Yellowstone National Park 2023 Travel Guide

Where is Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small parts of the park also in southern Montana and eastern Idaho.  Only 3% of the park is in Montana and 1% in Idaho. The park is huge, spanning 63 miles north to south, and 54 miles east to west. It is the world's first national park, established on March 1, 1872.

What is there to see and do at Yellowstone National Park?

Visitors to the park marvel at a supervolcano's hidden power under the earth, rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers. Hiking, camping, fishing, photography, bicycling, boating, horseback riding, snowmobiling, snowcoach tours, and ranger programs are available. The Park is one of the world's most popular natural attractions, with attendance exceeding 4 million visitors a year.

What is the weather like in Yellowstone?

Annual precipitation ranges from 10 inches at the north boundary to 80 inches in the southwest corner. Winters are cold, with a record low of -66 degrees F. We have made multiple trips to Yellowstone over the years, during all seasons, in all weather, and share some of our photos and trip experiences in this review.

The 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone

March 1, 2022 marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. Signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, America's first national park was set aside to preserve and protect the scenery, cultural heritage, wildlife, geologic and ecological systems and processes in their natural condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

To help commemorate the anniversary, the park will host a wide variety of virtual and in-person activities.

A beautiful bison at full speed in Yellowstone National Park (Staff Photo)

 

 

Lodging Options In and Near Yellowstone National Park

Nine hotels/lodges with over 2,000 hotel rooms/cabins are located inside of the Park. Camping and wilderness camps are also available. Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone NP Lake Yellowstone Hotels & Cabins in the Park Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins in Yellowstone NP Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone NP Dunraven Lodge in Yellowstone NP Grant Village Lodge in Yellowstone NP Cascade Lodge in Yellowstone NP Lodging Near Yellowstone National Park The closest lodging outside the park is located in West Yellowstone. Lodging in West Yellowstone Lodging in Cody, Wyoming   Everything You Need to Know About Yellowstone’s Supervolcano

Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone NP

Explorer Cabins at West Yellowstone

An active geyser at Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park Attractions

Yellowstone Lake covers over 131 square miles of area, reaching a maximum depth of 138 feet.

The park has thousands of acres of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes, and endless species of wildlife to watch.

The park sits atop one of the world's largest calderas at 45 x 30 miles and experiences up to 3,000 earthquakes every year. It features more than 10,000 hydrothermal features and 500 geysers.

Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser erupts about every 74 minutes. But intervals are not constant, and can in fact range from 60-110 minutes.

The next eruption time is posted around the park. Old Faithful can vary in height from 100-180 feet with an average of about 130-140 feet. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes.

One of the main attractions in the park is its wildlife, including bears, fox, elk, bison, lynx, 285 species of birds and more.

The National Park Service provides numerous visitor centers, geyser viewing areas, trails, lookouts, museums, and contact stations.

While in the Yellowstone area, you might want to drive the popular Beartooth Highway and visit the Buffalo Bill Museum of the West in nearby Cody, Wyoming.

Yellowstone Park Entrances and Access

Entrance to Yellowstone National Park

There are five entrances to the park ... we have been through all of them in our trips to Yellowstone over the years:

• North entrance, via US 89, near Gardiner, Montana ... close to Mammoth Hot Springs
• Northeast entrance, near Roosevelt, Wyoming, via US 212, the Beartooth Highway ... closed in the winter
• East entrance, on US20, close to Yellowstone Lake, west of Cody, Wyoming
• South entrance, on US 89, close to West Thumb and Grant, north of Grand Teton National Park
• West entrance, on US20, near West Yellowstone, Montana

The Old Faithful Lodge, a must-see attraction for visitors, is located:

• 113 miles west of Cody, Wyoming
• 137 miles south of Bozeman, Montana
• 98 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming
• 50 miles southeast of West Yellowstone, Montana

Roosevelt Arch The Roosevelt Arch at the Gardiner, Montana north entrance to Yellowstone National Park

Map of Yellowstone National Park (Courtesy of NPS)

Interactive Map of the Yellowstone National Park Area

Our Original Photographs of Yellowstone National Park

View toward the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park

Geysers and steam vents along the river near Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park

Thundering herd of bison down a slope to the road at Yellowstone National Park

Bison grazing on the grasslands

Bison grazing alone after the spring thaw

Geothermal activity panorama at Yellowstone National Park

Crystal clear hot boiling water in Yellowstone National Park

Brilliant, colorful hot water pool at Yellowstone National Park

Tranquil scene along the Madison River in the western part of Yellowstone National Park (May, 2019)

 

Quick Trip to Yellowstone Video!

We've prepared this short, 4-minute video about Yellowstone ... sit back and enjoy ... and turn up your volume for some easy-listening music!

Like all YouTube videos, you can click to run it full screen, and mute the music if you like. It runs about 4 minutes ...

 

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For More Information about Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park official website at NPS

Phone 307.344.7381 for recorded information. For road and weather information, phone 307.344.2117.