yellowstone national park trip itinerary

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Amazing 3-Day Yellowstone Itinerary | Ultimate Travel Guide

Dotted with lots of geothermal wonders, frolicking wildlife, and breathtaking natural scenery, Yellowstone National Park will leave you in awe. From admiring bubbling hot springs to hiking trails that end at cascading falls, this 3-day Yellowstone itinerary has got you covered.

Enjoy tons of fun things to do in Yellowstone , including learning about its history and how it became the first national park in the world. This in-depth guide details everything you’ll need, from when to visit Yellowstone National Park to where to stay during your trip and more.

Now, enough small talk; let’s dive into what this magnificent park has in store for you!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission (for which I am very grateful for) at no extra cost to you.

YELLOWSTONE National Park

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• Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park | 9 Amazing Lodging & Yellowstone Hotels
• The Ultimate 7-Day Grand Teton To Yellowstone Road Trip Itinerary
• 25 Absolute Best Things To Do In Yellowstone National Park
• Best Hikes in Yellowstone National Park | 20 Top Hiking Trails 
• Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park 2024 Guide

Map Of Yellowstone Itinerary

A Complete Yellowstone 3-Day Itinerary

Whether you’re looking for scenic drives and hiking trails to marvelous geothermal features or keen on spotting the frolicking wildlife, these 3 days in Yellowstone have got you covered.

Here’s the ultimate itinerary for an unforgettable three days in Yellowstone National Park.

Day 1 of Your Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

Day one of your Yellowstone itinerary kicks off with a bang, taking you from a soothing waterfall to one of the park’s most iconic attractions and a couple of hidden gems.

Hike to Lewis Falls

• Distance: 0.12 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Gain: 29 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

Nestled along the Lewis River, close to the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, these cascading falls offer a serene setting ideal for nature photography and relaxation. Tall cliffs speckled with lush trees frame the falls, creating exceptional views.

This short 0.12-mile out-and-back trail is considered moderately challenging but easily doable in just under 10 minutes. The trail begins off South Entrance Road. Cross the bridge and head west toward the falls. Be sure to bring a good camera to capture the pretty scenes.

Admiring Lewis Falls is undoubtedly the most popular activity; however, fishing and camping are also great ways to spend time here. Lewis River is abundant with fish like brown and brook trout, so after marveling at the falls, you can easily go fishing along the river. 

Marvel at the West Thumb Geyser Basin

• Distance: 1 mile loop
• Elevation Gain: 62 feet
• Difficulty: Easy

Tucked along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, the West Thumb Geyser Basin is an excellent place to witness the park’s incredible geothermal activity. These hot springs and colorful pools offer unparalleled views, with a surreal landscape against the backdrop of lush forests.

Considered relatively easy to complete, this one-mile loop trek takes you through several pools and geysers, like the Fishing Cone, the Abyss Pool, and the Black Pool. Walk along the boardwalk trails, admiring the hot springs as you weave around the basin in a loop.

Before heading off to your next stop, visit the West Thumb Information Station to learn more about the area’s geothermal activity. You’ll find a park store, as well as a couple of public restrooms in the parking lot. 

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Stop by the mud volcano.

Accessible via Grand Loop Road, the Mud Volcano area boasts a series of boiling mud pots and steaming vents welcoming you with otherworldly sights and smells. The bubbling mud and steam create an eerie atmosphere as the pungent odor of rotten eggs rises to the skies.

This area is undeniably home to some of the most unique things to see when visiting Yellowstone National Park. The acidic mud pots in the area are due to a limited water supply. Some microorganisms use hydrogen sulfide as an energy source, converting the gas into sulfuric acid that breaks down the rock into wet clay mud and gives it a horrendous smell.

Keep in mind that when exploring this area, you should always stay on the boardwalk or the designated viewing areas. Do not run, push, or shove, as contact with the hydrothermal water can lead to severe burns. If you’re visiting with children, always keep them supervised.

Explore Hayden Valley

Set along the Yellowstone River, Hayden Valley is centrally located in the national park and is a fantastic place to go wildlife spotting. The wide-open grasslands, winding Yellowstone River, and distant mountain ranges in the background create a conducive environment for the animals.

This area is historically significant as it was a hunting ground for Native American tribes and later settlers, which makes sense considering the roaming wildlife. While driving through the picturesque valley, keep your eyes peeled for bison, elk, and occasional grizzly bears.

Hayden Valley is the perfect spot for birdwatching. The area sees a lot of ducks, waterfowl, Canadian geese, and pelicans lounging or splashing around in the Yellowstone River.

Day 2 of Your Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

Day two of your Yellowstone itinerary takes you to some of the most famous erupting geysers in the national park. You’ll also get to see a couple of cascading waterfalls.

Visit Old Faithful Geyser

Situated in the Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful is surrounded by other colorful thermal pools and geysers set against the lush backdrop of the Teton Range. Old Faithful is one of the most predictable geysers in the world, giving you easy access to an eruptive show. 

The Old Faithful Geyser Observation Deck is visitor-friendly, boasting ample seating to sit and admire the spectacle. You’ll find an impressive visitor center with a museum, a store, and restrooms. It’s also within walking distance from the ranger station and Old Faithful Inn.

To catch the next eruption of Old Faithful Geyser in all its glory, keep an eye on the timer in the visitor center, which tracks and tries to predict the next eruption time, length, and height. 

Explore the Thermal Pools at Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin

Experience the rest of Yellowstone’s beautiful Upper Geyser Basin by exploring these two kaleidoscopic thermal pools. Both are just a skip away from the Old Faithful Geyser. These basins are tastefully surrounded by lots of walkable boardwalks and lush vegetation.

Although it’s small, the Black Sand Basin features a number of vibrant thermal features, like the Emerald Pool, Cliff Geyser, and Rainbow Pool. This breathtaking basin gets its name from the dark rock, obsidian, which forms when lava cools down too quickly.

After marveling at the Black Sand Basin, head over to Biscuit Basin for a fun continuation of stunning natural scenery. Explore the Biscuit Basin via a short 0.6-mile lollipop loop trail that traverses through fascinating hydrothermals like Jewel Geyser and the iconic Sapphire Pool.

Visit Grand Prismatic Spring (See Both Viewpoints)

Ranked as the largest hot spring in the United States, Grand Prismatic Spring is undeniably one of the most spectacular sights to see in Yellowstone. Set in the Midway Geyser Basin, the hot spring boasts rainbow-colored hues vividly contrasting the surrounding landscape.

Views of the Grand Prismatic Spring are truly captivating from up close and from an elevated point. You should definitely try seeing the hot spring from both viewpoints. First, hike the Midway Geyser Basin Trail Loop, passing Excelsior Crater, Opal Pool, and Turquoise Pool.

The second way to admire this natural wonder is at the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Access the trailhead one mile south of the Midway Geyser Basin at the Fairy Falls Parking Lot. Expect a gradual incline to over 100 feet, and after two hours of walking, you’ll be looking down at mesmerizing views of Grand Prismatic Spring.

Hike to Fairy Falls

• Distance: 4.8 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Gain: 170 feet

Standing at 200 feet, Fairy Falls is one of Yellowstone’s most impressive waterfalls. It also provides one of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park , so brace yourself for a thrilling adventure that ends with a tumbling cascade. 

Nestled in a dense forest, Fairy Falls offers peaceful surroundings, ideal for taking loads of photos. Enjoy an easy trek along the flat Fairy Fall Trail, accessible right off Grand Loop Road. It’s recommended to hike to Fairy Falls in the afternoon to avoid the midday heat.

Otherwise, you can stretch the length of your hike by combining it with a trek past the Grand Prismatic Viewpoint from the Fairy Falls Parking Lot. This is a great hike to immerse yourself in Yellowstone’s diverse ecosystem and natural splendor. 

Stop at Gibbon Falls

Set along the mighty Gibbon River, these 84-foot-tall falls are among the most accessible waterfalls in Yellowstone. They are located just off Grand Loop Road, offering you the perfect quick stop when traveling to Norris Geyser Basin or the park’s north entrance.

Gibbon Falls drops off the remains of Yellowstone’s caldera rim, which was a result of a massive volcanic eruption that took place over 600,000 years ago. Enjoy excellent views from the designated parking area near the top of the falls, but you’ll have to wait your turn.

Due to its small size, the parking lot can get quite congested, causing a delay. If you want to avoid the crowds, be sure to follow the paved Gibbon Falls Wildlife Trail to claim your spot.

Visit the Artists Paintpots

• Elevation Gain: 101 feet

Named after the colorful, paint-like mineral deposits, Artists Paintpots offers geothermal features comparable to no other attraction in the park. Located about three miles south of the Norris Geyser Basin, this area is bubbling with mud pots and colorful hot springs.

Access the trailhead from a parking lot sitting about half a mile from Grand Loop Road. Here, you’ll find basic vault toilets and the starting point of Artists Paintpots Trail. As you walk along the loop, you’ll come across a partially burned pine forest before winding through a meadow.

While strolling on the boardwalk, keep your eyes open for the red, yellow, and milk-blue colored hot springs, mud pots, and small geysers. Note that this path is a bit more rugged than its southern counterpart, Fountain Paint Pot Trail, sitting amidst lush pines and grass. 

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End the Day at Norris Geyser Basin

• Distance: 2.9 miles loop
• Elevation Gain: 190 feet

Famous for being home to the hottest and most acidic thermal pools in Yellowstone, the Norris Geyser Basin is packed with geysers, hot springs, and steam vents ready to explore. The atmosphere is quite surreal, with steam rising against backdrops of colorful mineral deposits and barren landscapes.

This area can be explored by trekking two separate loops or combining them into a super loop. The northern one is shorter and takes you past the likes of Ledger Geyser and Porcelain Springs. In the south, you can choose between two longer loops that traverse through other highlights in the area, like Emerald Spring and the Steamboat Geyser.

Day 3 of Your Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

Wrap up your three days in Yellowstone on a high by exploring one of the most extraordinary viewpoints in the national park before climbing up to one of its highest points. Spend the last day of your itinerary admiring a magnificent cascade, a rare hot spring, and plenty of wildlife.

Explore the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

If you think you have seen all there is to see in Yellowstone, then you’re in for a big surprise. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone fully epitomizes this epic national park’s fascinating geological complexity. 

But this Grand Canyon didn’t always look like this. Over 600,000 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption caused an outpour of magma deposits over many miles. But it was only about 150,000 years back that the Yellowstone River began slowly carving out this gem.

Navigating through the Grand Canyon may be a bit challenging, but you’ll soon figure it out. There’s plenty to do here, from hiking surrounding trails like the Brink of the Lower Falls and Uncle Tom’s trails to marveling at stunning vistas like Upper Falls View and Inspiration Point.

Hike the Mt. Washburn Trail

• Distance: 6.8 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Gain: 1,394 feet

Go on a rewarding hike to the summit of Mt. Washburn for panoramic views of Yellowstone. Tucked between Tower Falls and Canyon Village, Mount Washburn gives you access to one of the highest points in the national park, topped off with spotting wild animals and flowers.

Access this trailhead via the Dunraven Pass, about 4.5 miles north of Canyon Junction. This is a moderately challenging hike that could easily take about four hours to complete. So, you should aim for an early morning trek and keep on the path to avoid destroying the flora.

This hike offers an opportunity to spot roaming wildlife. Bighorn sheep are very popular in these parts, and so are grizzly bears in the fall when they’re looking for whitebark pine nuts. 

View Tower Falls

• Distance: 0.9 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Gain: 301 feet

Located in the northeastern part of Yellowstone, less than five minutes away from Tower Junction, this incredible waterfall offers one of the best views in the national park. Plunging 132 feet, this waterfall is beautifully surrounded by towering cliffs and lush vegetation.

Before, people could hike down to the bottom of Tower Fall, but due to severe erosion, that path has been closed. So, the best way to admire this cascade is at the Tower Fall Overlook. 

Walk three-quarters of a mile past the viewpoint, and you can see the Tower Creek flow into the Yellowstone River. The beginning of the Tower Fall Trailhead is marked by a general store and public bathrooms. Be on the lookout for bighorn sheep, falcons, and black bears.

Visit Lamar Valley for Wildlife Spotting

• Distance: 7.1 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Gain: 698 feet

Located in the northeastern section of the park, Lamar Valley forms part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, also known as America’s Serengeti. So, there’s no need to visit Africa for a thrilling safari — just explore the verdant and animal-packed Lamar Valley.

From elk to bison and deer, large animals are easily spotted, thanks to the lush grasslands that provide food and grazing land. You’ll find some of the largest herds of elk and bison in North America here. Other critters like coyotes, cougars, and red foxes have been spotted.

Explore the Lamar Valley via a scenic drive. There are many pullouts along the road, giving you access to wildlife spotting spots, short trails, and overlooks of the lush surroundings.

If You Have Time, Explore Mammoth Hot Springs

Set atop a travertine hill, Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the most unique places to visit in Yellowstone. Located about five miles south of the North Entrance, these hot springs are accessible via boardwalk trails to the viewpoints. You can also take a drive around the area.

While you can easily spend the day marveling at the terraces of white travertine, colorful mineral deposits, and steaming hot springs, you’ll find other interesting things to do here. Visit Fort Yellowstone and soak in the seasonal Boiling River, or drive to Gardiner. This small town offers loads of bars and eateries to enjoy meals, as well as many hotels and lodges.

How to Get to Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is located primarily in the northwest corner of Wyoming but also slightly extends into Montana and Idaho. Hence, the park is accessible by car via several entrances, including the North, West, South, and East entrances. 

Major airports near Yellowstone include Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) in Wyoming, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana, and Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) in Idaho. You’ll then hire a rental car from any of these airports and drive to Yellowstone.

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How Much Time Is Needed When Visiting Yellowstone

To fully immerse yourself in the park’s main attractions and highlights, a minimum of three to four days is highly recommended. This gives you ample time to explore the top attractions, from the Old Faithful Village to the Grand Canyon, as well as the iconic Norris Geyser Basin.

Best Time to Go to Yellowstone National Park

The best time to visit Yellowstone largely depends on personal preferences and desired activities. Generally, the summer months, running from June to August, are the most popular times to visit due to warm weather, open roads, and abundant wildlife. But this also means you’ll have to contend with larger crowds and higher accommodation prices. 

Spring (April to May) and fall (September to November) offer milder temperatures, far fewer crowds, and great opportunities to see wildlife during mating seasons and vibrant fall foliage.

On the other hand, the winter season (December to March) provides a unique experience of snowy landscapes, as well as opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Yellowstone National Park in Spring

Spring represents a time of renewal in Yellowstone, with melting snow giving way to lush greenery and blooming wildflowers. Wildlife emerges from hibernation, and baby animals can be spotted throughout the park.

Enjoy mild temperatures, fewer crowds compared to summer, and the opportunity to witness dramatic waterfalls at peak flow. Note that some areas of the park may still be inaccessible due to lingering snow, and weather can be unpredictable, with occasional rain showers.

Yellowstone National Park in Summer

Summer is the peak season in Yellowstone, characterized by warm temperatures, long daylight hours, and a wide range of outdoor activities. You’ll witness iconic geothermal features, explore hiking trails, go wildlife watching, and enjoy scenic drives through the park. 

Keep in mind that summer also brings large crowds, especially at popular attractions like Old Faithful and visitor centers. It’s important to book accommodations and activities months in advance and be prepared for busy roads and limited parking.

Yellowstone National Park in the Fall

Fall in Yellowstone is a spectacular time to visit, bringing vibrant foliage that paints the landscapes in shades of gold, orange, and red. Wildlife activity peaks as animals prepare for winter, making fall an excellent time for wildlife viewing and nature photography. 

You’ll enjoy cooler temperatures, fewer crowds than in summer, and serene landscapes bathed in autumn colors. Fall also offers unique opportunities for hiking, camping, and enjoying the park’s scenic beauty without the long queues that come with summer crowds.

Yellowstone National Park in Winter

Winter transforms Yellowstone into a tranquil wonderland, with snowy landscapes and steaming geothermal features creating an appealing atmosphere. 

While most roads are closed to vehicles due to snow, the park remains accessible for winter activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and wildlife watching. 

You’ll witness iconic landmarks like Old Faithful against a backdrop of snow and experience the park’s geothermal wonders in a peaceful setting.

Read More: Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park 2024 Guide

Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park

As one of the most visited national parks in the United States, Yellowstone sees many tourists throughout the year. While some seasons welcome more visitors than others, the park and its nearby towns are more than capable of delivering star-rated accommodation.

Consider these hotel recommendations when looking for a place to stay in Yellowstone : 

Luxury | Yellowstone Park Hotel

Located just three blocks away from the park’s west entrance, this star-rated hotel in West Yellowstone offers you an excellent blend of comfort and convenience at your fingertips. 

Step into your cozy retreat, where modern amenities meet rustic charm. Each guest room features a flat-screen satellite TV, ensuring you stay entertained after a day of exploring the park’s wonders. You’ll also enjoy the indoor pool and have access to bike rentals for tours. 

Need a pick-me-up? Brew a fresh cup of coffee with your in-room coffee maker, or store your snacks and drinks in the handy microwave and refrigerator. But that’s not all you can look forward to; the hotel also gives you easy access to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. >>>Check Availability

Note: Yellowstone Park Hotel operates seasonally. The hotel reopens on May 3, 2024.

Mid-Range | The Cody Hotel

Nestled just 45 minutes away from the awe-inspiring wonders of Yellowstone, The Cody Hotel offers you a scenic drive into the national park via the east entrance. 

Unwind in your spacious guest suite, where modern amenities meet Western charm. Each room features a microwave and refrigerator for your convenience, along with a flat-screen TV and DVD player for entertainment. 

Ready to kick back and relax? Take a dip in the inviting indoor pool or soothe your muscles in the rejuvenating waters of the hot tub. Stay active in the well-equipped gym or catch up on work at the business center, all while enjoying complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. >>>Check Availability

Budget | Big Bear Motel

Nestled less than a mile from the exhilarating Cody Stampede Rodeo, this lovely motel offers the perfect mix of convenience and relaxation for your Wild West getaway.

Dive into relaxation in the oversized outdoor heated pool, where you can soak up the Wyoming sunshine and unwind after a day of adventure. During summer, immerse yourself in the spirit of the Old West with free horse rides and live Western music in the evenings.

Each room at Big Bear Motel features a flat-screen cable TV, a seating area, and a private en suite bathroom for your comfort. Enjoy the fresh mountain air from your own private patio, offering the perfect spot to sip your morning coffee and take in the serene surroundings. >>>Check Availability

Read More: Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park | 9 Amazing Lodging & Yellowstone Hotels

Tours At Yellowstone

3-day yellowstone itinerary | faqs.

Are you still unsure about something regarding your Yellowstone road trip? Here are some commonly asked questions and their answers to keep in mind during your planning.

Where Should I Go for the First Time in Yellowstone?

For your first time in Yellowstone, start with iconic attractions like Old Faithful, Norris Geyser Basin, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Mammoth Hot Springs. 

These highlights offer a perfect introduction to the park’s diverse geothermal features, breathtaking landscapes, and abundant wildlife. Don’t forget to take your time to savor the natural beauty and unique experiences that Yellowstone has to offer from various viewpoints.

How Long Does It Take to Drive the Loop in Yellowstone?

It takes approximately four to seven hours to drive the Grand Loop Road, depending on the traffic, road conditions, and stops you make along the way. 

But, to fully experience the park and its attractions, allocate at least a full day or more for the loop, allowing you enough time for sightseeing, hiking, and wildlife viewing along the route.

What Is the Most Scenic Entrance to Yellowstone?

The most scenic entrance to Yellowstone is considered to be the North Entrance near Gardiner, offering views of Roosevelt Arch and the rolling landscapes of the northern range. 

As you enter the park through this entrance, you’ll be greeted by sweeping vistas, iconic landmarks, and the sense of adventure that awaits within America’s first national park.

Are There Bears in Yellowstone National Park?

Yes, bears are present in Yellowstone National Park, including both grizzly bears and black bears. It’s important for visitors to be aware of bear safety measures and precautions. 

Carrying bear spray is recommended when hiking or exploring the park’s backcountry trails. Bear spray is an effective deterrent that can help deter aggressive bears and provide added peace of mind while enjoying the wilderness of Yellowstone. Don’t use it unless you have to.

What To Pack For Hiking In Yellowstone National Park

There were only a few trails in Yellowstone that were worth hiking, but it is best to dress as comfortably as possible. Which is usually my hiking clothes (leggings, sports bra, and breathable shirts), and it was easy to transition when I wanted to hike.

• Sunscreen:  Super important and because it was so freaking hot when we were here!   >Buy Sunscreen
• Chapstick:  This one has SPF so your lips won’t get burned!  >Check Out This Chapstick
• Hiking Sandals:  I used these sandals when we would go to all the lookouts. So comfy yet durable.  >Check Out My Hiking Sandals
• Hiking Boots/Shoes:  If you use tennis shoes, you can easily hurt your toes hitting a rock by accident (Trust me, I have done it so many times before).  >Check Out My Hiking Shoes
• Hiking socks:  Having the correct socks helps prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there.  >Buy Hiking Socks
• Water Reservoir:  Water reservoirs help prevent dehydration while hiking. The great thing about this reservoir is that it doesn’t have a plastic taste.  >Here Is My Water Reservoir
• Water:  Stay nice and hydrated. It was soooooo hot when hiking here. Bring water to every hike.
• Sunglasses:  It can get sunny in the summer, so make sure to pack some sunglasses.  >Check Out These Sunglasses
• Snacks:  The best snacks are jerky, nuts, and energy bars.  >>>Check Out These Snacks
• Camera:  The Sony A6000 was one of the first cameras I started traveling with. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.    >Buy Sony Camera Here
• First Aid Kit:  This is one of the first things I bought when I first started going on adventures. It is super portable.  >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
• Day Pack to carry all your things:  To carry all your gear, water, and food, you need a good backpack. Osprey is known to have some of the best backpacks in the market.  >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
• Headlamp:  A headlamp is an absolute must in case you get stranded in the dark! It is a lot more portable and easier to use than a flashlight.  >Buy A Headlamp Now
• Leggings or Hiking Pants:  I usually wear leggings while hiking because it is what I feel most comfortable with!  >Click For My Favorite Hiking Leggings
• Breathable sweat-wicking shirts : Cotton shirts soak up your sweat when hiking, so make sure to wear something breathable.  >Check out this awesome breathable shirt here.
• Sports Bra:  For women.  >Check This One Here
• Jacket:  Fall can get pretty chilly.  >Buy My Favorite Jacket
• Rain Jacket:  The worst feeling in the world is being wet and cold while hiking. You can get hypothermia, so always carry a poncho or a rain jacket when you hike Wyoming. Thunderstorms can happen.  >Check Out My Rain Jacket Here
• Tripod:  This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures.  >Check out this tripod
• Knife:  I always carry a knife in my backpack just in case.  >Check Out My Knife Here
• Bear Spray: There are so many bears here! Stay safe and hike with some spray. Everyone should carry one. >Check It Out Here
• National Park Pass:   I highly recommend getting a year-long America The Beautiful Pass so you can get into both parks with ease.   >Get It Here
• Map And Trail Guide: Start planning your trip with this. >Buy One Here

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Your Ultimate 3-Day Yellowstone Itinerary | Wrapped Up

With this comprehensive 3-day itinerary, you’ll experience the best of Yellowstone, from its iconic geothermal features to its stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife. 

Whether you’re captivated by the cascading waterfalls, colorful thermal pools, or the thrill of spotting bison and bears, the park promises an unforgettable adventure at any time of year. Summer gets the most visitors, but spring and fall introduce colorful wildflowers and foliage into the region. Winter presents a snowy adventure, with fewer crowds hovering around.

If you have more time to explore the region, it’s highly recommended to take a road trip to Grand Teton National Park. You can see top attractions, pristine lakes, and spot roaming wildlife at both national parks through a 7-day Grand Teton to Yellowstone road trip itinerary .

Next Read: Prepare for an epic Wyoming adventure and add these best hikes in Grand Teton National Park to your thrilling itinerary.

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Yellowstone Itinerary Ideas from 1 to 5 Days (+Map & Planning Tips)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: May 25, 2024

Planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park and wondering how much time you need to visit the park, how to plan your trip, or what’s the best Yellowstone itinerary for your vacation?

In this post, we share our experience-based advice for visiting Yellowstone National Park, essential tips for planning your trip, and a suggested Yellowstone itinerary for one to five days . Find out!

These planning tips, Yellowstone itinerary for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days, and handy maps will help you get the most out of your trip to Yellowstone, no matter how much time you have.

Good to know: Note that these are all summer itineraries only (approx. mid-May to mid-October). That’s the period when all the roads are open and you can explore Yellowstone to the fullest. In winter, most of the roads in Yellowstone are closed and you can only visit the Old Faithful and the Mammoth Springs areas.

TIP: If you want to visit Yellowstone, but are overwhelmed with all the planning, you can also easily see the park with an organized tour. There are day trips or multi-day tours available. Here you can find our selection of the best Yellowstone tours .

Below, you can find a detailed day-to-day itinerary for Yellowstone. I also included a map for each recommended Yellowstone trip itinerary. That way you have a better idea of where all those places are and how to best plan your time when visiting Yellowstone.

Of course, you don’t have to follow these itineraries precisely, but it gives you a good idea of the main landmarks and the time you need to see them.

TIP: You can jump straight to our Yellowstone trip itinerary suggestions . However, before going into the details of your Yellowstone itinerary and starting to plan your trip, there are some important things you should know! So I suggest that you read that information first. Take a look!

Yellowstone Itinerary & Trip Planning Tips – OVERVIEW

• Essential info – read before planning a trip to Yellowstone!
• How much time you need in Yellowstone?
• Entrance fee
• 1 day in Yellowstone
• 2 days in Yellowstone
• 3 days Yellowstone itinerary
• 4 days Yellowstone itinerary
• 5 days Yellowstone itinerary

Important Info for Planning a Trip to Yellowstone

ACCOMMODATION: Your Yellowstone itinerary will depend so much on the location of your accommodation. Price-quality-location-wise, West Yellowstone is one of the best places to stay near Yellowstone. You can also see what’s available in this area for your travel dates via the map below.

Alternatively, check our detailed guide to the best places to stay in and near Yellowstone via the links below.

READ MORE: Where to Stay In Yellowstone National Park Best Hotels & Cabins Near Yellowstone

TIP: Using the map below, you can find the best deals for your stay. Simply insert your travel dates and group size, and you’ll see all the best deals for accommodation near Yellowstone.

DRIVING DISTANCES & TRAFFIC: Don’t underestimate driving distances in Yellowstone. The park is big and the traffic is busy in summer. On top of that, you may experience delays due to road works and wildlife traffic jams. Furthermore, parking spots at the most popular landmarks are scarce, so you may need some extra time and patience.

Important!!! Please always check the official website for up-to-date information on any road closures or planned works in the park when planning your trip! Also, things can change before your trip, so it’s always a good idea to check it again a few days before your trip.

HOW TO ESCAPE THE CROWDS: All that being said, we visited Yellowstone end of July, the busiest season of the year. It was only busy around the most popular attractions. Actually, it’s quite easy to escape the crowds in Yellowstone if you want to – just go for a walk.

I read somewhere that around 80% of Yellowstone visitors never walk further than 10-15 minutes from their car. We could definitely confirm that from our experience. Don’t be one of those tourists! If you have some time to spare and are physically capable, make sure to make at least several short walks in Yellowstone.

Of course, you have to see the main landmarks and attractions of Yellowstone , but it’s those unplanned experiences, hidden gems, and unexpected encounters that will make your trip more memorable.

