Yellowstone is one of the greatest places on earth, it truly is. It has so much to offer and every part of the park looks like a completely different world. The terrain and the biodiversity is very diverse. The world’s oldest national park will blow your mind. This park is huge, so having a plan when visiting is important. Below are our top 7 places to visit in Yellowstone. We hope that this list is helpful -particularly if you only have a few days to visit!
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7. Artists Paint Pots
This place is magical! The name perfectly describes it. The Artists Paint Pots are located just south of the Norris Geyser Basin. This is one of the most colorful areas of the park and you will be rewarded after a 1 mile out and back hike, where you will pass by mud pots, vents, geysers, and springs. You will be able to overlook the basin at the top of the hill. Most of this hike is on a boardwalk path, but there is an uphill portion without the boardwalk to get high enough to be able to observe all the colors. Make sure to keep a safe distance from the mud pots – they do spit out mud very far!
6. Old Faithful
When most people think about Yellowstone, bears and Old Faithful come to mind! You have probably seen many pictures of this before. Watching Old Faithful erupt should be part of everyone’s itinerary when visiting Yellowstone, but make sure to plan your visit. There are around 500 geysers in Yellowstone. The cool thing about Old Faithful is that it is one of the six geyser at Yellowstone that park rangers can predict! According to rangers we spoke to in the park, it is extremely difficult to predict eruptions but Old Faithful is just different. For the past three decades, this geyser has erupted every 30 minutes. These eruptions last from 2 to 5 minutes and can be as high as 184 feet! There is a schedule with all the time predictions by the visitor center, but make sure you arrive very early due to crowds. There are plenty of spots to sit but there is nothing like being up front for the experience!
COOL FACT: Did you know that Yellowstone has around 60% of the worlds geysers?
5. Mammoth Hot Springs
This is a place where you can spend hours and hours with so much to see. Walk the upper and lower terrace boardwalks – around 1.5 miles total. This place is very unique due to the shape of the rocks and the colors with a chalky white on top. Make sure to check out Liberty Cap and Orange Spring Mound, the colors and the heat of the later make you feel like you are in Venus (I actually do not know how it feels to be in Venus). Get used to the rotten egg smell and make sure you stay on the boardwalks for your safety!
TIP: Make sure to look out for Elk around the north entrance (where Mammoth Hot Springs is located) since there are many of them that usually hang out in that area.
4. Hayden Valley
Hayden Valley is a fascinating place and perfect spot to check out some wildlife! During our visit to Yellowstone, we stopped at Hayden Valley multiple times to admire the nature and the animals. There is no complete trip to Yellowstone without the classic Bison jam and this is the place where you will likely end up in one! There are many pullouts and overlooks along the way. We recommend finding a place to park and hope to see some of Yellowstone’s gems: bison (you will 110% see lots), elk, moose, black bears, grizzlies, pronghorn, bald eagles, wolves, coyotes, ducks, and more!
Be prepared with a CAMERA, WILDLIFE LENSE, and BINOCULARS.
3. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a natural wonder that should not be missed when visiting Yellowstone National Park. Do not confuse it with the Grand Canyon in Arizona, they are both different and unique. The canyon is over 20 miles long and more than 1,200 feet deep! Make sure to visit the Lower Falls and the Upper Falls, dropping over 300 feet and 109 feet respectively. Hiking to the Upper and Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a must-do. The Lower Falls is a moderate 3-mile round trip – the trail is well-maintained, and the views of the canyon and the waterfall are amazing. The trail to the Upper Falls is a bit more difficult – a 2-mile round trip hike that takes you down to the base of the 109 foot waterfall. The trail is steep and rocky in some spots.
2. Lamar Valley
Lamar Valley is often called the “Serengeti of North America” due to the large movement of grazing mammals and others in the valley. Lamar Valley is the top spot to watch wildlife in Yellowstone, according to most people. Lamar Valley is considered particularly great for wolves and bears, while Hayden Valley usually has more Elk and Bison. At Lamar Valley you will likely have a larger chance of seeing more wildlife than at Hayden Valley. This place is also gorgeous, full of colors, trees, lush meadows, and mountains. The Lamar River runs through the valley and it is a popular spot for fishing. Seeing the wildlife is definitely the most memorable thing from our trip and an amazing experience that stays with you forever.
1. The Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the planet. It is full of vibrant colors, which are created by pigmented bacteria that live in different temperature zones of the spring. This is the most colorful place in the entire park and one of the most picturesque! Walk around boardwalk trail that circles around the spring and the surrounding geysers and hot springs. We highly recommend to hike to the nearby Fairy Falls Trailhead in order to get a bird’s eye view of the Grand Prismatic Spring.
Yellowstone is one of those rare places where wild and peaceful moments blend together, a landscape powerful enough to stop you in your tracks and beautiful enough to stay with you long after you’ve left. You could spend days exploring and still feel like the park has more to share, surprising you with something new around every corner. What are you most excited to experience in Yellowstone? Drop your thoughts in the comments and join the adventure.
