Yellowstone National Park: A land of geysers, hot springs and wildlife

In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, in the northwestern part of the state of Wyoming stretches one of the oldest and most fascinating national parks in the world – Yellowstone National Park. Covering an area of over 8900 km², it houses a stunning mosaic of geysers, hot springs, mud volcanoes, fumaroles and waterfalls, creating a unique landscape, as if from another world!

It was this unique landscape, but also the many animals that inhabit the area, that attracted us on our fourth trip to the US. The trip, during which we traveled for a month in the western US states visiting Utah and Arizona again, but nevertheless culminated in Yellowstone National Park. Again, we chose late April and early May for the trip, as this is the best time for animal sightings, but on the other hand it is still a time when some roads are closed and not everywhere can be reached by car, which, in the case of a visit to Yellowstone, can mean many miles of roads to catch up on.

What do you need to keep in mind when planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park? What is worth seeing? How many days do you need to spend on site? Where to spend the night? In the following post, we will answer these questions.

Yellowstone National Park – basic information

Let’s first correct one thing written at the beginning of this article. Where is Yellowstone Park? The fact is that Yellowstone NationalPark (Yellowstone National Park) is located in the state of Wyoming, but not only. The area of the park extends beyond the borders of this one state hooking into Montana and Idaho, although a significant part of it (about 96%) is just within Wyoming.

You can enter the park using one of five entrances: West Entrance (West Yellowstone), South Entrance, East Entrance, Northeast Entrance and North Entrance. When planning a trip to the park, check when which entrances are open and which roads are passable, as only two of them are open year-round (North and Northeast). Roads and entrances are opened gradually in April and May and closed in October and November.

Yellowstone super volcano activity

The park is located on the Yellowstone plateau, which is a… the caldera of a super volcano (Caldera Yellowstone) measuring as much as 55 by 80 kilometers! Yes, to visit Yellowstone National Park is to travel around an active volcano whose last eruption took place some 640,000 years ago, and it was the last of three eruptions (the earlier ones took place 2.1 million and 1.3 million years ago).

When will the next super volcano eruption occur? Are we in danger of a Yellowstone volcano eruption? No one knows, but since the volcano is considered active, it is constantly being monitored, and recent discoveries by scientists indicate that there is much more magma below the surface than previously assumed ^(source).

However, this does not mean that the Yellowstone Supervolcano will erupt anytime soon, that is rather unlikely, but if it did, its eruption would have catastrophic consequences for the entire planet.

The oldest national park

Did you know that Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming is not only the oldest national park in the United States, but in the entire world? It was placed under protection in 1872, but the goal of the originators was more focused on creating a tourist attraction that would bring profit to the railroad. Nowadays, one can catch one’s head looking at old photos of how people trampled Yellowstone’s hot springs or legally fed bears from cars.

Since the National Park Service was established, conservation looks very different. This park is an area of great natural significance, with numerous unique geothermal phenomena, picturesque landscapes, and an abundance of flora and fauna, which is protected, and rangers do everything to ensure that both people do not harm animals and animals do not harm people.

Although some people think that it is also the largest national park, this is not the case at all. What’s more, it’s not even the largest U.S. national park, nor even the largest not including Alaska. It is the ones in Alaska that have a clear lead in terms of area, and larger than Yellowstone is also Death Valley National Park in Nevada and California.

Touring Yellowstone

Visiting Yellowstone is quite an adventure, but also a challenge. Because how do you fit everything into one day? What is the best way to plan a trip? First of all, we recommend that you don’t come here just for one day. This is definitely too short! Anyway, let’s start with the attractions that await in Yellowstone, and you will see that here you really need more time.

Yellowstone attractions

Yellowstone geysers – a natural wonder

The amazing Yellowstone Park is primarily famous for its geysers, of which there are more than 500 here – more than in any other place on Earth, and this number represents more than half of all existing geysers.

Old Faithful geyser is undoubtedly the most recognizable geyser. While not the largest geyser in the park, it has gained notoriety for its reliable regularity, which is where its name comes from. Interestingly, this regularity is changing: it used to erupt every hour, now every hour and a half, but it is still one of the most predictable geysers. During the explosion, water is shot up to 55 meters high, and the whole thing lasts up to 5 minutes. To make watching this show even more enjoyable, benches have been prepared around it for you to sit on.

While near Old Faithful, it’s worth crossing the bridge over the Firehole River toward Upper Geyser Basin, where you can walk on wooden footbridges between a succession of now smaller geysers. A good vantage point for viewing Old Faithful and other geysers is the nearby hilltop Observation Point Trail.

It’s worth mentioning that the Old Faithful geyser doesn’t spew hot water every minute, but you can check the estimated time of the start of the water show at the Visitor Center next door (information on other geysers is also given here).

There are many more geysers in the national park, however, their ejections are not as regular. Some erupt every few hours, some every few days, but there are some every few or even several decades. During our walk, we managed to come upon a rather inconspicuous geyser that erupted once every few weeks – a ranger was waiting on site to encourage visitors to stop for a while. We waited a bit, but it was definitely worth it!

