25 Absolute Best Things To Do In Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone has been on my bucket list for quite some time now, and I am so happy I finally saw it! I mean, it is the first national park in the world. It is filled with colorful hot springs, powerful geysers, an enormous amount of wildlife, and rolling hills that seem to go on forever. I visited this park for about four days and can’t believe there was so much to see. I hope to come back someday and experience the northeastern side of the park because some roads were closed due to construction. But I was still able to see so much, and below I have listed the 25 best things to do in Yellowstone National Park. Enjoy!

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 Average Temperature

The best months to visit Yellowstone National Park are April, May, September, and October, as crowds are low and temperatures are mild. July and August are usually busy hot months. Most roads close in the wintertime, and there is typically a lot of snow, but the crowds are pretty small. You do have to rent a snowmobile tour to see the park in the winter.

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

Yellowstone Attractions Map

You can download the map below or print it (there is no service in the park).

How To Get To Yellowstone

• Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport: 88 miles, 1 hour and 30 minutes from the North entrance,
• West Yellowstone Airport: 3 miles, 17 minutes from the West entrance,
• Jackson Hole Airport: 50 miles, 1 hour and 5 minutes from the South entrance.

Yellowstone National Park Lodging

There are nine official lodges in the national park. You can book accommodation at any of those here. Make sure to book in advance. If hotels are out of your price range or they are booked up, here are other options:

• Kelly Inn West Yellowstone: Located in the town called West Yellowstone, and has an indoor pool and hot tub, and complimentary breakfast. >>>Book Here
• The Roosevelt Hotel – Yellowstone: Located in the town called Gardiner. >>>Book Here
• Camping: We ended up camping at Bridge Bay campground. You can book a campground here.

Read More: Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park

Things To Pack

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.

1. Sunscreen: Super important and because it was so freaking hot when we were here!  >Buy Sunscreen
2. Chapstick: This one has SPF so your lips won’t get burned! >Check Out This Chapstick
3. Hiking Sandals: I used these sandals when we would go to all the lookouts. So comfy yet durable. >Check Out My Hiking Sandals
4. 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
5. Hiking socks: Having the correct socks helps prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there. >Buy Hiking Socks
6. 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
7. Water: Stay nice and hydrated. It was soooooo hot when hiking here. Bring water to every hike.
8. Sunglasses: It can get sunny in the summer, so make sure to pack some sunglasses. >Check Out These Sunglasses
9. Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, and energy bars. >>>Check Out These Snacks
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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.
16. Sports Bra: For women. >Check This One Here
17. Jacket: Fall can get pretty chilly. >Buy My Favorite Jacket
18. 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
19. Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
20. Knife: I always carry a knife in my backpack just in case. >Check Out My Knife Here
21. Bear Spray: There are so many bears here! Stay safe and hike with some spray. Everyone should carry one. >Check It Out Here

Things To Do In Yellowstone National Park

Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone

When you get to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone area, it can be a bit confusing. There seems to be a lot going on in this area. You can do as little or as much as you want by hiking or walking to the viewpoints.

I will note that if you do everything in this area, much of it starts to look the same. So I suggest doing at least three viewpoints. You don’t need to do more than that to experience it. But hey, if you want to see everything go for it! My favorite viewpoints were Artist Point, Upper Falls View, and Inspiration Point.

You can also hike Uncle Tom’s Trail and the Brink of the Lower Falls trail. You can also enjoy other viewpoints like Lookout Point, Grand View, and Brink Of The Upper Falls.

Grand Prismatic Spring Viewpoint

The Grand Prismatic Spring is the one thing I was most excited to see! I have seen countless pictures of this beauty, and it is probably what most people think of when they think about Yellowstone National Park.

It is the largest hot spring in the United States and has a beautiful color around the edges that are caused by microbes! The microbes turn a different color in the summer and winter. Winter is bluer, while the summer it is more orange. It is such a beautiful thing to see in person, and it was probably my favorite part of the park.

There are two ways to see this magnificent hot spring. One is by walking to the viewpoint, and another is the overlook. I highly recommend doing both as it gives you two different perspectives of this tremendous hot spring.

The viewpoint gets you a little close and personal with the hot spring, and it even features a waterfall cascading down into a river, as shown below (be extra careful). It was probably one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen.

A geyser called the Midway Geyser Basin located in the same area is probably never discussed because the Grand Prismatic Spring is just too beautiful. This geyser is still very impressive.

Parking can be a pain like in almost all areas of the park but it is possible to find a spot. Get there early to avoid parking woes.

