Yellowstone National Park, America’s first, lives up to every bit of the hype- and then some. From vibrant thermal pools and erupting geysers to thundering waterfalls and roaming wildlife, it’s a place that will leave you completely in awe. No photo, no video, no travel documentary truly captures what it feels like to stand in the middle of it all. Yellowstone is massive, wild, and full of surprises. I’ve put together a Yellowstone National Park travel guide with a clickable Yellowstone National Park map to help you make the most of it.
We visited in late October, and honestly, it was kind of perfect. The crowds were minimal and the weather gave us a little bit of everything- crisp fall sunshine one day, full-on winter wonderland the next. That said, traveling in the off-season comes with a few trade-offs. You can’t see Grand Prismatic Spring in its full glory when it’s cold (hello, steam). Also, some roads shut down after certain dates. Still, I’d take that over summer traffic and packed parking lots any day.
Note, this is not a definitive guide of ALL the things to do at Yellowstone National Park because there is just so much. These are things I loved and recommend.
Info about Yellowstone National Park
Location: Mostly NW Wyoming (96% of the park is in Wyoming), part of Idaho, and part of Montana.
Size: 3,472 square miles
Annual Visitors: 4.7 million+
Established: 1872 as a National Park
Visitor Centers: Albright Visitor Center, Canyon Visitor Educational Center, Fishing Bridge Visitor Center & Trailside Museum, Grant Visitor Center, Madison Information Station & Trailside Museum, Museum of the National Park Ranger, Norris Geyser Basin Museum and Information Station, Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, West Thumb Information Station, West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. Keep in mind that some of these may be closed during the off-season.
Entrance Fee: $35 per vehicle; $70 annual pass (or $80 for America the Beautiful Pass – I highly recommend this option if you plan on visiting 3+ national parks during the year. Pays for itself!)
Cell Service: Just a general heads up, cell service is practically non-existent when inside the park, so be sure to download your Yellowstone National Park map before entering the park or get a paper one from the Ranger at the entrance! Also, note geyser eruption prediction times so you have a general idea of when to visit Old Faithful and the others.
Other National Park Visits
Where to stay near Yellowstone National Park
No matter if you want to stay in or outside of the park, finding the perfect lodging is easy! For a more detailed page on what Yellowstone National Park has to offer for staying inside the park, check out this page! It is very useful, especially because it has the most up-to-date information!
But if you want to travel in the off-season or if you want to save some $$ and stay outside of the park, one of the first things you need to determine is what exactly you want to see in Yellowstone and choose your entrance accordingly. The park is so large that driving around it can take hours, especially if there is heavy summer traffic!
There are five park entrances- aptly named North, Northeast, South, East, and West. Depending on your goal for your Yellowstone trip, all have great options for hotels, gas, and restaurants nearby!
The South entrance is great if you want a quick-ish drive to Old Faithful geyser. It is also the best entrance to use if you are flying and staying in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and plan on spending a few days exploring the famous mountain town! If you have plans to visit both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in one trek, I would highly recommend this entrance!
Be sure to check out my Grand Teton National Park post if you decide to go this route.
- If you are looking to get the first view of the expansive Yellowstone Lake against snow-capped mountains, the East entrance is the best place to do this! But you should note that the closest town is Cody, Wyoming, a whopping 53 miles away from the entrance. But if the drive doesn’t scare you, Cody, Wyoming has lots of rich history and tons of summer activities like rodeos!
- My mom and I used the West Entrance, and the town of West Yellowstone, MT, is a bustling town that has tons of souvenir shops, restaurants, and lodging! There was even an IMAX theater, a perfect diversion for your kiddos on a rainy day. This is the perfect entrance for those who want to head straight to the geysers on their trip to the park.
- The Northeast entrance is often called the gateway to Yellowstone’s wildlife. The closest town is Cooke City, MT- a tiny spot, but it has gas and lodging. Big heads-up though: this entrance closes during winter. If you’re visiting during the warmer months and coming from Billings, MT, this is a great route- especially if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Yellowstone’s Big Three: elk, bison, and bears.
- The North entrance is great if you want to drive through the famous Roosevelt Arch or hit up the famous Mammoth Hot Springs. This is the entrance nearest the historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is and I promise, you will more than likely see a herd of elk grazing in the little town area. We had a big guy bugling loud as can be, less than 10 feet from our car. (We were safely inside the car. Do not approach wildlife!) The closest town outside the North entrance is Gardiner, MT. We drove through this town, and it had a gas station, several shops, and food choices galore! We used this entrance for day 2 because we crashed at a cutesy little Airbnb in Pray, MT. The drive was more than worth it because we literally got to see 1000s of elk at dusk coming down from the mountains.
