Visiting Yellowstone National Park has always made us feel like we were on another planet. Towering geyser eruptions, vivid blue-green thermal pools, and herds of bison felt at least part alien! As the country’s first National Park dedicated so in 1872, Yellowstone also protects one of the planet’s largest volcanoes, which created the 45-mi wide caldera through which we were about to sightsee. When it comes to the ideal amount of time one needs to dedicate to exploring the park, we highly recommend our 4 day Yellowstone itinerary to everyone. After all, the 3,500-sq-mi huge national park is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island! So, we decided to dedicate at least four days to exploring the best attractions and sights it had to offer.
That being said, it’s a common truth among Yellowstone visitors that there’s no wrong way to experience the gorgeous national park. So, no matter your activity level or the entrance that you use, there’s always a great adventure to be had in Yellowstone, one of the most amazing national parks on Earth.
Table of contents
Our trip overview
Before we get to the complete itinerary for the Yellowstone trip, we need to talk about the logistics, since the park is so enormous. Technically, the best time to visit the national park, in terms of both the roads being open and the weather, is the summer. However, the footfall is the highest, crowds are everywhere, and parking is usually a nightmare during the day And while the park is lovely in spring and a veritable wonderland in winter, most of the roads are shut. So, you won’t be able to see a lot. That being said, the fall season has been one of the best times to see the national park. Even we visited the park in early September and had a wonderful time. Not only were the crowds thinning, but also the weather was nice and most of the roads were open. The wildlife also starts becoming a little more active during this time.
The question we’re always hit with is: how to plan a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and for how many days? In our four-day itinerary, we were able to organize most major activities during mornings and evenings, thus avoiding even the minimum midday rush that takes place during the fall. This is what our journey looked like:
- Flying into Bozeman and driving down the evening before
- 1st day: Drive into North Yellowstone; explore Mammoth Springs and Boiling River
- 2nd day: See Lamar Valley, Trout Lake, and Tower Fall
- 3rd day: Drive south; explore Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and the Upper Geyser Basin
- 4th day: See Hayden Valley, Grand Canyon, and Canyon Village
- Drive to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport for the departure flight
Even then, here’s a detailed itinerary on how to do a Yellowstone road trip from Seattle.
Arrival
After we landed at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, we picked up our rental car and drove down to our digs for the first two nights: the town of Gardiner. Lying an hour and a half from the airport, the charming Montana town was the perfect base to explore the northern delights of Yellowstone, which lay less than half an hour from here. We were staying at the Yellowstone Village Inn, a lovely family-operated third-generation hotel, which is one of the best hotels near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It sits on the northern fringes of Gardiner, away from the bustle of the town and yet a two-minute drive away.
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The expansive front lawn was our favorite spot, where we’d frequently spot bunnies, birds, deer, elk, and whatnot. We had the choice of many double/king rooms, all of which boasted plush beds, air-conditioning, clean, fresh linens, and private bathrooms. Our morning began blissfully with coffee at the picnic tables across the property. The to-go breakfast bags were excellent as we could simply get ready and leave, enjoying breakfast on the way to attractions and sights, thus saving time and getting ahead of the crowds. Believe it or not, it’s also one of the best cheap accommodations in Yellowstone National Park, which is why it’s so popular.
Day 1
Morning
Our first morning in Yellowstone saw us get out early, breakfast bags in hand, and head along the northern part of the Grand Loop Road. This 1915-opened scenic, paved thoroughfare is the national park’s primary road system and is 142 mi (228 km) long in a figure-8 shape. Our first stop was Boiling River Spring, which, unlike its name, was a soakable hot spring! It was a good thing we’d worn our one-piece swimsuits and swim shorts beneath our hiking clothes, so we could enjoy a lovely morning soak. It was an easy walk along a half-mile path from the parking lot to the wonderful soak area. After a quick breakfast on the edge of the spring, we set off for the high point of northern Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs.
Mammoth Hot Springs is rightfully one of the best must-see attractions in Yellowstone National Park. This feature, which comprises 50 hot springs, has been formed within the limestone, giving them an ethereal appearance. It took us an hour to walk along the boardwalk trails circling sights like Minerva Terrace, Palette Spring, Liberty Cap, Canary Spring, and more.
Afternoon
From Mammoth Springs, we hit Calcite Hot Springs, which was about half an hour away. The short and easy 0.2-mi (0.3 km) loop trail from the parking lot led to a scenic overlook of a river that flowed through a canyon. As the afternoon drew on, we headed another 25 minutes south towards Mount Washburn. Since hiking the Mount Washburn trail isn’t recommended from September onward, we settled for the spectacular views from the observation deck at Washburn Hot Springs Overlook. What we loved about this overlook is that it was also wheelchair accessible!
