Don’t expect to cover all of Yellowstone’s 2 million acres in a day – but you can see a lot of the major highlights in a single day trip.
This itinerary of attractions on the southern half of the park (also called the lower loop) requires less than 100 miles of driving to see six natural wonders. But expect the journey to take some time, with stops for roadside wildlife viewing, and tourist traffic during peak visitation seasons. (This map provides drive times during peak seasons.)
If you’re not planning to take a tour, travelling by car is the best way to get around the park. Make sure to pack snacks, layers, and your binoculars.
For most Yellowstone visitors, Bozeman, Montana, is the most convenient starting point. Bozeman is a short 2-hour drive from the West Entrance to Yellowstone and a hub for direct flights from 24 major cities.
Before you head out on your Yellowstone adventure, stay a night or two in this upbeat western town surrounded by mountains. Enjoy critically-acclaimed restaurants, nightlife, rodeos, and concerts in the city before heading into the world’s first national park.
Yellowstone National Park is home to almost half of the world's active geysers. Over 500 hundred geysers dot the Park, which was established mainly to protect the hydrothermal areas.
Your first stop after entering the West Entrance will be Midway Geyser Basin, where Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser sit – two of the largest hot springs in the world. Grand Prismatic, the most colorful geyser, measures 370 feet in diameter. Its bright colors are made from different bacteria, and their color differs based on the temperature. Once erupting nearly 300 feet high, Excelsior Geyser is now dormant and discharges more than 4050 gallons of boiling water per minute into the Firehole River.
From Midway, you'll venture to Old Faithful. This legendary geyser is one of a handful that rangers can predict, but this area is also home to most of the Park's geysers. Within one square mile of Upper Geyser Basin, there are at least 150 of these hydrothermal wonders. Be sure to allow time to explore the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, which has exhibits on Yellowstone's hydrothermal features, life in these extreme environments, the volcano beneath Yellowstone, and ongoing scientific research. Kids love the Young Scientist exhibit room with a geyser model and hands-on exhibits.
Be sure to stop in the historic Old Faithful Inn with its massive stone fireplace and hand-crafted clock. Built in 1903-1904, the Inn is made of local logs and stone and is one of the most significant log-style structures in the world.
This is also a great place to grab a bite to eat; five different dining options range from casual to fine dining. Breakfast and lunch are first come, first served, but dinner at the Old Faithful Inn requires reservations.
From Old Faithful, continue on to Yellowstone Lake, North America's largest high-elevation lake (7,733 feet.) The lake completely freezes over in the winter and only reaches a temperature of 41 degrees in the summer, so, unfortunately, swimming is not recommended in this lake! You can tour the lake via boat tours through Yellowstone National Park Lodges.
While you're there, stop at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. This beautiful hotel is a historic landmark that has been recently renovated. Enjoy a beverage in the elegant sitting room overlooking the lake, or admire the views. Tours of the hotel are also available.
Just past the lake, Hayden Valley, once an arm of Yellowstone Lake, is one of the prime locations for wildlife watching. The vast, open grassland with the Yellowstone River running through it is ideal for bison, elk, and the occasional wolf or grizzly. It's also an excellent place for birdwatching, with hawks, eagles, pelicans, ducks, geese, great blue herons and Trumpeter swans. Plenty of pullouts exist in this area of the Park, so remember your binoculars!
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is another geological wonder of the Park. There are driving routes with accessible lookouts, or you can hike around the rims and explore the trails. Six hundred and thirty thousand years ago, a volcanic eruption created a sizeable underground magma chamber. Eventually, the ceiling collapsed, forming a massive caldera 30 miles wide and 45 miles long. It slowly filled with lava and sediment for thousands of years. Scientists believe the oldest Grand Canyon formed here 160,000 to 140,000 years ago.
For the trip's final leg, explore Norris Geyser Basin, the Park's hottest, oldest, and most dynamic thermal area, as you loop back toward West Yellowstone. While there, stop at the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, one of the original trailside museums, and The Museum of the National Park Ranger, located in the historic Norris Soldier Station, where you can talk with a retired NPS ranger.
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Whether you’re visiting Bozeman in winter, spring, summer or fall, Visit Bozeman has you covered! Check out our complete guide and start planning your adventure today!
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