We sat in this area of Hayden Valley and watched the wolves and elk for over an hour. What would you add to our Yellowstone itinerary? After parking, follow the pathway all the way down to the bottom viewpoint for the best views of Gibbon Falls. With a little planning and our 3-day Yellowstone Itinerary, you will be ready to hit the road in no time! I normally just use Google Flights to buy my flights. Both of these companies have been in business for years and provide excellent customer service. yellowstone *This post contains affiliate links. This route works well from the west or south entrance. To help you make the best decision for your trip, we wrote a detailed post on the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park. This is honestly so subjective. The rainwater seeps into the rocks and once heated rises to the surface. I took the switchback trail about half-way down to get this shot: Stop by Hayden Valley from anywhere between 5-7pm for a chance to see wolves! I decided to start this blog as an easy way to share my tips and itineraries with friends and family, and to serve as a resource for others trying to plan a fun adventure! To get an aerial view of the Grand Prismatic Spring, park at the Fairy Falls trailhead and hike about 3/4 mile to the overlook point. Thank you, Caroline. We always begin our search by checking out the honest review on hotels at TripAdvisor.

While in the area, you might want to spend some time exploring Yellowstone Lake. Once at the edge of Lake Yellowstone, take note of the cones that are in the water also. Four days or longer would allow you to see the top sites of Yellowstone at a slower pace. I highly recommend doing both! Regardless, the view was spectacular and well worth the time on our itinerary. After parking by the gorgeous Firehole River, follow the boardwalk around the other geothermal features at Midway Geyser Basin like the gorgeous blue Turquoise Pool and the colorful Opal Pool. The first day of your Yellowstone itinerary is no exception be prepared for a lot of driving on this day! Mammoth Village also offers restaurants, gas stations, a general store, and hotels. North Geyser Basin is made up of two different basins: Porcelain Basin and Back Basin.

I guess we will just have to take another trip back to check Grand Teton off of our list. Located just 3 miles from the west entrance, flying into this airport will definitely make visiting Yellowstone an easy drive. We have visited Sandals in the past and absolutely love the attention to detail and the service they provide. As soon as when we approached Castle Geyser, it started erupting. Also, it is not uncommon for you to be caught in a traffic jam within the park. Next, head to the North Rim to Lookout Point for an even closer look at the waterfall. The main reason we chose to stay at Canyon Village was its central location inside Yellowstone. Another great pass to save money in larger cities is the Sightseeing Pass. This pool has a gorgeous blue color and up until 1968 was know for violent eruptions. Owned by the parent company that also owns Skyscanner, this is a trusted resource for travel booking and a great one-stop-shop.. Any trip to Yellowstone National Park will require a lot of driving the park is HUGE and most of the best sites to see do not require hiking more than a mile to get there. Her practical tips and suggestions help make travel dreams a reality while immersing her readers in the history, culture, and food of a region. The Midway Geyser Basin is a relatively small geothermal area, but dont skip it as it has one of the best hot springs in Yellowstone, the Grand Prismatic Spring. The Great Fountain Geyser is very unpredictable as it can erupt as little as 2 hours apart or as many as 13 hours! Our 3 day Yellowstone trip is designed for the summer months (mid-May through October). It is also here that you will find the Dragons Mouth Spring and the Sulphur Caldron. The Abyss Pool is the deepest in the park at over 53-feet deep. If you want to camp but also want the comforts of home, renting a campervan is a great option! There are a number of geysers along this short stretch of road. It is a 4 hour and 45-minute drive to the west entrance or a 6 hour and 15-minute drive to the south entrance.

Now, if you would like to skip this and go to Hayden Valley early in the morning to catch the animals, you can reverse the itinerary. Dont risk it. Your drive to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone will take you past the Mud Volcano and the Dragons Mouth Spring. We watched for about 30 minutes in that time range and didnt see any, but you may get lucky! Yellowstone really is a magnificent park!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission if you book through my links, at no extra cost to you. If you want to try glamping, check out Under Canvas Yellowstone to sleep under the stars, but with the comforts of home! Kick off your trip by heading to Lamar Valley one of the furthest spots in the park, but worth the journey! This dramatic landscape surrounding the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone includes incredible rock cliffsides, amazing waterfalls, and fabulous vistas to view all of this from. CityPass allows you to get free admission to major attractions once you buy their pass. One of the highlights of visiting Yellowstone National Park is that you get to see so much incredible wildlife. And, honestly, one of the geysers that we thought was way better than Old Faithful! CityPass is a great way to save money when visiting large cities. The landscape is quite interesting with a black swirl throughout.