WHEN TO VISIT: If you are not sure when to go to Yellowstone, please check our guide for the best time to travel to Yellowstone . If you are planning to visit in the peak season, please check out our experience-based tips for visiting Yellowstone in July and in August .

How much time do you need in Yellowstone National Park

When I was researching our American road trip itinerary , I quickly realized that one or two days are simply not enough for visiting Yellowstone. Not only is Yellowstone the oldest National Park in the world, it’s also one of the biggest and most diverse National Parks we ever visited.

After thorough research, we decided to spend four full days in Yellowstone. It gave us just enough time to see all the main highlights without having to rush. We did quite some hiking, went for a swim, spent time driving the scenic loop road and looking for wildlife…

Yellowstone is so big and so diverse that you could easily spend a week or two here and never get bored. However, if you just want to see the main landmarks of Yellowstone, three or four days is enough. You can also see a lot with just a day or two, especially if you plan your time well and focus on the ‘musts’ – our itinerary suggestions below will help you do just that!

TIP: Don’t pack your days too much and leave some space for unexpected wildlife encounters, bison traffic jams, a beautiful hike, a soak in the warm river, etc. Yellowstone is so much more than just the most famous landmarks!

LEARN MORE: Tips for Your First Trip to Yellowstone

Yellowstone Entrance Fee

You’ll need an entrance pass for Yellowstone. It costs 35 USD per private vehicle and is valid for 7 days. You can buy it at any entrance gate of the park.

However, if you are visiting several National Parks in the same year, it’s better to get an annual National Parks Pass. It’s called America the Beautiful Pass and costs 80 USD for the whole family traveling in the same vehicle. It is valid in all National Parks and 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States for one year from the month of purchase.

TIP: If you only visit for a day, you can also opt for this day tour that includes all the fees . Also this popular 4-day tour includes entrance fee, so you don’t have to worry about any of that.

And now that you know all the practicalities, below, you can find our Yellowstone itinerary suggestions. Take a look!

Here are our Yellowstone itinerary suggestions for any trip duration:

One Day in Yellowstone National Park

If you only have one day in Yellowstone visit the Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin , Grand Prismatic Spring , and drive at least part of the scenic lower loop road .

If you are short on time when visiting Yellowstone, I suggest driving the lower loop passing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (stop by Artist Point), Hayden Valley, and Yellowstone Lake.

Below is a map indicating all the main landmarks that you should be able to see in Yellowstone in one day.

One Day Yellowstone Itinerary:

• Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail (optional)
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Hayden Valley
• Yellowstone Lake
• West Thumb Geyser Basin

For more details and information for this Yellowstone itinerary, please see our 1-day itinerary via the link below.

READ MORE: One Day in Yellowstone

TIP: If you only have one day in Yellowstone, it might be wise to join an organized day trip rather than go on your own. Experienced local guides will make sure that you get the most out of your very short stay in Yellowstone. Here’s the best Yellowstone day tour (departing from Jackson Hole or Teton Village) that I was able to find. And here is a one-day tour from West Yellowstone .

Here is a map indicating all the best places that you should be able to see in Yellowstone in one day.

How to use this map:  Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.

2 Days in Yellowstone

This is our suggested two day itinerary for the best of Yellowstone. Please note that to see all of this in just two days you will need to start really early and you won’t have much extra time to explore deeper.

This itinerary will make sure you get to see the very best of Yellowstone in 2 days. Take a look!

Two Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Old Faithful Geyser, Old Faithful Inn, and the Morning Glory Pool (Upper Geyser Basin). Grand Prismatic Spring. Norris Geyser Basin. Mammoth Hot Springs .

Day 2: Undine Falls and/or Wraith Falls. Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass. Yellowstone Grand Canyon. Hayden Valley. Mud Volcano. Yellowstone Lake. West Thumb Geyser Basin.

You can find our detailed 2-day Yellowstone itinerary and tips for your trip via the link below.

LEARN MORE: Two Days in Yellowstone

TIP: If you have 2 days in Yellowstone and want to see the very best of the park without having to do much planning, consider joining this highly-rated and very complete Yellowstone 2-day/1 night tour (departs from Jackson, WY).

Below is the map illustrating the 2-day itinerary suggestions for Yellowstone. The places indicated in red are described in the 1-day itinerary above, purple – day 2.

Yellowstone Itinerary for 3 Days

If you have three days in Yellowstone , you can explore all the main areas at a more relaxed pace. In addition, you’ll have some time for some lesser-known places that will make your Yellowstone trip even more special. Below is our suggested itinerary.

Three Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Old Faithful and the Geyser Loop Trail (don’t miss the Morning Glory Pool). Grand Prismatic. Norris Geyser Basin.

Day 2: Mammoth Hot Springs . Undine Falls. Wraith Falls. Petrified Tree (not a must). Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass.

Day 3: The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone River (Artist Point, Lower Falls). Hayden Valley. Yellowstone Lake.

TIP: If you’d like to do some hiking in Yellowstone, on day 3, you could go hiking along the rims of the Yellowstone Canyon. There’s also a very highly-rated hiking tour with a local guide that you can join in this area.

This Yellowstone itinerary for three days includes pretty much all the main landmarks that you really have to see in the park.

Below is the map showing suggestions for things to see when visiting Yellowstone in 3 days. Places indicated in red are the ones described on day 1 of this itinerary, purple on day 2, and yellow – on day 3.

4 Days in Yellowstone

We stayed four full days in Yellowstone with kids , but our trip itinerary can be used by all types of Yellowstone visitors. More adventurous travelers might want to do a bit more hiking, but if you want to see all the main highlights of Yellowstone without having to rush – this is it .

Here is my suggested four-day itinerary for Yellowstone based on our experience. We visited the Grand Prismatic and the Old Faithful area at the end of our trip and I think it was a good decision. It’s often better to leave the most impressive places for last; that way you appreciate the rest more.

We also spread the visit of three thermal areas (West Thumb Basin, Norris Geyser Basin, and the Grand Prismatic/ Old Faithful areas) over separate days. That way you have more diversity every day. Otherwise, it’s easy to get ‘geysered out’ in Yellowstone :).

Four Days Yellowstone Itinerary:

Day 1: Lewis Falls. West Thumb Basin. Yellowstone Lake. Storm Point hike. Mud Volcano area. Hayden Valley.

Day 2: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Artist Point, Lower Falls). Norris Geyser Basin. Firehole River (swimming, if possible – check here for up-to-date info).

Day 3: Mammoth Hot Springs. Undine Falls. Wraith Falls. Petrified Tree (optional). Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass.

Day 4: Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic). You can also hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Lower Geyser Basin. Upper Geyser Basin (the Old Faithful Geyser, Old Faithful Inn, and the Geyser Loop Trail), also Biscuit Basin and/or Black Sand Basin.

TIP: If you are looking for the best guided tour option, check out this beautiful 4-day/ 3 night Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip with a focus on wildlife (departs from Jackson, WY).

Below is a map indicating each of the suggested places from our 4-day Yellowstone itinerary. Places indicated in red are the ones described on day 1 of this itinerary, purple – day 2, yellow – day 3, and green – day 4. The blue dots are the places that we mention in the 5-days Yellowstone itinerary further below.

5 Days in Yellowstone

If you have five days in Yellowstone, make sure you see all the main landmarks and highlights described in the four-day Yellowstone itinerary. In addition, you could hike to Mount Washburn . It’s a long hike (6-7 miles (10-12km) depending on the route you choose) and requires a good part of the day.

Another nice option on foot or by bike is Lone Star Geyser . It’s located about 3 miles south of the Old Faithful area and can be reached via a hiking/biking trail from there. It erupts every 3 hours.

Otherwise, you can find plenty of other nice hikes, go for a boat ride on Yellowstone Lake, go for a scenic float or rafting nearby, join a hiking tour , etc.

Take a look at the map above (4 days in Yellowstone) – the blue dot next to Dunraven Pass is Mount Washburn, and the blue dot south of the Old Faithful is the Lone Star Geyser.

So, these are my suggestions for the best way to plan your Yellowstone trip and see the main landmarks of Yellowstone. None of these itineraries are very detailed as they would require separate articles, such as the ones for 1 and 2 days that we linked to above. So if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try to help.

Please note that every trip and itinerary will be somewhat different because so much depends on the location of your accommodation. We have lots of information and detailed guides for visiting Yellowstone , so please check those articles for more suggestions on how to plan your Yellowstone trip.

Update: Since so many of our readers asked for suggestions on how to best combine Yellowstone NP with Grand Teton NP, Glacier NP, and also with visiting Mount Rushmore, we have published dedicated articles about those places as well. Take a look below!

• Here you can find info on the best places to see and things to do in Jackson Hole .
• Here you can read more about the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park in one day .
• Here you can find a suggested itinerary for both, Yellowstone and Grand Teton .
• Here you can find Glacier National Park itinerary suggestions .
• Here you can read more about visiting Mount Rushmore and things to do near Mt Rushmore .

More information for planning your trip to Yellowstone:

• Overview: Yellowstone Travel Guide
• What to see: Best Things to Do in Yellowstone
• When to go: Best Time to Visit Yellowstone
• What to pack: Yellowstone Packing List
• Accommodation: Where to Stay in and Near Yellowstone & Best Hotels Near Yellowstone
• For families: Yellowstone with Kids
• Must-see: Grand Prismatic Spring & Old Faithful Geyser
• Fun to do: Boiling River

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Tracy Hughes

Tuesday 17th of October 2023

What airport did you fly into? Also, how far was the drive from the airport to Canyon Lodge?

Wednesday 18th of October 2023

Hi Tracy, Yellowstone was just part of a much bigger road trip for us. We flew out of Salt Lake City after we left the park. That was like 6 hrs drive. But there are plenty of smaller airports nearby (1-3 hrs). You can find this information in our Yellowstone travel guide.

Tuesday 19th of September 2023

We just returned from Yellowstone and I wanted to thank you for all the information on your website. It was invaluable for our trip. We could have never seen this much without your tips. THANK YOU!

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Glad to help, Muryel.

Friday 11th of August 2023

Hi Jurga, I'm planning a camping trip to Yellowstone NP for my family in early Sept 2024. We'll be pulling a 30' camper. I like your 4-5 day Yellowstone itinerary and was wondering if you stayed at one particular camp site or did you move to different camp sites to cut drive times? Which one(s) would you recommend? Thank you so much for your help! Brent D.

Sunday 13th of August 2023

Hi Brent, we do not camp so we stayed at the hotels - Canyon Lodge most of the time, plus the Old Faithful Lodge for a night. You can find more info about Yellowstone campsites here.

Monday 24th of July 2023

hi jurga i am thinking to come in oct end and thinking where ot fly from NY and with best price in mind where to stay and how to plan for 4-6 days total .

Tuesday 25th of July 2023

Hi Claudia, first, keep in mind that most roads in Yellowstone close for the winter season on November 1. End of October can also already be quite cold and snowy, so you have to be prepared for some uncertainty. Check the official site for the road conditions and planned closures. For the rest, if you do indeed go in October, you should be able to visit most places as described in our itinerary suggestions, so please check our article for how you could plan your time. As for where to stay, many accommodations inside the park will also be already closed for the season. Only Mammoth Hotel and OF Snowlodge remain open somewhat longer in October, but also not the entire month. So the best places to stay are likely West Yellowstone and/or Gardiner. Please take a look at this article for more information on the best hotels near Yellowstone. Having said all this, if you can plan your trip somewhat earlier, even if just a few weeks, it will make a big difference. End of October is really the very end of the main season. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

Sunday 14th of May 2023

We’re booked for 7 nights at Grizzly RV park in mid July. This will be our first trip to Yellowstone! We’re traveling in an RV with a tow vehicle, so we’ll have transportation for traveling around. Any thoughts? I’ve been looking at itineraries and it almost seems like we should have tried to stay in a couple of different places. We’re heading to Lava Hot Springs after that and making our way to Salt Lake City. Thanks!

Monday 15th of May 2023

Hi Mindy, this RV park is located in West Yellowstone which is really one of the best locations to stay for Yellowstone if you can't find a place inside the park. My best recommendations would be to focus on different area each day so that you can explore deeper and drive a bit less. But yes, it's quite inevitable that you will have to cover big distances on some days, for example, if driving to Lamar Valley. So yes, with a week, ideally, you would split your stay between several different areas in the park, but if you can't change your bookings anymore, just make the most of it. With good planning and early start (to avoid the long queues at the park entrance), you can see all the best places using West Yellowstone as your base location. Have a great trip!

The Perfect 3 to 4 Days in Yellowstone Itinerary

Last Updated on February 29, 2024

by Audrey Webster

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

Planning a thorough 3 to 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary is essential when visiting this gorgeous natural area straddling Wyoming and Montana. As one of popular parks in the US (and the first created) it is for good reason. Powerful geysers, colorful hot springs, wildlife, and more all await visitors upon their arrival to Yellowstone.

There is a lot to see and do in this iconic national park so this guide will take you through all of the essential information that you need to know before visiting Yellowstone.

Table of Contents

How Many Days in Yellowstone?

Yellowstone is a huge park. There are countless features and areas to explore. If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Yellowstone, three to four days is the minimum amount.

With 3 days, you’re going to be able to see a good portion of the Park’s highlights and have enough time to explore them. If you can spend 4 days, this will give you more time to dig deeper and enjoy America’s oldest national park even more!

A three-day or four-day visit is generally packed solid with activities. If you can make it happen, it’s ideal to spend 5 days in Yellowstone or even longer in the park as there’s always more to explore in Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is a popular park with lots of things to do, but it can be hard to decide between visiting here or other nearby parks, such as Yellowstone or Glacier or even Yellowstone or Grand Teton . If you decide to visit any of them, just make sure you budget enough time.

Getting To & Around Yellowstone

Yellowstone is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with parts of the park extending into Montana .

If you’re visiting from far away, the nearest major airport is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. Here you can rent a car to drive throughout the park. There are several main entrances to the park where you’ll be able to purchase a park pass, one per vehicle. 

The main entrances of Yellowstone are each near a major section of the park, so try to create a trip that begins in the area of the park you reach first to save yourself some driving time.

The North Entrance is closest to Mammoth Hot Springs, West Entrance is closest to the geyser basin, South Entrance is closest to Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, East Entrance takes you to Yellowstone Lake, and the Northeast Entrance is nearest to the valleys known for their wildlife spotting.

The best way to see Yellowstone is by car. There is no public transportation throughout the park, so having a car at your disposal for transportation is necessary. This is especially true if you visit any of the valleys known for wildlife sightings. The roads are easily accessible and marked with clear signage. 

If you need to rent a car for this trip, you can browse Rentalcars.com which shows prices from many car hire suppliers. Alternatively, you can look at renting an RV or campervan from Outdoorsy which could be a good option if travelling to Yellowstone from further away such as from Denver or driving from Seattle.

Yellowstone experiences a dramatic change between seasons. While visiting any time of year grants you exceptional views, you should make sure to pack accordingly. A visit in winter warrants winter boots, a large jacket, and other supplies to keep you warm.

You might also consider bringing tire chains or installing winter traction tires on your vehicle. Summers are comfortable and warm. Pack comfortable walking shoes, as you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet exploring the various hot spring and geyser areas, and clothes you’re comfortable moving around in. 

Lodging in Yellowstone comes in several forms. During the summer months, you should consider camping in one of the park’s many fitted campgrounds. Make sure you book a campsite as far in advance as possible.

Yellowstone is popular and campgrounds fill up months in advance. If camping is not your desired overnight accommodation, consider staying in a yurt or lodge instead. You can also choose to stay just outside the park for a slightly more affordable option.

3 to 4-Day Yellowstone Itinerary

Keep in mind that your Yellowstone trip can be as personalized as you want. The best places highlighted here are suggested favorites throughout the park to inspire your trip planning. Yellowstone has a little something to offer everyone and you should take advantage. 

Day 1 – Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Hot Spring & More

West thumb geyser basin.

Kick off day one at the West Thumb Geyser Basin and you’ll be hooked on Yellowstone. Located along Yellowstone Lake, there is a great contrast between the sprawling lake and the steaming colorful pools of water side by side.

Some of the area’s most impressive features lie close to the lakeshore: Abyss Pool and Black Pool. Both pools are vibrantly blue and deep, inspiring their names. The Fishing Cone, also known as Hot Spring Cone, is another favorite feature of the West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin

After exploring the West Thumb, head over to the postcard image of Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful. This geyser was discovered in 1870. It drew attention because of its predictable and frequent eruptions, unlike other geysers in the park and is one of the most popular and best things to do in Yellowstone.

You can sit back and relax on the porch of the Old Faithful Lodge while enjoying these regular eruptions. Don’t leave the area when you’re done at Old Faithful. Stay to explore the Upper Geyser Basin. The Sponge Geyser, Castle Geyser, Beehive Geyser, and much more all await your discovery. 

Midway Geyser Basin

The Midway Geyser Basin might have few hot springs, but the ones it does boast are huge. Here you’ll find the Excelsior Geyser, a 200 by 300-foot crater that pushes out over 4,000 gallons of water per minute.

There are a variety of hot springs, ranging in size, color, and temperature. Walk the boardwalk through this geyser basin to enjoy its impressive sites. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the Grand Prismatic. 

Grand Prismatic Hot Spring

You’ve most likely seen photos of the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s one of the most well known and impressive hot springs in the entire park.

Grand Prismatic is the largest spring in the park and third largest in the world, you most likely won’t be able to see the opposite side through the steam while visiting. The pool’s water travels 121 feet to reach the surface. It’s a cannot-miss site when you visit Yellowstone National Park. 

Day 2 – More Geysers & Hot Springs

Lower geyser basin.

On day two, continue your journey through the park’s thermal sites by starting at the Lower Geyser Basin. Here you’ll find an array of hot springs and geysers. There are two trails you can choose from to explore the area: Morning Mist Springs and the Quagmire Group or Sentinel Meadows.

Make sure to visit the nearby Fountain Paint Pots, where you’ll find several vents pushing through thick mud. The SIlex Springs and Celestine Pool are two popular hot springs.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris is known for being the oldest and hottest geyser basin in Yellowstone. It’s located outside the caldera that composes Yellowstone and on the intersections of some major faultlines, making it one of the most active areas in the park.

The most popular attraction is the Steamboat Geyser, also known as the tallest geyser in the world. However, it only erupts once every 5 to 21 days. You can explore both the Back Basin and Porcelain Basin while here.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs was created over thousands of years as calcium carbonate flowed from the ground and hardened. Today, these stark white travertines cascade down the hillside, pouring steam and boiling water from their cracks.

Like Norris, Mammoth Hot Springs is located outside the caldera but is fueled by the same geothermal energy that powers the rest of Yellowstone. While visiting the area, keep an eye out for elk resting in the travertine hot springs. 

Boiling River Hot Spring

The colorful hot springs throughout the park look enticing to jump in, but their intense temperatures prevent it. However, there is one place where you can soak in water heated by the Yellowstone caldera.

The Boiling River is where water from a large hot spring feeds into the Gardner River, mixing the river’s cool water with the spring’s boiling temperature to create a pleasantly warm section. A portion of the river is blocked off by a rock wall to create small soaking pools aside from the river’s rapids. 

Day 3 – Tower Falls, Lamar Valley & Blacktail Plateau

This 132-foot waterfall is tucked back in a canyon yet easily accessible. Iconic photos of the waterfall show the pinnacles that stand above where the waterfall begins to cascade down. They were formed by a lava flow that cracked and parted as it cooled.

If you’re looking for an easy hike to warm up on day three, this is it. There is a paved trail leading 150 yards to an overlook of the waterfall. 

Lamar Valley

If spotting wildlife is a favorite activity of yours, a visit to Lamar Valley should be high on your Yellowstone road trip. The best time to visit the valley is in the early morning or late evening as this is when most animals are out searching for food.

Keep your eyes peeled for elk, bears, coyotes, and bison throughout the valley. You’ll want to have your binoculars and camera ready. Make sure to drive carefully as animals frequently dart across the road. 

Blacktail Plateau

For a drive that’s off the beaten path (literally), check out Blacktail Plateau. This 6-mile one-way dirt road zigzags through the backwoods and meadows of the Mammoth Hot Springs region.

It’s another great opportunity to spot wildlife in action but without the crowds you’ll most likely find at Lamar Valley. Make sure you research the road conditions ahead of your visit and bear in mind that RVs, buses, and trailers aren’t allowed. 

Day 4 – Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcanoes & More

Grand canyon of the yellowstone.

Your fourth and final day in Yellowstone begins with a visit to one of the park’s most iconic destinations. The yellow-tinted walls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone inspired the park’s name. Here is where you’ll find the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.

You can hike along the south rim of the canyon, but make sure to walk carefully and wear good hiking shoes as there are places where there’s no trail barrier. 

Hayden Valley

This expansive sub-alpine valley is another favorite destination for wildlife spotting in Yellowstone National Park. The valley floor is an ancient lake bed. Here you’ll find buffalo, elk, wolves, coyotes, and grizzly bears.

Like Lamar Valley, make sure you visit in the early morning or evening. If you want to catch the wildlife and avoid the crowds, try the morning. Anticipate running into traffic if you visit in the evening. 

Mud Volcano

Yellowstone is filled with vibrant and colorful pools, but it also has boiling pots of mud. The mud volcanoes contrast the tranquil hot springs with their brown, smelly, and bubbling mud that nearly blend in with the landscape if it weren’t for the steam and bubbles.

The Sulfur Caldron is a favorite – a site you’ll smell before you see. A walk through the mud volcano area during your 4 days in Yellowstone NP will round out your entire trip to the park. 

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake, sitting at 7,733 feet above sea level. It has 110 miles of shoreline for you to explore. The historic Yellowstone Lodge sits right alongside the lake and provides a quiet resting place after a long day of exploring the park. If you want to experience the lake up close, consider rowing or kayaking. 

Where to Stay Near Yellowstone

If you’re spending 3 days in Yellowstone or if you have time for 4, then you’re going to need to find a great place to stay that’s located close to the national park.

Bentwood Inn – This luxury hotel is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a place to stay that is within easy reach of Yellowstone. Located in Wilson, WY, they have countless plush rooms on offer, breakfast included each morning, and they even offer wine and cheese for guests in the evenings.

Yellowstone Park Hotel – Located in West Yellowstone, Mt, this mid-range hotel is an excellent choice. Located close to Yellowstone NP’s western entrance, they have a number of great rooms available and even have an on-site swimming pool.

Private Rental – A private rental — like this cabin close to the Park’s west entrance — is a great option if you’re after a bit of privacy or want your own self-catering option while visiting the park. There are countless properties to choose from that will suit most budgets and tastes.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Yellowstone hotels!

Your time in Yellowstone National Park will be well spent no matter how you structure your days. It’s most important that you craft a trip that fits your interests. Take this route as inspiration while creating your itinerary for Yellowstone. 

Are you planning a trip to Yellowstone? Have any questions about visiting this national park? Let us know in the comments!

Related Posts:

10 Best Stops on a Denver to Yellowstone Road Trip

12 Best Stops on a Seattle to Glacier National Park Road Trip

The Ultimate 3, 4 or 5 Days in Glacier National Park Itinerary

About Audrey Webster

Audrey Webster is a writer for The World Was Here First. She is an Oregon native who has visited countries across the globe and currently spends her weekends exploring the Pacific Northwest and surrounding states. Her approach to traveling combines exploring famous tourist sites and wandering off the beaten path to discover new destinations.

A wonderful itinerary for a short visit! However, due to maintenance work and road closures any routes cannot be completed as planned, especially if planning a trip in late spring and summer. My husband and I have had the good fortune to have visited Yellowstone several times on longer trips, staying outside the Park, i. e West Yellowstone, Cody, WY. and Red Lodge, MT which provided access from different entrances. Also a drive to the Park via the Bear Tooth Highway (from Red Lodge) is a must see. In addition to road closures and maintenance work, one has to factor in time lost due to backups on roadways due to animal sightings and animals on the roads.

thanks for the post Audrey,, just too man variations and options for yellowstone.. I think we’ll use this as a foot hold and plan around it !!!

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Best 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary For First Timers (2024)

Feeling overwhelmed about planning your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary? You’ve come to the right place!

Yellowstone National Park embodies the ideal road trip destination. It’s got wildlife, natural wonders, beautiful scenery, lots of outdoor adventures, family-friendly activities, and so much more!

Planning your trip? Use our favorite resources!

For accommodations –   Hotels.com  |  Expedia  |  VRBO ​ For car rentals –   Discover Cars ​ For tours & excursions –   Viator ​ For cheap flights – FareDrop ​ For travel insurance –   Safety Wing

My husband and I visited Yellowstone as part of a 2-week trip out west in August 2020. We had four days designated to Yellowstone, and for a first-time visitor, I think that’s about the perfect amount of time to see the highlights and get a good feel for the park and what it has to offer. While there is so much more that we didn’t get to see, I feel that we did the park justice in the amount of time we had.

related: One-Week Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton Itinerary

So if you are looking for the best Yellowstone 4 day itinerary, look no further! Let me be your Yellowstone trip planner! Here’s everything you need to plan and make the most of your trip!

Best 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary

Ok, let’s get into the good stuff! Here’s the road trip itinerary for four days in Yellowstone National Park.

This itinerary was created with West Yellowstone being the base camp for your trip. All maps, mileage, and drive times are based on this. I suggest you stay in this vicinity in order to make the most of your time at Yellowstone. I found it to be a great area to stay. If you are staying somewhere else, then your mileage and drive times will differ, but you can easily adjust this itinerary to work with wherever you’re staying.

Day 1 – Northern Section

Total distance: 171 miles Length of drive: 5 hours

Start your Yellowstone trip itinerary by exploring the northern section of the park.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Get an early start and drive north through the park towards Lamar Valley. You can head directly there if you’d like, but a nice detour is Blacktail Plateau Drive. It’s a one-way dirt road so if you’re going to take it, take it on your way to Lamar Valley. It offers some nice scenery and when we took it in August, we only saw a few other cars, so it’s a nice place to drive to get away from the crowds when visiting Yellowstone.

• Lamar Valley

After finishing the Black Plateau Drive, continue through Lamar Valley. The earlier you get here, the better your chances of seeing the wildlife.

Did you know that Yellowstone has the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states? While some animals are more elusive than others (wolves, moose, bear, etc.) you have the potential to see bighorn sheep, bison, elk, moose, mountain goats, mule deer, pronghorn, white-tailed deer, black bears, Canada lynx, coyotes, grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolverines, and wolves.

We were fortunate to see bison, elk, pronghorn, a coyote, and a moose while in Yellowstone. We didn’t get to see a bear which was on my bucket list, but there’s always next time!

After you’ve spotted some wildlife, make your way to Trout Lake.

It’s a short hike to the lake but it’s steep, so make sure you have proper footwear. This is a nice scenic area where you can walk around the water and take a little break. There weren’t many people here either when we went, so you’ll also get a break from the crowds.

If you packed a lunch this would also make a great spot for a picnic or a snack.

Lamar River Valley and Specimen Ridge Trails

After a bite to eat, if you want to do a bit more hiking, consider exploring parts of the Lamar River Valley and Specimen Ridge trails. I’m sensitive to heat so it was a little too warm for me to do these hikes in August, but they are on my list for next time!

More details on these and other trails can be found on the AllTrails website or app.

After a bit of hiking (or after Trout Lake if you don’t want to hike) swing by Tower Fall. You can admire it from the viewing area or take the hike down to the bottom.

Mammoth Hot Springs

End your day with some time exploring Mammoth Hot Springs. Take some time to walk around the geothermal wonders and then take the Upper Terrace Loop drive to see some more of the features up close.

