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Established in 1872 as the world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park is the world's most famous national park, and the most diverse national park in the United States.
A World Heritage Site, Yellowstone is the premier place in the United States to see geysers erupt. Home to 60 percent of the world's active geysers, Yellowstone is a dynamic, always-changing landscape situated on a caldera, the largest "supervolcano" on the continent.
Yellowstone Park is also the premier place to go in the Lower 48 states to view wildlife. Grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, and many other animals call this park home. Yellowstone's Lamar Valley is often (aptly) referred to as "The American Serengeti".
If that isn't enough, Yellowstone boasts amazing scenery, including the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone is a huge national park, spanning more than 3,400 square miles.
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Here are just a handful of things to do on a Yellowstone National Park vacation.
For more activities, visit MyYellowstonePark.com.
Sightseeing
Yellowstone National Park and surrounding regions are home to abundant sights and scenic drives. So many in fact, that we recommend that visitors choose different travel routes to and from Yellowstone Park. Here we provide extensive information about all the sightseeing adventures that can be enjoyed on a Yellowstone Park vacation.
Adventure
Yellowstone Park and Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, provide abundant recreation. Whether you hike, backpack, bike, camp, float rivers or ride a horse, we provide all the info. you need to experience adventures of a lifetime on your Yellowstone trip.
Natural Wonders
Home to more than half of the world's active geysers, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America, Yellowstone National Park is rich in natural wonders. But the regions surrounding Yellowstone have abundant natural wonders too.
Wildlife
Yellowstone's Lamar Valley isn't called the "American Serengeti" for nothing. Yellowstone Park is home to more big and small mammals than anywhere else in the Lower 48 states. It's truly a wildlife-viewing Mecca. Visitors might see bears, wolves, elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, buffalo, and more, during their vacation.
Arts and Culture
Visitors to Yellowstone can immerse themselves in the Old West, like it was. Enjoy rodeos, Indian powwows, explore the historic Oregon, Mormon, and Pony Express trails, or see an old mining town. Visit museums or browse art galleries.
Learn from others who went before you.
To browse Trip Notes, visit MyYellowstonePark.com.
The bears are the best part!
By Jerome Johnson, Omaha, NE
The best part of our vacation was the BEARS! We saw a grizzly bear right next to the road digging tiny gophers out of the ground and eating them whole right in front of us. He was so close we could see the red in his eyes through our binoculars! Later the same day we saw a sow with two small cubs. They were rolling around and playing amongst each other in front of Yellowstone Lake. These bears were definitely the highlight of our children's trip. They still talk about it!
We drove to Artist's Point overlook where we could view the 1,200-foot-deep canyon that is carved by the Yellowstone River and full of beautiful colored rocks. We hiked right down to the bottom of the Lower Falls on Uncle Tom's Trail. We could feel the mist of the waterfall, and to top it off, a bright rainbow but through it right in front of us. The hike back out was truly the most scenic "stairmaster" I've ever been on!
A few key facts about Yellowstone National Park
To learn more, visit MyYellowstonePark.com.
World’s First National Park
A designated World Heritage Site
The largest "supervolcano" on the continent
Home to 60% of the world's active geysers
3,472 square miles (8,987 square km)
2,219,789 acres (898,317 ectares)
96 % in Wyoming
3 % in Montana
1 % in Idaho
Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined
Premier wildlife-viewing place in the Lower 48 States
A Yellowstone National Park vacation is an incredible road trip. This region is blessed with several scenic drives and designated Scenic Byways.
Here is just a sampling of scenic drive information we provide at MyYellowstonePark.com:
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
This scenic route starts near Cody, WY, and is 47 miles. This byway climbs Dead Indian Summit. Travelers will enjoy spectacular mountain vistas, including snow-covered ridges and dramatic spires. Wildlife and opportunities for recreation abound.
Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway
This scenic byway is about 40 miles and stretches along Togwotee Pass, a high mountain pass between Dubois and Moran, WY. The route crosses the Continental Divide, passing through alpine forests, willow bottoms and sage-covered hills. Enjoy views of both the beautiful Breccia Cliffs and the Teton Range.
Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway
The stunning 75-mile scenic byway climbs from the sagebrush valleys of Vernal, UT through the magnificent Uinta Mountains to Manila, UT. Its theme of “Wildlife through the Ages” is explored in 15 interpretive pullouts and 4 self-guided nature trails. Along the Byway, you’ll find world-class fishing, camping, wildlife viewing and miles of mountain trails.
Wind River Canyon
From the southern entrance in the town of Shoshoni to just north of Thermopolis, the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway offers 34 miles of fascinating Wyoming geology, history, and recreation. Travel between the ancient rock cliffs of Wind River Canyon, the same path once used by Native Americans, explorers, and pioneers. Continue through the Wind River Indian Reservation, keeping an eye out for bighorn sheep. Enjoy fishing and rafting opportunities just off the byway on Wind River, which becomes the Bighorn River, and finish your journey by enjoying a soak at the world's largest mineral hot springs at Hot Springs National Park, in Thermopolis, WY.
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