Yellowstone National Park

America's most diverse vacation land, Yellowstone is home to thousands of active thermal features, including the world renowned Old Faithful Geyser. The main attractions are all located on the grand loop road, so visitors can view the park from the comfort of their vehicle and stop as often as they like at one of the many roadside picnic areas. For the active visitor, the park has thousands of miles of trails from day-hikes to back-country explorations. Yellowstone has got you covered, from hikers to bikers, from fishermen to boaters, from bird and wildlife watchers, to photographers or sunset watchers there is something for everyone on your list. Its hard to know how many days to allow for the park, but I would suggest a minimum of 4, if you plan to do any hiking or water sports, probably more.

As beautiful as the following pictures are, I have to warn you, if you have never been to Yellowstone, be prepared to be mesmerized by the sheer beauty of this park.

Yellowstone: Can't Miss Attractions:

#1 Old Faithful Geyser/Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful

No Yellowstone visit is complete without experiencing at least one eruption of Old Faithful. Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers in the park, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in the park. Old Faithful may be the most popular but, my personal favorite is Grand Geyser. Grand Geyser has become more predictable in the last year or so, with having eruptions every 6-7 hours.Grands eruption shoots a plume as much as 200 feet into the air and can last up to 12 minutes. Upper Geyser Basin also features many more geysers, including Beehive, Castle, and Riverside.  The Old Faithful Visitor Center provides information on the many geysers in the Upper Basin. The entire Upper Geyser Basin Loop is about 4.5 miles. It is stroller and wheelchair friendly. You don’t have to walk the entire trail and can just do parts of it. The furthest point is Morning Glory Pool, it is worth the walk.

#2 Lower Falls and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

-Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon may not not measure up to the size of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but I don't believe it misses anything when it comes to the beauty of it. There are several observation points from both sides of the canyon. I fully recommend taking advantage of at least 2 or 3 on each side. Also there is a fairly short hike that takes you down to the lip of the lower falls that is so worth the walk.

Mother bear and 3 cubs, they were much further away than appear

#3 Mammoth Hot Springs

– This are hold the Park headquarters and it radiates history. Here you can see some of the oldest buildings in the Park, including structures from the days when the U.S. Army was managing Yellowstone. Be sure to drop by the Visitor’s Center and allow enough time to watch a film, browse the history exhibit, and walk through the upstairs wildlife museum. In addition, Mammoth Hot Springs Terrace is quite magnificent, and the Terrace drive is a must. The Terraces and grounds look almost other worldly, I heard someone mention that that some places almost looked like a cave had been turned inside out. Please stay on path ways and boardwalks as temps of these waters are extremely hot. Also keep your eyes out for the ever growing elk population that tend to be out grazing around the green areas.

#4 Norris Geyser Basin

— One of Yellowstone National Park’s most popular geyser basins, Norris is home to the largest active geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser. Steamboat can reach 380 feet and its steam phase can be heard miles away. Unfortunately, Steamboat is unpredictable and only erupts anywhere from every 5 to 14 days. There are several of boardwalks from which you can explore dozens of multi-colored thermal features. Again I must caution, stay on boardwalks. Just because the water looks beautiful and inviting doesn't mean it is. Elk and the occasional bison can sometimes be spotted in the area.

#5 Yellowstone Lake

— is the largest high-altitude lake (at an elevation of 7,000+ ft) in the lower 48 states. The lake freezes over completely every winter and even in summer the water temperature is too low to swim in. But, you can explore by boat: you can either join a guided boat tour or rent a boat, you can fish or kayaking. As you are driving around the lake, following the shoreline, you can view snow-capped mountains. On windy days, the lake appears more like an ocean with waves breaking onto the shore. I would definitely recommend a visit to the Lake Village.

#6 Tower Falls

Tower Falls

– Tower Falls is the most popular waterfall in Yellowstone, other than the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon. Tower Falls is a must see. Located in the northeastern part of Yellowstone near Tower Junction and Canyon Village, the fall plunges a stunning 132 feet.The waterfall is located behind the General Store. The viewpoint is roughly 100 yards from parking area. A short walk will take you to an overlook. Because of severe erosion, the trail to the base of the falls is no longer available, Look for bighorn sheep, peregrine falcons, osprey, red-tailed hawks. Bears do visit the area, but black bears are more common than grizzlies.

#7 Lamar Valley

— is remotely located in the northeastern corner of Yellowstone. The valley is a wide, expansive area home to elk, bison, coyote, grizzly and wolf, and I consider this area is a must-visit especially for wild-life watchers. Bison and elk are visible most any time of the day, and coyotes can often be spotted as well. Visitors who are willing to rise early in the a.m. or wait around until dusk usually have the opportunity to see bears and wolves. In fact, Lamar Valley is the #1 destination for viewing wolves. Don't be surprised if you get stuck in a bison jam. We did! Our car was completely surrounded by bison. It was amazing, although It was also a little intimidating. When they are up close you can understand the enormity of their size. For those who love to fish, Lamar Valley also has plenty of spots for that.

#8 West Thumb Geyser Basin

-Although its the smallest geothermal areas of Yellowstone, the trail only takes 30 minutes to an hour to complete. If entering the Park from the south, this will likely be your first experience and it will take your breath away! However if you have seen other geothermal areas in the park, this one tends not to be as impressive. I still count it as one place not to be missed.

#9 Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center 

is a great place to see grizzly bears and wolves in a safe environment.

#10 The Grand Loop Road

-Driving the Grand Loop Road is a must through Yellowstone you never know what you may come across.

We actually came upon some mountain goats in the road. This group of goats were kind of "caught" in the road on a small bridge, and didn't know where to turn. As we came upon them there was a car coming from the other direction as well.

Rounded the next curve and caught a bear crossing the road. He wasn't in to much of a hurry either. We watch him for a few minutes as he slowly meandered up this hill, eating as he walked along.

The next day we were traveling along and wound up in the middle of a bear-jam. We weren't quite sure what everyone was peering down in this hollow at, but once we got parked and could get to where everyone was this is what we found. They were quite a ways down in a hollow, thank goodness for telephoto lenses. These cubs were a delight to watch. They were all over the place chasing each other, running up trees and climbing on everything.

Mama Bear and 3 very frisky cubs.

Every where we turned there was wild-life abound.

I feel like I should take a moment to tell everyone, please use caution with these animals. I took the picture below after watching this mama elk and her calf stand in the road way for a few minutes, where people were actually getting out of their cars within just yards of these animals. It is a wonderful thing to be able to see these majestic animals and watch them in their natural habitats, but please, keep in mind that they are wild!

#11 Beartooth Highway

Last on this list, but certainly not the least I would like to suggest, if you have the time, take a ride along the Beartooth Highway – a National Scenic Byways All-American Road. 

Snow Boarding in late June

It's not really a part of Yellowstone Park, but We exited Yellowstone into Montana via this 68 mile highway. With 20 mountain peaks soaring to over 12,000 feet the views were magnificent as we wound our way through northwest Wyoming and southwest Montana, stopping along the way for pictures, and a visit to The Top of the World Store. If you can swing this route, you won't be sorry.

Yellowstone is a place of awe inspiring natural beauty, it is truly amazing! This was definitely a trip that we will all remember. "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike". --John Muir

These pictures and descriptions do not even do the place justice that is why, I believe that it should be a top ten on every-bodies bucket list.