8 Things You Need to See in Yellowstone on Your First Trip

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do and see in Yellowstone, I’m here to show you the way.

But first, did you know that Yellowstone was the first National Park in the US—and the world?

Founded in 1872, Yellowstone National Park attracts millions of people to its unique and varied landscapes every year. Between colorful hot springs, winding rivers, mud pots, wildlife (yes, expect bison traffic jams!), and geysers, Yellowstone is packed with sights.

With over 2.2 million acres to explore, having a plan for what to see in Yellowstone is essential.

The park is also consistently one of the most visited national parks in the United States, often ranking in the top five for annual recreation visits.

This place is one of a kind. Yellowstone sits atop North America’s largest supervolcano and features unique geothermal wonders, including over 500 active geysers. The park is bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined, making it a vast playground for explorers.

I’ve explored Yellowstone twice and can vouch for its ever-changing landscape. With so much ground to cover, planning ahead is a must. Expect to log serious miles in the car while trying to see everything.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, fear not, I’ve got you covered. In this post, I’ve narrowed down the absolute best things to do in Yellowstone so you can plan your trip efficiently and with confidence.

Below we’ll cover a mix of the most popular sites in Yellowstone with a couple lesser trafficked areas that are personally some of my favorites. Plus, I’ve included some need-to-know tips for each area to help you make the most of your visit—don’t skip reading these!

So let’s dive in!

Ultimate Guide to What to See in Yellowstone

This list of what to see in Yellowstone is perfect for first-timers to the park who want a little bit of everything. If you follow my lead, I promise you’ll depart Yellowstone feeling like you covered a lot of ground and saw the absolute highlights of this incredible national park.

Tips to Know Before Visiting Yellowstone National Park

Entrance Fees

Like most national parks in the U.S., there is an entrance fee to visit Yellowstone. The standard entrance fee is $35 per private vehicle, which grants access for seven consecutive days.

If you plan to explore more National Parks this year, I’d recommend grabbing an America the Beautiful Pass for $80, which allows you access to all National Parks across the country for one year.

Important for international visitors: As of January 1, 2026, non-U.S. residents visiting Yellowstone are charged an additional $100 international visitor fee on top of the regular entrance fee, unless they purchase the $250 non-resident annual pass. U.S. residents can still purchase the standard America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80, which covers entrance fees at national parks and many other federal recreation sites across the country.

weather in yellowstone

Yellowstone is a high-altitude climate so it can be chilly even in the height of summer in the early mornings and evenings. Be sure to bring layers no matter what time of year you visit. 

when is the best time to visit yellowstone?

The best time to visit Yellowstone is a debatable topic as there is something special about each season, but ultimately it depends on what you are looking for.

Yellowstone is warmest in summer, fully accessible, but crowds are massive, making solitude in nature hard to find. Late spring and early fall are ideal for avoiding crowds while still enjoying beautiful weather, though some areas may be closed. Winter is an option, but many areas close, and a guide is recommended due to heavy snow.

Safety in yellowstone

For your safety, ALWAYS stay on the boardwalks near the park’s thermal features as they can be very dangerous. Keep a distance from any and all wild animals. For good measure, stay 100 yards from wolves and bears and 25 yards from all other wildlife.

stay hydrated

Bring a reusable water bottle. There are free water refill stations throughout the park to keep you hydrated, though some are not reliable so it’s best to fill up in the more developed areas of the park when you can.

driving expectations

Be prepared to drive a lot and make sure you fill up on gas when you can throughout the park. Yellowstone is huge, and summer traffic can be brutal. Travel between stops may take longer than expected depending on the season.

download offline google maps

Something I learned the hard way on my first visit to Yellowstone is that there is zero cell service in the park. Like zilch. Or at least that was my experience. Sorry former clients!

