I have always looked at the photos of Yellowstone and dreamed of the day we would vacation at Yellowstone ourselves. Well, it finally happened!
Yellowstone is an incredible National Park and such a treasure. There is so much varied landscape, you will not believe how quickly it changes in a matter of a few miles.
We visited the park the first week in June, and I think this is a great time to go. We also happened to visit right after quarantine, so there weren't too many people crowding in yet.
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Where we stayed
We are in Idaho and decided to go into the park on the West side, it's closest to us. Honestly, though, I would recommend this side anyway, it was really close to almost everything we wanted to visit.
We didn't stay in West Yellowstone though, we opted to stay in Island Park, Idaho. My hubby always likes to be a little further out, and Island Park was great. The Dew Drop Inn was a great cabin we rented. The area was quiet and so peaceful. We loved the home. The park is a short 30 minutes drive away.
2-day itinerary
Our vacation at Yellowstone was amazing. We only had 2 days. They were busy, full days, but we were able to see a lot. I would recommend at least 3-4 days in the park if possible. I will share our schedule of stops, and you can decide what would suit you.
Day 1
- Grand Prismatic Springs Overlook
- Midway Geyser Basin
- Old Faithful
- Biscuit Basin
- Mystic Falls Hike
- Artist Mud Pots
- Gibbons Falls
Grand prismatic springs overlook
First on the itinerary was the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook. Y'all, the trail is short, but such a great way to start your vacation in Yellowstone. The Grand Prismatic is so iconic! The photo above is from the overlook. Did you know the Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the world? I told you, iconic.
The first thing we saw getting out of our cars at the parking lot was this bison. So cool, right??
The entire area is covered with these geothermal hot springs. They are beautiful, crystal clear, and of course, very hot!
The hike into the overlook is very easy, with little elevation gain. The trail is smooth and simple to follow.
One of the really cool things about Yellowstone is there are photographers EVERYWHERE. Like, everywhere. This photographer was up at the overlook with us and offered to take a family photo, which was so nice! He wasn't the only one either. It happened several times throughout the trip. I tried to make sure and return the favor when I could.
This photo below shows what the trail looks like. It was wide and very easy to travel on.
Midway Geyser Basin
After the trail, we backtracked to view the springs on ground level. There are so many sites at Yellowstone that run on this boardwalk system. It makes visiting the different sights so easy., as shown below.
The parking is at Midway Geyser Basin. There are several really cool things to see on this short walk, including Excelsior, the world's largest geyser.
I am sure you can imagine from the photo below, you will get great spa treatments in Yellowstone. Just look at the hot steam facial I am getting!
Old Faithful
After this, we headed to Old Faithful. You can't visit Yellowstone without visiting Old Faithful, right? Now, here is my suggestion to you for Old Faithful. Make sure you check the schedule.
We got there just a few minutes after it had gone off, but didn't realize it until we checked the schedule. There is seating around Old Faithful, but it is entirely uncovered. It was pretty warm that day, and half of us were dying of the heat! I will say though, we had amazing seats as we were there so early. So, that decision is up to you.
Biscuit Basin
One of my favorite areas on our vacation at Yellowstone was Biscuit Basin. We happened upon this area as it connects to the Mystic Falls hike. The kids thought the graphics on the caution signs were great.
A little outdated, but still really funny. It would have been more appropriate if the kid would have had his nose in a screen of some sort?? 🙂
All the pools in this Biscuit Basin area are just so beautiful. Look at the colors below. So vibrant! Seriously, if you are taking a vacation at Yellowstone, don't miss this area!
And most are completely clear, which makes it even cooler.
Many are multicolored, as shown in the one below.
These pools are all along an easy-to-navigate boardwalk.
Mystic falls hike
Note: it is recommended you always carry bear spray when hiking in Yellowstone. It is cheaper of course to buy this outside the park. We carried it on both hikes we did. While we didn't need it, it is good to have as there are plenty of bears in the area.
Follow the boardwalk towards the back and you will come to the Mystic Falls Trailhead. The trail is 2.4 miles, in and out. There is only a 500 feet elevation gain, so it is a great trail.
You can see there is very little cover on the trail, so if it is a hot day, leave early and pack water.
Mudpots at artist paintpot
Next, we headed to the mud pots at Artist's paint pots. I can't believe the kids had enough energy to run at this point in the day, but you know how they are!
Here is the view from above.
Gibbons Falls
The last, very quick stop of the day was at Gibbon's Falls. This is a great, fast roadside stop. Park, walk just a bit, admire the view, grab a few photos and head back.
I say that flippantly, but honestly, it is really beautiful. The view is incredible in both directions. It is worth the stop for sure!
Day 2
- Bunsen Peak Hike
- Mammoth Hot Springs
- Looking for bears
- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
We decided to start the day with a hike on Day 2. My brother and his wife and found this great hike up Bunsen Peak, and I am so glad we did it. I think it might have been my favorite part of the trip. If you are into hiking and taking a vacation at Yellowstone, add this one to the list.
It is a great out-and-back hike, 4.6 miles long. It has a 1282 elevation gain, which doesn't sound that bad, right? Just remember the peak is about 8600 feet. So we were all hiking at a much higher elevation than what we were used to.
There are a lot of switch backs on this trail, and I swear with each one the view kept getting better and better. It was just so beautiful!
My husband struggled on this one. It was tough, but I was so proud he pushed through! He is so awesome.
Mammoth hot springs
After lunch, we made the short drive to Mammoth hot springs. It is so close, and it was beautiful, but honestly, we spent hardly any time there at all.
Looking for bears
After that, our families separated. We headed East of Albright looking for bears. A woman we had visited with said there were several bears in this area and I was really wanting to see some. It had been a lot of years since I had seen one and I was determined.
The day was really cool. We had showers and storms on and off and the sky was so pretty. I loved this North area of Yellowstone so much, as it reminded me of my home state of Alaska.
There were plenty of Bison in the area, and the drive was beautiful.
We pulled over for photos plenty of times, really though, how can you resist? Plus, I am trying to learn a little more about landscape photography and for me, practice is a great teacher.
So, I was shooting with a terrible lens for it, but can you see the 2 cubs in the tree in the photo below? They were the cutest thing! They were playing around and swatting each other. Their mom was on the ground just below them, but of course, you can't see her.
We also saw another bear in the same area. Then another 2. I won't post photos of those, they were even worse than this one. I did decide to add a 70-200mm to the top of the list of lenses I am wanting.
Of course, bears weren't the only wildlife. The boys were really excited about this find at Albright. :).
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Next, we headed to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Driving, we made our way east at Norris. First up was the brink of lower falls. This wasn't too hard, .7 in and out, but it is a bit steep. The views are so worth it.
The photo below shows the canyon and falls just to the right. It was incredible.
The South Rim Drive is a must for some really killer views. The artist's point is probably the most popular, for good reason. It is amazing. I couldn't help but feel really grateful for the beautiful world we live in. Let me say, this area is another must in my eyes. I really don't think you should do vacation at Yellowstone without hitting artist point.
For the photo below, another good Samaritan photographer took a photo for us.
If you are on the fence about Yellowstone, do it. A vacation at Yellowstone is well worth it. It is amazing. We were fortunate to go during a time when it wasn't as busy. If possible, I would suggest you do the same. If not, the scenery is still spectacular regardless. Just bring your patience pills to deal with all the people and buses :).
Looking for other hiking and traveling recommendations? Our list is growing.
Happy Adventuring Y'all!!