Day 2 – Geysers and Waterfalls

Total distance: 135 miles Length of drive: 3 hours 30 minutes

BONUS: Mount Washburn

If you’re a hiker and want to get a good trek in this morning, get an early start, head to Dunraven Pass, and take the hike up to Mount Washburn. It’s a 6.8-mile out-and-back trail and is rated as moderate. You can get all the hike details here.

Upper and lower falls

This can either be your first stop of the day, or you can head directly here after hiking Mount Washburn. The Upper and Lower Falls of Yellowstone River near Canyon Village was one of my favorite parts of our 4 day Yellowstone road trip .

There are so many different places you can view the falls based on how much walking you want to do and how much time you want to spend. At the very least, I recommend checking out the Lower Falls from both sides of the river and then going down ALL the steps to the brink of the Lower Falls. It’s a LOT of steps but it’s worth it.

When we were there we hiked the South Rim Trail to Artist Point which was a beautiful walk with lots of lookouts. We had wanted to do Uncle Tom’s Trail but it was closed when we were there.

• Hayden Valley

This is another great area of the park to see wildlife. This is also where we saw the moose! Drive along and see what you can spot!

Just be courteous to other drivers and if you do see any wildlife and want a closer look, find a safe, designated place to pull over to view. Don’t stop in the middle of the road and do your best to allow traffic to keep moving.

Hayden Valley is a very busy section of the park because of all the wildlife, especially the bison. They can sometimes wander into the road and cause a “bison jam” which will back up traffic. Park rangers will sometimes use emergency vehicles to move the bison off the road. Just keep alert and be patient if you have to wait for the wildlife. This is their home after all!

Mud volcano

This area has a lot of cool features, like Dragon’s Mouth Spring and the Mud Volcano .

Norris geyser basin

Wrap up your day with the Norris Geyser Basin. As the name implies, there are a lot of geysers here, like Steamboat Geyser and Echinus Geyser . See how many you can catch erupting!

Day 3 – The Famous Attractions

Total distance: 64 miles Length of drive: 1 hour 45 minutes

Today is all about seeing the sites that make Yellowstone famous!

fountain paint pots

If you’re not tired of geysers yet, start your morning by walking around the Lower Geyser Basin and the Fountain Paint Pot Trail.

grand prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic is part of the Midway Geyser Basin and is world-famous for its rainbow of colors. Anyone planning a trip to Yellowstone needs to stop here! Visiting in the middle of the day will show off the colors the brightest and has a better chance of not being too foggy.

You should view it from ground level first and then head down the road a minute or two to Fairy Falls Trail parking lot to hike up to the Prismatic Spring Overlook.

fairy falls

If you’re up for an easier hike today, continue down the trail from the Grand Prismatic overlook to Fairy Falls. It’s a 4.8-mile out-and-back trail. It can get a little crowded but it’s a beautiful waterfall and worth the hike.

This would also be a nice place to eat a packed lunch. You can see the hike details here.

Upper Geyser Basin & Morning Glory Pool

This is another section of geysers and pools that would be a great way to spend some time while waiting for the next eruption of Old Faithful.

I would suggest heading directly to Old Faithful after Fairy Falls and finding out when the next eruption is predicted. If you have time, hit up some of these trails. If the next eruption is soon, then you can explore these if you want to afterward.

old Faithful

Finish out your day with the grand finale of Old Faithful. This famous geyser erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and is well worth fighting the crowds to see.

As mentioned above, if you have some time to kill before the next eruption, you can explore the Upper Geyser Basin or just relax and walk around the general store, visitor center, lodge, and the beautiful Old Faithful Inn.

Day 4 – Southern Section

Total distance: 150 miles Length of drive: 3 hours 30 minutes

On the final day of your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary, you can either hit up some of the areas you might have missed during your first 3 days or you can spend some time in the southern section of the park. When we were in Yellowstone, most of this part of the park was closed due to a wildfire, so this is the itinerary I would have done if the roads had been open.

Lone Star Geyser

Begin your day with a hike to Lone Star Geyser . This is an easy 5.3-mile out-and-back trail.

Lewis Falls

Next, take the drive down to view Lewis Falls.

• West Thumb Geyser Basin

This area of geysers right along Yellowstone Lake looks very scenic.

• Yellowstone Lake

Take the rest of the day to drive along Yellowstone Lake. You can either drive partially along it and then turn around and head back the way you came, or you can drive all the way along Route 20 until you reach Grand Loop Road and then drive back to West Yellowstone through Hayden Valley again for more wildlife viewing. The time and distance will be about the same for either choice.

If you have less than 4 days in Yellowstone…

If you can’t do Yellowstone in 4 days because you have less time, here are a couple of modified options to help you still see the best of the national park in the time you do have.

If you have 1 day in Yellowstone:

Make sure you hit up the main attractions:

• Upper and Lower Falls
• Norris Geyser Basin
• Grand Prismatic
• Upper Geyser Basin & Old Faithful Geyser

If you have additional time, you can drive up to see Mammoth Hot Springs or drive to Hayden Valley to look for wildlife.

If you have 2 days in Yellowstone:

On Day 1, visit Mammoth Hot Springs, drive through Lamar Valley to look for wildlife, stop at Tower Fall, continue to Upper and Lower Falls, and end at Norris Geyser Basin.

On Day 2, visit Grand Prismatic, head to Upper Geyser Basin & Old Faithful, drive along Yellowstone Lake and spend some time there, and then head up through Hayden Valley for wildlife watching in the evening.

If you have 3 days in Yellowstone:

Follow my four-day Yellowstone itinerary but skip Day 4.

If you have more than 4 days in Yellowstone…

If you have more than 4 days for your Yellowstone National Park itinerary, here are some things you can add:

• Beartooth Highway –   this is one thing I wish we would have had time to do. This is a 68-mile road from Red Lodge to Cooke City that many consider the most beautiful drive in America. This road is also closed from around October to April/May depending on the snow, so check conditions before you go.
• Boiling River – a popular section of the Gardner River to go swimming. It’s located right on the Montana/Wyoming border off of Route 189.
• Add in some hikes – we did not get to do much hiking/walking on this trip so I don’t have any personal recommendations, but you can use the AllTrails website or app to find the best ones in the area. Some that I’d like to do next time include the Lone Star Geyser Trail and Shoshone Lake .
• Explore the town of West Yellowstone – we walked around the town a bit in the evenings to get dinner or just window shop. There are plenty of places to eat and pick up souvenirs, and also family-friendly activities for the kids, like the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center and the Zipline Adventure Park.

Quick facts about Yellowstone National Park

• Yellowstone is not only the first established national park in the United States but also in the world! It became a national park on March 1, 1872.
• Yellowstone is 3,472 square miles, which equates to over 2.2 MILLION acres! It’s one of the largest national parks in the US. Within these acres, there are about 290 waterfalls and over half of the world’s active geysers and hydrothermal features.
• In 2023, Yellowstone was the 7th most-visited national park with 3.2 million visitors.

Top 10 Best Things to do in Yellowstone National Park

Oh man, it is so hard to choose the top 10 things to do in Yellowstone! The park is massive and there are dozens of amazing sights to see.

However, here is what I believe are the things every first-time visitor needs to see when exploring Yellowstone:

• Old Faithful
• The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Upper & Lower Falls
• Mammoth Springs

The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is open all year round and there are activities to do in every season, but parts of the park do close down in the shoulder seasons and in winter.

View current conditions for Yellowstone National Park here.

The roads in the interior of the park (Old Faithful, Upper and Lower Falls, etc.) are closed during the winter as are many visitor centers and facilities, so keep this in mind when you’re planning your trip.

However, in winter there are very few visitors, and if you enjoy winter activities like snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling, you’ll get to see a side of the park not many others do! Check out what other things you can do in Yellowstone in the winter.

On the flip side, the summer is the busiest time to visit the park. Half of the yearly visitors to Yellowstone come in June, July, and August. You will for sure be fighting big crowds and the heat, and accommodations will be harder to book and will be more expensive. You also risk the chance of wildfires closing parts of the park.

However, all the facilities and roads are open at this time, so you’ll be able to experience just about everything in the park in the summer.

Spring and fall are great times to visit Yellowstone. The crowds are fewer, the weather is cooler, and you’ll have more options for places to stay. Generally, the interior roads start opening around April and start closing around October. Check the Yellowstone road status page for up-to-date information.

So no matter when you decide to visit, there are plenty of things to see and do!

How to get to Yellowstone National Park

If you are flying to Yellowstone National Park, the closest airport is West Yellowstone which has flights from early May to mid-October from Salt Lake City. Other nearby airports include Cody and Jackson in Wyoming, Bozeman and Billings in Montana, and Idaho Falls.

If you are driving, here are the approximate driving times to West Yellowstone from some of the closest larger cities:

Boseman, Montana:  1.5 hours Billings, Montana:  4 hours Cody, Wyoming: 3.5 – 5 hours, depending on seasonal road closures Jackson, Wyoming: 2.5 hours Idaho Falls, Idaho: 2 hours

NOTE: There are five entrances to the park, but the most popular (and therefore the busiest entrance) is West Yellowstone. Since this is a popular place to stay (and my personal recommendation), all the above drive times are to the town of West Yellowstone, but if you are arriving from another side of the park (Cody, WY for example) it will take you less time to reach the park itself.

How to get around Yellowstone National Park

Having your own vehicle is going to give you the best experience in Yellowstone as there are no shuttles in the park. You’ll be able to plan your own itinerary based on what you want to see and spend as much time as you want at any of the sights.

Consider downloading your maps, itinerary, and directions before leaving so you can access them offline. Cell phone service can be spotty in Yellowstone and you’ll want to make sure you know how to get around the park. Google Maps is a great option. You can download any map you create and navigate without cell phone service.

If you will need to rent a car for your road trip, I highly recommend using Discover Cars . They search all the rental companies for the best price, and if your plans change, you always get free cancellation.

However, if you do not have your own car, there are a couple of other options.

There are a few local Yellowstone tours and shuttle bus companies that operate in the area. You can find out more about them here.

However, I’d recommend using Get Your Guide to book a tour or any activities. You can check reviews and you will often have a smaller or private group and a more authentic, enjoyable experience.

What to pack for your 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary

In order to make the most of your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary, here are some things you should not forget:

National Park Pass

If you have the  National Park Pass , make sure you don’t forget it! They come with a rearview mirror holder so you can hang it up and not have to dig around for it when you enter the park.

This is a given, but you are going to be so amazed by all the beauty and geothermal wonders, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t have a good camera to capture it all.

A good phone camera would work well for most landscapes, but if you want to get some awesome wildlife pictures, you might want something with a zoom lens.

Is that a moose or just a log? If you have binoculars, you won’t have to guess!

Hiking shoes & good socks

If you plan on doing any kind of hiking, I’d recommend hiking shoes or boots rather than sneakers. The socks you wear with your boots will also make a huge difference in how your feet feel. I like  Cloudline  wool socks, but there are lots of great brands out there.

While Yellowstone can get very hot in the summer, especially around the geothermal pools and geysers, you should make sure you pack along a variety of clothing, including clothes you can layer. If you head out early or stay out late, it might be a bit chilly and I’m sure you’d rather be prepared than be cold.

More than likely, you’ll be out and about in the park all day and may not have quick access to a store. Plus it can get VERY hot in the summer and you will want to stay hydrated.

While the visitor centers do sell water, it will be much easier to just bring lots of water with you so you don’t have to worry about running out or changing your plan in order to go find some.

Hiking pack + the 10 essentials

While most of the trails and boardwalks in Yellowstone National Park are well-traveled and you’ll see people frequently, you still want to be prepared. Bring along a hiking backpack or something with good back support and keep it stocked with the  10 essentials for hiking and you’ll be set.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat

Nothing can ruin a trip faster than sunburn, am I right? Yellowstone is hot and often very sunny in the summer, so you’ll want to make sure you protect your skin and your eyes from the sun. A hat would be a good idea as well.

Certain parts of the park can get buggy, so just be prepared and carry some with you.

Spotting bears is one of the big things on people’s Yellowstone to-do list, but usually from the safety of your car!

If you plan to do some hiking, just make sure you hike with at least one other person and carry bear spray (and have it easily accessible and know how to use it). Pay attention to your surroundings, make plenty of noise, and you’ll be fine!

NOTE:  You can’t fly with bear spray so I’d recommend purchasing it once you arrive if you are traveling by plane.

You should also give any other animals that you encounter plenty of space too. Any wildlife can be unpredictable, and you want to keep yourself and the critters safe!

Swimsuit & Towel

If you plan to spend some time at any of the lakes or hot springs, you’ll want to make sure you have a swimsuit and towel along.

Walkie Talkies

Cell service isn’t great in the park, and if you are traveling in a group and want to split up when visiting some of the landmarks, walkie-talkies can be a great way to keep in touch with the others in your group.

Find the best road trip walkie-talkie options here.

Optional: Hiking poles

While not a necessity, I thought I’d include this one since a lot of people find them useful. I tend to use hiking poles more when I’m backpacking than just day hiking, but some of the hikes in Yellowstone can be long and challenging and hiking poles might come in handy.

For a complete road trip packing list, check out this post.

Places to eat in Yellowstone National Park

We didn’t eat out much on our trip, but we did eat at the Firehole Bar-B-Que Company in West Yellowstone and it was quite good. Some other recommended places include Ernie’s Bakery & Deli and Wild West Pizzaria & Saloon , also both in West Yellowstone. If you make it up to Cooke City, Miners Saloon is also supposed to be good.

If you’d like to eat in the park, there aren’t a lot of options. I would suggest packing a lunch along on most of your days. However, lots of people want to get a chance to eat at the historic Old Faithful Inn . There are a couple of restaurants there. This might be a nice place to relax and eat before or after viewing Old Faithful.

Where to stay in Yellowstone National Park

We stayed in our friends’ RV on this trip and parked at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park . We don’t have a lot of experience with RV parks but it was a nice one in my opinion.

If you want to stay in the park, there are nine lodges to choose from, including Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the famous Old Faithful Inn . However, these places tend to be on the more expensive side and can fill up VERY quickly.

No matter where you stay, make sure you plan ahead and book as soon as you can. Places can book up very quickly, especially in the summer .

But don’t stress! There are plenty of reasonably priced accommodations of all kinds outside of the park. In fact, I wrote a whole post on the best ones so you don’t have to spend hours doing the research!

Here are the best places to stay near Yellowstone!

How to avoid crowds in Yellowstone National Park

As the second most visited national park, it’s going to be pretty tough to avoid the crowds. Everyone comes to see Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, and for good reason!

But how do you get away from the masses when there are just so many people in the park? Here are a couple of tips:

Visit during the shoulder seasons

Yellowstone is at its busiest between June and August. If you have the flexibility, try to come during another time of the year.

If you come in late April to May, the interior roads start opening up and there will be a lot fewer visitors. Plus this is the time of year the bison and pronghorn give birth to their babies.

September to early October is also a great time of year to visit. The interior roads do start to close sometime in October, but you’ll have a greater chance of seeing bears as they come down from the mountains, and you’ll have gorgeous fall colors!

Arrive early and stay late

As with most national parks, the earlier you get in, the smaller the crowd will be. The park is open 24 hours a day, so if you can swing it, get in as early as you can to enjoy the first hour of daylight with fewer people around. You can catch the sunrise and have a better chance of seeing wildlife too.

You can also choose to stay in the park late. A lot of tourists leave the park around dinnertime, but if you pack your dinner and stay out until sunset, you’ll not only get a gorgeous view, but this is also a great time to see animals. This is also when I’d recommend going to see some of the biggest attractions, like Old Faithful or the Upper and Lower Falls.

Consider exploring less popular areas

Yellowstone National Park as a whole is incredibly busy, but there are definitely places that don’t see the crowds of Grand Prismatic and Mammoth Hot Springs.

The area south and east of Old Faithful, around Yellowstone Lake, and down to the Wyoming border is a less-visited part of the park that still has a lot to offer. There are tons of hiking trails and lakes along this section, and you can also see waterfalls and some geysers too.

Parts along the northern section of the park, between Tower/Roosevelt and the Northeast Entrance Station, can also be less crowded. We found hardly any other cars on Blacktail Plateau Drive and the area around Trout Lake.

If avoiding crowds is a top priority for you, consider spending more time in these areas, away from the popular attractions.

Places to visit around Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is a perfect jumping-off point to so many other great locations. If you want to extend your Yellowstone National Park itinerary to include a few other places, here are some suggestions:

• Glacier National Park
• Grand Teton National Park
• Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
• Bighorn National Forest
• Black Hills & Badlands National Park

Yellowstone National Park FAQs

When is yellowstone national park open.

Yellowstone National Park is open all year round, 24 hours a day. Parts of the park are only open seasonally because of snow, but there are things to do in the park all seasons. Check out the Yellowstone National Park Service website for more details .

How much does it cost to enter Yellowstone National Park?

A 7-day park permit costs $35 per vehicle.

If you have an America the Beautiful pass, entry is free.   I highly recommend getting this pass if you plan to visit more than one national park in a year  – it will save you money. A one-year pass costs $80.

A Yellowstone National Park annual pass is $70, but this would only be worth it if you are going to be visiting the park for longer than a week and you aren’t planning to go to any other national parks within the year.

There are also several days throughout the year when entering any national park is free!  Check out the list of free National Park days here.

How many days do you need to see Yellowstone?

We spent a full 4 days in Yellowstone when we visited in August 2020, and I think that was the perfect amount of time for first-timers. You get to see all the main sites without being too rushed, but it also leaves some time for you to relax if you wish.

If you want to do more hiking and also explore more off-the-beaten-path places, you might want to add an extra day or two.

What is the best month to visit Yellowstone National Park?

Overall, I’d say the best month to visit Yellowstone would be May or September. Most of the interior roads to the park are open, but it isn’t as hot or crowded as in June, July, and August.

How long does it take to drive the loop in Yellowstone?

There are actually two loops in Yellowstone, the Upper Loop and the Lower Loop. Essentially, if you wanted to drive them both in their entirety in one day, you would make a figure 8. This would take about 5-6 hours to complete without stops.

The Upper Loop takes approximately 2 hours to drive without stops. This section includes Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, Mt Washburn, and Lamar Valley.

The Lower Loop is a little larger and takes just under 3 hours to drive without stops. Here you would see Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, and the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.

Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone is basically the outside of the two loops. It is 142 miles around. If you wanted to drive this in one day, it would take approximately 4-7 hours. This would all depend on how many stops you wanted to make along the way.

Conclusion: 4 Day Yellowstone itinerary

And there you have it! I hope this was helpful for you in planning your trip to Yellowstone National Park.

If you want to see a more inside scoop of what our Yellowstone trip was like, check out the video below from Happily Ever Hanks . They are good friends of ours and traveled with us on our 2-week trip to Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.

Want to save this for later? Pin it!

Stefanie Henne is an experienced road trip travel blogger who specializes in helping others plan their dream vacation, no matter their budget or time restraints. Go here to read more about Stef's story. If you want to send Stef a message, visit her contact page here.

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2 Days in Yellowstone, Our Best Vacation Itinerary

See wildlife, geysers and mountains views..

At more than 3,400 square miles, you could spend a lifetime exploring Yellowstone National Park. But what if you only have two days? We’ve put together an incredible 2-day itinerary that packs in incredible hiking, wildlife watching, geyser viewing and more to make sure you can see Yellowstone’s best in just one weekend.

Watch Bison, Grizzlies and Wolves in Lamar Valley

Called “America’s Serengeti,” this grassy valley supports huge numbers of bison, grizzly bears, elk, coyotes, wolves, moose and bald eagles. For your best chance of seeing a wolf, get up before sunrise and head to Lamar Valley in the park’s northeast corner. Use binoculars or a spotting scope at pullouts. Remember to always stay at least 100 yards from predators like bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from other animals like bison and elk.

Tip: The Yellowstone area is home to many dedicated wolf watchers. If you see multiple people at the same pullout early in the morning, you’ve probably found them and, subsequently, some of the park’s wolves.

Stroll the Boardwalks of Mammoth Hot Springs

Near the park’s north entrance, stop at Mammoth Hot Springs where you can see colorful travertine terraces. These terraces are formed by hot springs rising to the surface and depositing dissolved limestone in dramatic patterns. Mammoth Hot Springs is composed of two loops. If you do them both, you’ll see approximately 50 hot springs as you follow the boardwalks for 1.75 miles. There are a few sets of stairs on these boardwalks.

Hike to Mystic Falls

Head to the Biscuit Basin trailhead to hike the easy and picturesque trail to Mystic Falls . The 2.4-mile trail starts on the boardwalk through Biscuit Basin where you can see several thermal features before splitting off into the forest. The trail follows the Little Firehole River and ends at a beautiful 70-foot waterfall that’s well worth the hike.

From the falls, you can turn around and go back the way you came, or you can continue on the trail to add another mile to the hike and do a loop which will bring you to an overlook where you can see Upper Geyser Basin, home to Old Faithful.

Dine at Old Faithful Inn

A trip to Yellowstone wouldn’t be complete without seeing one of the largest log structures in the world. Built from 1903-04, the Old Faithful Inn is a stunning hotel worth visiting if for no other reason than to experience its lobby and check out its architecture.

The inn’s flagship restaurant, the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room , is only taking reservations for those staying in the park at any hotel or campground in 2022. Non-lodging guests can check in with the host stand for same-day availability, though don’t count on there being room in this popular restaurant. If you can’t get a table, there are several other dining options in the complex that don’t take reservations, including the Old Faithful Snow Lodge Obsidian Dining Room.

Hike Beyond Old Faithful

Chances are, seeing Old Faithful erupt is at the top of your park bucket list. Start the morning by watching this incredible geyser erupt. If you’re up before the visitor center opens, check the predictions on the next eruption at www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/exploreoldfaithful.htm . Old Faithful usually erupts every 60-110 minutes.

After seeing the park’s most famous geyser, follow the boardwalks into Upper Geyser Basin . You can walk up to 6 miles through the highest concentration of geysers in the world here. Along the way you’ll pass stunning blue, orange and yellow hot pools, have to duck from the mist of erupting geysers and get to watch the Firehole River steam. Once you get away from Old Faithful, the crowds tend to disappear. Keep your eyes peeled for animals like bison and elk. Walk as far as you like before turning back towards the parking area.

See Grand Prismatic

Head to Midway Geyser Basin and walk along the boardwalk to see one of the world’s largest, deepest hot springs, Grand Prismatic Spring . It’s larger than a football field at 370 feet across and deeper than a 10-story building at 125 feet. Its colors are spectacular and range from deep blue in the center to green to yellow and orange on the edges. The pool gets its coloring from different species of heat-loving bacteria that thrive at different temperatures. Stroll the boardwalks in this area to see several other pools.

Tip: If you want an elevated view, take the Fairy Falls trail 0.5 miles to an overlook where you can see out over the spring. It will give you a totally different perspective from seeing it from the boardwalks.

Picnic Alongside Yellowstone Lake

When your stomach starts growling, beeline for Yellowstone Lake , the largest high elevation lake in North America with 141 miles of shoreline. Thirteen picnic areas line the lake’s shores but if you’re coming from Grand Prismatic, the West Thumb or Grant Village picnic areas are the closest spot to have lunch with a view of the lake. Break out the cooler to enjoy a serene picnic. The lake is so big, that it feels like you’re looking out over the ocean complete with the sound of waves lapping against the shore.

Tip: If you didn’t bring your own lunch, stop by Grant Village Camper Services for sandwiches, snacks and drinks. It’s open 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily.

Get information about all picnic areas in Yellowstone at www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/picnic.htm .

See Giant Waterfalls

Did you know Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon? The powerful Yellowstone River formed the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which is home to three incredible waterfalls : Upper, Lower and Crystal falls. Seeing the waterfalls in the late afternoon or early evening light is breathtaking. While they are at their peak in the spring, they flow all year long.

Lower Falls is 308 feet tall and the energy that comes from its crashing course over yellow and orange canyon walls is palpable. The Lower Falls are visible from Red Rock Point, Artist Point and Lookout Point. If you want to stand on top of the falls, hike the 0.75 mile steep, roundtrip trail to Brink of Lower Falls to witness the water the moment it plunges down the canyon.

Upper Falls is shorter at 109 feet, but still impressive. Head to Brink of Upper Falls overlook, which is accessible via a short paved path, to see this waterfall. You can also see Upper Falls from Uncle Tom’s Point.

The smaller, lesser-known Crystal Falls can be seen from the South Rim Trail which is a great hike to see all three falls.

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Yellowstone National Park Itinerary: 1 to 5 Perfect Days (2023)

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Putting together your Yellowstone National Park itinerary?

Yellowstone National Park is an area I used to beg my parents not to take me to when I was a kid. I would have rather stayed curled up in my room with a good book, imagining I was in Europe or New York or someplace rather than Montana. Maybe my dad just did not have a good Yellowstone National Park itinerary!

It took almost ten years before I realized how special of a place it was and learned how to appreciate it. Daniel and I went to visit not that long ago—it was his first time. From there, we were able to come up with an itinerary that allowed us to see almost everything. Not bad when there’s so much to see in the US National Parks (though I’m biased toward Montana national parks myself)!

Here are some of the basics, whether you are looking to spend three days in Yellowstone, four days in Yellowstone, or five days in Yellowstone.

If you want to visit Montana with a car, check out my Montana road trip guide!

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How many days do you need to visit Yellowstone National Park?

How many days do you need to see Yellowstone? It all depends on how much time you have! While you can rush through the major sights in one day, spending a bit more time there is worth it. Not only does it give you a chance to see some less-touristy areas of the park and give you a greater chance to spot wildlife, but it also get a better sense of the calm and wonder the area has.

I recommend three days minimum, but you can also extend your visit five days or longer depending on how many hikes and activities you want to fit in. Two days in Yellowstone is a little tight, but you can make work if you’re organized.

Also, it’s better to leave a little wiggle room for occasional lunch stops and unexpected animal encounters. You’ll also want to keep traffic in mind since that can affect how long it takes you to get from one attraction to the other. How many days in Yellowstone is up to you, but you should think about making sure that you have factored in finding parking and any delays, as well.

How many days to spend in Yellowstone also can depend on whether you have booked accommodations and rental car far enough in advance so you have enough time.

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• 2 days: perfect for a weekend visit and to see the highlights
• 3 days: ideal for hikers or those looking to add a tour
• 5 days: perfect for those who want to see almost everything and the surrounding area [/vc_cta][vc_column_text]

Yellowstone National Park itinerary: the perfect 3 days

Here’s what you need to know when you’re putting together your Yellowstone National Park itinerary for three days. If you would like to spend more time in America’s first park, then you’ll find some additional recommendations for more days below.

This Yellowstone itinerary is built on the premise that you are staying on the West Entrance of the park. It can be completed in reverse if you are staying on the east side.

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Day 1: Paint Pots and Geysers

Today is all about seeing the geological wonders of the park! First, you’ll drive south to the famous (and smelly) paint pots at Lower Geyser Basin. Take a walk along the boardwalk, but be careful not to step in them. These “paint pots” are formed from openings in the earth’s crust and the hot air that is released to the surface.

After exploring some of the muckier areas, you’ll want to take a stop at the Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin. It’s one of the highlights of the west side of the park, and it also offers a number of trails nearby you can explore if you have the extra time. Parking can be a little tricky, so you might want to find a spot a little bit away and walk to the area where the paths are located. Again, remember to stay solely on the boardwalks so you don’t end up burning yourself!

Old Faithful provides some natural fireworks at the end of the day. There is an interval of about an hour and a half between each eruption, so you’ll want to take a look at the schedule so you can get there early enough to grab a seat. After that, head back home to your campsite. The distance from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful is about an hour, so you’ll want to keep that in mind.

If you haven’t had your fill of steam and geological features, you might also want to head to Norris Geyser Basin for a chance to see the world’s tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser.

