Map Of Yellowstone National Park (2023)

FAQs

How many days in Yellowstone is enough? ›

You could easily take two weeks to explore Yellowstone (and you might want to after you spend a day here). To truly experience the best aspects of the park, you'll want to plan at least three days. But if you only have one day to spend in the park, you want to get the most out of your time here.

You'll get a free map when you go through an entrance station, but if you want to plan in advance, purchase a Trails Illustrated map of Yellowstone from REI.com.

Yellowstone National Park can get very crowded during peak season (June, July, and August). The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds.

It can take 7 hours to drive around the Grand Loop Road

Two days for a quick trip to Yellowstone is feasible; one day for the upper loop and one day for the lower loop. But if you want to take your time and enjoy the beauty around you, planning for the detours you may experience, we suggest allotting four days.

The East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park is a lot quieter and less crowded than the other Yellowstone entrances due to it's remote location. It's near Cody, Wyoming, and close to the beautiful Fishing Bridge, Avalanche Peak, and Yellowstone Lake, which is the largest mountain lake above 7,000 feet.

You can easily see what makes Yellowstone so special without having to walk or hike very far. Old Faithful, Artist Point, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Mud Volcano require very little walking to see something cool.

So if you're hiking, camping, or spending time near the park's rivers or lakes, adding bug spray to your packing list to keep those pesky skeeters at bay is essential.

Outside of Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone is the best place to stay, since the driving times to the main sights will be the shortest. The exception is Lamar Valley, which is located near the northeast corner of the park.

Is there gas stations inside Yellowstone? ›

Our Locations. Yellowstone Park Service Stations has seven locations in the Park with over 80 seasonal employees. Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Inc. (YPSS) operates seven convenience store/fuel facilities, four automotive repair shops and a central office/warehouse in Yellowstone National Park.

Although an entrance pass is required to enter Yellowstone National Park, vehicle reservations are not needed. You are encouraged to purchase an entrance pass before arriving to save time, but you may also purchase passes at any entrance station upon arrival.

Five different entry points will take you into the park, classified by their geographic location: west, north, northeast, east, and south. Each has a number of benefits, but by far the most popular entrance is from the west, where the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, serves as the entry point.

The best time to enter is before 8am or after 11am.

The West Entrance to Yellowstone is the busiest, and rightfully so, as it arguably has the most to see right around it. But that means that from 8-11am, you're likely to see long lines of cars waiting to enter the park snaking into the town of West Yellowstone.

The most popular and number one attraction in Yellowstone is the Upper Geyser Basin. Here you can see a large number of thermal features close to each other, including Old Faithful. It is home to the largest concentration of hot springs in the world and contains about a quarter of all geysers in the world.

Because of the park's location, and the multiple entrances, it makes an awesome road trip destination. A visit to Yellowstone is usually combined with Grand Teton National Park, Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore, and Glacier National Park. It takes three to five days to see and do everything inside of the park.

Based on our experience, I would say you need 4 days in Yellowstone National Park at the very least. Five or six would be better, I think, but most people don't have the luxury of having that much time off.

But with a little planning, 3 days in Yellowstone can be memorable and exciting, allowing you to pack a few days full of incredible sights and unforgettable discoveries. Here's how to make the most of your time in Yellowstone National Park if you've got three days to spend with us.

Five days in Yellowstone provides enough time to see nearly everything Yellowstone offers. In 5 days, you can see top attractions, hike popular trails, and see plenty of wildlife and scenic drives.