A traveler's guide to Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The first national park: geysers, wolves, and a volcanic caldera.
Old Faithful is the appointment. Grand Prismatic, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Lamar Valley are the rest of the religion. It is huge. Stay inside the park if you can; the gates eat hours Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
When to go
May–June for wildlife; September for thinner crowds is the window most visitors aim for. Shoulder seasons mean fewer cars at trailheads. Winter can close roads; summer can fill parking lots by 8 a.m. Check NPS alerts the night before you drive in.
How to see it
Start with grand Prismatic from the overlook, not only the boardwalk. Then old Faithful with time to walk the basin. If you have a second day, lamar Valley at dawn for wolves and bison. Keep one spare hour for artist Point on the Yellowstone canyon.
Park practicalities
An America the Beautiful pass covers entry at most national parks. Timed-entry reservations are used at several busy parks in peak season — book those before lodging. Wildlife has the right of way; 25 yards from most animals, 100 yards from bears and wolves.
If you only remember this
- Stay on boardwalks. The ground is thin, and bison are not scenery.
- Download offline maps. Cell service drops in most parks.
- Bring layers. Elevation and wind change the day faster than the forecast.
- Enter the park early. Famous lots and shuttles fill first.