World-famous Yellowstone, established in 1872, is the oldest national park in the United States and one of the most popular parks in the country. The vast basalt plateau in the northwestern corner of Wyoming extends across this beautiful natural area in neighboring Idaho and Montana and is the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, one of the largest and best preserved temperate ecosystems in the world. The park is known for its spectacular scenery, diverse wildlife and fascinating geothermal wonders. Yellowstone has the world’s largest number of active geysers, providing a window into the powerful forces deep beneath the Earth’s crust, the same forces that shaped this park and its dazzling and dramatic landscapes.
Yellowstone is a land of contrasts. Each season paints a dramatically different scene – from the lush greens and sparkling blues of spring and summer, when herds of bison and elk graze along the river’s banks; fiery reds, oranges and golds of autumn, when grizzlies and black bears grow on large berries; to the white wonderland of the freezing winter. A year-round reminder of the awe-inspiring wilderness and abundant wildlife that once covered much of the planet, Yellowstone offers an unforgettable safari adventure in the wild American West.
Read also: top-rated hiking trails in Yellowstone National Park
Touring the Park
The best way to explore Yellowstone National Park is to drive around the Grand Loop, a 142-mile road that curves in a figure-eight past the park’s most striking natural features. At each attraction, well-maintained boardwalks and walking trails provide close-up views of the main features, as well as breathtaking viewpoints, and many of the trails are wheelchair-friendly. Driving the full length of both loops can take between four and seven hours, depending on traffic. In the summer months, traffic can become stop-and-go all the way.
If you only have one day to see the park, the best approach is to explore half of the eighth of the Grand Loop. Even better, if you stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you can hit the park’s highlights and learn about the fascinating geology and ecology of Yellowstone National Park from Jackson. This full-day bus tour saves you the hassle of driving so you can focus on nature and breathtaking landscapes. It offers convenient hotel pickup and drop-off and an expert guide.
If you’re taking a self-drive tour of the park, the Grand Loop tour described below starts at Old Faithful , at the south entrance to the park, continues to the far north of the loop, and ends at the same point in the south. You can adjust the order of attractions based on time restrictions and which of the five entrances you use to enter the park.
1 Old Faithful
One of Yellowstone’s biggest star attractions, the geyser known as Old Faithful is named for the regularity with which it erupted, shooting columns of water high into the air. Today, seeing this incredible sight is one of the most popular things to do in the park, although eruption intervals are not as common as in the past. They now range from 35 minutes to 120 minutes, with an average interval of about 92 minutes. Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in the park, but it does release more often than other large geysers in the park. The eruptions usually last from a minute and a half to five minutes and reach heights of between 90 and 184 feet. For estimated eruption times, inquire at the visitor center.
The thermal area known as Black Sand Basin is located about a mile from the Old Faithful geyser, and the two attractions can be combined in one simple trip. It is known as one of the most colorful places in Yellowstone.
2 Upper Geyser Basin and Morning Glory Pool
Upper Geyser Basin has the highest concentration of geysers in the world, most of which are packed into one square mile. A two-hour boardwalk through the area takes you past Old Faithful , the Giantess Geyser , the Beehive Geyser , the Castle Geyser , the Grand Geyser , and fountain pools shimmering in a rainbow of colors. At the northern edge of the Upper Geyser Basin lies the magical Morning Glory Pool, named after the beautiful flower. The Biscuit Basinis also part of the Upper Geyser Basin area, but the formations for which the area was named are long gone due to the 1959 earthquake. Today you can see features with real-life names like Sapphire Pool, Silver Globe Spring, and Black Pearl Geyser .
3 Editor’s Pick Midway Geyser Basin en de Grand Prismatic Spring
Midway Geyser Basin, named for its location between the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, boasts two of the park’s largest geothermal features. The mighty crater of the Excelsior Geyser discharges 55 gallons of hot water per second into the Firehole River. Nearby is the 370-foot wide stunning Grand Prismatic Spring , one of the most beautiful and largest hot springs in the park. This is a must-see attraction and a photographer’s favorite with its vibrant shades of blue, green, orange and gold.
