Yellowstone National Park is a vast, ever-changing landscape that has filled minds with awe and disbelief for generations. There are countless miles of trails, an abundance of wildlife, and an array of outdoor activities to enjoy throughout the park.
This itinerary utilizes 3 days inside one of the most popular national parks in America. In order to experience as much as you can while visiting, this itinerary follows a scenic route through a large portion of Yellowstone, allowing you to experience some of the parks most renowned geothermic features, best hikes and areas known for wildlife viewing (because who doesn’t want the chance to see herds of wild bison in Yellowstone?!)
3 Day Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
Day 1: Take a scenic drive through Eastern Yellowstone along Soda Butte Creek and through Lamar Valley. Then take a short walk on a board walk to see some geothermal activity including Mud Volcano and Sulphur Caldron.
Day 2: Paddle in one of Yellowstone’s lakes. Then, head over to Old Faithful to watch it erupt and explore geothermal features nearby. After, continue north and explore Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins.
Day 3: Explore Artists Paintpots. Then head north to Norris Geyser Basin and Mammoth Hot Springs.
Day 1
Your first day in Yellowstone begins with a scenic 90 mile drive through the park. With so much of this diverse landscape to see, this initial drive gives you the chance to truly take in the park. Along this route, there are various pull-off spots, providing unique photo opportunities. You’re also likely to pass herds of wild bison and possibly other wildlife as well. Have your camera ready at all times.
Enter Yellowstone through the northeast entrance along US-212 (keep in mind, this route is closed mid-October to late May). Some people choose to enter along US-20 instead but I recommend the northern route. This route allows you to see much more of Yellowstone. When you’re in Cody, make sure to take WY-120 (Belfy HW) to WY-296, also known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Not only does this drive allow you to experience more of this beautiful national park, but it generally has less traffic as well. This scenic drive also crosses through the Shoshone National Forest and briefly into Montana.
Once you arrive at the northeast entrance, you will be required to pay a park fee. It’s 30$/vehicle and $15/foot, bike, etc. If you are a frequent national park explorer, I recommend purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass. You will be given a park map and usually a park newspaper as well.
Upon entering the park, expect to see picturesque wide open fields lined with mountains and scattered pine trees. This route initially follows along Soda Butte Creek, then Lamar River, adding to the beautiful scenery. Lamar Valley is known for its wildlife viewing including trumpeter swans, bison, pronghorn and, if you’re lucky, bears. Always remember to be respectful of wildlife and keep a safe distance.
When you arrive at Tower Roosevelt, turn left onto Grand Loop Road towards Canyon Village. Continue south through the park and experience a scenic drive that gently winds through hills, forests, and fields. The drive has an abundance of pull-over spots and scenic overlooks.
South of Canyon Village, you can pull-over and take a short walk along a boardwalk to see lots of geothermic activity including Mud Cauldron, Mud Volcano, Sizzling Basin, Churning Cauldron, Grizzly Fumarole and Dragon’s Mouth Spring.
Where to stay:
Campgrounds: Grant Village Campground is the ideal place to stay for this itinerary. Bridge Bay Campground or Lewis Lake Campground are also nearby options.
Lodging: Grant Village Lodge, Lake Lodge Cabins or Lake Yellowstone Hotel
Day 2
The next day, enjoy a peaceful morning of paddling on Lewis Lake or Yellowstone Lake. Although this national park has many gorgeous trails, experiencing this park from the water gives you a new perspective. If you have your own watercraft, head to Grant Village Back Country Office for a boat permit and inspection. Then head out on Lewis Lake. Lewis Lake is known for having fewer crowds than Yellowstone Lake since motorized boats are not allowed. Boating permits are $5 per day for non-motorized watercraft and $1o per day for motorized.
If you do not have your own watercraft, boat rentals are available at Bridge Bay Marina from mid-June to early September on a first-come, first-served basis. Motorized boats are $50/hour, rowboats are $10/hour
After bringing the boat in, head north to the Upper Geyser Basin (If paddling isn’t for you, then head right over when you wake up in the morning). This location is a geothermic hotspot where you’ll find the highest concentration of geysers, springs, and pools in the entire park. With so much to experience, you could spend as little or as much time as you’d like to explore this area.
Seeing Old Faithful erupt is on every Yellowstone bucket list, and for good reason. This famous geyser is known for being predictable and frequent. You can find eruption predictions at the ranger station or by calling (307) 344-2751.
Take a short hike up to Observation Point for a more secluded spot to watch Old Faithful erupt. Avoid crowds and see more geothermic activity along the way. At the Observation Point Trailhead, you first have the opportunity to wander along a short boardwalk loop through a field of springs, pools, and geysers. Take a left at the trailhead and see some of Yellowstone’s most notable features including Doublet Pool, Blue Star Spring, and Teakettle Spring.
Once you’ve made your way through this mesmerizing loop, start your hike up to Observation Point. Along the way, make sure to stop and observe Solitary Geyser erupt. This once inactive spring was formerly known as Solitary Spring. It didn’t begin erupting until after the park’s opening when water was being diverted from it to a swimming pool. Even though the water has since been restored to its original level, the eruptions have continued. Like Old Faithful, Solitary Geyser is frequent and predictable. Eruptions are known to occur every 4-8 minutes and last about a minute. These eruptions are not as big as Old Faithful though, usually being under 6 ft in height. Regardless, it’s an interesting feature to view on your way up to Observation Point.
After watching Old Faithful erupt, head back down from Observation Point and continue north along Grand Loop Road towards Midway Geyser Basin. Park in the Grand Prismatic Spring parking area and take the walkway over the Firehole River. This will lead you past Turquoise Pool, Excelsior Geyser Crater, and Opal Pool, up to Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the absolute jewels of Yellowstone National Park.
Continue along Grand Loop Road, then take a left on Firehole Lake Drive. Experience the thermal features of Lower Geyser Basin along this scenic detour. LGB is home to around 100 different geothermic features.
Where to Stay:
Campgrounds: Staying at Madison Campground works best with this itinerary. Norris Campground is nearby as well.
Hotels: Old Faithful Lodge or Old Faithful Inn
Day 3
The next morning, head north towards Artists Paintpots. Take a short 1-mile hike (roundtrip) on a boardwalk admiring all of the different geothermal activity. This short trail eventually ends at a stunning viewpoint overlooking it all.
Continue north to Norris Geyser Basin (make a quick stop at Gibbon Meadows along the way for a chance to see wildlife if you’re feeling ambitious). If you’re only interested in spending a short amount of time here, take a quick hike around Porcelain Basin. If you’d like to spend more time here, you could spend hours wandering around the boardwalks.
When you’re finished exploring Norris Geyser Basin, get back on Grand Loop Road and head towards Mammoth Hot Springs (Frying Pan Spring and Roaring Mountain are interesting places to stop along the way). Wander the boardwalks winding through the indescribable Mammoth Hot Springs and experience otherworldly sights.
On your way out of Wyoming, Boiling River is a great place to stop and swim. This hydrothermal feature is located just outside of Yellowstone. A hot spring flows into cold river water, creating an ideal place to relax and wade.
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