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One of the most visited U.S. national parks, Yellowstone National Park is also the world’s first national park! Yellowstone National Park is home to an incredible variety of wildlife, including iconic species such as bison, elk, grizzly bears, and wolves. The park’s geothermal features are equally remarkable, including the famous Old Faithful and colorful Grand Prismatic Spring. And it’s an incredible park to visit with kids! We had an absolutely wonderful time as a family and loved finding the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park.
Before we visit a national park, our family loves learning about it! It helps us enjoy it more and appreciate the people who have stewarded it well before us. We love learning about the Indigenous history, as well as about wildlife and ecosystems.
Here are a few things to learn about Yellowstone National Park before visiting!
The closest international airport to Yellowstone is in Bozeman, MT. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is about 1.5 hours from the North entrance. Billings Logan International Airport, also in Montana, is a 3 hours drive to the closest park entrance. You will need a car to travel between either airport and the park. If you are taking a longer road trip, you could also consider flying to Salt Lake City, UT, which is 5 hours from the park.
There are also some regional airports near Yellowstone National Park:
Yellowstone has five entrance stations, and several are closed to regular vehicles during winter. It takes many hours to drive between these entrances, so be sure to check the status of roads at the entrance you intend to use while planning your trip and before you arrive.
Because it’s such a huge park, it’s really important to go in with a good Yellowstone itinerary with kids to guide your visit. Here is my Yellowstone Family Itinerary.
Yellowstone National Park Lodges operates nine lodges (hotel- and cabin-style) in the park with more than 2,000 rooms. All are open from late spring through fall. Old Faithful Snow Lodge is open during winter. Be sure to make a reservation early!
Be sure to check operating hours as many of these are closed or have reduced hours outside of high season.
You will need a vehicle to visit Yellowstone National Park. Around 50 miles of road separates popular destinations like Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Public transportation is not available in Yellowstone, but many companies provide shuttle services and tours.
And here is a complete post about traveling with car seats. Here are our favorites by age:
If you’re wondering when to visit Yellowstone National Park, I highly recommend visiting in late spring or early fall. The weather is still generally very pleasant during these times, and you miss the extreme heat and crowds of July and August.
Still, if you can only visit Yellowstone during the summer, there are plenty of opportunities to escape the crowds. You can do this by heading to some of the lesser-visited spots below.
Yellowstone National Park in winter is still stunning, but beware that many of the park roads are closed. I would highly recommend hiring a guide during this time to be able to travel safely regardless of weather. This will ensure you get the most out of your visit. Here are some great things to do in Yellowstone in winter, and a whole list of wonderful winter activities in Idaho!
In any time of year, a tour really can be an amazing way to see the park, especially if you’re interested in spotting wildlife. This wolf watching and wildlife safari is a perfect opportunity to go with experienced, terrific guides to safely observe some of the parks residents. This Upper Loop tour is a good option that runs all year, or this private wildlife tour. A self-guided audio tour can also be a great addition to your Yellowstone adventure!
See THIS MAP to view all the best sites for a Yellowstone family vacation!
Ten visitor centers and information stations are found throughout the park. It’s a huge park with a lot to see, so it’s well worth stopping in to talk with a ranger, discover more about the park’s resources through exhibits and interpretive offerings, or get oriented to the park. Check this page for more details about visitor center hours.
Though the education centers play the role of visitor centers, there are some unique things to see at each.
Visiting at least one of Yellowstone National Park’s thermal basins is a must-do, as the park’s icon status largely comes from its famous hydrothermal features. And, of course, watching Old Faithful Geyser erupt is a Yellowstone National Park tradition. Watch eruptions from the Old Faithful viewing area or along the boardwalks that weave around the geyser and through the Upper Geyser Basin. When visiting Old Faithful, you can find when next eruption is predicted at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, at the lodges, and in the NPS App.
Note that while there is a walk all around the Old Faithful area, you can watch the eruption itself from a viewing area very close to the parking area.
Yellowstone National Park has a self-guided Junior Ranger program for children 4 years and older (although younger kids are allowed to participate, too). Activities help participants learn more about hydrothermal geology, wildlife, fire ecology, and much more. Get your full-color booklet at any Yellowstone National Park visitor center, or download a copy of the Junior Ranger booklet before you arrive. (Note that unlike in most National Parks, there is a small fee for the booklet in the visitor center due to the visitation numbers.)
After completing the age-appropriate requirements described inside the booklet and having your book reviewed by a park ranger at a visitor center, you will be awarded an official Yellowstone Junior Ranger badge!
Here are a few family-friendly hikes in Yellowstone National Park:
Yellowstone’s abundant wildlife is as famous as its geysers. In the park, animals have over 3,000 square miles (over 7,500 square km) of habitat available to them, so seeing them usually involves both luck and timing. Check at visitor centers for information about recent sightings, or join one of several companies that provide wildlife watching tours in the park.
When to go: Animals tend to feed during early morning and evening and may be more visible at these times because they’re up and moving around. Bears begin emerging from hibernation in March and April and can often be seen grazing in roadside meadows until the heat of summer pushes them to higher elevations. Winter is a great time to watch wolves because they’re out of their dens (pups usually emerge in May) and easier to see on a snowy landscape.
Where to go: Below are a few popular destinations for watching some of the park’s large mammals, and what might be seen during certain times of the year. If I were to pick only one area to definitely go to try to see an abundance of wildlife, I’d head to Lamar Valley at sunrise. Though it’s further out than Hayden Valley, the abundance of wildlife – especially since far fewer visitors make it out that way – is astonishing.
Records of bird sightings have been kept in Yellowstone since its establishment in 1872. These records document nearly 300 species of birds to date, including raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Approximately 150 species nest in the park. Many birds, such as American robins and common ravens, are found throughout the park. Other species live in specific habitats. Hayden Valley is one of the best places to view water birds and birds of prey.
