Definitely a must see! There is a new wonder around every turn. We entered from the Northeast using…read morethe Chief Joseph Scenic highway into the Lamar valley- beautiful grasslands where herds of Bison roam and even lay in the road in front of your car! We stayed at the Yellowstone lake inn and cabins which was an excellent location. The park has a loop road in a figure eight, very easy to navigate through the signage could use improvement. We were able to see a lot in 2 days but you need to be able to hike to some of the features. A lot can be seen from your car or a short walk. Be prepared to wait! We were there after Labor Day and it wasn't quite as busy as usual but you still had to wait for a parking place. I downloaded a narrated self tour from Viator that was downloaded to my phone. There is no cell service in all of the park but calls by satellite can be made from your phone in case of emergency. GPS does work well but is slow at times. The tour started from any entrance and picked up your location to continue. It also gave you good directions. With so many geysers and geothermal sites to see, pick what you really want the see as much as you can fit in! Almost 500 miles of roadway in the main loop. 1200 geysers, thousands of steam vents, mud pots, thermal pools- you can't possibly see it all! Enjoyed every minute!

Although the park was great, there were a lot of closed areas of interest. Not much in the way of…read morefood or decent shops around the area either. Also, it's not entirely pet-friendly. Most of the sights require a small walk in areas that are pet-restricted. If you're bringing a furry.... Consider throwing them in a stroller or something.

This trail still exists, except it stops where the steps once existed. So it's a very steep trail,…read morea lot of switchbacks, leading to the top of the falls. Even without the stairs, it's quite a significant climb back to the parking lot so if you're not in good condition, don't attempt!

August 2022 Update: when my fiancé and I went, two rangers informed us that they are officially…read morePERMANENTLY closing this trail. They went down to take out the sign and will not be allowing anyone to go through the stairs. They said it is too expensive to fix and costs millions of dollars with the rescues, especially with the amount of money they are spending to fix the roads from the flooding. Obviously really sad but Uncle Tom's trail is no more :(

We ended our first day in Yellowstone at Inspiration Point, and honestly, it was the perfect way to…read moreclose out an unforgettable day. After hours of exploring the park, nothing could have prepared us for what was waiting at the end of that drive. The view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Inspiration Point is absolutely stunning -- one of those rare moments where you stop talking and just stare. The canyon drops away dramatically below you, the yellow and orange walls glowing warm in the late afternoon light, and the sheer scale of it all hits you all at once. It's breathtaking in the truest sense of the word. We came with family, including a young child, and even they were in awe. The viewing area is accessible and easy to navigate, which made it even better. No difficult hiking required -- just drive up, walk a short path, and let nature do the rest. Inspiration Point earns its name completely. This isn't just a scenic overlook -- it's a moment you'll carry with you long after you leave Yellowstone. Absolutely worth the drive. Don't miss it.

I was walking thinking it was gonna be some normal yellow stone look out. And then BOOM! I see a…read moremassive, beautiful, flowing waterfall and I just had to stand there for a second and take it in. This is a MUST visit at Yellowstone national park. I would definitely recommend

I hadn't heard of this area before coming to Yellowstone but I saw a sign for it on the Rockefeller…read morefreeway and a lot of cars going toward it so I followed them. I'm glad I did, it's a really neat area and in my opinion almost a better bang for your buck than prismatic springs! You walk along a boardwalk in both areas since the geothermal area is both fragile, and potentially dangerous. There are several steaming pools in this area, including some that are cloudy/hazy, and some that are crystal clear and blue as the Caribbean ocean. This was also the only place I saw elk; there were some just chilling in the middle of the area. The parking lot is huge and easily accessible here as well.

We visited around 7am and no trouble finding parking since it was still early. There weren't many…read morepeople, but it was freezing about 28°F This is a beautiful thermal area with hot springs, mud pots, and geysers. A well-maintained boardwalk leads through the thermal area. Unfortunately, the trail near Yellowstone Lake was closed for repairs, so we couldn't enjoy the lake views. We saw Bluebell Pool and Abyss Pool, but it was so misty in the early morning that we could barely see the pools. The boardwalk was also covered with a thin layer of ice, so we had to watch our steps. The contrast between the freezing weather and the hot springs created a very misty, almost magical atmosphere. Beautiful, but definitely not the best time for clear views!

Hidden falls can be accessed either by taking the ferry across Jenny lake or by hiking around Jenny…read moreLake. My group opted for the hike, and it made getting to the waterfall, where it was incredibly cool, extra sweet. The water created a much appreciated swamp cooler effect. It was also super pretty to look at. This part of the hike was definitely the busiest with lots of people taking pictures and eating their lunch by the waterfall. Really gorgeous! Great views on the hike up. Great stop on our trip to the Tetons!!

This is one of the most popular hikes in grand Teton National park. I would strongly recommend it,…read morebut just be aware that the parking is competitive at Jenny Lake visitor center because it's the most popular in the park (despite there being a massive parking lot with an overflow area). One of the nice things about this visitor center is that there are clean bathrooms with running water, food, options, and gift stores. The lake itself is absolutely stunning, and you have two options to get to hidden Falls - you can either do the actual trail, which takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, or you can take the ferry shuttle across the lake ($20 I think), which cuts your trip down by a solid mile or two. In fact, it ends up only taking maybe 15 to 20 minutes of an uphill walk to get to hidden Falls from where the ferry dock is after you ride it. Honestly, though, I think that the hike itself is absolutely worth it because the views around the lake itself are absolutely stunning! I think if you only do one hike in Grand Teton National Park, this should be it.

Artist Point has an amazing canyon view of a 308-ft waterfall. Easy to get to…read more We heard that Artist Point, near Canyon Village, was one of the best sights in Yellowstone National Park. The drive from the West Entrance was essentially west to east, with a jog to the north halfway-there. The elevation was increasing most of the way, getting as high as 8244-ft. We found the turns on the drive to be visually confusing, because the curving roads turned our sense of direction. At the Madison stop sign, though the turn seemed odd, we turned left onto Grand Loop Road. That was northeast. It's correct. Passing Norris Geyser, it looked odd but we turned right (east) onto Norris Canyon Rd. Coming up to the east branch of the Loop Road, we turned right (south). The entrance to South Rim Drive was then a left. It's even more confusing on the way back, because they never seemed to put a sign saying "to West Entrance" until a mile past the turns :-). Pro tip: Keep a map in front of you at those turns! Once we turned onto South Rim Drive, we drove the winding way for less than 2-miles to the end. There was a large parking lot with plenty of open spaces, plus outhouses. It was a high elevation there, about 7700-ft, and some of us felt it. Conveniently, we could drop off those who walk less comfortably at the furthest end of the parking lot, about 250-feet from the best vista. We walked to the overlook on the left. t. The 1-mile view to the west along the Yellowstone River was stupendous, with the huge crashing misting Lower Falls waterfall dropping 308-feet. We were awed by the midday view. In fact, three of our group had gone their separate way by now, and when they saw our photos, they drove here on their own the next day! They say that sunrise often creates a rainbow in the mist, but we could not manage to pass through the west entrance early enough for the at-least 90-min (usually longer) drive. From what I read, you need a low sun-angle (less than 45°) to get a rainbow in the mist. Based on a (very-)very-nerdy NOAA Solar Calculator webpage, using the Lat-Lon and time, we might have been able to see a rainbow as late as 8:50am in July. (2026). I won't say who in our group figured that out, because I'd also have to say it was After our trip :-)

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone -- Lower Falls Do it in…read morethis order. Trust me. If Yellowstone had a crown jewel, this is it. We hit the Lower Falls from two different angles, and the order we did it made all the difference. Start at Artist Point. From here, you get the full picture -- the entire canyon stretching out in front of you, walls layered in pink, red, orange, and white from thousands of years of iron-stained rock. The waterfall sits in the distance like something out of a painting, and the river winds through the bottom of a canyon that drops 800 to 1,200 feet deep. It gives you the context to appreciate everything else you're about to see. Blue sky, puffy clouds, massive scale -- this view alone is worth the drive. Then hike down to the Brink of the Lower Falls. This is where it gets real. You're standing right at the top of a 308-foot drop, watching the full force of the Yellowstone River launch off the edge. In early May, snowmelt had it absolutely roaring -- thick mist rising up, patches of snow still clinging to the rocks below, and if the sun hits right, a rainbow forms right at the base. See the canyon first. Then feel the power up close. That's the move. Absolutely mandatory stop in Yellowstone -- don't skip either viewpoint.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Stayed at an air bnb right crossed from the Arch, it was so fun fun people watching. It is a pretty…read morefantastic arch.

