One day in Yellowstone

I would head to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone first then over to Old Faithful then take the hike that gives you the view from above Grand Prismatic. Hit up thermal pools on the way back to Mammoth.

If you want to see the most animals and scenery then the east side of the park is best. If you prefer the geothermal areas then the west side of the park. Download the gysp app prior to entering the park and let it play as you drive. Best $10 you will spend.

Have you ever been there OP? The north is best for wildlife especially grizzleys and wolves.

It’s going to be an extremely long day if you go to Old Faithful and the Canyon. I love the thermals, but you’d be better off to stay in the north and enjoy what’s available up there. There’s great stuff all over, it’s just a matter of your own preference.

Bring binoculars.

After reading the posts the OP should probably just stay in Bozeman. Its 38 miles from the north entrance to the Grand Canyon. Then it is another 54 miles through Hayden Valley past West Thumb Geyser Basin over to Old Faithful(which only goes erupts 20 times a day). From Old Faithful to Grand Prismatic is 7 Miles. Grand Prismatic to the North entrance is another 49 miles.

About 150 miles of driving in the park to see all that, I think Bozeman each way is about 80 miles. I cant think of a better way to spend the day.

This is a good plan, though I'd probably skip Old Faithful. It was a bit underwhelming. JMO though. If you're in the area close to a time it's going to go off, then chek it out, but don't make it a must see.


Having been before, I'd probably just drive around and pull off at places where the mood strikes me. Trying to fit certain sites into a tight schedule would make me anxious and cause me to miss things along the way. The park is vast and diverse and there's really no wrong way to do it. My favorite memory of Yellowstone was sitting in a field next to the river for lunch and just soaking it all in for an hour or so. I don't even remember what part of the park it was in, but it was pretty deserted. Only saw a few cars go by that hour and felt like we had the park to ourselves.

Appreciate all of the input, y’all. Seems like you really can’t go wrong.

While in bozeman make sure to hit up Mountain Walking brewing for the best beer and MAP brewing for my favorite view/brewpub.

I came in from Bozeman. Nice pleasant drive. Then I spent three hours with the advance Secret Service Team because GE had the wrong address and sent me directly to the house that Jimmy Carter was going to be staying at.