Spring is a good time to look for birds. Migration brings many birds back to the park from their winter journeys south; other birds are passing through to more northern nesting areas. Songbirds are singing to establish and defend their territories; and many ducks are in their colorful breeding plumages, which makes identification easier.
Watch for birds on early morning walks from mid-May through early July. Most birds migrate to lower elevations and more southern latitudes beginning in August. At the same time, other birds pass through Yellowstone. Hawk-watching can be especially rewarding in Hayden Valley late August through early October. In early November, look for tundra swans on the water.
See this page for the Yellowstone Birding Checklist.
Yellowstone is justifiably famous for its brilliantly colored hot springs, and it’s well worth taking the time to visit at least a couple. Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is, of course, the most famous, and the overlook trail (just over a mile round trip) provides an excellent view. Other parts of Midway Geyser Basin, where Grand Prismatic is located, are also gorgeous, as is Biscuit Basin. If you’re willing to drive just a bit further, head 30 minutes away to West Thumb Geyser Basin, which is also beautiful and often less crowded.
The hydrothermal features at Mud Volcano are primarily mudpots and fumaroles because the area is situated on a perched water system with little water available. This is a very active area, with features like the aptly named Churning Cauldron and Black Dragon’s Cauldron. The loop is just over half a mile, but you may find yourself spending some extra time looking at the mud pots, hot springs, and other incredible features.
The Fountain Paint Pots are another excellent option as all 4 major geothermal features in the park are represented there: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
Biking is an incredible way to experience Yellowstone! Mountain bikes, road bikes, and e-bikes are permitted on established public roads, parking areas, and designated routes in Yellowstone National Park in the summer. In the spring and fall, they are permitted on roads closed to regular vehicles while weather conditions allow.
Rent a bike at Old Faithful Snow Lodge in the heart of Yellowstone’s geyser country.
These businesses provide guided bicycle trips in Yellowstone.
Once a US Army outpost built in 1908, the Museum of the National Park Ranger houses exhibits that celebrate the history of the park ranger profession. To enhance the story of the park ranger experience, this visitor center is staffed by volunteer retired rangers. There’s also a selection of videos that pertain to the Norris Soldier Station, Norris Geyser Basin, and other park topics.
One of the best ways to experience a national park is participating in a ranger program. Yellowstone National Park offers a variety of ranger programs throughout the park and throughout the year. Check the calendar, the newspaper, or the NPS App for daily activities and at visitor centers for local announcements for special pop-up programs being offered in your area.
Did you know there’s a Grand Canyon is Yellowstone?!? The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is roughly 20 miles long, measured from the Upper Falls to the Tower Fall area. The canyon was formed by erosion as Yellowstone River flowed over progressively softer, less resistant rock.
Experience the canyon from a variety of overlooks, at different times of day, and at different seasons. A number of trails and walkways wind along the rims and down partway into the canyon.
Check out the hike details and accessibility information.
The Mammoth Hot Springs area in the northern region of the park is fascinating and so unique. It’s magical and otherworldly walking on boardwalks amongst the travertine terraces, and seeing them lit up early or late in the day is a special treat. Keep in mind that this area does not have shade and can get very hot in the summer, so consider going when temperatures are cooler.
Enjoy a beautiful drive through Firehole Canyon. Firehole Canyon Drive follows the Firehole River upstream from Madison Junction to just above Cascades of the Firehole. The drive takes you past 800-foot thick lava flows and to a viewing area of Firehole Falls, a 40-foot (12.2-m) waterfall.
Also along the drive is an unstaffed swimming area, which is very popular in the warmest part of the summer season. Learn more about swimming and soaking in Yellowstone.
You can also drive Yellowstone’s 140-mile Grand Loop, comprised of the Upper and Lower Loop. This is a grand tour of Yellowstone that will bring you to most of the main attractions (excluding Lamar Valley). Each loop takes at least 2.5-3 hours to drive with NO stops, and I definitely plan on stopping to see many fascinating things along the way, so plan on at least a couple days to explore. More on the park’s roads HERE.
Yellowstone has miles of trails for the adventurous skier and snowshoer. Though track is set only on a few trails, all unplowed roads and trails are open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Whether you are skiing a groomed trail in a developed area or venturing into the backcountry, remember that you are traveling in wilderness with all its dangers: unpredictable wildlife, changing weather conditions, hydrothermal areas, deep snow, open streams, and avalanches. Talk with park rangers before you leave on any trip and get specific information on conditions.
Find ski and snowshoe trail here.
Yellowstone National Park Lodges provides boat rentals and guided boat trips at Bridge Bay Marina on Yellowstone Lake. Other companies offer guided services for canoeing, kayaking, and motorized boating. You can also find guides for fishing, photography, rafting, and wildlife viewing tours here.
This area features buidlings constructed during Yellowstone’s Army era and is still used as park headquarters as well as employee housing. Guided tours are available of the area. Learn more about the area HERE.
The Lamar Buffalo Ranch was built in the early part of the 20th century in an effort to increase the herd size of the few remaining bison in Yellowstone, preventing the feared extinction of the species. Buffalo ranching operations continued at Lamar until the 1950s. Remnants of irrigation ditches, fencing, and water troughs can still be found. Four remaining buildings from the original ranch compound are contained within the Lamar Buffalo Ranch Historic District and are on the National Register of Historic Places. (Note: this site is drive-by only and has no public facilities.)
People travel from around the world to take pictures in Yellowstone. Where else can you witness the birth of a bison calf, see a grizzly bear steal a kill from a wolf, or watch the sun set behind an erupting geyser?
Here are popular spots to take amazing photos:
