Yellowstone is a perfect destination to add to your summer bucket list and is an ideal location for families with kids of all ages. Little kids will love running on the boardwalks and seeing the bison. Older kids will delight in hiking on the easier trails, throwing rocks in the rivers and trying to find all of the different species of animals. Teens will enjoy the challenging outdoor activities and experiencing the unique natural beauty that abounds. In this Yellowstone National Park family itinerary, I have outlined an optimal route through Yellowstone to see all the major attractions and a few lesser known landmarks in 4 days.
After living in Bozeman, Montana, which is located about 1 and a half hours from Yellowstone, for over 6 years, we made it a habit to visit the park at least once a year if not more frequently. We have seen the most popular sights and know when they are busy, have explored some hidden gems, and know how to avoid the crowds.
Using this knowledge and the extra information I learned from our local guide and friend that helped us write our travel guide to Yellowstone National Park (check it out!), I put together this Yellowstone National Park family itinerary. It hits the best spots in Yellowstone at the right times and gives you time to explore the less popular but still incredible attractions during the busier times of the day.
Let’s go explore!
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Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park offers something special during each season. My favorite month to visit is September when it is still warm and the crowds have thinned. It is also the time when all of the roads are still open including the Beartooth highway which is a highlight that many tourists miss.
The summer is the busiest time of year but the best time to visit if you are planning on hiking peaks or want to go camping. If you visit Yellowstone in September and plan to camp, the evenings can get quite chilly.
The spring is a wonderful time to visit Yellowstone National Park as well because this is when all the baby animals are born. The likelihood of seeing baby bison or baby bears is high which can be exciting for all visitors. You can also take advantage of biking on the roads that are clear but not open yet to cars.
The winter is a special time in Yellowstone too. At this time of year, there are only a few roads that are open. This reduces the crowds significantly and opens up the opportunity for fun winter activities such as Nordic skiing in the park or renting a snowmobile and seeing the park in a new way. There are also unique snowcoach tours that you can do.
This Yellowstone National Park family itinerary is best utilized between May and October when all the roads are open to cars. One section of this itinerary includes driving over the Beartooth highway. If you want to experience this, visiting a little later might be advised. The Beartooth highway usually opens in late May but is dependent on the snow levels.
Where to Stay in Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is a large national park and I would recommend staying in a few different areas to avoid having to drive long distances to get to various sights. You can go camping or stay in lodges during your visit. I have listed campground and hotel recommendations for the locations to stay the night before each day’s activities. This will make it easy to explore that area the next day.
Campground Recommendations
If you prefer to not move camp very often, I would recommend staying the first couple of nights near Yellowstone Lake and the last couple of nights in the Mammoth area or Slough Creek Campground.
Day One: Near West Yellowstone or Old Faithful
Day Two: In the Park Near Yellowstone Lake
Day Three: In the Park – Near Canyon or Tower Falls
Day Four: In Mammoth Area
Hotel Recommendations
If you don’t want to move hotels very often, I would recommend staying in the Old Faithful area or near Yellowstone Lake the first couple of nights and in Gardiner or Roosevelt Lodge & Cabins the last two nights.
Day One: West Yellowstone or Old Faithful Area
Clubhouse Inn West Yellowstone
Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone
Day Two: In the Park near Yellowstone Lake
Day Three: In the Park
Day Four: Gardiner or Mammoth
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins
How Many Days Do You Need to Visit Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone is a gigantic national park and you could spend many days there and not see it all. If you want to see the highlights, you need to at least have 2 days there, but you will be mostly driving. If you want to do more exploring or a little less driving each day, I would recommend 4 days at least. This 4-day itinerary is jam packed, so if traveling slowly is more your style, you might have to skip some of the activities or stay longer!
Food Options in Yellowstone National Park
You will find general stores and dining options in all of the small villages within the park. Some of the lodges have nicer dining options and these might require a reservation depending on the lodge. For a list of all the restaurants and dining options in the park, you can visit the YNP lodges website here. I haven’t dined at any restaurants that have impressed me much in Yellowstone. They might be out there, but I haven’t found them yet!
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Day 1 – Yellowstone National Park Family Itinerary
Day 1 Highlights
- Grand Prismatic
- Old Faithful
- Upper Geyser Basin
- Lone Star Geyser
Grand Prismatic
After waking up, start the day early and go first to Grand Prismatic Spring. This is one of the most popular attractions in Yellowstone National Park and for good reason. This multi-colored spring is a sight to behold. I would recommend viewing Grand Prismatic from a couple of different areas.
First stop at the parking lot for Grand Prismatic where you will walk along the wooden boardwalks and see it from ground level. There are also some other springs that you will see in this area that are beautiful too. Surprisingly, you can’t see all Grand Prismatic has to offer very well from here though. Whenever we were there, the steam coming from the spring blocked much of the view or the amazing colors were hard to see because we were too close.
In order to see it from a bird’s-eye view, stop at the Fairy Falls trailhead to get to the Grand Prismatic Overlook trail. Take the trail a short way until the trail splits. Take the trail to the left and climb a gentle hill to reach the overlook. This is a perfect location to take a family photo.