The Arch is Beautiful and you can walk inside and drive thru. It is on way to park and normally Elk…read moreare nearby also check out Arch park right below the Arch. Worth stopping

We started our trail at Norris Geyser Basin by visiting the Norris Museum first. It's very…read moreinformative and a great place to get some perspective and learn about the geology and geothermal activity of the basin. From the museum, we walked along the boardwalk to Porcelain Basin. The basin is huge and beautiful, with many steam vents releasing clouds of steam. The trail is pretty with colorful thermal landscapes surrounded by the open basin. Emerald Spring was especially pretty, with its beautiful deep-green color. We also walked to Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest active geyser. It was a great experience exploring this fascinating geothermal area, and definitely worth the walk.

Our second favorite geyser stop! Nice pathways and gorgeous mineral color variations. There was…read morealso a museum and restrooms available off the parking lot. This parking lot gets full fast, so they have multiple overflow lots near the entrance. This is Yellowstone NP's oldest and hottest geyser. Temperatures can reach 459°! It's an active geyser that can erupt up to 380 feet! Overall a very interesting stop. Would highly recommend when visiting Yellowstone NP!

Amazing! The rumors were true. + Bison nonchalantly…read morecrossing the road, slowing down lines of cars. My 3rd animal crossing this vacation! - The western entrance to Lamar Valley at Tower Junction (Tower/Roosevelt Service Station) was way backed up. Many cars, slow line. * Even with many families waiting behind you, savor the moments. Not often in your life you get to witness Bovidae walking right in front of you. . Tip: better replenish at the Sinclair gas station. Will be a long drive ahead. # Warning: Don't feed them, and certainly don't touch them. Ancestrally, bison had to view us hunters as predators. And mothers recognize their calves by scent. If you touch a calf, your human predator scent will alienate the mother; she may not even recognize her young anymore, and it won't be able to rejoin the herd Dx Disastrous fate for the calf afterwards... So yeah, stay in your car. Or exit at one of the pullouts, but keep your distance. Welcome to America's Serengeti!

I had no real expectation of the Lamar Valley, but had heard that this was a good spot to see…read morewildlife. And did we see wildlife. Pronghorn, a rare native fish, BISON EVERYWHERE, deer. We even got stuck in a kind of scary bison jam for about 20 mins. Huge bison were right next to our car and it very much reminded me of the scene of Jurassic Park when the t-rex got out and the passengers were freezing so it wouldn't see you. We found 1 particular spot to get out and hike. It was called Trout Lake. It was a beautiful, moderate (but mostly flat and easy) walk that my kids could do easily. The scenery was really pretty too. We turned the car around at Trout Lake to head toward Tower Fall, but I've heard it's still pretty when you continue on. A definitely while do. I think we spent about 4 hours in the Lamar Valley with the drive and the hike stop.

Ben was the greatest tour guide! What a wonderful morning touring West Thumb Geyser Basin by kayak…read more He managed to balance safety, fun and facts. His true love and respect for the park, the animals, the people and the history were obvious. And the kayaking itself was great-- beautiful! A highlight of an already awesome trip.

This is a difficult review to write because our guide was very knowledgeable and excellent…read more However, we booked the full-day tour, advertised as lasting 5-6 hours, specifically because it was supposed to include more than the half-day tour. Instead, we were initially grouped with guests who had booked the half-day tour, and we visited the same sites they did. Our tour also ended after only about 4.5 hours. We contacted the company afterward to request a partial refund, since we had specifically paid extra for the full-day experience and did not receive the additional time or itinerary advertised. Unfortunately, they refused to offer any refund or adjustment. While we had a great guide, the tour itself did not match what was advertised, and the company's response when we raised the issue was disappointing. Based on this experience, I would not book this tour again.