Yellowstone has always felt overwhelming to us. So overwhelming, that it was the 27th National Park we chose to visit and it was only the whole COVID epidemic and associated closures that made us decide to go there when we did. It is a really big park, with a lot to see and do. We don’t (ok I don’t!) like to settle into a single big park for a week at a time, but rather like to spend 3 or 4 days in a park and then move along somewhere else and compile a list of places we would catch if/when we return.
We’ve decided to provide a visiting Yellowstone during COVID post as well as this top sites post, and an itinerary post with suggested places to stay and how we did what we did in just 3 days!
So, without further ado, here are our top 9 things to do in Yellowstone National Park!
Top 9 Things to Do in Yellowstone
1. Grand Prismatic Overlook and Fairy Falls Trail
Grand Prismatic was on our “must do” list of things to do in Yellowstone and for good reason! It is remarkably beautiful, and one of those iconic spots to see in the park. You can choose 2 options – either going to Midway Geyser Basin and parking and walking around along a boardwalk that goes right next to Grand Prismatic or you can park at the Fairy Falls trailhead and take the hike up to the overlook. Both were interesting, but the beautiful views are mostly to be had at the overlook.
A few tips – there is no bathroom at the Fairy Falls trailhead parking area nor the Biscuit Basin lot, and there is one at the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot. Plan ahead so you don’t have issues 
Secondly, I recommend the hike to Fairy Falls and if you go early, skip the overlook on the way out and catch it on the way back. By that time the cold morning steam will likely have cleared off Grand Prismatic giving you perfect pictures. Finally, this area gets super busy so I really recommend doing this first in your day.
2. West Thumb Geyser Basin
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is both interesting and beautiful – and the contrast of the thermal Springs against Yellowstone Lake makes for some stunning scenery. The boardwalk is very family-friendly, short, and there is a decent amount of parking that turns over fairly quickly. There are bathrooms here. We did this in the mid-day and found parking after a short wait.
3. Lamar and Hayden Valleys
As soon as I began researching Yellowstone and planning our trip I knew I wanted to go through the Lamar and Hayden Valleys. The Lamar Valley in particular has been called the “Serengeti of the Americas” and since I love photographing wildlife, I was in immediately. A few things we learned during our trip was that an afternoon in mid-July is not the best time to easily see the “fun” wildlife – grizzlies, wolves, etc. Lamar is remote from other areas of the park and we started our day in Billings and drove the stunning Beartooth Highway, so missed the best wildlife viewing times.
My Dad later came back through Lamar in the morning and saw the requisite photographers all lined up with their huge telephoto lenses. He also got stuck in the “Bison jam” you hear about as they congregate on the road and close to the Lamar river. Our tip – go early if you choose to go! Honestly, we’ve seen a lot of bison over the years and while each time is an experience, we don’t get that excited about them anymore.
We did hike part way out the Lamar Valley Trail and, as expected, heard from those returning that they had seen a mama bear and cubs earlier in the day but they had since gone to cooler (and higher) elevations out of view.
Hayden Valley is also famous for its’ Bison jams, but is generally less likely to have the variety of wildlife you may see in Lamar. Hayden is much more accessible, however, and is perfect to drive through between the Canyon Village area (see #4 below) and West Thumb area (see #2 above).
4. Red Rock Point Trail and Overlooks (Lookout, Grand View, Inspiration, and Artist Points) – Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
In the Canyon Village area there are so many viewpoints, and so many beautiful sights in a small area! While the Upper Falls is pretty and has its’ own overlooks and associated hikes, the iconic Lower Falls takes priority for us. We chose the Red Rock Point Trail (because the Brink of the Lower Falls trail was closed), which leaves from Lookout Point.
The hike down was short – just 0.3 miles each way but the 262 feet of elevation change gets you to a whole different perspective on the Lower Falls and makes this a great hike! There is a decent amount of shade and a small (tiny!) creek trickling down the hill to cool off near. There are restrooms near the Lookout Point parking area.
There are also a number of overlooks along the North Rim including Lookout Point itself, as well as Grand View. Grand View is where the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” comes from and it is beautiful with the colors against the trees and sky. Inspiration Point is the final view from the North Rim and has some recently rebuilt trail and viewpoints that are nicely constructed.
From the South Rim the main attraction is Artist Point, which despite being just a bit east of Grand View provides an unobstructed and stunning view of the Lower Falls. Artist Point gets busy and if pressed on time it is very reasonable to choose just one overlook or either the North or South Rim. Which one to choose is tougher, but I’d favor the North as the thing to do in Yellowstone since you get so many different views back along the Canyon. A trail also runs along the North Rim connecting the viewpoints.
5. Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth is a place of history and beauty! Unfortunately, when we were there the history side was closed due to that blasted COVID-19! What we did instead was enjoy the beautiful Hot Springs and the vibrant colors. I asked the Park Ranger about the variability in water flow and he said it varies week by week, so while it seemed concerning when we were there that gave me a lot of peace that it was simply the condition of the time of our visit. This is one of our top things to do in Yellowstone because of the uniqueness of the area and the opportunity to walk along the boardwalk in such a unique area.
6. Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful
Of course Old Faithful had to be on a list about Yellowstone, but putting it 6th is the right place for it to be. It is neat, yes. Convenient as well since the Yellowstone App predicts the time and is remarkably accurate. But, it isn’t the neatest part of the Upper Geyser Basin, which is home to the largest concentration of geysers in the world and many of the largest individual geysers as well. Five of the geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin are predicted by the NPS staff and we were able to see both Old Faithful and Daisy Geyser erupt.
Our recommendation for the Upper Geyser Basin is to take your time and plan to walk through the trail area and give yourself the chance to see multiple geysers erupt. The variety of pools and geysers provide a lot to look at and appreciate! A few logistical details – we parked at the Old Faithful area and walked nearly to the Riverside geyser. Walking to the end and back to Old Faithful is about 1.5 miles each way. It was further than we planned on and there is very little (no) shade along the trail.
There are restrooms near Riverside Geyser and woefully few at Old Faithful. In the future I’d probably break this area up into a few trips and park at either Biscuit Basin or Blacksand Basin instead to see the ones out at the ends.
7. Biscuit Basin Geyser Basin
Biscuit Basin is super quick and a good introduction to the thermal areas of the park. The parking lot turns over quickly, so be patient and you will find a spot. The only long-term parking here is for the hike to Mystic Falls, which we didn’t get a chance to do this trip. There is no restroom and there really should be especially with the only nearby one being at Old Faithful and the other at Midway Geyser Basin/Grand Prismatic. Biscuit Basin has one geyser, Jewel Geyser, that erupts about every 10 minutes and shoots 10-25 feet in the air. You get pretty close to it on the boardwalk, so it feels impressive, especially to kids.
8. Mud Volcano and Sulphur Cauldron
Mud Volcano and the Sulphur Cauldron are located in the south end of the Hayden Valley but are not one of the highlighted areas in the park. Despite that, they do get a fair number of visitors and the Mud Volcano on the west side of the road has a short 2/3 mile boardwalk and includes both the Mud Volcano itself as well as Dragons Mouth Spring and the Mud Geyser that is on the south end of the parking lot.
9. Yellowstone River Picnic Area Overlook Trail
This hike was quick for us — we didn’t go all the way and you don’t have to either! It’s kind of a weird hike when you look it up – it will list as a loop at 3.9 miles with 456 feet of elevation gain. All of that can be true, but we did it as an out and back and hiked up to the ridgeline to get a neat view of the river and Bumpus Butte across the canyon. There is a viewpoint over the canyon at the south end of the trail. I wouldn’t do the loop, as you end up having to walk on the road between the Specimen Ridge and Picnic Area parking lots.
There is a restroom here and a number of picnic tables, which we enjoyed before setting off on our hike up. We saw a deer along the trail and a black bear across the canyon, marking our first bear of the trip and one of the reasons this is one of our top things to do in Yellowstone.
Bonus: The ones we didn’t get to do —
As with any trip, there are the things you didn’t get to do but would in the future. While no one wants to read a list of the top 32 things to do in Yellowstone, we know that our itinerary wasn’t perfect and we had some regrets from our plans. On our next trip we would like to see Norris Geyser Basin, Wraith Falls, Undine Falls, Mystic Falls, Tower Falls, Lost Lake or Trout Lake and many of the visitor centers and historic areas that were closed because of COVID-19.
I would also like to do the hike or bike ride to the top of Mount Washburn, but the road between Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon Village is closed for extensive rework and as a result it wasn’t possible. I’d also like to see and hike some in the eastern part of the park along the East Entrance road.
We knew that an exhaustive visit to Yellowstone would take at least a week, but this 3 day visit was perfect to capture the highlights, learn about the park, and develop a rough plan for our return visit to this amazing park! These are our top 9 things to do in Yellowstone and will likely stay stead even when we return. What we enjoyed about our first trip was that we crossed off a number of the popular areas and our next visit will be quieter, less touristy, and more about getting out in nature! Now head on out and enjoy Yellowstone!
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