10 Things to See in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is wildly unique from the other national parks. The geysers, colors, and wildlife are what make Yellowstone stand out from the all the rest. Known for being the first national park in the NPS, this is one of the most visited and brings in visitors from all over the world. It’s no doubt that the popularity of the show with its name made people want to visit even more!
Everyone should visit Yellowstone at least once. While it’s not my personal favorite of the national parks, I still appreciate and loved taking in the unique and diverse area. Really, it was unlike anything I’ve seen before. It feels like everywhere you turn there is another geyser, and just be prepared – if you’ve never been to a geothermal area before, the smell takes some getting used to.
Now, Yellowstone is shaped almost like the number 8. This makes it pretty simple to road trip through the park and see everything you want to see. With only one day, our strategy was to head down from the entrance at the north, take a detour at the road that cuts through the middle, then head back through the middle and continue down the original side again. So, we pretty much stayed on the west side, with a small detour through the middle to Canyon Village.
We honestly had plenty of time and saw so much, but I would definitely say if you are wanting to hike here, you will need more than a day! Many people choose to stay in or around Yellowstone, so there’s plenty of options (we just chose to stay near the Grand Tetons!). So, here are the top 10 things we saw on our drive through Yellowstone in 1 day:
1. Mammoth Hot Springs
Starting from the north end of the park, our first stop was at Mammoth Hot Springs. It’s quite busy here since it is so close to the entrance, making it exciting for people just arriving. The area of Mammoth has everything you might need to prepare for your drive through the park: a general store, bathrooms, a hotel, and a gas station. There is also plenty of parking here.
Yellowstone is a great option for nature lovers and people who may have a harder time getting around. The pathways at all of the sights are extremely accessible and flat, making it easy for older folks or people in wheelchairs. Mammoth Hot Springs does a good job of this as well. You can park at either the Lower Terraces or the Upper Terrace.
We opted for the Upper Terrace, and you can follow the paths all around the area to see the numerous springs. If you’re looking to hike, there are a few different longer hikes that start in Mammoth. That’s definitely something I will do when I go back!
2. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
There wasn’t much more that we wanted to see on the northern side of the park, so we cut across the middle and headed towards Canyon Village. The west side of the park is the main highway where most of the sights are located, but the smaller road along the east side and through the middle is home to sights that have a completely different feel than the west side. Where the west side is full of geysers and geothermal areas to visit, the east side is home to things like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone has both the Upper Falls and Brink of the Lower Falls. The parking lots here really fill up!! Make sure you plan accordingly. There are different viewpoints to see into the canyon that surprised me with how vast it is. But, there are also hiking trails all along and around the canyon to give you great views and take you along the Yellowstone River.
While you’re over here, head to Canyon Village. Like the area of Mammoth, Canyon Village has a general store, gas station, visitor center, and parking. But, it also has many different lodging and camping options, as well as multiple restaurants for you to grab lunch! If you stay here, you definitely need to make sure you book far in advance, because lodging anywhere near Yellowstone, especially IN Yellowstone, fills up quick.
3. Artist Point
Like I mentioned above, parking at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was super full when we arrived. We didn’t go to the South Rim, but it was hard to find at the North Rim. That was sort of how we stumbled on the hiking area around Artist Point. When we drove farther down along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the parking lot was right at the beginning of the trail. So we just started walking!
It was an easy hike, maybe about 2 miles, and it led us to this beautiful viewpoint. The trail takes you through the trees, opening up every so often to look down into the canyon. As always, be careful when hiking! This looks like a cliff, but it had another section of rocks right below, so it wasn’t unsafe.
While we were on the North Rim side, you can also head straight to the Artist Point Trailhead on the South Rim to actually do the real trail. All along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone there are different viewpoints and trails, but definitely check out the many trails all around this area. There are hikes of all different lengths and difficulty depending on what you’re looking for.
4. Gibbon Falls
After we did the east side around Canyon Village, we headed back across the middle of the park and to the west side again. We continued south and stopped off at Gibbon Falls. This is a really quick stop off the main road. It has its own parking lot, and you can walk down along the Gibbon Falls Trail to get a view of the falls. You can choose either the Falls Overlook or the Lower Overlook. If you’re a fan of waterfalls, you’ll love this quick stop off to switch it up from the geysers.
5. Fountain Paint Pots
Continuing south, our next stop was the Fountain Paint Pots. If you’re coming from the north side, it will be to your right as you approach it. It has a large parking lot and bathrooms! Many of the bathrooms throughout the park are going to be the standard, hole in the ground toilets. That’s why if you’re picky about that, you should try to go in Mammoth, Canyon Village, or at the Old Faithful areas.
Anyway, the Fountain Paint Pots is just a set of springs and geysers. As you can see in the picture above, the paths are the same flat, wide, and wooden paths, making it super accessible. As you walk, the trees look like they are coming from underwater, a very cool effect as you approach the geysers. The trail is a quick and short loop, so you won’t need much time here.
