Ultimate 2 Days in Yellowstone National Park

You will want to wake up early to ensure you get the most out of your day! Start your day by entering through the east entrance of the park. Enjoy the views along the road as you drive into the park. After about 40 minutes, you will be nearing Yellowstone Lake. There is a trail to the lake (storm point trail). This trail is 2.3 miles long and has beautiful views of the lake.

After you spend some time at the lake, continue north into the park through the Hayden Valley. The Hayden Valley is a great area to see wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled for wildlife! Along the way, you will see a few places to stop. These include Lehardy’s Rapids and the Mud Volcano Trail. The mud volcano trail is a must-do! This trail is .6 miles on boardwalk around geysers and small mud volcanoes.

Continue on this road until you reach the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. You have a few options here. You can park near the lower rim trailhead and hike about 2.5 miles each way to the Grand Canyon. This trail has breathtaking views along the rim of the canyon. If you do not want to take the hike, you can continue on the road and park right near the Grand Canyon. Here you can walk a short distance to the artist’s point lookout. This is a picturesque viewpoint of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Once you leave the canyon, head towards Norris Geyser Basin. There are multiple trails here to see tons of geysers! This area feels like you are on a different planet. These landscapes are like no other!

You can either stay in the park or you can stay outside the park in West Yellowstone.

You will want to get an early start today, also. Head back into the park through the West Entrance of the park. You will want to head directly south to the Old Faithful area. Stop into the store or the inn to check on predicted eruption times for Old Faithful Geyser. The best view of the geyser is from behind the Old Faithful Inn. You will definitely want to stop into Old Faithful Inn. This is the largest log structure in the world!

Once you see Old Faithful erupt, head up north to the midway geyser basin. Here you can see the Grand Prismatic as well as 2 others from the ground level on a short boardwalk trail. The Grand Prismatic is a must-see to see the vibrant colors.

Next, head to the Fairy Falls parking lot. There is a 1-mile hike to the Grand Prismatic overlook. This is the best view of the spring!

If you would like, you can continue on about 4.15 out and back to the fairy falls. This is an easy, flat hike to a breathtaking waterfall.

Next, continue up north to the mammoth spring's trailhead. There is a 2-mile trail through all the terraces. Fort Yellowstone, an army fort, is located in this area also. You can stay in the park in this area or leave the park from the north entrance and stay in Gardiner, Montana.

There are a few visitor centers in the park with cafeterias. The food is very good and these visitor centers make for the perfect place to take a break and grab a bite to eat. The best time to see animals is early in the morning or in the evening. This itinerary can be done in the opposite order if you would like to start on the west side of the park.