Yellowstone National Park, the world’s very first National Park, is an incredible land, and there’s way more to it than the famous Old Faithful geyser! Vastly sprawling over 2.2 million acres, with five park entrances and five major regions, an indescribable amount of geothermal features, and an abundance of roaming wildlife, Yellowstone can be quite overwhelming! That’s why we’ve compiled a Top 10 List of things we loved about the park, and where we recommend you spend your time if you plan to visit Yellowstone.
#1: Waterfalls
Visitors to Yellowstone have numerous opportunities to see powerful waterfalls, either from a casual drive through the park or as a payoff after a bit of a hike. While we found every fall impressive, these are a few of our favorites:
Firehole Falls is one of the most accessible sights found just off the scenic drive through Firehole Canyon. The drive itself is spectacular! Enjoy the views along the drive, pull over into the small parking area, get out, and watch in awe as the Firehole River plunges 40 feet down the rock cliffs.
Kepler Cascades is close to the Upper Geyser Basin, also along the Firehole River, and well worth a quick stop! The lookout platform is just next to the parking lot, making it very convenient to witness the series of cascades and waterfalls drop over 3 tiers of 50 feet.
Gibbon Falls is visible from the road between Madison Junction and Norris Geyser Basin. Park in the designated area at the top of the falls, and follow the paved trail above the Gibbon River to catch a spectacular view of the falls dropping roughly 84 feet in a gradual descent.
The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River can be seen from the viewpoint near Uncle Tom’s Point. You can also walk upstream along the rim of the gorge for several more views of the 110 foot falls. To experience the Upper Falls up close, take the 1/4-mile paved trail from the parking lot to the Brink of the Lower Falls Overlook.
The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River is the tallest waterfall in Yellowstone, at 308 feet, more than twice the size of Niagara Falls! Lookout Point is just a 275-foot walk from the parking lot. To see the Lower Falls up close, take the 3/8 mile switchback trail to the platform at the Brink of the Lower Falls.
#2: Wildlife
You want to see wildlife? Yellowstone is the place to go! These are the places we found inside the park to best spot all the different animals.
Lamar Valley, located in the northeastern corner of the park, is often called America’s Serengeti for its large populations of roaming animals, herds of bison probably being the most easy to see. You’ll most likely see visitors with spotting scopes gathered in the numerous pullouts, watching wolf packs, bald eagles, and even grizzly bears.
Mammoth Hot Springs is home to a resident herd of elk all year long! During the spring, you may witness the birth of a calf right in the middle of the town, or the campground, or in the fall, during rut, you may watch two bull elk sparring! We were actually caught in a traffic jam waiting for a cow elk to finish feeding her calf!
Fountain Flat Drive, just north of Fountain Paint Pot on Grand Loop Road, is a less-crowded scenic road situated where Nez Perce Creek flows into the Firehole River. Bison and elk will frequent the meadows in this area, but we were most excited to spot Trumpeter Swans in the river! We can’t guarantee they are always here, but we urge you to be on the lookout!
* * * A friendly reminder that the animals in Yellowstone are WILD animals! Do not approach or try to feed any wildlife. Stay 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other animals.
#3: Hydrothermal Features
When you visit Yellowstone, you cannot miss all the hydrothermal features! More than 10,000 of these features are found here. There are five main types of hydrothermal features readily visible in Yellowstone:
Hot Springs are pools of hydrothermally heated water. One of the most popular hot springs is the colorful Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin. Take the Overlook Trail from the Fairy Falls Parking Lot to a view looking down on this magical spring that is actually the largest hot spring in the United States. This trail gradually climbs 105 feet over 0.6 miles from the trailhead. You can get up close by walking the o.8 mile boardwalk trails through the Midway Geyser Basin, where you will also get to see several other hot springs.
Geysers are a type of hot spring with constrictions in their plumbing, which causes them to erupt from time to time to release the pressure building up. Everyone knows of the iconic Old Faithful, but there are more than 500 geysers in Yellowstone! If you walk the 0.7 mile Old Faithful Geyser Loop Trail, you’ll see several marked geysers with expected eruption times. A little tip: Go EARLY and avoid the crowds, watch Old Faithful erupt, then walk the loop trail, and by the time you make it back and grab a cup of coffee from the gift shop, you should be able to watch her erupt again! We just so happened to time it just right!
Mudpots are acidic hot springs that dissolve the rock around them, making them look like pools of mud. Check out the Artists Paintpots Trail, three miles south of Norris Geyser Basin, that features over 50 springs, geysers, vents, and mud pots. The trail is an easy 0.6 mile loop with an 80 foot elevation change.
