Yellowstone’s Iconic Sights & Hidden Gems: The Ultimate 2-Day Itinerary

Yellowstone National Park is a cornucopia of sights and experiences… a crown jewel in the national park system, sitting atop a super volcano. It was the first national park– not just in the United States but in the world! Whether you’re looking forward to the iconic sights or the quiet moments of peaceful nature, Yellowstone won’t disappoint. From the famous Old Faithful Geyser to the dozens of dazzling hot springs in the park to the breathtaking Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and all the little wonders in between, Yellowstone is memorable!

In a park of this magnitude, you could easily spend a week hiking and leisurely exploring. However, if you’re planning a multi-park road trip or perhaps trekking across the country, sometimes there’s only time for the essentials. If you’re hoping to hit all regions of the park, we recommend at least two days in the park. Yellowstone is large, so you will spend a couple hours just driving around. And that’s before you even get out to see anything! 

If you’re zooming through and are looking for a one-day packed-to-the-gills itinerary, you can find that here.

road trippin’

We recently spent a few days in Yellowstone as part of a cross country road trip. This was our first big hiking trip with our son, so we were stoked to make the most of it. We’ve been told it gets more challenging as kiddos can run away, but man oh man… it was notably more time consuming to get out the door with an 8 month old in tow vs. just rolling out of bed ourselves. Everything we did, we did with him along for the ride, so whether you’re a solo traveler or parent to a young, wild soul, this itinerary should flow nicely for you! 

There are five entrances into Yellowstone: East, Northeast, North, West, and South. This itinerary is centered around an arrival through the east entrance; however, the days’ activities circumduct the park, so you can hop into the “circle” from any entrance. Yellowstone is immense, so this is by no means an all inclusive list BUT this is a great snapshot of Yellowstone’s must-see highlights. 

Grand Loop Road effectively makes a circle through the park, so this road serves as the backbone of our highlight reel. It also simplifies navigation in the park. Service in the park tends to be pretty poor, so the straightforward driving route and copious signage helps ensure everyone gets where they intend to. 

DAY ONE 

The day starts arriving through the East entrance of the park. Between the multiple entrances to the park and the many welcome stations at each entrance, the arrival process into the park is as streamlined as it gets; however, it’s always a good idea to get into the park earlier than later. Things start to get more crowded around 10am, so an earlier start helps ensure you can enjoy a bit more nature to yourself. 

Hayden Valley

Driving north along Grand Loop Road will take you through Hayden Valley. This approximately 7 mile stretch of landscape is gorgeous to drive through. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife because this area is one of the best spots in the park to spot some of the large mammals the park is home to. The grizzly and black bears are spotted more frequently in the spring and early summer days. They tend to be found at higher elevations as the summer goes on, but you never know where you might see one. Bison are more likely to be seen at any time throughout the summer, with coyotes commonly spotted as well!

There’s so many different areas to pull out if you *think* you might see something off in the distance…. or if you want to simply stare at the bison grazing nearby. There’s no singular recommended destination or overlook in Hayden Valley. It’s simply a beautiful drive with a high probability of animal sightings. This is first on the list because early risers may be even more likely to spot animals if you’re driving through at dawn (or dusk). 

If you see a bunch of cars pulled over, there’s a good chance someone has spotted something exciting! If you see a cluster of cars, it doesn’t hurt to pull over as well! You never know what you might see! 

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone stretches for about 24 miles, and this amazing feature is worth taking in from a few different vantage points. There’s a bunch of awesome viewpoints to take in the canyon from different vantage points. We found Yellowstone to be a more accessible park, so even if you can’t or don’t want to hike, you can still take in the awesome vistas, just steps from your car. 

Artist Point

If you’re in the park early, this is a nice overlook to wander over to. You are able to see both the canyon as well as the waterfall from afar– it’s a nice spot to catch the sunrise! Just an amazing way to start the day.

North Rim Hike… or Drive. 

The North Rim Overlooks are connected by road as well as hiking trail, making them relatively easy to access to a variety of adventurers. While there are overlooks up by the parking lot, some of the cooler views are accompanied by a bit of sweat equity. For example, the Brink of Lower Falls trail drops 600 feet over a short 0.4-mile stretch of switchbacks to the Lower Falls viewpoint. This was probably our favorite spot along the North Rim but they are all worth hitting!

Lookout Point, Grand View, and Inspiration Point all afford slightly different vantage points. Similar to Lower Falls, Lookout Point (view pictured below) also has a combination of stairs and graded descent that are worth the huffin’ and puffin’. Whether you’re driving or hiking, you won’t regret going to at each stop!

If you look closely or zoom in on the above picture, just to the right of the falls, you will see a viewing platform with a handful of people standing on. This is the Lower Falls viewpoint!

