Yellowstone National Park is one of those great wonders that everyone needs to see at least once in their life. Becuase it is located in the central United States, it is actually quite accessible! But better yet, there are many other great experiences surrounding Yellowstone, such as Grand Teton National Park and Mount Rushmore. These three beautiful destinations are what sparked our inspiration for a great family road trip and this Yellowstone itinerary.

Before we left for our trip, I submerged myself in research about the area. I knew that these areas are incredibly popular and riddled with crowds. However, thanks to this research, we encountered far fewer crowds and even had some of the best views to (almost) ourselves! So with that, if you’re planning on visiting, check out our Yellowstone itinerary and how we truly had one of the best experiences in the central United States! 

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Overview

Our trip lasted seven days and six nights during the first full week of August (part of Yellowstone’s busiest season). We drove straight up from Denver (about 9 hours) to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone and met up with our family at our campground. Instead of moving to different sites each day, we decided to set up camp at the Bridge Bay Campground, which is more centrally located than some of the other options. However, many people choose to fly into Salt Lake City, rent a car, and stay at the various hotels in the area, which is a good option too!

Preparation

Personally, as a family of backpackers, we travel light. We can go a week with just what we have on our backs so our preparation was quite straightforward. We packed our normal hiking gear (revolving around the 10 hiking essentials), a change of clothes, and enough food for the week in a cooler. Also, we packed extra water bottles (frozen) to act as ice and save space, and just grabbed bags of ice from a nearby store as needed. 

However, the key to visiting this area, especially Yellowstone, is to MAKE RESERVATIONS EARLY! We made ours five months in advance but they schedule out as far as six months. 

Related: The Ten Essentials You Can Not Forget On Your Next Hike

Related: The Ultimate Road Trip Packing List

Day 1: Drive from Denver, CO to Cody, WY

Our first day was pretty dull. We drove straight up from Denver to Cody, WY. Although there is little to see on the road, we managed to not die of boredom thanks to a great Audiobook (for this trip, we listened to The Name of the Wind, I HIGHLY recommend it!). 

We stayed at the Cody, WY KOA. Hands down the best KOA we have been to. I’ll admit we haven’t stayed at many, but this place has a pool, basketball court, air-trampoline, regular playground, pet playground, outdoor bowling, corn hole, and FREE PANCAKES IN THE MORNING! Needless to say, we were pleasantly surprised. 

Day 2: Fishing Bridge and West Thumb Areas (Yellowstone National Park)

East Entrance 

We entered the park from the east entrance around 7:00 am. There was very little traffic. In fact, I think we only ran into about 4 or 5 cars along the way. While at the entrance, the Yellowstone Radio Station (1610) broadcasts important weather, traffic, construction, and safety information that was incredibly useful for us first-time visitors. 

HERE is a link to all of Yellowstone’s hours and season opening dates.

Fishing Bridge

Fishing Bridge is a small area that is known for beautiful views of Yellowstone Lake and, of course, the infamous “Fishing Bridge,” a historical bridge where fishing was formerly a popular activity (but no longer permitted). 

The Fishing Bridge visitor center is a great location to learn about local bird species. They have dozens of bird taxidermy, including large swans, hawks, and owls. We arrived just after 8:00 am and shared the visitor center, as well as the lakeside, with only four or five other individuals. 

Related: Discover How to Create a Motivational Bucket List (+50 Ideas to Get You Started!)

Lake Village

Lake Village is home to the Lake Lodge, Lake Hotel, Lake Village General Store, and Yellowstone Medical Clinic. This area is quite impressive, especially the hotel! You can drive around to the front of the hotel, where a small parking lot and a gorgeous view of both the lake and the hotel await. We drove around this area and stopped at the lake viewing area until our campground check-in time (11:00 am). 

Bridge Bay Campground

Bridge Bay Campground is located on the western shore of Yellowstone Lake. It is a great location, as it is centrally located to nearly all of the areas in the park. We loved our time here at the campground. Our only criticism was that the closest showers were located at the Fishing Bridge RV Park, about a ten-minute drive away. 

West Thumb

We arrived in the West Thumb area around 3:00 pm. The West Thumb Geyser boardwalk was quite the site. It features many different thermal features (mudpots, hot springs, steam vents, and geysers) and is the largest geyser basin on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. 

We then visited the Grant Village Visitor Center, which is just south of the geyser basin. It features wildfire displays as well as a great informational video about the worst Yellowstone wildfire in history. 

Day 3: Old Faithful Area (Yellowstone National Park)

Old Faithful Visitor Center

We got the family up at 6:00 am, bright and early! Got out of camp by 7:00 am and arrived at the Old Faithful Visitor Center around 8:00 am. Our timing was perfect! Although we just missed the first Old Faithful eruption, we had over an hour to explore the visitor center. 

