Why Lone Mountain Ranch
Lone Mountain Ranch was homesteaded in 1915 and has become the treasure of Big Sky, Montana. Whether you learn of the ranch by its dining, cabins, sleigh rides or any of the other activities you can do on or near the ranch, youll find that it is the perfect place to stay when visiting Yellowstone National Park.
- Located in the town of Big Sky
- Only an hour from Bozeman
- Well pick you up from the airport
- Only 18 miles North of Yellowstone NP
- Incredible meals included
Four Days Yellowstone Itinerary:
Day 1: Lewis Falls. West Thumb Basin. Yellowstone Lake. Storm Point hike. Mud Volcano area. Hayden Valley.
Day 2: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone . Norris Geyser Basin. Firehole River .
Day 3: Mammoth Hot Springs. Go swimming in the Boiling River. Undine Falls. Wraith Falls. Petrified Tree . Lamar Valley. Tower Fall. Dunraven Pass.
Day 4: Midway Geyser Basin . You can also hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Lower Geyser Basin. Upper Geyser Basin , also Biscuit Basin and/or Black Sand Basin.
TIP: If you are looking for the best guided tour option, check out this beautiful 4-day/ 3 night Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip with a focus on wildlife .
Below is a map indicating each of the suggested places from our 4-day Yellowstone itinerary. Places indicated in red are the ones described on day 1 of this itinerary, purple day 2, yellow day 3, and green day 4. The blue dots are the places that we mention in the 5-days Yellowstone itinerary further below.
Campsites/# Nights Aug 2023 In Light Of 2022 Flood Damage
Ive been dreaming for years of Yellowstone, and just saw that there was only one 2-night availability at Canyon, so I quickly snagged it, figuring Ill have to schedule my cross-country trip around those two days. I grabbed 3 nights at Grant following those 2 nights, and was going to grab a couple nights at Mammoth before Canyon, but I see now that Mammoth is closed until further notice due to infrastructure damage. Im not sure how many days Ill need to not feel rushed, and I very much want to have a leisurely look at the Tetons and Jackson Hole area as well. Unfortunately I cant seem to plan distances and times because of current winter road closures. How far is Grant to the main part of Tetons and also to the restaurants and shops of Jackson Hole? If its too far, are there recommendations of campsites that are more suitable that would accommodate a 21 trailer plus truck?
Also Im guessing Canyon is kind of far to check out Mammoth and the wildlife viewing in the northeast corner? Should be adding nights north of Canyon?
Im reading now how some dont like these two choices, and I can always change things if theres availability and its advised. Fishing Bridge is out because Im in a hybrid camper and I might be tasty to bears.
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Lamar Valley Wildlife Drive Raft Down The Yellowstone River
Wake early to catch the sunrise and prime wildlife viewing in Lamar Valley. Enjoy some time this morning to explore the white, orange, and yellow travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs before lunch at Arch Park. Set off on an exciting whitewater rafting adventure on the Yellowstone River. Dinner is on your own tonight in Gardiner.
Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone
Rafting: 2 hoursHiking: Hiking Distance: 2 miles
Day 5
Make Your Reservations Early
I cant stress enough how important it is to start planning your Yellowstone family vacation as early as possible. Reservations within Yellowstone book up nearly a year in advance. While there are many lodges to choose from, you will likely want to split up your trip to stay in at least two different sections of the park so you dont spend all your time driving back and forth over the same terrain.
If you cant get a reservation right away, keep checking back as you continue planning your trip because there are cancellations. Also, campground reservations are easier to secure, but even those should be booked early.
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Overview Of The Regions In This Yellowstone Trip Itinerary
Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, with small portions of the park crossing over into neighboring Idaho and Montana.
Covering over 2 million acres, Yellowstone is one of the largest national parks in the United States. Theres no shortage of incredible things to do in Yellowstone, from geothermal features to waterfalls galore.
The parks massive lands are connected through the Grand Loop Road. This famous scenic highway forms a Figure 8, as you can see in the map below. Grand Loop Road is the primary route for most activities in Yellowstone.
The Grand Loop Road also connects the parks five entrances. The best way to enter the park will depend on where youre traveling from and what you plan to do within the park.
- West Entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana best all around as its only minutes outside West Yellowstone, Montana.
- North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana best for visiting Mammoth Hot Springs and flying in from Bozeman
- Northeast Entrance in Cooke City, Montana best for visiting Lamar Valley and driving the Beartooth Highway and flying into Billings
- East Entrance near Wapiti, Wyoming best for visiting Yellowstone Lake and flying into Cody
- South Entrance near Moran, Wyoming best for those also visiting Grand Teton National Park or flying into Jackson Hole
Another must-visit area of Yellowstone is Canyon Village. This region is home to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Hayden Valley.
