Yellowstone is such an amazing park with so much to offer! Geysers with amazing colors, incredible animal spotting just off the side of the road, and beautiful waterfalls are all within the United States!
How to get there
We stayed to the west in Cody, Wyoming, and loved it. Jackson Hole is another option; however, we loved the chill wild west vibes that Cody offered. United has flights in and out of Cody from Denver every day. From Cody, the East entrance is about an hour and a half.
Where to Stay
While staying in a national park can be pricey, it is worth it to not have to drive 1-2 hours every day. There are actually several small villages within Yellowstone with hotels, restaurants, and stores. There were also several lodges and ranches right outside the gate as well. We decided to fly into Cody the day after we arrived and before we left there. Then, we spent two days and one night in the park. The areas surrounding Yellowstone had a lot of activities to offer as well. The blog post about Cody will be next! We decided on the Lake Yellowstone village and stayed at the lake lodge. It was a beautiful area with a couple of dining options. If you are looking for more options, the Old Faithful Village was huge! We booked 6 months in advance and still had a hard time finding lodging, so book a hotel in advance. For dinner reservations, the lodging website sent us a link about a month out.
What to do:
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Before researching Yellowstone, we had no clue that there was an enormous canyon with an epic waterfall. This was one of our favorite parts and our first stop. There were north-rim and south-rim loops with several stops each way. Artist’s point was our favorite stop on the South Rim. It was crowded but absolutely worth it! The views of the waterfall and canyon were stunning. The North rim was a little less crowded and had several viewpoints that were great to check out.
Animal Spotting
Hayden Valley
Elk, Buffalo, Geese, Mule deer, Whitetail deer, Grouse, Chipmunks, fluffy musket, and big horn sheep can all be spotted at Yellowstone. When we visited we saw lots of elk and buffalo. We found that they were pretty easy to spot. When driving through, groups of cars stop on the side of the road. This is where the animals are. They are pretty used to the people and just go along their way.
Geysers, Hot Springs, and Mud pots
This is probably the most famous thing to do in Yellowstone, and it’s easy to see why! There are also steam vents, hot springs, and mud pots. All of these are pretty much made from the heat under the surface in Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful Geyser goes off every 90-ish minutes and exploded over 100 feet into the air. There is a beautiful walkway around old faithful with tons of geysers, springs, and mud pots to visit while you wait. Grand Prismatic has the craziest colors, and the viewpoint is amazing. The entire park is filled with so many incredible sights!