Where else to look for geysers? For example, in Lower Geyser Basin, where there are also fumaroles and bubbling muds, Firehole Lake Drive, and Norris Geyser Basin, home to the world’s tallest active geyser! We are talking about the Steamboat geyser, whose water ejection reaches up to 90 meters! However, you have to be lucky to see it, as it erupts once every few days or once every few decades.

Yellowstone hot springs

In addition to geysers, Yellowstone Park is famous for its rainbow hot springs, headed by Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the largest hot spring not only in the park, but in the entire United States. It is a spring with a diameter of more than 110 meters, which from above looks like a huge blue hole surrounded by flames. The central part is blue as a result of absorption of light waves, and the shades of green, yellow, orange and red on the edges are the result of bacterial activity. Contrary to appearances, where the water is blue, its temperature is the highest, and where it is orange and red the temperature is definitely lower.

Grand Prismatic Spring can be viewed from the wooden footbridges, but we have to admit that it is not that impressive, because you simply can’t see its colors and expanse well from this level. The Excelsior Geyser Crater , which is close by, can be approached closer and almost looks into the depths. Definitely, it must all look better from the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook, a point on the hill that allows you to look from a further and wider perspective. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see for ourselves, because just then the trail was closed due to high bear activity at this time of year.

More hot springs await at Mammoth Hot Springs however, one looks in vain for turquoise springs here. Instead, we can observe hot water flowing down natural terraces here, which owe their bright hue to deposited minerals. In this part, too, wooden footbridges have been prepared so that you can walk quite close to the springs, with the wafting stench making it impossible to stand here for long. There is also a good chance of seeing wildlife, especially buffalo and deer, in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

It is also interesting to see the hot springs just above Yellowstone Lake, such sights await in West Thumb.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls

Many people associate Yellowstone mainly with geysers, hot springs and bison. And there’s a canyon here, too, and a grand one at that, not just in name. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone , more than 350 meters deep, is admittedly smaller than the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, but standing at the rim and looking down along the vertical walls and following the Yellowstone River with your eyes can really make your head spin! And it is interesting to note that it is from the Yellowstone River that the national park took its name, not the other way around ;)

A picturesque Yellowstone Falls (or more accurately, two) await in Yellowstone Canyon: Lower Falls of Yellowstone and Upper Falls of Yellowstone, which can be observed from two edges of the canyon and from several vantage points (such as Artist Point or Upper Falls View). It is one of several hundred waterfalls in Yellowstone, but this one is the most recognizable, easily accessible and spectacular.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake, located in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, is the largest high mountain lake in North America. Its area is nearly 350 square kilometers, and its coastline is 227 kilometers long. The lake can be observed from the Grand Loop Road (US 20), where there are designated parking lots, and it is also possible to access it, for example, by kayak, but here there are quite a few restrictions.

Animals in Yellowstone: The fascinating world of wildlife

Is seeing wildlife in Yellowstone easy enough? We weren’t sure about that. Driving toward the park, every time someone told us they had already been there, we asked if they had seen wild animals. As a rule, the answer was: of course, whole herds! This did not resonate with what we read on several other blogs, where authors wrote that they had not even seen a single buffalo on site….

We saw a whole lot of them! Maybe it’s a matter of time of year, but there wasn’t a day that we didn’t see some bison, bear or deer. Bison definitely dominate this amazing Yellowstone Park, although this was not always the case. Bison were found in large numbers on the vast plains of America, but they became easy targets for hunters, hunting buffalo became a pastime, and their population was decimated (their killing was also intended to starve the Native American population). At the most critical moment, there were only twenty-some left here, but fortunately, there was a last-minute response and the now oldest buffalo herd was saved.

We saw bison in the grasslands, by the river, but also on the roads. Very often they block car traffic using the road as an easier way to get around (note, it is forbidden to drive too close to buffalo, touching and feeding them!). April and May is the time when the little ones come into the world, so we could watch endlessly from the car windows as the little ones try to catch up with the adults. For buffalo watching, Lamar Valley, even called the American Serengeti, is a very good place. This vast valley has become a hotspot for bison, grizzly bears, wolves, deer, elk and many birds of prey.

In Yellowstone we managed to see bears. Not one, not two, but many more. There were grizzly bears, and there were also black bears. We saw single individuals, but also bears with cubs. We always observed at an appropriate and safe distance. Very often, when bears appeared somewhere, rangers drove up right away and made sure that no one got too close to them.

It is more difficult to spot a wolf, but such animals also manage to be seen in Yellowstone. We were lucky that just happened to have someone tell us where one of them officiates every evening so we spotted such a park resident as well.

In addition, there were a lot of deer and birds.

Remember, of course, that Yellowstone animals are wild specimens and should not be approached, touched or fed under any circumstances.

Map and sightseeing plan of Yellowstone

So now that we know that there are a lot of these attractions, how do we see it all?

When planning a tour, it’s a good idea to consult a map of Yellowstone and map out a route that takes your priorities into account. The official website of the National Park Service offers an interactive map, which will make it easier to plan your stay, and traditional maps can be obtained at the park entrance or Visitor Center.