Get Off The Beaten Path
As already mentioned above, its best to go to the main landmarks in the morning and spend the busiest hours of the day visiting less popular areas in Yellowstone. There are so many places in Yellowstone where you hardly meet any people.
Good to know: The busiest places in Yellowstone are the Upper Geyser Basin , Midway Geyser Basin , Yellowstone Canyon, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Norris Geyser Basin .
Visit any place thats not in one of these areas and youll see an exponential decrease in the number of people. Also, Upper Loop is much less busy than the Lower Loop. If you leave the Grand Loop Road completely, you can have some amazing hidden gems completely to yourselves.
Of course, you have to see the main landmarks of Yellowstone no trip would be complete without that! But its those unplanned experiences, places you have all to yourself, and unexpected encounters that will make your trip so much more memorable.
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How Much Time Do You Need In Yellowstone National Park
When I was researching our American road trip itinerary, I quickly realized that one or two days are simply not enough for visiting Yellowstone. Not only is Yellowstone the oldest National Park in the world, its also one of the biggest and most diverse National Parks we ever visited.
After thorough research, we decided to spend four full days in Yellowstone. It gave us just enough time to see all the main highlights without having to rush. We did quite some hiking, went for a swim, spent time driving the scenic loop road and looking for wildlife
Yellowstone is so big and so diverse that you could easily spend a week or two here and never get bored. However, if you just want to see the main landmarks of Yellowstone, three or four days is enough. You can also see a lot with just a day or two, especially if you plan your time well and focus on the musts our itinerary suggestions below will help you do just that!
TIP: Dont pack your days too much and leave some space for unexpected wildlife encounters, bison traffic jams, a beautiful hike, a soak in the warm river, etc. Yellowstone is so much more than just the most famous landmarks!
Allow Time For Bison Jams
When you are planning your day, keep in mind that driving through the park takes a lot longer than you might expect Not only are there speed limits and single-lane roads, but you can encounter slow RVs, animal traffic jams, and scenic viewpoints that will entice you to make unplanned stops along the way.
The bottom line is: give yourself plenty of extra time and go with the flow!
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Highlights Of Yellowstone National Park
Watch Old Faithful erupt
Yellowstone is home to over 10,000 thermal features including the highest concentration of geysers on the planet but Old Faithful is the superstar. Watch safely from the sidelines as this mighty cone geyser shoots 14,000 litres of hot water high into the air. There are around 20 eruptions a day, with each lasting two to five minutes. Listen out for the powerful roaring sounds as Old Faithful begins to erupt as well as the gurgling plughole sounds of other geysers nearby.
Grand Prismatic Spring is full of heat-loving microbes that create a rainbow rim of vivid colours around the edge of the water. At a mighty 370 feet wide and 160 feet deep , it’s also the largest hot spring in the US. Walk along the boardwalk to get up close to the hypnotising colours or hike to the overlook for an impressive bird’s eye view. Grand Prismatic Spring is the kind of site that needs to be seen to be believed.
Hike the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Yellowstone might be known for its steamy hot springs, geysers and mud pools, but the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is equally impressive. Carved out over 150,000 years by the Yellowstone River, the canyon is a mighty 1,200 ft deep and 20 miles long. There are multiple hiking trails to explore, but the North Rim Trail offers some of the most dramatic vantage points including Crystal Falls, Upper Falls and the thundering Lower Falls which plummets over 300 feet .
Enjoy a natural hot tub in Boiling River
Respect Nature & Rules
Yellowstone has many geothermal features that can be very dangerous if approached too closely. So always follow the signs and stay on the marked paths. Only swim where its explicitly allowed. The rules are there to protect you.
There are also so many rules in Yellowstone that protect nature and wildlife. Most often, its simply common sense. Dont litter, dont throw anything into the geothermal features, dont approach or feed wild animals, dont speed on the roads, etc.
There are very few places in the world that are as special as Yellowstone. So its our responsibility to leave no trace and preserve this incredible natural wonderland for the future.
So, these are our top suggestions, things you should know before going to Yellowstone. I hope that these Yellowstone tips will help you make the most of your trip!
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For more tips for your trip, please check our Yellowstone travel guide. It contains lots of practical information for your trip and an overview of all our articles about Yellowstone. Check it out!
More tips for your trip to Yellowstone:
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How Much Does A Trip To Yellowstone Cost
This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in my disclosure.
How much does it cost to go to Yellowstone Park? That depends on several factors: how many days in Yellowstone are you planning for? Do you want to fly and rent a car or drive to Yellowstone? Will you pay Yellowstone fees or do you already have an all access pass? Do you want to piece it together yourself or are you interested in on of the all inclusive Yellowstone vacation packages?