4 Lower Geyser Basin
Lower Geyser Basin offers more hot water eruptions than any other part of the park. A boardwalk path takes you to the famous Paint Pots Fountain that simmers with hot, reddish mud. A little south of this on the popular three mile Firehole Lake Drive is the Great Fountain Geyser , a beautiful spectacle every 9-15 hours when the water blows 75 to 220 feet into the air. On the lush greenery of Fountain Flats , bison and deer often graze, especially in the early morning and evening.
5 Norris Geyser Basin
The Norris Geyser Basin is known as the oldest, most active, and most active hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone. The basin includes two main areas open to visitors and accessible via looping trails: Porcelain Basin is a bleak and treeless moon-like environment steeped in the pungent scent of the bubbling geysers that surround the three-quarters of a mile of the trail.
Back Basin is a forested area with its geothermal features spread across a mile-long boardwalk. The most famous features in this basin are the Echinus Geyser , the largest known acid water geyser, with a pH close to that of vinegar, and the Steamboat Geyser , the tallest active geyser in the world, which erratically shoots water to a height of 300 feet. Stop by the Norris Museum to learn about these fascinating hydrothermal features.
6 Mammoth Hot Springs & Minerva Terrace
On the east flank of Terrace Mountain (8,012 feet), Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the world’s best examples of thermal springs that deposit travertine. About 60 hot springs pepper the area at temperatures between 64 degrees and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and their boiling waters dissolve calcium carbonate in the surrounding limestone, forming a series of constantly evolving travertine steps. One of the finest examples is multihued Minerva Terrace , a popular subject for photography and one of Yellowstone National Park’s enduring photographs.
7 Tower-Roosevelt & de Lamar Valley
At the north end of the National Park is the small resort town of Tower-Roosevelt, home to the rustic Roosevelt Lodge , built in 1920. Notable features in the area include the Tower Fall (130 feet high) and the Petrified Tree . To the southeast lies the Specimen Ridge , with the remains of a number of fossil forests superimposed on each other.
From here you can head east of the Grand Loop and enjoy an exciting safari experience in the beautiful Lamar Valley , an important area for viewing wildlife such as large herds of bison, bald eagles and badgers, as well as coyotes , wolves and grizzly bears that hunt in open grasslands.
8 Mount Washburn
Named after Henry Dana Washburn, leader of the Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition of 1870, Mount Washburn is a spectacular peak in Yellowstone National Park. It rises to an impressive 10,243 feet and is the main mountain of the Washburn range. Several hikes lead up the flanks and provide breathtaking views of the park, including the Mount Washburn Trail , considered one of Yellowstone’s best hikes. In summer you can see beautiful wildflowers here, as well as bighorn sheep grazing on the slopes.
9 The Grand Canyon and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River
Originating from Yellowstone Lake , the Yellowstone River flows through the beautiful Hayden Valley before forming two spectacular waterfalls as it enters the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone , a steep 20-mile-long gorge that resembles Arizona’s Grand Canyon.
The easily accessible Upper Falls on the Yellowstone River drop 109 feet and can be viewed from the Brink of the Upper Falls Trail and from Uncle Tom’s Trail . A few hundred meters lower, the Lower Falls are almost twice as high as Niagara Falls. Here the river plunges 308 feet with a deafening roar. Lookout Point , Red Rock Point , Artist Point , Brink of the Lower Falls Trail , and several points on the South Rim Trail offer breathtaking views. Notice how the canyon walls glisten in reddish and yellow tones due to chemical reactions in the rock’s rhyolite.
10 Hayden Valley
Often dotted with large herds of bison, the beautiful Hayden Valley is an excellent place for wildlife viewing. In spring and early summer, grizzly bears often wander here in search of newborn bison and elk. Coyotes are also easily recognized by the rolling green pastures. Birders will have plenty to see. Bald eagles, northern harriers, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, ducks, geese and pelicans are some of the species that inhabit the area around the mudflats and river.