The map includes information on:

• Attractions: geysers, hot springs, viewpoints, hiking trails, etc.
• Infrastructure facilities: Visitor Center, hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, etc.
• Routes: park entrances, roads, hiking trails.

To make it easier to plan your trip, we have also prepared for you our map, with the points we managed to reach:

As you can see on the map, there is one main road within the national park that forms a large loop: the Grand Loop Road, but in our opinion, it is better to mark out two, smaller loops: one, from the Norris Geyser Basin Museum and Information Station to the north, and the other to the south (Norris Canyon Road separates them).

There is a route through Lamar Valley and a road to the eastern entrance. If you have more than one day in Yellowstone (which we strongly encourage you to do) then you can plan one loop for one day and the other, connected to Lamar Valley for the other. You should allow 3 hours just to drive the southern loop, let alone include stopping at viewpoints or walking the hiking trails – this is really a day trip.

Practical information

Getting to Yellowstone

Getting to Yellowstone National Park is not complicated, however, it is a good idea to plan your trip so that you enter through that entrance from which side there are the most attractions that interest you. Especially if you plan to spend the night outside the park and drive into it every day: walking long distances through the entire park can be tiring no less, and it will take you some time.

Getting there by car is the most convenient option. The park has five entrances:

• North entrance: from Gardiner, Montana.
• Northeast entry: from Cooke City, Montana.
• Eastern entry: from Cody, Wyoming.
• Southern entry: from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
• Western entry: from West Yellowstone, Montana.

However, please note that not all entrances are available year-round. We drove to Yellowstone from Grand Teton National Park, and unfortunately, going to, we had to make up a lot of miles, because the section of road connecting the two parks was closed (fortunately, we knew about this beforehand, so it was not a surprise to us on the spot).

Travel time to the park depends on the starting point. From major cities in the region, such as Salt Lake City, the trip takes about five hours.

Admission to the park – prices

As in other national parks, there is a fee to enter the park in Yellowstone. You pay per vehicle, not per number of passengers, and prices are as follows:

• passenger car: $35,
• motorcycle: $30,
• snowmobile: $30,
• Persons entering on foot, bicycle, age 16+: $20.

You can buy an annual pass at the park, which costs $70 and is, of course, accepted by America the Beautifull Annual Pass (its cost is $80 and gives you entry for a year to all national parks in the US).

Accommodations in and around Yellowstone Park

This popular national park has quite extensive accommodation and there are both hotels and campgrounds to choose from, although availability can be a problem.

The park itself has 9 accommodations, both hotels and cottages offering lodging in different parts of the park, but they are not open year-round. Some open at the end of April, and others even later. Prices for such accommodations start at $170 per night.

Another option is to stay overnight at a campground with an RV (camper) or tent. There are 12 campgrounds in the park, and except for one, advance reservations are required at each. Only at Mammoth Campground does the first-come, first-served rule apply. Prices for a campsite start at $20 per night.

Another option is to stay overnight outside the park. We stayed overnight in West Yellowstone at the facility Kelly Inn. Accommodation there costs from 220 per night for a double room (price with breakfast).

Other accommodations with good reviews in West Yellowstone:

• Gray Wolf Inn & Suites
  Address: 250 South Canyon Street, P.O. Box 1449, West Yellowstone
  Prices: from $145 per room
  Link: https://r4b.link/booking-gray-wolf
• The Evergreen
  Address: 229 Firehole Avenue, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
  Prices: from $145 for a double room
  Link: https://r4b.link/booking-evergreen
• Crosswinds Inn
  Address:201 Firehole Avenue, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
  Prices: from $228 for a double room
  Link: https://r4b.link/booking-crosswinds
• Elkhorn Cabins and Inn
  Address: 29 Gibbon Avenue, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
  Prices: from $290 for a double room
  Link: https://r4b.link/booking-hadley
• Best Western Desert Inn
  Address: 133 North Canyon St , West Yellowstone, 59758
  Prices: from $271 for a double room with breakfast
  Link: https://r4b.link/booking-desert-wys

Yellowstone Park – when to go?

We in Yellowstone Park have only been once, but we have long thought about when to come here. We decided to go in the spring to have the best chance of meeting the animals. And from this angle we were totally delighted! So if that is also your goal of visiting Yellowstone then we can recommend, for example, May. The beginning of the season also means slightly lower prices, fewer people, more easily available hotels.

• Summer (June-August): This is the most popular time to visit Yellowstone, as the weather is warm and sunny , and all roads and attractions are open. However, the park is also crowded, and accommodation prices can be higher.
• Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October ): These seasons offer milder weather and smaller crowds. Some Yellowstone roads and attractions may be closed in early spring and late fall.
• Winter (December-March): The park is covered with snow, and many roads and attractions are closed. Nevertheless, the view of Yellowstone in the snow must be fabulous!

Summary – our opinion

This popular national park is a place that delights and inspires. It is a journey to the land of geysers and hot springs, where nature reveals its powerful forces. This is an unforgettable experience for anyone who wants to experience something extraordinary.

We were enchanted by this place, at every step something new and unearthly awaited us. We are confident that you will also be charmed by this place!

Photo Gallery

Finally, a gallery of all the photos from Yellwstone.