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Things to do in Yellowstone National Park
Listen, as I have mentioned, Yellowstone is massive and really, really hard to see it all in one day. I honestly recommend 2 days minimum if you want to see most of these. We were lucky when we went in late October because we had hardly any traffic, but we still did a LOT of driving the two days we visited. I can only imagine that visiting during the peak summer season will mean more time sitting in the car driving. Take this into account when planning your trip route! Check out my suggestions, in no particular order, on things you don’t want to miss on your trip!
Old Faithful
Located in the southwestern edge of the park in the Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful is probably THE most famous thing to see at Yellowstone National Park. This crazy natural phenomenon erupts typically 20 times a day and shoots up between 100-140 feet into the air. That is wild. And apparently, Old Faithful is so “faithful” that rangers are able to predict the estimated eruption times! Be sure to check out this website prior to entrance into the park for estimated times of all geyser activity. Cell service can be nonexistent in the park, so it’s useful to know in advance. There is also a little sign posted near the Old Faithful visitor center that has estimated times of eruptions if you forgot to check it out in advance!
The viewing boardwalk is very accessible, has seating for those who need it, and is located near restrooms.
Grand Prismatic Spring (season dependent)
The Grand Prismatic Spring is another famous must-see in Yellowstone National Park. The colors of the spring are out-of-this-world in all of the photos I have seen of the spring, so I was very excited to see it. Unfortunately, I should note that if it’s cold, it’s very hard to see the spring due to the steam rising from it. We visited on a very cold day, and the steam just took over the viewing area. Keep that in mind if you are visiting outside of summer.
I found the boardwalk to be very accessible, although a bit of a walk, so keep that in mind for those who require assistance or wheelchairs.
Special Note: The area was very windy, so please hold on to your hats, sunglasses, and masks! You cannot leave the boardwalk for safety reasons, so those items, once lost, are sadly gone forever!
Yellowstone Waterfall & Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Although not as big as the Grand Canyon in the Southwest US, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon is still lovely with its roaring waterfall and river, and rocky canyon walls!
With several trails and viewing platforms on either side, there really is not a bad view of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon! To get the photos above, we drove on the one-way North Rim road, and it was incredible to walk down to the Lookout points. It was a very snowy day, and heaven, it was windy, but oh so worth it!
Firehole Canyon Drive and Waterfall
Firehole Canyon Drive is a 2-mile one-way road that turned out to be a fun, spontaneous detour. Along the way, we were greeted by a stunning 40-foot waterfall.
There is a swimming area too, so if you are visiting in the summer, dipping into the cool waters in one of the few swimming areas would be great fun! If you are interested, there are guidelines for swimming in the Firehole swimming area.
Madison River
If you are into fly-fishing or are like me and just like watching them cast, check out the Madison River between Memorial Day and the end of October. I was fascinated by watching how they flick their lines back and forth. A very comprehensive guide on the type of fish available, areas, and other guidelines can be found HERE!
Other points of interest
Thermal Pools
Hayden Valley/Lamar Valley
If you are looking for a wildlife experience, I read that either Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley is the best recommendation by the park rangers. Especially in the early morning or dusk, since that is when they come down from the surrounding areas to graze! We happened to see animals everywhere but in the valleys, but it’s useful to note.
Kepler Cascades
Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone Lake
and so much more!
Yellowstone National Park Map
How to use this map: You can easily zoom in or out, click on the tags, or save the map to your Google account for later by clicking on the star beside the title! If you want to view the saved map later, open Google Maps, click the menu, and click “Your places/maps.”
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Other Photos of Yellowstone National Park
Useful Tips for your trip to Yellowstone National Park
- Gas up your car, pack a picnic lunch, and bring snacks too! There are few and far between amenities in the park, so having everything you need on hand is my biggest recommendation. We did pb&j’s at picnic areas, and it was super easy!
- Wear sunscreen. You will be in and out of your vehicle exploring all of the incredible sights. Trust me, wear it!
- Have a paper map on hand or download your phone map before entering the park. Cell service is non-existent. On the same note, note geyser eruption predictions before entering the park!
- Do not approach wildlife. They may seem docile, but they are wild animals, unpredictable, and extremely large.
- Bring a jacket! It’s pretty windy.
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The cool aunt. Plant novice who loves to travel to cool places, eat unadventurous food, and take pretty photos.
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