Day 2: Yellowstone Lake and Canyon

Yellowstone Lake sits at the center of the park. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic lunch or to do some animal spotting. Elk, deer, and the occasional bear wander down here for a drink, while osprey and eagles circle ahead looking for fish. For a short, easy hike, check out the Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail .

Arrive at Yellowstone Canyon later in the evening to see the sun set on this particularly beautiful view. If you choose to stop by in the morning or afternoon, you might also want to attempt the newly reopened Uncle Tom’s Trail. You have 300 steps down and up for a gorgeous view of the canyon’s most famous waterfall.

On the way back to your campsite, journey through Hayden Valley. This is most likely the area where you will be able to spot some bison, elk, and other animals. It also offers a panoramic worth stopping for.

Day 3: Hiking, Mammoth Springs, and Lamar Valley

Mammoth Hot Springs is located at the very north of the park. You might want to rise and shine early in order to enjoy a morning hike and relax in the hot springs after. Start out at the Albright Visitor Center in order to get a map of some of the trails. All routes in this area offer interesting views of the terraces.

Be warned that access is limited to vehicles larger than a compact car, so you’ll want to park farther down at the visitor center before making the hike up.

Or, choose to hike one of the many of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park . While Yellowstone isn’t considered to be a hiker’s park as many of the others out west, there are still a number of amazing trails for all abilities. Just remember to take your bear spray with you if you’re in bear country and don’t get too close to wildlife if you see it on the trail.

If you have extra time, make sure to check out Lamar Valley . Known as “America’s Serengeti,” if you are going to see some of Yellowstone’s animals like wolves, grizzly bears, and bison, you’re sure to find them here. The valley is located near Mammoth, so it’s a quick drive to one of the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park.

Extended Yellowstone itinerary

Have a little more time? Then you might want to consider checking out some additional activities and things to do in Yellowstone National Park.

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Recommended jacket: The North Face Antora Jacket 🧥

Recommended hiking poles: Black Diamond Trail Cork Trekking Poles 🌲

Recommended day pack: Osprey Daylite Pack 🎒

Hike like a pro: Get an AllTrails Pro membership! 🗺

Day 4: Hiking or fishing

Today you can choose one of the many hikes in Yellowstone or you can go fly fishing in Yellowstone! I recommend looking into choosing a bit more of a difficult hike if you would like after several days in the car. Some options include Avalanche Peak, the North Rim Trail, and Storm Point Nature Trail. There are a number of trails worth visiting if you have a few extra days.

For anglers, the Yellowstone River is the perfect place to get your fishing on. You can either outfit yourself in nearby Bozeman or you can book a Yellowstone tour from Bozeman to take you out. Even if you’re a beginner, there’s no better place in the world to learn!

⭐ BOOK YOUR FISHING TOUR IN YELLOWSTONE HERE ⭐

Day 5: Rafting, horseback riding, or Bozeman

Today you can decide to head to the nearby town of Bozeman and try out some of the amazing food and brew pubs (and maybe even catch a rodeo depending on what time of year you’re there). If you have a family, there are a number of things to do in Bozeman that will definitely keep them entertained today.

The Yellowstone River is perfect for first-time rafters and kids looking to get a little wet. There are several rafting companies in the area, and I would recommend booking a tour if you would like to check out the rafting options.

⭐ BOOK YOUR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK RAFTING TOUR HERE ⭐

For those who want to see the park from a different angle, you can book a horseback riding tour in Yellowstone. Tours are usually catered toward beginners, so you don’t have to worry about never having ridden before. Get your cowboy on with some of these tour companies:

• Canyon Horse Corral
• Yellowstone Wilderness Outfitters
• The Diamond P Ranch

Cities near Yellowstone National Park

While many people wouldn’t consider cities in Montana to be cities at all, there are some towns with larger populations where you can find food, lodging, and things to do. Here are the main cities in the area where you will likely spend time:

• West Yellowstone

You’ll want to keep this in mind when you are planning on hotels in Yellowstone National Park so you can plan your itinerary accordingly.

Best places to stay in Yellowstone National Park

Here are some of my recommendations for places to stay either in the park or directly outside of it so you have easy access to everything. Some are West Yellowstone hotels , while others are located just outside.

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⭐ BEST FOR BUDGET TRAVELERS: CROSSWINDS INN ⭐

⭐ BEST FOR COUPLES: 1872 INN ⭐

⭐ BEST FOR FAMILIES: CLUBHOUSE INN ⭐

⭐ BEST FOR INSTAGRAM: UNDER CANVAS WEST YELLOWSTONE ⭐

⭐ BEST FOR ADVENTURERS: BAR N RANCH ⭐

⭐BEST AIRBNB: TRAPPER CABIN ⭐

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Best time to visit Yellowstone National Park

Summer in Yellowstone is always the busiest time. While the weather is often the best during these months, that also means that you can face bumper-to-bumper traffic, packed attractions, and crowded hiking trails. If you can, early June and all of September for your Yellowstone National Park itinerary are better months to have the park to yourself. You’ll also have a higher chance of getting a camping permit or booking a room at one of the lodges.

The weather in Yellowstone can depend greatly on when you go. If you plan on June, then you will want to bring a coat to wear in the evenings and a rain jacket. The best time to go to Yellowstone is usually in the shoulder months when it is a little less crowded. This is also the best time of year to visit Yellowstone so you miss the super hot months of July and August.

However, winter in Yellowstone is completely underrated in my opinion. Not only can you enjoy the park without the crowds, but wildlife is more likely to make an appearance and you can go snowshoeing on the abandoned trails. Win-win in my opinion! Do keep in mind that the major facilities will be closed, but you also have access to skiing in nearby Bozeman.

How to get to Yellowstone National Park

You can start your Yellowstone itinerary in a few different ways–here are some options to get you going.

Flying to Yellowstone National Park

When you are visiting Yellowstone, it’s likely that you are going to need a car in order to get around. You’ll want to fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN). Flight prices balloon in the summer, so it might be worth it to look into prices a few months before your trip. Flights to Yellowstone National Park are operated by a number of different airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and more.

You can also fly into Jackson Hole at the Jackson Hole Airport, which gives you access to the east side of the park and makes it easy to see the Grand Tetons, as well. Yellowstone National Park flights tend to be a little more expensive through Jackson Hole because it is a smaller airport.

Most major airlines operate out of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), and flights to Yellowstone can be expensive during the high season. I recommend booking your tickets in April if you are planning on visiting in the summer.

Taking Amtrak to Yellowstone National Park

One surprising way you can enjoy the journey to America’s most famous national park is taking the train to Yellowstone. Amtrak actually offers a package from Salt Lake City which takes you there by car or flying. Personally, I would recommend a road trip over this because you can also see some of the other national parks at your own pace if you’re coming from Salt Lake, but it’s all up to you. Unfortunately, there are no major railway stops near Yellowstone.

How to get around Yellowstone National Park

The most common way to get around Yellowstone is to rent a car and drive. Because Yellowstone does not have a public transportation option, getting around yourself is typically the best way to see the park unless you plan on booking a tour.

Car and camper rental for Yellowstone National Park

The best way to get around the park is by taking a car. There are a few tour services that can be helpful if you aren’t comfortable navigating the park on your own, but the best way to see a lot and on your terms is by having a car. You can rent one at the Bozeman airport, or in Jackson Hole if you are coming from that direction. Prices can be high mid-summer—I found options for around $175 not including gas and insurance.

Unfortunately, there is no shuttle service, meaning that you will have to find some other form of transportation either by renting a car or an RV rental in Bozeman . There aren’t any great gas stations within the park, so I recommend filling up before heading inside.

⭐ RENT YOUR CAR FOR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK HERE ⭐

⭐ RENT YOUR CAMPER FOR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK HERE ⭐

Tours of Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park offers an impressive array of tour options for every type of adventurer. For those who prefer a guided experience, ranger-led programs are available throughout the park, offering deep insights into Yellowstone’s history, geology, and wildlife.

If you’re visiting in the winter, don’t miss out on the guided snowmobile or snowcoach tours–a truly unique way to experience the park’s winter wonderland. Photography tours are also available for those eager to capture the park’s stunning vistas.

Families will appreciate the kid-friendly tours, offering fun and engaging ways to explore and learn about the park. If you’re after a more personalized experience, consider booking a private tour with a professional guide who can tailor the itinerary to your interests. No matter what your pace or preference, there’s a tour that’s just right for you in Yellowstone.

⭐ BOOK YOUR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK TOURS HERE ⭐

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Visiting Yellowstone National Park: FAQs

Here are some questions I’m frequently asked by travelers looking to head to Yellowstone.

When does Yellowstone National Park open?

Yellowstone National Park is technically open all year round, 24 hours a day. However, the accessibility to certain parts of the park varies by season due to weather conditions. Most park roads are closed to regular vehicles from early November to late April (snowmobiles and snowcoaches are permitted). The park starts opening roads to regular vehicles in late April or early May.

Visitor services, such as hotels, shops, and restaurants, also operate on a seasonal schedule, with most being open from late spring to early fall. To get the most up-to-date information, it’s always a good idea to check the official Yellowstone National Park website or call the park directly before your visit.

How much does it cost to go to Yellowstone National Park?

The entrance fees to Yellowstone are the same as they are for all other national parks in the United States. You will need to pay $35 per vehicle, which you can use up to seven days after purchase (you can now also buy specific park passes online ). I recommend buying the annual park pass, which is $70 but gives you unlimited entrance to Yellowstone all year round. If you want to step up your game even more, you can buy the annual national parks pass for $80. Let’s just say that if you plan on doing any road tripping across America, you’ll want this.

If you plan on visiting from the east entrance and you are going through Grand Teton National Park, you will need to pay two entrance fees without the annual park pass.

⭐ BUY YOUR ANNUAL NATIONAL PARK PASS HERE ⭐

Which entrance is best for Yellowstone National Park?

Which entrance you will want to stay by will depend on what you are planning on seeing before or after the park. If you want to visit the Tetons, then the east entrance will be a natural extension of your trip there. For those looking to explore Glacier National Park before or after your Yellowstone National Park itinerary, then the west entrance will be your best bet. You are also likely to find more West Yellowstone restaurants and lodging at West Yellowstone , as well.

How long does it take to drive the loop through Yellowstone National Park?

You can drive through on your Yellowstone National Park itinerary within a few hours if you would like. However, most tourists tend to want to complete the loop and get the chance to see everything. It usually takes around 4 to 7 hours to drive the loop without stopping or just a few occasional breaks. Much of this can also depend on the time of year you are going and how bad the traffic is. Expect greater delays in the middle of the summer months!

It’s also common to have backup traffic when there are animal sightings, and bison have been known to block the road for sometime. If you are just planning on doing the loop and being done, I suggest getting up early and devoting an entire day to the drive.

Is there tent camping in Yellowstone available?

If you are planning Yellowstone National Park camping , you should look for spots both in the park and outside of it. Since they tend to fill up really fast, you’re going to want to book a few months before you plan on taking your trip. You can do so online here . There are also plenty of campgrounds in the surrounding area that offer affordable prices.

Where to eat near Yellowstone National Park

There aren’t a ton of Yellowstone National Park restaurants , but there are several outside the park worth visiting. Do keep in mind that you will be paying more because of your proximity to the park–if you are staying in Bozeman then you will find everything is a lot cheaper there!

You can always take a picnic with you after picking up some groceries on the west side of the park, as well.

Grant Village Lake House Restaurant

1095 Grant Marina Rd

+1 307 344 7311

This spot can get super busy, so make sure to call before to get a reservation if you can. While nothing too fancy is served here, it is more affordable than many of the other places to eat in Yellowstone. You’ll find basic fare with a stunning view of Yellowstone Lake.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge Obsidian Dining Room

2 Old Faithful Rd

+1 307 3447311

For something a bit fancier, head over to this restaurant located right by the famous natural monument. This is another spot where you will want to make a reservation before you visit. Expect to pay a little more, but it can be a nice treat at the end of the day after adventuring and hiking .

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Can’t-miss things to do in Yellowstone National Park

Narrowing down the top things to do on your Yellowstone National Park itinerary is like trying to choose your favorite ice cream flavor–much of what you will want to see will depend on whether you want to do some hiking or if you are simply planning on seeing the sights. However, there are a few things that you most certainly won’t want to miss on this list. The things to see at Yellowstone are a lot more than below, but if you have a limited amount of time, this is a good place to start.

Old Faithful

That’s the whole reason you came to Yellowstone to begin with right? But seriously, you shouldn’t miss it while you’re here. While not quite as faithful as it used to be, you can get an idea of when it will erupt from the multiple signboards that show when the next one is. I recommend visiting in late afternoon since most the main crowd will have filtered through then, and try to get there a little early so you can get a front-row seat!

Grand Prismatic Spring

The colors of this volcanic crater makes it the perfect place to grab that Instagram photo. It might be a little difficult to find parking, but it’s worth waiting for a spot or parking a bit away and making the walk down. In the same area are a number of other pools worth admiring–just remember to stay on the boardwalk provided. The water is hot and you can get burned!

Yellowstone Lake

Located in the center of the park, Yellowstone Lake offers a respite from the many tourists and is the perfect location for a picnic lunch. Keep on the lookout for wildlife coming to the waters to take a drink. If you would like, you can also book a boat tour that will take you around the lake and give you some information about the surrounding area.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Personally, this is my favorite part of the park and the one that astounds people the most. While Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring tend to be the most-visited and known, the stunning canyon actually gives you an idea of why the park was named “Yellowstone.” It’s an amazing spot with a hike down to the waterfall on Uncle Tom’s Trail that is worth the huffing and puffing up 500+ steps!

Hayden Valley

If you’re in it for the animals, then Hayden Valley is where you will want to go when you want to see herds of bison, elk, and deer. You might also see some predators like wolves (though they do tend to be shy) looking out for their next meal. Be prepared for slow traffic–bison tend to block the road and take their sweet time getting to the other side!

Quick tips for visiting Yellowstone National Park

Here are my top five tips for making the most of your Yellowstone National Park visit:

• Get there early : The park’s most popular attractions like Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring can get crowded later in the day. Aim to arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds and have a more tranquil experience.
• Pack for all types of weather: Yellowstone’s weather can be unpredictable. Even in the summer, temperatures can drop quickly. Pack layers, including a waterproof jacket and warm clothing, to be prepared for all conditions.
• Stay on designated paths and Leave No Trace: This isn’t just for your safety but also to protect Yellowstone’s unique and fragile ecosystems. Walking off the boardwalks and trails can cause irreparable damage to the park’s geothermal features.
• Keep a safe distance from wildlife: Remember, this is their home and we’re just visitors. Use a telephoto lens for those amazing wildlife shots, and follow the park’s rules: stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and 25 yards away from all other wildlife.
• Book accommodations early: Whether you’re camping or staying in a hotel, spaces fill up quickly, especially during peak season. Make sure to book your accommodations well in advance to secure your spot.

Conclusion: the perfect Yellowstone itinerary

From the mesmerizing eruptions of Old Faithful, the calming allure of Yellowstone Lake, to the captivating wildlife encounters, there’s truly something for everyone in this Yellowstone itinerary. Remember to plan ahead, respect the park’s rules and wildlife, and most importantly, soak in every moment. Mother Nature has painted an exquisite masterpiece here in Yellowstone, and it’s all waiting for you to explore. So pack your bags, lace up your hiking boots , and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in America’s first national park.

What are you most excited to do on your Yellowstone National Park itinerary? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”National park essentials”] You’ll need to enter: National parks pass 🎟️

Document your trip: National parks journal ✏️ 

Wear your national parks love: National parks shirts 👕

Like this post? Save it for later!

Want more information on the United States? Check out these articles:

• The Ultimate Montana Road Trip Itinerary
• The Ultimate Glacier National Park Itinerary
• History in the Present: A Visit to Minute Man National Historical Park
• The Ultimate Guide to Kayaking at the La Jolla Caves

Alex is the founder of Alex on the Map, a site devoted to national park guides, hiking, climbing, and enjoying your outdoor adventures. After growing up near Glacier National Park in Montana, Alex now spends summers in the American West hitting up the trail with her husband and dog.

Her work has been featured in Fodor's, the Huffington Post, Bustle, and many more. She has also been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, CNN, and USA Today.

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ULTIMATE 4 Days in Yellowstone: Your Bucket List Itinerary

Jan 20, 2024

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I'm a travel creator and influencer coach based out of Arizona. This blog is where I share the best itineraries for US & beyond, 63 US National Parks , and influencer tips . Read More About Me ⟶

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Yellowstone National Park is the first park in the USA and popular for a reason. With its geysers, geo-thermal hot springs, colorful wonders, vast landscapes, and wildlife, any visitor would find themselves in awe of Yellowstone’s natural beauty. And a Yellowstone itinerary, 4 days, is the perfect way to see just about everything this US national park has to offer.

Based on my experience in the park, I’ve written this Yellowstone 4 day itinerary with everything you need to know for planning a trip to Yellowstone !

Before jumping into the itinerary, let’s start with some quick must-know details!

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Disclaimer: Hey explorer! This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small percentage of each purchase made through my links. I only ever recommend products I believe in and appreciate your support if you decide to use my links—thank you!

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Table of Contents

Planning Your 4 Days in Yellowstone Itinerary

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know before your trip!

• ⛰ When to Go:  Summer to early fall are ideal because this is when most of the park is open!
• ⏰ Trip Length:  4 days
• 🚗 Rental Car:  Use Expedia to help you find cheap rental cars! You will not need a 4×4 for this trip.
• ✈️ Fly: Jackson Hoke Airport is located in Jackson, WY (1.5 hours from the park)—Use Expedia to find tickets!
• 🚐 Rental Campervan: Want a campervan instead? You can rent one using Outdoorsy .
• 🏨 Stay:  We’ll cover where to stay too.
• 🎟 Park Fees:  You will be visiting national parks on this trip. The standard entrance fee is about $35 per park. To save, snag the  America the Beautiful Pass  ($79.99).

Need places to stay? I got you covered, boo.

• Under Canvas Yellowstone – A Glamping experience in Yellowstone National Park that’ll make you go, “Why do I even own a tent?”
• The Aspen Condos – If hotels aren’t your thing, you can rent some beautiful and cozy condos in West Yellowstone.
• 3BR Condo with a View – You want a view of the Tetons? You got it. I seriously don’t think I’d ever leave the patio of this 3BR condo!

*Staying in Jackson Hole, WY will give you the most flexibility for exploring Yellowstone National Park. It’s about a 1.5 hour drive but will allow you to also explore Grand Teton National Park.

Remember to grab your America the Beautiful Pass !

Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days at a Glance + Map

• Arrive North
• Boiling River
• Mammoth Hot Spring
• Lamar Valley sunrise
• Trout Lake Trail
• Dinner with a sunset
• Helicopter Tour
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Upper Geyser Basin Trail
• West Thumb Geyser Basin
• Hayden Valley sunrise
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River
• Canyon Village

Below we’ll get into each day and the activities you’ll be doing so you have a full understanding of your trip. Make sure you tailor this itinerary to fit your needs!  And while we’re here, enjoy this little map I made you!

Click here to view a live version of the map!

Ultimate 4 Days in Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

I suggest getting to Yellowstone the evening before or very early your first day. But getting here the evening before will definitely give you more time to settle in.

You’ll start your adventure at the northern section of Yellowstone National Park. But the great part about the park is that just about everything is connected by what’s called Grand Loop Road, so you’ll be able to easily navigate around!

Insider Tip: If you want a better understanding of the different part districts and entrances, make sure you read my guide on planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park .

Day 1 (North)

Drive along upper grand loop road (morning).

Opened in 1915, Grand Loop Road is a scenic, paved drive that makes up the primary road system in Yellowstone! The road stretches 142 miles in a figure-8 shape, so driving the entire road takes about 4 to 7 hours. 

But for Day 1 of your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary,  you’ll drive the upper portion of the road. Your mini road trip will only take about  3 hours , depending on how many stops you make!

Below are some to consider during your route.

• Boiling River:   A soakable hot spring in Yellowstone.
• Mammoth Hot Springs:  Popular photo destination and natural hot spring you can admire.
• Little Gibbon Falls:  Small waterfall surrounded by greenery— short walk to get to.
• Calcite Springs Overlook:  Short 0.2 mile loop trail to a scenic overlook of a river flowing through a canyon.

Visitors can access Grand Loop and its stops May through October.

Insider Tip: Remember, you still have three full days to see the park, so there’s no need to see everything today— just try to enjoy the views!

Hike Mount Washburn (Afternoon)

When afternoon hits, consider a hike! The Mount Washburn hike is a 6.8-mile, moderately challenging route that will take you to one of the prettiest views of Yellowstone National Park.

The hike starts at Dunraven Pass where you’ll climb up and up the mountain! This is a great day hike, which most people do during their trips to Yellowstone— expect it to take about 3 to 4 hours.

You can skip this hike, but it’s a great option if you’re up for the adventure!

Insider Tip: Make sure you wear good hiking boots with traction and bring your camera gear for some pics.

Soak in Boiling River Hot Springs (Afternoon)

Alternatively, if you’d rather relax, the Boiling River is the only hot spring in Yellowstone NP you can actually soak in!

Its waters sit at a toasty 114 degrees and flow into the Gardner River from the Mammoth Hot Springs area. From the parking lot, there is a half-mile path that will take you right to a wonderful soak area you can enjoy for the day.

The only precaution here is that parking is limited, so try to get here early! And if you like this kind of thing, then you’ll really love reading about the Best Idaho Hot Springs .

Insider Tip: You can make a whole picnic out of this by bringing in some food to enjoy by the spring!

Mammoth Hot Springs Sunset (Evening)

No, you can’t take a dip in these hot springs, but Mammoth Hot Springs will be the perfect place to experience your first Yellowstone sunset.

What makes them unique is their cascading terraces. The “terraces” are made up of two parts: lower and upper. 

You can access the Lower Terrace from Grand Loop Road, while the Upper Terrace can be accessed through Upper Terrace Drive. The boardwalk around the terraces is about 1.75 miles with approximately 300ft in elevation gain. 

This is a great way to end the day because it requires minimal effort to explore and is close enough to Boiling River that you won’t have to venture very far.

Insider Tip: Take a camera like a Sony a6400 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 for some photos!

Day 2 (North)

Sunrise over lamar valley (morning).

Lamar Valley is the perfect place to catch your first sunrise in Yellowstone National Park. It’s also one of “the” spots for wildlife viewing.

As the sun comes over the mountains, the entire valley starts to look more and more like a painting—this was easily one of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen!

As you drive up the road, you’re likely to see hundreds of bison weaving in between cars and grazing the grassy hills. Anddddd, if you’re really lucky, you visit to Lamar Valley will be complete with a wolf sighting !

During our visit to Yellowstone, we were lucky enough to spot an entire pack of wolves playing in the creeks near Lamar Valley—something most visitors don’t get to experience! Your best bet for catching something like that is to spend an early morning here.

Insider Tip: Please remember to leave all wildlife alone and never feed the animals. Approaching them is extremely dangerous and can leave you injured!

Trout Lake Trail (Mid-Morning)

Trout Lake is the perfect little stop after you explore Lamar Valley — it’s right down the road via a 5-minute drive! The Trout Lake Trail will take you around a forest lake in about 1-2 hours depending on how quickly you can walk the 1.2 mile trail.

The hike will start with a bit of a climb through the forest until you reach the top of a ridge. After a bit of walking, the trail will level then dip back down to the shore where you can finally enjoy Trout Lake.

You’ll immediately notice the beautiful mountain in the distance— it’s a great photo spot!

Insider Tip: This is another wildlife spotting area— watch for bears!

Tower Fall (Afternoon)

Next is a waterfall! Drive 30 minutes down the road to explore Tower Fall next. The viewpoint (also known as Tower Fall Overlook ) can be accessed near Tower Junction and is s short walk from the parking area.

This is a great little stop to enjoy for a few minutes before moving on to the next activity.

Fun Fact: Tower Fall is a waterfall that drops 132ft into Yellowstone National Park!

Hike Specimen Ridge (Afternoon)

As an alternative to Trout Lake and Tower Fall, after Lamar Valley you can head over to the Specimen Lake trailhead for a different kind of adventure.

This is considered one of the best hikes in Yellowstone National Park and would be a great addition to your itinerary! Throughout your hike, you’ll have AMAZING views, up Amethyst Mountain, and through Lamar Valley.

You’ll even see petrified trees! This is a long day hike sitting at a total of 16.9 miles and over 3,800 feet of elevation gain. Expect it to take up your day!

Insider Tip: If you go during June and July, you might see wildflowers!

Dinner at Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room (Evening)

Tonight, book dinner at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room — make sure you get something around sunset! It’s a bit fancier than most dining options in the park, but you can get a beautiful view of the lake here! 

Reservations are required for dinner. The menu changes, but in the past they’ve had everything from lamb sliders to lentil soup! What a great way to cap off day 2 of our 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary.

Insider Tip: Grab a seat near the bar for some of the better views! 

Day 3 (My Fave Day in the 4 Days in Yellowstone Itinerary)

Helicopter tour (morning).

Day 3 will be the start of your journey to the lower half of Yellowstone. And it’ll start with a bang!

From the WYS airport, you can hop on a Yellowstone Helicopter tour that will take you on an adventure from above. 

The Yellowstone Helicopters company has tours ranging from 10-minute to 6minute, but the 45-minute and 60 minute tours provide the best value and offer you the chance to see plenty of Yellowstone’s beauty from above.

Some tours will take you over popular sites like Grand Prismatic Spring! After your helicopter tour, I recommend exploring some of West Yellowstone. 

Insider Tip: If you want to spot some wildlife, a helicopter tour could be a great option to do so!

Fountain Paint Pot Trail (Afternoon)

Fountain Paint Pot Trail is short and sweet! It’s a great place to see some thermal pools and should only take about 30-minutes max to complete .

I found it to be a great photo spot as well, so pack something like a Sony a6400 and 24-70mm f/2.8 .

Insider Tip: This is an excellent location to come mid-day if you need something to do to pass the time.

Grand Prismatic Spring (Afternoon)

Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park! From the Fairy Falls Trailhead , you can hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook giving you a view of this thermal pool from above.

The trail will climb just about 100ft in 0.6 miles , but it’s worth the climb! This was a short and sweet hike that Scott and I really enjoyed on our trip.

We loved how colorful the pool was and it was nice to get to see if from a different perspective. If you don’t feel like getting a view of Grand Prismatic Spring from above, opt to explore the Midway Geyser Basin !

Insider Tip: Midway Geyser Basin includes a short boardwalk loop that will allow you to explore Grand Prismatic and other nearby ground-level pools.

Old Faithful (Afternoon)

Since Yellowstone National Park sits right on top of a volcanic hotbed of activity, there are plenty of chances for you to watch the geysers erupt.

Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in the park, which got its name in 1870. It erupts anywhere from 106 to 185 feet every 35 to 120 minutes .

Insider Tip: If you want to watch it go, make sure you grab your seat at the Old Faithful visitor center early – it gets packed since it’s one of the most popular things to do in Yellowstone National Park!

Upper Geyser Basin Trail (Evening)

Next up, you’ll take the Upper Geyser Basin Trail, which will lead you around Old Faithful, Morning Glory Pool, and lots of others .

The Upper Geyser Basin Trail area has almost 200 named and unnamed geysers and pools. Not to mention, the entire trail is a boardwalk, which I think makes it super photogenic, and easy to navigate.

My preferred way to enjoy this trail is to start it from Old Faithful and make your way to Morning Glory Pool. Expect the hike to be about 2 miles round trip with minimal elevation gain.

