Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, Wyoming, USA
Overview
Yellowstone National Park is the world's first national park — established by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872 — and the world's largest active volcanic system, sitting atop a supervolcano caldera that last erupted approximately 640,000 years ago. The park spans 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and contains half of all the world's hydrothermal features: more than 10,000 geothermal features including geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles concentrated in a park roughly the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
Yellowstone received 4,762,988 recreation visits in 2025 — ranking it third among all US national parks behind Great Smoky Mountains (11.5 million) and Zion (4.98 million). Visitors spent a total of 86,891,452 hours in the park and made 1,238,983 overnight stays despite a 43-day partial government shutdown — Yellowstone's longest ever. May 2025 was the busiest May on record. The park's wildlife — approximately 5,000 bison (the largest wild bison herd in the US), 700 grizzly bears, 100 gray wolves in multiple packs, 30,000 elk, and hundreds of other species — makes it the finest wildlife watching destination in the continental United States.
Grand Teton National Park immediately south of Yellowstone adds a dramatic mountain landscape — the Teton Range rising 7,000 feet directly from the valley floor of Jackson Hole with no foothills, the most vertically dramatic mountain front in the American West. The two parks together with the National Elk Refuge and surrounding wilderness areas constitute the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem — the largest intact temperate ecosystem in the world. Combined, they represent the quintessential American national park experience. Start planning at palapavibez.com.
Fast Facts
Yellowstone has a high-altitude continental climate — the park sits at 7,000 to 11,000 feet elevation, and weather can change dramatically at any time of year. Summer (June through August) is peak season — warm days (18 to 27 degrees Celsius), full access to all roads and facilities, maximum wildlife visibility, but also maximum crowds and highest accommodation prices. The geysers and thermal features operate year-round regardless of temperature, making Yellowstone genuinely spectacular in any season.
Spring (April through May) and autumn (September through October) are the finest visiting windows for wildlife — spring brings newborn bison calves and bears emerging from hibernation, autumn brings the elk rut (September and October, when bull elk bugle across the valleys) and the thinner crowds of post-peak season. Winter (November through March) transforms the park into a snowbound wilderness — only the North Entrance (via Gardiner, Montana) remains open to private vehicles; all other access is by snowcoach or snowmobile. The combination of geothermal steam rising from hot springs into subzero air and bison plowing through snow drifts makes winter visits extraordinary.
The park's five entrances connect to gateway towns: West Yellowstone (Montana, most services, closest to Old Faithful), Gardiner (Montana, only year-round entrance, North Entrance), Cody (Wyoming, East Entrance), Jackson Hole (Wyoming, South Entrance, Grand Teton connection), and Cooke City (Montana, Northeast Entrance, Lamar Valley access). Book accommodation 6 to 13 months in advance for summer — all in-park lodges open a single reservation window approximately 13 months ahead.
Top Attractions
Old Faithful is the world's most famous geyser — not because it is the largest or most spectacular (the Steamboat Geyser erupts higher but less frequently), but because of its reliable, predictable eruptions. Old Faithful erupts approximately every 44 to 125 minutes (the current average is approximately 90 minutes) and has erupted more than 1 million times since records began. The eruption lasts 1.5 to 5 minutes and reaches 106 to 185 feet. Rangers post the predicted next eruption time at the Old Faithful Visitor Center — arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to secure a good spot on the boardwalk. The Upper Geyser Basin surrounding Old Faithful contains the highest concentration of geysers in the world — 25% of all the world's geysers in a single square mile.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the third-largest hot spring in the world and the most visually dramatic geothermal feature in Yellowstone — a 370-foot-wide, 121-foot-deep pool producing 560 gallons of boiling water per minute, surrounded by concentric rings of thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria that color the edges orange, yellow, and green while the center burns deep blue. The boardwalk provides access at water level; the Fairy Falls Trail (4.8 miles round trip) includes an overlook that provides the aerial perspective seen in most photographs. Located in the Midway Geyser Basin.
