What to See in Yellowstone

What to see in Yellowstone is a big question to answer but we’ll show you our favorite spots & share tips for planning a trip to Yellowstone with your kids.

Sights in Yellowstone National Park

• First if you are looking for the best National Parks for kids and one of them is in or entering the 4th grade you can get a FREE National Park pass that covers your entire family.

That’s a savings of $30 each park! We have been able to use this for the past 2 years and it’s been great. I’m a frugal gal and always want to throw that out there when you’re planning a trip to National Parks. You can always use all the help you can get when it comes to saving money. 😉

What to see in Yellowstone National Park

Seriously, buffalo are literally everywhere! We even got stuck behind an entire group of them for 1.5 hours on the road trying to get back to our Airbnb. They took over the road and no cars could pass them.

Look at this video we took while we were at the park!

It really is pretty amazing how close you can get to them and take amazing photos (not getting too close for safety reasons of course).

Best Things to do in Yellowstone

There’s so much beauty in Yellowstone that it is hard to narrow it down to a few must see spots within the park. However, there were definitely a few that stood out while we were there. For reference we entered through the West Yellowstone entrance so we saw the most of that part. We wanted to see the Grand Tetons but didn’t have enough time and will visit those another time.

• As always, stopping by the visitors center is always helpful because there may be an event going on you’ll want to participate in. 

Of course when you visit Yellowstone you want to head to the wondrous Old Faithful Geyser. It is an active geyser that goes off hourly, almost on the dot which is amazing.

• It was pretty amazing but quite honestly we were amazed at other things more than this.

But…..of course we waited with the hundreds of other people to see it blow on the hour, every hour, and yes it was pretty cool that it naturally happens so consistently. And off we went to explore other areas…….

What to see in Yellowstone in 4 Days

Ok so we probably drove around the entire park while we were there. One day we headed out to Mammoth Hot Springs because it just sounded cool!

• When it comes to the best vacation spots for kids I think it has to include something they’ve never seen before and may never see again.

Having a bit of information about what they’re seeing is helpful too so when you’re walking around you can talk about what is around you.

Plus answer questions along the way because surely they will have many!

Unique Things in Yellowstone

I had been to some Hot Springs in Mammoth California coincidentally but nothing like this!! The bubbling up waters, the white rock, and pools of water was something I had never even seen before. There was a cool wooden bridge all around it so you could explore too.

There’s a link to our video of Mammoth Hot Springs above so you can see just how awesome it is: Pretty amazing right?!!

We spent most of the day there because it took a while to get to and from our Airbnb. If you’re looking for a place to stay I highly recommend renting a vacation house vs. a hotel.

• There is a really cute village with shops and apparently the Yellowstone Headquarters are there too.

We had lunch, gassed up, and went a different path back to where we were staying so we could see what was on the other side of the park.

So this is what we discovered on the way back! It was a small parking lot and stop like all the others but it looked different so we stopped and it was really awesome!

There are literally geysers on both sides of the roads everywhere. Some are really small and others are quite large. Dragons Mouth Spring was really different and we’d recommend checking it out.

Here’s a peek…..

This is the largest hot springs of sorts that bubbles and spits water out off and on. Another must see when sharing what to do in Yellowstone with kids.

There’s a large mud filled hot springs next to this that bubbles. You can feel the heat standing several feet away from it.

I will mention it does smell A LOT like rotten eggs because of the sulfur. It’s still totally worth it to stop by and check it out. Just breathe thru your mouth. lol

Of course with any other National Park we visit we do a lot of walking and “hiking”. Gentle hiking I call it.

• There are tons of trails you can take however easy or strenuous you want them to be.
• We recommend doing whatever you’re comfortable with. There are several as awesome as those at Zion National Park Utah and the Grand Canyon.

I encourage you to find hiking trails while you’re there and make a day of it. Traveling with your kids is just so amazing, we encourage you to do it as often as possible. Remember, one day they will leave the house and you don’t want any regrets.

How to save money on family vacations:

• Follow our tips on how you can travel for free year round
• How to plan cheap road trips

Spots you should visit in Yellowstone

1. The upper falls
2. Spend some time along the Yellowstone river
3. Hayden valley
4. Canyon of the Yellowstone
5. Canyon Village 
6. Lamar Valley
7. Tower Falls
8. West Thumb Geyser Basin

Then travel up North and see Glacier National Park too!

Things to remember when you’re exploring:

Always carry enough water for everyone, more is better than not enough!

• Remember you are in the wilderness and there are grizzly bears as well as other large wild animals roaming around. Just be aware and careful when you’re hiking and exploring.
• Take lots of pictures!
• Always wear hats and sunscreen, even if it doesn’t seem sunny outside.

Last but not least just enjoy yourselves and make lots of memories along the way!