You wont be able to see everything with only a 3-day itinerary, but you will definitely get to see the major sites. Boiling River is open seasonally when the water levels permit. At the time of publication, the entrance fee to Yellowstone was $35 per vehicle. Subscribe to download a copy of our 3 day Yellowstone itinerary. Now, I dont want to mislead you. If the pace is too much, you can scale down the itinerary to meet your needs. Another go-to hotel booking site for us is Hotels.com. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or chilling on a beach with her husband, Marty. The waters flow slowly and deposit the limestone along the way creating the incredible terraces that you see at Mammoth Hot Springs today. Yellowstone is one of those parks where there is little hiking required to see the sites. I also take advantage of my credit card points (Chase Reserve) and use points to buy flights + lodging, which is a great way to save money! Michelle enjoys bringing places to life through her informative writing style on her blogs, That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel. Because of that, we opted for the West Yellowstone entrance to save time. We are here to see the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third-largest in the World, the Grand Prismatic Spring. Here, you are suddenly treated with fantastic views as the canyon opens up in front of you and reveals the spectacular lower falls spilling through the canyon walls. Morning: Old Faithful Geyser and Upper Geyser Basin: Grand Geyser, Castle Geyser, Daisy Geyser, Morning Glory Pool, Midday: Biscuit Basin, Midway Geyser Basin: Grand Prismatic Spring, and Grand Prismatic Overlook from Fairy Falls Trail, Afternoon: Firehole Lake Scenic Drive (stop at Gibbons Falls), Norris Geyser Basin, Stay in: Canyon Village, West Yellowstone, or Old Faithful Inn. so I dont recommend swimming in it, however there are kayak rentals near the lake if you want to get out on the water! That means they are the most crowded and the most expensive. If visiting, be prepared for the pungent smell of sulfur all around you! After you leave the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook area, continue the hike until you reach Fairy Falls and are rewarded with the view of the 197-foot waterfall. If you have wifi and have downloaded the Yellowstone National Park App, you can check the Old Faithful eruption time there also. Today, since you are going to be staying in Mammoth Hot Springs, so, you can get a little bit of a later start if you would like. These bus tours are so much fun and easy to hop on and hop off at top attractions in cities around the world. There really is nothing better than seeing the Grand Prismatic Spring from above. Any time I write about the best time to visit someplace, I cringe a little. It is incredible! Its definitely not as common as seeing Bison in Lamar Valley, but if you are looking to see a wolf during your time in Yellowstone, this is the place to see them. We visited at sunset and were able to catch some gorgeous photos. The Back Basin area is best known for the worlds largest geyser, Steamboat Geyser. We flew into and out of Salt Lake City for our visit to Yellowstone. Take the first left turn after taking the exit from the main park road. SLC was the cheapest from Dallas and the only place we could find a rental car! There is also a trail in this area called Uncle Toms Trail. This trail is really about 500 stairs that take you down the side of the canyon and close to the base of the lower falls. I definitely recommend returning as an adult. This eruption is so big that there are even warnings in the parking lot saying that minerals from the Steamboat eruption can erode the paint on your car! If you are visiting several National Parks, then consider buying an annual park pass instead. The colors were beautiful. Fun fact 60% of the worlds geysers are located in Yellowstone National Park. Kayak works in this way as well. Although the hike back up was not easy for this Texas couple, the time we spent overlooking the falls was well worth it.

As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Each of us visiting next August is at very different fitness levels, so it will be good if everyone can keep up (or if its not enough for some). Many people choose to stay in Jackson Hole and make it their home base for exploring Yellowstone. As this is another small airport, flights here are limited and expensive.

Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. As you are already aware, Yellowstone National Park is located above a huge magma chamber. we go into more detail about the airports near Yellowstone in this post. The Fairy Falls trail the continues on to a waterfall, for a 5.4 mile rt hike. (Seriously the waterfall is so epic that it deserves a look from both the South and North rims!)

