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Yellowstone National Park Travel Guide & Itineraries

Yellowstone National Park Travel Guide & Itineraries

Yellowstone National Park: America’s first National Park. It’s on so many people’s bucket list and really lives up to the hype. We’ve been many times, both with and without kids, and know the park like the back of our hand. This is our complete Yellowstone National Park travel guide to one of our favorite destinations.

Once you’ve conquered the road trip of driving to Wyoming from wherever you actually start, you’ll have more planning…and more driving to do. To minimize the driving and maximize fun in the park we’ve created a Yellowstone National Park family travel guide.

Complete guide to Yellowstone National Park with kids. Travel plans, itineraries, geysers, wildlife and more. Photography tips and being prepared for all weather in Yellowstone, this guide is perfect for family travel.

Yellowstone Itineraries

We’ve got several different ways to approach Yellowstone, whether you’re interested in mostly geysers and geology or if you want to see wildlife and relax out in nature. Here are two 2-day itineraries to help you have the best experience in the park, and if you combine them you’ll have an awesome four day trip: Best of the Best of Yellowstone & Best Hot Springs and Wildlife.

We talk through our complete Yellowstone National Park itinerary:  four days to conquer the park, part 1!  In this episode we cover the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Norris Geysers, Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake. Each itinerary route is its own day in the park and covers the best sights and tips for enjoying driving through Yellowstone National Park.
Best of the Best of Yellowstone National Park – 2 days of the must see sights
Two days' worth of travel plans for exploring the best of Yellowstone National Park.  In this episode we cover two days of traveling through Yellowstone. These two road trip routes go through the northwest corner of the park, stopping at Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, the Lamar Valley, and our best wildlife viewing tips.
2 Day Plan for the most unique hot springs and best wildlife viewing

Yellowstone National Park Podcast

Do you ever have so much to share that writing doesn’t even begin to capture it all? That’s how we feel about Yellowstone National Park. We recorded five podcast episodes about Yellowstone covering everything from planning your trip, visiting each of the many geothermal areas, as well actual itineraries for spending four days here. This episode is all of the need to know information about visiting Yellowstone National Park.

Podcast episode covering the best need-to-know Yellowstone National Park tips. From where to camp to where to stay outside of the park, favorite sights and things to watch for, the basics of having an awesome trip, and some of our favorite stories through the years. #Yellowstone #NationalPark #Wyoming
Podcast episode covering the best need-to-know Yellowstone National Park tips. From where to camp to where to stay outside of the park, favorite sights and things to watch for, the basics of having an awesome trip, and some of our favorite stories through the years.

Road Trips to Yellowstone National Park

And you have to consider how you’re getting to Yellowstone National Park, so we have built out several road trip plans and getaways to make it happen. Starting up in mining country and going through Old West towns or exploring the wilderness between Billings, Bozeman and Yellowstone, or even just taking a trip to Big Sky and doing day trips into the park…

Montana is a gorgeous state with some of the coolest towns, both modern and old west. From Billings to Big Sky, we dig into the best sights and activities in Southwest Montana. Road trip itinerary to take you through the West and even Yellowstone! #roadtrip #Montana #yellowstone
Yellowstone Country Road Trip plan, including Billing, Beartooth Highway, Yellowstone, Livingstone and Bozeman
Road trip to Yellowstone National Park starting in Montana mining country and visiting old west ghost towns
Big Sky Montana Landing
Guide to Big Sky, Montana and great day trips into Yellowstone National Park

Guide to Yellowstone Wildlife

Being immersed in bison, really? Is bear hunting legal? When ground squirrels attack… Yellowstone National Park is as much about wildlife as it is about geysers, and for kids sometimes wildlife is really the attraction. The best wildlife viewing in Yellowstone happens all over the place and at different times of day.

This is a guide to the best wildlife viewing in Yellowstone National Park. Best spots to see bears, moose, bison and more. Tips for viewing and photographing in Yellowstone.