Insider Tip: During our visit, it was bright and hot outside, so I suggest doing this walk around sunset when it’s cooler!

Morning Glory Pool (Evening)

Now, when you see Morning Glory Pool, I KNOW you’re going to be blown away. This thermal pool sports a bright yellow and teal color that’s quite the sight for the eyes.

It ended up being one of my favorite things to see during our 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary! Unfortunately, people have thrown garbage and rocks into the pool over the years to see if they can make it into the center. PLEASE refrain from doing this . This causes the pool to cool down.

Do Better: Over time, the pool has lost so much of its vibrant color because it’s continuing to cool down. Let’s not contribute to this color loss anymore and leave places better than we found them.

West Thumb Geyser Basin (Evening)

When you’re done exploring those attractions, you can keep driving towards Yellowstone Lake (the largest (132 sq. mi.) and highest altitude lake (7,732′) in North America !) and explore West Thumb Geyser Basin! 

I would describe West Thumb Geyser Basin as similar to Upper Geyser Basin in the sense that you can walk a small trail and see a variety of geysers and geothermal pools. Some of the main attractions here include Fishing Cone and Thumb Geyser .

Insider Tip: If you’re “geysered out” for the day, then skip and maybe opt to just relax by Yellowstone Lake instead.

Day 4 (Southeast)

Hayden valley (morning).

Your day in Yellowstone will start at Hayden Valley! This is a beautiful sunrise spot, and you might be able to spot some wildlife here too!

Some short trails allow you to explore a bit more of the valley, but while here, I found myself just admiring the view from the pull-off areas. What I loved most about Hayden Valley is was the Yellowstone River flowing through it .

There are also hills in the area you can climb up to get a better perspective of the valley. Some folks choose to do this to spot wolves or bears in distant regions. 

Insider Tip: When visiting for a sunrise mission, keep an eye out for pull-out parking areas where you can enjoy the view—please keep a safe distance from the animals! 

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River (Mid-Morning)

Your next stop will be short, sweet, and scenic! Why go to Arizona when you can see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone?

Haha! The canyon stretches 20 miles and goes down 1,000 feet in depth . Scientists think it can be anywhere from 140,000 to 160,000 years old.  

You can admire the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Artist Point and Upper Falls Point . I loved both!

In my opinion, the canyon is best viewed early in the morning or at sunset. Adjust your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary accordingly. During these times, you’ll see colors in the canyon rocks that you may not be able to see otherwise!

You can also take Uncle Tom’s Trail and do a short hike to Upper Falls if you’re up for a bit more of an adventure. Uncle Tom’s is 0.7 miles and will take you to a side view of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Insider Tip: If you want to hike with a group and eat some food, book a Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone rim and loop hike tour — lunch included!

Artist Point (Mid-Morning)

Yellowstone River Falls has been described as one of the most beautiful sights in the park! A great way to get close to the waterfall is by doing a hike to Artist Point.

Artist Point will take you to a cliff where you can witness some of the most fantastic pastel colors you have ever seen in your life.  The hike takes place on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and is only 0.2 miles.

Fun Fact: Many people come here to photograph or paint the falls. 

Canyon Village (Afternoon)

Canyon Village is where the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River sits and is worth the trip before you depart.

Canyon Village is also where you’ll find some shops, Hayden Valley, and hiking trails (Uncle Tom’s Trail, Observation Peak). 

Insider Tip: Use this as an opportunity to grab souvenirs before you leave!

That concludes your trip! In the next sections we’ll cover some add-ons in case you want more time for your trip.

And while departing sounds sad, you can now make your way to Grand Teton National Park or even Glacier National Park with a Yellowstone to Glacier National Park road trip !

Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days Add Ons

In this section, you’ll find additional attractions you can add to your 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary! Feel free to swap out items we already discussed, especially if one of these glean your interest.

Fish at Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake is pretty impressive! This lake is an excellent option for kayakers, hiking, and fishing. If you want to relax during one of your 4 days in Yellowstone, I suggest heading here!

And if you like camping, well, lucky you! You can stay at the Lewis Lake Campground.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is near North Yellowstone. It includes a variety of geothermal pools and geysers you can explore.

For example, there’s Swiss Cheese Pool, Bear Den Geyser, and a whole bunch of others that have clever names. 

Trek to Union Falls

So you’ve seen Upper Falls, but what other waterfalls does Yellowstone National Park have?

Well, lemme tell you about Union Falls. Union Falls is a giant 250-foot waterfall that cascades deep in the lush forests of Yellowstone. Getting there is no joke!

You’ll be required to hike a 15.4-mile trail if you want to visit this beautiful wonder! The benefit of hiking this trail, though, is that you’ll have fewer crowds than you would have at Upper Falls.

Backpack Electric Peak

Want to go on a longer hike? Then Electric Peak is for you! This is a 20.3 mile out and back hike that features some of the best views in Yellowstone National Park. 

This trail is pretty steep and challenging, but when you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with an overlook of Yellowstone.

Excursions to Consider

If there is one thing Yellowstone has an abundance of, it’s excursions. We discussed a helicopter tour, but I recommend booking one of these if you can!

Old West Dinner Cookout — You can book an Old West Dinner Cookout that’ll take place in the Yellowstone National Park backcountry!

Rafting Trip — Go rafting on one of the various rivers by the entrances to the park. If this sounds fun to you, I suggest booking a Yellowstone rafting tour .

Go Horseback Riding — This particular horseback riding tour will take you along the Continental Divide trail, giving you views of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

Kayak — You can kayak around Yellowstone Lake , which gives you a closer look at some smaller geysers. 

Extending Your Yellowstone Trip

If you want to take your 4 day Yellowstone itinerary to the next level, I suggest making a stop at one of these US National Parks!

• Grand Teton National Park 
• Glacier National Park  
• Mt. Rushmore 
• Badlands National Park

What to Pack for Yellowstone in 4 Days

Have no idea what to pack for your trip? Based on my experience, you’ll need the following:

Keen Targhees

Trekking Poles

Osprey Pack

Sony a7RIII

16-35mm f/4

24-70mm f/2.8

70-200mm f/2.8

JOBY Gorillapod

FAQ About Spending 4 Days in Yellowstone National Park

 Now that we’ve wrapped up our trip to Yellowstone in 4 days let’s get into some frequently asked questions about Yellowstone National Park!

What State is Yellowstone National Park in?

A majority of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming; however, a small percentage is in Montana. AND a tiny part of it touches Idaho . The park stretches 63 miles north to south and 54 miles east to west.

What’s so Special About Yellowstone National Park?

Aside from it being the first national park in the US, Yellowstone is nearly 3,500 sq-miles of National Forest sitting right on top of a volcanic hotspot.

This gives it a unique edge over other National Parks in the US.

What is the Best Time to Go To Yellowstone National Park?

The best time to visit Yellowstone National Park is early spring and late summer to early fall. More specifically, April to May and September to October.

I visited in September and can highly recommend it. Most folks will visit in the summer, but I find the weather to be a little too hot. Try a different time of year, so you’re not crisping away in the sun!

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Yellowstone National Park?

$35 — Private, non-commercial vehicle; $30 — Motorcycle or snowmobile (winter) $20 —Visitors 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc.

You can view the Yellowstone park fees on the NPS site.

Final Thoughts on Seeing Yellowstone in 4 Days

And there you have it! That’s a wrap on your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary.

If you want a good mix of relaxation and adventure, I suggest splitting your time between the sightseeing activities and tours.

Booking a tour ( horseback riding , rafting , etc.) can be a great way to get a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Yellowstone!

The park is so big and while you can see most of it on your own, the tours will get you to locations you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise.

For more help with putting your trip together, I suggest reading my next Yellowstone guide: How to Plan a Trip to Yellowstone National Park !

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I'm a burrito loving explorer who got fired from corporate America and turned that into my dream career as a photographer and blogger. Now I'm here to help you explore life's magic. Thanks for stopping by!

Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days: The Ultimate First Time Visitor Guide

by Mark and Kristen Morgan

Published: June 18, 2020

UPDATED: May 21, 2024

Yellowstone National Park is an extraordinary and unique landscape. After visiting the park in both April and October, we know how challenging but rewarding planning the best Yellowstone National Park itinerary can be. We’re going to share all of our knowledge about Yellowstone National Park here, including an amazing 4 days itinerary example.

Above ground, Yellowstone can be described by every synonym of the word breathtaking. But lurking just below the surface is a super-volcano known as Yellowstone Caldera.

As hot magma rises from Earth’s Mantle toward the Crust, pressurized heat escapes in the form of thermal geysers, creating a spectacle worthy of millions of tourists each year.

This ultimate Yellowstone National Park Itinerary explains how to get to Yellowstone, all the best things to do, where to stay and of course walks you step-by-step through 4 amazing days ticking off everything that makes this place so special.

Let’s get stuck into planning your Yellowstone itinerary!

Why Visit The World’s Original National Park?

What is the fist thing you think of when you consider Yellowstone National Park? Probably super heated geysers blowing steam high into the sky, right?

We’d seen geysers before high up in the Chilean Altiplano and they were the one thing we knew for sure we would see here at Yellowstone.

However, the billowing plumes of pressurized steam had stiff competition for our favorite aspect at the park.

Spotting wildlife immediately becomes more exhilarating than looking at steam, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is immeasurably more awe-inspiring than steam, and the sheer scale of the world’s very first National Park blows the mind more than steam.

Now, that’s not to say we weren’t impressed by the gigantic geothermal caldera and all of its features, trust us, we were. It’s to let you know Yellowstone is far more than simply clouds of hot, sulfuric acid smelling steam.

Yellowstone is one of the most immense USA national parks and it covers a total of 2.2 million acres of land. Yes, it’s a little bigger than your back yard!

So in a nutshell, why should you visit Yellowstone National Park?

• Beautiful scenery throughout the entire park, plenty of wow-factor moments
• Some of the best wildlife spotting in America – including Grizzly Bears
• Fantastic hiking opportunities surrounded by nature at its finest
• Majestic waterfalls with multiple viewpoints cascading into deep canyons
• And of course Geysers, Hot Springs, Steaming Rivers & Bubbling Mud-Pots

Why 4 Days Itinerary For Yellowstone National Park?

For us personally, Yellowstone National Park had been sky high on our travel bucket list since – well, forever! Who hasn’t always wanted to visit one of Earth’s most unique and natural marvels?!

But we made one mistake the first time we visited. We only gave ourselves 3 days to explore this vast volcanic landscape. We needed 4.

Needless to say we never made the same mistake again second time we visited Yellowstone and planned a full 4 days itinerary.

If you’ve already been to the park before and this is a second or third visit, you might not need as many days. However, if you are planning for a first visit to Yellowstone, plan for 4 days.

Here’s why:

• With 3 days in Yellowstone you aren’t going to have enough time to see and do everything. You’ll spend a lot of time driving, and you’ll rush some of the most popular attractions. Plus, you will have to compromise on some things.
• With 5 days in Yellowstone you are going to find you have already seen and done everything. You will spend a lot of money on accommodation and you should instead drive down to Grand Teton if you do have this spare time.

You will strike the perfect balance between costs, attractions, drive time and being efficient if you plan a 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary.

Grand Teton : Combine Yellowstone with the  stunning  Tetons for the ultimate 6 or 7 day vacation. Our extensive Grand Teton National Park  travel guide covers the 7 best things to do and an ultra scenic 2 day itinerary.

Park Statistics And Factfile

Address : PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 Website : nps.gov/yell Phone : (307) 344-7381

Park Hours : All day, every day Entrance Fee : US$ 35 Vehicle (free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass )

Backcountry camping : Permitted, you will need a backcountry permit Accommodation : Hotels, Lodges, Cabins and Campgrounds

Annual Visitors : 4 million Peak Season : July-August

Size: 2.2 million acres Yellowstone Caldera : 45 by 30 miles Last Eruption : 640,000 years ago Geothermal Features : 10,000 Geysers : 300

How To Get To Yellowstone National Park

Okay, we’re talking about Yellowstone and 3,500 square miles of wilderness here! The park has several entrance and exit points, so getting to Yellowstone will depend entirely on where you begin your journey.

There are no fancy names for the entry points, simply the direction they bring you into the park from. But we have included the nearest town to each entrance for reference:

• North – Gardiner, MT
• Northeast – Cooke City, MT
• East – Cody, WY
• South – Jackson, WY
• West – West Yellowstone, MT

Once inside the park, getting around is easy thanks to a well maintained 142-mile figure of 8 road network known as ‘Grand Loop Road’.

Be aware this road will be almost unbearably busy if you visit in Summer, we even experienced some traffic flow issues in snowy October!

Here’s a factor to consider that will impact your 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary:

• Are you visiting only Yellowstone, from point A with a plan to return to point A afterwards in a loop?
• Or is Yellowstone part of a wider road trip?

For example, on our first visit we drove West from South Dakota to Yellowstone, before heading South.

We visited Badlands , Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore , and stopped at Devils Tower National Monument on the way across Wyoming. We then took the South exit out of Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park.

Therefore, we entered and exited Yellowstone at different entrances. That meant we had to work out how to efficiently see the park on both loops of the figure 8 road without driving back on ourselves.

Consider which entrance you plan to use on the way in and out when planning your visit.

Important Note : When we visited Yellowstone in October after a heavy snowfall, many of the roads in / out of the park were closed. Please be sure to check current road conditions  before setting off.

Popular Yellowstone National Park Road Trips

Salt lake city to yellowstone.

• Option 1 : Take I-15 North to Idaho Falls, then 20 to Yellowstone West entrance (320 miles / 4h 45m).
• Option 2 : Take I-80, 16 and 89 to Jackson, WY and Grand Teton before entering Yellowstone South entrance (330 miles / 6 hours).

The route via Jackson is far more scenic but takes much longer once you factor in driving through Grand Teton.

Read our amazing 7 day  Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton  road trip itinerary for more information.

Denver to Yellowstone

• Option 1 : Take I-80, 287 and 26 to 191 which is the link road between Grand Teton and Yellowstone South entrance (500 miles / 8h 30m).
• Option 2 : Take I-25, 26, 20 to Cody, WY and 14 into Yellowstone East entrance (545 miles / 8h 30m).

South Dakota to Yellowstone

• From Mt Rushmore, drive through Spearfish Canyon and take I-90W towards Buffalo, WY.
• Scenic Byway US-16 from Buffalo to Ten Sleep (Cloud Peak Skyway) is awesome.
• Take 31, 20 and 14 to Cody, WY and then on to Yellowstone East entrance (440 miles / 8 hours).

Read our popular 10 days road trip itinerary from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone for a day by day break down of best things to do.

North Dakota / Billings to Yellowstone

• Take I-94 to Billings, I-90 briefly and US-212 (known as Bear Tooth Highway).
• This is the route we eventually took first time as we were forced to enter Yellowstone via its Northeast entrance due to road closures.
• Bear Tooth Highway is one heck of a scenic drive – particularly when covered in snow (150 miles / 3 hours).

Jackson, WY / Grand Teton to Yellowstone

Take US-191 scenic road (John D Rockefeller Jr Road) all the way to Yellowstone South entrance (80 miles / 1h 45m).

Need help planning your trip to Yellowstone?

Our popular Yellowstone travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit, including what to see in each region, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!

Best Airports To Use For Yellowstone

Yellowstone is enormous and if you’re traveling from further afield in the US or internationally, you will of course need to fly.

Our in depth guide to the 6 best airports near Yellowstone will help you plan exactly which airports to arrive into and depart from near the park.

Pro-tip : Remember, you can fly into one airport and leave from another.

There are a dozen or so airports ranging in size close to the park, here’s  a summary of the best airport options along with which entrance you would enter Yellowstone:

• Bozeman, MT (North entrance)
• Cody, WY (East entrance)
• Jackson, WY (South entrance)
• Yellowstone airport, MT (West entrance – seasonal)
• Salt Lake City, UT (South entrance)
• Denver, CO (East entrance)

International travelers can fly directly into SLC or Denver and either drive or take a connecting flight to on of the smaller regional airports listed above.

For US based travelers, check prices for all airports from your closest origin airport. The smaller and closer airports are far more expensive than SLC or Denver. You will pay for convenience!

• When it comes to booking flights, we always use and recommend  Skyscanner flights search engine  for finding the best value in air tickets.
• Similarly, when we need to pick a car up at the airport, we always use  Rental Cars hire car search engine  to find most options and best value for vehicles.

What Are The Best Things To Do At Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone is blessed with having an endless amount of amazing things to do for visitors to include on a 4 days itinerary. You could spend a month here and still not see or do everything this incredible place has on offer.

The only way to plan effectively is by structuring the park into regions. Therefore, in this guide we will break down each region of the park and explain some of the best things to do in each.

Read our ultimate list of the 30 Best Things To See And Do In Yellowstone National Park next for a detailed overview of the most popular geysers, waterfalls, hikes and wildlife spotting areas.

There’s a lot of information coming your way but we will organize it and clearly display everything on a map!

First up, let’s take a look into what makes Yellowstone National Park one of the most sought after landscapes in the world, before we break the park down into 6 distinct regions.

Yellowstone National Park Wildlife Spotting

Wildlife spotting is one of the biggest drivers of tourism to Yellowstone National Park and it has to be a major part of your 4 days itinerary.

This is one of the best places in America to observe a wide range of wild animals in their natural environments.

You have the opportunity to see Grizzly Bears – seldom seem in the lower 48 US States – if that is of interest to you. Personally, we didn’t mind NOT seeing a grizzly!

However, Grizzlies are just the beginning. If you are lucky you might also see Black Bears, Wolves, Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Moose, Antelope, Mule Deer, Coyotes, Lynx, Mountain Goats, Cougars and Bald Eagles.

It is extremely difficult to predict exactly where these animals are going to be at any given time. But you can give yourself the best shot at seeing wildlife by visiting the right places at the right times of day.

That being said, if these particular areas become busy with humans, animals are likely to move to quieter areas. In truth, we saw more wildlife when we didn’t go looking for it, instead we waited for them to come to us.

Top-tip : If you see small gatherings of people with professional looking photography / telescopic equipment, there’s a good chance of spotting wildlife. However, be polite, don’t make a lot of noise. You might even get a chance to look through their equipment .

Wildlife Respect & Safety

Something vitally important to remember is respect for wildlife. Keep your distance, don’t try to feed them and don’t intimidate the wildlife.

Our number one disappointment with Yellowstone was other tourists. Yes, it can be exciting to see an animal, but that doesn’t mean slamming on your brakes and abandoning your car in the middle of the road so you can take a picture.

More than once, we witnessed altercations between tourists who wanted the best angle from their car window. Be civil toward each other, as well as animals and the environment .

We use the word safety and that’s not for the animals, its for you.

Each year, Yellowstone National Park has to deal with injured tourists who thought they could get close to animals, but they were wrong. Bear in mind (pun intended!) that some of these animals can become dangerous if threatened.

Yellowstone Geyser Basins & Hot Springs

There are over 10,000 geysers and hot springs within the 2.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park, making this the largest geyser field on the planet.

Almost all geysers and hot springs throughout the park can be viewed from safe distances along wooden boardwalks. It is important to stay on designated board walks, otherwise you may lose a toe or two!

We will cover Yellowstone’s most famous geysers and hot springs within each region of the park below.

You will either have to visit the lesser known basins or plan your visit outside of high season (more on seasons later) if you’re looking for a less crowded experience

Remember there are also bubbling mud pools, smaller colorful geysers and lesser known hot springs. If Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring are too busy, try again early or late in the day.

Yellowstone Hiking

Hiking is less synonymous with Yellowstone than geysers and wildlife, however, you should not overlook this aspect of visiting the park.

Did you know there are over 900 miles of hiking trails here? The problem is, how do you choose which trails to hike?!

To begin with, err on the side of caution by checking Yellowstone’s backcountry situation report   – particularly if you intend to hike away from major trails.

This live updated report will inform you of bear activity, trail closures, rising water levels and depth of snow among other important aspects.

Hiking is the best way to escape crowds and see Yellowstone’s best sites from different (and quieter) perspectives. Plus, you drastically increase your chances of spotting wildlife away from roads and hordes of tourists.

The downside to hiking at Yellowstone National Park is how much time you will lose from an already tightly packed itinerary. Can you really afford to lose a day hiking a 10 mile trail?

That depends on what your goals are and how you like to explore new places.

There are a number of shorter hikes well worth your time, but the longer hikes / backcountry hiking should be reserved only for those who are more interested in hiking than sightseeing.

Is this your second or third vacation to Yellowstone? Try hiking more on this visit if you’ve visited the famous geysers on previous trips.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Yellowstone Upper and Lower Falls

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone has allured avid photographers to the park for decades. Upper Falls is an impressive spectacle but Lower Falls is the major draw and has to be included on your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary.

The Yellowstone River crashes into a stunning canyon from 308 ft (twice the height of Niagara Falls), making Lower Falls a paradise for lovers of dramatic scenery.

The best part?

There are various viewing platforms along both the North and South Rim drives running adjacent to the river. Each observation point offers its own perspective of the mighty falls, plus the chance to escape big crowds.

Our top recommendation is to visit the falls on more than one occasion and preferably at sunrise (for more special sunrises see our guides to Sunrise in the Grand Canyon and  Mesa Arch in Utah ).

Although temperatures were below zero in mid-October, we witnessed a gorgeous sunrise over Lower Falls with just a handful of others.

Let’s Break The Park Down Into Regions

As we mentioned earlier, it’s hard to apply a typical list of ‘best things to do’ list for a place like Yellowstone, then expect to turn up and tick them off easily. It is simply too vast a landscape.

Many of the ‘must visit’ sites are spread out across the National Park, meaning planning your visit can become a little overwhelming (one of the reasons we recommend your Yellowstone itinerary to be 4 days and not 3 days).

Therefore, we will break down the park into regions. Take a look at the image below depicting the 6 major regions of Yellowstone:

• Mammoth Hot Springs (North)
• Tower-Roosevelt (Northeast)
• Canyon / Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Central / East)
• Norris Geyser Basin (Central / West)
• Old Faithful / Upper Geyser Basin (Southwest)
• Yellowstone Lake / West Thumb (Southeast)

Within each region, we will discuss the following where appropriate:

• Most prominent Geysers / Hot Springs
• Best hiking trails
• Wildlife spotting opportunities
• Must visit miscellaneous attractions
• Lodging / Camping

Note : At the end of this section, study the interactive map showing all accommodation and sites of interest. The map will give you an idea about which regions will be top of your wishlist.

1. Mammoth Hot Springs (North)

Mammoth is one of the more built up areas inside Yellowstone National Park and is located just 5 miles from the North entrance.

You will find a hotel, cabins, a grand dining hall, post office, gas, campground, shopping and Albright Visitor Center. Nearby attractions are all within a stones throw of Mammoth village.

Mammoth Geysers and Hot Springs

A spectacular complex of terraces formed by calcium carbonate (travertine) dominates a hillside just minutes from Mammoth village.

By far the busiest attraction in Mammoth, these terraces are best seen at sunrise to avoid crowds and enjoy the first light of day burn through hazy steam in the morning.

Mammoth Hiking Trails

Mammoth isn’t known for epic hikes and we would recommend not using up any time on your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary with a hike here.

That being said, if you have extra time in the area, there are 2 shorter trails worth looking into:

• Boiling River  – a popular short hike (1 mile roundtrip) and don’t forget your swimwear!
• Lava Creek  – mid-distance (7 miles round-trip) passing by Undine Falls – 60 ft waterfall.

Mammoth Wildlife

Although this area is not usually regarded as prime wildlife spotting territory, we saw our fair share around Mammoth. There were around 30 or 40 bison walking through Mammoth village during our second visit in April, which was really cool to see.

You will more than likely see mule deer wandering the hotel and dining hall car park when you arrive. We also saw pronghorn and elk but bison are well known to be regular visitors to the area.

Black bears can be found around Mammoth. If you want to find one, look in forested areas around less busy areas away from the travertine terraces.

But if you want to avoid bears (particularly if you head up to the terraces for sunrise) is to make noise, talk and clap intermittently.

Mammoth Accommodation

Campgrounds – Mammoth campground is the only campground open all year at Yellowstone. This is a first come first served site and costs US$ 20 per night. More information .

Hotel and Cabins – Mammoth offers a Frontier Cabin, Hot Tub Cabin, Suite, Premium Hotel Room and Cabin without bath. We stayed in a Frontier Cabin and it was perfect with a wonderful hot shower. More information .

2. Tower-Roosevelt (Northeast)

Tower-Roosevelt is located to the Northeast of Yellowstone and is one of the lesser built up areas of the park. You can find gas, primitive lodging and camping here.

This region is best used as a gateway for wildlife spotting in Lamar Valley and hiking Mt Washburn before continuing on to another region for accommodation.

Unfortunately, the section of road between Tower and Canyon has been completely closed for the entirety of both our visits.

Therefore we are yet to hike Mount Washburn or see Tower Fall. There’s always the third time, right?!

Tower Hiking

Mount Washburn is one of the most popular hikes in Yellowstone National Park and one of the most iconic hikes in the US thanks to its panoramic sweeping views stretching as far as Grand Teton on a clear day.

At 10,243ft (3,107m) and with just a 2.5 mile one-way hike from Chittenden or 3 mile on-way hike from Dunraven Pass, the rewards are more than worth your efforts!

Specimen Ridge is a long point to point hike beginning just after turning onto the road into Lamar Valley. It is the perfect trail for those searching for wildlife who want to get away from the main road filled with tourists.

You can hike for 10 minutes or an hour before turning around but you can expect to see wildlife, particularly early in the morning.

Tower Wildlife

Tower Junction is where Yellowstone’s top rated wildlife viewing area ends, as US-212 reaches grand loop road from the Northeast entrance.

This area is known as Lamar Valley and it is the place to be if you are visiting Yellowstone for wildlife observation.

We strongly recommend you visit early or late if you want a real chance of seeing abundant wildlife. You’re all but guaranteed to spot Bison roaming but you can see much more if you time it right.

We entered Yellowstone via the Northeast entrance and drove the entire way through Lamar Valley but it was right before midday (and snowy!) so we didn’t see many animals.

Note : If you are visiting Yellowstone primarily for wildlife spotting, Tower Fall campground is the closest accommodation to Lamar Valley.

Tower Attractions

Yellowstone River Overlook  and Tower Falls are the two major attractions around Tower-Roosevelt region.

Tower Falls is a 132 ft narrow needle-like waterfall. A 4 mile roundtrip trail allows you to see the Yellowstone River flowing powerfully through a gorge.

The trail is family friendly but there are steep cliffs for children to be aware of.

3. Canyon (Central / East)

Canyon is one of the most popular places to set up base in Yellowstone thanks to its central location and volume of accommodation, with over 500 rooms available.

You will also find a good selection of food at Canyon Lodge Eatery, which is more like a canteen than restaurant.

Canyon is your best choice if you prefer to stay at just one place for your entire Yellowstone visit. Right around the corner is Yellowstone Falls.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls

Prepare to be blown away!

This is one sight you will not forget from your Yellowstone National Park itinerary. We encourage you to visit each and every viewpoint along both North and South rim drive – and do that more than once.

For the best photographs, arrive before sunrise to Artist Point . We couldn’t get enough of these dramatic views as the Yellowstone River pounds its way through the breathtaking canyon.

Canyon Hiking

There are no hikes worth mentioning around Canyon for a Yellowstone itinerary only lasting 4 days. With more time, maybe!

We don’t consider each of the small trails along North and South Rim roads to Yellowstone falls viewing platforms as hikes.

Canyon Wildlife

Just South of Canyon Village and Yellowstone Falls, you will find Hayden Valley , regarded as the second best part of the park for wildlife spotting.

