Top 10 Things You Need to See In Yellowstone To Make Your Trip Perfect
Planning on visiting Yellowstone soon? You will not regret it- this park is INCREDIBLE. I had the perfect excuse to visit when I booked a Wilderness Medicine Conference in nearby Big Sky, Montana. If you’re not yet convinced to visit, let me give you a couple of reasons.
- Of course, it is the FIRST National Park in the world.
- Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states.
- The park is HUGE- larger than Delaware + Rhode Island combined.
- There are over 200 waterfalls here. Who doesn’t love waterfalls?
- Yellowstone is home to more than 500 active geysers (including the world’s tallest currently-active geyser)
Let’s dive right in with Yellowstone’s must-do’s.
YELLOWSTONE TOP 10
1. WALK ALONG THE RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON OF YELLOWSTONE TO ARTIST POINT
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is an absolute must-see. Artist Point is one of the most popular viewpoints in the canyon. To get here, you’ll need to drive up the South Rim Drive just south of the Canyon Village junction. There are multiple different parking lots, including one at Artist Point. We chose to park at the first parking lot (near Uncle Tom’s Trailhead) and walk 1.5mi to Artist Point and enjoy the views along the way.
2. FEEL THE MIST OVERLOOKING THE BRINK OF UPPER AND LOWER FALLS
The Brink of the Upper Falls was my absolute favorite part of Yellowstone. The day we went, it was raining which honestly made the canyon even more colorful and beautiful. To get here, follow the turn off called “Brink of the Upper Falls” south of Canyon Village. It’s only a short hundred feet to get to the falls. Be sure to be courteous of others taking pictures!
When you’re done at Upper Falls, you’ll need to visit the Lower Falls. You can get here one of two ways- walking or driving. To drive there, go back to the main road, drive just a bit north, then turn on North Rim Drive. There is a marked parking lot for the Brink of Lower Falls. This trail is a little longer than the Upper Falls being 0.7 miles with a 265 ft drop. It is steep (and busy), but SO worth it.
3. VISIT GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING
You’ll find Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, below the Madison Junction, and before Old Faithful. This hot spring is the LARGEST in the United States and third-largest in the world. It is known for its beautiful colors, created by mineral-rich waters and bacteria.
There are two ways to see the spring. One is through the main parking lot. Be prepared to wait in line if you choose this option (Pro tip- come in from the north. It is much easier to turn right into the parking lot than from the left turn lane coming from the south!). This way gets you up close and personal with Grand Prismatic and other hot springs. That hot steam (160 degrees Fahrenheit) felt so good on a cool afternoon!
Your other option is to do the Overlook Trail which gives you a bit of a bird’s eye view. This trailhead is accessible through the parking lot just south of the spring. It is 1.6 miles round trip and takes you 200ft above ground level and is rated as easy. I highly recommend both options!!
4. WATCH OLD FAITHFUL ERUPT
You really can’t go to Yellowstone without seeing Old Faithful, named in 1870 for its frequent and consistent eruptions. An eruption occurs about every 60-110 minutes, lasts for 1-5 minutes, and shoots into the air over 150ft. Maybe shockingly, it is NOT the tallest geyser in the park. We visited around sunset after a long day around the park and were lucky to show up 5 minutes before an eruption. You can tell when one is coming soon because the viewing deck will fill up with excited people! I recommend stopping by a Visitor Center the day before you plan to go to get estimated eruption times. Make sure to stop by Old Faithful Inn too!
5. SEE WILD ANIMALS IN LAMAR VALLEY
Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my! If you want to see an abundance of wildlife, this is the place to be. Lamar Valley is near the northeast entrance of the park. Definitely expect bison jams on this road. We saw Buffalo (and their babies!), elk, and even a black bear! My best tip is to follow what other cars are doing- if there’s a bunch of cars pulled over or someone has their phone out their window, they probably found something good!
6. TREAD THE BOARDWALK OF NORRIS GEYSER BASIN
Norris Geyser Basin has many cool features, including the world’s TALLEST active geyser. The Norris Junction connects the upper and lower loops, south of Mammoth and west of Canyon Village. Here you can walk amidst multiple geysers in a 2.9 mile loop- but you don’t need to go the full way to experience the best of the basin! We had a jam-packed day planned and only stayed at Norris enough to walk a half mile to see Steamboat Geyser and back, but we didn’t feel like we missed out much.
The eruptions of Steamboat Geyser are very unpredictable, but when they come they shoot over 300 feet and can cause damage to cars in the parking lot. For reference, it erupted 26 times in 2020. The last large eruption was only a few weeks prior to my visit.
7. DRIVE THROUGH THE FAMOUS ROOSEVELT ARCH
Roosevelt Arch was erected in 1903 and named after President Theodore Roosevelt, who gave a speech at the dedication ceremony. The phrase “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People” was set in place in 1872, when Yellowstone was established. It was thought that Yellowstone needed a more grand entrance, so it was built. This arch is outside of the North Entrance near Gardiner, MT. We stayed in Mammoth Springs which is close to the North Entrance, so it was easily accessible. I wouldn’t go out of your way to see the arch, but if you’re in the area already, definitely make a stop!
8. WHITEWATER RAFT DOWN THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER
Whitewater rafting added an extra sense of adventure to our Yellowstone trip that I highly suggest. We used Yellowstone Raft Company and booked a few hour tour down the Yellowstone River (for reference, it was about $60 a person)- it is right outside the North Entrance of the Park in Gardiner, MT.
When you show up, they give you all the safety gear you need and together you carry the raft down the river. We had a guide and about 10 people in the raft. Some areas of the river were calm, but there were some rough rapids which were super fun (I would say about 5/10 in intensity). I would recommend kids and even newbies do this route. After your bus ride back, I suggest stopping by one of the local restaurants. Plan for this excursion to take up about half of your day. We spent the morning here, and the evening in Lamar Valley.
If you want to get footage on the water, you’ve got to purchase this WATERPROOF CASE (in the photo above). It’s cheap and works amazing for all water activities- I’ve even used it snorkeling underwater.
9. STOP BY YELLOWSTONE LAKE
Yellowstone Lake is a great stop whether you have a few minutes here or whole day here. It is the largest high alpine lake in North America (above 7,000ft). It is beautiful and goes on for miles! This area is most known for boating and fishing. We just made a quick stop on our way down to Grand Teton National Park, but I could definitely see myself coming back here!
10. TAKE A STOP ON THE GRAND LOOP DRIVE
Honestly one of my favorite moments of the whole trip was stopping at random locations on the Grand Loop Drive. If you were to drive the whole loop, it could take up to 7 hours- Yellowstone is HUGE! I highly suggest packing a JETBOIL to make instant meals anywhere you stop within the park. My favorite meal to cook is Peak Refuel’s Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