Geysers and all Things Geothermal

This everything you need to know about visiting geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. From the science of geysers to photography tips, everything you need to know for exploring the geothermal areas. This is not a basin by basin guide, but information for having the best visits with kids. Who doesn’t want to be able to teach their kids how the earth works AND get awesome photos?!

Best geyser recommendations in Yellowstone National Park. Must-see hot springs and geysers that most people miss when they visit Yellowstone. #Wyoming #NationalPark #Yellowstone #hiking
Best geyser recommendations in Yellowstone National Park. Must-see hot springs and geysers that most people miss when they visit Yellowstone.
Best geyser recommendations in Yellowstone National Park. Must-see hot springs and geysers that most people miss when they visit Yellowstone. #Wyoming #NationalPark #Yellowstone #hiking
Best geyser recommendations in Yellowstone National Park. Must-see hot springs and geysers that most people miss when they visit Yellowstone.
Everything you need to know about visiting geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. From the science of geysers to photography tips, everything you need to know for exploring the geysers of Yellowstone.
Everything you need to know about visiting geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. From the science of geysers to photography tips, everything you need to know for exploring the geysers of Yellowstone.
Biscuit Basin is one of the prettiest places in Yellowstone National Park and it's often overlooked. Find out what's at Biscuit Basin, hikes to do and tips for photographing geysers.
Guide to one of our favorite, and yet most overlooked, geyser areas: the Biscuit Basin. It’s gorgeous and people tend to drive right past it.

Best Picnicking in Yellowstone

One of our favorite activities in any National Park is picnicking. Why picnic? Where should we eat in the park? Should we expect Yogi Bear sightings?  Our family is big into picnicking anywhere, but a place like Yellowstone really lends itself to the outdoor dining experience.  

The best picnic spots in Yellowstone are around every corner and need to be a part of your Yellowstone travel plans. Picnics and lunch spots should be a part of every travel guide, especially in Yellowstone.

The best picnic spots in Yellowstone Natioanl Park are around every corner. This is our guide to the best spots for relaxing and enjoying meals in the open air of Yellowstone.
The best picnic spots in Yellowstone National Park are around every corner. This is our guide to the best spots for relaxing and enjoying meals in the open air of Yellowstone.

Being Prepared for all Weather in Yellowstone

It’s summer, but there’s snow? We’ve done it enough and made enough mistakes to be able to confidently give our advice on ensuring a fun, warm experience in Yellowstone National Park… even when summer feels like winter.  Being prepared for all weather in Yellowstone National Park means packing appropriately and having extras of everything.

Don’t let us scare you though, because you might be completely lucky with your weather!

Packing for Yellowstone National Park in any season can be tough. Even in summer you might face snow or torrential rain. This is a guide to packing and planning for any weather in Yellowstone National Park.
Packing for Yellowstone National Park in any season can be tough. Even in summer you might face snow or torrential rain. This is a guide to packing and planning for any weather in Yellowstone National Park.

Here’s a quick recap of our Yellowstone trip so you can see what’s in store:

With our family travel guide our goal is to be helpful in maximizing time NOT in the car and suggesting what are truly the best sights in the park. Check out our similar advice regarding the following US National Parks:

Glacier National Park

Mt Rainier National Park

Olympic National Park

Yosemite National Park

Please leave comments below or email us with more questions or suggestions about visiting Yellowstone National Park. Feel free to comment on each individual post as well.

Complete guide to Yellowstone National Park with kids. Travel plans, itineraries, geysers, wildlife and more. Photography tips and being prepared for all weather in Yellowstone, this guide is perfect for family travel.
A Yellowstone National Park family travel guide is necessary to not waste time and having the most memorable experience in America's first National Park. Travel guide for geysers, wildlife, picnicking and more in America's first National Park.
Complete guide to Yellowstone National Park with kids. Travel plans, itineraries, geysers, wildlife and more. Photography tips and being prepared for all weather in Yellowstone, this guide is perfect for family travel.