How to Spend a Day in Yellowstone National Park

If you only have 24 hours to explore, here is our guide on how to spend a day in Yellowstone National Park.  We’ll cover three sights you don’t want to miss.

We recently visited Grand Teton National Park and decided to head to Yellowstone on our last day in Wyoming.  We had one short day to explore, so we chose our top three sights in the park.  After taking our photo by the entrance sign (for memories), we headed to Grand Prismatic Springs.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is the United States’ largest hot spring and is part of the Midway Geyser Basin.  The spring’s vibrant colors makes it the most photographed thermal feature in Yellowstone.  There are two ways to see this spring: an overlook and a one-way boardwalk loop.

Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook

The Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook can be accessed via the Fairy Falls Trailhead.  A 1.2 mile out and back hike will take you to the viewpoint that looks down on Grand Prismatic Spring.  You can also hike the Fairy Falls Trail to one of Yellowstone’s waterfalls, Fairy Falls.

Grand Prismatic Spring Boardwalk Loop

The parking lot for Grand Prismatic Spring fills up fast which is why it’s first on our list.  We recommend arriving early to beat the crowds and tour buses.  This loop is an easy walk around Grand Prismatic Spring.  You will also pass the Excelsior Geyser and the Opal Pool.

Old Faithful

When you hear Yellowstone National Park, you probably think of Old Faithful first.  Watching this geyser erupt is a must when visiting Yellowstone.  Eruption times are predicted at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, and @GeyserNPS on Twitter.  However if you’re in the area, you’ll notice hundreds of people gathering around the viewing platform and patiently waiting.  Watching Old Faithful was fun, but I think the anticipation of the moment makes it more enjoyable.  We thought the eruption was starting at least 5 times; Old Faithful would start bubbling, and everyone would get excited.  Then it would stop, and everyone would laugh.

After Old Faithful, we headed to the Old Faithful General Store for lunch.  There is a restaurant inside, and they also have several to-go options.

The Grand Loop

The Grand Loop in Yellowstone National Park can take anywhere from 4-7 hours to complete depending on traffic and how many stops you make.  We did not drive the entire loop, but we did enjoy driving part of it and taking in Yellowstone’s beautiful scenery.

Yellowstone National Park is worth a visit, even if you’re short on time.  We hope you enjoyed our guide on how to spend a day in Yellowstone National Park!  Additional national park guides can be found here.