With about ~4.5 million visitors annually, Yellowstone National Park is among the top 5 most visited national parks in US. Situated mainly in the state of Wyoming(96% with the rest in Montana and Idaho), it was established in 1872 and is considered to be the oldest national park in US, and possibly the world. The Park is famous for its geothermal features, diverse ecosystems and fairly abundant wildlife and that is what excited me to make a visit, even though it is a bit away from the usual tourist circuit in USA.
Two other areas, famous for diverse geothermal activity with good infrastructure and easy accessibility, are Iceland, that still remains in my bucket list and Rotorua, New Zealand that I have visited. Japan too has its spots though it is more famous for its hot springs used for soaking and relaxing, rather than simply viewing!
Extraordinary experience
After Denali National Park in Alaska, Yellowstone National Park was the second national park I have visited in USA, spending 3.5 days in the month of May. In every way, it was a fantastic experience. Hot springs and mud pots with a palette of extraordinarily attractive colors, active geysers, steam vents, stunning landscape, deep canyons, mountain ranges, waterfalls, frequent wildlife sightings including Bears and Wolf, scenic spots…the Park had it all.
Spread over 9k sq. kms, the Park sits on top of a massive volcanic system known as super-volcano. Much of the park actually lies inside a big volcanic crater called a Caldera and it has been in the making for millions of years.
Move to:
I Getting to Yellowstone
The nearest and the most popular airport with decent connectivity is Bozeman Yellowstone International airport in the state of Montana. The fares tend to be relatively high on the Bozeman sector but the town offers a choice of hotels and rental cars. There are other smaller regional airports like West Yellowstone that sees limited flights during summer.
II Where to stay?
In order to minimize driving time, stay close to one of the entrances or inside the Park.
There are five entrances to Yellowstone National Park. The West entrance is most popular followed by North. Reason is very simple – the two towns of West Yellowstone and Gardiner are minutes away by road from the West and North entrances respectively and provides easy access to the Grand Loop inside the Park.
Accommodation inside the Park
There is limited accommodation available inside the Park(at Old Faithful, Canyon etc.) but I found the prices for a room with attached bath to be high – ranging from $600 to over $1k per night for a couple. The photos of the rooms with private bathrooms looked good but despite the convenience, I found it hard it to justify paying a 2x-3x premium in order to save couple of hours. More so because I had planned 4 full days at Yellowstone, not 1 or 2 days. More importantly, I gathered that vegetarian food options were likely to be extremely limited inside the Park. But if you are keen, make sure to book well in advance, as the demand is high.
One can also camp in the designated areas inside the Park.
Accommodation at the entrances
There are essentially only two convenient options – West Yellowstone and Gardiner, both in Montana. From the South and East entrances, the nearest towns are ~50 miles away while Cooke city on the North East entrance is more of a village with basic accommodation. In any case, if one is flying through Bozeman, the best options are West Yellowstone and Gardiner as both are under 2 hours away by road. There are standalone hotels/lodges as well but they will suit locals better than ‘vegetarian tourists’ like me!
I chose to stay 2 nights each at Gardiner and West Yellowstone. Part of Upper Loop and Lamar valley are closer to Gardiner while Lower Loop is closer to West Yellowstone. Gardiner is more scenic but West Yellowstone has more hotels, restaurants and shops. If I were to choose only one, it would be West Yellowstone.
Gardiner
I stayed at The Ridgeline Hotel that was quite comfortable with a mini fridge, microwave and tea/coffee maker and conveniently located next to the Yellowstone River, with lovely views of the mountains. It cost me ~ $220 per night, without breakfast.
Roosevelt Arch, built in 1903 and marking the North entrance to Yellowstone National Park, is under 2 kms from The Ridgeline hotel.
Bear spray is awful
In this hotel, I had a first hand experience of what can happen when a ‘Bear Spray Canister’ is accidentally set off. Someone did just that in another room on the same floor and the fumes spread in no time. I was taking a shower and I initially thought the water might have got mixed up with some of the volcanic stuff! For almost 10 minutes, I coughed continuously, feeling a burning sensation on the skin and irritation in my eyes. The symptoms subsided a few minutes after I opened the windows to let in fresh air. At Denali National Park, the bus driver repeatedly kept warning passengers to secure ‘Bear Spray Canister’. I heard it then but understood it only now!
