map of tourist attractions in yellowstone national park

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Last updated: March 31, 2023

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Maps of Yellowstone – Tourist Maps of Yellowstone, Wyoming

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Do you need a map of Yellowstone so you don’t miss a single detail of this national park? Before taking any trip, I like to collect maps of the place I am going to visit to plan the itinerary so as not to miss anything I want to see. That is exactly what I did when I planned my trip to Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. I wanted to enjoy all the natural wonders there, and with our Yellowstone National Park maps , it was really easy. We were able to make the most of our time there.

Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the United States, and it’s so extensive and diverse that I recommend getting an official map of Yellowstone National Park and spending at least a week there to see it in depth. Or, if you can, spend even more days there because there are many incredible things to do in Yellowstone .

To help you get to know the geysers, hot springs, wildlife, and everything else that makes up this beautiful park, in this article on tourist maps of Yellowstone, you will find:

Basic map of Yellowstone

Interactive map of Yellowstone National Park

Tourist map of Yellowstone

Map of Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone

Map of Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone

Map of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Map of West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone

Map of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Map of the Mud Volcano, Yellowstone National Park

High-resolution map of Yellowstone

Yellowstone Wildlife map

Yellowstone on a map – Where is Yellowstone on the map?

Also, at the end of the article, you will find a map of Yellowstone for downloading so you can take it with you on your trip, even when you’re offline .

This basic map of Yellowstone is very useful for getting an initial idea of how the park is structured. You will see the different entrances that it has and the places of interest that are near each one. Depending on when you travel, some of the entrances may be closed, so you must confirm first, depending on where you arrive from, if the corresponding entrance will be open on the dates you’re there.

It is also essential to keep this map in mind when choosing a place to stay in Yellowstone , as the hotels within the park fill up very quickly, and most visitors end up staying outside the park. The West Entrance connects to West Yellowstone, which is the place most visitors choose to stay.

It is also very important to understand how the 8-shaped Yellowstone National Park Road works (the Grand Loop Road, which is divided into Upper Loop Road [the top of the 8] and Lower Loop Road [the bottom of the 8]), as well as know where the most important villages are located on this road (Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt, Canyon Village, Fishing Bridge, Lake Village, Bridge Bay, West Thumb, Grant Village, Old Faithful, Madison, and Norris).

With this schematic map of Yellowstone in your head, you’re ready to read any guide and plan your route. It will also help when you read our guide on the best places to visit in Yellowstone .

I have created the following interactive map of Yellowstone National Park so that you can find all the places that are worth visiting. On it, you will find places to go hiking, spectacular geysers, waterfalls, wildlife watching spots, and much more.

If, on your trip, you find a new place that doesn’t appear on the map, let me know so I can add it to this interactive map of Yellowstone, and I will visit it the next time I travel to this national park .

The following tourist map of Yellowstone will help you locate both the different entrances to the park and the main points of tourist interest quickly. A perfect map to give you a quick idea of how the park is structured and what places you can visit there.

Old Faithful is one of the most popular geysers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It is in the Upper Geyser Basin, the most visited geothermal basin in Yellowstone, so it’s very useful to have not only an Old Faithful map but also a map of the Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin.

I particularly like this map of Yellowstone because it shows all the geysers, fumaroles, and hot springs between Old Faithful and Biscuit Basin on what is known as the Hot Springs Trail. If you are going to walk it, I recommend you have this map of the Upper Geyser Basin on hand .

Mammoth Hot Springs, in Yellowstone, is an incredible place, full of travertine terraces that will leave you speechless. This geothermal area is divided into two main zones: the Lower Terraces and Main Terraces, which can be visited on foot, and the Upper Terraces, which you will need to drive a one-way road to visit.

There is a lot of geothermal activity in this area, so I recommend using this map of Mammoth Hot Springs so you don’t miss a single detail.

Norris is another spectacular area in Yellowstone, Wyoming. As you can see on the Norris Geyser Basin map, Yellowstone is divided into two geothermal sub-basins: Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. Both are beautiful, although very different. At the first basin, you will find a landscape marked by porcelain and light blue terrain, while at the second one, among many geysers is one of the highest in the world, the Steamboat Geyser.

To avoid missing anything in this geothermal basin, don’t forget to download our map of Yellowstone .

Here is a map of West Thumb Geyser Basin , Yellowstone National Park, so you can get to know this amazing geothermal basin on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. This is, without a doubt, a place that I recommend visiting since it is the largest mountain lake in North America.

On the Yellowstone map, you can see all the hydrothermal features that are on the shores of this lake.

You can find a map of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone below, which is essential for finding the main viewpoints of both the North Rim and the South Rim. With this map of Yellowstone, you will know exactly which viewpoints to stop at to enjoy the incredible Yellowstone waterfalls and the amazing geological forms in this park.

Keep in mind that the road that runs through the North Rim is one-way, so although the viewpoint I like most is the last one, I recommend stopping at all the points indicated on the Yellowstone map from left to right.

I also leave you with a map of the Mud Volcano so you can get to know both this peculiar volcano and its surroundings. I assure you that seeing bubbling mud is much more spectacular than it may seem at first. It’s an incredible place, without a doubt, and with the following map of Yellowstone, you won’t miss any detail of it.

If you don’t know where some attractions are yet, on the High-Resolution map of Yellowstone below, you can zoom in and find them. Also, this is a great printable map of Yellowstone.

What I like most about this map of Yellowstone is that the Yellowstone caldera is marked with a different color, and, as you can see, it almost entirely covers the Lower Loop. This is the reason why most of the hydrothermal features of the park are visible in this area .

Below is one of my favorite maps of Yellowstone, the Yellowstone wildlife map . Thanks to this map, you can quickly locate the places where it will be much easier to see wildlife. In addition, the species in each location are indicated on the map. A perfect map if you want to spot wildlife during your trip.

Yellowstone Wildlife Map

Use this map of Yellowstone with caution, as all animals can appear anywhere in the park, but a specific species is more likely to appear where indicated on the map .

So that you can locate Yellowstone within the USA and within Wyoming, next you can see where is Yellowstone on the map of the United States .

As you can see, it is in the upper left corner of Wyoming, although Yellowstone National Park also includes some land in Montana and Idaho as well. In fact, we flew to Bozeman, Montana, rather than Jackson Lake, Wyoming, as we got a cheaper flight.

Yellowstone map for downloading

Finally, here is a map of Yellowstone for downloading so you can take it with you on your trip. With this map, you can find all the tourist attractions that are worth visiting and that I recommend.

To use it offline on your phone, you just need to have the Maps.me app installed on your smartphone and have previously downloaded the Yellowstone map in KML . If you do this, you can check the map offline at any time on your trip.

And that’s it! With these Yellowstone maps , you have everything you need to fully enjoy your trip and have an incredible experience in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. Enjoy!

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Visiting Yellowstone National Park: 14 Attractions

Written by Anietra Hamper Updated Mar 21, 2024 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

World-famous Yellowstone National Park , established in 1872, is the oldest national park in the United States and one of the most popular with an estimated 4.4 million visitors a year.

It is a bucket-list trip for most people because it encompasses some of the most spectacular natural and geological formations in the United States and it has an active wildlife population that visitors get to experience intimately. Seeing a bison herd just outside of my window for the first time is an experience I will never forget, but Yellowstone offers a trove of experiences.

This magnificent wilderness area sprawls across a basalt plateau in the northwest corner of Wyoming and spills into neighboring Idaho and Montana . It forms the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest and best-preserved temperate-zone ecosystems on the planet.

Yellowstone is one of Wyoming's top attractions and the park is home to the world's largest number of active geysers and offers a window into the powerful forces deep beneath the earth's crust. The scenery ranges from rivers and green valleys to vast lakes, canyons, waterfalls, and hissing lunar-like landscapes.

Yellowstone is a land of contrasts. Each season paints a dramatically different scene, from the lush greens and sparkling blues of spring and summer, to fall's fiery colors, to the white wonderland of the freezing winter.

At any time of year, Yellowstone offers an unforgettable safari adventure in the wild American West. Be sure to pack a rain jacket as weather conditions change quickly in the park and can easily switch from a thundershower to full sunshine several times a day.

Touring the Park on the Grand Loop

1. old faithful, 2. upper geyser basin and morning glory pool, 3. midway geyser basin & the grand prismatic spring, 4. lower geyser basin, 5. norris geyser basin, 6. mammoth hot springs & minerva terrace, 7. tower-roosevelt & the lamar valley, 8. mount washburn, 9. the grand canyon and the upper and lower falls of the yellowstone river, 10. hayden valley, 11. mud volcano, 12. yellowstone lake, 13. old faithful inn, 14. grizzly and wolf discovery center, west yellowstone, places to stay in yellowstone national park, tips and tours: how to make the most of your visit to yellowstone national park, best time to visit yellowstone national park, what's nearby, map of yellowstone national park: attractions, tips & tours.

The best way to tour Yellowstone National Park is by driving around the Grand Loop, a 142-mile-long road that curves around in a figure-eight past the park's most striking natural features. At each attraction, well-maintained boardwalks and hiking trails offer close-up views of the main features, as well as breathtaking viewpoints, and many of the paths are wheelchair friendly.

Driving the entire length of both loops can take between four and seven hours , depending on traffic. In the summer months, the traffic can be stop-and-go the entire way, especially when bison are crossing the road. There are plenty of places to stop from lookout points to visitor areas that have restrooms, concessions, and picnic tables that help to break up the time in the car.

A great option for your Yellowstone trip is to base yourself in Cody , which is about an hour from the East Gate and about two hours from the northeast entrance . You can plot a two-day trip by taking the Upper Loop one day and the Lower Loop another day, staying the night at one of the park's lodges like the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

If you only have one day to see the park, the best approach is to select one-half of the Grand Loop's figure-eight.

If you are staying in Jackson Hole , Wyoming, you can hit the park's highlights and learn about its fascinating geology and ecology on a Yellowstone Old Faithful, Waterfalls and Wildlife Day Tour . This full-day coach tour with hotel pickup and drop-off, and stops at Old Faithful, the Lower Falls of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and more.

If you are taking a self-drive tour of the park , pick up a Yellowstone attractions map or download the NPS Yellowstone App . You can adapt the order of attractions and your route depending on time constraints and which of the five entrances you use to enter the park.

One of the star attractions of Yellowstone, the geyser known as Old Faithful is named for the regularity with which it erupts, shooting columns of water high up into the air.

Witnessing this incredible sight is one of the most popular things to do in Yellowstone, though eruption intervals are not quite as regular as in the past. They now vary from 35 minutes to 120 minutes, with an average interval of about 92 minutes.

Old Faithful is not the park's largest geyser, however, it does erupt more frequently than other large geysers in the park. The eruptions usually last from one-and-a-half minutes to five minutes and reach heights of between 90 and 184 feet .

One of the best ways to enjoy your time waiting for Old Faithful to erupt is to pack a lunch or buy one from the cafe and find a comfortable spot on the upper outside deck of the Old Faithful Inn where you have a front-row seat to the geyser show. Be sure to stop by the Visitor Center where you can pursue various exhibits describing the nearby landscape and get maps, books, and unique souvenirs from the gift shop.

The Visit Center is also where you can also find the next estimated eruption time posted so you know when to find a spot to watch.

While you're here, stop by the historic Old Faithful Inn . Built in 1903 to 1904, this legendary hotel is a National Historic Landmark and is thought to be the largest log structure in the world. Even if you only pop in to gawk at the magnificent lobby and its towering stone fireplace, it's worth visiting this famous Yellowstone National Park hotel.

The thermal area known as Black Sand Basin lies about a mile from the Old Faithful geyser, and the two attractions can be combined in one easy trip. It has a reputation for being one of the most colorful spots in Yellowstone.

Upper Geyser Basin has the highest concentration of geysers in the world , most of them packed into one square mile. A two-hour boardwalk trail through the area takes you past Old Faithful, the Giantess Geyser, the Beehive Geyser, the Castle Geyser, the Grand Geyser, and fountain basins, shimmering in a rainbow of colors.

On the north edge of the Upper Geyser Basin is the magical Morning Glory Pool, named after the beautiful flower.

The Biscuit Basin is also part of the Upper Geyser Basin area, however, the formations for which the area was named have long since disappeared due to the 1959 earthquake. Today, you can see features with evocative names such as Sapphire Pool, Silver Globe Spring, and Black Pearl Geyser.

Don't get so distracted by the spectacle of the colorful geysers and hot springs that you miss some of the other elements of the Upper Geyser Basin like the fishermen you are likely to spot along the Firehole River and the occasional osprey nest, if you are lucky enough to spot one out the window.

Named for its location between the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, Midway Geyser Basin boasts two of the park's biggest geothermal features. The mighty crater of the Excelsior Geyser discharges 55 gallons of hot water per second into the Firehole River. It is common to find artists parked near some of these features to capture the moment in paintings.

Nearby is the 370-foot-wide stunning Grand Prismatic Spring , one of the finest and biggest hot springs in the park. This is a must-see attraction and a photographer's favorite, with its vivid hues of blue, green, orange, and gold. The varying temperatures in the pool that is approximately 123 feet deep is what determines its colors.

There are two ways to see Grand Prismatic Spring . To get the vantage point from above, you can walk Fairy Falls Trail to the overlook which is about 1.5 miles round-trip with an incline. Another way to see it is from eye level by parking below and taking the boardwalk along the springs. There is limited parking on the road for this option which may be difficult during peak times.

Lower Geyser Basin claims more hot-water eruptions than any other area of the park. A boardwalk trail takes you to the famous Fountain Paint Pots, which simmer with hot, red-hued mud. The fountain paint pot trail is great because you get to see examples of each of the four categories of geothermal features: hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles (steam vents), and geysers all on one stop. Plan on spending about 30-45 minutes to walk the trail .