The Yellowstone River and Canyon are truly breathtaking and it’s so grounding to take in the technicolor wonder. What makes this canyon even more interesting is its constant evolution. If you look out across the canyon walls, you’ll notice some steamy, active hydrothermal features. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was our favorite area of the park! 

Canyon Village

Yellowstone is unique for many reasons, the least of which being that it’s one of the most “city-ized” national parks we’ve been to. Now, millions of acres of the park remain largely unavailable and untouched by visiting tourists (as it should), so it’s less commercial and more self-sufficient. For example there’s multiple post offices throughout the park. There’s not just gas stations but small auto body shops as well. The park is home to multiple lodges, restaurants, and visitor centers too. And more bathrooms than I’ve seen in any other national park!! 

Canyon Village is one of the small hubs or “cities” in the park. North Rim Drive ends right near this area, so it’s a perfect stop to grab some lunch…. or to send off a postcard! 

Lamar Valley (optional) 

As you follow Grand Loop Road north, you will find yourself heading to the northeast corner of the park. As you approach Theodore Lodge, there will be an opportunity to turn right onto Northeast Entrance Road. While it’s not quite time to leave the park yet, Lamar River and the Lamar Valley are down this corridor. 

Similar to Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley is a gorgeous expanse of scenery and known wildlife spotting locale. If you’re hoping to spot a wolf, this is actually the best place in the park to have a chance; however, dawn and dusk tend to be the best times to see them. While we didn’t see any wolves, we did see a whoooole bunch of bison! 

Northeast Entrance Road stretches about 33 miles and takes about an hour to drive, so driving all the way out and back takes around 2 hours. Depending on how early you start your day, you might have time for this, but Lamar Valley is in the inner half of the drive, so going the full length of the road isn’t exactly necessary– especially during a two day trip! 

Mammoth Hot Springs 

Just inside the North entrance of the park, you’ll find Mammoth Hot Springs. Yellowstone is home to many different hot springs– what makes these springs unique are the travertine terraces that have formed as a result of the hot springs. The thermal water rises through limestone, carrying dissolved limestone to the surface, creating the memorable terrace formation these hot springs are known for. 

To take in the multi-level wonder, there’s a boardwalk path that weaves in and through the hot spring. If you hit every nook and cranny, it’s about 2.5 miles long. After a stretch of drive time in the car, it feels good to stretch the legs out! 

Catch Some Zzzzzs

There are so many options for where you may choose to rest your weary bones for the night. Day two is primarily focused on exploring the southern half of the park, so getting lodging farther south just makes it easier to hit the ground running in the morning. Accommodations in Yellowstone have a huge range. You can have convenience and breathtaking views with a budget-friendly price tag by camping in the park. There’s luxe lodge stays that will be well appointed and opportunely located. There’s also West Yellowstone just minutes outside the park.

Camping Out

If you own a tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad, this is a no brainer!! All three campgrounds have awesome, scenic views in the park AND avoid the wasted time that comes with driving out of and back into the park. It makes it easier to hit the ground running in the morning! The only downside of camping is that even in the summer months it can get chilly in Yellowstone…. like down into the 30s, so be sure to bring a warm sleeping bag! We decided this might be just a little too chilly for our 8 month old, but we hope to take him camping next time we roll through! 

• Mammoth Campground
• Indian Creek Campground
• Madison Campground 

Mid-Range in West Yellowstone

West Yellowstone really is minutes, if not seconds away, from the West entrance to the park. We were booking accommodations last minute and snagged a room at the Best Western Western Inn (dog friendly!). Not only was the room great, but we were walking distance to the Yellowstone Beer Company as well as Firehole BBQ. Tasty beers and phenomenal barbecue!! If you have even a remote interest in smoked meat, this is a fantastic meal– especially after a full day adventuring around in the park.  

• Best Western Western Inn 
• Yellowstone Inn
• Gray Wolf Inn & Suites 

Luxe Lodge Life

The biggest aspect of ‘luxury’ associated with the on-property lodging is the convenience of being in the park. Despite West Yellowstone being “just outside the park”, it’s still about an hour long drive from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful. The cost of the room is tied up in location location location! and character! Can you imagine waking up and watching Old Faithful erupt from the comfort of your room?? The Old Faithful Inn is notoriously popular as the building was finished in 1904, constructed with local logs and stone– making it one of the largest log-style structures in the world! 

• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins
• Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
• Old Faithful Inn

DAY TWO 

Grand Prismatic Hot Spring Overlook Trail 

There’s so many hot springs in Yellowstone, but none is more memorable (or larger) than the Grand Prismatic. You can certainly check out the overlook at ‘ground level’, but in my opinion, the bird’s eye view is superior. There’s a bit of sweat equity involved, but the 1.5 miles round trip is very manageable (AllTrails link here)! 