West Yellowstone
I stayed at Yellowstone West Gate hotel that was a bit away from the cluster of shops and restaurants that are located near the junction of Canyon St. and Yellowstone Ave./Madison Ave. but it did not really matter. The room was quite comfortable and had a mini fridge, microwave and tea/coffee maker. This is where I learnt how to use the laundry machine! The room cost me $240 per night with breakfast.
My booking details were hacked
I had initially booked at Best Western Desert Inn but cancelled three weeks later after I got a suspicious WA message with a link to re-confirm my booking and make full payment. More than a month later, Best Western sent a mail stating that their server had been hacked and booking details stolen, even though they maintained the credit card details were safe. I am not sure why it took them so much time to post an alert but I was glad I had cancelled the booking as I saved $100 per night for similar sized room!
Bozeman
A one-night stay will most likely be required in Bozeman. I stayed at Country Inn and Suites that is a bit away from downtown but closer to the airport. There was a Taco Bell just across the main road and that helped. It cost me under $150 per night on triple occupancy! Hotels in downtown were far more expensive and the location did not matter to me as I had a car.
III Vegetarian food availability
Inside Yellowstone Park
The menus are largely similar at the restaurants in Full Service hubs but the hotel restaurants often have more options. But in all cases, vegetarian items were limited to soup, black bean burger(the patty may contain egg) and cheese sandwich, each costing between $10 and $15. Beverages were ~$5. The grocery stores normally stock fresh fruits, yogurt, ice cream, etc. and if you forget something, you can buy here. The restaurants at Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Old Faithful Lodge had couple of more vegetarian items on their menu such as noodles, pasta and salad.
Full Service at various hubs inside the Park indicates availability of lodging, restaurant, grocery store, rest rooms and gas station.
West Yellowstone/Gardiner/Bozeman
Apart from the Mexican joints, the choice was mainly a burger meal with soup and fries/vegetables, or pizza, or subway sandwich. In Bozeman, there is one Indian restaurant called Pakeezah, which is supposed to be a fine dining restaurant but the food is just about average.
Most of the restaurants charged an extra 3% if payment was made by card. Tips were optional and the swiping machines typically indicated 18% to 25%, besides ‘no tip’ and ‘custom tip’. I came across a very interesting and apt terminology to describe tip expectations – tipflation! On an average, the meal cost varied between $25-$30 per person in a mid range restaurant with ~10% tip. Yes, I still generally prefer to tip 10%!
IV Navigating Yellowstone
The drive is easy and the route map for visitors is clearly defined with 142 miles of driving over Grand Loop(Upper plus Lower Loops) with an indicative time of ~8 hours. Plus the distance from Tower to Lamar Valley, Mammoth to Gardiner and Madison to West Yellowstone. Certain stretches will likely be driven over multiple times. On an average, I would have driven over 100 miles every day.
The hotels I stayed at provided maps free of charge and I also got the park brochure with a detailed map from the ticket counter. You can also download it from the official website. Maps are absolutely essential to plan ahead of time. Cell phone coverage can be a bit unreliable inside the Park.
A car is must though there are options for guided tours. However, guided tours cost a lot more on an average.
My itinerary in brief
Day 1 Lamar Valley in the evening…overnight Gardiner;
Day 2 Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Canyon…overnight Gardiner;
Day 3 Hayden Valley, Lake, West Thumb…Overnight West Yellowstone;
Day 4 West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, Black Sand Basin, Fairy Falls Trail, Fountain Paint Pot.
V What to do at Yellowstone
- Exploring scenic spots such as hot springs, geysers, waterfalls etc.
- Taking scenic drives off the Grand Loop road such as North Rim drive.
- Hiking…there are over 1000 miles of hiking trails in the Park.
- Stopping and watching wildlife wherever they appear, or waiting patiently at Lamar Valley.