Recommendations
Old Faithful (Upper Geyser Basin)
Average ~90 min interval — check predicted eruption time at visitor center, arrive 20–30 min early
Grand Prismatic Spring (Midway Basin)
370-ft wide, thermophilic bacteria in rainbow rings — Fairy Falls Trail overlook for aerial view
Lamar Valley Wildlife Watching
Dawn and dusk — wolves, grizzlies, bison thousands, elk, bald eagles from the road, bring binoculars
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Artist Point for Lower Falls (308ft, twice Niagara) — most iconic canyon view in the park
Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces
Travertine terraces in white, orange, pink — near North Entrance/Gardiner, year-round accessible
Grand Teton National Park (South)
Teton Range 7,000ft above valley floor — Jenny Lake, Snake River float trips, climbing, Jackson Hole
Norris Geyser Basin
Steamboat Geyser (world's tallest active, erupts irregularly) — most extreme geothermal landscape
Wildlife Safaris (Guided)
Guides know wolf pack locations and current bear sightings — dramatically improves Lamar Valley success
The Lamar Valley is the finest wildlife watching area in the lower 48 states — a broad, 30-mile valley in the park's northeastern corner where the confluence of the Lamar River with Soda Butte Creek creates the habitat that supports Yellowstone's most visible wildlife populations. At dawn and dusk, bison herds of hundreds to thousands graze the valley floor, wolf packs from multiple territories cross and hunt (the Junction Butte pack is currently the most commonly spotted), grizzly bears dig for roots and ground squirrels along the hillsides, and bald eagles soar over the river. The Northeast Entrance Road through the Lamar Valley is the only road in the park open year-round and is the primary winter wildlife corridor.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a dramatic canyon carved by the Yellowstone River through rhyolite rock — 20 miles long, 800 to 1,200 feet deep, and colored in yellows and reds from hydrothermal alteration of the rock. The Upper Falls (109 feet) and Lower Falls (308 feet — twice the height of Niagara Falls) are the most dramatic waterfall formations in the park. The Artist Point viewpoint on the South Rim provides the most iconic panoramic view of the Lower Falls and the canyon below. The canyon is accessible from Canyon Village, the park's most centrally located hub.
Where to Stay
In-park accommodation in Yellowstone is managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts and must be booked at yellowstonenationalparklodges.com — reservations open 13 months in advance for the following summer season. On the opening day of booking, all popular in-park lodges fill within hours. Set an alarm, have your credit card ready, and book the moment the window opens for July and August stays.
The Old Faithful Inn (opened 1904, the largest log structure in the world, 327 rooms ranging from historic to modern, directly facing Old Faithful Geyser — the Crow's Nest observation deck provides the finest elevated geyser view available) is the most iconic and most sought-after accommodation in the US National Park system. Lake Yellowstone Hotel (the oldest operating hotel in any national park, since 1891, on the shores of Yellowstone Lake) is the most elegant. Canyon Lodge (most modern, most centrally located) and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (near the North Entrance, only hotel with winter road vehicle access) complete the major in-park options.
Recommendations
Old Faithful Inn (In-Park)
Largest log structure in world, facing Old Faithful — books within hours of opening 13 months ahead
Lake Yellowstone Hotel (In-Park)
Oldest hotel in any national park — elegant colonial revival, Yellowstone Lake views
Four Seasons Jackson Hole
Teton Village ski area — most acclaimed luxury in the Greater Yellowstone region
Amangani (Jackson Hole)
Aman property on ridge above Jackson — most dramatically sited hotel in the region
Gateway town accommodation: West Yellowstone (Montana) has the widest range of hotels and is closest to the Old Faithful and Midway Geyser areas. Jackson Hole (Wyoming) — 60 miles south of the South Entrance, gateway to Grand Teton — is the most resort-developed gateway, with the Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole (Teton Village ski area, most acclaimed luxury) and the Amangani (a hilltop Aman property above Jackson Hole town) as the most celebrated properties.
Food & Drink
Dining inside Yellowstone is primarily a practical matter rather than a culinary destination — the in-park restaurants (Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, Lake Hotel Dining Room, Canyon Lodge Dining Room) serve reliable American food at reasonable prices. The Old Faithful Inn Dining Room is the most atmospheric — eating in the massive log-framed dining room while waiting for the next Old Faithful eruption is a specific Yellowstone pleasure. Reservations strongly recommended for dinner.
