There are may things I would suggest when going tot Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I am by no means an expert and generally do my list of favorites every time I visit these parks, but I feel like as a non-expert I have a pretty solid list of things to do and on different time lines!
Advice for any length of visit
1. If there is any traffic or slowed down cars – DO NOT TRY TO GO AROUND!! There is likely some type of something exciting going on! More than likely there is wildlife near the roadway, so its always good to slow down and take a look around (obviously try not to impede traffic – the NPS advises to only pullover at turnouts or official stops and for safety that is what you should do!)
2. I’m a fan of the random turnouts throughout the parks. Some of the unmasked pullouts have afforded the best panoramic and scenic views of the parks. So take your time and stop where you see something beautiful!
3. Follow the rules of wildlife encounters – 100 yards away from all large/predatory animals and 25 yards from other large animals. All wildlife in these parks can be dangerous. There are so many people judging you for getting too close to a bison (myself included). Please also make sure that you hike with bear spray, its always better to be safe and bear aware when hiking
Yellowstone Highlights
- Lamar Valley – This is my favorite place to view wildlife. You can see wildlife throughout Yellowstone, but honestly if you want to guarantee seeing large species the drive from the Roosevelt Junction to the Northeast Entrance through the Slough Creek area and into the Lamar Valley is going to be the best chance to see these large animals in one place. I’ve seen grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, bison, pronghorn, and elk in this area. I don’t see every species every visit, but I have seen all of these animals and more in the Lamar Valley area
- Trout Lake Hike – This is one of my favorite hikes in the park. The trailhead is in the Lamar Valley. It’s a short hike with a slightly steep altitude change and then a nice leisurely stroll around Trout Lake. This hike offers beautiful views and a potential to see wildlife
- Mammoth Hotsprings – This is the first visitor area of the park if entering from the Northwest Entrance near Gardiner, MT. There are boardwalks around the hot springs and thermal features. There are some great views in this area. This is also a place where visitors can usually see a lot of elk.
- Mt Washburn Hike – This hike is super fun! It’s about 7 miles (the NPS site says 6 miles, but that feels like lies) round trip from the Dunraven Pass trailhead (which is where I’ve hiked it) and has a 1200 (ish) ft elevation change in 3.5 miles. It’s a pretty strenuous hike, but it is well worth it if you like this kind of challenge. At the summit there is a ranger/fire watch station with some displays and a bathroom (yay)
- Geyser Boardwalk Hikes
– Midway Geyser Basin – This geyser boardwalk takes visitors to the Grand Prismatic Spring (perhaps the most iconic spring in the park). It also takes visitor past a number of other beautiful springs). To get an amazing view and an overlook of the Grand Prismatic Spring take the Fairy Falls Trail and after less than 1 mile there is a well marked turn to the overlook and you can have a partial arial view of the spring. This boardwalk is incredible and one of the most popular in the park, try to hit this early in the morning or later in the evening or be prepared to walk from the numerous pullouts nearby. Last visit I parked slightly east of the parking area in designated pullouts and walked along the river to get back to the boardwalk, so it was a night nature walk to get to the hike.
– Upper Geyser Basin – This is the geyser basin with Old Faithful (the most iconic landmark in the park). Old Faithful goes off approximately every 70-90 min (give or take). The visitor center, when open, gives the next approximate eruption, so you can plan to take a moment to watch the eruption. Then, before or after viewing Old Faithful, you can walk the extensive boardwalks in the area around other thermal features including more geysers and hot springs. There is also a nice hike, the Observation Point Trail, which will take you to a hilltop that overlooks the valley to see the Upper Geyser Basin including Old Faithful. **This has been my favorite area for sunset that I’ve experienced in the park when it comes to views and taking sunset photos
– Norris Geyser Basin – This stop feels like a hidden gem. It’s further from the roadway and you have to walk a slight distance to get to the boardwalks. This area is fairly large, so its a nice one to hit when you have some time to explore.
– Artist Paint Pots – This boardwalk/hike was awesome when I went right after snow – it was breathtaking. I visit this thermal feature area every visit to Yellowstone. It’s a smaller area, but well worth a stop
– Fountain Paint Pots – This boardwalk was my first experience with thermal features! It’s one of the first boardwalks when entering the park from the West Entrance near West Yellowstone. It’s just after the turn from the Madison area towards Old Faithful Visitor area. On my first trip this was my first stop with my mom to see geysers and thermal features. It’s definitely a popular area that gives visitors a chance to see what Yellowstone is all about!
– West Thumb Geysers – I love this boardwalk! It takes visitors near thermal features on the shores of Lake Yellowstone. It’s not very long, but its a cool difference of scenery and thermal features.
– Mud Volcano Geysers – More thermal features, this one closer to Hayden Valley. It’s a nice stop if you are on the Lake Yellowstone side of the park. I didn’t get to this one until perhaps my 4th visit to the park, but it certainly a nice one to visit!
– When it comes to geyser boardwalks there are clearly many options. On a visit with limited time I would personally choose the first two mentioned, but all are incredible and offer a different experience - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone – I love this location! I make a point to be sure to visit it each time I enter the park. I would recommend doing both the North Rim and South Rim drives and stopping at the different overlooks. They all offer something different. If you can make it, there is a hike to the Brink of the Lower Falls (its very steep, but short) and you can stand right next to the water fall where the canyon really opens up. I would also recommend going to the Artist Point on the South Rim drive.
- Hayden Valley – This area is another great wildlife viewing area! I love just driving back and forth in this stretch of the park near dawn and at dusk to see the views and the different wildlife spotting opportunities.
- Lake Yellowstone – Lake Yellowstone is gorgeous and there are incredible vistas showcasing the lake with the Absaroka Range as the backdrop
- Blacktail Plateau Drive – This is another one of the hidden gems in the park. A one-way unpaved road which is open seasonally, so be sure to check the dates, it winds through a plateau. The signs and sites say there are lots of chances for wildlife viewing, and that may be true, I’ve not seen too much where I’ve done the drive, but the unique views this drive offers are amazing and worth it even without the wildlife sightings.
Grand Teton Highlights
**As a disclaimer – I know that I have not done this park Justice, as each visit I spend the majority of my time in Yellowstone, so here are just a few things that I’ve done and loved in Grand Teton
- Schwabacher Landing – This is a great sunrise location! It offers beautiful views of the Grand Tetons and the entire mountain range. At the landing there is a short trail along a water way and marshy area, so there is a great chance to see the mountain reflecting in the water in a mirror image. As I saw on another site as well, because it is a marshy area there is a high chance for wildlife viewing, like moose!
- Jenny Lake Overlook – There is a one-way drive to a lovely viewpoint of Jenny Lake and the Cascade Canyon. On my first visit here this viewpoint cemented this as my mom’s favorite national park and there were definitely tears shed.
- Inspiration Point/Cascade Canyon Trail – I recommend taking the ferry from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to the trail head for Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. (I’ve walked to the trailhead, but it is nice to start the hike fresh and not already down 2 miles). Hidden Falls is beautiful, Inspiration Point is beautiful, but its when you get to Cascade Canyon that it feels like you’ve stepped from the United States into the Alps. It’s an amazing hike and just keeps getting more incredible as you go!
- Heron Lake/Swan Lake Loop – This trailhead is located at Cotler Bay Visitor area and is just a nice hike through forested area and around Jackson Lake on the shoreline.
These are just some of my favorites. There are so many places to see and so much to do in both of these parks – its always an amazing and magical place to visit, so do what feels right!
Daring, Dangerous, and Defining 