Grand Prismatic Spring Hike and Overlook

The best way to see the Grand Prismatic Spring is to look at it from above. What a spectacular view! It is a hike to get here though, so make sure you have comfy shoes. The parking lot is different from the Grand Prismatic Spring viewpoint, so you have to get back to your car and drive a couple of minutes south to get to the trailhead.

This hike is around 1.6 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 200 ft. It can get pretty crowded but even with the crowds, I enjoyed this hike.

Boiling River

Boiling River is a place near Mammoth Springs where people can relax and swim in a hot spring! After seeing so many hot springs on this trip, this is a great chance to actually swim in one.

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls trail is an easy waterfall hike that I feel like most people should do. There is no elevation gain, and the waterfall is so lovely. I even saw many people getting in the water and enjoying the hot summer day. The hike is 4.8 miles roundtrip.

The Fairy Falls parking lot is the same as Grand Prismatic Spring overlook, so we decided to add this hike when we finished the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook. The trail takes you through a forest with small trees, and the best part is that there are no hills!

It can get pretty hot in Yellowstone so adding this to your trip is a great way to cool off.

Lewis Falls

If you are on your way to Grand Teton National Park or coming from there, you need to stop by Lewis Falls. This is just a quick overlook of a pretty waterfall. The parking is on the side of the road, so when you are coming close to the waterfall, watch for a parking spot.

Hayden Valley

Hayden Valley is the perfect spot to see bison. It has been years since I last saw bison, so it was one of the things I was excited to see in Yellowstone! I was hoping for the famous traffic jam where bison cross right in front of your car, and it happened! Since we camped near Hayden Valley, we had to pass it many times to get to our destinations. The best time to see these fantastic beasts were either in the early morning or late afternoon. I noticed that there were fewer traffic jams mid-day, and the bison was usually in the distance.

There are many places where you can stop and park to take pictures, but please stay away from these animals. They seem harmless, but I have seen videos where they attack tourists, so keep your distance.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the most unique things to do in Yellowstone! You can drive around the area, or you can walk on a boardwalk to the viewpoints. We did both, and my favorite part was walking to Canary Spring. There are signs telling you how to get there after you park.

After visiting Mammoth Hot Springs take a drive over to the small town of Gardiner. I wasn’t a fan of the restaurants in Yellowstone National Park, but the restaurants and bars in this town were great! We enjoyed Wonderland Cafe & Lodge, Cowboy’s Lodge and Grille, and Iron Horse Bar and Grill. We wanted to eat at Mammoth Hot Springs, but the restaurants were PACKED. Avoid lengthy waits and just drive to Gardiner.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

West Thumb Basin is located on the east side of the park, right next to Yellowstone Lake. This area has many hot springs and is a fantastic place for a stroll with the whole family. The parking lot was pretty big, so it was easy to find a space. My favorite spring was the Black Pool shown above. It used to have an orange glow, but it became too hot for the microbes in the 1990s.

Other viewpoints in this area include Big Cone, Beach Geyser, Lakeshore Geyser, Twin Geysers, Fishing Cone, Abyss Pool, King Geyser, and Occasional Geyser. It doesn’t take much time to see them, so it is best to do the whole loop on the boardwalk.

Dunraven Pass

Dunraven Pass is an area with many viewpoints of rolling hills and trees. There are many viewpoints where you can park and take photos. This is also where the famous Mt Washburn hike begins.

Old Faithful Geyser

One of the most popular activities at Yellowstone is watching Old Faithful erupt. There are even many seats where people can sit and wait for the geyser. It is incredibly crowded, but it is worth it to see this beauty erupt at least once. You can also take a hike to the observation point if you want to avoid the crowds.

There are signs everywhere on when they think Old Faithful will erupt next. We made a mistake by not looking at this as we ended up waiting longer than we wanted to.

This whole area has many gift shops, restaurants, maps, and restrooms.

Read More: The Ultimate 7-Day Grand Teton To Yellowstone Road Trip Itinerary

Upper Geyser Basin And Geyser Hill

There are so many unique thermal features in this area. You can walk as much as you want. The most popular features include Morning Glory, Solitary Geyser, Castle Geyser, Morning Glory Pool, and Grotto Geyser. We also watched Old Faithful from this area as it had fewer crowds.

Lamar Valley

One of the best activities in Yellowstone is spotting wildlife, and Lamar Valley is a fantastic place to spot them. Since some roads are closed in 2021, it might be challenging to drive to this area, but this is an excellent spot if you want to spot even more wildlife other than Hayden Valley.