When you’re nearing the hot spring, you want to park at the Fairy Falls trailhead. If you’re driving around Grand Loop road counterclockwise, this means you’ll actually drive past the signs for Grand Prismatic, following signs to the Fairy Falls. 

Beware, even with the hike, this is a relatively small viewing area and it does get rather popular, so come with patience in your heart. While it’s wise to get a relatively early start to your day, this isn’t necessarily a recommended sunrise hike. The colors of the hot spring “pop” and become more vibrant when the sky is overhead, so arriving by 8:30-9:30am should afford you awesome views, while still allowing you to arrive at old faithful by/before 10am. 

Old Faithful 

Timing up your Old Faithful experience takes a bit of planning. This iconic geyser erupts every 94 or 68 minutes… plus or minus ten minutes. So while the eruptions are routine, they’re just far apart enough that you might find yourself waiting a while if you arrive right after the previous eruption. The Old Faithful Visitor Center has a sign out that estimates when to expect Old Faithful’s next performance. This is helpful but having something online is just a bit more useful as you try and time up your morning.

We used this NPS website and this informative site to help give us an idea of when to show up. It’s better to be 15 min early than 2 minutes late! 

The Old Faithful area of the park will get busy… there’s no getting around that, but if you get to the park relatively early, you do have time to do the Grand Prismatic Overlook hike first. We recommend this because the ambient temperature earlier in the day is still rather chilly– even in the summer months. Why is this relevant? Well, Old Faithful is erupting hot hot hot water, so if it’s cold outside, the water plume becomes pretty shrouded in steam. Still neat to see but perhaps not the expected view. 

Upper Geyser Basin hike 

The Upper Geyser Basin hike begins just steps away from Old Faithful and showcases dozens of hot springs and geysers (AllTrails link here). This boardwalk trail stretches about 3.5 miles total. While it’s totally possible to just walk part of the trail and then head back, in our opinion, some of the more impressive features are further along the trail. Morning Glory is the final hot spring on the path, and we were glad we walked all the way to the end to check it out! 

West Thumb 

West Thumb is essentially a large inlet of Yellowstone Lake. There’s a fun one mile loop along the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail that takes you past the Thumb paint pots as well as a handful of geysers and hot springs, and the West Thumb shoreline (AllTrails link here)! 

Lake Yellowstone

Yellowstone Lake is the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 ft elevation in the United States, making this a relaxing spot to end the day. If the weather is nice, the park offers one-hour guided tours aboard Lake Queen II, for the Yellowstone Lake Scenic Cruise. This is a paid tour, but ticket prices are very reasonable. During high season, tours run into the late afternoon and early evening hours, so this makes for a lovely way to wind down. When we visited, an evening shower rolled through, so we just went and grabbed dinner at the Lake Lodge Cabin. They have tables right up against the window, giving you an amazing view out to the lake. 

At this point in your adventuring, you’ve likely encountered an elk or two, but if you haven’t, they tend to wander around in the area of the park into the evening. We stayed in the Lake Yellowstone Cabins and were so delighted with all the elk we saw wandering around as we were arriving. Always practice mindful safety around wild animals! We ended up rather close, just because they caught us by surprise! 

Sleep It Off 

Where you rest for the night largely depends on where you’re heading in the morning. If you plan to leave the way you came (out the East entrance), bunking down near Yellowstone Lake, or even heading for Cody likely makes the most sense. If you plan to drive south to explore Grand Teton National Park next, staying in West Thumb might be a better stop. 

Camping Out

From tent campers to RV campers and all the rooftop tents and fifth-wheelers in between, it’s hard to beat the bang for your buck you get with camping! As long as you have the right gear, this is an awesome way to experience the park… we’re already excited to come back and camp with our littlest camping buddy one day! 

• Bridge Bay Campground
• Grant Village Campground 
• Lake Lewis Campground 

Luxe Lodge Life

We stayed at one of the Lake Yellowstone cabins and loved it! Elk were wandering past our cabin as we arrived and it was so charming! Similar to the Mammoth and Old Faithful Lodge stays, perhaps a little expensive, but we were so thrilled with the location. 

• Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins
• Lake Lodge Cabin
• Grant Village Lodge

Map It Out

The map can look a little chaotic, just because Yellowstone is so big! Having a bird’s eye view of the park can make it a little easier to see the vision of the itinerary. This map is awesome because Grand Loop Road pops in red and almost all the stops noted above are highlighted below on the map.

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Two days in Yellowstone fly by! Planning an action-packed itinerary is tricky— trying to make the most of your days… but not being so busy and rushed you hardly enjoy it. Our plan should thread that needle perfectly! We hope you have an amazing time exploring all the iconic sights and hidden gems of this historic national park. Happy travels!

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