Yellowstone Itinerary : 4 days

Yellowstone was the first National Park in the USA, and holds a special place in the collective consciousness of the country. This legacy is part of why I wanted to visit Wyoming and the surrounding area. Seeing bison in the wild, and exploring the geo-thermal spots was also a big drawcard too. We got our chance to visit this area when the TBEX travel bloggers exchange had its North American conference in Billings, Montana. Yellowstone is huge, so I recommend a minimum of 3 – 4 days in the park. Here are my suggestions for a 4 day Yellowstone itinerary (and options for 1, 2 and 3 days too), including my guide on where to stay.

Cell reception and wifi coverage is severely limited in Yellowstone, so prepare for this and ensure your documents / maps are available offline.

Yellowstone Itinerary : 1 day

Depending on your hotel location, you can mix up the days to suit.

Day 1 is all about geysers! Start your day by having a breakfast picnic out on the verandah of the Old Faithful Cafeteria – the view of Old Faithful is perfect (I will also recommend a dusk visit in day 2). Then head north to Norris Geyser Basin via Grand Prismatic, Firehole Lake Drive and Fountain Paint Pots.

Grand Prismatic & Excelsior Geysers (Midway Geyser Basin)

It was a cold morning with zero wind when we visited the Midway Geyser Basin. This meant that the thermal steam off the geysers clung to the water and made them almost invisible. But we did get glimmers of the colourful mineral pools. I recommend a warm and windy day for the best views. The boardwalks to see Excelsior and Grand Prismatic are all accessible to wheelchair users, and are one-way near the pools, which cuts down on over-congestion.

Firehole Lake Drive

Firehole Lake Drive was delightfully quiet in contrast to some of the other areas in Yellowstone. But there are some really active geothermal pools, geysers and formations along this route. This one way scenic drive has so many interesting stops, including Pink Cone Geyser and Young Hopeful Geyser.

Fountain Paint Pots

The Fountain Paint Pots are easily accessed by raised boardwalks that overlook the geysers, and it isn’t a long walk. This is one of the busier attractions in the park, but more because of the ease of access – the boardwalk is short and the carpark large! If you need to skip a site on day 1, make it this one.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is one of the sites that takes a bit of effort to reach (parking lots off the main road, and a 1-2 hour hike), but that shouldn’t deter you. Visit as early as you can if you are visiting in the summer, as the carpark gets full and the hike gets very hot. Remember to bring a picnic or water too.

Yellowstone Itinerary : 2 days

There is much to discover on the lower part of Grand Loop, so on day 2 we will concentrate on the south eastern part – from Norris Canyon Road, to Artist’s Point, Hayden Valley for bison-spotting, and down past Lake Yellowstone to West Thumb, and on to Old Faithful in time for dusk. Norris Canyon Road is a lovely quiet part of the park, and Virginia Cascades picnic area is a great spot for wildlife watching.

Yellowstone Canyon & Artist Point

There are many hikes and drives around Yellowstone Canyon, so I’m going to split them up over days 2 and 4. On day 2 concentrate on Artist Point and the Lower Falls view. This is easily reached by those who have accessibility issues, and offers incredible views up to the Lower Falls as well as down the canyon. If you have time and energy, walk along Uncle Tom’s Trail to see the Upper Falls view. If you don’t have time on day 2, you can add it to your drive on day 4. Follow this with a drive along the North Rim Drive to Lookout Point and Grand View.

Hayden Valley

Hayden Valley really is as wonderful as reports have you believe. With wildlife everywhere and easy views out over the valley, it is one of the roads in Yellowstone I would choose to drive over and over again. We saw several herds of bison grazing, as well as encountering our first bison-jam!