11 Mud volcano
A few miles below Fishing Bridge are the striking mud pots of the Mud Volcano and the simmering Sulfur Caldron , one of Yellowstone’s most acidic springs. Make sure you stay on the boardwalks. From the parking lot, a short wheelchair-friendly loop passes through the Dragon’s Mouth Spring steam tunnel and the Mud Volcano . If you’re more mobile, you can tackle the steep half-mile runner beyond Black Dragon’s Cauldron .
12 Yellowstone Lake
The largest high-altitude lake on the continent (7,737 feet), Yellowstone Lake is a fisherman’s paradise. Nutrient-rich underwater fountains nourish an astonishing diversity of plants and animals, such as earthworms, sponges, native lumpfish, and invasive lake trout . There are many birds here, especially many species of waterfowl.
On the north-west shore of Yellowstone Lake are the small townships of Bridge Bay , Lake Village , and Fishing Bridge , with motels, campgrounds, and various recreational facilities.
The West Thumb , an outcrop on the west side of Yellowstone Lake, is a wetland caldera with hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots and geysers, all in a relatively small and scenic area.
Where to stay
In Yellowstone National Park, you can choose from nine lodges managed by the park’s concessionaire, ranging from rustic cabins to hotel rooms. You can also book accommodation outside the park in West Yellowstone , Gardiner , Cooke City in Montana and at the eastern gate of Yellowstone in Wyoming. Here are a few highly rated hotels in convenient locations just outside the park:
- In West Yellowstone Located less than a two-minute drive from Yellowstone’s West Gate, the pet-friendly Kelly Inn West Yellowstone offers impeccably clean rooms with bright log cabin-style décor, as well as an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and sauna. Prices include continental breakfast. The cozy Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone include kitchenettes, and the BEST WESTERN Desert Inn, with an indoor pool, is just two blocks from Yellowstone’s west entrance and within walking distance of restaurants.
- Located less than a mile from Yellowstone’s North Entrance, the In Gardiner Rodeway Inn & Suites offers clean rooms with a free breakfast. Some rooms have a kitchenette. Also with free breakfast, BEST WESTERN PLUS by Mammoth Hot Springs has an indoor heated pool, hot tub and saunas and is just minutes from the North Gate.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park
Tips and Tours: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to Yellowstone National Park
- The National Park is open all year round, but many roads are closed from November to April. During the winter, most roads are open to snowmobiles and snow buses only, with the exception of the road between the north and northeast entrances, which is open year-round. If you want to visit the park in the winter, consider taking a Yellowstone Old Faithful Snowcoach Tour. This is a very unique way to see the park.
- Hiking is an excellent way to see Yellowstone’s natural wonders, although most people don’t leave the roads when traveling through the park. Private Yellowstone hiking tours are available and offer customized itineraries to suit your abilities and interests.
- Most visitors come in the summer, when the Grand Loop can reach saturation point. To avoid the crowds, visit in late spring, when many young animals are born, or in autumn (until mid-October) for the beautiful autumn colours.
What’s nearby
From the south entrance, you can take the John D. Rockefeller Parkway , one of the country’s most scenic drives, all the way to Grand Teton National Park for spectacular mountain scenery and beautiful wildlife views. West Yellowstone is also a popular tourist stop and gateway to the park. Highlights include the Yellowstone Historical Center , the West Playmill Theater staging local productions, and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center .
For information on other places to visit and things to do near Yellowstone, see our pages on the top-rated attractions in Jackson Hole and the top-rated hiking trails in Jackson Hole. If you’re taking a sightseeing trip through the state, our pages on Top Speeds in Wyoming and Best Flight Destinations in Wyoming will help you plan your trip.
Address
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
Read also:
Where to stay near Yellowstone National Park
