Yellowstone National Park in 1 day.
Yellowstone National Park, can you visit it in 1 day? Yes, you can.
It would be more relaxing and less rushed if you had more than one day to devote to this wonderful park. However, if it means seeing it all in one day versus not seeing it at all, we vote you do it in a day.
And, we are here to help you accomplish that.
First off, we are not park rangers or sponsored by the park at all. But, I do work for one of the concessionaires in the park, and that means I get to live inside the park.
We have been living inside of the park for almost 3 months now. I think that gives me a great advantage at helping you navigate the park.
Next, you must understand that while you can visit the park in a day you may have to make sacrifices on what you get to see and do. There are only 24 hours in a day, and wildlife can make keeping an itinerary difficult. They tend to get in the roadways and cause traffic jams inside of the park, this can cost you precious time when your already short on it.
Stay flexible and be prepared to adjust your itinerary if it looks like you are going to run out of time.
The best way to make sure you see everything in the park is to attempt it in a coordinated fashion.
Pick one entrance, start the Grand Loop Road at that entrance, and continue on it in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. It does not matter which direction you head off to first, as all but Mammoth is located along the Grand Loop Road. Also, while following along this road you will pass through Hayden Valley and drive next to Yellowstone Lake, both of which are amazing sights to see. Along the road you will also notice many roadside attractions such as rapids, waterfalls, mud volcanoes, geysers, etc. These are great things to stop at and stretch your legs but be careful with your time. 5 minutes at one location and 10 minutes at another location begins to add up quickly and you may run out of time.
We have created a map that labels each entrance and lists our top 5 must do things in the park.
What are our top 5 must do things in the park?
#1 Grand Prismatic Spring – 1.5 Hours
The Grand Prismatic Spring is my absolute favorite sight to see in the park. The vibrant colors held in the spring are stunning. It is best to view the Grand Prismatic Spring from the Grand Prismatic Overlook located on the Fairy Falls Trail. It is only about a mile, round trip hike, and it is absolutely more than worth it. If you can squeeze in another day in the park, I highly recommend finishing the Fairy Falls Trail.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is best seen on a clear day, about mid-day. Viewing the spring to early or late in the day will mean a greater amount of steam emanating from the spring, and less vibrant colors.
#2 Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – 30 Mins.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is an absolute must see, breath taking sight. I highly recommend you stop at Artist Point, on the South Rim Drive of the Canyon, and take the hike from Artist Point. Once you round the bend on the hike, all of the crowds melt away, and you get an unencumbered view of the canyon. You literally have to walk only 10 minutes from the lookout, to enjoy this view without an abundance of people trying to take their pictures in front of the canyon.
If you have extra time and want to squeeze in some hiking check out this hike from Canyon General Store to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone or my favorite hike along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone the Ribbon Lake Loop/Artist Point hike.
#3 Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin – 2 Hours
I am sure some are going to be surprised that Old Faithful is #3 on our list, but it really only made it that high on our list due to the Upper Geyser Basin. While Old Faithful is exciting to see, and the anticipation of waiting of the eruption is exhilarating, it is a bit of a let down once it has occurred. The Upper Geyser Basin has far more geysers in it than Old Faithful, and many of them erupt more frequently than Old Faithful. Our suggestion is to pop into the visitor center, Geyser Grill, or Old Faithful General Store and ask them when the next eruption of Old Faithful will be. If it is not imminent, spend the time you would be sitting around waiting and walk the boardwalk around the Upper Geyser Basin. You do not have to walk the whole boardwalk to see some amazing sights, but it will be an extremely good use of your time while you wait.
#4 Norris Geyser Basin – 2 Hours
Norris Geyser Basin is exactly what it sounds like, a basin of geysers. However, some of them are absolutely beautiful. It was in Norris Geyser Basin that we say some of the clearest geyser pools, some of which you can see just how deep they run! It is really cool to see. Unlike the Upper Geyser Basin, Norris does not contain many high geysers. The exception to this is of course Steamboat Geyser. Steamboat is one of the most well-known geysers because it reaches higher than any other geyser in the park, even old faithful. Steamboat averages about 300 ft in height when it has a major eruption, but it does not erupt in a predictable manner. It does not even have a major eruption every day. Tip: Norris has small parking lots that fill up fast. If you do not arrive here in the morning, park in the overflow parking and walk up. It will save you time, instead of sitting in the line waiting to find a place to park.
#5 Mammoth Hot Springs – 1 Hour
Mammoth almost did not make it on this list, and if I had to cut one of the five out it would be Mammoth. However, I decided to add it for the pure experience of seeing how animals adapt to humans invading their space. In Mammoth, it is very common to see elk roaming free, eating grass, or resting under a shade tree as human race around them. In the spring, you have to be extra careful not to walk up on any elk fawns hiding in the grass. Momma Elk would not take too kindly to you getting near her fawn. Mammoth is also very well known for the Boiling River, where you can wade into the hot springs. However, we are here during Covid-19 and no swimming is allowed at this time.
If you are up near Mammoth and find you have time to kill, the Bunsen Peak hike offers you some amazing views of the park.
But, what about the animals?
Some of the most well-known stories from Yellowstone are about all of the animals that can be seen during a visit: bison, elk, bears, wolves, mountain goats, big horn sheep, etc.
Will you get to see animals if you are doing the park in 1 day? Yes!
The trick to catching views of the animals is more about the time of year and day it is and less about what part of the park you are in.
Now I know some of you may be yelling at your computer as you read this, saying I am wrong. Lamar valley is the place to view animals, but I haven’t found that not to be true.
We have been to Lamar Valley, guess what we saw, bison. That is it!
Yes, there were thousands of bison in Lamar Valley, but there are hundreds in Hayden Valley and they are usually closer to the road.
Bear, elk, bison, and moose we have spotted in Canyon.
Elk, bison, and wolves we have spotted in Hayden Valley.
Mountain goats, bear, and elk we have spotted in Mammoth.
But, only bison have we spotted in Lamar Valley.
I know there are more animals than bison in Lamar Valley, but since this is not a zoo, and the animals are not in cages you cannot guarantee you will see any one animal in any one location.
They best thing to do for animal viewing is to be in one of the valleys at sunrise and sunset. During these times the animals are feeding and more active, so you are more likely to see them. During the hottest part of the day the animals are usually hiding from the sun. You may not think that 70 degrees is very hot, but to animals who spend most of the year in much colder temperatures, 70 seems brutal.
So grab some food and some binoculars, and end your day in either Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley animal watching.
If you only have about 1 hour or 2 of time to spare and want to get in a quick hike, I 100% recommend you do the Storm Point hike. It is only 2.3 miles, but it is jam packed with incredible views.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth itinerary, plus places to camp, for those who can manage more than one day in the park.