As you’ll start to see, the water in the springs is the brightest and clearest blue. It almost looks like it shouldn’t fit in here at all. These are named either springs and pools, and they are mostly on the path closest to the road. Farther away, you’ll see many geysers, and they always have great names. On the Fountain Paint Pot Trail, you’ve got Spasm Geyser, Jet Geyser, Jelly Geyser, and more. Some are bigger and more powerful than others, but they all make you feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet.
6. Grand Prismatic Spring (Excelsior Geyser & Midway Geyser Basin)
The Grand Prismatic Spring area was one of the larger stops, behind Old Faithful. There was even a line of cars waiting to get in the parking lot and get a spot. If you can, you should try to plan this accordingly if you want it to be less crowded or simpler to visit. I would recommend going early in the morning if possible. Everything is less crowded early in the day.
Head south to the Grand Prismatic Spring Parking Lot, and you’ll see a bridge that leads you over to these large pools/springs. I mean, even the river gains water from these, so you can see the steam flowing into it, making a cool effect. I believe after the bridge, there is a bit of a ramp to get up to see everything, but again, it’s the flat, wooden path so it should be okay.
In this area you’ve got Excelsior Geyser Crater, Midway Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, Opal Pool, and Turquoise Pool. The biggest of these is the Grand Prismatic Spring, known for its almost rainbow edges and deep blue water. If you want more of a view from higher up, search “Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook” on Google Maps!
Everywhere you look here, you will see the steam coming from the water. And the colors will take your breath away, if the smell doesn’t. The area around the springs almost looks cracked, as you’ll see in the picture above. That is the Grand Prismatic Spring, and you can even see the rainbow look just from the side of it. This was probably my favorite stop of the day, because everything felt so massive, and it was a fun to walk around through it all.
7. Black Sand Basin
Located super close to Old Faithful, the Black Sand Basin is almost right across the street. It’s much less crowded for that reason. This area has a boardwalk through the black sand, with many geysers and pools scattered around. Because there were less people, I felt like I could get some cool photos of the area without feeling like I had to keep moving!
It has a large parking lot, and it was maybe half full when we got there. What a difference from the place before this and after this! But again, it was really easy to walk along these long boardwalks and check out the smaller geysers. It feels like you actually get close up to them, for a change. You will just see them as you walk, but most of the time, their names will be posted on a sign next to it. For example, this one in the picture below, you can see the small sign saying “Spouter Geyser”.
If you keep walking all the way down, you’ll end up the Sapphire Pool. The picture below shows the long and flat boardwalk, with a viewing area at the end looking over the pool. You can definitely see how empty it looks compared to some of the other stops!
8. Old Faithful & Visitor Center Area
The most well-known attraction at Yellowstone is Old Faithful. It is a massive geyser, and it erupts on a schedule, typically around every hour and a half. If this is something you know you want to see, make sure you check the schedule ahead of time, so you can plan accordingly!! Unfortunately, our timing was way off, so we missed it. The observation deck is basically in a circle around the geyser. People were already claiming their seats saved for when it was time.
Because this is the most visited area of the park, there is so much to see and do. They have the Old Faithful Historic District with an inn, a visitor center, dining, a post office, and walking paths that you could get lost in like a maze. As you can see in the picture above, the boardwalk goes on and on to so many different geysers and springs. I went off by myself and just walked around using my map the whole time.
We could have easily spent a lot longer here, but we had gotten there right after the last time Old Faithful erupted. We had to keep going to get to Jackson Hole at a decent hour. Since it wasn’t really like strenuous hiking, you can spend a long time just exploring every nook and cranny of the walking paths. This is definite must-do attraction while visiting Yellowstone!
9. Kepler Cascades
After stopping at Old Faithful, keep on going east and make a quick pit stop at Kepler Cascades. Located right off the main road, you just take a quick walking path to the viewing area. While it’s just a viewing area, I’m the kind of person that is a sucker for that. I could take in every different scene I can and it will feel like the most special thing. If you love great views, you might as well spend 5 extra minutes to stop off here!
10. West Thumb & Thumb Geyser
Our final stop was at West Thumb. The last major area after going to Old Faithful, West Thumb is located on the far south tip of the park. I don’t think I was expecting to see such a large lake that was as clear as the springs. This is the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, and it was gorgeous. It was mid-afternoon by this point, and the weather was perfect.
From the West Thumb parking area, which was definitely another less-crowded area, you can go a couple ways. You can hike over to Duck Lake, a much, much smaller lake to the west of Yellowstone Lake. Or, you can walk along the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail which is what we did.
This trail is basically a boardwalk in an area right next to the lake. You get views the whole time. It is home to things like the Thumb Geyser and the Abyss Pool, as well as multiple other smaller geysers and springs/pools. It is definitely a more relaxed trail and environment here. I thought it was the perfect way to end the day.
If you have extra time and want to get food, get gas, or use some nicer bathrooms, Grant Village is just south of West Thumb. It has another visitor center, lodging, and stores. It is the perfect stop right before exiting the park or a great first stop as you enter it. Have fun in Yellowstone!!
For More:
To read more about our entire trip, click here: Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons | 5 Day Road Trip.
To read about things to do in Glacier National Park, click here: 10 Incredible Stops on Going-to-the-Sun Road.
For more about what to do near Yellowstone, click here: How to Spend 24 Hours in Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole.