IMPORTANT: Below is one of the photos I wanted to post to show what NOT to do when you see bison in the wild. People were getting out of their cars and walking directly toward the herd. Papa bison stood in the middle of the road and stood guard while the herd crossed. Bystanders walking right up to him as if he was a harmless dairy cow. And while on this occasion, the bison didn’t stampede and papa bison didn’t charge, it was a dangerous situation. It’s important to understand the capabilities of your camera when visiting Yellowstone. If you only have a cellphone camera, understand that this will not allow you the wildlife photos you may want – but don’t put yourself in danger to get that shot!

Important: Please stay at least 25 yards / 23 metres away from bison and elk. And 100+ yards from bears and wolves!

Mud Volcano

A neat roadside stop are the Mud Volcanoes. You’ll know when you reach them because you will smell the sulphur from a long way off. These big belching mud puddles aren’t a pleasant smelling stop, but a fun one.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

It’s not the most famous geothermal area in Yellowstone, but I found the West Thumb Geyser Basin trail to be very scenic. It is also not as busy as other areas, so you get more time to admire the pools. West Thumb, Black Pool, and the Thumb paint pots are incredible shades of turquoise. You also get a wonderful view of the West Thumb branch of Yellowstone Lake.

Old Faithful at dusk

Old Faithful deserves to be seen at different times of the day. Early morning and dusk were my favourite times – the light is dramatic and the spectacle doesn’t fade no matter how many times you see it. Old Faithful erupts every 35-120 minutes, although on our visit it was erupting pretty consistently around the 105 minute mark. Make sure you arrive 15-20 minutes before the predicted time, and be prepared to wait longer too. We viewed it from the amphitheatre seating, but preferred viewing the eruptions from the Old Faithful Lodge verandah.

Yellowstone Itinerary : 3 days

Day 3 in Yellowstone takes you from the Museum of the National Park Ranger, to Bunsen Peak, Mammoth Springs and across to Tower Junction. Concentrating on the north-west of the upper loop. You can visit the tiny Museum of the National Park Ranger as part of your hike at Norris Geyser Basin if you prefer, but don’t miss driving the road between Norris and Bunsen Peak, we saw lots of bison along here.

Bunsen Peak

The rocks at Bunsen Peak are reminiscent of the formations along the Needles Highway in Custer State Park; and are a nice change amongst the grasslands. Bunsen Peak is more of a drive-by attraction than a site to stop at.

Upper Terrace Loop Drive, Mammoth Springs

As people flock to the Mammoth Spring boardwalks, you can enjoy some of the thermal spring formations from the Upper Terrace Loop Drive. This single lane one-way drive winds up behind the upper terraces and is well worth the diversion.

Palette Springs & Devil’s Thumb

The lower end of Mammoth Springs, make sure you stop by Palette Springs, Devil’s Thumb and the Liberty Cap. The colourful Palette Springs cut through the white ice-like terraces of Mammoth Springs; and Devil’s Thumb is a grey rock formation that sticks up like the thumb of a hitchhiker.

Liberty Cap is an extinct volcanic feature that was formed by travertine (the type of limestone formed by the hot springs). This natural feature welcomes visitors to Mammoth Springs.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Blacktail Plateau is the alternative route along the top of the north loop. If you’re serious about wildlife spotting, take the Blacktail Plateau Drive and be patient. This mountain road is a scenic byway that avoids the faster main road and weaves across Blacktail Plateau. If you have the time, I recommend you take this road (if it’s open during your visit) across to Tower.

Yellowstone Itinerary : 4 days

For the last day, I recommend doing a sweep of the things you may’ve missed on other days. Perhaps start at Canyon Village and walk Uncle Tom’s Trail, or do the North Rim Drive if you didn’t get a chance on Day 2. From here, drive over Mt Washburn, where you get magnificent views over towards the Lamar Valley. Be sure to look up into the trees for bear sightings. On day 4 (or day 1, depending on where you are arriving from), make sure you take the route out via Cooke City-Silver gate and over the Beartooth Highway.

Lamar Valley

Much like the Hayden Valley, the Lamar Valley is a prime area to view Bison herds and other wildlife, and is a photographer’s dream. But a word of warning, you may have to get up early or drive the road at dusk to get the best viewing possibilities. And be patient – everyone is trying to enjoy the scenery and wildlife, and if people have stopped, don’t rush past them – they may’ve stopped to let animals cross!