A little way south of this on the popular three-mile Firehole Lake Drive is the Great Fountain Geyser , a magnificent spectacle every nine to 15 hours, when it blasts water 75 to 220 feet high into the air.

Geyser field has many smaller geysers that are unpredictable so the area is generally active. Do you see the stunning blues in the pools? That color is formed at the boiling point of 199 degrees.

On the lush green of Fountain Flats , bison and deer often graze, particularly in the early morning and evening.

The Norris Geyser Basin is famous for being the oldest, hottest, and most active of the hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone.

The basin encompasses two main areas that are open to visitors and accessible via looped trails: Porcelain Basin is a bleak and treeless lunar-like setting steeped in the pungent aroma of the bubbling geysers that surround the three-quarter-of-a-mile trail.

Back Basin is a wooded area with geothermal features scattered along a one-and-a-half-mile boardwalk trail. The most well-known features in this basin are the Echinus Geyser, the largest known acid-water geyser, with a pH close to that of vinegar, and the Steamboat Geyser , the tallest active geyser in the world, which erupts irregularly, shooting water up to a height of 300 feet.

Stop by the Norris Museum to learn more about these fascinating hydrothermal features.

On the east flank of Terrace Mountain (8,012 feet), Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the world's finest examples of thermal springs that deposit travertine.

Some 60 hot springs pepper the area at temperatures of between 64 degrees and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and their scalding waters dissolve calcium carbonate in the surrounding limestone forming a series of constantly evolving travertine steps. There are three terraces to experience from the boardwalk , each with spectacular views of hot springs that are all active at different times.

One of the most beautiful examples is the multihued Minerva Terrace, a popular subject for photography and one of the enduring images of Yellowstone National Park.

This area is a nice place to stop for lunch or to spend the night at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins which is a short walk down the hill.

On the northern edge of the National Park is the little holiday resort of Tower-Roosevelt, home to the rustic Roosevelt Lodge , built in 1920. Notable features in the area are the Tower Fall (130 feet high) and the Petrified Tree . To the southeast is the Specimen Ridge , with the remains of a number of fossil forests superimposed on one another.

From here, you can venture east off the Grand Loop and enjoy an exciting safari experience in the magnificent Lamar Valley . This is the best wildlife viewing area in Yellowstone for bison herds, foxes, elk, coyotes, and birds of prey.

It is estimated that 3/4 of Yellowstone's bison live in Lamar Valley so get your camera ready but be sure to keep your distance and respect the wildlife. Roll down the windows and breathe in the fresh smell of natural pine as you soak in the scenic views that alternate between winding rivers and sprawling grasslands.

Named after Henry Dana Washburn, leader of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, Mount Washburn is a spectacular peak in Yellowstone National Park. It rises to an impressive 10,243 feet and is the main mountain of the Washburn range.

Various hikes lead up its flanks and offer breathtaking views of the park, including the Mount Washburn Trail, considered one of Yellowstone's best hikes . In summer, you can see beautiful wildflowers here, as well as bighorn sheep grazing on its slopes.

You can also hike to Mount Washburn from the Dunraven Pass trailhead which is on the highest road pass in Yellowstone.

Emerging from Yellowstone Lake , the Yellowstone River flows through the beautiful Hayden Valley before it forms two spectacular waterfalls as it plunges into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a steep 20-mile-long gorge that resembles Arizona's Grand Canyon.

A walkway from the Grand Canyon viewing areas leads you to overlooks of the Lower Falls which are almost twice as high as Niagara Falls. Here, the river plunges 308 feet with a deafening roar. Lookout Point , Red Rock Point , Artist Point , Brink of the Lower Falls Trail , and various points on the South Rim Trail offer breathtaking views.

You will need to take a short drive to see the Upper Falls. Ideal spots to watch the water plummet 109 feet are from the Brink of the Upper Falls Trail and from Uncle Tom's Trail .

Notice how the walls of the gorge shimmer in reddish and yellow tones due to chemical reactions in the rock's rhyolite.

Often dotted with large herds of bison, the gorgeous Hayden Valley is a wide-open landscape that is a prime spot for wildlife viewing . In the spring and early summer, grizzly bears often roam here looking for newborn bison and elk. Coyotes are also easy to spot on the rolling green meadows.

Birders will also have plenty to see. Bald eagles, northern harriers, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, ducks, geese, and pelicans are some of the species that inhabit the area around the mud flats and river.

A few miles below Fishing Bridge are the striking mud pots of the Mud Volcano Area and the simmering Sulphur Caldron, one of Yellowstone's most acidic springs. While the bubbling mud volcano is the star of the show in this location, there are several features to see. You will notice a heavy sulphuric smell from the active geothermal features in every direction.

Take care to stay on the boardwalks. From the parking lot, a short wheelchair-friendly loop passes by the steam-belching Dragon's Mouth Spring and the Mud Volcano . If you're more mobile, you can take the steep half-mile loop past Black Dragon's Cauldron.

The largest high-altitude lake on the continent (7,737 feet), Yellowstone Lake is an angler's paradise. Submerged nutrient-rich fountains nurture an amazing diversity of plant and animal life such as earthworms, sponges, native cutthroat trout, as well as invasive lake trout. Birds are abundant here, especially many species of waterfowl.

On the northwest shore of Yellowstone Lake you will find motels, campgrounds, and various leisure facilities in the surrounding areas of Bridge Bay , Lake Village , and Fishing Bridge .

West Thumb , an offshoot on the west side of Yellowstone Lake, is a water-filled caldera with hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots, and geysers all within a relatively small and scenic area.

The Old Faithful Inn is a National Historic Landmark building right on the edge of its namesake geyser. It stands seven stories high, with a steeply pitched roof, and is often touted as the world's largest log cabin structure . The interior features a grand yet cozy log cabin feel centered around a massive fireplace.

It's the Old Faithful Inn's aesthetics that make it an attraction worth visiting whether you are staying at the lodge or not. You can take a free tour of the inn four times a day which takes about 45 minutes . You can just show up and you do not need to be a guest.

That and the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, which serves guests and the public alike. Expect an international feel upon entering Old Faithful Inn, as it's a home base for travelers from across the globe.

This non-profit wildlife park is outside the park gates in the neighboring town of West Yellowstone , Montana. It's home to bears and wolves unfit to live in the wild, where they now live their lives out as animal ambassadors in large constructed habitats.

The Discovery Center provides the unique opportunity to witness grizzly bears and wolves in a controlled environment. Other animals at the center include birds of prey and river otters in the new Banks of the Yellowstone River Otter e xhibit.

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center hosts several programs and educational shows. Many of the programs center around how to cohabitate with bears and other large wild animals, including demonstration classes on how to use bear spray.

Staying in Yellowstone is the best way to experience the park, but you can also book accommodation outside the park in West Yellowstone , Gardiner , Cody, and Cooke City in Montana , and near Yellowstone's East gate in Wyoming. Here are some highly rated places to stay in convenient locations in and outside the park:

In the Park:

• Yellowstone National Park lodging includes nine lodges operated by the concessionaire of the park, ranging from rustic cabins to hotel rooms. If you'd rather sleep under the stars, Yellowstone camping options are abundant.

In West Yellowstone :

• Less than a two-minute drive from Yellowstone's west gate, the pet-friendly Kelly Inn West Yellowstone offers impeccably clean rooms, with bright log cabin-style decor, as well as a heated indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna. Rates include continental breakfast.
• The cozy Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone come with kitchenettes, and the BEST WESTERN Desert Inn , with an indoor pool, is only two blocks from Yellowstone's west entrance and within walking distance of restaurants.

In Gardiner :

• About a mile from the north entrance to Yellowstone, Travelodge by Wyndham Gardiner Yellowstone Park offers clean rooms with a free breakfast. Some rooms come with kitchenettes.
• Also with complimentary breakfast, The Ridgeline Hotel At Yellowstone, Ascend Hotel Collection has an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and saunas and is only minutes from the north gate.
• When to Go: Wondering about the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park? Most visitors come in summer when the Grand Loop can reach saturation point. But to avoid the crowds, try visiting in late spring, when many young animals are born, or in the autumn (until mid-October) for the beautiful fall colors. Winter offers a completely different experience. Seeing the park under a thick blanket of snow, without all the tourist crowds, can be magical.
• Operating Hours : Yellowstone National Park is usually open throughout the year, but many roads are closed from November to April. During winter, most of the roads are only open to snowmobiles and snow coaches, with the exception of the road between the north and the northeast entrance, which is open year-round.

Yellowstone National Park is worth a visit no matter the time of year. It's the first national park in U.S. history, established in 1872, and encompasses the supervolcano known as the Yellowstone Caldera . This dynamic landscape is home to one of the largest collections of hydrothermal features in the world. And this collection of geysers, fumaroles, and mud pots draws over four million visitors every year.

The best time to go to Yellowstone National Park depends on the desired experience. The summer months bring beautiful 70-degree weather and extended daylight hours. Half of the park's annual visits also occur during these months. Summer visitors should expect crowded boardwalks, backed-up traffic, and difficulty with finding lodging.

The shoulder seasons offer some respite from the crowds, making the fall and spring an excellent time to travel to Yellowstone. Visitors will want to pack warm clothes in the shoulder seasons and a rain jacket for the spring. But the new colors in the park are well worth the travel. Between wildflowers blooming in the spring and the crisp air of autumn, spring and fall are beautiful seasons to go to Yellowstone .

Winter also offers a magical time of year to visit Yellowstone. The park's many fumaroles, hot springs, and geysers are true natural beauties when covered with snow. Although, freezing winter temperatures and few operating facilities deter some visitors to Yellowstone in the winter. For these reasons, winter is one of the best times to visit Yellowstone National Park to avoid the crowds.

From the south entrance, you can drive the John D. Rockefeller Parkway, one of the most scenic roads in the country, all the way to Grand Teton National Park for spectacular mountain scenery and superb wildlife viewing.

West Yellowstone is also a popular tourist stop and gateway to the park. Highlights include the Yellowstone Historic Center, the West Playmill Theatre staging local productions, and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center .

For information on other places to visit and things to do near Yellowstone, see our page on the top attractions in Jackson Hole . Looking for outdoor adventure? Head out on some hiking trails in Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park , or cast a line in some of the best fly fishing destinations in Wyoming .

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10 Top Attractions in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is not just the first national park in the United States. It is also the world’s first national park. Yellowstone is also one of the most unique national parks in the world. Because it lies on top of a super-volcano, the area is literally a hotbed of geothermal activity. It is also home to more wild animals than just about any place in the United States.

This park is, in fact, one of the few places where rare creatures, such as the gray wolf and grizzly bears, are seen on a fairly regular basis. An overview of the top tourist attractions in Yellowstone National Park:

See also: Where to Stay in Yellowstone

10. West Thumb Geyser Basin [SEE MAP]

The West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Although this is one of the smallest geyser basins in Yellowstone, it does contain a well-known geothermal feature, the Fishing Cone Geyser. Before 1911, anglers who were fishing in Yellowstone Lake near this geyser would sometimes plunk their catch still on the hook into the cone’s boiling water, effectively cooking it alive. That practice was outlawed in 1911. The West Thumb Basin is also home to several other geysers, bubbling mud pots, and hot springs, including the park’s deepest pool, the Abyss Pool. West Thumb Bay, where this basin is located, gets its name because Yellowstone Lake was described by an early expedition party as looking like a hand. And this western bay was said to look like the thumb of that hand.

9. Yellowstone Lake [SEE MAP]

This is a very large lake — in fact the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) in North America. It is also a very unusual lake. Underneath its surface lie geysers, hot springs and canyons that are up to 390 feet (120 meters) deep. There is also a spot in Yellowstone Lake’s Mary Bay where water temperatures of 252 degrees F have been recorded. From the surface, though, this body of water looks — for the most part — just like any other lake in the United States. And both fishing — permit required — and boating are allowed on Yellowstone Lake, which contains several different species of fish, including cutthroat trout and longnose suckers. Visitors who want to stay near this lake should book their accommodations at either the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, which was originally built in 1891, or the Lake Lodge Cabins.

8. Mount Washburn [SEE MAP]

This mountain peak was named for Henry D. Washburn who led the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition that explored Yellowstone Park in 1870. Mount Washburn is one of the most popular places to hike in Yellowstone. There are two trails that ascend the mountain — one that starts at the Dunraven Pass Trailhead and another that begins at the Chittenden Road parking lot. Both offer breathtaking views of the surrounding area, but because of their popularity, they can be crowded during the peak tourism season. Although these trails are considered fairly easy, the high elevation does affect some hikers. Wild animals, including mountain goats and bears, can sometimes be seen from these trails.

7. Norris Geyser Basin [SEE MAP]

The Norris Geyser Basin is the oldest in Yellowstone. It is also the hottest and contains rare acid geysers. Norris is divided into two sections, the Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin. The Porcelain Basin area contains hundreds of geothermal features in a concentrated area, while the attractions in the forested Back Basin are spread out. One of the Back Basin’s most impressive features is the Steamboat Geyser, which is the tallest in the world. Steamboat can shoot water 300 to 400 feet (120 meters) in the air. Sadly, it is unpredictable, so there is no way to known exactly when it will erupt. The Norris Geyser Basin is a very dynamic area where change is the norm. For example, the Echinus Geyser was once a very regular performer, erupting approximately every 35 to 75 minutes. But in 1998, that changed. And now it only spouts rarely.