Inside the center, there is a large informational area, filled with great displays on the geology of geysers, the geology of the area, and wildlife. There is even a children’s exploration area! 

They also have a nice bookstore, restrooms, a movie (that plays every half an hour or so) and an information desk. 

Old Faithful Geyser 

The famous Old Faithful Geyser is quite the sight! However, be aware that even in the morning, there will be crowds. Of course, not as bad as the afternoon! 

There are benches to sit, wait, and watch the gorgeous geyser do its thing. The eruptions are roughly 90 minutes apart. The National Park will have an estimated eruption time listed for most large and popular geysers in the park (inside the information center). 

Geyser Hill and Geyser Walking Trails

After we saw Old Faithful erupt, we explored the rest of the park. Unfortunately, we didn’t go straight to Geyser Hill (because we weren’t paying enough attention) but I highly recommend you check that out first. It is amazing! And, if you happen to run into a Geyser Gazer, chat them up or sign up for a tour! One of my friends is a Geyser Gazer and showed us around. We learned more from him in one hour than what we learned from the entire day looking at signs! 

There are also several other great trails north of Old Faithful that you should check out, plus plenty of other great geysers to witness. 

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn is absolutely beautiful! It is seriously a log cabin castle. You can walk around on your own (what we opted for) or check out one of their free tours. You can also watch Old Faithful erupt from the large balcony on the second floor!

Black Sand Geyser Basin

After spending time around Old Faithful, we adventured over to Black Sand Geyser Basin. This area is home to a few beautiful blue hot springs. 

Grand Prismatic Overlook Hike 

Once the afternoon hit, we knew that we would be battling the crowds. Because of this, parking was a nightmare at Grand Prismatic Springs so we decided to hike up the Fairy Falls Trail to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. The view was incredible!

HERE is the Fairy Falls hike information. You don’t need to do the full hike to arrive at the observation point. It is only 0.6 miles up the trail.

Grand Prismatic Springs

As the crowds died down, we checked out the boardwalks around Grand Prismatic Springs. Of course, it was gorgeous but nothing like seeing it from the outlook! 

Old Faithful Area in the Evening

Our last stop of the day was meeting up with my Geyser Gazer friend at Old Faithful. We were there from about 5:40 pm – 8:00 pm and the crowds dwindled down as the night progressed. In fact, if you were to visit around 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm, you would be met with very little people and have the geysers nearly to yourself. 

Related: The Ten Essentials You Can Not Forget On Your Next Hike

Day 4: Grand Teton National Park

Jenny Lake Visitor Center

If you visit Grand Teton National Park and are limited on time, do yourself a favor and check out Jenny Lake. This gorgeous lake is home to a small visitor center, which will soon be a nice, highly upgraded log cabin village. 

Jenny Lake Hike

Surrounding Jenny Lake is a popular and gorgeous hiking trail. We hiked from the visitor center to the other side and were excited to see a black bear! The trail also runs along a beautiful large stepping waterfall that looks a lot like Grizzly Peak at Disneyland (okay, technically at California Adventure).

If you hike the entire loop, it is 7.7 miles with 728 ft elevation gain. Pretty easy! But you can stop halfway and take the small ferry boat back to the visitor center area.

TIP: Don’t forget your bear spray!!

Jenny Lake Ferry Boat 

Once on the other side of the trail, we loaded up into the Jenny Lake Ferry Boat to see the lake and the Tetons from the water. It was such a gorgeous ride!

Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center (Moose Visitor Center)

After our lake adventure, we headed to the gorgeous, state of the art Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. This center features sweeping views of the Tetons, a gift shop, and exhibits on wildlife, mountaineering, Native American art, and history of the Tetons. It is, hands down, the most gorgeous visitor center in the area and worth your time!

Mormon Row and Moulton Barn View Point

Mormon Row is located a few miles away from the visitor center in Moose. Here, you will find the famous Moulton Barn and a great view of the Tetons!

Signal Mountain Lodge (Restaurant)

On our way back to our campground in Yellowstone, we stopped to get a bite to eat at Signal Mountain Lodge. We had their famous blackberry margaritas and GIANT nachos (which we were proud to devour).

Day 5: Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt, Canyon Village (Yellowstone National Park)

Lamar Valley

On our trip, we explored both Hayden and Lamar Valley. Out of the two wildlife hotspots, we highly preferred Lamar Valley. Lamar Valley is known to be home to bison, prong horn, moose, bald eagles, bear, elk, wolves, and more. We left our camp at 4:30 am and arrived just after 5:30 am, right as twilight was beginning. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by dozens of bison and prong horn! Plus a black bear on our drive there!

TIP: If you plan on walking around, don’t forget your bear spray!!

