Yellowstone Itinerary: 2 Days in Yellowstone National Park
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Visiting Yellowstone National Park should be on everyone’s bucket list. Its otherworldly geothermal attractions make the park stand out.
After a visit to Grand Teton National Park, we hopped over for a two-day visit to Yellowstone.
The 3,500-square-mile park spreads over three states. You could spend a lifetime exploring the park and would likely still not see it all. This two-day itinerary covers all the highlights.
For this itinerary, you will need a car. The main sights of the park are conveniently situated on a giant loop via the appropriately named Grand Loop Road. Our adventure begins in the south of the park, coming in from the Tetons.
Day 1
Yellowstone Lake Boat Tour
Day 1 - 9:00 AM
Navigate to the Bridge Bay Marina where you can book a one-hour boat tour of Yellowstone Lake. In peak season, the boat departs every 90 minutes, tickets are around USD$20 per person (less for kids).
The boat tour includes an up-close pass by a partially sunken vessel with a sorted history and will likely include some wildlife spotting. We saw some nesting bald eagles.
LeHardy's Rapids
Day 1 - 11:00 AM
Continue the loop with a quick stop at LeHardy's Rapids. After parking at the pull-off, the rapids will be on view a few steps from your car.
If it’s springtime you’ll see Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout jumping the rapids, and if you’re lucky (or unlucky depending on your views) you may see some hungry bears trying their best to feast on fish.
Mud Volcano
Day 1 - 11:30 AM
The first of many geothermal features coming our way is the Mud Volcano area. An easy 2/3 mile loop trail will give you an up-close look (and smell) of the bubbling muddy holes. The star of the show is the steaming Dragon Mouth Spring.
Uncle Tom’s Trail
Day 1 - 12:30 PM
Continuing along the road toward Canyon Village, our next stop is an amazing view of a massive waterfall, the Lower Falls. This is a hard climb down steep metal steps into a canyon. The view is worth the effort.
The parking area is a half-mile off of the loop road via South Rim Drive.
After the hike down, make sure to take the very short path on the opposite side of the parking lot to view the Upper Falls.
Artist’s Point
Day 1 - 1:15 PM
Continue on South Rim Road to reach a real showstopper, Artist’s Point. Another brief and easy walk will take you to one of the best views in the park. The colorful canyon walls perfectly frame the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. For my money, this is one of the most beautiful views in the country.
Lunch - Canyon Village
Day 1 - 1:30 PM
Reverse and head back to the loop road and head north to Canyon Village. Here you’ll find two restaurant choices for lunch and a general store for other provisions for the afternoon.
Old Faithful
Day 1 - 3:30 PM
With your belly full, it’s time to retrace steps south on the Loop Road toward Old Faithful. this drive will likely take you 90 minutes unless you encounter too many roadblocks - er bisonblocks.
If you know one thing about Yellowstone, you probably know about Old Faithful. This enormous geyser attracts a crowd who are waiting in anticipation for the next eruption.
You can’t exactly set a watch to it, but the eruptions happen approximately every 45 minutes up to two hours.
Upper Geyser Basin
Day 1 - 4:30 PM
After watching the big one, take the walk around the Upper Geyser Basin to view smaller and less predictable geysers. If you’re lucky enough to see an eruption from one of these lesser-known geysers, you’ve really seen something special.
Before getting back in the car, take a walk through the gorgeous interiors of the Old Faithful Inn.
From here continue north on the Grand Loop Road.
Norris Geyser Basin
Day 1 - 6:00 PM
The hike through one of the largest and most active geyser areas in the park will take about an hour. The hike is moderately difficult but has plenty of active and unique features to see. The basin is broken up into two loops, the Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin.
At the visitors center, you can decide if you would like to do the shorter hike through the Porcelain Basin or the longer Back Basin loop. Or do both!
Don’t miss the Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser with eruptions over 300 feet. between 1900 and 2018 there were only 11 recorded eruptions. Starting in 2018 the geyser has been extremely active, with as many as 33 eruptions per year!