Download Google Maps ahead of time and a good ‘ole fashioned audio book because you’re not going to be catching up on emails or texts with your friends, I promise you that 😉

Where Should You Stay in Yellowstone

This is not an easy question to answer, as Yellowstone is massive and it truly depends on your personal itinerary. I wrote an entire guide on where to stay in Yellowstone to help you determine the best areas to base yourself as well as the top hotels and lodging options in the park.

Always Check Park Closures Ahead of Your Trip

Things are constantly changing in Yellowstone whether that’s road closures due to weather, trail closures for renovations, or otherwise. It’s really important to check the National Park Service website ahead of your trip to make sure you’re clued in to what may be closed or inaccessible during your trip.

Best Things to See in Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful

If you’ve already been thinking about what to see in Yellowstone, I’m willing to bet Old Faithful is already on the list. Notably one of the most famous sites in Yellowstone, you can’t miss Old Faithful if it’s your first visit to the park.

The centuries-old geyser is amazingly predictable and erupts about 20 times a day. Named for her predictability, Old Faithful erupts anywhere from 100-180 feet high for about 1-1.5 minutes at a time. Rangers can predict Old Faithful’s next eruption with 90% accuracy, within about ten minutes—pretty cool, right?

Located in the Upper Geyser Basin (on the western side of the park), this site is easily accessible and the most visitor-friendly with a nearby parking lot, plenty of benches for viewing and a ranger station recording and predicting eruptions throughout the day.

As expected, Old Faithful, the park’s most famous and accessible site, gets extremely busy. Personally, I prefer quieter spots and skipped it on my second trip due to huge crowds.

If it’s your first time visiting though, it’s a must-see to tick off the Yellowstone bucket list.

Some Practical Tips When Visiting Old Faithful:

• When you first arrive to the Upper Geyser Basin, check the predicted eruption time for Old Faithful so you know how much time you have (or don’t have) to kill before the next eruption. You can also check ahead of time on the National Parks Service site here, however cell service is VERY LIMITED so that may not be a reliable option.
• If you arrive to Old Faithful and just missed the last eruption, you can explore the rest of the Upper Geyser Basin, grab some food or ice cream, explore the gift shop, etc while you wait.
• This is a good spot to visit mid-day for lunch as there are a couple different food facilities nearby.
• I’d plan for about 2 hours here, as eruptions happen approximately every 90 minutes. You might get lucky though and arrive just in time for the next one and can be on your way more swiftly!

Norris Geyser Basin 

Located on the west side of the park, Norris Geyser Basin is known for its tumultuous personality. This is Yellowstone’s hottest, most changeable thermal area and one of Earth’s most extreme environments. Researchers recorded 459℉ at 1,087 feet below the surface—the park’s highest-ever recorded temperature.

Don’t let these crazy temperatures fool you, the basin is still quite beautiful with unique coloring and rare soil compounds. High silica creates the basin’s milky blue features, unlike other Yellowstone geothermal spots. Poisonous iron oxide and arsenic add a striking reddish-orange hue, also unique to Norris Geyser Basin.

Alongside a rainbow of colors, you will see plenty of geysers and hot springs here as well.

I didn’t know much about Norris Geyser Basin on my first Yellowstone trip and completely overlooked it. Visiting it on my second trip was worth it—it’s unique, even if it lacks the “wow factor” of Grand Prismatic Spring.

Photographers will love exploring it, capturing Yellowstone’s geothermal textures and vibrant, unique colors. It’s also quite different from the other geyser basins, so you won’t feel like you’re seeing more of the same.

Norris Geyser Basin consists of two spots worth visiting: the Porcelain Basin (my personal favorite) and the Back Basin. The Back Basin’s main attraction is Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser. Major eruptions are unpredictable, so you’ll need luck to see it in full force. When it erupts, it can shoot hot water over 300 feet, but even visiting shows it spouting and steaming.

If time is limited, Porcelain Basin is where I recommend you spend most of your time at Norris Geyser Basin. It’s where all the photos here were taken. This active 0.6-mile loop has plenty of hissing fumaroles and steaming hot springs to explore.