This is the place we saw by far the most wildlife including coyotes, mule deer, bison and our first ever bald eagle . We saw bald eagles here again the second time we visited so you do stand a good chance of seeing one soaring around this area.

Again, it is best to arrive early or late to increase chances of spotting animals but be warned – Grizzlies roam alongside Yellowstone River. We never saw a grizzly, but we did see a lone Grey Wolf from afar, which was awesome .

Canyon Accommodation

Campgrounds – Canyon campground is open late May to Mid Sept. There are 273 reservable sites at a cost of US$ 32 per night. More information .

Hotel and Cabins – Canyon offers the most accommodation by far at Yellowstone. It is open from the beginning of June until early October.

You can choose between a Western Cabin, Standard Lodge Room, Superior Lodge Room, Premium Lodge Room and Suite.

We snagged a free upgrade to Premium Lodge Room (from Western Cabin) which was a welcome escape from the cold nights! More information .

4. Norris Geyser Basin (Central / West)

Norris is the oldest and hottest of Yellowstone’s thermal regions, with the highest recorded temperature measuring a whopping 459 f (237 C) just over 300m below the surface.

This region is where your Yellowstone geyser hunting experience springs to life and you can witness the tallest active geyser in the world.

Norris Geysers and Hot Springs

At Norris geyser basin you will find several thermal geysers in very close proximity. The area is easy to explore via boardwalk and has to rank as one of the must visit regions on your 4 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary.

Waters around Norris basin are acidic, rather than alkaline, which means bacteria creates those colorful patterns you associate with Yellowstone.

Steamboat geyser – the world’s tallest at 300ft – went years with barely any activity but in 2019 there were 48 eruptions.

But there’s no guarantee boiling hot water will erupt the day you visit and you could be standing around a long time waiting. We saw it blow a few times but not to it’s maximum height.

Norris Hiking

Artist’s Paint Pot – This 1 mile hike beginning just South of Norris Geyser Basin is definitely worth a quick stop off.

After a short walk through a forest you will come across a small open area featuring thick grey mud bubbling pools and blue/grey/brown colored holes in the ground.

Highly recommended easy hike.

Norris Region Campgrounds

Norris campground – Open late May to late September and just to the North of Norris Geyser Basin. There are 111 first come first served sites at a cost of US$ 20 per night. More information .

Maddison Campground – Located 14 miles Southwest of Norris and open late April to mid October. Longer opening times and central location make this one of the most popular campgrounds at Yellowstone. There are 278 reservable sites for tents and RV’s at US$ 27 per night. More information .

5. Old Faithful (Southwest)

Old Faithful is the iconic Yellowstone geyser everyone knows about before visiting the park.

But the Old Faithful region has much more on offer, including perhaps the most eye catching feature of all: Grand Prismatic Spring.

This region contains Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser Basins – which means a lot of geyser hunting. You can find almost all amenities here, except a campground.

Old Faithful Region Geysers and Hot Springs

Lower Geyser Basin – Fewest geothermal features in the region but one of the most sought after spots for sunset in Great Fountain Geyser along Firehole Lake Drive (closed in Winter).

Midway Geyser Basin – Smaller in area but possibly the most rewarding in terms of natural beauty.

The vibrant colors of Grand Prismatic Spring are difficult to appreciate from its boardwalk, so you will need to climb Fairy Falls Trail for that postcard perfect view.

Excelsior Geyser can not be overlooked as it’s on the same boardwalk and produces an enormous amount of hot steam, often shrouding the Firehole River.

Upper Geyser Basin – The crown Jewel, Old Faithful is located here along with the highest density of geothermal activity in the park.

Old Faithful erupts once every 35-120 minutes for anywhere between 1-5 minutes. This isn’t the most spectacular of geysers, it’s just the most regular and predictable.

Don’t miss Morning Glory Pool at Upper Basin.

Old Faithful Hiking

Fairy Falls – Begin at Fairy Falls Trailhead for an easy 5 mile roundtrip to one of Yellowstone’s most spectacular falls. This trail also offers postcard-perfect views over Grand Prismatic Spring.

Observation Point – If you want to escape the crowds (knows as ‘the bleachers’) sitting in a half circle around Old Faithful, take this moderate 1.5 mile roundtrip hike.

You will be rewarded with a much more tranquil viewing platform.

Old Faithful Accommodation

Old Faithful Lodge – Simple Frontier Cabins are more affordable and offer views over Old Faithful. More information .

Old Faithful Inn – 327 rooms and open from early May to mid October, but get in early as this is the most requested lodge in Yellowstone. More information .

Old Faithful Snow Lodge – Open mid December to end of February, only accessible by over snow vehicles. Wide range of rooms available at various prices. More information .

6. Yellowstone Lake / West Thumb (Southeast)

One thing you probably don’t know about – and certainly won’t appreciate until you see it – is the sheer scale of Yellowstone Lake. It is enormous!

We’ve combined West Thumb Geyser Basin and Grant Village with Fishing Bridge and Lake Village into the one region here.

They all hug the lake edge in Yellowstone’s Southeast corner. All amenities can be found at both locations on the lake.

Yellowstone Lake Geysers & Hot Springs

At the Southern end of Yellowstone Lake you will enter West Thumb Geyser Basin. What makes this place unique is stunning views of Yellowstone Lake and snow capped mountains behind geothermal features.

A boardwalk loops around West Thumb Basin allowing you to see the most impressive features while enjoying some of the best views in the park.

Look out for Fishing Cone and Big Cone Geyser in the lake.

Yellowstone Lake Hiking

Yellowstone Lake isn’t the place to visit if you’re looking for serious hiking trails on your 4 days itinerary. However, there are two easy going walks ending with excellent views over the lake and West Thumb.

Lake overlook – Easy to moderate 1.5 mile roundtrip hike from West Thumb parking lot for elevated views over West Thumb Basin.

Storm Point – Easy 2.5 mile roundtrip beginning close to Fishing Bridge for close up views over Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake Wildlife

The Northern part of Yellowstone Lake is where Yellowstone’s East entrance (from Cody) arrives into the park.

Areas surrounding East entrance road are known to be a favorite of the Grizzly Bear, but you can also expect to see a wider variety of wildlife in this region.

We saw coyotes and mule deer (pictured above) around Lake Lodge during our visit.

Yellowstone Lake Accommodation

Campgrounds.

Bridge Bay has 432 reservable sites at US$ 27 per night. It is open late May to early September ( more information ).

Grant Village has 430 reservable sites at US$ 32 per night. However, this one is only open mid June to mid September ( more information ).

Fishing Bridge RV Park has 310 RV only electrical hookup sites at US$ 79 per night. The RV park is open early May to mid September ( more information ).

Hotel and Cabins

• Lake Yellowstone hotel offers a wide variety of rooms from basic to extremely expensive ( more information ).
• Lake Lodge Cabins – Consisting of 186 Frontier and Western cabins at much more budget friendly prices ( more information ).

Example Of A Perfect 4 Days Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

You can begin to construct your plans now you have an idea about each region inside the park.

The following example itinerary is 4 days long, which means you can relax and take things slowly but still see and do the best of Yellowstone National Park.

Our biggest frustration when first visiting with 3 days was only having enough time to visit each attraction once and having to rush through. If a geyser or waterfall viewing area was crowded, or if the weather wasn’t playing nicely – well, that was just tough luck.

But with that extra fourth day, it means you can re-visit any place you missed, was too busy or you enjoyed the most.

Best Entrance To Begin 4 Days in Yellowstone Itinerary?

You can start your itinerary at any entrance. The figure 8 road inside the park makes it easy to adapt this itinerary to suit beginning from any direction.

The most popular entrance into the park is West Entrance / West Yellowstone and the second most popular in North Entrance / Gardiner / Mammoth.

However, we will begin this itinerary as though you are entering from Northeast Entrance / Cooke City and exit on Day 4 via South entrance to Jackson and Grand Teton.

This is the most efficient way to visit because you can drive through Lamar Valley early on your first morning for the best chance of seeing abundant wildlife, see the park and leave without driving back on yourself too much.

If you are staying in West Yellowstone or Gardiner for the duration of your visit, or are entering via any other entrance, simply move around the days as we list below. The same things to do still apply, you can just adjust the itinerary to fit.

Driving Distances Between Major Yellowstone And Grand Teton Regions

One final thing to touch on before we get into an example Yellowstone itinerary is driving distances between major areas in the park.

We have mentioned it’s a big park and there can be a lot of driving, but we thought it would be more helpful to show you in numbers.

Use the distances to gauge how far you might travel on any given day during your Yellowstone itinerary.

This is a Yellowstone guide but many visitors will also want to see Grand Teton either before or after, so we included Jackson and Jenny Lake for reference.

We have also included West Yellowstone because a lot of people stay here for their entire visit to Yellowstone and it helps to see how far it is to each major region.

OK, let’s finally get stuck into our 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary example!

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 1 – Lamar Valley, Tower-Roosevelt and Mammoth Hot Springs

Lamar Valley

Entering via Northeast entrance isn’t always reliable in Spring or Fall, but North entrance is always open. If you can’t enter via Cooke City, it’s easy enough to enter at Gardiner and drive straight to Lamar Valley early in the morning.

Approaching from Northeast / Cooke City – As you draw closer to Grand Loop Road you will pass through Lamar Valley , widely regarded as the best wildlife spotting in Yellowstone.

Try to arrive early morning for the best shot as seeing Bison and other animals. Spend an hour or two stopping at various pull-offs. Remember, if you spot any serious gear, that’s where you need to pull out your binoculars .

Just before Grand Loop Road you will find Specimen Ridge Trail , hike this trail if you didn’t see a lot of wildlife in Lamar Valley, you want to see even more wildlife or you just love hiking.

Tip : By getting away from the road you give yourself a much better chance at seeing animals in the wild.

When you arrive at Tower Junction turn left and drive a few miles to see  Tower Fall  and if time allows, hike to Yellowstone River Overlook.

Turn around and head back the same way but pass US-212 and continue on Grand Loop Road towards Mammoth.

Your next stop is Yellowstone’s  Petrified Tree . Now, this gated tree stump isn’t the most wow-factor attraction you will see on this 4 days Yellowstone itinerary.

But it is around 50 million years old, which means it is in fact, mightily impressive.

Mammoth Hot Springs

There’s not much else between Tower and Mammoth with the exception of Lava Creek hiking trail. If it’s earlier than you expected, hike this trail past Undine Falls, but if it’s already getting on, it’s time to check in at your Mammoth accommodation.

You’re likely to see mule deer and / or bison wandering around the car park so drive carefully .

You need to check in inside the hotel whether you’re staying in the hotel or a cabin. Mammoth dining hall is directly across the car park ready for once you’re all settled in to your room.

Alternatively, Gardiner is the best place to stay outside of the park boundaries on this first night.

After dinner (depending on light and time of year), drive a couple minutes up to Mammoth Hot Springs for a quick look around the area.

Don’t forget your camera because these terraces are extremely photogenic. It’s a shame the sunset is directly behind a huge hill but you’ll be back here at first light.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 2 – Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Mount Washburn and Yellowstone Falls

Norris Geyser Basin

Wake up early. If you’re animal mad, head back out to Lamar Valley at sunrise, otherwise make your way over to see the vibrant colors of Mammoth Lower and Upper Terraces and dense steam penetrated by soft rays of morning light.

We’ve seen Mammoth at sunrise and in midday. Sunrise in October was in the snow and stunning but we didn’t last long. Midday is busy but allows you spend more time walking the boardwalks comfortably and better chance to see the radiant springs.

Return to your cabin or the dining hall for breakfast, check out and get on the road heading South towards Norris Geyser Basin . Scenery along the way is gorgeous, stop if you see anything you like the look of but not for too long .

There’s a lot to see today!

Park up at Norris, be sure to look around the educational Visitor Center before spending the next few hours wandering the Geyser Basin boardwalks.

You have plenty of geysers to take in throughout two loops of boardwalks . D on’t miss Steamboat geyser – it was extremely active when we visited.

There are dozens of springs and geysers in all colors and varieties here, just keep following the boardwalks and the crowds.

Echinus geyser is a popular stop, however, this once prolific steam sprayer has become far less inclined to blow its top in recent years.

A few minutes drive South you will find Artist’s Paintpots trail . We highly recommend this quick 1 mile roundtrip hike where you can see deep earthy colors surrounding small hot springs.

In addition, you have an opportunity to get up close and personal with boiling mud bubbling in grey molten clay-like pools. Don’t miss this hidden gem.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Take Norris Canyon road due East towards Canyon without stopping before checking in at your Canyon accommodation. If you’re not staying inside the park tonight, book a hotel room in West Yellowstone.

Drive a few miles North from Canyon and park up at Dunraven Pass, before setting off on the most popular hike in Yellowstone National Park – Mount Washburn . Panoramic views from the summit will be worth the time and effort.

Closure : This is the hike we unfortunately couldn’t access and unfortunately it is still scheduled to be closed in 2022 as the road between Canyon and Tower is under works.

• If the road and hike are open, it will be late afternoon / early evening by the time you finish your hike.
• If not, head straight down to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Drive back past Canyon and turn onto one-way North Rim Drive.

Your first time seeing the powerful  Yellowstone Lower Falls is from Lookout point, which is awesome, but less awesome than some of the other viewpoints coming up.

Continue driving round to Grand View, before either driving or hiking (if time allows and you’re not too tired) to Inspiration point – the best observation area along North Rim Drive. It shouldn’t be long until the sun sets directly behind Lower Falls.

At dusk, on the way back to Canyon, drive slowly and look out for wildlife. We saw Bison and a lot of Mule Deer on this stretch with a stunning deep purple sky sunset and moonrise over the plains.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 3 – Yellowstone Falls, Hayden Valley & Yellowstone Lake

Hayden Valley

Another early start and this one is non-negotiable!

Check out and leave at least 30 minutes before sunrise ( check times here ) so you can get parked, walk the very short trail to Artist Point .

Get your camera set up before the sun rises and illuminates the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone . It’s worth waking up for this iconic Yellowstone sunrise.

On the way back out of South Rim, stop off at Upper Falls View and hike down Uncle Tom’s Trail for an amazing close up vantage point of Lower Falls.

The steep staircase trail descent was not open when we visited so be sure to check trail closures and current conditions before you visit.

Once the sun has risen and you’ve marveled enough at the wonderful canyon, jump back in the car and drive South towards Hayden Valley .

This is Yellowstone’s second major area for seeing animals and if you’re early enough, you’ll have a high probability of spotting wildlife.

The key is not to go looking for the animals, but to park up where nobody else is parked along the Yellowstone River and wait for them to come to you.

You might see a multitude of amazing wildlife, or you might not see any animals at all, it all comes down to chance. Be prepared for both eventualities.

Next up as you head South is Mud Volcano. There’s a short circular boardwalk here covering a number of caldrons and springs, most notably Dragon’s mouth spring .

No need to spend long here and you’ll be hungry by now. Grab lunch at Fishing Bridge / Lake Yellowstone. 

Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb Geyser Basin

Remember that just because an area isn’t recognized as a wildlife ‘hotspot’ it doesn’t mean you won’t see any animals.

We spotted a gang of Elk and more coyotes right on the lake edge around Lake Yellowstone lodge. Explore the area before following the Lake South to West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Spend the remainder of the afternoon walking around West Thumb Basin , taking in the likes of Abyss Pool, Black Pool, Big Cone Geyser and Fishing Cone.

Don’t forget you can take the short Lake Overlook hike right from West Thumb parking lot.

Drive West to Old Faithful and check in to your final accommodation. Again, if you’re not staying inside the park on night 3, book a hotel room in West Yellowstone.

Depending on the time, you can either stick around Old Faithful for sunset or drive 11 miles North to Great Fountain Geyser , which has a magnificent sunset.

Yellowstone Itinerary Day 4 – Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser Basins

Grand Prismatic Spring

You get to sleep in a little (finally!) on your last day. No rush this morning, you’ll be driving up to Lower Geyser Basin and working your way back down to Old Faithful. Slowly does it today.

It is important to note here – if you want to get photographs of one particular area such as Grand Prismatic Spring, it might be worth beelining straight there first thing in the morning.

Start the day by entering one-way Firehole Lake drive – where you can now visit Great Fountain Geyser if you didn’t the night before.

Opposite the one-way exit from Firehole Lake road, park up at Fountain Paint Pot trailhead and walk the very short trail.

If you missed swimming in Boiling River at Mammoth due to closure, you could drive a few miles North to Firehole swimming area .

Otherwise, heading South once more, your next stop is one of Yellowstone’s finest geothermal features: Grand Prismatic Spring .

Firehole River will likely be engulfed in a cloud of steam as you walk towards Grand Prismatic, giving off an eerie effect. This huge heated cloud is produced by Excelsior Geyser , which was once the tallest geyser at Yellowstone.

Without question, the place will be packed with tourists, so try to be courteous as you walk the relatively narrow boardwalks.

Stop off as much as possible on the looped boardwalk to soak up Yellowstone’s largest hot spring and one of its most iconic features.

If you would like to see Grand Prismatic Spring’s colors in all their glory from above, you will need to drive a few minutes to Fairy Falls Trail and hike a 1 mile round trip trail to GPS overview.

Old Faithful

Finish your 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary back where you started this morning at Old Faithful .

What better place to sign off an incredible experience than its most iconic feature. Check times of eruptions, noted all around Old Faithful area including the dining halls. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the predicted eruption.

The bleachers will be busy so be sure to walk around and behind Old Faithful, before taking the Observation Point trailhead to a much better vantage point.

The crowds will cheer once Old Faithful begins to erupt and you will have finally seen the most famous geyser in the world spurt its hot steam into the deep blue sky above!

Don’t forget that you are in Upper Geyser basin, the most active of all geothermal areas within Yellowstone and more than a one trick pony.

Behind Old Faithful – past the trailhead for observation point – you can follow a path leading to multiple hot springs and geysers.

Geysers : We highly recommend you do spend time walking behind Old Faithful as far as incredibly vibrant Morning Glory Pool, one of our favorites in the entire park.

Exit Yellowstone via the South entrance towards Grand Teton National Park. If you like to kayak, Lewis Lake on the way out of Yellowstone is the best place in the park to paddle .

There’s plenty of time left on Day 4 to make it down to Jackson, WY with a few detours along the way in Grand Teton.

It’s almost like you planned it that way!

Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park

Animals are very active as they come out of hibernation, grizzlies are very grizzly so care must be taken. Snow melting causes waterfall volumes to increase and the weather begins to warm slightly. May and June are excellent months to visit Yellowstone before it gets too crowded.

April in Yellowstone is interesting, you will have attractions almost to yourself but road access is limited and no park lodging is open.

Summer in Yellowstone is jam packed with tourists, which personally isn’t our cup of tea. However, you get more daylight and warmer temperatures which means perfect conditions for crushing hikes, sightseeing and comfortable camping.

Of 4 million annual visitors to the park, over half visit in July and August. Not only will every attraction be busy but getting a camping spot or hotel room would be tough going.

When we visited Yellowstone in October it had snowed heavily just a few days before our arrival. The scenery was staggeringly attractive, with glittering ice and snow dancing under sunlight.

It was the first big snowfall of the year so we just missed those beautiful rustic fall colors. September would be a fantastic alternative if you prefer to avoid crowds and enjoy cooler temperatures.

Yellowstone in Winter

Although we didn’t technically visit in Winter, both April and October had a ton of snow and cold temperatures. Most of the park shuts down in Winter and access can only be achieved by snowmobiles.

Our photographs will give you an idea of what Yellowstone would look like if you were to visit in Winter. We were blown away by the ‘Winter Wonderland’ scenery and felt fortunate to have visited when we did.

Following a huge snowfall, the temperature stayed below zero for 3 days but the sun was shining brightly from a deep blue clear sky every day.

On our second morning in October we woke up to a thick mist and fog which left Yellowstone feeling positively spooky!

Yellowstone Accommodation

Certain US National Parks can be notoriously difficult to secure accommodation. Yellowstone is one of those parks.

There are options inside the park (as we listed in each region earlier) but they are in high demand and can be out of many visitors’ budget range. You can instead stay at hotels near the park boundary.

Either way, you need to be as organized as possible when it comes to booking your Yellowstone lodging. Start booking as soon as you have dates to avoid missing out on rooms inside the park or at good value near the park.

We think booking hotels, lodges or cabins is the most difficult and important part of planning this vacation. Once rooms are secured, you can begin to plan your Yellowstone itinerary.

Resources and Tips

• Lodging – We have written an extremely popular where to stay in Yellowstone guide to help you figure out the best places to stay for your visit. It has helped thousands of visitors to find lodging around the park.
• Hotel tips – If you decide to stay outside the park in hotels, you have control over budget. Read our ultimate guide to booking cheap hotels  to learn about ways you can save money.
• Booking platform – We always use and recommend booking hotels with  Booking.com for best value and most options to suit your budget.
• Camping – Take advantage of our exclusive  30 day free trial of The Dyrt PRO  to get reservations at sold out Yellowstone campgrounds with no extra booking fees, and gain access to free dispersed camping locations around Yellowstone National Park. You can try The Dyrt PRO for free, no strings attached!
• The earlier you book, the more chance you have of securing the exact locations you prefer. Be flexible and adaptable if planning your vacation last minute.

Suggested Lodging for this 4 Day Itinerary

• First Night – Mammoth Hot Springs or Gardiner MT
• Second Night – Canyon
• Third Night – Old Faithful or West Yellowstone
• Fourth Night – Jackson WY

Note this is a North to South route. If your entrance and exit points will be different, plan your accommodation accordingly.

If you want to take a much closer look at the top rated hotels around Yellowstone, head over to our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere to see the best hotels in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody and Jackson.

You can only book accommodation inside the park using  Yellowstone National Park lodges  service, which means set prices and limited availability.

Expect to pay handsomely for hotel rooms if you stay inside the park, it is Yellowstone after all!

Read More About Yellowstone and Grand Teton …

• Things To Do: 30 Most Popular Things To See And Do In Yellowstone National Park
• Airports: 6 Best Airports Near Yellowstone for Domestic and International Travelers
• Hotels: Where to Stay Inside and Near Yellowstone – Best Hotels and Locations
• Spring: 10 Key Things To Know About Visiting Yellowstone In April
• Fall: 10 Important Things To Know About Visiting Yellowstone In October
• Grand Teton: 7 Amazing Things to do and Perfect 2 Day Itinerary
• Mormon Row: Sunrise and Sunset Photography Guide to Mormon Row Grand Teton
• Schwabacher Landing: Complete Photography Guide to Stunning Schwabacher Landing

Yellowstone Road Trips:

• SLC – Salt Lake City to Yellowstone 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary
• Rushmore – Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

More Incredible US National Parks …

• Death Valley: Perfect One Day Death Valley Road Trip Itinerary (Las Vegas and Yosemite)
• Zion & Bryce Canyon: Epic 3 Day Road Trip Zion and Bryce Canyon Best Bits
• Yosemite: The Ultimate Guide to Yosemite For First Time Visitors
• Grand Canyon: Perfect One Day Itinerary Grand Canyon South Rim

We hope this guide helped with planning your 4 Days Yellowstone National Park Itinerary!

Yellowstone is one of the very best places to visit in the USA and we sincerely hope you have the most amazing vacation to this special part of the world.

Please let us know if you have any questions or you need any help planning your Yellowstone trip, we’ll be happy to help.

Happy Travels ,

Mark and Kristen

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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.

Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us .

24 thoughts on “Yellowstone Itinerary 4 Days: The Ultimate First Time Visitor Guide”

Hello, I am driving from spokane to Teton on June 7th. I want to do teton, YN and glacir and drive back to spokane. So I think it would be best for me to stay in jackson or teton for one night and then drive up to west entrance for 2 nights and stay in Gardiner for one night because my plan is to do teton in one day 3 or 4 days for Yellowstone and then drive on to Glacer national park. I know it makes perhaps more sense to to go Glacier first and then drive down to YN and to teton but I have to take a return flight from spokene and Galcer sun road is not open untill June 15th or so, so I decided to drive down to Teton via Misoula and then drive up so I reach Galcier park around 13th or 14th and have more chances to see the sun road. I know it is driving double a little but looks like best optin to me. I am also doing this loop so I can take the car from spokane and return it at spokane. Taking a car from spokane and returning at teton is very expensive.

Am I on right track?

Hi Anjana, yes it sounds like you’re exactly on track with your plans. That’s exactly what we would do in your circumstances. Have a great trip!

How long does it take to get a guidebook to Yellowstone? Is it downloadable?

Hi Melissa, yes our Yellowstone guidebook is a digital download so you can get it instantly to your phone and computer. Thank you and have a fantastic trip!

Looking to also go in through Cooke City. Any recommendations on where to stay in Cooke City that night before entering the park? Thanks!

Hi Bret, glad to hear you will be visiting Yellowstone soon. Take a look through our where to stay in Yellowstone guide to see our hotel recommendations for Cooke City. It is a great place to start because you get instant access to Lamar Valley for wildlife at dawn. Have a great trip!

is there an actual print out of just the 4 day yellowstone itinerary? point to point to see?

Hi Tricia, At the moment we do not have a printable version of this itinerary, but we hope to have one soon. You are more than welcome to print out the travel guide and if you have any specific questions about Yellowstone, feel free to ask any time. Have a great trip!

Yikes! We are planning a trip this summer starting in South Dakota and heading into Yellowstone for 4 day. Unfortunately we have to go in the summer since I work at a high school. Yellowstone is so overwhelming and it looks like we will be entering Yellowstone the week of July 4th. Planning is so overwhelming 🤪 We will be pulling our RV as well. There are no campsites available in Yellowstone so hoping to find something not too far away. Since we will be driving in each day which entrance makes themost sense or should we split time between a couple of. Entrances?

Hi Holly, we are glad to hear you have a trip planned to Yellowstone but “yikes” is definitely a great word to describe your situation! If it were us, we would try staying at a campground in or around Gardiner the first and maybe second night, then staying at a campground in West Yellowstone for the next 2 nights. We have driven from South Dakota to Yellowstone twice, entering once into northeast entrance and once into north entrance at Gardiner. Your drive over on I-90 won’t be very exciting but for you it will be about efficiency and getting to Gardiner as quickly as possible is your best bet. Then you can see the “top half” of Yellowstone in the next 2 days, before pulling your RV to a campground in West Yellowstone so you have easier access to the “bottom half” of Yellowstone. Hope that helps and best of luck getting booked up. Have a great trip!

I’m so grateful to have found this site. It’s amazing! You are so thorough and organized – I am in awe. Without this guide I would have just booked a full week in West Yellowstone and then spent most of my days driving and being stressed about being in the park after dark. Now I think I’ll book 4 nights at YGI and 3 nights in Jackson. I have dogs, so I can’t stay in the park or move around too often. We primarily want to see wildlife – I hope we see a wolf!!!

Thank you Noelle, we’re glad our guide has helped you plan your trip to Yellowstone! Last time we visited we saw a wolf near Grand Prismatic Spring, just look for a group of people with expensive cameras / binoculars / telescopes and it’s either a wolf or a bear. Have a great time!

Hi, how does one find out the driving time or distance to different areas within the parks – Yellowstone and GTNP?

Hi ALice, thanks for getting in touch with a great point – we have updated our Yellowstone itinerary with a driving distance chart to show how far it is between the major regions in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We didn’t include times because that will change heavily depending on season but it should give you a better idea of how much driving will be involved during your visit.