Ya'll captured everything. You can easily view the falls from the road (which is what we did), or you can hike the 8.5-mile round-trip hike up Lava Creek Trail to get up close and personal with the falls. With all of this water surrounding you, it is hard to resist getting into some of it. For instance, we flew into Bozeman and drove through Yellowstone for a few days, heading south into Grand Teton National Park, and then flew back from Jackson Hole Airport. So, the next stop on your 3-day itinerary is the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook. Madison Campground is the most centrally-located campground you can reserve at Yellowstone National Park.

Fun Things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas, 25 Incredible Things to do in Savannah, GA, Glamping in Texas: 15 Fabulous Places to Go, 20 Fabulous Small Towns in Texas You Must Visit, 26 Fabulous Things to do in Eureka Spring, 3 Steamboat Springs Hot Springs You Must Visit. Be sure to check it out, its beautiful! Always keep your distance and never approach a wild animal. Our main reason for stopping at Norris Geyser Basin was to see Porcelain Basin, but we did explore a little bit of Back Basin also. If possible, try to park down by the drive-up entrance to Old Faithful Inn. My favorite campervan company is Travellers Autobarn. There are 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park, and 5 of them take reservations. If you are staying 3 days or longer, then I would recommend planning your trip with a couple of different lodging options. After your afternoon spent exploring Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, stop by the Firehole River to take a relaxing dip!

Now, you have a decision to make for your visit to Undine Falls. The best itinerary weve seen of Yellowstone yet. You can pick up the van at their location in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Las Vegas. Don't let having a 9-5 job stop you- learn how to maximize your vacation days to still be able to check things off your bucketlist! For a guided city tour, check out City Sightseeing and BigBus Tours. We were excited when we arrived at one of the parking lots in Hayden Valley and saw the elk grazing in the meadow nearby and then we were even more excited when we spotted the two white wolves that were also in the area.

All the spots included in my post are less than a mile of hiking/walking. You can either book a campground or lodging inside the park, or stay in one of the towns right outside of Yellowstone! Unsubscribe at any time. I hope I can visit the USA again one day - Yellowstone sounds fantastic. My kids and I had a wonderful time at Yellowstone and beat most of the crowd during the busy 4th July weekend. We were told that Hayden Valley is one of the best places to spot wolves and I think that we were extremely lucky to be able to see them. Ah thats great to hear! This part of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was one of my favorite places on our Yellowstone trip and definitely has to be on your Yellowstone itinerary. This one-way street takes you to four different viewpoints of the canyon. This ensure our travels never end! (We give suggestions below.). The Morning Glory Pool reminded me of a smaller version of the Grand Prismatic Spring. You can trust booking tours from their sites for sure! Get my latest travel tips & itineraries straight to your inbox! It literally sits at the west entrance, similar to Estes Park sitting at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Just note that with your 3-day itinerary, this will probably mean that you need to remove a site or two. So glad my post was helpful! Yellowstone National Park is amazing and unique. We respect your privacy. You really need a minimum of three full days in Yellowstone. West Yellowstone offers many different accommodation options, several restaurant choices, and shopping. This .5 mile loop trail will take you past several of the fountain paint pots. I dont know, but it made me smile regardless! Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America.

You can set up a tracker to notify you if the prices dip.

I was wondering if you could give a rough estimate of how much you walked/hiked each day in total. Wow, such beautiful pictures! Since cell service is limited, you can try to time your visit to the Old Faithful Geyser just right or you can ask a park ranger for estimated eruption times. I recommend downloading the app called, Bring binoculars! Since Yellowstone Lake has an average water temperature of 41 degrees, it is not recommended that you swim in the lake any time of the year. Be sure to follow all of the safety protocols when visiting the hydrothermal areas. Canyon Village has newly built lodges with nice rooms and full bathrooms. Old Faithful is probably the most famous landmark of Yellowstone National Park. If you are getting hungry or need any gas, Grant Village is close by. This area is absolutely beautiful. Continue along the Grand Loop Road through Yellowstone Nation Park to reach the next attraction on your itinerary, Gibbon Falls. You are able to purchase both options at the park entrance ticket booths. BookVIP offers super cheap vacation packages to incredible destinations.

Who were they clapping for? Just make sure to keep a safe distance from wildlife. However, the neighboring park of Grand Teton is full of long hikes (in case anyone in your group is looking for that).