Gibbon Falls

I love how easy it was to stop and view this wonderful waterfall. There are a few viewpoints of the waterfall, and the parking lot was small, but luckily, the turnover was pretty quick since it is an accessible viewpoint.

Black Sand Basin

Black Sand Basin is located right next to Old faithful, and I was so surprised it wasn’t crowded whatsoever! The color of the hot spring is astonishing (honestly, I thought it was more impressive than Old Faithful). Thermal features include Emerald Pool, Rainbow Pool, Opalescent Pool, and Cliff Geyser.

Tower Fall

Tower Falls is one of the best waterfalls to see in Yellowstone National Park. This waterfall is outstanding! Due to erosion, the hike to see most of the waterfall has been shut down, so you can only view it from the overlook. It only takes a few minutes to see this wonderful waterfall, so why not stop to see it.

Biscuit Basin

Biscuit Basin is another underrated area that features more vibrant blue pools. It includes Black Opal Pool, Sapphire Pool, Jewel Geyser, Shell Spring, Avoca Spring, Mustard Spring, and Black Pearl Geyser. You can also hike to Mystic Falls from here, which is a 3.5-mile loop trail.

Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn is known to be the best hike in Yellowstone National Park. This trail was closed in 2021, so I sadly could not complete it. But hopefully, it will open in 2022, and you can have a chance to do this excellent trail. You can access the viewpoint through two trails.

One is the Dunraven Pass to Mount Washburn, and this hike is an out and back trail that is 6.8 miles, 1,394 ft elevation gain, and is listed as moderate. The Dunraven trail has the best views, but it is a more challenging option.

The Chittenden Road to Mount Washburn is an out and back trail that is 5.6 miles, 1,482 ft elevation gain, and is listed as moderate.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is a pretty large area to explore even more hot springs. I loved how vibrantly blue some of these geysers were. You can walk two loops in this area. The northern loop is shorter and includes Ledge Geyser, Guardian Geyser Steam Vent, Crackling Lake, Little Whirligig Geyser, Colloidal Pool, Pinwheel Geyser, Swiss Cheese Pool, Porcelain Springs, Blue Geyser, and Hurricane Vent.

The southern area has two longer loops and includes Emerald Spring, Cistern Spring, Steamboat Geyser, and many others.

Parking can be a hassle, but an area by the road has been added as overflow parking. You have to walk a bit longer to get to Norris Geyser Basin.

Artists Paintpots

One of the best things to see in Yellowstone is the Artist Paintpots. Artist Paintpots is another area filled with many geothermal features like the Blood Geyser and Flash Spring. Parking can be a pain here, so get here early.

Mud Volcano

We stopped by Mud Volcano on the way to Hayden Valley and saw cute bison covered with mud! This area is entirely different than the other brightly colored hot springs and geysers found in the park. Mud volcano is the most acidic of the bunch, which helps break down the rock into clay, giving it a cloudy, muddy appearance.

It isn’t as vibrant or as beautiful as the other areas of the park but it is still interesting. Some of the thermal features in the area are Dragon’s Mouth Spring, Sizzling Basin, Churning Caldron, Black Dragon’s Caldron, and Sour Lake. There is a loop trail that you can walk (0.6-mile), but I wasn’t too impressed with the features on the peak of the loop. Most of it looked the same as what was at the trailhead so if you want to skip it you can.

Old Faithful Inn

One of the best things to see at Yellowstone is the Old Faithful Inn. The Old Faithful Inn is a historical landmark and was built in 1904. The building is so unique and breathtaking! There are also restaurants and bars in the building.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake in North America and is a pretty cold lake. Swimming is not recommended, so we opted to watch the sunrise. You can boat on the lake, but there are restrictions. Read about it here.

Take A Tour

Yellowstone has so much history and science connected to it that having a tour guide is a great way to learn about this national park. Below are some excellent tours you can take when you visit the national park:

Visit In The Winter

Visiting Yellowstone during the winter is a great way to get away from the crowds. But transportation can be difficult. Most roads are closed, so you have to pay for a snowmobile. A few select businesses can take you into Yellowstone during this time, and they are listed here.

Final Thoughts On What To Do At Yellowstone National Park

Thanks for reading all about what to do in Yellowstone National Park! Below are other places to visit near Yellowstone national park

• 26 Awesome Things To Do In Grand Teton National Park
• 10 Awesome Things To Do In Glacier National Park
• Awesome things to do in Stanley Idaho
• 13 Stunning Idaho Hot Springs
• The Ultimate 7-Day Grand Teton To Yellowstone Road Trip Itinerary
• The 26 Of The Absolute Best Hikes In National Parks

Pin For Later: Activities Yellowstone