At the end of the day, we headed back to Gardiner and enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Corral, a venerated burger spot with picnic tables. Later on, we headed back to our abode at the Yellowstone Village Inn and settled in for the night.
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Day 2
Morning
Our second day was also an early one as we wanted to catch the famous sunrise over Lamar Valley. It’s also one of the best spots for wildlife viewing in the national park. We set out early, breakfast bags in hand again, and drove just over an hour to get to Lamar Valley. When the sun came out over the mountains, the entire valley looked like a veritable Van Gogh painting! As we drove up the road, we even saw hundreds of bison walking across the road and grazing over the grassy hills. We also got incredibly lucky with a wolf sighting!
Around mid-morning, we headed to Trout Lake and its trailhead five minutes away. It was the perfect pitstop after exploring Lamar Valley. The 1.2-mi (2 km) trail took us around 1.5 hours to navigate, at the end of which we came upon the most gorgeous forest lake we’d ever seen. The hike began with a bit of a climb through the forest until we reached a ridge. After a bit of walking, the trail leveled before dipping back down to the shoreline of Trout Lake. Pro tip: This is a superb spotting area for wildlife, especially bears. We enjoyed a wonderful packed picnic lunch on the green meadows — it hardly felt like September!
Afternoon
Next up was a waterfall! We drove 30 minutes down the road to Tower Fall next. The viewpoint, which is known as Tower Fall Overlook or Yellowstone River Overlook, lies near Tower Junction. It was just a short and easy walk to the parking area. We were able to snap some amazing pictures of the Tower Fall waterfall, which dropped a whopping 132 ft (40 m) into the bottom of the park!
An alternative to Trout Lake and Tower Fall is the Specimen Lake trailhead for those who want to indulge in a spot of hiking. This is considered one of Yellowstone’s best hikes and is a long and strenuous 16.9 mi (27 km) hike with more than 3,800 ft (1,158 m) of elevation gain! So, this one is only for the more seasoned hikers. You’ll enjoy amazing sweeping views of Amethyst Mountain and Lamar Valley throughout the hike, and you’ll even be able to spot petrified trees. Expect this hike to take up your entire day, so plan it accordingly.
After Tower Fall, we headed back to Gardiner and turned in early as we were supposed to leave for West Yellowstone early the next morning.
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Day 3
Arriving in West Yellowstone
The second part of our 4-day Yellowstone trip took us from Gardiner to West Yellowstone, specifically the amazing Under Canvas West Yellowstone, 2 hours away. Neither was it your typical hotel nor was it your typical camping experience; rather, it combined both to ensure a one-of-a-kind luxury glamping experience. We loved the open meadow setting, with wildflowers peppered across the tents and mountain views in all directions. There were many choices of safari-style tents, most with private bathrooms and others with very nice shared ones. Moreover, all tents had spa bath products and wood stoves.
We decided to splurge on the Stargazer tent suite, which had a viewing window right above our bed! It even had a separate lounge area with a sofa bed and a patio with alfresco seating and mesmerizing views. It’s no wonder that it wasn’t just one of the best Yellowstone West Entrance hotels but also one of the best hotels near Yellowstone National Park.
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Mid-morning
After an early lunch, we set off to see some of the best sights in this region of the park. Our first stop was the gorgeous Grand Prismatic, which is the national park’s largest hot spring. It’s part of the Midway Geyser Basin, whose trailhead lies about 50 minutes from Under Canvas. The easy boardwalk hike was wheelchair accessible and also allowed us to see the Firehole River Bridge, Turquoise, and Opal Pools. The highlight lay right at the end and was even better than we’d seen in the pictures. The spring was larger than a football field and deeper than a 10-storeyed building. Since it was sunny when we were there, the deep center was a brilliant blue, followed by green and yellow colors, followed by lots of orange hues on the fringes. On duller days, the colors look different, so be warned.
Pro tip: Wear/carry sun protection like UPF sun hats and sunscreens as the place is very windy and can get very hot due to lack of shade. Also, please hold on to your hats, as they could fly off and pollute the region, and there’s no retrieving them.
Early evening
Next, we headed to our last and best stop of the day, the Upper Geyser basin. Since Yellowstone National Park sits right atop a volcanic hotbed, there are numerous geysers in the park. Old Faithful is its most famous, having gotten its name way back in 1870, and erupting anywhere from 106-185 ft (32-56 m) every 35-120 minutes. We walked around the Upper Geyser Basin Trail, which started with us getting spectacular views of the Old Faithful erupting majestically into the air.
But that’s not the only attraction along this boardwalk trail, which is also wheelchair accessible. It’s home to almost 200 named and unnamed pools, springs, and geysers, and is extremely super photogenic. Our favorite spot was the last stop on the trail, the famed Morning Glory Pool. While originally radiant blue in color, changes in water temperature and human intervention caused the hues to shift. Despite that, the pool still is a stunning, unmissable sight.