You immediately understand why this spot is called Artist Point. Named for its frequent and predictable eruption, this geyser erupts every about every 75 minutes. Mother Nature maybe? Wewill always give due credit to the author/creator of any content not provided by me. I would love to go back and explore the amazing places you recommend! Must-See Spots on a West Coast US Road Trip, 2 Days in Moab: The Ultimate Guide to Canyonlands & Arches National Park, The Best Things to Do in Paso Robles on a Weekend Getaway, The Perfect 2 Days in Dubrovnik Itinerary, Jalama Beach Camping: Everything You Need to Know, 10 Epic Winter Camping Spots in the West Coast, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Artist Point, You will not have cell service in most of the park. The Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are the falls that you were viewing from Artist Point. Just remember that these are wild animals. After (or before, if you get there early enough!) This is also an area where many earthquakes occur, so scientists are constantly monitoring it. In addition to flights, you can also find great hotel prices on Kayak and Kiwi. Unless youre lucky enough to live driving distance to the park, flying to an airport near Yellowstone and then renting a car is your best bet. Next on your itinerary is to make your way to Midway Geyser Basin: Grand Prismatic Spring.

Once it does start erupting, it continues for about 45 minutes, so thats a positive at least.

Other times people cause traffic jams when they stop in the middle of the road to take photos. Comment below and let us know. I listed a few specific recs in the blog post, but I recommend either staying at a lodge or campsite inside the park, or at a hotel just outside the park in West Yellowstone. Great tips as ever, Michelle! Any binoculars that you could recommend? Unfortunately, the access to Boiling River was closed when we were visiting, but Ive heard that soaking in the river is an amazing experience! Honestly, West Yellowstone looked like a fun little mountain town. Day 3 of your Yellowstone itinerary is going to take you to the north loop of Yellowstone. Its also a bit lesser-known of a spot, so hopefully youll be able to avoid some of the crowds here. This is a great option for sure! Hi there, I followed your plan almost to a T and it worked out perfectly. The bright rainbow colors of this spring are simply amazing. Stay on the pathways and dont ever throw objects into the geysers or the hot springs, not even rocks. The West Thumb Geyser Basin has several unique geothermal features that you will only see in this area, so I definitely wouldnt skip it. They are named this because when the mud bubbles, it looks like a pot of bubbling paint. I wanted to add the Mud Volcano to your itinerary as an optional stop to give you some choices. The campground is also close to a river that is great for fly-fishing! I would hate for you to miss Old Faithful erupting because you became interested in another attraction. Just keep in mind that you will have extra drive time entering and exiting the park each day if you choose to stay in West Yellowstone. Of course, you can also book directly on the TripAdvisor site as well! Theres over 10,000 hydrothermal features located in the park, such as geysers, mudpots, hot springs, fumaroles and travertine terraces (lots of oozing, weird-smelling, colorful, bubbling good-ness!) I must admit, it made me giggle when people clapped at the end. It is a crowded campground, but if you get a site on the edge of the loop you have more space. While those are great, they are not why we are here. You are sure to save money using their site! Trip.com allows you to book flights, hotels, train tickets, rental cars, airport transfers, tours, and more all on one site. That Texas Couple is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This post outlines the pros and cons of all of the seasons and gives tips for things to do depending on the time of year. You can access the trail from the Fairy Falls Trailhead. Thank you so much, Ashlee!

Lets spend this evening in Lamar Valley to see if we can accomplish just that. If there is something you want to take a picture of, pull over into one of the many pull-offs. The Explorer Cabins have rave reviews, and would be a great option if you have multiple people on your trip and need more room to spread out. Of course, if there is a lot of time before the next eruption, then you can explore the area. Yellowstone is one of the top 5 most visited National Parks in the United States. When I went, I stayed 2 nights at Madison Campground because it is centrally-located, and then the third night at Grant Village campground since we were on our way to Grand Teton after.

This would allow you to visit Lamar Valley first thing in the morning (dawn) and again in the evening (dusk) when the animals are most active. Be sure to download offline maps to help you plan your trip and stick to your itinerary! This lot isnt as well known, so it is an easy entry and exit point to explore the Old Faithful area. Thank you for sharing your insight! The parking lot will likely be full, but you can park on the street instead. Do u know of any sites that have discounts planes, hotels, rentals etc.

We even went back to the lodge during the busiest part of the day to escape some of the crowds! After leaving the Brink of the Falls, continue your drive along North Rim Drive. For todays itinerary, you can choose to go to Lamar Valley twice if you dont mind doubling back on your route. We saw a lot of them with license plates from everywhere!