Wow thanks for taking the time and sharing all that info! With that said, it is a bit overwhelming 🙂 appreciate your help in planning my trip with my teenage daughter in early July 2022. We’re flying in from San Francisco for 4 days. Is there any way to contact you directly? Thanks

Hi Meytal, yes planning a trip to Yellowstone can be overwhelming! Head over to our contact page and send us a message with any questions you have for your trip 🙂

Great article, thank you for the detailed information. We are headed for 4 days with a stay booked at the West entrance for all nights. All things considered, would you advise that I keep that spot or split it up between other entrances? All of the lodging INSIDE the park is booked up…so our only options would be to head out of the park for overnights. Looking at your itinerary for the 4 days it looks like staying where we are may just be the best option vs moving each night out to the North and then the East entrances…what do you think having been?

Hi Mel, yes getting booked inside the park is going to be a challenge this year. Stick with what you have booked in West Yellowstone for the 4 days. It’s the most central location with easier access to each of the areas inside the park. We were in Yellowstone again a few weeks ago and stayed in West Yellowstone both nights. It is a bit of a pain driving in and especially out each day as you drive directly into the sunset, but it’s by far the best option for keeping drive time down. That being said, if you are really keen to see wildlife, Lamar Valley at sunrise is your best bet and staying one night in either Gardiner (North entrance) near Mammoth or even Cooke City (Northeast entrance) would cut your driving time down significantly early in the morning. You will see wildlife without doing that but it would likely be a better experience. The drives East to Cody and South to Jackson are too long. Let us know if you have any more questions and have a great trip!

planning a trip for the summer, reading through piles of pins about Yellowstone and this is the most helpful yet! thank you so much!

Thank you Chelsea, we’re glad you were able to find the info you needed for Yellowstone. Please let us know if you have any questions about your plans but if not have a great trip!

This is such a helpful and informative review! With limited time in Yellowstone, we will be following your suggestions, but in reverse, coming up from Tetons.

Thank you Sarah, we’re glad you found it helpful – doing both Grand Teton and Yellowstone is such an amazing trip. Please do let us know if you have any questions about either park and have a great time!

Wow this has to be the best national park yet, something for everyone there, it must of been amazing.

Yes this was one of the most diverse US National Parks we visited, you’re spot on with something for everyone. We had a love / hate relationship with the snow, it was freezing cold and we might have missed out on some wildlife spotting opportunities, plus the Mt Washburn hike was closed and we couldn’t see much at Grand Prismatic Spring – but the Winter Wonderland scenery was unique and spectacular. Hope you are able to visit Yellowstone one day Graham!

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Complete 7 Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary

Geothermal pools, bison, plummeting waterfalls, grizzly bears, geysers, and granite peaks — what other place on earth holds all these natural beauties? Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two of the most impressive national parks in the US. 

With populous large mammal wildlife, geothermal activity unlike anywhere else in the world, and towering peaks full of sprawling rocky mountain ecosystems, it makes sense that they are also two of the most visited parks—Yellowstone named the second most-visited national park in 2020 and Grand Teton coming in fifth.

In the itinerary for Yellowstone and Grand Teton below, you’ll find a guide with the most efficient route for hitting the best of both parks in just seven days. While you can expect crowds in these parks most of the year, this road trip itinerary will give you the clearest path to seeing the grandest attractions, with: 

• hikes to the most iconic vistas
• sunrise and sunset drive routes to spot wildlife
• insider knowledge on the best places to stay each night
• and a local’s tips for additional activities to do, like renting bikes, booking fishing guides, and touring the parks via horse rides. 

This Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip is sure to check all the boxes and give you a taste of each park. Make sure to bring a camera and journal! You’re going to need them to keep track of all the magnificence you’ll see on this week-long ride. 

We spent over a week in Grand Teton and Yellowstone, but thought it would be more useful for you and your trip planning to work with Scout Invie , a local writer who was born in Jackson, Wyoming, to help you plan an amazing itinerary. 

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

Where to Start & End Your Trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

First thing’s first, where should you start and end your trip to these two parks?

We think that the best way to do it is to start at the northern end of Yellowstone (Gardiner, MT), and spend your time making your way south through Yellowstone, then into Teton, and end in Jackson .

You could also do it the opposite direction, starting in Jackson and ending in Gardiner. Or, if you’re coming from the west through Idaho, you could start at the western entrance of Yellowstone and just pick up the itinerary from there, which works out quite nicely.

The point is, we think doing it one-way is the way to go, and there are multiple ways to do it.

Doing it one-way is going to save you time by making it so you don’t have to double back, but you should also think about costs. Specifically, flight costs to fly in and out of separate airports, and one-way rental car costs if you’re flying in and renting a car to do this road trip.

There’s a decision to make here – whether you think the extra cost of those two things is worth saving several hours (probably between 4-6 at a minimum, when it’s all said and done) of driving. We think it is, which is why this itinerary is designed to go one-way.

How Many Days for this Itinerary?

We think 7 days is the perfect number of days to explore both Yellowstone and Grand Teton without feeling TOO rushed. That’s what you’ll find below.

This 7 day Yellowstone and Grand Teton itinerary is a mash up of our 4 day Yellowstone itinerary , and our 3 day Grand Teton itinerary . You’ll see the best of both parks – from hikes, to wildlife drives, to scenic vistas – but your days are going to be full.

The absolute minimum amount of time we’d recommend for this trip is five days. Split between three days in Yellowstone and two days in Grand Teton. You’ll miss some of the highlights, but it’s still doable. Anything less than that and you should choose one or the other.

Got more time? Lucky you! We have some suggestions on how to spend your extra time below the main itinerary.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Overview

Before we get into the exact 7 day itinerary below, let’s take a second to talk about the two national parks themselves. 

Yellowstone National Park

Contrary to popular belief, Yellowstone isn’t the largest national park in the US. However, it’s massive. Covering 3,500 square miles, it has the largest glacial lake in North America and is also home to a spread of ecosystems, geothermal features, and wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. You definitely need to visit Yellowstone!

Highlights:

• Rise early to see wolves, grizzlies, and bison in the Lamar Valley — don’t forget your binoculars!
• Hike the strenuous path to the peak of Mt. Washburn , where firefighters stand on duty all summer to carefully watch over fifty miles of visual panoramic space.
• Take in the majesty of the misting upper and lower falls at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone .
• Walk the boardwalks around the rainbow hotspots known as Grand Prismatic , then scale a path to get an aerial view of the springs and Old Faithful blowing sky-high.

Where to Stay in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a massive park. So large that you could dedicate the entire week you have on this road trip just to touring Yellowstone. You’d honestly probably need two weeks to see it all. 

For the sake of seeing the most attractions in just a few days, you’ll probably want to stay in a couple of different parts of the park to minimize driving. However, it’s quite competitive to find campsites or rooms in lodges, so take what you can get.

We have a whole guide on where to stay in Yellowstone to help you make the right choice. From camping to staying in the park’s lodges, that guide has a strategy for choosing the perfect home base (spoiler, it’s actually home bases) in Yellowstone National Park. 

Inside the Park

Area-wise, we think you should plan to split your time between the Canyon area and either Old Faithful or the West Thumb .

 These areas of the park are arguably the most popular parts though, so book campsites or lodging as early as you can to avoid competition. 

You can find a list of campsites in Yellowstone and links to reservation systems through the National Park Service Camping website.

Outside the Park 

We think Gardiner, MT is a good base for Lamar Valley, Mammoth, and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. 

West Yellowstone, MT is a good base for Old Faithful and surrounding areas. 

Splitting your time between these two towns right outside the park will give you a nice set of home bases for exploring the sprawling park without too much driving. 

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton is a sweet, smaller park just south of Yellowstone, unique for dramatic views of the Teton Mountain Range, strenuous hikes to high-elevation glacial lakes, and prolific wildlife.

• Catch the sunset at Oxbow Bend , a beautiful vista of the Snake River and Mt. Moran.
• Bring binoculars and look for bison in the plains behind Mormon Row .
• View the Cathedral Group of Tetons up close via Cascade Canyon .
• Hike the Phelps Lake Loop and rest at the jumping rock, a 30 foot drop into glacial water runoff.

Where to Stay in Grand Teton

Grand Teton is a much smaller park than Yellowstone. While we recommend picking multiple camp or lodge spots while traveling through Yellowstone, for Grand Teton it would probably be best to pick one site to stay in for the entirety of your trip.

All campsites in Grand Teton are advance-book campsites, with the exception of 20 dispersed first-come, first-serve campsites on the Rockefeller Memorial Parkway between Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend going for one of those spots because of how much competition there is, and because they are out of the way. 

Instead, we would recommend advance booking a stay or site at Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, or Colter Bay .

Jenny Lake Lodge : Luxury lodge located on shores of Jenny Lake, with great access to Cascade Canyon or other hikes with ferry access.

Jenny Lake Campground : Small camp a few hundred yards off the east shore of Jenny Lake. It has 61 spots, tents only, and has pay-showers nearby.

Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain Lodge : A rustic, semi-luxury lodge close to Jackson Lake, offering rooms and bungalows, as well as dining and other activities.

Signal Mountain Campsite : 81-site campground located by Signal Mountain Lodge. Accepts tents and smaller RVs. Right on the lake!

Colter Bay Campground : A large 324-site camp near Jackson Lake, with spectacular views of Mt. Moran. Has many facilities located nearby.

Outside the Park

Finding accommodation in Jackson Hole is going to be your best bet. Jackson is a resort town and there are quite a few options spanning from basic sites and RV parks to luxury rentals and hotel stays. 

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (aka Teton Village) — located by the south end of the park — also has quite a few lodges and hotels. If you stay there, you can take advantage of the ski resort with the tram and gondola running during summer months to restaurants and viewpoints on the mountain. 

There are also some vacation rentals around Moose, WY , if you want more space or are traveling with a larger group.

A Complete Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Itinerary

Without further ado, below is a guide you can feel free to reference or copy and paste for your road trip. We think this is the best way to see both parks in just seven days. 

Here’s what this itinerary looks like written out.

• Day 1: Arriving, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Norris Geyser Basin
• Day 2: Wildlife Galore (Lamar + Hayden Valley) & the Grand Canyon
• Day 3: Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Hot Springs
• Day 4: Yellowstone Lake and the West Thumb
• Day 5: Drive to Grand Teton (Mormon Row + Oxbow Bend)
• Day 6: Wildlife in Teton + Cascade Canyon
• Day 7: Rockefeller Preserve + Head Home

Additionally, here’s a map of the route you’re going to find below. 

Day 1: Mammoth Hot Springs, Bunsen Peak, Norris Geyser Basin at Sunset

We’re starting off the first day of this trip with a sizzling itinerary: you’ll pass through the impressive North Entrance arch, visit the flowing limestone pools and mounds of Mammoth Hot Springs, hike through meadows and pine forests to Bunsen Peak, and see Norris Geyser Basin by sunset.

Arriving to Yellowstone’s North Entrance

If you arrive in Bozeman on an afternoon or evening flight, we recommend finding a place to stay in the evening and then starting your journey the next morning. It will take most of the morning to get to the North Entrance of Yellowstone located in Gardiner — it’s about a 1.5 hour drive, but could be longer depending on traffic. Grab a coffee and get on the road!

Once you drive through Gardiner and pay for entrance to the park, you will pass through the Roosevelt Arch, an iconic structure built in 1903 to mark visitor’s entrance into Yellowstone. Recently, the park financed new pull-outs and sidewalks by the arch, so make sure to stop and take a picture — the first of many on this grand adventure!

Mammoth Hot Springs

We really recommend seeing Mammoth Hot Springs as the first thing you do once entering Yellowstone. It’s a geothermal hotspot accessible by car at all times of the year, and it is iconically Yellowstone. 

What you can see by stopping here: over fifty terraced hot springs, Palette Springs Terraces, and Orange Spring Mound. This otherworldly chalky-limestone landscape is a Yellowstone must-see — and you can view all of the features easily by accessing two short boardwalks from the parking lot. 

Nothing is more bizarre than walking on wooden paths above steaming ground, viewing countless terraced pools and bubbling mud pools by giant orange mound geysers that resemble Wild Thing monsters. Mammoth Hot Springs makes us feel like kids again, in a constant state of curiosity and discovery.

Hike to Bunsen Peak

• Length : 4.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,300 ft.
• Trail Type: Out & Back 
• Difficulty : Moderate
• Trailhead Location

Bunsen Peak is a moderately-long hike that we think would be perfect right after a morning spent driving to the park and viewing Mammoth Hot Springs. 

What do they say — as the crow flies? This trail is sure to make you feel part of the Yellowstone ecosystem, with a birds-eye view of Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Geyser Basin.

And the route to the peak is just as awe-inspiring as the panoramic views up top: carpeted meadows of wildflowers in July, sweet-smelling pine forests, and ample wildlife on view ranging from marmots to bears. Make sure to bring bear spray for this one.

Norris Geyser Basin at Sunset

The hottest and most-changing spot in Yellowstone, Norris Geyser Basin is full of constantly shifting and evolving features. Two-and-a-quarter miles of trail systems give you access to the world’s tallest geyser, rainbow pools, and sulfuric-smelling air.

There are two trail loops here worth seeing. Both are pretty short and flat.

Porcelain Basin Trail

• Length : 0.75 miles
• What you’ll see : A steaming, barren landscape and milky pools accessed by boardwalk.

Back Basin Trail

• Length : 1.5 miles
• What you’ll see : A wooded area full of geysers and hot springs, accessed by a dirt trail and boardwalks.

We recommend coming here at sunset for a few reasons, the first being that there will generally be way less people here during sunset, so you’ll be able to enjoy all the features for as much time as you want. 

The second reason we recommend visiting at sunset: imagine the magic that happens when rainbow-colored hot springs mirror a rainbow-colored sky. The western skies are known for having intense sunsets, especially in summer. Emerald green, milky-blue, rusty orange—these are just a few of the colors you’ll be able to see not only in the hot pots, but also in the heavens. If you want to see a prismatic light show on earth and in the sky, this is the place to be!

Where to Stay for the Night

To avoid further exhausting you on this packed first day of touring North Yellowstone, we recommend not trying to drive any further South. Instead, reserve a room or campsite close to Mammoth Hot Springs or backtrack the short distance (five miles) to Gardiner, MT for nicer hotels and cabin stays.

• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel : An array of cabins, rooms, and suites within the park.
• Mammoth Campground : Campsites open year-round within the park, with a shower house and picnic tables. Reservations only.
• Yellowstone Gateway Inn : Modest stay located in Gardiner, MT. Offers suites and vacation rentals with river views—convenient access to grocery stores, restaurants, and other amenities in the town of Gardiner.
• Yellowstone Riverside Cottages : Highly-rated cottages overlooking the Yellowstone River. Conveniently located close to food and other amenities in Gardiner, MT.

Day 2: Wildlife, Mt. Washburn, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

On the second day of this itinerary for Yellowstone and Grand Teton, you’ll be on the lookout for packs of wolves at dawn, hiking to Mt. Washburn by mid-morning, seeing the Grand Canyon and falls of Yellowstone during the golden afternoon, and looking over herds of bison and the deepening vista of Hayden Valley at dusk.

Wolf-spotting at Dawn in Lamar Valley

Get an early start to your day and drive to Lamar Valley before dawn. Lamar is Yellowstone’s most expansive basin easily accessed by park roads, and wildlife — especially herds of elk, bison, and wolves — tend to thrive and roam freely here. You’ll find that dawn and dusk are the best times to spot wildlife in the parks as these are the parts of the day when wildlife, especially large mammal wildlife, are most active. 

If you’re wondering how to spot wildlife in Lamar Valley and beyond, here are some of our tips. 

• Bring a good pair of binoculars! And be patient scanning with them. That’s the best tip we have.
• Look for groups of people or cars. If you see a bunch of cars pulled over or people with wide camera lenses on the side of the road, there’s sure to be some wildlife to spot in the distance. Please be careful and choose a responsible place to pull over. When your car is pulled over, crack or open the windows and turn off the engine. You might be able to hear wolves howling or elk bugling. 
• Spotting wolves : Wolves are quite a bit more elusive than bison or moose. If you spot a herd of elk or bison all facing the same way, that’s a pretty good sign that wolves could be near. Winter is the best time to see gray wolves because they pop out more against the white snow. The north part of the park is open to visitors during the winter season, and that’s the best time to come to the park specifically to see wolves.

Hike to Mt. Washburn

• Length : 6.2 miles from Dunraven Pass trailhead or 5 miles from Chittenden Rd parking area trailhead
• Elevation Gain : 1,400 ft.
• Trail Type : Out & Back
• Difficulty : Strenuous

Panoramic views of 50 miles in the distance at a peak elevation of 10,243 feet, frequent bighorn sheep sightings, and carpets of wildflowers blooming in July are some of the aspects you can look forward to on this hike.

Mt. Washburn is one of three fire lookout stations in Yellowstone, so amongst wildlife sightings, you might even see some firefighters stationed on this peak for the summer. This is the busiest hiking trail in Yellowstone, so be prepared for crowds. However, it is also the hike that presents you with the longest panoramic views across Yellowstone, and we definitely recommend seeing it.

Make sure to check the roads report. This trail may be closed due to ongoing construction on Dunraven Pass.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a must-see, and it’s a great stop to spend your afternoon after hiking Mt. Washburn. The two areas couldn’t be any different, really. Where Mt. Washburn is a towering peak notable for its rich history of fire-watching and lookouts across vast space, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone sucks you in with dramatic waterfalls and clouds of mist.

Ever heard of Thomas Moran or Ansel Addams? Both are famous artists notable within the national park movement, and both were extremely drawn to documenting the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You can see the upper and lower falls of the Yellowstone River (the muse of so many photographers and painters like Moran and Addams) by accessing a variety of overlooks. 

There are also a number of trails that let you partway into the canyon for a better view of the river and the yellow stone this park is named for. We recommend the hike to Point Sublime , a 2.7 mile round-trip hike with 340 feet of elevation gain that takes you past Artist Point and several other majestic views of the canyon.

Hayden Valley at Sunset / Dusk

Hayden Valley is another prime, open plain to plan on stopping at for wildlife sightings. There are always bison herds to be seen in Hayden Valley at most times of the day. However, if you come at dusk you might just get lucky and spot some wolves or a grizzly bear roaming the streams amongst the bison herds. 

Also worth mentioning here is that big mammal wildlife are not the only wildlife to prioritize in the parks! Hayden Valley is home to so many waterfowl species like herons, ducks, Canadian geese, and pelicans. They are also very active at dusk.

• Canyon Campground : Located inside the park near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, this 273-site campground is located close by to Canyon Village stores and restaurants.
• Canyon Lodge & Cabins : Known as “the largest sustainable lodging in the national parks,” Canyon Lodge has more than 500 rooms and cabins, and is nearby to restaurants, gift shops, and other amenities

Day 3: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and Firehole Lake Drive

A classic Yellowstone adventure wouldn’t be complete without a trip to see Old Faithful, arguably the most famous feature of the park. This itinerary for Day 3 gets you to Old Faithful first thing in the morning, leaving the rest of the day for more hot spring, waterfall, and wildlife spotting.

Old Faithful

This cone-geyser is aptly named due to its predictable pattern of eruptions — which occur every 45 minutes to two hours. Every time it erupts, it shoots boiling water 130 feet into the sky. It’s as faithful as can be, and we wouldn’t tell you to visit unless it was a transformative stop. 

This is one feature of the park that you might want to time out on a more exact schedule. Earlier is better here because this attraction really draws crowds. You can find a report of eruption predictions for Old Faithful and surrounding geysers by visiting the NPS site on Old Faithful .

We recommend checking out these predictions the evening before venturing to Old Faithful. If you miss the eruption you wanted to see, no biggie, another eruption will usually occur in 45 minutes.

You can watch from boardwalks that circle the geyser, or from an observation viewpoint above. We watched from the Yellowstone Observation Point during the early morning with our cowboy coffee, and we thought it was the perfect deck to watch the eruption from.

To get to the Observation Point , park at Old Faithful Village. You’ll hike 1.5 miles round trip and gain 260 feet of elevation gain to see the geyser from above, with views of the historic Old Faithful Inn in the background.

Upper Geyser Basin

Nearby, the geysers and hot springs in Upper Geyser Basin are truly iconic. The trail from the Visitor Center takes you on a 4.9 mile loop with 350 feet of elevation gain around all the sights. You’ll walk on a mixture of dirt trails and boardwalks, and have the chance to see not only the geothermal features, but plenty of birds nesting in the lodgepole pines in this basin.

We’ll list the classics here, and the attractions we loved the most:

• Chromatic Pool : A hot spring with all the colors of the rainbow.
• Grotto Geyser : A fountain-like geyser that looks like contemporary art.
• Riverside Geyser : This geyser makes actual rainbows! It shoots water 70 feet into the air in an arc across the river.
• Castle Geyser : Another cone geyser similar to Old Faithful and Grotto Geyser.
• Morning Glory Pool : A stunning green-yellow hot spring that appears very deep and mysterious to any onlooker.

Grand Prismatic Overlook

This is a very short 1.2 mile out-and-back trail that we can hardly call a hike, though the viewpoint at the end is something you would expect only a lengthy hike could lead to. This overlook presents you with an amazing view of Grand Prismatic Spring, a very large rainbow-colored spring which is also iconically Yellowstone.

Yellowstone has so many iconic features, it’s difficult to choose one. If you thought you were joyously overwhelmed visiting Old Faithful and the other geysers and pools of the Upper Basin, Grand Prismatic Overlook will impress you beyond belief. You can also drive to the Midway Geyser Basin trail to visit Grand Prismatic and walk on boardwalks around the feature if you want to examine the otherworldly textures and colors up close.

Hike to Fairy Falls

• Length : 5.4 miles 
• Elevation Gain : 170 ft.

If you keep on the trail after visiting Grand Prismatic Overlook, you’ll have the opportunity to see Fairy Falls, a renowned 200-foot waterfall. It’s definitely a favorite hike of ours, mellow the whole way and winding through multiple meadows with plenty of wildlife sightings.

This trail is good for all skill levels but might take a bigger chunk of the day (three to five hours) to complete. Plan accordingly!

Firehole Lake Drive

If you haven’t gotten your fill of geothermal springs in for the day, you can always detour to Firehole Lake Drive on your way to a campsite or lodge. You don’t even have to leave your car to see these springs, so they are the perfect final adventure for this packed geothermal-themed day. 

Firehole Spring is another of the multi-colored springs we couldn’t get enough of, but Surprise Pool is something else altogether—it’s deep, deep blue and appears intimidatingly deep. There are about four more geysers present on this drive as well, and two fiery-colored hot lakes.

Now that you’re firmly in the south end of the park, it makes sense to stay in a new place to minimize driving. 

Stay around Old Faithful (there are three park lodges) or in the town of West Yellowstone , which is outside the western entrance and is the best town in terms of hotel selection and amenities around Yellowstone’s border. 

• Old Faithful Inn : Located within the park right by Old Faithful, this lodge was designed by Robert C. Reamer and built in the winter of 1903–1904. It’s one of the few remaining log hotels in the United States. Think “The Shining”, but with geysers.
• Madison Campground : This campsite is located 16 miles North of Old Faithful, but would be your best bet for camping in the area, and closer than any other campgrounds within or outside the park. There are bison that occasionally roam through the meadows adjacent to this campground.

Outside the Park: West Yellowstone

• Explorer Cabins : Drool-worthy cabins with kitchenettes just five minutes from the west entrance of the park . 
• Faithful Street Inn : Rustic cabins with kitchens and plenty of space for groups.
• The Evergreen : A nice, affordable hotel with historic charm

Day 4: West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake, and Elephant Back Mountain

Day 4 is going to feel like a good rest day after all the activity in Day 3. Still, you’ll get to see more Yellowstone hot spots: West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake, and Elephant Back Mountain.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This is the largest geyser basin on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. There are plenty of geysers above the shoreline that you can see via more boardwalks and trail systems (like Upper Geyser Basin), but we bet you didn’t know there are geyser eruptions occurring every day under the water as well. Do you dare sink a toe in Yellowstone Lake?

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is a massive lake — the largest high elevation lake in North America. And though the water is bitter-cold and glacial in some parts, in others it is very warm and even boiling. Visitors are welcome to swim or recreate in some parts of the lake, though other areas are off limits. For more information on which beaches have tourist access, see the NPS site .

Hike Elephant Back Mountain

• Length : 3.5 miles 
• Elevation Gain: 800 ft.
• Trail Type : Lollipop

Elephant Back Mountain Trail is another hike to a stunning panoramic viewpoint of the park. This time, you’ll be treated to views of Yellowstone Lake from above. 

This hike travels through some meadows with wildflowers, though the majority of the way you’ll be hiking through pine forests. We recommend it to most or all hikers, as it’s shorter and has less elevation gain than some of the other hikes on this list. 

The best place to stay for the night in terms of convenience is going to be around Lake Yellowstone. Staying there will help you avoid backtracking and set you up nicely for the morning drive to Grand Teton. 

However, it’s super competitive to get spots there, so you could also stay at Old Faithful again, or in West Yellowstone. Just be prepared for some extra driving in the morning. 

• Grant Village Lodge : A mid-size lodge located within the park, built in the 80s and named after Ulysses S. Grant.
• Grant Village Campground : Campground with facilities associated with Grant Village lodge.
• Lake Yellowstone Hotel: Massive and classic hotel located on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Straight out of a Wes Anderson film.

Day 5: Rockefeller Highway to Grand Teton, Mormon Row, and Oxbow Bend

On Day 5 of your journey, say goodbye to the geothermal activity of Yellowstone. You’ll drive on Rockefeller Highway down to Grand Teton National Park to hike the mellow String Lake loop, view the historic Mormon Row settlement, and catch the sunset at Oxbow Bend.

Driving from Yellowstone to Grand Teton via Rockefeller Highway

Rockefeller Highway is a scenic highway that connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton. On the thirty miles of highway between the parks, you’ll have views of the approaching Tetons and will probably be able to spot more wildlife — antelope, deer, and other mammals that roam the plains. Feel free to stop for a breakfast picnic on any of the pull outs along the way. Our favorite is Jackson Lake overlook, on the last leg of the highway before you reach Jenny Lake and String Lake.

Hike String Lake

• Length : 3.7 miles 
• Elevation Gain : 291 ft.
• Trail Type : Loop
• Difficulty : Easy

String Lake is a moderately-short, easy hiking loop that we would recommend to any level of hiker. 

Because it is shallower than most lakes in Grand Teton National Park, this is the hike we would say we have spotted the most moose on while visiting both parks. Moose love soaking in shallow waters on their stilt-like legs, chomping on river and lake foliage. It’s also quite easy to spot lake trout in the shallows of the water on this hike, especially with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. 

These are the remaining homesteads of the Mormon settlers that came to live at the base of the Tetons in the 1890s. You’ll have the chance to walk around some truly historic barns, irrigation ditches, and the Chambers Homestead complex. 

This is also another great site to bring binoculars and look for herds of bison in the distant plains beyond Mormon Row. This is a good spot for late afternoon when it starts to cool down during the summer. 

There isn’t much shade, but the wind does get a bit breezy here. Also, a lot of painters choose to landscape paint from this spot, so you can look forward to potentially viewing some art mid-creation.

Sunset at Oxbow Bend

Back to your regularly scheduled programming of more iconic viewpoints: Oxbow Bend is one of the best spots in the park to view Mt. Moran and the Tetons, and a horde of wildlife. Especially at sunset, you’ll have the chance to see and hear birds and waterfowl, moose, bears, and elk. It’s one of the most serene spots on this itinerary, and it will really refresh you for your final two days.

We’ll reiterate here and recommend that you stay at the same campsite or lodge for your entire stay in Grand Teton. It’s only two nights, and Grand Teton is a lot smaller than Yellowstone, so it will be nice to have a central home base. You can find a full list of our recommended areas to stay at the top of this itinerary.