After a long day of exploring this gorgeous region of Yellowstone, we headed back to Under Canvas to spend a starry and wonderful night under the stars.
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Day 4
Morning
Our final day in Yellowstone began with watching the sunrise at Hayden Valley, around an hour and a half away. While some short trails led off the valley, we were content admiring it from the pull-off areas. We not only enjoyed a sweeping view of the Yellowstone River flowing through the valley but also spotted bears and wolves in the distance.
Who knew that there was a Grand Canyon around these parts? We’re talking about the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone 20 minutes away, our next scenic stop just as the sun was rising. This jaw-dropping canyon is presumed to be 140,000-160,000 years old and is more than 1,000 ft in depth. There were multiple lookout points in this area, of which the best are the Upper Falls Point and Artist Point. They offer the best vantage points of the canyon with magnificent views of the Yellowstone River. We enjoyed views from both places, which were just five minutes from each other.
Besides catching views from the viewpoints, there’s a lot more to do here. Adventurers can take Uncle Tom’s Trail for a short 0.7 mi (1.1 km) hike to Upper Falls, which also offers side views of the Lower Falls. Then, there’s the Wapiti Lake Trail, a short loop trail with epic views of the meadows, hills, the canyon, and the falls.
By early afternoon, we’d wandered into Canyon Village, which was the base for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Not only does it have the hiking trails that we mentioned earlier, but also has shops and some wonderful restaurants. This is where we grabbed an early lunch at the expansive Canyon Eatery and also bought souvenirs in the market!
Evening
This day, we made it a point to head back to Under Canvas early as we wanted to spend some time relaxing and unwinding in the gorgeous environment. After all, it was Under Canvas’ debut in the glamping game, and I wanted to make maximum of staying at this amazing place. After a luxurious shower that I hadn’t had the time for in the previous three days, we enjoyed a cup of coffee on our patio with wonderful views of the national park and the mountains.
The casual outdoor community space was the perfect place for us to mingle with fellow campers, especially those who’d just arrived, to whom we gave some much-needed tips to explore the region. The smell of the campfire beckoned us as we headed over, settling around the fire, drinking coffee, and roasting s’mores. As the evening drew on, we even played family games, sang songs, and enjoyed an alfresco dinner under the stars in the company of fellow nature lovers.
“If you’re a nature loving person who doesn’t want to camp, Under Canvas is just the place for you. It’s the best way to enjoy the outdoors without having to slum it.”
WOW Travel
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Bidding adieu
At long last, it was the end of our Yellowstone trip, and after four exhilarating days in Yellowstone National Park, we fully comprehended why it was considered one of the top tourist attractions in the USA. On our fifth and final day, we headed out from Under Canvas, enjoying the scenic drive back towards Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. It was hard to tear our eyes away from the gorgeous sights, but our hearts and minds were permanently engraved with the stunning vistas we’d seen over the previous days. As our flight took off from Bozeman, we looked forward to writing this detailed guide, and now we’re hoping it’ll help you plan your own perfect Yellowstone adventure!
Tips for visiting Yellowstone National Park
- Yellowstone has an incredible abundance of wildlife everywhere. Remember to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and elk, and at least 100 yards away from wolves and grizzly bears. Do bring binoculars, as you might spot the wildlife far away in places such as Lamar and Hayden valleys.
- Time of day is very important in Yellowstone, especially if you’re visiting during summer since the park will be very crowded. Avoid arriving at the main sights and attractions between 11 am and 3 pm. Also, the pools really shine around sunrise, sunset, or midday, so plan your schedule accordingly.
- We didn’t realize it on our first trip, but Yellowstone is Yellowstone is located quite high up, at an elevation of nearly 8,000 ft. (2,438 m). So, take it easy and acclimatize on your first day, and remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Try and invest in one of these best water bottles for hikers.
- Whether you’re staying in the park or near it, remember to make reservations for stays in as far advance as possible, especially during the prime summer months.
What state does Yellowstone National Park lie in?
While a majority of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming, a small percentage lies in Montana, especially near Gardiner. In fact, a tiny part of it even touches Idaho.
What is the best time to go to Yellowstone National Park?
While the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park is late spring or early summer, the crowds can get pretty brutal. Considering that, and the weather, late summer to early fall, specifically the months of September to October, are great.
Are there any fees for visiting Yellowstone National Park?
Yes. It costs non-commercial, private vehicles USD 35, snowmobiles/motorcycles USD 30 in the winter, and visitors aged 16 years and older (ski/bike/foot) USD 20. Check out Yellowstone’s fees.
