I LOVE Yellowstone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is the Disney World of National Parks. You get to see everything in Yellowstone. From mountains, to rivers, to valleys, to lakes, to canyons, to sulfur pools, to geysers, to mud pots, to hot springs, to bison, to wolves, to elk, to moose, to grizzlies. It is by far the most versatile national park we’ve been to. I’ve been 4 times now and will continue to return. It’s so beautiful and never disappoints.
There are many ways to explore Yellowstone as well. If you’re not into hiking, you can drive through the whole park and see a ton and you most likely won’t feel like you didn’t see enough. But the real beauty is in getting out and exploring the sites via the boardwalks they have at most of the attractions. And if you’re really adventurous, you can hike. I would recommend hiking with a group and having bear spray. Better to be safe with those grizzlies and wolves roaming around.
With 2.2 million acres of land, Yellowstone is enormous so it’s a good idea to map out what you want to see. I started this post to list my top 5 places you can’t miss and am realizing now how hard that it is. There are so many unique features in Yellowstone. How do you only list 5?! But here we go.
These are my top 5 must-see places in Yellowstone:
- HAYDEN VALLEY. If you want to see bison and elk and even wolves and grizzlies on occasion, Hayden is your place. The wildlife loves it here and its beauty makes you realize why. The Yellowstone River runs through the valley and there are often animals grazing along the edge of the river or getting their afternoon drink in. The last time we were there a herd of bison had traffic stopped as they crossed the road and walked right by our car on both sides. We could have reached out and touched them. There are bison all over the place in Yellowstone but I’ve never seen more than in Hayden Valley and the east side of the park.
- OLD FAITHFUL. I wasn’t originally going to include this on my list. Mostly because both times I’ve seen it, I didn’t think it was THAT spectacular and there are other geysers in Yellowstone that you can see. But it is a Yellowstone classic and I do feel like you should see it at least once…and the other geysers aren’t guaranteed to blow. This one is. (Fun fact, the word geyser came from this geysir in Iceland that we got to see in September 2023.) Go in with low expectations and this may end up being your favorite lol.
- THE GRAND PRISMATIC. You cannot miss the Grand Prismatic (pictured above). It’s the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the 3rd largest hot spring in the world. This is one you can’t drive by and see. You have to walk the boardwalk to it. The Fairy Falls trailhead to the south of the main parking lot will take you to a viewing spot at a higher elevation so you can view it from up above as well. Both views are worth seeing. It is easiest to see on a hot day and/or in the middle of the day when the sun is high because there is less steam rising from the pool enabling you to see the entire pool and the rings of color surrounding it.
- LAMAR VALLEY. If you’re looking to spot some wolves (which you should be for sure!) in Yellowstone then Lamar Valley is the place to go. I would recommend getting up before sunrise and driving through the valley just as the sun is coming up for your best chance to see them. You will see cars pulled over on the side of the road and people standing with their scopes set up if they are there. Most people will be friendly enough to tell you where to go or to give you a view through their scope. We even had the privilege to meet Rick McIntyre who has been studying the wolves in Yellowstone for decades and he was so kind in telling us about the wolves we were seeing and even signing the books he wrote that my sister happened to have bought the day before. We also saw a huge herd of bison and a grizzly in Lamar.
- THE GRAND CANYON OF YELLOWSTONE. Even if you’ve been to the Grand Canyon, this canyon will still blow you away. And you’ll see the reason why the park is named what it is. The best views of the canyon in my opinion are from the South Rim and from the parking lot at the end of the road it’s less than a 5-minute walk to Artist’s Point. If you are limited on time, this is the view you must see. But all the trails and viewing points along the canyon are beautiful so if you’re not limited on time, I say explore them all.
Honorable mentions:
Every time we went to Yellowstone, something we wanted to see was closed. So here are a few other attractions that are totally worth it in case you’re not able to see all of the above.
BOILING RIVER. This is hands down my favorite place in Yellowstone and would have been #1 on my list of must-sees. But its future is uncertain. There was major flooding in 2022 that wiped out this area of the park and the pools of hot springs that so many enjoyed for decades were washed away. So sad. But I’m still including it here because in the event that they reopen and you can go, you won’t regret it. A cold river mixed with hot springs flowing into it…think cold water flowing over your legs while hot water flows over your back…it’s that kind of amazing mix of sensations that floods your senses and is unforgettable. With high hopes, I will check if swimming is back open every time I return.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS. If you’re entering or exiting the park through the North entrance, you will drive through Mammoth. These large white mountains of limestone are ethereal, unique, and beautiful. The name of this area is a bit misleading because there are no hot springs to soak in. But it’s still worth the drive to see these limestone beauties. This is one area of the park that has a hotel, restaurants, and gift shops. We stayed in the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel and woke up early to drive to Lamar Valley to see wolves and it was perfect for that.
ARTISTS PAINT POTS. I’ve never seen anything like this. Mud pots boil up out of the ground surrounded by brilliant, beautiful colors in the landscape. Hues of green and pink and blue. I think it’s worth the hike up to the top to look down over the mud pots as that’s the best view to take it all in. You quickly see why it’s named Artists Paint Pots from that vantage point.
PICNIC AT FIREHOLE RIVER OR YELLOWSTONE LAKE. These are my two favorite places to stop and have a picnic lunch. Firehole River on the west side of the park is famous for fly fishermen and you can walk up to the river’s edge and stick your feet in the water on a hot day and watch them fly fish. There are picnic tables along the river or you can bring a blanket and find your own spot. There’s also a bike trail right there you can access if you bring your bikes along. Yellowstone Lake is on the east side of the park and is HUGE. There are many stops off the road that you can pull over and picnic at (they are easy to locate on the map) or you can find your own spot and have a little more privacy.
This was a hard list to narrow down but these are the places I love to return to again and again. Except for Old Faithful 😂. But you really do have to see it at least once.
Don’t forget your binoculars!
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