If you do, you will be missing out on some incredible hydrothermal features of the park. Take note that the park does close Boiling River in spring and early summer as the snowmelt makes the water levels too high to be safe. I highly recommend staying at the Yellowstone Riverside Cottages. We definitely recommend staying inside the park if at all possible.

The North Geyser Basin basically just envelopes you in thermal features, sparking all of your senses at once. Take time to visit the Albright Visitor Center to learn more about the history of Mammoth Hot Spring and Fort Yellowstone. All text and media on this site are created by us, That Texas Couple, unless otherwise stated. You definitely spend a lot of time in the car at Yellowstone, There are markets located in the main sections throughout the park (Old Faithful, Grant Village, Madison, Canyon) where you can get gas, firewood, ice, and snacks, and other goods. This means you can add more hiking and leisure time to your Yellowstone itinerary. Being strategic about choosing where to stay will help you save valuable time on your trip to Yellowstone. Keep reading to plan your trip with my 3-day Yellowstone itinerary! Located near the north entrance of the park, Mammoth Village is a great place to spend the final day of your Yellowstone itinerary. Your days in Yellowstone are valuable, so choose wisely! Here, the cold water from the Gardner River mixes with the hot water from the Boiling River and creates the perfect soaking area. I havent been to Yellowstone since I was a kid. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to many other geysers and several springs. When ready, start making your way to the north end of the park for our first stop, Undine Falls. Before we get to my Yellowstone itinerary, heres some important info about the park: The best time to visit Yellowstone is in the summer, when all the roads are open and the weather is warm. This is the best way to see wildlife, Splurge for a nicer rental car. Follow the walkway down a few stairs and then take a look to your left. So glad it was helpful. Thanks to this hike, you are about to get up close and personal with the falls. North Rim Drive begins 1.2 miles south of Canyon Junction. So so thank you for this awesome itinerary. We actually visited Hayden Valley two other times during our visit but did not see the wolves again. Dont worry though, we have you covered in this post. The Jewel Geyser is found here and is easy to see as it erupts every five to ten minutes with water shooting anywhere from 10- to 30-feet. Kick off the last day of your Yellowstone itinerary by checking out West Thumb Geyser Basin. I got you! We know that many people stay in West Yellowstone just outside of the west entrance when visiting Yellowstone. One of our favorites is Booking.com because it gives you a wide variety of hotels and guesthouses at a good price. Today, it is a gorgeous blue-hued pool that remains relatively quiet.

Check out the options: If youre looking for lodging inside Yellowstone National Park, note that youll often need to book about a year in advance (they book up quickly!) They also have a handy app that keeps everything you need at your fingertips. Follow the trail down the switchback path until you reach the viewing area for the falls. This cone-shaped geyser was named after the fishermen who would visit this area in the 1800s. If you arent able to book a campsite in the park, download the Dyrt Pro app for a map of all the free campsite options available in the surrounding area! Emerald Spring (pictured below) is also in the Back Basin area. This is a great time to spot the wildlife.

The savings add up quickly with this pass, often saving 50% with combined admissions. By purchasing through these links, we get a small commission at no additional cost to you. We saw a deer and a lot of elk during our visit to Mammoth Hot Springs.

Hello, thank you for your detailed post.

The water is cold year round (41 degrees F!) While the Grand Prismatic Spring looks great from the ground, it looks even better from above. After you finish your short hike from the Grand Prismatic Overlook at Fairy Falls, hop back in your car and drive a mile up the road to the Grand Prismatic Spring parking area. We were driving through Lamar Valley Yellowstone when I looked over and saw a huge bear walking toward the tree line. Looking to plan a trip to Yellowstone National Park but finding it overwhelming to plan your Yellowstone itinerary? The road through Lamar Valley Yellowstone is open year-round making it easy to add this to your Yellowstone list any time of year. Morning/Midday: Undine Falls, Mammoth Village, and Mammoth Hot Springs, Afternoon: Lamar Valley and/or Boiling River (optional). Begin your day bright and early and head to the iconic Yellowstone Park Old Faithful Geyser before the crowds. Midday: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Artist Point, Uncle Toms Trail, Lower Falls, Inspiration Point), Stay in: Canyon Village, or West Yellowstone. Grant Village has a visitor center, food, gas, and lodging.



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