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Are you heading to Yellowstone National Park this summer and wondering what are the best things to do? You’ve come to the right place!
Yellowstone was the first national park in the world and for good reason, it is absolutely fabulous!
As famous as it is, I don’t think anyone can truly realise how beautiful of a place it is until you get to experience it.
In this article, I share with you all the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park in summer.
1. See the beautiful colours of Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the US and it features a beautiful range of rainbow colors, making it one of the most beautiful spots in the national park (I actually think it is the most beautiful spot but there are other contenders too).
There are two ways to see it. The first one is to park at the midway geyser basin and go around. This is a nice thing to do and you’ll get to see more hot springs but since you are at the same level as Grand Prismatic, it’s hard to see the entire range of colors.
💡PRO TIP: Make sure to go around midday as you shouldn’t have too much steam then.
The second way to see it (my fave) is to park at the start of the Fairy Falls Trailhead and walk about 0.6 mile to the platform. The views are fantastic!
2. Watch Old Faithful erupt
Old Faithful is one of the 500 geysers in Yellowstone. While it’s not the highest, it’s definitely the most reliable one (hence the name). It erupts every 90 minutes (more or less – you need to check the actual predictions on the day) which makes it ideal for visitors.
I’d recommend getting there first thing in the morning as it’s an area that gets busy.
3. Walk around the Upper Geyser Basin to the Morning Glory pool
While Old Faithful might be the most famous geyser in the national park, the rest of the upper geyser basin is well worth a visit!
You can walk from Old Faithful all the way to the morning glory pool and see beautiful geysers such as Castle or Grand.
This can be paired with your visit to Old Faithful, you can easily do it after seeing the eruption or while waiting for it.
4. Admire the views from Artist Point (Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone South Rim)
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is by far one of most beautiful places in the national park and one of the best places to enjoy the views is Artist Point.
It’s located on the south rim. If you drive to the end of the road, you’ll find the parking lot and can walk to the view point.
There are also a lot of ranger led activities that start there so it’s worth checking this out.
If you fancy a short hike (2.6 miles), you can also walk to Point Sublime Overlook from there.
5. Visit Mammoth Hot Springs
Located near the north entrance of Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the most unique thermal features in the national park.
It features limestone terrace formations covered by minerals which gives it unique amber and white colors.
There are boardwalks going all around the area, making it easy to explore.
6. Drive through Lamar Valley for wildlife spotting
There is no doubt that one of the highlights of Yellowstone is to see the wildlife. Bisons, bears, elk, wolves… Yellowstone has it all and the Lamar Valley is one of the best places to see all these beautiful creatures.
Obviously nobody can predict what you will see and I can’t promise anything but bison are a pretty safe bet there as there are so many of them and if you are lucky you could see others as well.
I even got to see a wolf (with binoculars) the first time I visited!
The Lamar Valley is located between Tower Junction and Cooke City. If you are driving from the Northeast entrance, you will drive through it.
If you entered the park from any other entrance and are doing the upper loop and debating whether to make the detour to the Lamar Valley, the answer is ‘do it’! Yes, it’s worth it!
It’s better early in the morning or late in the afternoon for the wildlife but you’ll get to see animals at any time of the day.
7. Explore Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest area in the park
This one is often overlooked because most visitors rush to Old Faithful but it’s arguably the best geyser basin in the park.
It’s the hottest thermal area which means that it features very unique colors.
I also find it to be a beautiful sunset spot.
There are two walking trails, the Porcelain basin and the back basin (which is a bit longer). I’d recommend doing both as it’s only about 3 miles altogether. You’ll need a couple of hours to complete them.
Norris Geyser Basin is also home to the Steamboat Geyser which is the tallest active geyser in the world.
8. Drive through the Hayden Valley
This is another prime spot for wildlife spotting. There are large herds of bison but also bears and even wolves sometimes (though these are quite rare so don’t get your hopes too high).
It’s a beautiful place to drive through and it’s even more magical at sunrise or sunset. The colors are amazing but it’s also the best time of the day to see the wildlife.
9. See the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Lower Falls are one of the best waterfalls in the national park and there are several places where you can see them from.
The first one is the previously mentioned Artist Point on the south rim but I would recommend driving the North Rim and stopping at the Lookout Point.
In between, you can also stop at the brink of the Lower Falls parking lot and walk down to the actual brink of the falls. This is particularly impressive as it’s the only place where you can truly understand how powerful these waterfalls are.
10. Walk around West Thumb Geyser Basin and enjoy Yellowstone Lake
This is another noticeable geyser basin in Yellowstone. The thing that makes it unique compared to the other ones is that it’s on the shores of Yellowstone lake.
This means that you get to see the hot springs with the lake in the backdrop. It’s very unique!
11. See bubbling mud pots at Mud Volcano Area
This is another unique boardwalk in Yellowstone and a bit of an unusual thermal feature compared to the others.
You can see loads of mud pots, the mud volcano itself but my favorite one is the Dragon’s mouth spring. This is definitely the perfect name for it as it’s exactly what it looks like!
12. Enjoy the views of Tower Fall
Tower Fall is another beautiful waterfall in Yellowstone national park and it’s very easy to see as it’s only a few minutes walk from the parking lot.
If you stop at the Tower Fall viewpoint parking lot (where you can also find a restaurant and shop), you can easily walk to the viewpoint and get beautiful photos.
13. Drive the Firehole Canyon Drive
This a bit of a hidden gem in Yellowstone National Park (well, not that there are true hidden gems there but it’s often overlooked.
The Firehole Canyon drive is a short 2-mile drive off the Grand loop, just south of Madison. It’s a very scenic drive along the Firehole river and you can also have a quick stop at the waterfall.
14. Enjoy the views of Calcite Hot Springs
Located between Tower Junction and Tower Falls, the Calcite Hot Springs are perfect for a quick scenic stop.
There is an overlook on the side of the road so it’s very easy to access and the views of the springs and the Yellowstone River are absolutely beautiful!
I hope you enjoyed this article about the highlights of Yellowstone and that it will help you plan your trip. Don’t hesitate to check out all my itineraries and travel tips!
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