By air
Bozeman (BZN) or Jackson Hole (JAC), ~1.5–2 h
North America · United States
Yellowstone, United States
Geysers, bison and hot springs
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September (many roads close in winter)
Don't miss
Old Faithful
The Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Mammoth Hot Springs
Things to do
Old Faithful's eruptions
The Grand Prismatic Spring
Wildlife drives
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: James St. John from Newark, Ohio · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Layers, binoculars; learn the bear-safety basics
A quieter corner
The Lamar Valley at dawn, for wolves
Questions travellers ask
Which months are best for Yellowstone?
May to September — many roads close in winter.
Which airports serve Yellowstone?
Bozeman (BZN) or Jackson Hole (JAC), about 1.5–2 h away.
What should I see first in Yellowstone?
Watch Old Faithful erupt, then see the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs. Add wildlife drives, and bison burgers in the gateway towns.
Where can I see wolves in Yellowstone?
The Lamar Valley at dawn. Bring binoculars and layers, and learn the bear-safety basics before you go.
About Yellowstone
- Mountains
- Forest
Where it is
Yellowstone National Park lies mostly in north-western Wyoming in the United States, reaching into Montana and Idaho, on a high volcanic plateau in the Rocky Mountains, with a vast caldera and Yellowstone Lake at its centre.
History
Native Americans have used the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years, quarrying obsidian and hunting bison. After expeditions in 1870 and 1871 described its geysers, Congress made it a national park in 1872, widely held to be the first in the world, and the US Army managed it for three decades before the National Park Service took over.
People
Many Native American peoples, among them the Crow, Shoshone, Bannock, Blackfeet and Nez Perce, have historic ties to Yellowstone. Few people live inside the park beyond its staff, and gateway towns such as West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cody serve visitors amid cattle ranches and mountain valleys.
Known for
- Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin
- The Grand Prismatic Spring
- Bison, elk and wolves in the Lamar Valley
- The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- The travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs
Did you know?
Yellowstone has the largest concentration of geysers on earth, heated by a volcanic system whose last great eruption formed the park's caldera about 640,000 years ago.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.