Top 10 tips for visiting Yellowstone National Park in just 1 to 3 days

I just got back from a vacation that included a 24-hour trip to Yellowstone National Park. Last summer, I spent about 30 hours at Yellowstone on a road trip.

Between these two quick visits, I saw so many jaw-dropping, sigh-inducing, peace-filling sites that I wanted to share them with you.

Yellowstone is HUGE, nearly 3,500 square miles. There’s lots to see, and it’s so spread out that you need a game plan. You won’t be able to see every great site in a few days, but you can see a lot of loveliness.

10 Tips for visiting Yellowstone in one to three days

1. Do your research: I found great resources on Pinterest and Youtube. I also used my Kindle Unlimited subscription to download this handy guide, Lonely Planet Yellowstone and Grand Teton. You also need to research what is available inside the park during your visit. As I write this in 2020, some areas and facilities are closed due to the pandemic. They also closed a portion of the main “figure-8” Grand Loop road for construction, from Tower Falls to Canyon. If you can’t easily drive from one side of the park to the other (it takes hours to do so, if everything is open), you need a strategy.
2. Decide on your priorities: I like to hike, but I also want to visit a lot of sites, so I planned a few short hikes to stretch my legs, along with visiting some spectacular spots. In my 2019 trip, I wanted to see Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Grand Prismatic Springs. We also spent time walking around the terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. Because my travel companion in 2019 was my outdoorsy daughter, we hiked to the top of Bunsen Peak one morning. My husband was my 2020 travel buddy, and he is less interested in hiking but loves to see the sights. We focused on a few areas I hadn’t visited the previous year, like Artists Paintpots and the Norris Geyser Basin.
3. Map out your stops: We went from south to north in 2019 like this: West Thumb Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs Overlook, Grand Prismatic Springs and Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces on Day 1. Then Day 2 started with our 4.4 mile hike up Bunsen Peak, then a scenic drive around the northeast part of the Figure 8 to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. More walking around, then driving out to West Yellowstone. For 2020, we came in at West Yellowstone and visited Artists Paintpots and Norris Geyser Basin before heading south to Old Faithful. The next day, we walked a 3.6 mile loop at the Upper Geyser Basin and visited a few spots on the southeast side of the Figure 8 (Yellowstone Lake, Mud Volcano and plenty of wildlife sightings). Then we drove out the south entrance toward Jackson.
4. Don’t stay in the same place: If you have two nights in the area, plan to stay on different sides of the park. Both trips, we stayed in Jackson one night, which is more than an hour from the south entrance. For the other night in 2019, we were in Gardiner, MT, just outside the north entrance. This year, we were fortunate to get a cabin at Old Faithful Lodge and Cabins for one night. If your plans are flexible, you can often find a last-minute opening inside the park.
5. Go early or late to the busiest sites: Most people will be out and about in the park between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. If you can get out before 10 or after 6, you’ll have less traffic on the roads and the trails. This year, we spent one night at Old Faithful. When we got there on Labor Day, it was snowing like crazy! The only thing we did that night was walk to the lodge in the falling snow to pick up dinner.The next morning, we walked all around the Upper Geyser Basin in a magical winter wonderland, complete with snow-faced bison. Even without the snow, it’s much more enjoyable without a big crowd.
6. Pack snacks, picnic lunches and plenty of water: You’ll move faster, see more and avoid getting hangry if you have your own food and drinks. And you stop when you want to stop. There are picnic spots every few miles in the park. Take advantage of them.
   

   If you look carefully at this photo, you’ll see the ant-like people ringing the far side of the springs and the long line of cars on the road. Expect the crowds and be patient! It’s worth the wait.

7. Expect interruptions: Chances are good that you will get in a traffic jam. Wildlife traffic jams are super common and, in summer, finding parking at the big attractions is a challenge. Expect delays and you won’t get upset when you encounter them. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the bison that forced traffic to stop.
8. Appreciate the little things: Stop to see the elk cow grazing in the trees. Linger there a few minutes to hear her plaintive call. Look for wildflowers and steaming pools tucked in the trees. There’s beauty all around you, not just at the top attractions.
9. Get away from crowds: On that same note, 98 percent of the visitors never stray from the main sites. If you can, choose a quieter area for a short hike or picnic in a little-used pullout and enjoy a little solitude with your nature. On our 2019 4.5-mile hike at Bunsen Peak, we saw very few people.
10. People watch in a nice way: Yellowstone attracts millions of visitors each year. Have a little compassion for the family with the screaming toddler or the grandma in a wheelchair. Look out for others, wait your turn, follow the rules, and choose patience and joy in the journey. Treasure the memories you’re making with those traveling with you.

I’m also sharing my recommendations for attractions to include. I’m ordering them by how I would rate them for a first-time visitor, not the order you drive to them.

“Can’t miss” sights at Yellowstone

1. Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin: There are more thermal features in this little area than anywhere in the world. Don’t just see Old Faithful. Walk at least the smaller 2-mile loop, though the longer ones (4.5 miles with the overlook or 3.6 miles without) add some great views.
2. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone: I enjoyed views from both the North Rim (Grand View and Inspiration Point) and the South Rim (Artist Point). Due to trail closures, I didn’t get to the brink of the falls or to Uncle Tom’s Trail, which takes you down to the bottom of the canyon. That’s reason enough to go back!
3. Grand Prismatic Spring: Walk next to the largest, most colorful hot springs pool and take the nearby overlook hike at Biscuit Basin of less than a mile to get better perspective and pictures.
4. Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces: Walk the lower terrace trails of a couple of miles and drive the Upper Terrace Loop. Really unique formations of rock and hot pools you don’t see anywhere else.
5. American Safari: Go find those animals in what many call America’s Serengeti. In 2019, we didn’t see any bison. In 2020, they were everywhere. We did, however, glimpse a bear in the distance in 2019. No luck with bear sightings in 2020. Both times, I saw elk, deer and antelope. Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley are two of the best places to see all of the above, plus wolves and coyotes.
6. West Thumb Basin: There are some truly gorgeous pools in this area, some with the backdrop of Yellowstone Lake.

Even if you only have a day, you can see some beautiful parts of God’s creation. Put it on your list of must-do vacations. No matter how long you’re there, linger long enough to experience wonder and joy.