6. Hayden Valley [SEE MAP]

Because this valley is centrally, it is one of the most popular places for visitors to go to see wildlife. Large herds of buffalo can often be seen grazing on this valley’s meadows, and it’s not uncommon to spot elk, pronghorn antelopes and bears, as well. Fortunately, there are numerous turnouts in Hayden Valley where visitors can park to get a better view of the picturesque valley and its wildlife. Hayden Valley also boasts two trails where hikers can get an up-close-and personal view of the beautiful area. The Hayden Valley Trail runs from Yellowstone Lake to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and shadows the Yellowstone River. The Mary Mountain Trail follows an old wagon trail and is said to be the park’s most popular trail. Caution must be taken when hiking in the valley, as bears often roam in this area.

5. Mammoth Hot Springs [SEE MAP]

At Mammoth Hot Springs, steaming hot water flows over travertine terraces, creating a beautiful but otherworldly scene. Some people have even described Mammoth Hot Springs as a cave turned inside out. The Mammoth Hot Springs area is divided into two sections, the Upper and Lower Terraces. Each section contains numerous hot springs and a variety of interesting looking formations. This region of the park is also a good place to look for elk. They can often be seen hanging around the Mammoth Hot Spring visitor center. Though they appear tame, it is best that visitors always give them a wide berth, especially during the fall rutting season when the males can be particularly dangerous. Female elk with babies have also been known to charge visitors if they believe that they are getting too close to their young ones.

4. Midway Geyser Basin [SEE MAP]

Located — as its name suggests — between the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, Midway is one of the smallest basins in Yellowstone. It also contains the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring, which is the most photographed geothermal feature in the park. This huge, 120-foot (37-meter) deep hot spring is famous for its surreal, vivid coloring. Its center is a gorgeous cerulean hue that would be stunning on its own. But it’s not alone. Instead, the blue is surrounded by fiery reds, yellows and oranges. This geyser basin is also home to Excelsior, which was once the largest geyser in the world. Sadly, this geyser, which once spouted water as high as 300 feet, hasn’t erupted since the 1880s. It is still, however, an active thermal spring.

3. Lamar Valley [SEE MAP]

Sometimes referred to as America’s Serengeti, this section of Yellowstone provides some of the best wildlife viewing in the park. Located in the northeastern corner of Yellowstone, the Lamar Valley is home to large herds of buffalo and is also where visitors have the best chance of spotting wolves. At least one wolf pack, sometimes two, typically reside in this valley. In fact, the Lamar Valley was where one of the park’s most famous packs, the Druids, once resided. Other creatures that can be spotted in the Lamar Valley on a fairly regular basis are pronghorn antelope, elk, coyotes and bears. Bears and wolves can be best observed either early in the morning or late in the evening.

2. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone [SEE MAP]

This rugged, colorful canyon was carved out by the powerful Yellowstone River over thousands of years. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’s most famous attractions are its two very stunning and large waterfalls — the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. The Lower Falls, are twice as tall as Niagara Falls, plunging approximately 300 feet (90 meters) while the Upper Falls tumble 109 feet (33 meters). Several hot springs and steam vents can also be seen in the area. For those who would like to stay in this area, there are accommodations available in Canyon Village, including hotel rooms and RV and tent sites.

1. Upper Geyser Basin [SEE MAP]

The upper geyser basin is, arguably, the most popular attraction in Yellowstone. It is the largest geyser basin in the park and also contains the largest concentration of hot springs in the world. It is also home to Yellowstone National Park’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful. This geyser is very popular with visitors because the park can predict fairly accurately when it will erupt, and the intervals between eruptions are fairly short — between 60 to 110 minutes. Besides Old Faithful, there are more than 150 geysers in this basin, as well as hot springs and fumaroles. The park has built a nice path through the Upper Geyser Basin, which makes it easy to view the many fascinating geothermal features in the area.

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Reader interactions.

November 14, 2017 at 6:43 pm

These are great stops and really cover Yellowstone. I’d add the Mud Volcanoes and the Boiling River to this list if you had time. There are a lot less people at Mud Volcano than other geothermal areas and there are some cool features there! And the Boiling River is the only front country hot spring you can soak in–nothing better than sitting in a river all warm and cozy.

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Yellowstone National Park   Travel Guide

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17 Epic Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is known as the first national park in the world and a must-visit for its many family-friendly natural wonders. Since the park sprawls across more than 3,400 square miles, it's best to plan a multiday trip since reaching

• All Things To Do

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone free

Formed over thousands of years of erosion caused by hydrothermal activity, water and other natural forces, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the primary attraction in the Canyon Village area and one of the park's most popular hiking spots. The canyon stretches for approximately 20 miles and is between 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide. The canyon is anywhere from 800 to 1,200 feet deep and features multiple falls that cascade down the Yellowstone River, including the 109-foot Upper Falls and the 308-foot Lower Falls, pouring out up to 63,500 gallons of water. The Yellowstone River is more than 600 miles long, traveling from south of Yellowstone to North Dakota's Missouri River. This makes it the longest undammed river in the continental U.S.

Visitors can drive along the scenic North and South rims of the canyon to access various viewpoints. In addition to the lookout points, there are several hiking trails. From the top-ranked and easy Artist Point, a 0.2-mile accessible, paved trail, to the equally scenic Brink of the Lower Falls Trail, a 0.7-mile out-and-back moderate trail with a 265-foot ascent on the way out, this area is home to some of Yellowstone's best trails. For the endurance hikers, the out-and-back nearly 10-mile Seven Mile Hole Trail boasts a 2,000-foot elevation gain and is one of the trails that travels to the bottom of the canyon; it will likely take all day to complete.

Old Faithful Old Faithful free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Escape the crowds directly in front of Old Faithful and enjoy the geyser's eruption from the second-floor outdoor balcony of the Old Faithful Inn, another national treasure. Visitors will find a coffee bar just inside. – Catherine Parker

This world-renowned geyser is a must-see for every Yellowstone visitor. Although it isn't the largest active geyser in the world (that would be the Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin), Old Faithful's eruptions are definitely awe-inspiring, reaching heights of 106 to 180 feet, and most importantly, frequent. It is one of only six geysers in the park whose eruptions are predictable (Steamboat Geyser is not one of those). As such, Old Faithful lives up to its name. Since 2019, it has erupted approximately every 90 minutes (be sure to check in with the visitor center's sign to get a more accurate prediction), with the eruption lasting from one to five minutes. During this time a whopping 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of water spew out of the geyser.

Grand Prismatic Spring Grand Prismatic Spring free

The Midway Geyser Basin 's Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and one of the largest hot springs in the world. Measuring approximately 370 feet in size and around 121 feet deep, its rainbow waters are what really make it fascinating. While the center of the pool's cerulean hue is pretty characteristic, the deep reds and greens, bright yellows and fiery oranges encircling the edges are not. These colors are caused by thermophilic bacteria that thrive on the rich minerals produced by the water around the hot spring. The center looks blue, but actually isn't – the blue wavelengths of light are scattered so we see blue when we gaze upon the spring.

Due to the steam, some visitors might want to take a photo of the Grand Prismatic Spring from above to capture its brilliant color. Located away from the main boardwalk, the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail is a 1.5-mile out-and-back path that offers a great view of the spring. This area opens in late May due to bear activity and offers a small parking lot, about a mile south of Midway Geyser Basin.

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Hayden Valley Hayden Valley free

U.S. News Insider Tip : For those travelers interested in seeing the big mammals (bear, elk, moose, bison), ask a park ranger for the latest sightings. The best viewing time is dawn and dusk, when wildlife is most active. – Catherine Parker

One of the best places to catch a glimpse of Yellowstone's fascinating wildlife is Hayden Valley. This grassland valley north of  Yellowstone Lake  is a highly visited gathering place for bison, elk, coyotes and grizzly bears. In fact, Hayden Valley is home to the largest rut of free roaming bison in the world. While travelers can get a good view of the valley from the Grand Loop Road, Fishing Bridge-Canyon and the various lookout points along the road, some consider going the extra mile and venturing out of their vehicles to adsorb the beauty of the valley.

Mammoth Hot Springs Mammoth Hot Springs free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Visitors need to use caution, especially with kids, when walking along boardwalks in geothermal areas of Yellowstone. The water looks cool, but it can be boiling and cause serious burns. – Catherine Parker

Sitting just south of the park's north entrance in Gardiner, Montana, Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the park's more unique attractions. One of its most striking geological features is its limestone terraces. Each terrace was formed over centuries of mineral-rich hot water bubbling up from the ground, cooling and depositing calcium carbonate. An early visitor described the travertine formations as "a frozen waterfall." Meanwhile, the National Park Service describes the sight as "a cave turned inside out." To view the formations, visitors can walk along the Mammoth Hot Springs' maze of platforms that pass several of the terraces. The wooden boardwalks feature lots of stairs as they climb each travertine formation, and as such, this route is not wheelchair accessible, except for the top of Canary Springs and Palette Springs.

Lamar Valley Lamar Valley free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Families exploring near Lamar Valley may want to consider the Old West Dinner Cookout. It starts with a horseback or wagon ride from the Roosevelt Corrals and ends with dinner and songs around the campfire. – Catherine Parker

Located in the quiet northeast corner of Yellowstone, Lamar Valley is a wildlife haven along the Lamar River. In fact, this valley is often referred to as "America's Serengeti" because of its abundance of animals. Bison are most commonly spotted here, though visitors may also catch a glimpse of grizzly bears, badgers, bald eagles and wolf packs, which were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Though closed to a road wash-out in 2022, Lamar Valley is now accessible via the Northeast Entrance Road and Beartooth Pass from Red Lodge, Montana. There are plenty of lookout points along the way. For hikers who would like a closer look, consider hiking the out-and-back 7.1-mile Lamar Valley Trail.

Upper Geyser Basin Upper Geyser Basin

U.S. News Insider Tip: Consider renting a bike to explore this area. You can rent bikes for an hour or the whole day at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Keep in mind, biking isn't permitted on the boardwalks near the geysers. – Catherine Parker

More than its star attraction ( Old Faithful ), the Upper Geyser Basin boasts not only the largest concentration of geysers in the park, but also in the entire world (Yellowstone is home to 60% of the world's geysers). So, after seeing Old Faithful erupt, be sure to hike around to discover the more than 150 hydrothermal features throughout this area.

Yellowstone Lake Yellowstone Lake free

Sitting in the heart of Yellowstone's West Thumb area is Yellowstone Lake, the park's largest body of water and the largest high-elevation lake above 7,000 feet in North America. The lake is 20 miles long, 14 miles wide and features 141 miles of shoreline. With water temperatures averaging 41 degrees Fahrenheit, swimming is discouraged, with survival times in the water between 20 and 30 minutes. Visitors can admire the scenery via hiking trails, on a boat or with a fishing pole in hand. But remember: The lake freezes over by early December and can stay that way until early June.

There are several hikes you can take to admire the splendor of Yellowstone Lake. Easier trails include the 0.8-mile Pelican Creek Nature Trail loop and the 2.5-mile Storm Point Trail loop – both have an elevation gain of less than 100 feet. For hikers on the hunt for more of a challenge, consider the 3.6-mile Elephant Back Mountain Trail loop, which features a nearly 800-foot elevation gain, or the more strenuous 4.5-mile Avalanche Peak Trail, which offers a nearly 2,100-foot elevation gain. From both summits, you'll enjoy panoramic views of the lake. 

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Norris Geyser Basin Norris Geyser Basin free

U.S. News Insider Tip : Some visitors, especially kids, might have respiratory discomfort at Norris Geyser Basin, as the sulfur smell can be strong. –  Catherine Parker

Old Faithful may be Yellowstone's most well-known geyser, but the Norris Geyser Basin is home to the park's oldest (thermal features are said to have been present here for more than 115,000 years) and hottest (459 degrees Fahrenheit just 1,087 feet below the surface). From the historic North Geyer Basin Museum visitors get their first glimpse of the geothermal power. Along its boardwalks, visitors can see rare acid geysers like Echinus Geyser, as well as the tallest active geyser, Steamboat Geyser, which shoots water 300 to 400 feet up in the air. The reason this geyser basin is so hot is due to three intersecting fault lines that lie below the area's surface.

Mystic Falls Trail Mystic Falls Trail

Of the more than 900 miles of trails available in Yellowstone National Park, Mystic Falls Trail is one of its most popular. The reason for this has to do with its scenery as well as the length. The trail can be hiked as a 2.4-mile out-and-back trail or can be combined into a 3.5-mile loop with the Fairy Creek Trail that leads to a pretty spectacular overlook of the Upper Geyser Basin . This combo includes a 600-foot elevation gain with switchbacks. Along the Mystic Falls Trail hikers pass by a mixed conifer forest and Little Firehole Creek to reach the 70-foot-tall Mystic Falls as it cascades down a rocky landscape from the Madison Plateau.

Recent visitors thoroughly enjoyed this trail and found the falls in particular to be super beautiful. Some recommended hiking the extra 1.5 miles to the Upper Geyser Basin overlook, but did warn that this part of the trail is more strenuous, noting the steep elevation gain. Other travelers strongly recommended bringing necessary supplies, such as ample water, sunscreen, bug spray and bear spray (available for rent and purchase in the park and at the airport).

Midway Geyser Basin Midway Geyser Basin free

Home to Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring , the Midway Geyser Basin leaves visitors in awe of its rainbow-colored pools and powerful geyser. In addition to the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Midway Geyser Basin features the Excelsior Geyser, a crater that dumps about 4,000 gallons of water a minute into the nearby Firehole River. The best way to experience the area is via the Midway Geyser Basin hike, a 0.7-mile loop trail with a 55-foot elevation gain that passes both features, along with Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool after it passes over the Firehole River.

Recent viewers agreed this area was a sight to behold, especially for the Technicolor pools. Travelers offered several tips for future visitors: Take the trail to the overlook if time allows for the best shot at a picture of the entire Grand Prismatic. Others suggested checking in with a park ranger for the best time for photos since stream and fog fluctuate in this basin. Others mentioned arriving early (before 9 a.m.) for the best chance at finding parking at this popular Yellowstone spot.

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

Those who want to learn about Yellowstone wildlife in a more controlled environment should take a break from the park and head to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. This nonprofit (that's also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) houses bears, wolves and raptors that could not survive on their own in the wild. In the indoor/outdoor facility, visitors will find river otters, along with birds of prey, including bald eagles, a peregrine falcon and several species of hawks and owls. In addition to animals, the center also features informative exhibits on its animal residents, as well as select educational programs that are offered for kids daily.

Although some previous visitors felt the center was a bit small, most said its habitats housing live bears and wolves along with its large viewing areas were great. To avoid feeling crammed in the tight space, a few travelers recommend visiting during the park's offseason. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center was especially appreciated by families.

Steamboat Geyser Steamboat Geyser free

Known as the world's tallest active geyser, Steamboat is located away from Old Faithful in the Norris Geyser Basin . Known to shoot water more than 300 feet into the air, this geyser puts on quite a show that can last anywhere from three to 40 minutes. Unfortunately, park scientists can't predict the next eruption. In fact, years have passed without a single eruption. Since 2018, the eruptions have been more frequent, with about a dozen each year. To walk by the Steamboat Geyser, visitors need to take the 1.5-mile Back Basin trail and boardwalk, which is located close to Cistern Spring.

Due in part to the geyser's unpredictable schedule, it received inconsistent reviews. Visitors who happened to be in the right place at the right time described Steamboat Geyser as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially if they witnessed a major eruption. Others who missed the show said it was still an interesting site, but warned of lots of dead vegetation due to the inhospitable zone around the geyser. Still, many visitors said the area was busy regardless of the geyser's activity.

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Mount Washburn Mount Washburn free

It might not be the highest point in Yellowstone (that's Eagle Peak at 11,350 feet), but Mount Washburn is a popular trail for those seeking a spectacular view. Mount Washburn stands 10,243 feet above sea level, and the trail to the top is wide and well-maintained, adding to its popularity. During the summer, it's lined with wildflowers and occasionally big horn sheep. From the top of its summit, visibility is a whopping 20 to 50 miles on clear days. These panoramic views include the forests below, distant snow-capped peaks, the sloping canyon walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake .

There are two trails that will take you to the summit of Mount Washburn, both are strenuous, featuring elevation gains of approximately 1,400 feet and take most hikers anywhere from three to six hours. The Dunraven Pass Trail is a 6.8-mile out-and-back trail with a nearly 1,400-foot elevation gain. Its trailhead is located along the Grand Loop Road. The shorter Chittenden Road trail is a 5.6-mile out-and-back trail with a nearly 1,500-foot elevation gain that starts at the Chittenden Road parking lot (vault toilet located nearby), located off the Grand Loop Road. Whichever trail you decide to take, know the National Park Service advises hikers to know their limits, especially those with heart or respiratory issues. Early season hikers are encouraged to check in with nearby park rangers regarding the conditions close to the peak as traction devices might be necessary.

Trout Lake Trail Trout Lake Trail free

For those in the Lamar Valley looking for scenic lake loop to hike, consider the Trout Lake Trail. Far from the geothermal area of the park, Trout Lake offers an incredibly serene setting. Hikers will walk through a forest to reach Trout Lake, which is surrounded by verdant scenery, including an abundance of Douglas fir trees, as well as hills with exposed cliff faces. The trail is a 1.2-mile loop with a 200-foot elevation gain and well-maintained, making it a great option for families or those with limited mobility.

Recent visitors to Trout Lake Trail loved this hike, with many noting that the landscape was exceptional. Travelers were also pleased to spot a variety of wildlife, from river otters to moose to bison. Others were happy to report that they saw very few other visitors on the trail, which was a nice reprieve from more highly trafficked places in the park. Several noted the beginning of the hike has a steep ascent, and may not suitable for those with mobility issues.

Lone Star Geyser Trail Lone Star Geyser Trail free

If you want to view Yellowstone's geysers sans crowds, then trek to the Lone Star Geyser. Lone Star Geyser lives up to its name because unlike many other geothermal areas in the park, which are clustered together, this one is all by itself. To get to the geyser, you'll have to take an approximately 5-mile out-and-back dirt trail that's bike friendly. What makes this geyser a top attraction is that it erupts regularly, every three hours to be exact. And it's no small eruption: Come showtime, this geyser shoots water up to 45 feet into the air and the eruption lasts up to 30 minutes. In addition to the standout geyser, this trail is surrounded by Yellowstone's woodland landscapes. Travelers will see beautiful trees and marshland, and the Firehole River follows the trail as well.

Recent visitors to the Lone Star Geyser Trail thoroughly enjoyed their experience. The ones who were lucky enough to be there when the geyser erupted said the display was spectacular, with some calling the overall experience better than Old Faithful . Others complimented the trail, noting that the pathway is flat, easy to traverse and overall beautiful. Several of the reviewers said it was best to bike to the trail rather than hike.

Firehole Canyon Drive Firehole Canyon Drive

Firehole Canyon Drive stands out since it takes visitors past a waterfall and to a Yellowstone swimming hole for safe and comfortable swimming during the summer (most stream and lake water within the park is too frigid). Close to Madison Junction on the west side of the park, Firehole Canyon Drive is situated off of Grand Loop Road. The seasonal 2-mile, one-way drive snakes along a particularly scenic stretch of the Firehole River. Unlike other places in the park, the river here runs through a beautiful gorge dotted with stately trees throughout, creating plenty of fantastic photo-ops.

While here, be sure to check out the roaring 40-foot-tall Firehole Falls waterfall that tumbles through lava rock, a short walk from the small parking area. The Firehole Swimming Area opens mid-summer when the water is the calmest and warmest. The swimming area has a small rocky beach that leads into the water.

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Yellowstone Maps

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Yellowstone National Park – Official Park Map

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

"for the benefit and enjoyment of the people", 2024 wildlife calendar.

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The Entire Park Mapped Out For You  

Yellowstone is an alluring place; a land of spectacular views, majestic features, wondrous wildlife, a land to be explored, and a land of individual discovery for all.  

Many, if not most, visitors to the park will experience the grandeur of iconic features such as Old Faithful Geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake, Hayden and Lamar Valleys, the ever changing and peculiar geyser basins, and of course the abundant and diverse wildlife. However, along the way to these and other acclaimed features are hidden gems of the park, lesser known things to see, do, and experience. Each of these providing unique opportunities to enjoy both the famous as well as the little things of this land of wonder, experiences we are confident that you look back on, and recognize them as time well spent and memories created.  

The Yellowstone Interactive Map is an awesome tool to help you customize your own Yellowstone exploration -- your adventure, your way. Research each  Yellowstone road section and choose those areas or points of interest and those activities that fit your likes and priorities, and where you want to spend your time. Use the Yellowstone Interactive Map to plan your trip – the stops you will make and the adventures you will experience. It provides detailed information about notable features, campgrounds, hiking trails, picnic areas, historical markers, rivers to fish and the flies to use, key animal spotting areas, park activities, roadside restrooms, wheelchair friendly locations, unique family/children activities, and other important features – those hidden gems not to be missed along the various road sections throughout the park.

What is the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), with Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres at its core, comprises 34,375 square miles (covering parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho) and is one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on earth. Its diversity and natural wealth includes half the world’s active geysers, the largest free-roaming, wild herd of bison in the United States, one of the largest elk herds in North America, one of the few grizzly populations in the contiguous United States, and unique geological interplay between volcanic, hydrothermal, and glacial processes, and the distribution of flora and fauna. Most of the park is 7,500 feet above sea level (2,286 m) with snow covering the terrain most of the year. The terrain supports forests dominated by lodgepole pine interspersed with alpine meadows, and sagebrush and grasslands on the park’s lower-elevation northern range provide essential winter forage for elk, bison, and bighorn sheep.

Where is Yellowstone National Park Located?

Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest region of the United States, covering parts of the states of Wyoming (96% of the park), Montana (3% of the park), and Idaho (1% of the park), and in the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The park covers 3,472 square miles or 2.2 million acres.

The park has five entrances. To help you determine which entrance is best for you to enter the park, “ Entrances to Yellowstone National Park ” provides information specific to each entrance community such as its history, lodging, places to eat, specific attractions, stores, churches, and activities. “ Things to Do, See, and Experience Along Your Way to the Park ” provides some awesome and highly recommended adventures to consider along your way to the park, specific to each respective entrance. The  Yellowstone Park Interactive Map  provides you with information of what to do and see while in the park and breaks it down by road sections.

A Brief History of Yellowstone National Park

Scientists believe that human history in Yellowstone National Park dates back approximately 11,000 years based on evidence at archeological sites, trails, paleoindian artifacts, etc. Early Native American tribes, such as the Crow and Sioux, arrived sometime during the 1500s and 1700s, respectively. Other tribes, some dating prior to this time, are known to have lived in and passed through the park as it was a place where they hunted, fished, gathered plants, quarried obsidian, and used thermal features for religious and medicinal purposes. One such group, known as the Sheep Eaters were Shoshone Indians who adapted to mountain existence. Their name has its origin from the bighorn sheep whose migrations they followed. The sheep provided meat for their diet, hides for clothing, and other parts for crafting tools. More than 1,800 archeological sites have been documented in Yellowstone National Park, with the majority from the Archaic period (1,500 to 7,000 years ago).

Coming Soon

There are five entrances to the park. From what direction you approach the park, and what you want to do and see while in the park, will ultimately determine which entrance is best for you when traveling to Yellowstone. Click on the specific Park Entrance to find information about that community, such as its history, lodging, places to eat, specific attractions, stores, churches, and activities.

The complete guide to Yellowstone National Park

Apr 15, 2021 • 19 min read

Yellowstone National Park is the rare destination that lives up to its own mythology ©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet

This place was named not by the French fur trappers who wandered through in the late 1700s looking for pelts or by John Colter – the member of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition who struck off on his own and stumbled across a place so uncanny his reports of what he saw were dismissed as pure fantasy. Yellowstone was named by the Indigenous Hidatsa people whose phrase  Mi tsi a-da-zi  called attention to the unusual hue of the stones lining the Yellow Rock River.

For thousands of years, Yellowstone's unique landscape has changed in ways both dramatic and minute. It's also continued to attract visitors, whether they're the ancestors of the Hidatsa following winter game, colonial-era settlers, or vacationing families on a classic summer road trip. There's certainly no bad time to visit Yellowstone. Open ten months out of the year, there's something new to experience in any season. And while some elements like wildlife and weather can be unpredictable, one thing is for sure. Whether you're visiting for the very first time or you've come back again and again over the years, you're in for a treat whenever you set foot in the park.

From strolling the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk to see famous spouts like Old Faithful or making your way through the mist around Grand Prismatic Spring to enjoying a winter safari through the Lamar Valley and cross-country skiing to Lone Star Geyser, there's a little something for everyone. 

Here's what you need to know to start planning your trip – and for more detail pick up a copy of the Lonely Planet Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks travel guide  and Yellowstone National Park Planning Map.

Editor's note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellowstone National Park began a phased reopening on June 1. Services and facilities will remain limited through 2020. Check the  national park website  for the latest info.

About Yellowstone National Park

Millions of years ago, this was a fairly ordinary swath of rivers, mountains, and grassy valleys. But then a geologic hot spit that once sat underneath what is now Idaho's  Craters of the Moon National Monument  shifted to the northeast where the Rocky Mountains meet the Snake River Plain. A long, slow drift to the confluence of what is now Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho and one cataclysmic eruption later, the place we now know as Yellowstone was born – including its famous geysers, hot springs, and travertine falls.

Since then, Yellowstone's living, breathing landscape continues to evolve. Beneath the boardwalks tourists criss-cross to see the park's thermal features, under the rolling rivers and the paws of bears and wolves is a vast super caldera, the mouth of a series of massive eruptions, the last of which occurred as recently as 630,000 years ago. The park's colorful, superheated paintpots, springs, and boiling rivers are the product of ongoing volcanic activity underneath a thin layer of the earth's crust, while its dramatic canyons reveal where the Yellowstone River has carved through millennia of hardened lava flows that have built up stunning basalt cliffs and ridges. 

The Indigenous tribes who wintered in Yellowstone specialized obsidian tools made from all that abundant volcanic material endemic to the area. These arrow and spear points were so highly prized that they have been found in archeological sites far east of the Mississippi, working their way down long, well-established trade routes between tribes. Despite the unique landforms and abundance of resources, however, Yellowstone didn't attract serious interest from white colonizers until after the Civil War, when the Cook-Folsom-Peterson Expedition arrived in 1869.

Unlike previous visitors from back east, whose accounts were taken as the stuff of myth, fantasy, and salesmanship, the Folsom party's accounts of what they saw in Yellowstone were taken seriously, backed up by maps and detailed surveying notes. It didn't take long for colonial settlers who'd arrived in the region on the heels of so-called Indian Removal to begin advocating for preserving the area, rather than opening it up to private developers for logging and mining.

Those recommendations were quick to reach the U.S. government in Washington D.C. By 1872, photographs and paintings by artists like Thomas Moran were amazing the public back east and won over not only the populace, but politicians, too. President Ulysses S. Grant made Yellowstone the country's first national park that year expressly "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" – a surprising choice in a rapidly industrializing nation that often saw wilderness not as a playground, but a resource to exploit. 

The decision to establish Yellowstone as a national park had stunning implications, and arguably ushered in the first real era of American tourism and outdoor recreation. Wealthy visitors made the long journey to Wyoming territory on brand new rail lines and stayed in luxurious lodges, touring Yellowstone in bright yellow stage coaches. Eventually, America's growing middle class followed in the first automobiles and RVs , eager to see the mythic American west for themselves.

The creation of Yellowstone also gave rise to the whole National Parks Service when further lands like Yosemite and Sequoia were designated as national parks nearly 20 years later. Park rangers, too, were a new invention descended from a post-Civil War military in need of a new assignment. Soldiers who'd once served on the front lines against the Confederacy found themselves defending Yellowstone from vandals and outlaws who hadn't yet grasped the concept of conservation.

Major Attractions

Today, Yellowstone is a smorgasbord of things to do and see, and some of its very best features are incredibly easy to access. That said, there's also plenty of ways for adventurers to work up a sweat, like climbing to the top of the park's many summits or taking in views of the caldera from the shore of Yellowstone Lake while you drop a fishing line into its depths. From peeping wildlife in the Lamar Valley to dipping off the beaten path on a guided horseback tour, Yellowstone is as rich in experiences as it is in natural wonders.

Thermal Features

Some of the most famous and eye-catching features in the park, including Old Faithful , the Upper Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, the Fountain Paint Pot  trail, Mud Volcano , West Thumb Geyser Basin, Norris Geyser Basin , Porcelain Basin, and the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces are viewable year-round.

The park's many thermal areas are connected by scenic drives and, once you arrive, smooth boardwalks punctuated by plenty of bump outs for photo opportunities. While the scenery is ceaselessly spectacular, steamy, and mysterious, the rainbow hues of the thermal features and their attendant bacterial colonies pop – especially in the winter, when they contrast technicolor bright against banks of fresh snow.

Stunning Vistas

Tower Fall is a must-see, cascading 132 feet over dramatic volcanic towers into the Yellowstone River like something out of  Lord of the Rings.  The viewpoint is just a short walk from a place to park and the adjacent Tower Fall Campground .

Despite the less evocative name, Lower Falls is an even more impressive scene. For one, it's the tallest waterfall in the park, over twice as high as Tower Fall and bigger even than Niagara back east. It's viewable from multiple points on the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, including the aptly named Lookout Point and Artist Point, as well as Red Rock Point, and Uncle Tom's Trail .

Inspiration Point is one of the best spots to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone in all its glory. If you're short on time and wondering what to see on your first visit to the park and what to save for subsequent, longer tours, squeeze in Inspiration Point for sure.

Point Sublime is just a short mile-long nature walk with views that offer more of the Grand Canyon's details and brilliant shifts in color – a product of the area's rich geologic history and volcanic origins. It's especially thrilling to see steam rising up from small fumaroles on the canyon walls and along the banks of the river, suggesting just how much the Yellowstone landscape is a living, breathing thing, and how much activity is literally bubbling just out of view.

Yellowstone Wildlife

Bison are everywhere in Yellowstone and you're sure to see some any time of year – possibly quite close, as they aren't shy about stopping traffic to cross the street or amble down the road at their own pace. While it's important to keep your distance, stay in your vehicle, and never, ever feed wildlife of any species, the chance to see one of North America's most iconic animals in its natural habitat is something special indeed. 

That said, there are many more animals to view in Yellowstone than just these fuzzy giants, and you'll be sure to see many visitors armed with telescoping lenses and binoculars who are hoping to get a glimpse of the park's permanent residents, including grey wolves, elk, moose, mountain goats, bears, lynx, coyotes, mule deer, foxes, otters, and wolverines.

One of the best ways to see wildlife is to visit in the winter and take a tour on one of Yellowstone's snow coaches. The park's knowledgeable, close-knit team of guides are well-versed in where to find wildlife day-to-day and have the best shot at getting you where you need to be to catch a glimpse. Plus, they do the driving so you're free to keep your eyes peeled and your hands on your camera to catch thrilling split-second moments like foxes diving high in the air to "plonk" down on their prey.

Watching wildlife in Yellowstone National Park

Hiking and Backpacking

Yellowstone doesn't have quite the athletic reputation of parks like Yosemite, Arches, or Zion , which are practically synonymous with American rock climbing and canyoneering. But there's plenty in Yellowstone best seen from the trail or ski track to please outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels – just remember to pick up a backcountry camping permit if you'll be heading out on overnight.

Morning Glory Pool sits not far from the Upper Geyser Basin and is well worth adding a little extra perambulation. The colors are even more brilliant in person than in photos, set off by lush, muted stands of evergreens.

Lone Star Geyser  can be reached by hike, mountain bike or cross-country ski tracks – an outing which follows a picturesque section of the Firehole River to an impressive 45-foot high gusher that erupts roughly every three hours. Coincidentally, that's about long it'll take you to make the out-and-back if you're on foot.

Bunsen Peak is a moderate to challenging hike of under five miles that's named for the same gent who invented the Bunsen burners you might have used in high school chemistry class. It offers expansive views of the northern part of the park around Mammoth Hot Springs – especially with the residual effects of the 1988 fires that swept through Yellowstone.

Electric Peak is a strenuous undertaking, spanning 20 miles of prime Yellowstone terrain and 3,808 feet of elevation gain and loss. Bring your bear bells and you'll be rewarded with panoramic views, fields of goldenrod, and glimpses of Yellowstone's varied geologic layers as you climb to the summit. You might even see a moose, especially if you turn this from a dawn-to-dusk day hike into a short backpacking trip.

The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone is a hard 13 miles, but it's full of adventurous details like a suspension bridge over the Yellowstone River, the cascade of Knowles Falls, and ancient rock slides. Follow in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt, early Yellowstone explorers, and even miners as you make your way to Eagle Creek Campground and back.

Insider’s guide to Yellowstone: where to trek and geyser gaze without the crowds

Watersports in Yellowstone

You can't take your kayak out on Yellowstone's streams – fair enough, since half of them have well-earned names like the Boiling River . But you can paddle Yellowstone's lakes and ponds, including Yellowstone Lake, Lewis Lake, and Shoshone Lake . There's a lot to see that's well worth the upper body workout.

Anglers will be rewarded with abundant fish, including some species native to the park. Wildlife watchers will appreciate the opportunity to observe fauna on the shore without ending up in a bison jam or rubbing elbows with other visitors. And yakpackers have the unique ability to reach remote areas of the park not on foot, but one paddle stroke at a time.

You can book guided river rafting trips  out of Gardiner, Montana to shoot the Yellowstone River's rapids, kayak tours,   and even overnight paddle expeditions  if you don't have your own watercraft, or are traveling long-distance. You can also rent rowboats and outboards at Bridge Bay Marina, or a variety of watercraft from private companies outside the park.

The extra-adventurous can bring their dive gear and explore under the surface of Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin , and the Firehole River at Mystic Falls – all under-the-radar national park  scuba destinations .

Everything you need to know about paddling in Yellowstone National Park

When to Visit

Yellowstone is open to visitors year-round, though it closes for two short shoulder periods a year to transition between seasons. Yellowstone generally closes between March through April each year to give crews time to plow the roads and prepare the park for peak season. The park also shuts down in September and October to winterize its infrastructure.

The most popular months to visit Yellowstone are July and August when families are on summer vacation and temperatures are the warmest. If you want to avoid significant crowds, it's better to come at the beginning or end of the summer season, though temperatures might be a little cooler. 

During the summer, weather in Yellowstone is warm and pleasant during the day, with highs in the 60s and 70s, but can still dip down into the 30s and 40s (Fahrenheit). It's always wise to pack layers and sunscreen, and to ere on the side of camping gear rated for lower temperatures.

Winter in Yellowstone is criminally overlooked, with prime opportunities for viewing wildlife like bison, elk, foxes, weasels, and even the park's famous wolves. You'll also face next to no crowds, except around Christmastime, giving you ample opportunity for photos or simply soaking up the contrast of fire and ice uninterrupted. 

In winter, temperatures can hover around zero or below, though the low humidity makes it easy to layer warmly, especially if you're planning an active day of snowshoeing or skiing. Avoid cotton clothing in favor of wicking, insulating fabrics like silk, wool, or synthetic base layers, and make sure you have good socks and gloves. 

Getting There and Getting Around

The easiest way to reach Yellowstone is by flying into one of the region's airports, including Jackson, Wyoming; Bozeman, Montana or Idaho Falls. Cody, Wyoming and Billings, Montana are also options. In peak season, you can also fly directly into West Yellowstone, Montana.

Bozeman is often the best deal and is a very fun college town with plenty to see and do on your way in and out. Grab a beer and a bite at Montana Ale Works if you have the chance. Meanwhile, Jackson, Wyoming has earned its outsize reputation as a mountain town worthy of a vacation in its own right – swing by Snake River Brewing if time allows, where you will run into everyone from young guns to backwoods mystics to thoughtful western old timers.

Highways 20, 191, 89, 212, and 14/16 all connect to or border Yellowstone National Park, depending on whether you're driving in from Montana, Idaho or Wyoming. You can make a road trip of reaching Yellowstone from Jackson by driving north through Grand Teton National Park. Another option is to drive west from Devil's Tower National Monument on the Wyoming/North Dakota border, or northeast from Craters of the Moon – which will give you a sense of just how much power the Yellowstone hotspot has packed in millennia past. 

Once you are within the park, there are a few main roads linking the five entrances to the park, including the Grand Loop Road, Norris Canyon Road, West Entrance Road, North Entrance Road, South Entrance Road, and East Entrance Road. The only road open in the winter months is the Grand Loop Road to 212 through Tower Junction between the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana and Cooke City Montana.  

Patience is a virtue, as in most popular national parks. Traffic can be slow in peak season when the park is most crowded, especially if there's a "bison jam" caused by tourists stopping int he middle of the road to snap photos of nearby wildlife. Keep calm and keep your eyes open – and don't forget to fill up at Yellowstone's handful of gas stations when you have the chance.

Where to Stay

Summer lodging in yellowstone.

In summertime, you'll have your pick of accommodations from lodges to cabins to campgrounds and even yurts, with a wide range to choose from within each category depending on your style and what part of the park in which you'd prefer to be based.

Especially in peak season, you'll want to book accommodations well ahead of time, especially if you're hoping for a prime room in the Old Faithful Lodge or your pick of campsites. Yellowstone can book out months or even a year in advance, even in a year when travel has been curtailed by a global pandemic.

The iconic Old Faithful Inn, completed in 1904, is a prime example of "parksitecture" and is a testament to over a century of Yellowstone Visitors, close to both Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin. The massive stone fireplace is a dreamy place to curl up after a long day of sightseeing, too.

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is another gorgeous piece of Yellowstone history – parts of it date back to 1911, but most was built in 1936. The whole place was recently renovated, with chic updates to the guest bathrooms and many improvements made with sustainability in mind, like the recycled glass countertops. Don't miss a meal at the dining room across the street – the Elk Sliders with tarragon aioli are a treat, and the Bison Top Sirloin is especially memorable.

Grant Village , constructed in the 1980s, is tucked away near both Yellowstone Lake and Grand Teton National Park on the southern side of YNP. Visitors will especially appreciate the stunning views from the Lake House Restaurant and Grant Village Dining Room .

Lake Yellowstone Hotel  was most recently updated in 2014, also with an emphasis on sustainability. The hotel swaps rustic charm for Colonial Revival glam and boasts some of the better internet connectivity in Yellowstone.

Canyon Lodge is the newest addition to the Yellowstone's collection of accommodations. This LEED-certified development gives you prime access to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone , and is a contemporary take on the classic parksitecture found at the Old Faithful Inn. 

11 sustainable ways to experience Yellowstone National Park

Cabins and Cottages

Cabins and cottages are available throughout the park as well, with options at Lake Yellowstone, Lake Lodge, Canyon Lodge, Roosevelt Lodge, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and Old Faithful Lodge.

Cabins typically come with two options – those with their own baths including showers but not tubs, or those with sinks but shared bathroom facilities. The exception to this are the new Canyon Lodge Cabins, which have full bathrooms. The most historic is the Roosevelt Lodge Cabins, built in the 1920s near Tower Junction.

Campgrounds

Like other types of lodging, camping is available throughout Yellowstone at Madison Campground, Grant Village, Canyon Campground, and Bridge Bay Campground. 

RVs can be no longer than 75 feet to navigate Yellowstone's roads, but most campsites cannot accommodate rigs long than 40 feet. Be sure to read up on length limits when choosing a campsite in Yellowstone as they vary from campground to campground.  

Madison Campground and Canyon Campground the most conveniently located for seeing as many different areas of Yellowstone as possible. Grant Village is excellent for families and first-time campers, with easy access to the amenities at the nearby hotel. Canyon Campground and Bridge Bay are some of the most scenic places to camp. 

Rangers patrol the campgrounds frequently to make sure you're complying with bear safety protocols and other regulations – so be sure to read up ahead of time on safe food storage practices and use the provided bear lockers. You can purchase firewood at check-in, and campsites are typically equipped with fire rings and picnic tables, and space to park your car.

Backcountry Camping 

While backcountry camping is currently closed due to COVID-19 , there are 300 sites within Yellowstone. Because Yellowstone is so rugged and remote, and because it's home to bears and other apex predators, it's important to have some backcountry experience before taking advantage of these sites, and to be well-versed in Leave No Trace principles . 

When there isn't a pandemic on, you can obtain permits within 48 hours of your visit from any of nine different ranger stations and visitor centers. Some can be reserved farther in advance, but are awarded by lottery starting April 1st from a running pool of reservation requests submitted by mail, fax, or in-person. 

Winter Lodging in Yellowstone

In the winter months, Yellowstone operates limited facilities including the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. These are open from mid-December to the first of March. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel can be reached from Gardiner, Montana in private vehicles, but during the winter season the Old Faithful Snow Lodge can only be accessed by commercial snow coaches. 

While the Old Faithful Snow Lodge was built in 1999, its architecture is faithful to the period style of the neighboring Old Faithful Inn, and offers plenty of rustic romance. There are cozy fireplaces surrounded by welcoming club chairs, a bar and restaurant that turn out a delicious and varied menu (get the huckleberry pancakes), as well as ski and snowshoe rental onsite.

There's an ice skating rink just steps from the Snow Lodge entrance and in the evenings you can enjoy an outdoor fire pit – preferably after a tipple of MT 1889 Whiskey or a Big Sky Brewing's Moose Drool Brown Ale at the Firehole Lounge . If you get lucky, you might even spy some bison wandering just outside from the Geyser Grill dining room – they sometimes like to check out the Upper Geyser Basin themselves.

You might also like: The complete guide to Mammoth Cave National Park From stagecoach to motorcoach, a history of RVs in the USA Our top 10 picks for backpacking cooking gear

Make sure you're ready for anything with  travel insurance  from our trusted partners. Check out  adventure tours  for every traveler from our trusted partners.

This article was first published June 2020 and updated April 2021

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Map of Yellowstone National Park — Best attractions, restaurants, and transportation info

What’s on this map.

We’ve made the ultimate tourist map of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming for travelers! Check out Yellowstone National Park’s top things to do, attractions, restaurants, and major transportation hubs all in one interactive map.

Visiting Yellowstone National Park? See our Yellowstone National Park Trip Planner.

How to use the map

Use this interactive map to plan your trip before and while in Yellowstone National Park. Learn about each place by clicking it on the map or read more in the article below. Here’s more ways to perfect your trip using our Yellowstone National Park map:

• Explore the best restaurants, shopping, and things to do in Yellowstone National Park by categories
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• Print a physical map to bring it on your trip

Top 19 attractions in Yellowstone National Park

Grand prismatic spring, canyon lodge & cabins.

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Lamar Valley

Upper geyser basin, norris geyser basin.

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Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River

Artist point, beehive geyser, hayden valley, grand loop rd, biscuit basin, thumb geyser, old faithful visitor and education center, lower geyser basin, firehole river.

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Mystic Falls

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Mammoth Dining Room

Old faithful inn dining room, roosevelt lodge dining room, old faithful snow lodge obsidian dining room.

Old Faithful Inn Bear Paw Deli

Old faithful inn.

Canyon Eatery

Running bear pancake house, tumbleweed bookstore & cafe, transportation in yellowstone national park, nearby airports, jackson hole airport, highways and major roads.

• Grand Loop Road
• Norris-Canyon Road
• Beartooth Highway
• Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
• Lamar Valley Road
• Tower Junction Road
• West Entrance Road
• East Entrance Road
• South Entrance Road
• Dunraven Pass Road

Top searches in Yellowstone National Park

Popular road trips from yellowstone national park, what's the weather like in yellowstone national park.

It depends on when you visit! We've compiled data from NASA on what the weather is like in Yellowstone National Park for each month of the year: see the links below for more information.

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Explore nearby places

• Yellowstone National Park
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All related maps of Yellowstone National Park

• Map of West Yellowstone
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Yellowstone National Park throughout the year

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in kemmerer, wyoming’s fossil basin, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/museum-idaho/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "mammoths, modern innovations and more at the museum of idaho"}}'> mammoths, modern innovations and more at the museum of idaho, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/national-museum-of-wildlife-art/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "national museum of wildlife art in jackson, wyo."}}'> national museum of wildlife art in jackson, wyo., >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/wind-river-hotel-and-casino/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "native excursions at wind river hotel & casino"}}'> native excursions at wind river hotel & casino, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/buffalo-bill-center-west/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "old west experiences at buffalo bill center of the west"}}'> old west experiences at buffalo bill center of the west, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/pan-for-gold/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "pan for gold in montana and wyoming near yellowstone"}}'> pan for gold in montana and wyoming near yellowstone, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/sacajawea-secret-gravesite/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "sacajawea’s controversial wyoming gravesite is off-the-beaten-path"}}'> sacajawea’s controversial wyoming gravesite is off-the-beaten-path, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/see-petroglyphs-and-pictographs/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "see ancient rock art petroglyphs near yellowstone"}}'> see ancient rock art petroglyphs near yellowstone, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/st-stephens-mission/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "st. stephens mission on the wind river reservation"}}'> st. stephens mission on the wind river reservation, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/old-prison/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "tour an old wyoming prison"}}'> tour an old wyoming prison, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/visit-a-paleontological-site/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "visit a paleontological site in wyoming near yellowstone"}}'> visit a paleontological site in wyoming near yellowstone, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/visit-an-old-mine/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "visit an old mine near yellowstone"}}'> visit an old mine near yellowstone, >", "path": "https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/many-museums/", "listing_type": "category", "location": "list", "title": "wyoming museums"}}'> wyoming museums.

Yellowstone National Park Tourist Map

by John William Uhler

Back to: Yellowstone Up Close and Personal

A Fascinating Journey through Yellowstone National Park

Y ellowstone National Park, located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, is a captivating destination that offers a wide range of adventures for nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. With its diverse landscapes, geothermal wonders, and abundant wildlife, a visit to Yellowstone is an unforgettable experience.

One of the most popular activities in Yellowstone National Park is wildlife watching. The park is home to a variety of animals, including grizzly bears, wolves, elk, bison, and moose. Visitors can spot these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, either by taking a guided tour or exploring on their own. It is essential to remember that these are wild animals, and maintaining a safe distance is crucial for both their well-being and your own safety.

Exploring the geothermal features is another must-do adventure in Yellowstone. The park boasts more than 10,000 geothermal features, including the famous Old Faithful geyser. Witnessing an eruption of boiling water shooting up into the air is a sight like no other. The park also features colorful hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles, each with its unique characteristics.

For those seeking a unique experience, backcountry camping and hiking are highly recommended. Yellowstone offers over 900 miles of hiking trails, ranging from easy nature walks to challenging multi-day treks. Backpacking through the wilderness allows visitors to truly immerse themselves in the pristine beauty of the park and discover hidden gems off the beaten path.

Hiking trails in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is a haven for hiking enthusiasts, with an extensive network of trails that cater to all skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced hiker, you will find trails that suit your preferences and abilities.

One of the most iconic hikes in Yellowstone is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone trail. This trail offers breathtaking views of the Yellowstone River as it cascades through the vibrant-colored canyon. The trail covers approximately 6 miles and is known for its stunning waterfalls and dramatic cliffs.

If you are looking for a more challenging hike, the Mount Washburn trail is an excellent option. This trail takes you to the summit of Mount Washburn, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. The trail is approximately 6 miles round trip and is known for its wildflower meadows and opportunities to spot wildlife such as bighorn sheep and mountain goats.

For those seeking a shorter and easier hike, the Fairy Falls trail is a great choice. This 5-mile round trip trail takes you to a beautiful waterfall surrounded by lush greenery. It is the perfect spot for a picnic or a peaceful moment amidst nature.

When hiking in Yellowstone, it is essential to come prepared with proper gear, including sturdy hiking boots, a map, plenty of water, and bear spray. Additionally, always check the weather conditions and trail closures before embarking on your hike.

Best attractions in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is renowned for its incredible natural wonders and attractions. Here are some of the must-visit places within the park:

1. Old Faithful: The most famous geyser in Yellowstone, Old Faithful, attracts visitors from around the world. It erupts approximately every 90 minutes, shooting a column of hot water high into the air. Witnessing this natural phenomenon is an absolute highlight of any visit to the park.

2. Grand Prismatic Spring: Known for its vibrant colors, the Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and one of the most photographed features in the park. The vivid hues, ranging from deep blues to bright oranges, create a mesmerizing spectacle that is a must-see for any visitor.

3. Mammoth Hot Springs: These terraces of travertine are formed by the precipitation of hot springs water saturated with calcium carbonate. The result is a stunning display of intricate and ever-changing mineral formations. Visitors can explore the boardwalks that wind their way through the terraces, offering unique perspectives of this geological wonder.

4. Lamar Valley: Known as the “Serengeti of North America,” Lamar Valley is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. It is often referred to as the best place in Yellowstone to spot wolves, as well as other animals such as bison, elk, and pronghorn. The vast open landscapes and diverse wildlife make for an unforgettable experience.

5. Norris Geyser Basin: This geothermal area is one of the most active in Yellowstone, with a large number of geysers, hot springs, and steam vents. The boardwalks allow visitors to explore the otherworldly landscapes and witness the power and beauty of Yellowstone's geothermal features up close.

These are just a few of the many attractions that Yellowstone National Park has to offer. Exploring the park at your own pace and immersing yourself in its natural wonders is the key to an unforgettable journey.

In conclusion, a journey through Yellowstone National Park is a truly fascinating experience. From the diverse adventures and hiking trails to the breathtaking attractions, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you are a nature lover, a wildlife enthusiast, or simply seeking awe-inspiring landscapes, Yellowstone will leave you in awe. Plan your visit, venture into the wilderness, and embark on a journey you will cherish forever.

The post A Fascinating Journey through Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Things That Make People Go Aww .

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Quantifying and evaluating strategies to decrease carbon dioxide emissions generated from tourism to Yellowstone National Park

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Visualization, Writing – original draft

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliations U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America, Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America, Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America

Roles Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America

Roles Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Affiliations Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America, Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America

• Emily J. Wilkins, 
• Dani T. Dagan, 
• Jordan W. Smith

• Published: April 3, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391
• Reader Comments

The tourism industry needs strategies to reduce emissions and hasten the achievement of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission reduction targets. Using a case study approach, we estimated CO 2 emissions related to park tourism in Yellowstone National Park (USA) generated from transit to and from the park, transit within the park, accommodations, and park operations. Results indicate tourism to Yellowstone National Park produces an estimated 1.03 megaton (1.03 billion kg) of CO 2 -equivalent emissions annually, with an average of 479 kg CO 2 per visitor. Almost 90% of these emissions were attributable to transit to and from the destination, while 5% were from transit within the park, 4% from overnight accommodations, and about 1% from other park operations (e.g., visitor centers, museums, shops, restaurants, etc.). Visitors who fly only made up about 35% of all visitors, but produced 72% of the emissions related to transit to and from the park. Future scenarios that alter transit to and from the park can reduce emissions the most; this includes a greater proportion of local or regional visitors, fewer visitors flying, and increased fuel efficiency of vehicles. The method developed in this work, and applied specifically to Yellowstone National Park, can be adopted elsewhere and used to help decision makers evaluate the effectiveness of potential emission reduction strategies.

Citation: Wilkins EJ, Dagan DT, Smith JW (2024) Quantifying and evaluating strategies to decrease carbon dioxide emissions generated from tourism to Yellowstone National Park. PLOS Clim 3(4): e0000391. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391

Editor: William Usher, KTH Royal Institute of Technology: Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan, SWEDEN

Received: October 20, 2023; Accepted: February 26, 2024; Published: April 3, 2024

This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

Data Availability: All data are available from secondary sources, as described in the methods section. A spreadsheet that details all the data used for analysis and results is available as a supplementary file .

Funding: This work was supported by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (Project #1490 to JWS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

1. Introduction

Over the past century, the Earth has warmed by about 1.1°C [ 1 ]. This has already changed ecosystems and negatively affected human health and livelihoods [ 2 ]. Global climate change is driven by an increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane, and nitrous oxide. Due to increased use of fossil fuels and industrial processes over the last century, as well as other factors like land use change, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions rose 54% between 1990 and 2019 [ 3 ]. Carbon dioxide is currently considered the most influential greenhouse gas because it contributes about three-quarters of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions [ 3 ]. Recently, the United States made a goal to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by the year 2030 [ 4 ]. To achieve this goal, many sectors, including the tourism sector, will need to cut CO 2 emissions.

Between 2009 and 2013, tourism contributed 8% of all annual global CO 2 equivalent emissions, with the United States having the highest total carbon footprint related to tourism [ 5 ]. By 2035, tourism-related emissions are expected to grow by 161% from 2005 levels, largely due to a projected growth in air travel and longer transit distances [ 6 ]. Although air travel volume decreased temporarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of annual global air passengers has been increasing since 2020 and is almost back to pre-pandemic levels [ 7 ]; thus far, there has been little evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will substantially change tourism in the long-run [ 8 ]. Although the overall efficiency of transit has increased over time (i.e., increasing km/L of vehicles), CO 2 emissions per tourist are still rising in many places because tourists are travelling greater distances [ 9 ]. Due to the rising demand for tourism and increased CO 2 emissions per tourist, it is critical that strategies are adopted to help slow the rise in tourism-related emissions.

More research is needed on both the effect of climate change on tourism, and the effect of tourism on climate change, to inform policies and decision-making [ 10 ]. A recent multi-national policy analysis found climate change is often not considered in tourism policies [ 11 ]. In many places, such as the United States, a large portion of tourism is related to visiting parks and protected areas [ 12 ] with the U.S. National Park System receiving over 300 million annual visits [ 13 ]. Although previous studies have investigated the effect of climate change on visitors to parks and protected areas [ 14 – 18 ], few studies have addressed if and how visitors are contributing to climate change [ 19 ]. There are a variety of potential approaches to reduce CO 2 emissions in parks and protected areas, such as increasing public transit, updating buildings to be energy efficient, switching to renewable energy, or encouraging local or virtual park visits [ 20 ]. Understanding how specific park tourism behaviors influence CO 2 emissions can help park managers and other tourism suppliers prioritize carbon-reduction actions.

Consequently, our goal is to understand and quantify the CO 2 emissions from a high-profile park, using Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone NP) as a case study. Specifically, we ask:

(1) What are the estimated annual CO 2 emissions produced from visitors to Yellowstone NP from transit to and from the park, transit within the park, accommodations, and park operations?

(2) How would different scenarios affect CO 2 emissions (e.g., more people per vehicle, more visitors using buses, fewer visitors flying, increase in renewable energy use)?

We also aim to detail a methodology that could be replicated in other locations to understand the CO 2 emissions generated from nature-based tourism. By quantifying the estimated CO 2 emissions by source, park and tourism managers or policymakers can strategically use management or policy actions to reduce total CO 2 emissions.

1.1. Carbon dioxide emissions from tourism-related travel

Researchers can estimate CO 2 emissions from tourism using either bottom-up or top-down approaches [ 21 ]. In bottom-up estimation, emissions are calculated for different sectors (e.g., transit, accommodations) and types of tourists (e.g., based on home location or type of overnight accommodation), and extrapolated for the number of visitors to a destination. Top-down analysis analyzes tourism-related emissions in the context of the larger economy (e.g., estimating tourism emissions by using data from other sectors). The top-down approach often does not produce emissions estimates for different tourism sectors, types of visitors, or visitor behaviors [ 21 ]. In this paper, we take a bottom-up approach to understand the carbon emissions of specific aspects of park tourism in a single U.S. national park.

Tourists generate CO 2 emissions from transit to and from their destination, transit within their destination, overnight accommodations, and recreational activities [ 22 ]. Transit contributes the largest portion of tourism-related CO 2 emissions [ 22 – 25 ]. For example, in Barcelona it was estimated that 96% of tourism-related CO 2 emissions came from transit to and from the destination [ 25 ]. Globally in 2001, tourism-related CO 2 emissions from transport were estimated at 1.26 gigatons of CO 2 , more than 15 times the 81 megatons from accommodations, and more than 20 times the 55 megatons from activities [ 24 ]. Global tourism has grown substantially since then, with 2.3 billion international travelers in 2019, up from 1.2 billion international travelers in 2001 [ 26 ]. A study on national parks in Taiwan found transportation-related tourist behaviors such as visiting places closer to home, switching from private vehicles to tour buses, and increasing the number of people in each vehicle, all had the potential to significantly decrease CO 2 emissions from national park visitation [ 19 ].

Air travel in particular contributes significantly to tourism-related carbon emissions. Previous research found domestic and international visitors used about the same amount of energy per day within New Zealand, but CO 2 emissions from transit to destinations were much higher for international visitors, both because they travel longer distances and because almost all international visitors must fly to reach the country [ 23 ]. Emissions of CO 2 at higher altitudes (e.g., flight level) have a larger effect on warming than emissions emitted at ground level [ 27 , 28 ], and some studies use a multiplier to account for this [ 22 , 24 ]. While longer flights emit more CO 2 in total, shorter flights emit more CO 2 per km because the take-off is energy intensive [ 9 ].

1.2. Other tourism-related CO 2 emissions

Although transit contributes the majority of tourism-related emissions, overnight accommodations also contribute CO 2 emissions. Previous studies have estimated energy use, which relates to CO 2 emissions, from different types of accommodations (e.g., hotel, bed and breakfast, motel, hostels, campgrounds) [ 29 , 30 ]. Generally, hotels and resorts use the most energy per visitor night, while camping uses the least energy [ 29 , 30 ]. However, there is large variability in the amount of energy used per visitor night, even within the same type of accommodation [ 31 , 32 ]. Variation in energy use across businesses is partially due to varying energy-savings measures and energy sources used by individual businesses [ 31 , 33 ].

Visitors’ activities while at the destination also contribute CO 2 emissions, but less than transit and accommodations, and motorized activities contribute the most (e.g., scenic flights, motorized boating) [ 34 ]. In general, tourists visiting attractions (e.g., visitor centers, gardens, natural features, etc.) have lower emissions than visitors participating in activities (e.g., motorized water activities), but there is high variability in the emissions by activity [ 34 ].

Although park tourism produces CO 2 emissions, parks and protected areas also remove CO 2 from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration. Within the United States, the total value of vegetative carbon sequestration on National Park Service (NPS) lands is $707 million annually (assuming a social cost of carbon price of $40.45 per metric ton of carbon), but there is a projected drop in future sequestration due to climate change and the increasing prevalence of forest fires [ 35 ]. Previous research found Yellowstone NP had the second highest carbon sequestration of NPS units and is a net carbon sink, with -1.5 megatons of CO 2 annually [ 36 ]. However, even with a substantial increase in terrestrial sequestration (i.e., land use change), terrestrial carbon sequestration alone could not offset current global emissions [ 37 ]. Therefore, understanding and reducing total CO 2 emissions remains critical.

2.1. Study site

Located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming and crossing into both Idaho and Montana, Yellowstone NP is the largest national park in the Continental United States ( Fig 1 ). It is a predominantly forested park that sits atop an active volcano and contains many hydrothermal features and geysers [ 38 ]. The park had over four million visitors annually between 2015 and 2019, with the vast majority of visitation occurring in the summer [ 39 ]. Yellowstone NP is a large park, totaling 8,991 km 2 , with 727 km of roads and around 1,609 km of hiking trails [ 38 ]. Given the size of the park and the fact it is not close to any major metro areas, visitors often travel long distances to reach the park and drive many kilometers once inside the park.

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

Solid black lines represent roads; dashed grey lines represent trails. Maps created by the authors in R with the tmap and osmdata packages [ 40 , 41 ] using road, trail, and waterbody data from OpenStreetMap under the Open Database License [ 42 ]. Park boundaries are from the National Park Service [ 43 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.g001

The park gets very cold in the winter and most roads close due to snow, making snowmobiles and snowcoaches the primary modes of winter transit within the park [ 44 ]. There are nine hotels and lodges (>2,000 rooms), 12 campgrounds (>2,000 sites), and 11 visitor centers/museums within the boundaries of Yellowstone NP [ 38 ]. Additionally, many visitors stay overnight outside the park in West Yellowstone, a town directly to the west of the park’s border. Yellowstone NP consumes the most energy of all National Park Service units and has goals to become more energy efficient [ 45 ].

2.2. Equations and variables for estimating CO 2 emissions from tourism

We calculated CO 2 emissions from transit to and from the park, transit within the park, and overnight accommodation using the equations in Table 1 . We did not estimate CO 2 emissions related to non-transit recreational activities in Yellowstone NP because emissions from non-motorized activities are insignificant in the context of all tourism-related emissions [ 34 ]. Motorized recreational activities in Yellowstone NP, apart from transit, are uncommon; we consider snowmobiling to be a form of transit within the park rather than a recreational activity. Further, we do not have data regarding motorized recreation to make accurate estimates.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t001

Equations for transit adapted from Gössling and colleagues [ 22 ].

The equations for calculating CO 2 emissions from transit to and from the park were adapted from Gössling and colleagues [ 22 ] (note that we use updated and more relevant data sources in the equations, which are described in section 2.3). One notable difference in the equations is in how we calculated the weight factor (WF, Table 1 ), which represents the proportion of flight emissions attributable to a single destination during a multi-destination trip. Gössling and colleagues [ 22 ] calculated this weight factor by dividing the average length of time at a particular destination by the total trip length, while we used the percentage of visitors who indicated Yellowstone NP was their primary reason for visiting (71%) in a 2012 visitor study [ 46 ]. About 29% of respondents indicated that Yellowstone NP was not their primary destination, so we assume they would have travelled to the area even if they did not visit the park; thus, their emissions related to transit to the destination should not be attributed to Yellowstone NP tourism.

In addition to the weight factor, other variables to note in these equations include transport distance, detour factors, equivalence factors, and load factors. Transport distance for airplanes was calculated by using the geodesic distance, which is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the Earth. However, detour factors adjust for the fact that transportation to and from a destination is rarely the shortest distance between two points. For flights, the flight path between two cities is not a straight line, and sometimes people have multiple flights with layovers to get to a single destination. Both of these factors must be accounted for when estimating air transit distances and ultimately CO 2 emissions. For transit to the destination in automobiles, we used road km as estimated from Google Maps, which does not require a detour factor. Equivalence factors adjust CO 2 emissions to be CO 2 equivalent emissions (e.g., emissions at flight level contribute more to warming than ground level). Additionally, load factors represent the average number of passengers per vehicle.

We also calculated total CO 2 emissions from energy use from park operations, including visitor centers, museums, gift shops, restaurants, medical clinics, convenience stores, offices, lodging, etc., which are operated by the NPS and concessionaires within the park. NPS provides energy use values within Yellowstone NP by source (e.g., propane, electricity) [ 45 ], which we converted into CO 2 emissions by multiplying the energy values by conversion factors (noted in the section below on values and data sources) to convert MJ of energy to kg CO 2 . We subtract estimated CO 2 from lodging within the park to get the remaining CO 2 emissions within the park, which we refer to as “park operations.”

2.3. Data sources for estimating CO 2 emissions from tourism to Yellowstone NP

All the data used in this analysis are purposefully from secondary sources. This makes the methodology more feasible to replicate in other parks and locations that may already have similar data.

2.3.1. Visitor behavior and trip characteristics.

To understand Yellowstone NP visitors’ home locations and modes of transport to the park, we used data from a 2016 visitor survey [ 47 ]. Printed visitor surveys were distributed in August 2016 at the five main entrance roads in Yellowstone NP with instructions on mailing back the physical survey. The five main entrance roads were chosen by the researchers as locations for surveys to be representative of all park visitors. In total, 2,030 visitors completed an on-site survey, and 1,257 of those completed an additional mail-back survey, for an overall response rate of 55% for completion of both [ 47 ]. Given the total number of annual visitors, this would produce a margin of error between 3–5% (depending on the question at the 95% confidence level [ 47 ]. The researchers on the 2016 study also were only aiming to capture peak season visitors (the survey was conducted in August), so although this is a representative sample of peak season visitors, characteristics of visitors and their visits may be different in other seasons. However, peak season visitors represent the majority of visitors in Yellowstone NP; in recent representative years (i.e., 2019, 2021), visitors between June–September comprised around 80% of the annual visitors, while visitors between November–February only represent around 3% of annual visitors [ 39 ]. The questionnaire contained questions on visitors’ home locations, how they travelled to Yellowstone NP (e.g., mode of travel, arrival airport), transit type used within the park, and other information. The resulting data contains visitors’ home state or country, but because we did not have data on visitors’ cities of origin, we used the distance between Yellowstone NP and the most populous city in each state or country of origin to calculate transit distance.

To convert total visits (e.g., counting a person each time they re-enter the park) to total visitors, or unique trips, we obtained the total number of monthly and annual visits from the National Park Service [ 39 ] and the mean number of days entering Yellowstone NP during a single trip from the 2016 visitor survey [ 47 ]. NPS reports 4,860,242 visits in 2021, but the mean number of re-entries per trip is 2.27. Dividing the number of total visits by the mean number of re-entries results in an estimated 2,141,076 unique trips to the park from a home location. We used this number to scale up the survey percentages to represent all Yellowstone NP visitors in a single year. For instance, 7% of visitors were from California, so we multiply 2,141,076 unique trips by 0.07, resulting in 149,875 unique trips by visitors from California. We used 2021 visitation numbers for these estimates as visitation in 2020 was abnormally low due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and visitation numbers were also affected in 2022 due to historic flooding, which limited access to the park [ 48 ].

For calculating transit to and from the park, we know that roughly 35% of visitors flew to Yellowstone NP or the surrounding area, while 65% of visitors arrived in automobiles and did not fly [ 47 ]. From the 2016 visitor survey [ 47 ], we also know what percentage of visitors were arriving from each state (or region for international visitors). Based on these percentages, we assumed visitors from the closest states were driving (to total 65% of visitors driving), and visitors from the farthest states (e.g., East Coast) and international visitors were flying (to total 35% of visitors flying). Of course, it is possible that some visitors from the East Coast drove, while some visitors from closer states flew; however, this is the most reasonable assumption to produce CO 2 estimates.

2.3.2. Values and data sources.

We used several data sources to assign values for CO 2 emissions, fuel efficiencies, load factors, detour factors, and equivalence factors ( Table 2 ). We selected values from credible sources, including government agencies and peer reviewed scientific studies, when available; we also selected values that were specific to Yellowstone NP or the United States when available and appropriate (e.g., load factors vary by location, but CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels do not).

YELL = Yellowstone National Park.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t002

Additionally, we estimated the average total transit distance within the park and local area to be 274 km per trip for automobiles, buses, RVs, and motorcycles, and 102 km for snowmobiles and snowcoaches. This was calculated by summing the length of the Grand Loop Road in the park (230 km) and the additional 44 km between the entrance/exit and West Yellowstone (the most common entrance point [ 47 ]). Although we do not assume every visitor drove the entire road’s length, this is a reasonable estimate for average distance driven (e.g., some visitors may have driven farther north to see other features or doubled back on some sections of the road). We estimated total transit distance of snowmobiles and snowcoaches to be 102 km, which is the round-trip distance of a common route from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful, one of Yellowstone NP’s most iconic destinations. There is no dataset that we are aware of that contains average km driven within the park; these are also not common data other park units would likely have if this methodology were to be replicated in other locations. These data could be collected through giving GPS units to visitors during their trips or through mobile device data, however, both options would require significant costs.

