Photo:
James St. John from Newark, Ohio / CC BY 2.0
Yellowstone is the world’s first national park and still one of its most extraordinary, a vast volcanic plateau where half the planet’s geysers erupt, hot springs blaze in impossible colors, and one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems on Earth teems with bison, wolves, grizzlies and elk. Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and endless wildlife make it a bucket-list park like no other.
Yellowstone sits atop a giant volcanic hot spot, and its restless geology is everywhere, geyser basins, bubbling mud pots, rainbow-rimmed hot springs, and the yellow-walled Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its thundering falls. Around the thermal wonders spread high forests, sagebrush valleys, alpine peaks, and Yellowstone Lake, all supporting the famous wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Summer through early fall is the prime and busiest window, with all roads and services open, warm days and superb wildlife viewing. September adds the elk rut and thinner crowds. Snow closes most roads much of the year; winter offers a magical, frozen park accessible by snowcoach and snowmobile to Old Faithful and the interior.
Five entrances, from Montana, Wyoming and (via West Yellowstone) the Idaho side, feed the figure-eight Grand Loop Road that connects the major sights. A vehicle is essential given the enormous distances, and the nearest airports are Bozeman and Jackson. Plan for long drives, wildlife jams and full parking in summer.
Watch Old Faithful and walk the boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin and Grand Prismatic Spring, take in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its falls, and watch wildlife in the Lamar and Hayden valleys, among the best places on Earth to see wolves and bears. Hike, camp, fish and paddle across a park that rewards weeks of exploration.
The hydrothermal areas are deadly. The ground is often thin crust over boiling, acidic water, so stay strictly on the boardwalks. This is core grizzly country: carry bear spray, keep 100 yards from bears and wolves. Bison injure more people than any other animal here, so keep 25 yards away and never approach. Weather turns fast at altitude, and rivers run cold and swift.
A park pass is required, backcountry and fishing permits are needed for those activities, and lodging and campgrounds book up many months ahead. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current road status, conditions and permits with the National Park Service before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
