, Sapphire Pool, Grotto Fountain Geyser. See the Old Faithful Lodge while you're here! It's so gorgeous and historic. Don't miss the visitor center, this is the best one in the park. It also has all the eruption times.
West Thumb Geyser Basin is the southmost basin. If you're heading into the park through the south entrance, stop here first. It's right on Yellowstone lake and is so pretty! Don't miss geysers and hot pools at West Thumb: Fishing Cone (Daylen's fave), Lakeshore Geyser, Black Pool, Abyss Pool, Occasional Geyser. Lower Geyser Basin is closer to Upper Geyser Basin, in the same area. It's a super cool spot you'll want to visit. Don't miss geysers and hot pools at Lower: Great Fountain Geyser, Spasm Geyser, Fountain Geyser, Fountain Paint Pots, Surprise Pool, White Dome Geyser, Catfish Geyser. Black Sand Basin and Biscuit Basin are also amazing, if you have some extra time.
2. Take a hike on the Caldera! The Yellowstone Caldera is the rim of the ancient volcano that erupted a long time ago. Most of the park is inside one of the three calderas there. It creates a bowl of mountains around the park. Hiking up you'll see amazing forests and panoramic views of the geyser basins from afar. My favorite hikes are Mount Wasburn (5 mi, moderate), Brink of the Lower Falls Trail (1.5 mi, easy), Mystic Falls (2.4 mi, easy), Bunsen Peak (4.4mi, moderate), Yellowstone Observation Point (1.5 mi, moderate). Bring lots of water, keep a distance from wildlife, and take lots of photos!
3. See Grand Prismatic Spring! I didn't mention Midway Geyser Basin in #1 because of Grand Prismatic Spring. It's it's own thing! Midway is a very small geyser basin that is mostly taken up by this one spring. Grand Prismatic is the largest hot pool in the park, and looks like a rainbow on the ground. It's so pretty! There is so much water coming from it, that as you walk up to it you'll see waterfalls of thermal water pouring into the river below. Because of it's size, you won't be able to see the whole thing from the boardwalk. There are also helicopter rides to see the whole thing from above. It's so pretty! This is a crowded area, so plan to go during an off time like early morning, or on a weekday. You'll likely need to parallel park on the road.
4. See the waterfalls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone! Another amazing but popular spot is upper and lower falls! You've likely seen these waterfalls photographed even if you haven't been to the park. They are so gorgeous. You can see them without hiking, as there are lots of overlooks with parking lots. We like to head down the trail near lower falls into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as well for a little hike. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is so pretty, and looks like a mini yellow-tinted Grand Canyon!
5. Hike to the Mud Pots! These are so fun! A lot of people miss the mud pots because they don't sound as fun, but they are one of my favorite things to visit every time I go to the park. They also include such pretty hikes through the forest, and I love that you have to hike a little to get to them. Artist Paintpots is one of the trails. It's about a mile roundtrip, near Norris Geyser Basin. Another is Fountain Paintpots, a shorter half mile loop near Lower Geyser Basin. The last mud pot site is West Thumb Paint Pots. It's a 0.6 mile boardwalk that also has hot pools and geysers. There is also Mud Volcano, a kind of mud geyser instead of pool, which is right off the road in Hayden Valley.
6. Visit Yellowstone Lake! Yellowstone Lake is awesome! It's a huge lake with black sand from Yellowstone's volcano days. You can fish and boat here as well! Fishing Bridge goes over the lake and is a really cool area to visit. There are some fun visitor centers around the lake as well. West Thumb Geyser Basin is right on Yellowstone Lake!
7. Find + Photograph Wildlife! From a distance!!! Do not approach the wildlife. Yellowstone has a serious problem with this. There is a wide variety of wildlife in Yellowstone including Bison, Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Mountain Goats, Pronghorn Antelope, White Tail Deer, Black Bears, Lynx, Gray Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Red Foxes, River Otters, Beavers, Rabbits, and much, much more. As you enter the park, you'll get a pamphlet on wildlife in the park. There is also a wildlife bingo game for kids! Or adults. ;)
8. Fish one of the rivers! Yellowstone is famous for it's fishing. When I was growing up, I fished with my parents in the rivers there often. Fly fishing is the most popular method, and you'll need to get a Wyoming fishing license for most of the rivers. The best fishing rivers in the park are: Yellowstone River, Madison River, Firehole River, Gibbon River, Gardner River. There are many species of fish, mostly trout.
9. Visit Mammoth Hot Springs! This is technically a geyser basin, but is so different than the rest! The travertine hot spring terrace sits on a hill and is slowly dying. The underground thermal hotspot that encompasses the park is moving away from Mammoth Hot Spring, which is near the north entrance in Montana, and the bacteria mats are getting much less colorful. Even in my lifetime, I have noticed a difference. What used to be vibrant and rainbow colored, is now mostly white and gray, with only a few orange spots left. It is such a gorgeous boardwalk that I love to visit. There are some cool shops and museums nearby as well. You'll want to visit Orange Spring Mound, Liberty Cap, Dryad Spring, and the terraces. Since this is also near the north entrance, I recommend driving up to the entrance! There's a cute town just outside, and you'll be able to see Roosevelt Arch at the entrance.
10. Get professional photos taken! Yellowstone is such a great place for photo sessions. From senior to family to wedding, your photos will look AMAZING. Bring your fancy clothes and have photos taken in the red rocks. I am always up for traveling to Yellowstone for sessions! You can see my website & portfolio here and email me here to book a National Park session.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope your Yellowstone National Park trip is absolutely terrific. Comment if you have any questions or thoughts! See more on my Instagram and Pinterest. Below are our other Yellowstone area recommendations!
Lodging:
Old Faithful Lodge
Elk Country Inn, Jackson WY
Absaroka Cabins, West Yellowstone MT
Pahaska Teepee Resort, Cody WY
Local camping on BLM land or in the NPS campgrounds
Food:
The Buffalo Bar (photo below), West Yellowstone MT
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Jackson Hole WY
Old Faithful Lodge
Family / Wedding Photography:
Abigail Erin Photography - Click here to see their website.
Nature Photography:
Abigail Erin Photography - Click here to see their website.
Souvenirs:
Park Visitor Centers (don't forget your National Parks passport stamps)
Anywhere in Jackson Hole or West Yellowstone
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