Cooke City + Red Lodge + Beartooth Highway

The Beartooth Highway is worth a whole post to itself, but I’m mentioning it here as I really can’t recommend it enough. I recommend going in or out of this route because Cooke City, Red Lodge and the Beartooth Highway are really great stops in the Yellowstone area.

Daily Highlights

• If you only have 1 day : My favourite spots were Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Hayden Valley. Read about my top 5 must dos in Yellowstone if you only have a short time to visit.

• With only have 2 days : Visit Old Faithful, Hayden Valley, Artist Point, and Mammoth Springs

• If you only have 3 days : I would follow the above 4 day itinerary, but miss Fountain Paint Pots, Museum of the National Park Ranger, and Uncle Tom’s Trail.

Looking for more road trip inspiration? Read more about our US adventures!

Where to stay in Yellowstone

Yellowstone consists of two large loops that cover a vast area of the park, with five roads in and out that fan out from these loops. There are gates out via Mammoth Springs, West Yellowstone, Lamar Valley / Cooke City, Lake Village and down through Grant Village towards Grand Teton National Park. Your choice of where to stay during your Yellowstone Itinerary : 4 days, will greatly depend on where you are coming from and in what kind of accommodation you would like to stay. If you stay in the park, you will be restricted to the Xanterra properties and the park campsites, but will benefit from the convenience. Stays outside the park may be cheaper, but you will have to drive further.

If you have 3-4 days to explore the park, then a hotel outside the park is your best option. If you are only in the area for 1-2 days, then a location inside the park would probably work best.

From the north

If you are coming from the north, then Gardiner Montana (outside the park) or Mammoth Village (in the park) are your options. Mammoth Hot Springs and Cabins inside the park is a good base as Mammoth is well serviced (you can even get wifi at the Visitor Centre). You’ll find cheaper prices in Gardiner, but you will add an extra 15-20 minutes drive to your journey. In Gardiner, try the Travelodge by Wyndham Gardiner for a well rated 3-star only 6 miles from Mammoth.

From the west

West Yellowstone has many hotel options as well as plenty of amenities, which makes it a good base for a longer stay. I recommend WorldMark West Yellowstone or Yellowstone Lodge.

From the south

At the south end of the park, there is Grant Village, West Thumb, or Old Faithful Village. Out of the two, we’d recommend Old Faithful, as there are more amenities and more than one accommodation option. We stayed at the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins, and found them very convenient. Although the cabins were more basic than a hotel room, they were comfortable and private. We enjoyed having such easy access to the Old Faithful Geyser, and seeing the historic Old Faithful Lodge. There is also the Old Faithful Inn and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins to choose from too.

From the south-east

Do you want a tranquil lake-side location, that is right near Hayden Valley? Then the Lake Hotel & Cottages on Yellowstone Lake is for you. Your proximity to Hayden Valley will be advantageous for bison-viewing!

From the north-east

Within the park, the Roosevelt Lodge and Cabins at Tower Junction has the best access to the driving loops. Outside of the park the fantastically kitschy Cooke City – Silver Gate is your closest option. From here you have the advantage of having to drive the Lamar Valley every day to reach the park, which has excellent wildlife spotting potential. Try the High Country Motel and Cabins.

Yellowstone Itinerary : 4 days

I had immense fun looking back on my photos and writing this Yellowstone Itinerary : 4 days. Yellowstone National Park far exceeded my already high expectations. The prevalence of wildlife, the diversity of landscape, and the endless geysers made our 4 days incredibly peaceful and fulfilling. We visited in early September, so missed the crazy summer crowds, and I would definitely recommend this time of year. I hope that this Yellowstone Itinerary for 4 days helps and inspires you before you get to experience this special park for yourself.

Planning a road trip? Contact me for itinerary planning advice!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhoneX.