Yellowstone
National Park
Out of all 63 U.S. national parks, Yellowstone stands out as the very first, established in 1872 by Ulysses S. Grant. Today, it’s the 4th most visited park, with over 4.7 million visitors in 2024, and for good reason!
With more than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including over half the world’s geysers, plus hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles, Yellowstone feels like another planet.
Yellowstone At a Glance
Yellowstone stretches across three states: 96% in Wyoming, 3% in Montana, and 1% in Idaho. The park is far from any major cities so it can be difficult to get to. For flying here, the closest options are the Yellowstone Airport (1 hour to the Old Faithful Visitor Center) or the Jackson Hole Airport (2 hours to the Old Faithful Visitor Center). But these are both fairly small and typically expensive to fly into. The closest major airports are Salt Lake City (5 hours and 40 minutes) or Denver (9 hours and 20 minutes).
$35 per vehicle for 7 days or FREE with the America the Beautiful pass.
Reservations are not required to enter the park.
Yellowstone is open year-round, but many roads, campgrounds, and lodges close during the winter. For the best weather and full access to everything the park offers, we suggest visiting between May and September, despite it also being the busiest time to come. Both May and September will be the best for weather and crowds!
Different Areas of the Park
Yellowstone National Park is absolutely massive, larger than the entire state of Rhode Island!! Some of the most popular areas to explore include Old Faithful Area, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lamar and Hayden Valleys, West Thumb Geyser Basin and Yellowstone Lake.
2 Days at Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
In this 2 days at Yellowstone National Park itinerary + guide we’ll cover everything you need to know before you go, plus where to eat, where to stay, and things to do in Yellowstone National Park!