- Boating, rafting, etc. Not available in May though.
Good thing is that there is no time restriction and I could explore the Park at my pace.
Key attractions
1. Mammoth Hot Springs….2 hours +….must see
This is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine, a kind of limestone. There are two distinct areas – Lower Terrace area and Upper Terrace area. It took me an hour to walk the entire length of the boardwalk at the lower terrace area from the trailhead near the parking lot. Thereafter, I took the car to the Upper Terrace drive which is a short 1.6 kms loop drive providing a view of Mammoth terraces and hydrothermal features like Orange Spring Mound.
If short on time, skip Upper Terrace drive.
2. Norris Geyser Basin….2 hours+
This is stated to be Yellowstone’s most dynamic thermal area. There are two walking loops-The Porcelain basin is an open trail, devoid of trees except a small stretch, and it took me 40 minutes to cover the distance of 1.2kms. The path is filled with steaming vents, boiling springs and colorful thermophile mats.
The Back basin goes through wooded area and is 2.4 kms long. I only walked for about 1 km till Steamboat Geyser, said to be the world’s tallest geyser. But its eruptions are unpredictable.
3. Midway Geyser Basin….2 hours….must see
The world’s largest geyser, Excelsior(now dormant) and one of the world’s largest hot spring, Grand Prismatic, are the key attractions here. A boardwalk will take one past these spots but I preferred to take the Fairy Falls trail to a hill nearby that provided an elevated view of the Midway Geyser Basin. While the Excelsior Geyser Crater was covered by steam, the Grand Prismatic Spring looked out of the world. The trail is about 2kms long one way and requires about 90 minutes for return. The climb is easy but if you wish to skip, take the boardwalk at the Basin.
The trail goes further to Fairy Falls that I skipped.
4. Old Faithful….2-3 hours.…must see
The Old Faithful active geyser erupts every 90 minutes on an average and shoots up to ~200feet. The estimated eruption timings are indicated on a Notice Board here. The Upper Geyser Basin, where Old Faithful is located, has several other active geysers that erupt on a daily basis. If you find a bunch of people waiting near a geyser, be sure eruption is due! This is how I got to watch Beehive geyser erupt, about half an hour before Old Faithful geyser. There are hot springs/pools as well, that makes for a lovely walk. I only walked the trail around Geyser Hill but there are longer trails, including one leading to Morning Glory Pool that is said to be lovely.
Another option is to take the Observation point trail to an elevated area that provides a fantastic view of the erupting geysers. The trail is less than 1 km long and moderately steep.
The Old Faithful Inn was constructed in 1903-04, making it over 120 years old. The parking lot here is huge, which can only mean that this area is very popular. I spent about 2 hours here, reaching about an hour before the scheduled eruption time.
5. West Thumb Geyser Basin….1 hour….must see
The West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk offered access to several mud pots, boiling springs and goes next to the Yellowstone Lake. Conveniently located benches on the boardwalk meant I could sit and enjoy pristine views of the Lake with snow-topped mountains on the other end. Another notable attraction is the Abyss pool, a transparent bluish colored pool.
6. Canyon….2+ hours….must see
Popularly called the grand canyon of the Yellowstone River, the scenery is stunning. After lunch at Canyon village, I took the South Rim drive first, stopping at Upper Falls viewpoint, walked to Discovery Overlook and then drove to the Artist Point. Thereafter, drove to the other side, stopping at Brink of Upper Falls, and then followed the North Rim drive to Inspiration point.
7. Lamar Valley….1 hour….must see if keen on wildlife
Located beyond Tower-Roosevelt towards North East entrance, Lamar valley is a popular spot for watching wildlife including foxes, bears, elk and bison. Dusk and dawn are supposed to be the best times. I drove to Lamar Valley on the evening of Day 1 and spotted a lot of bison’s. Many of them were actually on the road and caused traffic jam of sorts. I could see several people at a slight elevation looking through binoculars but I had no other sightings here though on the return journey, I spotted Elk and Pronghorn.