Travertine Terraces are hot springs that rise up through limestone. They dissolve calcium carbonate, and deposit calcite, making the everchanging travertine terraces. The Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone is so cool we thought it deserved its own spot in our Top 10. More info below!
Fumaroles are steam vents in the ground that lack water in their system so they constantly release steam. If you watch our video, pay attention to our early morning drive through Yellowstone. The steam was so thick it looked like fog! Stop by Roaring Mountain to see, and hear, fumaroles in action! It is located on the drive between Mammoth and Norris.
* * * A friendly reminder to stay on boardwalks when exploring these features! Believe it or not, hot springs have injured more people than any other natural feature (including animals).
#4: Sunsets
Coming across Lamar Valley, we caught a spectacular sunset as we headed back to the West Entrance. It was a wonderful end to our day of wildlife-spotting. We highly recommend finding a good spot to watch the sun fall below the horizon while in Yellowstone.
#5: Early Morning Drive
Our favorite day in Yellowstone began before sunrise. Witnessing the hot steam hitting the cool, crisp air created a dramatic scene to set the tone for our first day in the park. If you want to experience the park with fewer crowds and a better chance to spot wildlife, start early!
#6: Rivers, Lakes, and Streams
The non-thermal water features in Yellowstone are some of the prettiest we’ve ever seen! While geysers and springs get the most attention, Yellowstone is home to approximately 150 lakes, 278 streams, and thousands of small wetland areas. It’s also interesting to note that Yellowstone is the headwaters for many rivers west of the Mississippi River. Water is everywhere! You can’t miss it!
#7: Picnic Spots
Be sure to pack a picnic when you visit Yellowstone! There are plenty of dedicated picnic areas throughout the park. Some even have fire grates for grilling, and most have vault toilets. Whether you want to overlook a meadow, a river, or a mountain, you will find a perfect spot!
#8: Mammoth Hot Springs
As mentioned above, the Travertine Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs is a truly unique must-see area of Yellowstone National Park. There are two terrace boardwalks you can take to view the 50 or so hot springs. The lower boardwalk is accessed from a parking lot or the Grand Loop Road. Don’t miss the best known feature, cone-shaped Liberty Cap. You can access the upper boardwalk from the one-way Upper Terrace Drive and parking lot. You may also stay in your car and enjoy the views along the drive.
#9: Snowfall
Words simply cannot describe our first day in Yellowstone. After entering the park around 6:20 am, we experienced three seasons as we hiked just over 7-miles between several trails and walkways. Sunny skies and 65 degrees in the afternoon gave way to a totally unexpected heavy snow and 30 degrees by the evening. We were excited to experience one of the first snowfalls of the season, and that brings us to a very important tip to consider when you plan your visit. Always, be prepared for all types of weather. Dress in layers that you can shed easily when it warms up, and don’t forget your jacket just in case temperatures drop!
#10: Diverse and Breathtaking Terrain
Finally, the diversity of the terrain throughout Yellowstone is just absolutely astounding. While exploring the park, you can go from mountains to valleys, from meadows to rivers. You see overhanging cliffs and waterfalls; and wetlands even exist within the boundaries of Yellowstone. The landscape is ever-changing, from one end of the park to the other.
You can catch a very small glimpse of the awe-inspiring beauty of Yellowstone National Park through our pictures and video, but we hope to encourage you to plan a trip to see it first-hand.
Have you already visited Yellowstone? We want to know, what were some of your favorite features? Share in the comments below any tips you may have for future visitors!!
Know Before You Geaux
Yellowstone National Park
PO Box 168
Yellowstone, WY 82190
307-344-7381
- Entrance fee for 7 days: Private vehicle $35, Motorcycle $30, Hiker/Biker $20
- Open year round, 24 hours
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Westward Expansion Episode 9:
In this episode, we share FIVE Rules for Visiting Yellowstone National Park. We check out an Old Faithful Eruption and enjoy a spectacular early Snow in September. Come along as we meander through the Upper Geyser Basin, check out Grand Prismatic Spring, AND get stuck in Wildlife Jams!!
Westward Expansion Episode 10:
In this Rhodes Rules Westward Expansion adventure we’ll share our Family’s Yellowstone Top 10 with you for Planning a Trip to Yellowstone! We hope our experiences can help you plan your own adventure to the United States’ largest and most visited National Park!
