Visit the very first National park in the world: Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming. Sitting on a huge volcano, the 3500 acre park is home to hundreds of wildlife species, lively geothermal activity, and verdant forests. If you only have a few days to see it, then you’ll want to craft the perfect 3 day Yellowstone itinerary.
As one of the largest parks in the US, Yellowstone has vast amounts of things to see and do. The park is divided into 8 areas and you will have to pick and choose which areas are must sees! I have been to Yellowstone four times now, so I’ve created this wonderful Yellowstone road trip itinerary for you to see the best highlights.
Read below to get all of the information you need to know for your Yellowstone trip. This post contains tips you need to know, directions to get there, and a guide for the best places to stay. So, you’ll be set for an incredible vacation in this amazing landscape.
YELLOWSTONE IN A NUTSHELL
Short on time? Read this quick overview for your trip to Portugal with everything you need to know!
- Where to Stay: Stay in campgrounds in the park or get a hotel in West Yellowstone
- Getting there: You can fly into Bozeman International Airport and drive from there.
- How to Get Around: Yellowstone is HUGE, so the best way to get around is to rent a car. Rentalcars.com has the cheapest options
- Best Time to Visit: Late Spring to Early Fall
- Things to Do: See Old Faithful erupt, visit the Geysers, and watch for wildlife in Lamar Valley
You Might Also Like These Posts:
- Glacier National Park Itinerary
- Best Road Trips in the US
- Ultimate Guide to Visiting Yellowstone in May
Planning Your Yellowstone National Park Trip
How to Get to Yellowstone
If you’re flying into the area, the closest major airport is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. It’s no wonder the airport is named after the park, because many people fly here from all over. ✈️
Yellowstone is about a two hour drive from Bozeman. So, you will want a car or you can book a tour to get you there.
If you are driving into Yellowstone, then there are five different entrances. The North and Northeast entrances are open year round, but the others have seasonal closures. If you are coming in from the South, then you will get to drive through Grand Teton National Park.
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Yellowstone costs $30 for a private vehicle that covers 7 day. You can also use any of the annual passes like the America the Beautiful Pass to get in.
☀️ Weather changes quickly in Yellowstone. Make sure that you stay updated and that you take the proper precautions.
⛺️ There are 11 campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park. All of them require reservations, but half are on Yellowstone National Park Lodges and half are on Recreation.gov.
🐻 Yellowstone is bear country, so make sure to stay bear aware and make loud noises when hiking on the trails. Use the rule of thumb when viewing wildlife, so that you stay the correct distance away. Never stand too close to bison and whatever you do DO NOT TOUCH BISON!
🦮 Pets are not allowed in the most areas of the park and they must stay leashed in parking lots and campgrounds.
⚠️ Most of the roads in Yellowstone have seasonal closures. The road from the North Entrance to the Northeast entrance is open year round. You can check seasonal closures here.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Getting Around Yellowstone
Yellowstone is a HUGE park at over 3700 miles squared, which is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. So, that means you’ll be doing a lot of driving on your three day Yellowstone itinerary. 🚗
So, the best way to get around Yellowstone is to have a car or rent a car. If you’re flying into Bozeman or Jackson then I recommend using rentalcars.com to book your car. They have the cheapest rates and compare cars at all the largest rental car companies.
If you would rather go with others, there are larger group tours that leave from Jackson, Bozeman, and West Yellowstone.
Best Time to Visit Yellowstone
Choosing when you visit is one of the toughest choices because there are large trade offs. While the summer has the best weather, it also draws in the most crowds. So, there are large debates about when to go.
Although this 3 day Yellowstone itinerary is best for summer, you could alter it to explore in the quiet seasons. Generally, late spring to early fall is when most people visit. But, you can read more details below!
Yellowstone Summer
Like many of the National Parks, summer is a very popular time to visit. Wildlife is usually out and about, the weather is nice, and the trails are open. But, hundreds of people come to visit during this time.
So, you can also expect tons of traffic, bison jams 🦬, and crowds of people throughout the park. I’ve gone three times in the summer and honestly, I would choose to visit during a different season. It kind of feels like Disney land.
