While I’ve only been to Yellowstone once, I can’t wait to get back and spend a lot of time there! It truly is a beautiful park with SO much to see, do and learn about!

See the Wildlife: Yellowstone is one of, if not THE best Park for viewing wildlife. With bears, bison, elk, wolves and tons of other creatures you’re likely to see at least a few! That being said, be sure to keep your distance and do NOT approach them. They are WILD animals and will always react accordingly.

Boiling River: Since this river merges with a colder one, you get the perfect temperature for what feels like a hot tub. Whether you want to swim for a while or just dip your feet it, it’s something you can’t miss! Getting parking near here can be pretty tricky so try parking farther away and walk there.

Uncle Toms Trail: While I personally haven’t done this trail yet, it’s on my list for the next time I visit! This trail gives amazing views of the Lower Falls. With 350 stairs, 500 foot vertical descent it is not for the faint of heart.

Old Faithful: This geyser is named Old Faithful given how often it erupts - every 45 to 125 minutes. Located near the West Entrance it truly is something worth seeing. Stand around the perimeter, sit on the ground or even hang out near the buildings and you’ll be able to see it.

The Grand Prismatic Spring: Filled with absolutely beautiful & colorful springs you must see these! The bright colors are from thermophilic bacteria found in the hot springs. Be sure to stay on the trails and don’t wander off! Also - be prepared for the stink, its something I wasn’t prepared for and wish I would have know.

Yellowstone Grand Canyon: One of the most popular places to hike and just site see in general. With waterfalls and rushing river. Your best views will be found from Lookout Point or Red Rock Point.

Hayden Valley: Check out the area for amazing views of the wildlife and some awesome trails like Hayden Valley Trail or the Mary Mountain Trail.

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Centre: Located in West Yellowstone, this preserve offers a great, safe alternative to finding these animals in the park wildly. With loads of information in the building, the animals are located outside with a lot of educational presentations and histories on the animals. To be clear, this is NOT a petting zoo - the bears in this preserve are here as an alternative to being euthanized.

Get your Passport Stamps: Don’t forget to find your stamps at the following locations!

Albright Visitor Center, Mammoth Hot Springs
Canyon Visitor Education Center
Fishing Bridge Visitor Center
Grant Visitor Center
Madison Information Station Bookstore
Museum of the National Park Ranger
Norris Information Station Bookstore
Old Faithful Visitor Center
Snake River Ranger Station / South Entrance Station
Tower Ranger Station
West Thumb Information Station Bookstore
West Yellowstone, MT, Interagency Visitor Center (outside of the park)
Yellowstone Association Bookstore, North Entrance, Gardiner, MT (outside of the park)
Yellowstone Association Bookstore, North Entrance, Gardiner, MT (outside of the park)

If you want to stay in the park, book ASAP: Yellowstone is one of best parks to stay in, from campgrounds to incredibly luxurious hotels - all options fill up very quickly! If you aren’t set on what dates you’re going, consider seeing what stays are available, booking and then planning your dates based on that!

If you’re already in Yellowstone, consider checking out nearby attractions: Grand Teton National Park isn’t too, too far (about an hour South) and is an equally incredible site.

Let Nature Happen : At the end of the day, the park is a preserve. That means nature will happen how nature chooses it to and sometimes it can be a bit more upsetting than cute. Let things run their natural course. If you are concerned for an animals well being, feel free to alert a Ranger. Do not ever feed any animals in the park, even if you see others doing it. Do not put them in your vehicle, even if it is to offer what you think is assistance.

Pack for all the seasons: No matter when you visit, it’s essential to dress in layers and be prepared for all the seasons. Given differing elevations your layers will come in handy!

Stick to the boardwalks and paths! Like most parks, Yellowstone has extensive trails and walkways - please use them! They serve many important functions. One- they keep you safe. If you’re visiting the geysers and hot springs, walking without the boardwalks would almost ensure you’d be boiled to death. It sounds out there but 20+ visitors have made the mistake of walking off them and died. Two - they preserve nature as best as possible. With nearly 4 million visitors each year, without the boardwalks and paths plant life would be decimated. Keep nature wild and stay on the paths.

Use the pull offs! With thousands of people driving through the park regularly traffic is a huge issue. Don’t make it any worse by stopping in the middle of the road to check things out. Use the pullouts, get your long views and enjoy but be courteous to others.

Tell someone what you’re doing & set up a check in time/date - any time you’re in the outdoors with spotty service be sure to share your plans with someone outside the park. By setting up a time/day check in you can be assured if emergency arises there will be someone to report you missing.

Leave No Trace - You might hear phrases like this throughout the Park & the community who appreciate it but it is a pinnacle of being a steward to our parks. Do your very best to make as little impact as possible on nature by keeping vehicles on paved areas, not disturbing or altering wildlife, cleaning up after yourself (and others), essentially - leave it better than you found it.

If you’re planning on visiting multiple parks, purchase a parks pass! Also known as the America the Beautiful pass, the parks pass works at all National Parks & Forrests for admittance (usually anywhere from $10 - $25+) and quickly pays for its self. The America the Beautiful pass is $80 for the year so if you plan on visiting more than 2 - 4 parks in the year it is a wonderful investment with access to over 2,000 destinations. Plus, there are discounts for seniors, military and those needing ADA accommodations with varying prices or discounts.

Don’t plan on getting anywhere fast: Whether it’s from bison or bear jams or the 45 mile speed limit, you should plan for leisurely drives so don’t pack to much on your to-do list without taking traffic of all kinds into account.

Check Your Entrance & Plan Accordingly : Unlike other parks, Yellowstone is located in multiple states! Because of this, there are a lot of different entrances including:

North Entrance – Gardiner, Montana
Northeast Entrance – Cooke City, Montana
South Entrance – Jackson, Wyoming
East Entrance – Cody, Wyoming
West Entrance – West Yellowstone, Montana