• Campsites at Signal Mountain or Jenny Lake .
• Signal Mountain Lodge : A rustic, semi-luxury lodge offering rooms and bungalows, as well as dining and other activities.
• Jenny Lake Lodge : Luxury lodge located on Jenny Lake, with great access to Cascade Canyon or other hikes with ferry access.
• The Wort : A historic boutique hotel located in the heart of Jackson.
• Flat Creek Inn & Mart : Motel located right above the Elk Refuge, grounds designated for elk herds between Jackson and Grand Teton.
• Dornan’s : Located right outside the Moose entrance of Grand Teton, this lodge offers spacious rental cabins that are ideal for groups.

Day 6: Sunrise Wildlife Drive, Hike Cascade Canyon, and Sunset Wildlife Loop

Today, bookend one of the best hikes in Grand Teton National Park with a sunrise and sunset wildlife drive. 

Sunrise Wildlife Drive on Moose Wilson Road

Waking up at sunrise to do a wildlife safari within the park is a sure way to spot majestic bears, elk, wolves, and moose that thrive especially at dusk and dawn. 

We recommend driving on the Moose road towards Phelps Lake for your early-morning safari. 

Beware that the road is unpaved and somewhat unmaintained. Because it’s a less-traveled route, we think wildlife are more apt to hang out around it. 

On one of the first pullouts ( this one ), we saw multiple moose, a baby moose, and a bear and three cubs. All by breakfast time!

Hike Cascade Canyon

• Length : 9.1 miles from ferry dock
• Elevation Gain : 1,102 ft.
• Trail Type : Out & Back 
• Difficulty : Moderate – Hard

Grand Teton is known for its hikes, and Cascade Canyon is one of the best in the park.

Cascade Canyon Trail begins at the west dock of Jenny Lake, accessed by a 10 minute, $10-per-way ferry ride . The trailhead takes you up past Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, and then on towards the Cathedral Group of Teton Mountains (the Grand Teton, Mt. Owen, and Teewinot).

On this hike, you’ll walk along a grand river the entire way, spot a few waterfalls, huckleberry fields, and probably some moose along the way, too. We spotted five moose here on our last excursion to the park.

If you choose to skip the ferry ride, this hike will be 14.6 miles round trip from Jenny Lake Visitor’s Center, with approximately 1,300 feet of elevation gain.

Sunset Wildlife Loop

About two hours before sunset, drive up Hwy 191 from Teton Park Road. You can pull out on any of the designated stops, but we recommend stopping at Blacktail Ponds, Schwabacher’s Landing (for beavers and otters!), Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, and Willow Flats Overlook. 

Again, make sure you bring binoculars and turn off your engine so you can hear bugles, howls, or waterfowl calls. You can even bring a blanket and make a sunset picnic spot on any of these stops, waiting for the stars to emerge on your final night in this magnificent park. 

Day 7: Phelps Lake, Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, and Catch Flight Home

All good things have to come to an end, but this final day will really leave you feeling bitter-sweet. You’ll get in one last hike in Grand Teton, have the chance to explore the exhibitions at Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, and then you’ll be on your way!

Phelps Lake Loop

• Length : 7 miles 
• Elevation Gain : 475 ft. 
• Trail Type: Loop

From the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center , the trail enters a forest and eventually (roughly 0.25 miles from the parking lot) comes to a junction where hikers can choose either the Woodland Trail or Lake Creek Trail. The Woodland trail, which heads counter-clockwise around Phelps Lake, is the most direct trail to the lake loop, and is also the most scenic. 

Located on the northeastern shore of Phelps Lake is an iconic and popular jumping rock with super views of Death Canyon. The jump entails an exhilarating thirty-foot drop into cold mountain water. If you choose to partake in the jump, make sure someone snaps a photo of you midair.

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center

Phelps Lake Loop begins and ends at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center , originally a dude ranch known as JY Ranch. Visitors can learn about Rockefeller’s conservation philanthropy, historical ranch history, and sensory exhibits on plants and wildlife. 

We recommend stopping in before you leave the park, as it’s a great educational way to wrap up a week-long trip seeing all this natural wildlife and foliage.

Head to the Airport

Head out to the airport to catch your flight home in the afternoon. We’ve flown in and out of Jackson countless times, and each time feels a bit more magical. It’s a bittersweet ending to this jam-packed trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

What to Do with More Time: 8-10 day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Road Trip

If you have extra time, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing or driving more than the amount on this list. Instead, try to have a quality-over-quantity mindset and spread the activities on this list over a few more days. We also recommend trying some local activities that you wouldn’t normally get the chance to do. Here are a few of those activities we can recommend:

Additional Hikes in Grand Teton

Yellowstone has so many pit stops and a few really good hikes, but the hikes in Grand Teton are really prolific and quite strenuous — and they always have a magnificent end-point attraction worth the journey.

We’ve done most of them — from Delta, Surprise, and Amphitheater Lakes, to Inspiration Point, Hidden Falls, and the Jenny Lake loop.

Visit our guide on the 9 Best Hikes in Grand Teton National Park to plan out another day hike or two if you have extra time to spare.

Bike Rentals

Renting bikes and seeing either park by bicycle for a day is a great way to not only slow down and have the chance to spot more wildlife, but give yourself a break from the constant traffic and crowds you might run up against in parking lots during peak summer months.

There are bike path systems throughout both parks, and both parks present cyclists with inspiring views of mountains, rivers, and valleys. 

• Old Faithful Snow Lodge : The bike shop staff in Yellowstone can give you insight on nearby path routes. They offer hybrid bikes in addition to regular road bicycles, and also have helmets, racks, gloves, hip packs, and other biker-friendly gear available to rent.
• Teton Mountain Bike Tours : Not only can you rent bikes and gear from this shop located in Jackson Hole, but you can also book guided day and multi-day tours in the park. We’ve heard really good things about this company, but there are countless other bike rental shops in Jackson to choose from, so you shouldn’t have any issue renting bikes for a day or two!

Horseback Riding

Touring the parks on trail horses is another great option for skipping crowds. You’ll get to experience trail systems from a completely different perspective. 

• Yellowstone National Park Lodges offers partial day tours (one – two hours) through meadows, canyons, pine forests, and along streams within the park.
• Grand Teton Lodge Company offers trail rides from the corrals at Colter Bay Village, Jackson Lake Lodge, and Headwaters Lodge and Cabins within the park. They are also one to two hour long rides through wildflowers and vistas of the Tetons. The wranglers also give guides on history and wildflowers.

Fishing Guides

Yellowstone and Grand Teton have some of the best fly-fishing culture in the world, and the rivers are plentiful with trout. 

• For a list of authorized fishing guides available for hire in Yellowstone, visit the Yellowstone NPS fishing site here.
• For a list of authorized fishing guides available for hire in Grand Teton, visit the Grand Teton NPS fishing site here .

Rent Paddle Boards, Kayaks, or Canoes

Yellowstone and Grand Teton are both home to massive glacial lakes and prolific sources of water. What better way to spend an extra day than renting water sport equipment or booking a tour and getting out on Jackson or Yellowstone lake?

• Yellowstone Hiking Guides has a 4 hour sea kayaking tour on Yellowstone Lake, with five miles of kayaking to see geysers and wildlife on shore.
• Rendezvous River Sports has always been the go-to water-sport rental outfitter in Jackson. They rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, rafts, surfboards, and more, and also have options for guided tours in BOTH Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

What to Do with Less Time: 5 day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary

If you must make this trip shorter, we recommend skipping Day 2 (Lamar Valley, Mt. Washburn, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley) and Day 6 (Sunrise Wildlife Drive, String Lake, Mormon Row, and Sunset Wildlife Loop) of this itinerary. 

You could easily add a sunrise or sunset drive onto your first and last days in Grand Teton. And, it isn’t too far to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, so if you really need to see the falls and the canyon, that could warrant a short visit in place of an activity on the 3rd day of this itinerary.

Tips for Your Trip

Here are a few things to keep in mind for your Grand Teton and Yellowstone itinerary. 

National Park Pass vs. Pay-per-Day

You will need to pay for entry into these parks. An America the Beautiful Annual Pass (which gets you into any national park and also covers parking fees at most national monuments or national forest trailheads) is $80, and a single day pass into any national park, per vehicle, is $30. We think it’s definitely worth it to get an annual pass for this trip, especially if your lodging is located outside the parks.

Parking and Crowds

Because Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park are two of the most visited in the US and there is limited parking, we recommend that guests that want the best accessibility to the parks arrive early in the morning (9:00am at the latest). 

Arriving at these parks midday during peak summer months can mean a headache, waiting in lines for parking slots to open up. 

We have compiled some great guides for sunrise drives on this itinerary to get you in the park as early as possible — they will not only let you avoid mass crowds and the heat of the day, but will present you with the best opportunities to see wildlife like wolves, moose, and bears.

Elevation Acclimation and Altitude Sickness

There is quite an extreme elevation in the park (6,800 feet at the valley floor of Grand Teton, and Yellowstone is even higher), so many of the hikes on this list have significant elevation gain, and visitors should be wary of trying high-altitude strenuous hikes without acclimating to the elevation first. 

Symptoms of altitude sickness include nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath. A general good rule is to take it easy and do some less strenuous hikes in the area before trying to ascend or summit anything. 

Gentle lake loops or spots of interest that don’t require much activity or additional elevation gain, like the ones on this itinerary, would be perfect!

Wildlife Safety

Bear spray is a necessity while in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. You should have basic knowledge on how and when to use bear spray, and keep it within easy access on the side or front of your pack or belt. 

If this is a one-off trip or you’re flying into the parks, we recommend renting bear spray. 

• Teton Backcountry Rentals in Jackson, Wyoming rents bear spray for $8 a day.
• Explore Rentals in Bozeman is conveniently located near the airport and offers bear spray rentals and free tutorials.

In addition, making noise or carrying a bear bell, especially while traveling through huckleberry patches, is a great way to alert nearby wildlife that you are passing through. Wildlife are a lot less likely to spook, charge, or maul if they are aware of nearby hikers.

Bears are not the only dangerous animals in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. There have been many tragedies for both humans and animals within both parks — especially in recent years.

 Please respect wildlife and do not approach moose, elk, bears, wolves, or bison at all. A general rule is to not interact with any wildlife — including feeding small critters like chipmunks. Feel free to take pictures and observe (that’s half the experience of visiting the parks!) but do so from a very safe distance.

Leave No Trace

Lastly, it’s always important to practice Leave No Trace principles. Conservation is a massive issue of philanthropy and federal protection in and around these parks, though folks sometimes forget that the smallest actions also add up and can affect local ecosystems. Especially with wildlife living on and around the same trail systems that hikers use, we urge you to please make sure to pack in what you pack out.

Road Conditions

We just came back from the west and went to Grand Teton for a day trip. The Moose Wilson road that leads to Phelps Lake was a disaster. It took us forever because of how many deep potholes there were, and we had a truck. Always make sure to check road conditions for closures or hazards ( here ).

Getting to the Parks

To get to these two national parks, you have a couple of options. If you live close by – Salt Lake City, Denver, or Idaho, for example – you can drive to the starting point in Bozeman. Otherwise, flying in is the way to go.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton are both surrounded by vast amounts of open space. The two closest major cities with travel hubs and amenities are Salt Lake City and Denver.

From Salt Lake City

Distance : 281 miles to Grand Teton

Time : 4 hrs 45 mins

Route : The fastest route takes you up the western border of Wyoming, through Evanston, Afton, and Alpine on I-80 and route 89.

From Denver

Distance : 480 miles to Grand Teton

Time : 7 hrs 45 mins

Route : The fastest route takes you through Fort Collins, CO, and into Wyoming through the western towns of Laramie, Lander, and Dubois.

Because driving from any city that is further out will require extra commute travel days, we think the best way to do this trip is flying into Bozeman and flying out of Jackson (or the reverse). Bozeman and Jackson have bookending airports to these national parks. 

Alternatively, you can plan an out-and-back trip from one airport (e.g. fly into Bozeman, do two days in Yellowstone, three days in Teton, two days in Yellowstone, return to Bozeman airport). However, that will probably add a lot more driving time to this already jam-packed road trip.

If you do plan to only fly into one of the airports, we would recommend Jackson Hole Airport . It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Bozeman’s airport to the entrance of Yellowstone National Park, possibly made longer depending on traffic. From Jackson airport there is no commute — it’s the only commercial airport located within a national park.

West Yellowstone, located at the west entrance of the park, has a smaller airport that you could also check in to for flights. However, the flight selection is limited. 

One other option that we don’t necessarily recommend would be to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport and drive to the parks from there, though that adds an additional five hours each way onto this already exhaustive adventure. If you have the time and are looking for a longer road trip, that might be a great option for you! If not, fly straight to the source.

When to Visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Generally, the best time to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton is between May and October . 

These parks are both consistently busy between Memorial Day and Labor Day , so if you want to experience them with less people, traffic, and commotion, it’s generally a good idea to travel before June or after September .

Early fall and late spring are definitely our favorite times to visit these parks, with trees in full fall glory or budding spring bloom, and active wildlife taking advantage of the last or first of the summer season.

That said, roads begin closing and trails can become impassable late October through April. You can still visit these parks during the winter season, though there will be a lot less to do, especially for activities on this itinerary for Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

That’s all folks — thanks for tuning in!

Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers.

Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up.

He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip.

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Home » Itineraries » Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

One hour, one day or one weekend in yellowstone national park..

A dynamic volcanic hotspot that also boasts more than 1,000 miles of hiking trails, nearly 300 waterfalls and the largest concentration of mammalian wildlife in the lower 48 states? That’s what we call a national treasure. Here’s how to cash in on Yellowstone’s riches, no matter how much time you have to spend.

Itinerary Overview

Route Distance:

40 miles (1 Hour)

55 miles (1 Day)

150 miles (2 Days)

Suggested Time:

1 Hour, 1 Day, or 2 Days

1 Hour: Steam Train

Old faithful geyser.

If you’re aiming for the Yellowstone speed record, make a beeline for the park’s most famous feature: Old Faithful Geyser. With approximately 20 eruptions every day, this reliable geyser’s frequency can be predicted with 90 percent accuracy, within about 10 minutes. Avoid the crowds with an early morning visit, then tuck in for a hearty breakfast at the Old Faithful Inn, a true icon of pioneer architecture.

1 Day: Hot Water

Geyser basin or lone star geyser.

While you can’t see all of Yellowstone in a single day, it’s relatively easy to prioritize the fascinating geothermal features for which the park is known. Starting at the park’s south entrance, head north to the West Thumb Geyser Basin, on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. Two short boardwalk loops will take you past the steaming Thumb Paint Pots, vibrant Abyss Pool and miniscule Fishing Cone. Before you leave, check in at the nearby ranger station to find out when Old Faithful is likely to erupt next.

Or, if you’re the road-less-traveled type, skip the attraction and make the easy 5-mile hike to Lone Star Geyser, which erupts every three hours for a full 30 minutes. Your journey along the Firehole River will reveal colorful bacteria mats and hissing fumaroles, too.

Midway Geyser Basin

Your next stop is Midway Geyser Basin, also known as Hell’s Half Acre for the vaporous clouds clinging to its banks. The main attraction here is Grand Prismatic Spring — the third-largest hot spring in the world, this colorful pool is bigger than a football field and 10-stories deep. Its enchanting spectrum is caused by the different species of heat-loving bacteria that live in the spring.

Firehole Lake Drive

Next, off the Grand Loop just south of Madison. Take Firehole Lake Drive, a 3-mile scenic jaunt past at least a dozen geothermal features. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of Great Fountain Geyser’s breathtaking and highly unpredictable displays. Then, head back to West Thumb for a casual waterfront dinner at the Grant Village Lake House.

1 Weekend: North Score

To experience total immersion during your quick weekend in the park, camping is always a great bet (choose from over 2,000 sites spread across 12 camping areas). Norris Campground — located in the visibly dynamic geyser basin of the same name — is a solid central base for exploring and offers evening campfire programs nightly, June through September.

Mammoth Hot Springs

If you’re coming in through the park’s north entrance, Mammoth Hot Springs will set the tone for your weekend. With a fantastical landscape straight out of Middle Earth, it’s like a limestone cave turned inside out. Two boardwalks give you access to more than 50 geothermal features — including free-standing Liberty Cap, colorful Minerva and Palette springs, and Angel Terrace. History buffs will enjoy a quick side trip to Fort Yellowstone, just a stone’s throw from the springs.

Artist Point

With an early start, you can tour the springs area and still score a site at Norris by 10 a.m. Break to make camp and lunch, then it’s off to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This 20-mile-long, 1,000-foot-deep natural work of art is best explored on foot, with the canyon’s colorful walls rising around you. There are 10 official overlook spots in the canyon, and Artist Point is one of the most popular. After uttering your oohs and aahs at this spectacular view of Lower Falls crashing into the abyss, leave the paved trail and keep hiking along the canyon’s south rim to Point Sublime.

Lamar River

Nature-loving anglers can kill (or rather, catch and release) two birds with one stone, as the tranquil Lamar River offers some of Yellowstone’s best fly-fishing. Surrounded by rolling verdant hills in all directions — and interrupted only by glimpses the valley’s plentiful fauna — visitors can expect to hook both rainbow and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout sized in the upper teens.

Yellowstone Lake

This afternoon, you’re headed due south for an up-close-and-personal view of Yellowstone Lake. The largest high-elevation lake in North America and nearly 400-feet deep in places, it’s too cold for swimming but is wonderful to explore by kayak or canoe.

Because of the lake’s many hidden underwater geysers, submerged fumaroles and other geothermal features, we recommend a guided tour with one of the many outfitters in the area. After your paddle, enjoy a rewarding dinner in the charming Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room before bidding farewell to the park — until next time.

[OPEN MAP IN NEW WINDOW]

Hit the road with other great itineraries.

Wyoming’s open roads and beautiful scenery make it an ideal state for a road trip.

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Last updated: October 30, 2023

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I've done a lot of research and with a lot of help from this forum! Can you tell me any feedback or things you might suggest? I only added specific times to this itinerary just so we can have an idea of what we want to shoot for. We won't necessarily be this strict unless a specific tour time. I had ChatGPT add in travel times so we can expect to know how far from each place we'd be going.

Monday is our most full day because we are trying to hit our top things in Yellowstone as we pass through for the day: the Canyon and Old Faithful. We want to get our national park book stamped too while we are in the park.

I probably should move the GTNP wildlife tour to Tuesday evening, but I was thinking it would be best to do it early so we could learn a lot of the history, sights on Monday and it would give us some ideas of other things to explore in GTNP on Tuesday/Wednesday.

We also want to get our book stamped in GTNP. Best visitors center for that?

Suggestions of what to still do in GTNP on Wednesday after we checkout? I had lunch at Dornan's for sure.

Suggestions for things to stop at along the way on Friday to Eagle Ridge?

Thank you!!

Saturday, June 22

4:00 PM: Arrive at Bozeman Airport.

5:15 PM: Stop at Walmart at 1500 N 7th Ave, Bozeman for groceries (10 miles, approx. 15 minutes).

6:45 PM: Drive to 320 Guest Ranch (54 miles, approx. 1 hour 15 minutes).

8:15 PM: Check-in at 320 Guest Ranch.

Sunday, June 23 - 320 Guest Ranch

Morning: Horseback riding at Jake’s Horses (12 miles from 320 Guest Ranch, approx. 20 minutes drive).

Afternoon: Hike Ousel Falls Trail (14 miles from Jake's Horses, approx. 25 minutes drive).

Evening: Dinner at Riverhouse BBQ in Big Sky.

Monday, June 24 - Yellowstone NP to Grand Teton NP

8:00 AM: Check out of 320 Guest Ranch.

8:30 AM: Enter Yellowstone via West Entrance (35 miles, approx. 45 minutes).

9:15 AM: Stop at Gibbon Falls (11 miles from the West Entrance, approx. 20 minutes).

9:45 AM: Visit Madison Junction Visitor Center to get your book stamped (5 miles from Gibbon Falls, approx. 10 minutes).

10:00 AM: Drive to Artist Point, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for photos and brief exploration (23 miles, approx. 40 minutes).

10:45 AM: Early lunch at Canyon Village (3 miles from Artist Point, approx. 5 minutes).

11:30 AM: Drive to Old Faithful (16 miles, approx. 30 minutes).

12:00 PM: Explore Old Faithful area and watch geyser eruption.

1:30 PM: Depart Old Faithful.

4:00 PM: Check-in at Signal Mountain Lodge (96 miles, approx. 2.5 hours).

5:00 PM: Dusk wildlife tour.

Tuesday, June 25 - Grand Teton NP

Morning: Drive to Jenny Lake and take the boat shuttle to start the hike to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls.

Midday: Drive to String Lake for a hike to Leigh Lake Portage Stairs and enjoy a picnic by the lake.

Afternoon: Relax by String Lake and continue the scenic drive around the Grand Teton Loop.

Evening: Dinner at the Mural Room at Jackson Lake Lodge .

Wednesday, June 26 - Jackson Hole

Morning: Check out from Signal Mountain Lodge at 10:00 AM and drive to Dornan’s in Moose, WY for lunch (24 miles, approx. 45 minutes).

Afternoon: Check into Snow King Resort (13 miles from Dornan's, approx. 20 minutes). Explore Jackson Hole.

Evening: Free time. 6pm is Downtown Shootout. 8pm Attend the Jackson Hole Rodeo (1 mile from Snow King, approx. 5 minutes).

Thursday, June 27 - Jackson Hole

Day: Free day for local exploration, additional activities at Snow King, or relaxation.

Friday, June 28 - Travel to Eagle Ridge Ranch

Morning: Check out from Snow King Resort.

**Drive to Mesa Falls for a scenic stop (89 miles, approx. 2 hours).

**Visit Harriman State Park (13 miles from Mesa Falls, approx. 20 minutes).

Afternoon: Check-in at Eagle Ridge Ranch (22 miles from Harriman State Park, approx. 30 minutes).

Evening: BBQ dinner at the ranch.

Saturday, June 29 - Eagle Ridge Ranch

Day: Full day of activities at the ranch.

Sunday, June 30 - Departure

9:00 AM: Check out from Eagle Ridge Ranch.

Drive to Bozeman Airport (about 120 miles, approx. 2.5 hours).

12:40 PM: Departure flight .

6 replies to this topic

I would definitely suggest you not do the wildlife tour the afternoon you are transitioning thru Yellowstone. You will be pushed for time anyway and to make it there by 5 is going to be tough.

I feel like you are grossly underestimating drive times and how long it will take to see things on that day.

--> You may encounter a traffic back up at the West Entrance Gate kiosks. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, have it and the relevant drivers license out as you get up to the gate to save time.

--> I think it will take you 35-45 minutes from the West Entrance gate to Gibbon Falls. More if you stop at Madison.

--> You will get to Madison before you get to Gibbon Falls. There is not really a "Visitor Center" at Madison. Sometimes during the summer they have a Jr Ranger booth set up there. I've never seen one of the stamp stations there. You can also stop at the Canyon Visitor Center which really IS a Visitor Center.

-->It will take much longer to drive from Gibbon Falls to the Canyon Junction. I would say it would be about 45 minutes to drive between the 2 then another 15-20 minutes to get to Artist Point, get parked and do the short walk out to the viewing area.

--> I'd say 10-15 minutes from Artist Point to the Canyon Village area.

-->Canyon Village to Old Faithful is 42 miles. It's 16 miles from Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge Junction/Lake Village.

-->Depending on what the interval is between eruptions yes, 90 minutes is probably a minimum. There are other excellent geysers in the area but I'm not sure you'll have time for them. The intervals over the last day or two have ranged from 1h7m to 1h55m.

https://www.geysertimes.org/geyser.php?id=Old+Faithful

(Ignore the 8 hour interval as that was just that no one was watching and caught the overnight eruptions.)

--> I'd give yourselves at least 3 hours to travel from OF to Signal Mountain Lodge. There is some road construction at the Lewis River Bridge on the South Entrance Road.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm

"Location: Nearly 10 miles north of the South Entrance on the South Entrance Road

Access: Expect up to 20-minute delays while South Entrance Road is open to wheeled vehicles in 2024. Nearby pullouts and the trail to Lewis River Falls will be closed during construction.

Improvements: This project began in 2022 and will conclude in fall 2024. The existing Lewis River Bridge will be removed, and a new bridge will be constructed immediately downstream. The project will also include additional parking and viewing opportunities.

Here is a map of approximate drive times within Yellowstone. All the regulars have driven segments in less time than shown. It will all depend on the traffic at the time as to how long it will actually take.

https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/content/uploads/2017/04/Park-Map-with-mileage.pdf

--> As mentioned, I would do the wildlife tour another day.

Do check with the folks at the 2nd ranch on what time you should leave for the Bozeman Airport. It seems like you are cutting this pretty close with a 2.5 hour drive (and am just trusting your time estimate as I don't know where this is located). It just gives you 1h10m to return the car and process thru security. Maybe there are more flights later in the day to your destination.

Pam has given you a great post, among other things I encourage you to in particular heed her concerns about overly optimistic driving times. My opinions are often not shared by others here and sometimes for good reasons since we are all different. Take the following with a talus field of salt.

I gave my opinion on the evening wildlife tour in the other thread and Pam's notation of possible timing problems just adds to the overwhelmingly logical reason to do a dawn instead of dusk tour if wildlife observation is truly a priority for you.

I love Jackson, too expensive here not to. That said if it were me with the very limited time you have across an ENORMOUS region I'd plan on the Rodeo and some world class dining and get out of town and back into Grand Teton , the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF,) and the rest of the Valley of Jackson Hole as much as you possibly can. If some in your party insist on more time in the town of Jackson at least give others the option to ingest as much of this magnificent ecosystem as they can. On that "free day" 6/27 or if you allot additional time some might want to ride the Aerial Tram at Teton Village that is like nothing else in North America. Some might want to do a Whitewater or scenic float trip. Astoria Hot Springs. I love Granite Creek, Falls, and Hot Springs, two all star hikes right there too. If it is hot a hike to the Jumping Rock at Phelps Lake could also be a trip highlight. String Lake is not really warm but being shallow warmer than the other lakes along the Teton Front.

Harriman State Park is great, particularly cross country skiing in the winter. I would however skip it and maybe go to Grand Targhee/Teton Canyon or Big Springs.

In terms of waiting until 10:00 AM to checkout from Signal Mt. I would again give those that want it time that morning for wildlife observation, hiking Swan Lake-Heron Pond loop, or something else.

Have an awesome trip.

One quick comment -

Jackson Hole is the name of the valley. Trappers called the valley surrounded by mountains a "hole".

The valley contains the town named Jackson and GTNP.

You'll be in Jackson Hole after you leave the south gate of Yellowstone.

I think the plan isn’t factoring time to breathe, times are unrealistic.

Sa 22 4 pm landing BZN night 320

Su 23 night 320

W26 snow king

T 27 snow king

F 28 eagle ridge

SA 29 eagle ridge

Su 30 1240 pm departure BZN

I would change things….

SA 22 land , get supplies, eat. Could night in west yell

Su 23 am canyon, pm old faithful , night west yell

M 24 am southern part of Yellowstone , pm to Tetons, night SML

T 25 day in Tetons

W 26 am Tetons, pm jackson, night in town

SA northern part of park

Sun am to airport

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Our reservations are final, so no changing accommodations.

In Yellowstone we will do Canyon Visitors Center and Artist Point then head to West Thumb Geyser area for some thermal features. Understanding our timeline is very flexible on traffic jams, etc.

Thanks for the additional ideas on hikes and things to do! Excited for our trip!

I would double check everything ChatGPT’s gives you re times etc…it is a great tool but it makes mistakes. I have used it a lot for trips and I have seen some huge errors so just a word of warning!

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