Some Practical Tips When Visiting the Norris Geyser Basin:

• I recommend planning for at least an hour or two here and to spend most of your time in the Porcelain Basin—I found the Back Basin to be a bit underwhelming.
• Please please please stay on the boardwalks here and be careful of hats on a windy day, as you definitely won’t be recovering it if it blows off into one of the boiling pools.
• This was one of my favorite spots in the park to photograph with my 70-200mm zoom lens as you can get in super close to the colorful geothermal features. Make sure to bring a longer lens to have fun playing with the textures in this area!
• There is barely any shade in the Porcelain Basin, so bring lots of water and wear sunscreen.
• This is another very busy part of the park where parking can get hectic. Head here in the early morning if you want to avoid the crowds.

Lamar Valley

One must-see in Yellowstone is the wildlife, and Lamar Valley is the best place to spot it. After exploring geysers and hot springs, head to Lamar Valley for a scenic, peaceful landscape that feels like another world.

Yellowstone is famous for its wide range of animal species, especially the kind you don’t see everyday. Yellowstone has over 75 mammal species, 320 birds, 16 fish, and the iconic gray wolf. Lamar Valley is the best spot to see this incredible wildlife.

With massively expansive views along the Lamar River, the Lamar Valley is often referred to as the Serengeti of America. Herds of bison and pronghorn often roam the valley. You might also spot grizzlies, coyotes, badgers, and bald eagles.

The valley’s crown jewel however has to be the rare grey wolf. You will often find wolf enthusiasts here camped out for a hopeful day of wolf sighting. We were actually lucky enough to spot one ourselves on my last visit to Yellowstone!

Some Practical Tips When Visiting Lamar Valley:

• The Lamar Valley is located at the very northern tip of the park and is not the most convenient area to get to—but I promise, it’s 1000% worth it!
• If you’re trying to squeeze a lot into your Yellowstone itinerary, you could pair this part of the park with a visit to either Mammoth Hot Springs or the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (both are about an hour drive from Lamar Valley), however if you have more time I would recommend spending a full day driving through this area.
• While you’re in Lamar Valley, plan to stop for lunch at Roosevelt Lodge. We chatted with a Yellowstone veteran who had eaten at every restaurant in the park and mentioned that this was by far his favorite spot. I highly recommend the bison tamales 🙂
• Drive carefully through this area as it’s not uncommon for bison to cross the road here and cause traffic jams.
• For the best chance of spotting and capturing wildlife, visit in the early morning or evening and make sure the passengers of your vehicle are on the constant lookout and drive slowly to be ready to pull over at a moment’s notice.
• I highly recommend bringing a long zoom lens or binoculars in this area to get the best wildlife viewing.
• If you want to focus all your attention on wildlife spotting rather than driving, Lamar Valley is one of the best places to join a guided tour so you can do just that! This private tour on Viator is ideal for getting the most out of Yellowstone’s wildlife viewing opportunities. If you want more of a general overview tour of the park that includes Lamar Valley in it, this 2-day tour from Jackson, WY has great reviews as well.

Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic Spring + Excelsior Geyser Crater)

One of my personal favorites and certainly best things to do in Yellowstone National Park is the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s truly breathtaking and one of the most iconic spots to photograph in the park. Plus, as part of the Midway Geyser Basin you’ll get the added bonus of seeing the beautiful turquoise Excelsior Geyser Crater along the same boardwalk.

On my first Yellowstone trip, we visited Grand Prismatic Spring early and it was completely covered in steam. We couldn’t see five feet ahead, and later traffic and parking issues forced us to move on. It wasn’t until my latest visit that I finally saw the spring in all its glory—and it was worth the wait.

Make sure to read all my pro tips below so you don’t make the same mistakes on your trip!