The gateway towns offer better variety. West Yellowstone has a reasonable range of restaurants for a small town. Jackson Hole (40 minutes from Grand Teton South Entrance) has an excellent restaurant scene for a mountain resort — the Gun Barrel Steakhouse (Western atmosphere, excellent Wyoming beef), the Blue Lion (creative American), and Handle Bar at Four Seasons are the most celebrated.
Recommendations
Old Faithful Inn Dining Room
Massive log dining room, reserve ahead — eat while waiting for next Old Faithful eruption
Wyoming Grass-Fed Beef
Gun Barrel Steakhouse (Jackson Hole) — finest regional beef, at any Jackson steakhouse
Huckleberry Everything
Wild mountain berry, June–August — ice cream, jam, syrup at every gift shop and town diner
Wyoming beef is the essential regional food — the state produces some of the finest grass-fed cattle in the American West, and any steakhouse in Jackson Hole will have exceptional quality. Huckleberries (a wild mountain berry similar to blueberries) are the quintessentially Yellowstone/Montana fruit — available as ice cream, jam, syrup, and in everything at every gift shop from June through August.
Getting There
Yellowstone has no commercial airport — the nearest options are Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) — 60 miles from Yellowstone's South Entrance, the only commercial airport inside a national park, served by American, Delta, United, and Alaska Airlines from major hubs — and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana — 90 miles from the North Entrance, served by multiple airlines from major US cities and recently expanded. West Yellowstone has a small seasonal airport (WYS) with limited service.
From Jackson Hole (JAC): drive north through Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone South Entrance — approximately 60 miles/1 hour. From Bozeman (BZN): drive south on US-191 to Gardiner/North Entrance — approximately 90 miles/1.5 hours. Car rental is essential — no public transit serves the park interior. The distance from the South to North Entrance through the park is approximately 60 miles (minimum 90 minutes without stops — with stops for wildlife and geothermal features, allow a full day).
The Grand Loop Road is the park's main circuit — a figure-8 of roads connecting all major features. The Upper Loop (north) connects Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt, and Canyon. The Lower Loop (south) connects Old Faithful, West Thumb, and Lake areas. A minimum of 3 days is required to cover the major features of both loops; 4 to 5 days allows proper time for wildlife watching, hiking, and the Grand Tetons.
Practical Info
Classic 4-day Yellowstone + Grand Teton itinerary: Day 1 arrive Jackson Hole, afternoon Grand Teton National Park (Jenny Lake, Snake River scenic float). Day 2 enter Yellowstone South Entrance — Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin (morning), Grand Prismatic Spring/Midway Basin (afternoon), Canyon Village. Day 3 Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (morning), Lamar Valley wildlife watching (dawn and dusk — the most important day). Day 4 Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, Norris Geyser Basin, exit North or return south. This covers the park's essential highlights.
Wildlife safety: Yellowstone is genuinely wild — grizzly bears and bison are not zoo animals. The minimum safe distance from bison is 25 yards (75 feet); from bears and wolves, 100 yards (300 feet). More people are injured by bison than by bears in Yellowstone each year — they are faster than they appear and completely unpredictable. Carry bear spray when hiking any trail, know how to use it, and hike in groups of three or more. Never approach wildlife for photographs.
Recommendations
Book In-Park Lodges 13 Months Ahead
yellowstonenationalparklodges.com — Old Faithful Inn fills within hours of opening day, set a reminder
Lamar Valley at Dawn and Dusk
Best wildlife viewing hours — bring binoculars, allow 3–4 hrs minimum, wolves and grizzlies most active
25 Yards from Bison, 100 from Bears
Bison injure more visitors than bears annually — they are fast and unpredictable, always maintain distance
Carry Bear Spray When Hiking
Know how to use it before entering the backcountry — available for rent at park visitor centers
September–October for Elk Rut
Bull elk bugling across the valleys — most dramatic wildlife spectacle, thinner crowds than summer
Book in-park lodges 13 months ahead for summer — set a calendar reminder for exactly 13 months before your intended stay and be online at 8am Mountain Time on that day. The Old Faithful Inn and Lake Hotel book within hours. If in-park lodges are full, gateway town accommodation in West Yellowstone or Jackson Hole plus early daily entry allows a complete park experience.