If you keen on watching wildlife, you will have to hang around. If you are not keen, you might as well skip.
8. Hayden Valley….1 hour….must see
Located between Canyon Village and Lake Village, Hayden Valley is another spot for wildlife with some very enticing scenery. I spent almost 30 minutes here watching a bear that seemed busy grazing, about hundred meters from the main the road and bringing traffic to a halt. There were quite a few bisons as well spread all over the valley.
The best part was a viewpoint that provided picture perfect views of the Yellowstone River and the distant mountains.
Other shorter Stops….up to 1 hour
9. Lake…..30 minutes
This is one place to enjoy views of the largest high elevation lake in North America, the Yellowstone Lake at over 7k feet. The Lake Hotel is nice and had few vegetarian items listed on the menu. But the restaurant closed at 2pm while I reached at 2.30pm! So I headed to nearby Fishing Bridge for lunch.
The views of the Lake from West Thumb and elsewhere are equally attractive. So if you are short on time, Lake can be skipped.
10. Roaring Mountain….10 minutes….must see
Located just before Norris on the Mammoth-Norris route, this Mountain has many fumaroles, an opening that emits steam and gases.
11. Fountain Paint Pot Trail….30 minutes
Located Between Old Faithful and Madison, this Trail in less than a kilometer long and showcases several hydrothermal features.
12. Mud Volcano….45 minutes.…must see
Just south of Hayden valley, this is a 1km long Trail with several mud pots and hillsides strewn with trees cooked by steam. Lovely views of the valley as I walked up a hill.
13. Black Sand Basin….45 minutes….must see
A short boardwalk of under 1km(45 minutes) took me to several hot springs/pools and geysers. The Cliff geyser was erupting off and on and the Sunset Lake looked beautiful, though very similar to the Grand Prismatic.
14. Other scenic stops…10 minutes each
I stopped at couple of more scenic stops to observe rock formations and scenery. I also missed several stops.
15. Wildlife sightings
Bisons, Elk – Lamar valley, Hayden valley
Foxes – Morgan to West Yellowstone
Grizzly – Morgan to West Yellowstone, Old Faithful to Morgan, Norris to Mammoth, Hayden valley
Black bear – near Mammoth
Pronghorn – Mammoth to Gardiner
VI What more could I have done?
The ‘To Do’ list for Yellowstone is quite long and my 3.5 days were just not enough, though I must admit I did not exactly start early in the morning. I visited in May when the road between Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon village was not yet opened, Boating/Kayaking in Lake Yellowstone was not available and Biscuit Basin was closed due to certain hydrothermal activities.
I would have liked to walk the Artemisia Trail from Biscuit Basin to Morning Glory Pool and go for couple of more off Loop drives(such as Virginia Cascades Drive, Firehole Canyon/Lake Drive). On the first evening, as I drove to Lamar Valley in the evening, I missed several scenic stops and off Loop drives as I was in a hurry to get the valley. If I had 4 full days, or even if I had started earlier in the morning around 8am, all these would have been possible. Even then, it is entirely possible I have missed some of the scenic spots at areas I did not visit or even from areas I did visit.
Yellowstone National Park is rated to be among the top places in US for stargazing. Opt for a package if you are apprehensive about wildlife encounters in the night.
VII How many days is enough?
I had initially planned for 4 full days but a missed flight meant I landed in Bozeman around noon a day later. I spent 3.5 days exploring Yellowstone National Park and I think that is just about adequate for the first visit. On the last day, I had the option of exploring Yellowstone for half a day but decided against it. While there are diverse geothermal features, there was a sense of ‘déjà vu’ after a point in time. So anything from 2-4 days should be fine for the first trip. Note that it gets dark well after 8pm and hence, there is plenty of time available if you start early.
While planning, allow time for stoppages at scenic spots and whenever wildlife is spotted. Yellowstone is best enjoyed when explored leisurely. This Park is worth visiting more than once, possibly during different seasons.