To estimate CO 2 emissions related to overnight accommodations, we first calculated the number of visitor-nights by accommodation type by multiplying the percentage of visitors who reported staying overnight in hotels, campgrounds, or backcountry camping, and their trip lengths, in Resource Systems Group’s Yellowstone NP visitor survey report [ 47 ]. Table 3 summarizes the values and data sources we used to calculate CO 2 emissions from accommodations. These include the proportions of different energy sources used in the local area, the CO 2 emissions per MJ of energy for different energy sources, and the estimated average energy use per visitor per night by accommodation type. We also used the CO 2 emissions from energy in Table 3 to convert energy used for park operations to CO 2 emissions.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t003

A spreadsheet used to track all values and generate estimates presented in the results is available as a ( S1 Data ). All numbers for CO 2 emissions presented in this paper are best estimates based on the best available data; however, there is always uncertainty inherent in these types of analyses and these numbers should be treated as estimates rather than exact values.

2.4 Scenarios to reduce CO 2 emissions

To answer our second research question of how different scenarios would affect CO 2 emissions, we first determined scenarios that have been used in the prior literature and would be feasible to create estimates for. A similar study situated in Taiwanese national parks tested six different scenarios related to load factors increasing, home locations of tourists moving closer to their destinations (i.e., reduced transit distance to the park), and a larger percentage of tourists switching to tour buses rather than private cars for transit within the park [ 19 ]. We used these same general scenarios to understand how changes to transit would affect CO 2 emissions generated by visitors to Yellowstone NP. However, since our study does not focus only on transit, we also add three additional scenarios related to energy. This makes our scenarios inclusive of actions not reliant on changes in end-user behavior, and therefore more diverse in feasibility.

This aspect of the analysis is exploratory, and these are intended to be broad scenarios rather than specific policies or management actions. Since we are estimating CO 2 related to park tourism, which is broader in scope than emissions produced by the park itself, the scenarios are also broader in scope and not intended to be things the park alone could address. Because replicability is a significant aim in this paper, we also considered whether the percent change in CO 2 emissions could be estimated without using variables that are overly complex or could rapidly change (e.g., modeling a scenario where visitors switched to electric vehicles would require incorporating a value related to CO 2 emissions from production of new vehicles). The specific scenarios are described in the results section 3.4, and the reductions in CO 2 emissions, both as an absolute value and as a percentage, were calculated by adjusting values as described in the scenarios.

3.1. Summary of estimated CO 2 emissions related to tourism

Overall, tourism to Yellowstone NP generates an estimated 1.03 megaton CO 2 annually, with an average of 479 kg CO 2 per visitor ( Table 4 ). For a comparison, the average annual per capita CO 2 equivalent emissions were 4,600 kg globally, or 14,700 kg for United States residents, in 2019 [ 62 ]. We calculated 2,141,076 unique trips to Yellowstone NP in 2021, which influences the total CO 2 output, but not per visitor estimates. For all per visitor estimates below, these represent one unique trip (e.g., one person visiting for multiple days during the same trip). Almost 90% of total emissions are from transit to and from Yellowstone NP, while 5% are from transit within the park and 4% are from overnight accommodations. Other park operations, excluding overnight accommodations, contribute slightly more than 1% of total CO 2 emissions related to Yellowstone NP tourism ( Table 4 , Fig 2 ).

Figure created in R using the treemapify package with ggplot2 [ 63 ]. RV = Recreational Vehicle.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.g002

Total CO 2 equivalent numbers are based on 2021 visitation numbers.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t004

3.2. Carbon dioxide emissions from transit

The majority of CO 2 emissions from transit come from transit between the park and visitors’ home locations ( Table 5 ). Flying to Yellowstone from an international home location resulted in substantially more CO 2 emissions related to travel compared to other forms of transit to and from the park, while driving to and from the park resulted in the lowest CO 2 emissions per visitor. Visitors who flew only made up about 35% of all visitors, yet produced 72% of emissions related to transit to and from the park. For all CO 2 estimates related to transit to and from the destination, these estimates take into account the fact Yellowstone NP was not the primary tourism destination of all visitors. Approximately 29% of visitors indicated Yellowstone NP was not their primary destination, so 29% of transit-related emissions are not attributed to Yellowstone NP in these estimates for transit to/from Yellowstone NP.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t005

For transit within the park, Recreational Vehicles (RVs) had the highest estimated CO 2 emissions per visitor (70.07 kg), while tour buses had the lowest CO 2 emissions per visitor (15.46 kg) ( Table 5 ). Only 6% of visitors travel by RV within the park, yet these visitors produce 17.2% of all emissions related to transit within the park.

3.3. CO 2 emissions from accommodation and other park operations

Although the average CO 2 per visitor for accommodations is estimated at 18.99 kg, when only considering those who stay overnight in the area (81%), it rises to 23.45 kg CO 2 per overnight visitor. Staying overnight in hotels outside the park had the largest CO 2 emissions per visitor of all accommodation types (35.69 kg), followed by staying at a hotel inside the park (28.95 kg) ( Table 6 ). Differences in per visitor CO 2 from hotels inside and outside the park are attributable to different average lengths of stay (i.e., visitors who stayed outside the park had longer stays than those who stayed inside the park). Camping had substantially lower emissions, and CO 2 emissions from staying with friends/family or backcountry camping are negligible. All other park operations (excluding lodging) produced an estimated 6.05 kg CO 2 per visitor, which we calculated assuming all visitors use park operations.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t006

3.4. CO 2 emission reduction scenarios

There are several ways CO 2 emissions related to park tourism could be reduced in the future. Management actions, marketing strategies, policy changes, and technological innovations could change emissions related to transit, types of tourists, and energy efficiency. We identified seven hypothetical scenarios that could reduce emissions without restricting visitor access. These are scenarios rather than specific policies or management actions; each scenario could be achieved through a mix of various policy and management actions, marketing strategies, and/or technological innovations. It is beyond the scope of this paper to fully evaluate individual strategies, and these alternatives should be further evaluated for feasibility, acceptability, limitations, and other outcomes. Further, some of the scenarios are entirely outside the control of park management (e.g., increasing fuel efficiency on vehicles, increasing proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources for accommodations outside the park), and the only scenario entirely under the control of park management would be facilities within Yellowstone NP taking energy-saving measures. For each scenario we calculated the percent reduction in total CO 2 emissions ( Table 7 ). Notably, reducing emissions related to transit within Yellowstone NP has a relatively small effect on total CO 2 emissions. Although not within the control of park management, increased fuel efficiency for all vehicles and a changed composition of visitors (i.e., more visitors driving and fewer flying) would have the largest effect on CO 2 emissions due to its influence on emissions related to transit to and from the park.

All scenarios hold the total number of visitors constant.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.t007

4. Discussion

Nature-based tourism provides numerous personal and social benefits to tourists; it also plays an essential role in the economies of many municipalities, counties, states, and even countries. This is certainly true in the western United States, where many state governments actively promote outdoor recreation and tourism at national parks and other public lands to out-of-state and out-of-country markets [ 64 , 65 ]. However, focusing primarily on the social and economic benefits of tourism obfuscates the many environmental costs of tourism. Principal amongst these effects are CO 2 emissions, for which tourism contributes 8% globally [ 5 ]. Here we revive a line of research into quantifying the CO 2 emissions from nature-based tourism that has been relatively stagnant since the early 2000s. The work provides a methodological and data-driven approach that can be used to better understand CO 2 emissions in other types of park destinations. The work is intended to reinvigorate discussion on both the major role tourism plays in shaping the climate and the many ways tourism’s effect can be mitigated through strategic interventions, such as marketing strategies that change the composition of visitors or regulations that improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Our work purposefully focuses on what is arguably America’s most well-known national park to make the analysis as tractable as possible to the largest potential audience.

Like other studies [ 22 – 25 ], we find transit to and from the destination has a greater influence on CO 2 emissions than transit within the destination, overnight accommodations, and park operations. The amount of emissions from transit to and from the destination may be even greater for an iconic park like Yellowstone NP, where many visitors travel long distances to visit. A similar study found substantially different effects of scenarios on CO 2 emissions related to national park tourism in Taiwan compared to those found in this study; this is likely attributable to the fact that many of the visitors in that study were local and the average travel distance to the parks in Taiwan was much shorter compared to the average travel distance to Yellowstone NP [ 19 ]. This indicates the composition of tourists visiting a park, particularly the home locations of visitors, affects which scenarios would reduce emissions the most.

As transit to and from the destination produces the most emissions, the most effective strategies for reducing CO 2 emissions address transit to and from Yellowstone NP. Additionally, flying produces much higher per capita CO 2 emissions than driving. Therefore, actions that encourage tourists to take more local or regional trips, where they could drive rather than fly, could meaningfully reduce CO 2 emissions. For instance, tourism marketers could advertise more to regional audiences rather than audiences that would need to fly. At the site-level, managers could provide interpretive information about CO 2 emissions related to transit. However, some researchers suggest there may be cognitive dissonance when providing travelers with information on the negative environmental consequence of flying (i.e., attitudes and beliefs may be inconsistent with behavioral decisions), and that more research is needed on behavioral changes regarding air travel [ 66 ]. There are many benefits to nature-based tourism, and strategies could encourage more local or regional travel without reducing the total visitation to parks.

This paper evaluates the relative CO 2 emission contributions from distinct components of park tourism to identify priorities for reducing CO 2 emissions. However, this is not a comprehensive policy analysis, and other costs and benefits related to each scenario should be considered. For example, while tourism does contribute significantly to CO 2 emissions globally, tourism to parks like Yellowstone NP can lead to indirect environmental benefits. Visiting parks and protected areas can increase pro-environmental behaviors at home, some of which have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [ 67 , 68 ]. Therefore, the intended takeaway of this study is not that overall visitation must decrease to reduce CO 2 emissions. Instead of reducing visitation, strategically influencing aspects of park tourism can reduce emissions while still providing visitor enjoyment. Overall, tourism planners, park managers, and policymakers could use this approach to help make data-driven decisions for reducing carbon emissions. Specific options for reducing CO 2 emissions are outlined in other works, including options that focus specifically on parks and protected areas [ 20 ]. This paper adds a methodology for considering the level of impact of different scenarios.

4.1. Limitations and future research

For all calculations, the profile of visitors was based on a visitor study from August 2016, which only surveyed August visitors. However, it is possible that the visitor profile varies seasonally, as well as across years. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic likely caused a temporary decline in the percentage of international visitors, and it is unknown whether visitor characteristics in Yellowstone NP have returned to pre-COVID levels. Additionally, most values used in the calculations have some degree of uncertainty. Data from the 2016 visitor survey have a margin of error between 3–5% depending on the question [ 47 ]. Detour factors, equivalence factors, and energy per visitor/night in overnight accommodations are all estimates based on the best available information and research. Fuel efficiency data are mostly from U.S. averages, but fuel efficiency within Yellowstone NP may be slightly lower, particularly in the summer when high visitation sometimes causes stop-and-go traffic, or slightly higher due to increased fuel efficiency at higher elevations. While this work is grounded in previous research, and reasonable assumptions, the results are still estimates.

Future research is needed to understand visitors’ perceptions of CO 2 emissions related to parks and protected areas, and what they believe are the most appropriate actions to reduce tourism-related emissions. Additionally, virtually visiting a destination (e.g., watching recorded videos or live-streaming cameras) is becoming more common, and is already an option for Yellowstone NP [ 69 ]. This could enable some of the benefits visitors experience from in-situ tourism without the CO 2 emissions from travel, but more research is needed to better understand this option. Future CO 2 estimates may also integrate the carbon reducing function of parks and protected areas into the calculations. Previous research suggests that Yellowstone NP is a net carbon sink, with -1.5 megatons CO 2 annually [ 36 ]. This indicates that despite tourism-related emissions, Yellowstone NP is likely a net carbon sink. More research is needed to better understand carbon sequestration and net carbon emissions related to park tourism.

Finally, this type of analysis could be replicated in other parks and protected areas to understand how different park and tourism characteristics influence the composition of CO 2 emissions, as well as how effective different scenarios could be at reducing emissions. This study only analyzed a single park, but of course most parks exist in a larger system–in this case, Yellowstone NP is only one of over 420 units managed by the NPS. Analyses across a whole system would be useful to determine where might be the easiest or most viable places to target for CO 2 emission reductions. Some parks may have plentiful opportunities to reduce emissions, while others may have few opportunities to further meaningfully reduce emissions.

5. Conclusion

This study demonstrates and documents a process both for estimating CO 2 emissions related to tourism at an individual park, and for understanding how effective specific scenarios could be at reducing these emissions. These estimates and scenarios can help decision makers who aim to reduce emissions make more strategic decisions by weighing relative reductions in CO 2 against other constraints and concerns. When estimating CO 2 emissions, we aim to use the best available information, but there is always uncertainty and CO 2 emissions should be treated as estimates rather than exact values. Additionally, the results support the notion that for parks that receive many non-local visitors, travel to and from the destination produces the vast majority of CO 2 emissions. Therefore, scenarios targeting this category of behaviors for reductions are likely to be the most effective. Although tourism produces substantial CO 2 emissions, the scenarios we examine here show that it is possible to reduce emissions while maintaining current levels of access and visitation.

Supporting information

S1 data. a spreadsheet used to track all values used as input data and generate estimates..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000391.s001

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank internal reviewer Dr. Wayne Freimund for feedback on this manuscript. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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