The Grand Prismatic Spring’s best feature is its wild textures and rainbow colors—yellows, oranges, greens, and a vibrant blue center. These hues come from thermophiles—heat-loving bacteria—in the cooler water surrounding the spring. The colors shift with the seasons, from bright orange in summer to deeper green in winter.

Sitting at 370 feet in diameter, the Grand Prismatic is in fact GRAND. The largest hot spring in the US and the third largest spring in the world, Grand Prismatic takes up more room than a football field. What’s even crazier? The spring is more than 10 stories deep!

For eye-level views and a walk on unique textures, explore the boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin. I also recommend the short hike to the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook for a stunning bird’s-eye view.

Some Practical Tips When Visiting Midway Geyser Basin:

• When to Visit: Early morning avoids crowds, but the spring may be hidden in steam. Mid-day on a sunny day shows the best colors, even if it means dealing with crowds.
• If visiting in summer, I would factor in 2 hours here to account for parking/traffic and walking the entirety of the path. This will give you plenty of time so you’re not rushed and stressed.
• If the traffic into the parking lot looks insane, just park on the side of the road leading into Midway Geyser Basin (you’ll see many people doing this). The walk isn’t that far to get there and will save you time sitting in traffic.
• There is no shade here and if you’re visiting mid-day it can get very hot. Bring water and sunscreen and wear a hat, but hold onto it! I saw several hats blown into various pools in Yellowstone which is really sad because they pollute the ecosystem.
• Don’t be fooled by drone shots you’ve seen of the Grand Prismatic Spring from above—drones are forbidden in all national parks in the US, including Yellowstone. Keep reading to the next section for how to get the best aerial view of the spring!

read more usa parks posts

Where to Stay in Yellowstone
How to Get to the Valley of Fire
The Best Things to do in Death Valley
8 USA National Parks to Visit in Your Lifetime
Winter Guide to Zion National Park

Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook at Fairy Falls Trailhead

Although seeing this technicolor hot spring is amazing from eye-level, it also deserves an overhead view. From the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook, you can truly see the rainbow effect of the colors surrounding the spring in full force. The viewing platform gets crowded, but it’s worth knocking elbows with people and the short hike to get there.

Just note that what confuses many people is that you can’t get here from the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot. Instead, you need to park at the Fairy Falls parking lot and walk the path to the overlook, about 0.8 miles in distance which takes about 20 minutes.

About 0.6 miles into the walk, you will see the path split—one way to the overlook on the left, and the other to Fairy Falls. The overlook is only about 0.2 miles from here so it would be easy to come back and finish the hike to Fairy Falls as well if you want to make it a longer adventure.

Some Practical Tips When Visiting the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook:

• Allocate approximately an hour for this adventure—it takes about 20 minutes to walk the path each way if you only stop at the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook and skip Fairy Falls.
• Although you can beat the crowds if you head out early, the hot spring is often covered with a light fog or mist early in the day. For the best views you will want to head to the overlook in bright daylight, as this way you can experience the colors in full effect.
• Parking here gets very crowded, so expect to wait.

Artist’s Point at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Did you know there is a “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”? The valley, up to 1,200 feet deep, was carved over time by the Yellowstone River along its 20-mile length.

Since this area is opposite popular sites like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic, it’s often overlooked. I personally noticed much less traffic here compared to other sections of the park. But if you have more than a day in Yellowstone, I wouldn’t skip it. It’s definitely one of the most gorgeous things to see in Yellowstone.

There are tons of little trails and lookouts along both the north and south sides of the canyon. I’ve visited several of them, but Artist’s Point is hands down my favorite.

Recently renovated for safety, the observation deck uses natural materials to blend with the canyon’s beauty. Located at the end of South Rim Drive, east of Yellowstone Falls, a nearby parking lot makes the lookout easily accessible by foot.

Hot tip: Few visitors stay for sunset, so linger if you want to enjoy a spectacular view without crowds.

