I have experienced two seasons in Yellowstone National Park, Summer, and Fall, so this post will be full of useful tips and facts about this gigantic park. Let’s go then, on the journey to the first national park ever!

Once upon a time, on March 1, 1872, something extraordinary happened. Yellowstone National Park came into existence, becoming the very first national park in the entire world. It was like a gift from nature to all of us.

How to Go There?

In my recommendation, driving is the best way to explore YNP. It has several entrances as this park is spread into 3 states Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming! The most commonly used entrances are in the following gateway towns:

• West Entrance: West Yellowstone, Montana

• North Entrance: Gardiner, Montana -(Best to enter from here for Wildlife Viewing)

• East Entrance: Cody, Wyoming

• South Entrance: Jackson, Wyoming (closest to Grand Teton National Park)

Haque’s EYE

Plan to visit Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park along with YNP if you have a week, orelse plan Yellowstone and Grand Teton as they are adjacent if you have 2-3 days.

Sunrise over the top of Geyser, on the way to the Park from Cody Entrance.

Use the East or North Entrance to enter YNP, and take the South Entrance or West Entrance to head out to the next National Park.

What are the Must-See Things at YNP?

• Wildlife

• Waterfalls

• Thermal Geysers

Where to Go for Wildlife Viewing?

Yellowstone is one of the best places to see wildlife roaming around in their kingdom. In Yellowstone, it’s not uncommon for “wildlife jams” to occur when animals, particularly bison or elk, decide to use the road. Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have continuously lived since prehistoric times. They are considered “wildlife royalty” and are a symbol of the park that you can see in the national park board picture!

Catch the breakfast time of Hundreds of Bison in Hayden Valley

Me, Mom & Dad, Happy family!

Bathing Time!

We have seen some pronghorns, often mistaken for antelope, which is North America’s fastest land mammal! Yellowstone is home to a healthy pronghorn population, and they can be seen sprinting across the open landscapes.

Haque’s EYE

The best place in the park for wildlife viewing would be Lamar Valley “Serengeti of North America”, and Hayden Valley. Must go there during sunrise for your best shots.

Let me share a secret with you: Install the iNaturalist app on your phone before heading to any wildlife viewing trip!

The heatmap feature in iNaturalist provides a visual representation of where observations have been made recently.

How to Use?

– Open the iNaturalist app.

– Navigate to the Explore tab

 – Choose your location or search for a specific area.

– Toggle the heatmap view to see areas with a higher concentration of recent wildlife observations.

Awesome, Right?

After Wildlife Viewing Let’s Go to See the Waterfall….

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park is like nature’s rollercoaster, with two spectacular falls stealing the show – Upper Falls and Lower Falls.

Upper Falls cascades down a series of steep terraces. It has a height of approximately 109 feet (33 meters) and is also a prominent feature in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone National Park.

The vibrant colors of the canyon’s walls are due to the presence of various minerals, including iron compounds which create hues of yellow, orange, pink, and red.

Lower Falls, within the canyon, is one of the park’s most iconic waterfalls, dropping approximately 308 feet (94 meters). It is more than twice the height of Niagara Falls!

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The Brink of Lower Falls Trail provides a close-up view of the canyon and takes visitors to the brink of Lower Falls. It offers a unique perspective on the power and beauty of the waterfall.

Next, we will go to Explore YNP’s Geothermal Marvels

Yellowstone National Park (YNP) where the ground doesn’t just sit there quietly – it bubbles, steams, and puts on a show! Making it a global hotspot for these natural wonders. YNP sits atop a massive supervolcano, and the park’s geysers are a result of the intense geothermal activity beneath the Earth’s surface!

There are three recommended places inside the park where you can explore some of the best geysers, hot springs, and mud pools.

1. Upper Geyer Basin

2. Midway Geyser Basin

3. Upper & Lower Tarraces

Head to Upper Geyser Basin…

What are the must-see at Upper Geyser Basin?