Fall
I have heard that Fall is one of the very BEST times to visit Yellowstone. Temperatures are cooling down, trees begin to change colors 🍂, and animals are just settling down. So, you can escape the crowds and enjoy beautiful hues throughout the area.
Spring Vibes
I have visited Yellowstone in late Spring and it was my favorite visit! Although temperatures were still cool outside and we needed to wear jackets, it felt so much calmer. Snow covered the landscape, animals were enjoying the warmer temperatures, and there were few other people. You can read more about visiting in spring here!
Winter in Yellowstone
Winter is a completely different vibe in Yellowstone! But, a winter Yellowstone itinerary would need to be adapted. If you are someone that loves snow and snow sports, then this is the time to go. There are tons of snow mobiling opportunities as well as miles of snow shoeing/skiing paths. Some animals are hibernating, but there’s still plenty to see. It’s like a winter wonderland! ❄️❄️
Where to Stay Near Yellowstone
Like I’ve said previously, Yellowstone is a HUGE park. So, unless you change where you stay every day, you’ll probably be doing a lot of driving.
There are eleven campgrounds in the park as well as multiple Yellowstone National Park Lodges. But, these book up really fast, especially for the peak season.
👉 Read a detailed guide on where to stay in Yellowstone here!
If you do not get one of these reservations, then I recommend staying just outside the park in the town of West Yellowstone, Cody, or Gardiner. Personally, I think West Yellowstone is a little more touristy, while Cody is quieter and more scenic. But, they’ll all be great home bases to visit the park.
Best Lodging Yellowstone:
3 Day Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
Day 1: Grand Prismatic, Geysers, and Old Faithful
Grand Prismatic
Enter the park at the West Entrance and follow the signs towards Midway Geyser Basin to see Grand Prismatic. This is one of the most famous sights in the park, with bright blue water surrounded by a yellow and orange ring on the edge.
You can walk around the .8 miles boardwalk and get near the spring or continue on to the Fairy Falls Trail and admire it from the overlook. 👀
Visitors to the park flock to this location and this was one of my favorite areas in the entire park. You should get there as early as you can, so you can beat the crowds! Parking is limited and people often end up parking along the roadside.
Fairy Falls
Continue following the road to Fairy Falls to see the Grand Prismatic from above and take an easy 5 mile hike to a beautiful falls. Walk .8 miles into the trail and you will get to the Grand Prismatic overlook. Here, you will get a much better perspective of the vastness and craziness of this geothermal spring.
About a mile past the viewpoint, you will see a sign for the trail to the left. ⬅️ KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED! We walked past this marker, and ended up going 2 miles in the wrong direction. The trail makes its way through the woods, until you get to the clearing with the tall, thin falls flowing from a cliff above.
Old Faithful
When you finish this hike, you can head 5 miles down the road to Old Faithful. Old Faithful may be the most iconic part of the park, known for the fact that you can predict the times the geyser will erupt.
The Old Faithful area of the park includes the famous Inn, a center with restaurants and stores, and the Old Faithful viewing area. You should look at the eruption times, which are posted in various spots in the center before you make your next plan. If you have to wait, then you can grab an ice cream cone or a bite to eat!
Around 20 minutes before the next eruption, people start to crowd the viewing area. There is a large circle of benches that surround the geyser itself. Don’t worry if you don’t get a seat, the geyser is tall enough for everyone to see! When the water bursts forth from the ground, you will understand why people flock from near and far to see it. The force of the water is truly astounding. Old Faithful can erupt anywhere from 1.5 to 5 minutes, so you should have time to grab a few pictures or videos.
Firehole Lake Drive & Gibbon Falls
Once you are satisfied, drive 9 miles to the Lower Geyser Basin and Firehole Scenic Drive. This is a 3 mile one-way loop where you can stop to see plenty of interesting geothermal hot spots. This area is less crowded than the other geysers, so you’ll have ample time and space to explore.