Some Practical Tips When Visiting Artist’s Point:

• If you’re sticking around here for sunset, bring mosquito repellent! The bugs come out in full force here in the evenings.
• You really don’t need more than an hour at this lookout, but if you want to enjoy all of the many lookouts and hiking trails around Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, you can make a whole day excursion out of it. Some other popular spots in the area are Inspiration Point and Lower Falls.
• If you want to try and catch the famous rainbow over the waterfall at Artist’s Point, head there in the morning between 9:30-10:15 AM.

Mammoth Hot Springs

When planning what to see in Yellowstone, a drive to the park’s northern tip for Mammoth Hot Springs is worth it. It’s not a relaxing natural hot tub, but it’s an amazing spot to see unique geothermal activity.

You can’t wade in these waters because they’re far too hot. But the boardwalk lets you explore their natural beauty up close.

Some have mixed opinions about Mammoth Hot Springs, but it’s unlike anything else in the park. You could spend days exploring Yellowstone’s colorful pools and geysers, but you’d likely get bored quickly. Visiting this area provides something different and special.

Located near the north entrance of the park, these one-of-a-kind travertine terraces are created by a unique hydrothermal phenomenon. Yellowstone’s volcanic hotspot heats underground water, melting limestone and pushing it above ground to form these unique, cave-like features. Don’t miss it!

Some Practical Tips When Visiting Mammoth Hot Springs:

• You could make this a quick stop with a short walk on the boardwalk to a couple areas, or spend an hour or two exploring the entirety of the path. I personally think some of the coolest spots at Mammoth Hot Springs are some of the earliest along the boardwalk in the Mammoth Lower Terraces Area if you’re limited on time and want to skip the Upper Terraces.
• Technically you can drive the Upper Terrace Loop if you’re short on time, but I prefer walking the boardwalk.
• Mammoth Hot Springs is located in a small town center near the north entrance where you’ll find plenty of facilities and food options compared to other areas around the park. Take advantage of the bathrooms, gas station and food options here.
• Keep your eyes peeled for elk casually chilling around town as you drive through!
• There is zero shade along the boardwalk, so bring sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water.
• Don’t miss these highlights at Mammoth Hot Springs: Minerva Terrace, Canary Spring, and Palette Spring.

Boiling River 

Not far from Mammoth Hot Springs, Boiling River is one of the few places you could actually swim in Yellowstone National Park, and with hot springs nonetheless. This spot flies under the radar, likely because it sits in a less-trafficked area of the park. It also ranks as one of the most fun things to do in Yellowstone.

The “Boiling River” is part of the Gardner River where hot springs occur and eventually mix with the cold water of the river, allowing you to move from the natural “hot tub” to colder temperatures as you please. A scenic half-mile walk from the parking lot leads to this spot—one of my favorite Yellowstone experiences, truly unforgettable.

When open, Boiling River is usually accessible late summer through winter but closed in spring and early summer due to melting snow. If planning a trip, be sure to check the current conditions on the National Parks website. 

Some Practical Tips When Visiting the Boiling River:

• Make sure to check current conditions and park closures before you visit to double-check that Boiling River is accessible during your trip.
• There are signs indicating where it is safe to swim—DO NOT swim in the areas that are not designated for swimming as you could seriously burn yourself.
• What time of day you visit depends on your preference. Early morning is probably less busy, but in summer the cool water coming in from the river can be refreshing in mid-day heat when in combination with the hot spring water.
• There are bathroom facilities and a small parking lot at the start of the trail leading to Boiling River.
• Boiling River is only open from dawn to dusk, so don’t attempt to visit at night.

Prefer to Not Plan Your Own Yellowstone Trip? Join One of These Highly Rated Tours Instead

Yellowstone National Park Tour From Jackson Hole
Old Faithful, Waterfalls and Wildlife Day Tour
4-Day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Wildlife Adventure

I hope this post gets you excited for what to see in Yellowstone. Have questions? Leave them in the comments below!

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