Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park: Our 8-Day Adventure

There are some places you’ve seen so many times in photographs that you wonder whether the real thing can possibly live up to your expectations.

Yellowstone National Park did.

Actually, it exceeded them.

We spent eight days exploring Yellowstone, and no matter how many photographs we took, we never felt as though we could truly capture what we were seeing.

The colors looked unreal. The scenery looked like paintings. Hot springs bubbled out of the earth, mud pots popped and gurgled, waterfalls plunged into brilliantly colored canyons, and wildlife seemed to appear when we least expected it.

If Yellowstone is somewhere you’ve always dreamed of visiting, go.

Pictures simply don’t do it justice.

Driving to Yellowstone Through Grand Teton National Park

Our Yellowstone adventure actually began before we reached our campground.

We were coming from Grand Teton National Park and needed to get to West Yellowstone, where we’d be camping.

Instead of leaving the national parks and taking the larger highways around, we decided to tow our travel trailer north through Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

It turned out to be one of the most beautiful travel days we’d ever had.

We were towing our trailer with our pickup, and although there were some higher elevations and tighter areas, we didn’t have any problems with our particular setup.

We traveled slowly—generally around 40 to 45 mph—and simply enjoyed the scenery.

Our biggest problem?

We wanted to stop everywhere!

Because we were towing the trailer, we couldn’t pull over nearly as often as we would have liked.

We made the trip in late July/early August, and for us, it was a wonderful and surprisingly relaxing way to reach West Yellowstone.

Staying Near West Yellowstone

We absolutely loved our campsite outside West Yellowstone, Montana.

West Yellowstone itself was a cute little town. It was definitely touristy, with plenty of shops and restaurants, but we enjoyed it.

More importantly, staying there gave us a convenient base for heading into Yellowstone again and again.

And we did.

Eight days of exploring still didn’t make Yellowstone feel ordinary.

Our First Yellowstone Hot Spring: Terrace Spring

On our first day of exploring, we headed from Madison toward Norris.

Our first stop was Terrace Spring.

We were ridiculously excited just to walk onto our first Yellowstone boardwalk.

Then we got close to the spring.

You could actually feel the hot, moist air coming off the water.

We watched the water bubbling up from below, saw steam rising from the thermal features and marveled at the mineral colors surrounding the pools.

We’d seen pictures of Yellowstone’s thermal areas before.

Standing beside one was completely different.

Gibbon Falls

Next came another first for us:

Gibbon Falls.

It was our first Yellowstone waterfall, and only the beginning of the incredible water features we’d see throughout the park.

One thing we quickly discovered about Yellowstone is that even the stops that aren’t necessarily the park’s most famous attractions can be spectacular.

You could spend your entire trip rushing from one big-name attraction to another and miss some beautiful places along the way.

Beryl Spring

Another memorable stop was Beryl Spring.

You could hear the geothermal activity and feel the hot, moist air even though the weather itself was cool enough that we were wearing extra layers.

Then there was that unmistakable sulfur smell.

The water was incredibly clear and such a beautiful blue.

Yellowstone isn’t merely something you look at.

You hear it.

You smell it.

You feel the heat coming from the ground.

It’s a full sensory experience.

Artist Paint Pots

Then we discovered one of our favorite geothermal areas: Artist Paint Pots.

What an appropriate name.

There were so many different colors that the landscape really did resemble an artist’s palette.

And then there were the mud pots.

Watching bubbling mud doesn’t sound terribly exciting until you’re standing in front of it.

Then it’s fascinating.

The mud bubbled, popped and splattered while we stood there watching like a couple of kids.

When we climbed higher and looked down over the entire area, the combination of all those colors and geothermal features was amazing.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Our main destination that day was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

If you’re planning your first Yellowstone trip, put this one high on your list.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

The canyon walls contain these extraordinary shades of yellow, gold, orange, pink and white, with the Yellowstone River cutting through the bottom.

And then there are the waterfalls.

We took picture after picture.

Every one looked like a painting.

We eventually returned because Ed wanted more photographs, and we explored viewpoints for both the Lower Falls and Upper Falls.

No photograph we took really captured what it felt like to stand there.

This was easily one of the highlights of our eight days in Yellowstone.

Fountain Paint Pot

On another exploring day, we headed toward Old Faithful and stopped at Fountain Paint Pot.

Once again, Yellowstone gave us boiling mud, steaming pools, bubbling water and geothermal activity everywhere we looked.

One of the most fascinating things about spending several days in Yellowstone was realizing how different these thermal areas could be.

You might think after seeing a few hot springs and mud pots that they’d all start looking alike.

They didn’t.

Biscuit Basin

We also explored Biscuit Basin, where we saw pools in several different colors.