In this article, I break down the costs of a Yellowstone vacation and look at options from budget-friendly to splurge-worthy.
How Much Does Yellowstone Cost Lodging
As with everything in this guide to budgeting for a Yellowstone trip, the cost of lodging depends on where you want to stay. Hotels are, of course, more expensive than camping and a different experience. You can stay inside the park or in one of the gateway communities near the parks entrances.
Regardless of where you want to stay, make your reservations as early as possible. Yellowstone hotels and campgrounds fill up quickly!
How Much Does it Cost to Camp in Yellowstone?
There are 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park and many more in the National Forests surrounding the park. Five of the campgrounds take reservations, the others are first come, first served.
Yellowstone campsites cost from $15 for a basic tent camping site to $47.75 for a campsite with full hook ups. That does not include tax.
See what campgrounds in Yellowstone cost in the NPS chart below.
How Much do Hotels in Yellowstone Cost?
Yellowstone lodging is not inexpensive. Roughrider Cabins, the most basic of Yellowstone lodging cost $101 plus tax. Thats for one double bed and no bathroom.
On the other end of the spectrum, rooms at the Lake Yellowstone Lodge can cost $550 or more. A suite at the Old Faithful Inn costs more than $700.
Most hotel rooms in Yellowstone are between $150-$300 per night.
There are many hotels outside of Yellowstone National Park and their room rates are about the same.
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Bring Binoculars & Good Camera Equipment
To many of us, wildlife is one of the reasons to visit Yellowstone. Sometimes, youll see many animals right next to the road, and quite often very close to your car. However, more often animals will be at a bigger distance and you really need a pair of good binoculars in order to truly enjoy the experience.
For any trips involving animals, we pack a pair of good-value binoculars for each member of our family. Its not a huge investment and it always does wonders in keeping the kids more interested and engaged during the trip.
If you are looking for a really good pair of binoculars, I recommend binoculars with image stabilization. However, thats quite an investment, so I wouldnt get it just for one trip. Remember that any binoculars are better than none and youll be really glad you packed them.
One more thing to remember is that its really difficult to take good pictures of wildlife with your smartphone. So if you are into wildlife photography, you should consider taking a good camera and the best zoom lens you own. Here you can find some tips for cameras and lenses for wildlife photography.
Five Days In Yellowstone
If you have five days in Yellowstone, make sure you see all the main landmarks and highlights described in the four days Yellowstone itinerary. In addition, you could hike to Mount Washburn. Its a long hike depending on the route you choose) and requires a good part of the day.
Another nice option on foot or by bike is Lone Star Geyser. Its located about 3 miles south of the Old Faithful area and can be reached via a hiking/biking trail from there. It erupts every 3 hours.
Otherwise, you can find plenty of other nice hikes, go for a boat ride on Yellowstone Lake, go for a scenic float or rafting nearby, join a hiking tour, etc.
Take a look at the map above the blue dot next to Dunraven Pass is Mount Washburn. And the blue dot south of the Old Faithful is Lone Star Geyser.
So, these are my suggestions for the best way to plan your Yellowstone trip and see the main landmarks of Yellowstone. None of these itineraries are very detailed as that would require separate articles, such as the ones for 1 and 2 days that we linked to above. So if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment below and Ill try to help.
Please note that I cannot help you to create individual itineraries, however, also because so much depends on the location of your accommodation. We have lots of information and detailed guides for visiting Yellowstone, so please check those articles for more suggestions on how to plan your Yellowstone trip.
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From Old Faithful To Quiet Backcountry Trails Americas First National Park Is Yours For Exploring On This Yellowstone National Park Family Vacation
Discover the wilds of Yellowstone and Paradise Valley from the helm of a raft and on the back of a horse. Enjoy wildlife and wildflowers with your kids as they use their Junior Ranger skills in identifying elk, bison, and bear. Share giggles over the belches and burps of Mud Volcano and savor the grandeur of the worlds first National Park before relaxing in a soothing natural hot spring. With a variety of heart-pumping activities each day, every member of the family will have their fill of adventure on this Yellowstone family vacation. Join us to explore our own beloved back yard and weekend playground Yellowstone National Park.
This trip is operated by Austin Adventures
See Old Faithful From The Back
At Old Faithful, some recommend walking around and watching the eruption from the far side, where there arent as many crowds. Depending on the wind, you may also get some spray in that direction though.
We got lucky and walked right up maybe 15 minutes before an eruption. A ranger was giving a talk and people were sitting on the benches. By standing directly behind the people on the benches, we had an unobstructed view and the crowd didnt bother us at all
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