3 day itinerary

Based around an enormous volcano which erupted 600,000 years ago, Yellowstone is a hub of geological activity that is like nowhere else in United States! Explore this amazing segment of the nations least populated state, Wyoming, over three packed days!

Our website relies on donations and affiliate links. If you click a link taking you to another website, and make a purchase, we may gain a small commission - at absolutely no cost to you. This helps us expand the website, so we can continue doing what we love!

Day 1

See the major sights of Yellowstone today in all its geothermic glory! Start off at Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest, oldest and most dynamic geothermal area of the national park, with numerous small geysers and pools. These features result from two fault lines intersecting with a ring fracture of the Yellowstone Caldera that was formed during the major eruption of Yellowstone 600,000 years ago! Powerful and impressive stuff!

Head towards West Thumb on the southern loop, travelling through one of the most geologically active sections of the park containing major landmarks of Yellowstone! Firehole Lake Drive passes through Lower Geyser Basin, and then arrive at Midway Geyser Basin, home to Grand Prismatic Spring! The most colourful in the park, enjoy the colours created by different species of bacteria from the boardwalk that travels through the steam, or admire them from afar at the overlook.

For those wanting to stretch the legs, carry on from the overlook to Fairy Falls, a largely flat hike to another pretty waterfall, with some wildlife spotting opportunities on the way. The hike is just under 5 miles long out and back, so will probably take a few hours, depending on how much time you spend at the overlook and fall.

Next up is Old Faithful! This geyser, named for its reliability and regularity in erupting, puts on a show every 44 to 120 minutes, with more accurate estimations given in the visitor centre at the time. While being one of the busiest areas of the park, it's still a must see! The Upper Geyser Basin is also home to numerous other geysers that the NPS gives rough times of eruption for if you fancy sticking around these impressive features. Wyoming is the only state in the entire US where they naturally occur!

Day 2

The main segment of the park containing Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful is usually extremely busy, especially in summer. So take in some of the wildlife and smaller geothermal features from Yellowstone Lake this morning as you meet in Grand Village Marina and kayak out onto the lake with a guide who can teach you about the park and everything you'll see!

In the afternoon, head north to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and see the most powerful waterfall in all of the Rockies! This spectacular canyon has been carved by the Yellowstone River, eroding the volcanic rock formed by lava flows following the huge Yellowstone eruption! Lookout Point is one of the famous viewpoints in the park, but you can also take a very small hike down some switchbacks and stand right beside the Lower Fall! It doesn't get much cooler than that! A longer hike of 2.6 miles out-and-back will take you to Artist Point, for a slightly quieter but equally impressive viewpoint.

There are a couple of hikes around this area, including a long 9.7 mile roundtrip called Seven Mile Hole if you have enough time and a good level of fitness. This will take you down to the bank of the Yellowstone River. If you're not keen for a hike today, drive to a small town on the outskirts of the park, West Yellowstone. A couple of good places to grab food are Buffalo Bar and Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon, which usually have warm, entertaining atmospheres!

Stop off at a couple more waterfalls on the way. While not on the scale of the massive Yellowstone Falls, Firehole Falls and Gibbon Falls located close to Madison are both easily accessible and picturesque! Their smaller flow and rocky, undulating descent make them good for some cool long-exposure photography, especially in the dimming light, if that's something you enjoy or are looking to get into!

Day 3

Spend the day exploring the northern loop of the park. Mammoth Hot Springs has been created from thousands of years of calcium being deposited, creating the stepped pool that you can walk through carefully on boardwalks. Grab lunch in Tower Roosevelt, before spending time driving through the Lamar Valley. This is one of the best areas in the entire park to spot wildlife, so take your time and utilise the many pullouts that line the road!

The valley gives you the chance to see some of Yellowstones most famous creatures! Grizzly bears can often be seen in the distance, while bison and elk may be closer to the roads. Sometimes they'll cross right in front of you or walk past! Wolves also reside here having been reintroduced into the park in Lamar Valley back in 1995, and while there are not too many in the park, eagle eyed visitors might get lucky and see one! A pair of binoculars or a long camera lens would definitely be handy to have today!

A word of caution though - visitors every year end up injured and risk the safety of animals by not respecting their space in an attempt to get the 'perfect picture'. Please make sure to stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from all other animals, ideally more. These wild animals are unpredictable and always deserve our respect.

Head to the northern entrance to the park for sunset, the location of Roosevelt Arch. The cornerstone of the arch was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt himself, one of the leaders in establishing the national park system - with Yellowstone the first national park created. Enjoy sunset from here as you look back on a fantastic three days exploring his conception and creation, and think about which national park to visit and appreciate next!

If you've enjoyed this three day itinerary of Yellowstone National Park, check out our full national park guide! You can also check out our other guides for parks in the Rocky Mountains if you're in love with this area of the world as much as us!