Some were incredibly clear. Others were deep enough that we couldn’t see the bottom.

The brilliant blues were especially beautiful.

In other places, the mineral deposits created multiple colors around the edges of the pools—sometimes practically the entire rainbow.

It was another one of those Yellowstone landscapes that hardly looked real.

Crossing the Continental Divide

Yellowstone crosses the Continental Divide in several places.

We’ve always enjoyed keeping track of the elevations we’re traveling through, so naturally we had to stop for pictures at the Continental Divide sign.

Near one of the signs, we also found little ponds filled with naturally growing lily pads.

Even a roadside stop in Yellowstone can give you something beautiful to photograph.

Traveling Yellowstone With a Dog

We were traveling with General, which created some extra challenges.

Yellowstone isn’t particularly dog-friendly when it comes to hiking and exploring the park’s trails and boardwalks, so we had to plan around that.

Fortunately, we found a little pull-off near the Madison River where General could get some outside time.

It became his favorite Yellowstone stop.

Whenever we were heading into or out of the park, we’d stop there so he could get into the clear water, have a drink, wander around and—because apparently we were traveling with a small cow rather than a dog—graze on the grass.

He loved it.

For anyone visiting Yellowstone with a dog, it’s important to understand the park’s current pet restrictions before you arrive and plan accordingly.

A Yellowstone Hailstorm

Yellowstone weather also gave us a surprise.

One day, the rain started coming down hard.

Then came the hail.

Tiny balls of ice were falling all around us.

That was another good reminder that mountain weather can change quickly, even during a summer visit.

We learned to be prepared for a little bit of everything.

Watching Old Faithful Erupt

Of course, we couldn’t spend eight days in Yellowstone without visiting Old Faithful.

We arrived with roughly 45 minutes to an hour to wait before the predicted eruption.

That gave us time to explore the surrounding area.

There are lodges, a visitor center, gift shops and other geothermal features nearby, so there was plenty to see while we waited.

And then Old Faithful did what Old Faithful does.

It erupted.

There’s a reason this geyser became one of the most famous natural attractions in America.

Standing there with everyone waiting, watching the steam build and finally seeing the eruption in person was one of those classic Yellowstone experiences we simply had to have.

By the time we finished exploring, it was late.

But even the drive back to our campground gave us another show.

A Yellowstone Sunset—and Moose!

As we headed home that evening, the sunset was spectacular.

Brilliant colors filled the sky as we drove.

Then, when we were less than half a mile from our campground, we spotted something beside the road.

A mama moose and her baby.

Unfortunately, we weren’t in a good position for photography, and the pictures we took through the windshield were terrible.

But we had proof!

We saw them.

Sometimes the memory matters more than the photograph.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Another must-see for us was Grand Prismatic Spring.

We had to wait in line just to get a parking space, which gives you some idea of how popular this area can be.

But once we finally got out there, we understood why so many people wanted to see it.

The thermal features around the area were incredible.

We also saw the runoff from Excelsior Geyser Crater, flowing down toward the river and changing colors along the way.

The bright yellows particularly caught my attention.

This is another place where Yellowstone seems to create colors that shouldn’t exist in nature—and yet there they are.

Firehole Lake Drive

We also drove Firehole Lake Drive, stopping to look at the pools, springs and geysers along the route.

One of the features we saw was Great Fountain Geyser.

Even when it wasn’t erupting, it was fascinating to see the formations that years of geothermal activity had created around it.

That’s another reason we’d recommend allowing several days for Yellowstone if you possibly can.

Not everything happens on demand.

Geysers have their own schedules.

Wildlife certainly has its own schedule.

Weather has its own ideas.

Having multiple days gives you more opportunities to see things you might miss during a rushed visit.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Later in our trip, we headed toward Mammoth Hot Springs.

Even the scenery on the drive there was breathtaking.

Once we arrived, the landscape changed again.

The terraces looked almost as though they were covered with ice.

Water flowed over layers of mineral deposits, creating shapes, textures and colors unlike anything we’d seen elsewhere in the park.

We explored the lower terrace area and later drove through the upper terrace area.

In the sunlight, some of the formations really did look frozen.

It reminded me of something out of a Disney movie.

Liberty Cap

One of the unusual formations in the Mammoth area was Liberty Cap, a large hot spring cone.

By this point in our Yellowstone visit, we’d seen geysers, bubbling mud, brilliantly colored pools, waterfalls, canyon walls and steaming mountains.

And Yellowstone still managed to show us something different.

Fort Yellowstone and the Elk

While we were in the Mammoth area, we stopped at Fort Yellowstone.

The historic buildings themselves were interesting to see.