Mammoth Hot Springs

This popular attraction is a gorgeous cascading hot spring with roughly 3.5 miles of board walks to explore. It was one of our favorite sites in the entire park. We arrived around 7:45 am. Very little crowds were on the boardwalks or throughout the town. It was perfect timing!

Historic Fort Yellowstone

This small, historic town now houses current park employees as well as the administrative buildings and post office. There is also a beautiful visitor center, restaurant, and hotel. We stopped at the visitor center to grab a map and took a self-guided walking tour of the area. 

Tower-Roosevelt Drive

On the way back from the Mammoth Hot Springs Area, we passed through the gorgeous Tower-Roosevelt area, with beautiful views throughout!

Canyon Village Visitor Center

Out of all of the Yellowstone Visitor Centers, I must say that the Canyon Village Visitor Center was my personal favorite. This location focuses on the Yellowstone Hot Spot geology as well as earthquake hazards and other various historical lessons. A great place to learn some great geologic facts.

Artist Point

We stopped by Artist Point on the way back to camp and were pleasantly surprised to see that the crowds were not as bad as most people suggest, even in the middle of the afternoon! A must see for the area and an easy walk.

Mud Volcano

Our final stop for the day was the Mud Volcano board walk. This is a quick and easy stop on the side of the road.

This also happened to be the most exhilarating stop on our trip. Before I go any further, I would like to mention that my brother is an ex-park ranger. He, of course, knows all of the park rules and safety measures. He was continuously frustrated by the public’s behavior throughout our trip.

So, as we were walking around the Mud Volcano boardwalk loop, a bison began to walk up the hill towards the heavily crowded trail. Now, instead of everyone moving away and giving the innocent and tired animal space to move to its destination, everyone flocked towards the bison, making it quite anxious. 

Many people, including my family, attempted to inform the groups to get away from the animal (even though there are signs everywhere stating this), but no one listened. Before we knew it, one man jumped out about 5 feet away from the bison to get a picture of him and the bison charged him! He ran after him, throwing his head around and nearly hitting him straight on! 

The bison eventually got away and everyone was safe. But after this incident, we found out that there have been two near deaths just in the past week from people attempting to pet bison. Please use this story as a warning and lesson. Always stay 25 yards away from bison! And make sure to read up on the other wildlife safety rules. They have these rules for a reason.

Day 6: Norris and Madison Area (Yellowstone National Park)

Sulfur Caldron

For our last day in Yellowstone, we decided to explore all of the areas we didn’t get a chance to see. We started at the Sulphur Caldron, a quick stop near the road.

Hayden Valley

As we passed through Hayden Valley, we saw hundreds of bison filling the lower valley. What an extraordinary site! We were even stopped in the middle of the road twice from bison crossing. How often can you say that has happened?!

Museum of the National Park Ranger

Next stop? The Museum of the National Park Ranger. This is a cute little cabin located in the Norris area. Multiple retired park rangers man this museum, where you can ask numerous questions, check out informational displays, and learn about the history of the park ranger profession. 

Norris Geyser Basin

My personal favorite stop of the day was the Norris Geyser Basin. Here, we saw multiple geysers and had the pleasure of seeing Steamboat Geyser! Unfortunately, we didn’t see it erupt but it was cool to see it in person (as a geologist, I get excited about things like this, as it happens to be the largest geyser in the world…). 

Artists Paintpots

The Artists Paintpots are a series of different mudpots, with a geyser and couple hot springs mixed in. In my opinion, this is the most overrated stop in Yellowstone. The Fountain Paint Pot and West Thumb area are more worth your time.

Firehole Canyon Drive

This quick drive in the Madison area is a great little detour. It has a gorgeous waterfall (Firehole Falls) and is home to a great swimming area.

Lower Geyser Basin (Great Fountain Geyser and Fountain Paint Pot)

Our last stop in Yellowstone was the Lower Geyser Basin. We ran into very little traffic and found two large geysers, colorful paint pots, and beautiful blue hot springs. A great places to stop during the busy time of day!

Related: The Ten Essentials You Can Not Forget On Your Next Hike

Day 7: Devil’s Tower and Mount Rushmore

Devil’s Tower National Monument

We left the Yellowstone East Entrance around 7:00 am to arrive at Devil’s Tower around 2:00 pm. A great quick stop on the way to Mount Rushmore!

Mount Rushmore

Our final stop on our trip was Mount Rushmore. A quick and easy stop on the road and worth the detour. A great final stop to an amazing road trip before heading back home to Denver. 

That concludes our family road trip through the central United States. It was an incredible experience and surprisingly not as crowded as we were lead to believe. We had so much fun and can’t wait for our next adventures! I truly hope this Yellowstone itinerary has given you some ideas and examples on what to plan for your next trip. Happy traveling!

Looking for another great road trip itinerary? Check out our Southwest United States National Park Roadtrip!