Old Faithful

Old Faithful, the park’s reliable storyteller, erupted with a show of water and steam every 90 minutes, captivating the audience gathered on the benches. It was like nature’s own fireworks, a performance that happened like clockwork.

The water that erupts from Old Faithful is scalding hot, reaching temperatures near the boiling point, around 204 to 206 degrees Fahrenheit (95 to 96 degrees Celsius). So do not try to get very friendly!

Old Faithful typically reaches between 106 to 184 feet (32 to 56 meters). The duration of the eruption can also vary, lasting anywhere from 1.5 to 5 minutes.

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Check with park rangers, visitor centers, or online resources for the estimated next eruption time ahead. Arrive early, especially during peak times. Secure your spot and be volcano-ready!

After Exploring Old Faithful, take a walk to Upper Geyser Basin Broadwalk.

The boardwalk allows people to safely observe these natural wonders while protecting both visitors and the delicate thermal features.

It is an easy walk and wheelchair accessible.

Do you know? Yellowstone National Park is home to over 500 geysers and around 10,000 hot springs! unimaginable, right?!

One of the most iconic ones was the “Morning Glory Pool” Picture above, though not a great one :

After Exploring Upper Geyser Basin Head to Midway Geyser Basin…

What are the must-see at Midway Geyser Basin?

Grand Prismatic

Must see the largest hot spring in the United States! You can get there in two ways. One is to take the boardwalk and experience this beauty from up close and another is to take a 30-mins hike to see the whole hot spring from the top.

To see the whole spring from the top head towards “Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook”. On the way to the hike to the top, you have to cross a small wooden bridge. No specific sign is there but there will always be people going to the top view area, just follow them!

You will walk through the valley of the midway geyser basin and on the way you will find some beautiful turquoise hot springs!

At the top, the view is mesmerizing!

HDR mode picture at the bottom, the colors are not this much vibrant though!

Grand Prismatic is the third-largest in the world. It spans approximately 370 feet (112 meters) in diameter and is around 160 feet (49 meters) deep.

Grand Prismatic Spring exhibits distinct temperature zones. The center is too hot for most life. The brilliant colors of Grand Prismatic are caused by pigmented bacteria and microbial mats that thrive in the various temperature zones of the outer part of the spring. The colors range from deep blue in the center to vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds along the outer edges.

To see this gigantic hot spring from up close park your car at the Grand Prismatic Spring Parking Lot and walk through the trail which will take you to the boardwalk from where you can see the beauty from feet away!

On the boardwalk with better half!

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The best view of the Grand Prismatic is from the Fairy Falls trailhead, where an elevated boardwalk provides an overlook. If you want to take a 1.5 to 2 hours hike then, this is the palce for you!

The Next Destination is the Upper and Lower Terrace Area….

The terraces in the Mammoth Hot Springs area are constantly changing. Because hot water brings minerals that build up. Microorganisms and natural forces shape and reshape them. Shifts in underground activity and weather also play a role. It’s like nature’s ever-changing artwork.

Take the Upper Terrace trail to explore some most unique geothermal formations in the World!

Naturally, some parts of the terraces may erode or collapse, while new formations develop elsewhere.

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Try to get there during sunset to get the best exposure for your next great shot! At this time the red and white color combination look more vibrant in the picture.

The terraces are made of travertine, a type of limestone deposited by mineral-rich hot springs. The process creates the unique stepped formations seen in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

If you are in Yellowstone for more than one day then take your time to explore each area. There is also beautiful Yellowstone Lake which is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America. The lake is surrounded by mountains and provides opportunities for boating, fishing and simply relaxing.

Yellowstone, where the wild stays wild forever. every sound, star-filled sky, and bubbling springs share a story of the wild. Anyone who visits becomes a part of this amazing tale. Each visit to YNP deepened my love for nature and wildlife. 🌲🦌💚

I hope it sparks the same love inside you! Until our next adventure, keep exploring with Haque’s EYE.