Note: The Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail doesn’t open until late May due to bear activity.
If you are feeling ambitious you can continue down the flat path and it will take you to Fairy Falls. If you have small children, it is a little bit of a longer hike but easy. We did this hike when my kids were 3 and 5 and they did great.
Lone Star Geyser
My recommendation, though, would be to turn around after the Grand Prismatic overlook and head to the Lone Star Geyser. If you have bikes, you can ride your bikes down this trail. If not, hiking is also an option.
Lone Star Geyser is great to visit in the middle of the day because it is not a very popular hike and definitely a hidden gem tucked away in Yellowstone National Park. Avoiding the crowds, you can hike or bike to this geyser that erupts fairly regularly. They say on average it erupts every 3 hours or so.
We were a little nervous hiking to this geyser because we didn’t want to hike the 2.6 miles to the geyser and then miss the eruption by 15 minutes or so. It is not one of the geysers that the national park tracks, so timing can be a bit of an issue.
When we were nearly there, we came across a couple walking back, and they said it had just erupted. This was what we were most worried about and we almost turned around. Instead, we marched on.
It is actually a pretty neat geyser even when it is not erupting since it’s all by itself in the middle of this little field. After snapping a few pictures and walking around the area, we noticed a little bit of activity coming from the geyser. That got us excited! Could it erupt again so soon? Sure enough, it did! I was so relieved, and it was incredible to watch. And you know what the best part was? We were the only ones there! No crowds.
Even though it can be a risk that you might miss this one erupting, I feel like it is worth a try. It was a nice hike that wasn’t too hard and it really was a unique setting to get to. Bring bug spray, there were a lot of mosquitos when we went!
Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful
The Old Faithful area is almost always busy as it is the most popular landmark in the park. Honestly the only way to see Old Faithful without crowds would be to go very early in the morning or later in the evening. There are a few lodges in the area, so there will always be people around.
When you enter the visitors center, in the middle of the building there is a sign that will tell you when the next eruption will happen. This is just an approximate time. Old Faithful does consistently erupt, but the time does vary a little bit between each eruption. If you have some time, I would recommend exploring the Upper Geyser Basin area while you wait.
The greatest thing about Old Faithful is that you know it will erupt at some point and you can plan around that time or even see it a couple of times. It is located in the Upper Geyser Basin which is home to many different geysers that are not quite as dependable as Old Faithful but still erupt at various times. There are also hot spring pools that are quite beautiful in this area with the most popular being Morning Glory Pool.
Some other geysers you can try to see erupt are Castle, Grand, Daisy, and Riverside and Great Fountain. All of these geysers are tracked by Yellowstone National Park. Their eruption prediction times are published on the website here. They also have an informational chart on that website of how often the geysers in the area erupt. For example, Daisy erupts every 2 hours and 45 minutes or so and lasts approximately 3.5 minutes whereas Riverside only erupts every 6 and a half hours but lasts for about 20 minutes.
That’s it for day 1 of the Yellowstone National Park family itinerary. Now it’s time to drive to your next campground or lodge for the evening near Yellowstone Lake.
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Day 2 – Yellowstone National Park Family Itinerary
Day 2 Highlights
- Hayden Valley
- West Thumb Geyser Basin
- Yellowstone Lake
Hayden Valley
Wake up early and make your way to Hayden Valley at dawn. Find a spot to park the car where you have a good view of the valley. Take out those binoculars and wait for the show to begin. Hayden Valley is a beautiful valley just north of Yellowstone Lake.
You want to come here first because this valley is most active in the morning or at dusk with wildlife like wolves, grizzly bears and black bears. You will also get the chance to see bison, elk, river otters and other species of animals.
Yellowstone Lake
Next, head back down to the Yellowstone Lake area for the day. There are a few different ways to enjoy Yellowstone Lake depending on your preferences.
First you can drive along Yellowstone Lake’s shore and stop at various viewing areas. There are also places you can walk along its shores. Please be aware that Yellowstone Lake is not a place to go swimming. It’s VERY cold!
Bridge Bay Marina is where you can access Yellowstone Lake by motorized boat. The options at Bridge Bay Marina are:
- You can rent a motorized boat for 1 to 8 hours. Each boat can fit 1-6 people and cost $68 dollars an hour.
- Another option is to take a scenic cruise. If you want a short tour without having to worry about driving a boat, this could be a good option. The tour lasts for about an hour and the guide will give the history of the lake while you look for eagles, elk and bison on the shore. You can make a reservation for a scenic cruise on Yellowstone Lake here.
- Interested in a personalized fishing or sightseeing tour? That is also an option on Yellowstone Lake. Tour lengths vary but the minimum time is 2 hours. Please note, if you plan to fish and are over 15 years old, you have to purchase a Yellowstone National Park fishing permit in addition to the private charter costs. Find out more info on a guided fishing or sightseeing charter here.