VIII Admission fee at Yellowstone Park
The fee for US residents with a private vehicle is $35 per vehicle for one week. Since December 2025, Non-residents above 16 years of age are required to pay an additional fee of $100 per person at 11 most popular national parks, including Yellowstone National Park. Since my son had a US Driving License, he was deemed to be a US resident. So I bought ‘America the Beautiful Annual Pass’ for my son at $80. The beauty of this pass is that it covers all passengers, including non-residents, travelling in the same vehicle. So instead of shelling out $235(2 non residents plus 1 US resident), I only paid $80. But the US resident must travel in the vehicle as the ID is also checked at the entrance.
The other option is to buy America the Beautiful pass for non-residents that cost $250 per person. It is useful only if you are visiting a minimum of 3 parks over the period of one year.
I bought the pass at the North entrance. It can also be purchased online and this is advised if visiting during the peak season.
There is no additional fee payable at any of the attractions inside the Park. Activities such as boating will likely incur additional costs.
IX Overall cost of visiting Yellowstone National Park
I incurred the following costs in the month of May, which is considered to be off-season.
Hotels – West Yellowstone/Gardiner for under $250 and Bozeman under $150.
Admission fee – $80(see para above)
Car rental – I rented Toyota Camry from Bozeman airport at $450 for 5 days with additional insurance. Plus fuel.
Vegetarian food – $25 to $30 per person, per meal. Say $80-100 per day on an average.
I flew from Iowa state(Des Moine) to Bozeman and then from Bozeman to Newark. The fully refundable, economy plus ticket cost me $680 per person.
X When to visit Yellowstone National Park
June to August is the peak season, which means more crowd and higher costs. But more activities as well(e.g. boating in Lake Yellowstone, guided trips). September too is said to be busy. I visited in May when wildlife sightings were good, the weather quite pleasant with a bit of rain and crowds relatively less. October too may be somewhat similar to May. Rest of the months is winter when few roads, trails and facilities are closed.
The Park is said to get very crowded during the peak season and the advice is to start early during peak season.
XI What else?
Be prepared for extended walking. The boardwalks and trails involve steep grades or stairs. It was also quite chilly at times in the month of May with a bit of rain off and on. I normally hiked only short distances from the scenic spots or just stuck to the boardwalks unless there was a reasonable crowd(for e.g. Fairy Falls Trail). I avoided longer hikes, as I was not prepared for wildlife encounters, especially bears and foxes.
There are several picnic spots spread all over the Park. I guess eating out in the open amidst some great scenery has a charm of its own. Also, while there are grocery stores inside the park, availability may be limited. So, whatever is essential, such as drinking water, snacks, beverages, fresh fruits etc., stock up.
Scenic drive to and from Bozeman
The drive from Bozeman to Gardiner and then West Yellowstone to Bozeman is quite scenic and kept me fully engaged. I also visited Big Sky on the return journey to Bozeman. It is nice little town that only comes alive with loads of skiers during winter. There was nothing much to do here in the month of May. Even the chairlifts were closed.
Bozeman, Montana
The key attraction here is the Museum of the Rockies that has an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils including a full size T-Rex. Montana has yielded some of the world’s most significant dinosaur discoveries. Admission fee is $20 per adult. There is also a planetarium inside that runs shows every day but most appeared to be designed for children/young adults.
Planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park
I initially wanted to combine a visit to Yellowstone National Park with Glacier National Park that is located in Montana. But I had to rule out this combination as many of the trails/roads inside Glacier Park were likely to be closed in the month of May. Another option I considered was to fly to Salt Lake City, visit one of the national parks/salt flats in Utah and then drive to Yellowstone Park. This required lot more time and it was eventually a toss between a second visit to New York City from where I was flying out to India and Utah. I finally decided on New York City.
A third option that I did not consider was to visit Jackson Hole, including Grand Teton National Park that is located just south of Yellowstone Park.
Since I had decided on 6 days at Yellowstone Park and Bozeman, a stand alone visit by itself was fine.
XII Is Yellowstone National Park worth visiting?
Absolutely. Parks like Yellowstone should definitely be on one’s bucket list. Next time you visit US, junk the cities and find time for some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery that the nature has painstakingly created over millions of years.
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