Gibbon Falls
If you have time, drive half an hour away to Gibbon Falls This is a little bit out of the way, but we figured we had the time to stop there. Gibbon Falls is down the Gibbon River and is a beautiful rushing waterfall.
On your way back you might be lucky enough to spot some Bison out in the field! We were able to see a group of Bisons, which was the perfect ending to the day. You’ll know when there are Bison nearby, because there are usually slow downs and traffic jams. Seeing them throughout the park, is one of the best parts of traveling through it.
Day 2: Mt Washburn, Upper Yellowstone Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Lamar Valley
Mt. Washburn
Enter the park this morning and drive about an hour and a half to the Mt. Washburn trail. This 7 mile hike features panoramic views at the tallest peak in the park 🏔. You will be able to see for miles all around.
There are two different points from which you can take this trail, Dunraven Pass or Chittenden Road. The Dunraven Pass is far more crowded, but also may be more scenic as it goes through the forest. Leaving from Chittenden Road, means you will drive up an unpaved road to the trailhead and mostly walk through the sun.
After climbing 1300 feet, you’ll finally get to the top of this trail. You will be greeted with stunning views and the ability to visit the inside of a fire lookout tower. There is still a ranger that lives there to watch the area and sometimes he comes down to answer questions. This is one of the only fire lookouts that is still operational, which is very cool! 😮 Watch out for wildlife as you walk the trail.
Yellowstone Falls
After your long hike is out of the way, you can see a bunch of other parts of the park. We drove from Mt. Washburn to the Upper Yellowstone Falls. These falls are located at the top of a canyon where the river has carved through it. They are very impressive falls and the canyon itself is made of yellowish beige stone. We read that you can see a rainbow 🌈 through the waterfall at 9:30- 9:45 am, but we did not have the chance. However, they were still beautiful.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Once you’ve seen the falls, you can see the terraces of the Mammoth Hot Springs. This spot is truly unique and it resembles caverns or icicle like structures. It’s one of the things you must see on your three day Yellowstone itinerary! If you continue past the springs, you can go to the visitor center nearby where you can grab a bite to eat and see elk grazing.
Lamar Valley
Are you ready for some wildlife spotting? Time to head to one of the most active areas in the park: the Lamar Valley. For the best wildlife viewings you should either go at sunrise or sunset. 🌄
If you’re going from the West Entrance it takes about 2.5 hours to get to the Lamar Valley. You can drive through the valley to see hundreds of buffalo as the sun rises or sets behind. If you are lucky you may even spot a wolf! Photographers line up along the roadside to get wonderful shots of this area.
On my trips through Lamar Valley I’ve seen bision, black bears, grizzly bears, elk, and wolves!
Day 3: West Thumb and Yellowstone Lake
On your last day, you have time to explore an area of the park that you haven’t seen yet! Visit Yellowstone Lake, an incredibly large and impressive lake or see the geothermal activity at the West Thumb Geyser Basin.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is an area adjacent to Yellowstone lake that has various geothermal features. You can pay for a paper trail guide in the visitor center at West Thumb. This guide is the perfect accompaniment to your walk along the boardwalk, because it will tell you all about the things you’ll see. It’s another unique area in the park that you should definitely see!
What to Add with More Time
If you have more time in the park, then you can see some of the other great highlights. There are other great hikes like Uncle Tom’s Trail, Mystic Falls, and Trout Lake or you can view more wildlife in Hayden Valley. I would have definitely added these to our itinerary if we had. I hope that this three day Yellowstone itinerary was helpful for planning your time in the park!
Final Tips for Visiting Yellowstone
Get ready for the most incredible time using this three day Yellowstone itinerary! During the busy season, Yellowstone tourists crowd the park. Traffic abounds, while parking and lodging can be incredibly hard to find. If you plan on going during the peak months then make sure to book your travel months in advance and arrive to the park early to beat the crowds! If you do all that, you’ll have a great time.
Let me know if this itinerary guide was helpful in the comments!
📍 Pin The ULTIMATE 3 Day Yellowstone Itinerary to Pinterest