If you are more interested in a guided kayak tour on Yellowstone Lake you will need to head to Grant Village. There are numerous companies that do guided kayak tours that lead you past geysers near the lake. I would recommend a tour like this one through Viator. It has excellent ratings, the price is reasonable in comparison to other tours in the area and there is free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour if you need to cancel for any reason.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
If you didn’t opt for the kayak tour, be sure to visit the West Thumb Geyser Basin. This 0.6 mile loop trail takes you past dormant geysers, vibrantly colored hot spring pools, and the shores of Yellowstone Lake. It is especially perfect for young kids since the path is a well-maintained boardwalk and the trail is short and exciting!
Now it is time to head toward your next lodge or campsite. The lodges and campsites I mentioned for this evening are past the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone except Canyon campground. There’s no need to stop this evening if you are tired. We will be heading back that direction tomorrow!
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Day 3 – Yellowstone National Park Family Itinerary
Day 3 Highlights
- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
- Mount Washburn
- Tower Fall
- Lamar Valley
Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone
First stop today will be to explore the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This is one of my favorite areas in the park and isn’t as well known as the famous Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic. There are a few roads to take to get great views of the Canyon and access the short hiking trails.
First take South Rim Drive to the Upper Falls View viewpoint and Artist Point. After seeing these scenic viewpoints, drive to the Brink of Upper Falls. This is pretty unique as you stand on the edge of where the powerful water flows over the cliff. It is possible to park here and hike all the way to Inspiration Point, but there’s no need to do this.
Next, hop back into your car and drive to the Brink of Lower Falls. Just like the Brink of Upper Fall you hike a short distance to stand on a platform on the edge of the waterfall. There are 3 more lookout points to explore as you head down North Rim Drive with the last one being Inspiration Point. In my opinion, it is worth stopping at all of them since the hikes are short and the views are grand!
Mount Washburn
In the afternoon, I would suggest a hike up Mount Washburn. The trail from Dunraven Pass is about 6.8 miles round trip, so it’s not for everyone. If you are traveling with young kids or prefer to avoid such a strenuous hike, skip this and head towards Lamar Valley. I have a recommended hike you can do there included in that section.
If you decide to hike Mount Washburn, expect breathtaking views and wildflowers if you go in July. The trail is wide, so even though it is a fairly popular hike, it doesn’t feel crowded. There’s also a nice parking lot!
Tower Fall
If you haven’t stopped at Tower Fall yet, do this on the way to the Lamar Valley. You can view this tall waterfall from an overlook that is a short walk from Tower General Store.
Lamar Valley
If you skipped hiking Mount Washburn and drove directly to Lamar Valley, make a stop at the Lamar River Trailhead. This long trail cuts through the Lamar Valley. When we hiked it we only went a short distance, so you can decide how far you want to meander. The Lamar River is beautiful to walk next to with the picturesque mountains behind it and the bison viewing is abundant.
After hiking and near dusk, find a place to park your car and view the animals. Lamar Valley is similar to the Hayden Valley and is one of the best locations to view wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. Dusk is another great time to view nature at its most active!
Note: If you are staying in the Slough Creek Campground the night before you could do this day’s activities in reverse and watch the animals at dawn. You would just drive more at the end of the day to get to your next campsite/lodge.
Drive to Mammoth or Gardiner to spend your last night in Yellowstone National Park.
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Day 4 – Yellowstone National Park Family Itinerary
Day 4 Highlights
- Mammoth Hot Springs
- Bunsen Peak
- Beartooth Highway
Mammoth Hot Springs
Park at the base of the Lower Terraces Area and view the unique Mammoth Hot Spring area. You will need to climb some stairs to see the different features but the trails aren’t too long.
I would recommend parking in the middle lot if there’s space. Then you can walk over to the popular Palette Spring and Devil’s Thumb. Then make your way back and follow the trail up the hill. Mound Spring is one of my favorites because of all the colors.
Either continue going up to the Upper Terraces or you can drive there too. In my opinion, the lower terraces are the most beautiful of the hot springs area, so if you have to skip one, skip the upper terraces.
Bunsen Peak
For a nice hike with epic views, next stop is Bunsen Peak. This hike is 4.4 miles round-trip. It is considered moderate but be aware that the end is fairly steep and it’s uphill the whole way. The views are worth it though! Hiking is best later in the summer or otherwise you might find snow!
Beartooth Highway
The Beartooth Highway isn’t technically in Yellowstone National Park, but because the road leads in and out of the park, I wanted to include it. The Beartooth Highway is a mountain pass that connects the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park and Red Lodge, Montana. This scenic drive is spectacular with dramatic views along the whole 68+ miles.
To get to the Beartooth Highway, you will drive on the most northern road in Yellowstone, through the Lamar Valley, until you arrive at Cooke City. This is the last town before you get to Red Lodge.
There are many scenic places to stop on your way along the highway. We stopped at Gardner Lake Overlook and Trail. We started to hike down and got caught in the rain, so we turned around!
There’s a possibility of seeing wildlife along the route. We saw a large herd of mountain goats that we stopped to admire and snap some photos. Try to spot the old ski hill along the way that is still used today by adventurous folks.
When you get to Red Lodge, I recommend eating at PREROGATIvE Kitchen. It’s soooo good!
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