But the elk stole the show.

They were simply lounging and grazing around the buildings as though crowds of people staring at them were completely normal.

They seemed utterly unconcerned.

Wildlife encounters like that were another part of what made Yellowstone so memorable.

Gardiner, Montana and Roosevelt Arch

We continued north and drove into Gardiner, Montana, another cute little town just outside Yellowstone.

While there, we stopped to see the famous Roosevelt Arch at the park’s northern entrance.

Then we headed back into Yellowstone to continue exploring.

Being able to combine Yellowstone’s natural attractions with historic sites and small gateway towns gave us even more variety during the trip.

Roaring Mountain

We also stopped at Roaring Mountain, where steam vents dotted the mountainside.

We didn’t hear much roaring from where we were standing, but seeing steam rising directly from the mountain was impressive enough.

By this point, we were starting to realize something:

Yellowstone really does seem alive.

Water boils.

Mud bubbles.

Geysers erupt.

Steam pours from hillsides.

The ground itself is constantly reminding you that something powerful is happening beneath your feet.

Wildlife in Yellowstone

We didn’t see every animal we hoped to see during this trip, but the wildlife we did encounter made some wonderful memories.

We saw elk relaxing around Fort Yellowstone.

We spotted the mama and baby moose near our campground.

And throughout our visit, simply knowing that Yellowstone’s wildlife could appear unexpectedly made every drive more interesting.

If you’re hoping to photograph wildlife, bring binoculars and a camera with some reach if you have one—and always give wild animals plenty of space.

Eight Days Wasn’t Too Much

People sometimes wonder how many days they should spend at Yellowstone.

We went into the park on eight different days.

And we weren’t bored.

Not even close.

Yellowstone is enormous, and there is so much more to it than Old Faithful.

If we’d tried to see everything in one or two days, we would have spent most of our time rushing from attraction to attraction.

Having more time allowed us to revisit places like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, stop for General’s Madison River breaks, wait for geysers, explore different geothermal areas and simply enjoy the scenery.

If your schedule allows it, give Yellowstone time.

Our Favorite Yellowstone Experiences

It’s difficult to choose favorites from a place like this, but several experiences really stand out:

• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Old Faithful
• Artist Paint Pots
• Mammoth Hot Springs
• Gibbon Falls
• Fountain Paint Pot
• Biscuit Basin
• Firehole Lake Drive
• Roosevelt Arch
• Fort Yellowstone
• Seeing elk and moose
• Driving through Grand Teton and Yellowstone with our RV
• General’s stops along the Madison River
• Simply watching the scenery change from one part of the park to another

But perhaps our favorite thing about Yellowstone was the feeling that we never quite knew what we’d see next.

Tips From Our Yellowstone Visit

Based on our own experience, we’d suggest a few things when planning your trip.

Give yourself several days if you can. Yellowstone is far too big and varied to appreciate properly when you’re racing through it.

Expect crowds at the famous attractions. We waited for parking at Grand Prismatic Spring, and popular areas can take considerably longer to visit than you might expect.

Prepare for changing weather. We visited in late July and early August and still encountered cool temperatures, rain and hail.

Don’t skip the smaller stops. Some of our favorite discoveries weren’t necessarily the attractions we’d heard the most about beforehand.

Follow the boardwalks and marked trails around geothermal areas. We could see in places just how thin the crust around some thermal pools could be. These aren’t ordinary walking trails.

Plan carefully if you’re bringing a dog. Pet access within Yellowstone is limited, so check the current National Park Service rules before your trip.

Leave room for unexpected discoveries. Sometimes it’s a moose beside the road. Sometimes it’s a spectacular sunset. Those unscheduled moments can become some of your favorite memories.

Is Yellowstone National Park Worth Visiting?

Without question.

We’ve visited many beautiful places since beginning our travels, but Yellowstone National Park was something extraordinary.

It wasn’t one particular geyser, waterfall or overlook.

It was the combination of everything.

The strange geothermal landscapes.

The colors.

The waterfalls.

The wildlife.

The mountains.

The rivers.

The smell of sulfur and the sound of bubbling mud.

The experience of standing somewhere that looks so surreal your own photographs resemble paintings.

We spent eight days exploring Yellowstone and came away feeling like photographs simply couldn’t capture it.

That’s still the best way I know to describe Yellowstone.

You need to see it for yourself.

If you’ve been dreaming about visiting Yellowstone National Park someday, put it on the list.

Our eight days there became one of the unforgettable chapters of our journey across America.

And as always, our next adventure was waiting just Over the Hills.

Continue the Journey

If you’d like thoughtful road wisdom, practical RV tips, and reflections from life on the road, join our email list.