Yellowstone Basics
Animal Spotting
The Lamar Valley has been nicknamed "the Serengeti" of North America. The valley is usually full of bison, elk, pronghorn and, if you are lucky, wolves and grizzly bears.
If you are trying to increase your chances of seeing wolves or bears, I recommend getting into the valley as early as possible and looking for groups of people congregated around spotting scopes.
If you want to make an entire day out of the valley, you can continue east and grab lunch in Cooke City at the Northeast Entrance of the park.
Lamar River
The Lamar Valley has been nicknamed "the Serengeti" of North America. The valley is usually full of bison, elk, pronghorn and, if you are lucky, wolves and grizzly bears.
If you are trying to increase your chances of seeing wolves or bears, I recommend getting into the valley as early as possible and looking for groups of people congregated around spotting scopes.
If you want to make an entire day out of the valley, you can continue east and grab lunch in Cooke City at the Northeast Entrance of the park.
Not inside the park but about 15 minutes north of Gardiner and about 30 minutes south of our place off of Highway 89. Tom Miner Basin is a fun hour long excursion into an area that is still dotted with homesteads and ranches. I picture the show "Yellowstone" being inspired by this area.
More importantly, Tom Miner can yield some great wildlife views during the right time of year. We have seen bighorn sheep, moose, and grizzly bears up here. The Tom Miner grizzlies are fairly well known and are quite active in the late summer and early fall. Go there in the morning or evening for best chances to spot one.
To get there, simply turn off the "Tom Miner" exit on 89. Follow the road over the Yellowstone River and to the left. It will wind through the basin for about 15 miles. You can turn around at any point but we usually go to the B Bar ranch entrance and turn around from there.
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Tom Miner Basin
Not inside the park but about 15 minutes north of Gardiner and about 30 minutes south of our place off of Highway 89. Tom Miner Basin is a fun hour long excursion into an area that is still dotted with homesteads and ranches. I picture the show "Yellowstone" being inspired by this area.
More importantly, Tom Miner can yield some great wildlife views during the right time of year. We have seen bighorn sheep, moose, and grizzly bears up here. The Tom Miner grizzlies are fairly well known and are quite active in the late summer and early fall. Go there in the morning or evening for best chances to spot one.
To get there, simply turn off the "Tom Miner" exit on 89. Follow the road over the Yellowstone River and to the left. It will wind through the basin for about 15 miles. You can turn around at any point but we usually go to the B Bar ranch entrance and turn around from there.
Sightseeing
An iconic place to view the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is breathtaking.
I recommend going to the Artists Point lookout off of the South Rim Drive for a classic view of the lower falls.
A fun way to experience the falls is to park at the Waipiti Lake Trail and hike toward Clear Lake and then Lily Pad lake and ultimately to the South Rim Trail where you can explore the canyon and falls before heading down the road toward the trailhead. This hike is around 5 miles.
Note- The falls can get very busy in the summertime. Plan plenty of time and arrive early if possible.
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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
North Rim DriveAn iconic place to view the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is breathtaking.
I recommend going to the Artists Point lookout off of the South Rim Drive for a classic view of the lower falls.
A fun way to experience the falls is to park at the Waipiti Lake Trail and hike toward Clear Lake and then Lily Pad lake and ultimately to the South Rim Trail where you can explore the canyon and falls before heading down the road toward the trailhead. This hike is around 5 miles.
Note- The falls can get very busy in the summertime. Plan plenty of time and arrive early if possible.
For a first timer to Yellowstone, Old Faithful is generally on the bucket list. We like to watch it go off but we find that exploring the geothermal features in the surrounding area to be a bit more fun as Old Faithful can get a bit crowded.
Pro tip: Take the relatively short Observation Point trail just north of Old Faithful for a mile mile uphill hike to watch the geyser go off with less crowds and a unique aerial view (if you are approaching old faithful from the parking lot, walk to the right and head around Old Faithful to Observation Point Trail).
After seeing Old Faithful, head north along the Firehole River toward Morning Glory, one of the more famous hot springs in the park. This hike is paved/boardwalk and flat but features a lot of cool geysers and hot springs.
If time allows, pop into the Old Faithful Inn to see one of the best examples of early 20th century National Park architecture. You can grab a drink at the bar upstairs where this is also a viewing area to watch Old Faithful from the deck.
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Old Faithful Geyser
For a first timer to Yellowstone, Old Faithful is generally on the bucket list. We like to watch it go off but we find that exploring the geothermal features in the surrounding area to be a bit more fun as Old Faithful can get a bit crowded.
Pro tip: Take the relatively short Observation Point trail just north of Old Faithful for a mile mile uphill hike to watch the geyser go off with less crowds and a unique aerial view (if you are approaching old faithful from the parking lot, walk to the right and head around Old Faithful to Observation Point Trail).
After seeing Old Faithful, head north along the Firehole River toward Morning Glory, one of the more famous hot springs in the park. This hike is paved/boardwalk and flat but features a lot of cool geysers and hot springs.
If time allows, pop into the Old Faithful Inn to see one of the best examples of early 20th century National Park architecture. You can grab a drink at the bar upstairs where this is also a viewing area to watch Old Faithful from the deck.
Home of the world famous Grand Prismatic Spring. We like to drive past (south of) the geyser basin and park at the Fairy Falls Trailhead parking lot. You can take the trail about 3/4 of a mile and uphill to an overlook above the spring, giving you a spectacular view.
Midway Geyser Basin
Home of the world famous Grand Prismatic Spring. We like to drive past (south of) the geyser basin and park at the Fairy Falls Trailhead parking lot. You can take the trail about 3/4 of a mile and uphill to an overlook above the spring, giving you a spectacular view.
A quick detour off the main road, Firehole Canyon leads to a beautiful view of the Firehole River and waterfall. Not many people take this road and it's a really scenic detour. The road is just a couple minutes south of Madison Junction.
Pull over in the pullout on the left and get out and cross the road to see the river.
Firehole Canyon Road
Firehole Canyon RoadA quick detour off the main road, Firehole Canyon leads to a beautiful view of the Firehole River and waterfall. Not many people take this road and it's a really scenic detour. The road is just a couple minutes south of Madison Junction.
Pull over in the pullout on the left and get out and cross the road to see the river.
Artists Paint Pots is a microcosm of Yellowstone's geothermal features with hot springs, mini geysers, and mud pots. Its about. 3/4 of a mile to reach the paint pots followed by about a quarter mile loop around the geothermal features. I like visiting here because of the mud pots which are pretty unique and only present in a couple places in the park.
Artists Paintpots
Artists Paint Pots is a microcosm of Yellowstone's geothermal features with hot springs, mini geysers, and mud pots. Its about. 3/4 of a mile to reach the paint pots followed by about a quarter mile loop around the geothermal features. I like visiting here because of the mud pots which are pretty unique and only present in a couple places in the park.