End of Day 1
If you’re wealthy or just looking for a perfect way to see the park, stay for the night in the Old Faithful Inn. Camping in the park is another great option. For us, we headed out of the park to Jackson, Wyoming for accommodations in a quaint and cozy cabin.
Day 2
Jackson, Wyoming
Day 2 - 10:00 AM
We started the day with some breakfast and light shopping in the cute little town of Jackson. Before returning to the park, pick up the Grand Loop Road north toward Old Faithful.
Grand Prismatic Spring
Day 2 - Noon
North of the Old Faithful area, our first stop in the park is the multicolored Grand Prismatic Spring. Bacteria living in the water create blue and orange tones. A short loop takes you to a great view of the spring and a few smaller similar features.
Firehole River
Day 2 - 12:45 PM
Veer slightly off the Grand Loop for a drive along the one-way Firehole Canyon Road. The brief narrow drive closely follows the Firehole River, with small turn offs for a quick view of the rocky canyon rapids.
Artist's Paintpots
Day 2 - 1:45 PM
At the end of the Firehole Canyon Rd turn back north and drive about 30 minutes to find the trailhead for the Artist’s Paintpots. The mostly paved one-mile hike will take you past a bunch of small thermal mudpots. The bubbling mud is colored red, brown, grey, and blue.
Frying Pan Spring
Day 2 - 3:00 PM
Continuing north, pull off at Frying Pan Spring for a quick view; or more accurately a quick listen. The spring was named because it sounds just like a giant simmering frypan.
Roaring Mountain
Day 2 - 3:15 PM
Since we’re listening to strange thermal sounds, a stop at Roaring Mountain is next. The hillside is filled with tiny vents that let steam escape. In the early days of the park, the area was more active and the mountain actually roared. If named today, we probably would call it “hissing” mountain.
Sheepeater Cliff
Day 2 - 3:45 PM
Another quick stop is the unique cliff formation named Sheepeater Cliff. The unique hexagon-shaped columns are the result of a lava flow 500,000 years ago.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Day 2 - 4:30 PM
Named Mammoth because of the enormity of the hot springs, this is one of the highlights of the park. There are many active springs that can be explored via the looped trails that mix paved paths with wooden platforms.
Be sure to explore both the lower and upper terraces for a full view of the geothermal marvel.
Roosevelt Arch
Day 2 - 6:45 PM
Leaving the Mammoth Hot Springs, say goodbye to the Grand Loop Road at Fort Yellowstone. Take the North Entrance Road to the edge of the park where you’ll find the Roosevelt Arch.
This was once the main entrance to the park. President Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for the arch in 1903.
End of Day 2
Just beyond the arch, you’ll find yourself in Gardiner, Montana. We booked a hotel here for the night. It’s a small town with little to do that doesn’t tie directly with its proximity to the park.
The next morning we took the long drive back to Salt Lake City before catching a flight back home.
Yellowstone National Park Two Day Itinerary:
Day 1:
- 9:00 AM: Yellowstone Lake Boat Tour
- 11:00 AM: LeHardy's Rapids
- 11:30 AM: Mud Volcano
- 12:30 PM: Uncle Tom’s Trail
- 1:15 PM: Artist’s Point
- 1:30 PM: Lunch at Canyon Village
- 3:30 PM: Old Faithful
- 4:30 PM: Upper Geyser Basin
- 6:00 PM: Norris Geyser Basin
End of Day 1: Stay overnight in Jackson, Wyoming or at Old Faithful Inn.
Day 2:
- 10:00 AM: Breakfast and shopping in Jackson, Wyoming
- Noon: Grand Prismatic Spring
- 12:45 PM: Firehole River
- 1:45 PM: Artist's Paintpots
- 3:00 PM: Frying Pan Spring
- 3:15 PM: Roaring Mountain
- 3:45 PM: Sheepeater Cliff
- 4:30 PM: Mammoth Hot Springs
- 6:45 PM: Roosevelt Arch
End of Day 2: Stay overnight in Gardiner, Montana.
