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3 Day Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

October 6, 2023 by Laura

Yellowstone National Park is an incredibly beautiful and fun park to visit. There is so much to see and do. Check our detailed Yellowstone itinerary!

Three Amazing Days Spent Inside of Yellowstone National Park

We knew visiting Yellowstone would be memorable, but we had no idea how incredible and beautiful it actually is in person. The pictures just do not do it justice!

Some people spend weeks at a time inside of Yellowstone because there is so much to do. Fitting everything we wanted to see into three days was not an easy task. We spent a lot of time and did a lot of research in order to make our personalized itinerary.

Our itinerary below does not cover everything in the park. We would need a lot more than three days to do that! It does, however, cover the exact itinerary that my husband and I followed during our three days visiting the park in September.

We made the itinerary very lenient allowing time for traffic, crowds, driving times, and breaks. It is very efficient hitting all the sites in order and *trying* to get to all the most popular attractions earlier in the day.

If you are looking for more Wyoming content check out our One Day Grand Teton National Park Itinerary, 10-Day Wyoming Itinerary, Hot Springs State Park, Best Wyoming Food, Wyoming Trip Budget, and Cheyenne Itinerary.

• 1. Day 1
• • 1.1 Drive to Yellowstone
• • 1.2 West Thumb Geyser Basin
• • 1.3 Old Faithful Geyser
• • 1.4 Whiskey Flat Picnic Area
• • 1.5 Grand Prismatic Spring
• • 1.6 Turnout near Firehole Picnic Area
• • 1.7 Gibbon Falls Trail
• • 1.8 Virginia Cascade Drive
• • 1.9 Nez Perce Ford Picnic Area
• • 1.10 Absaroka Mountain Lodge
• 2. Day 2
• • 2.1 Drive to Yellowstone
• • 2.2 Lamar Valley
• • 2.3 Calcite Springs Overlook
• • 2.4 Tower Falls/Tower Falls General Store
• • 2.5 Lava Creek
• • 2.6 Mammoth Hot Springs
• • 2.7 Upper Terrace Drive
• • 2.8 Sheepeater Cliff Picnic Area
• • 2.9 Wildlife Sightings
• • 2.10 Virginia Cascade Drive
• • 2.11 Steamboat Point Picnic Area
• 3. Day 3
• • 3.1 Drive to Yellowstone
• • 3.2 Canyon Rim South Trail
• • 3.3 Brink of the Lower Falls Trail
• • 3.4 Grand View Lookout Point
• • 3.5 Fishing Bridge
• • 3.6 Pelican Creek Nature Trail
• • 3.7 Storm Point Trailhead
• • 3.8 Steamboat Point
• • 3.9 Lake Butte Overlook
• • 3.10 Drive to Cody
• 4. Questions

☼ 5:20-6:45AM

We were visiting Grand Teton National Park the day prior to arriving to Yellowstone. We drove up from Colter Bay Village which is in North Grand Teton so we were about one hour and fifteen minutes away from West Thumb Lake.

We had an early start to the day so that we could see the sunrise in the park and also to beat some of the crowds.

☼ 6:45-8:00AM

West Thumb was our first stop in the park, and it was our favorite! We got there at a really good time, and we were the only people there. The September morning was chilly and foggy. It was moody and definitely a vibe. We even saw a family of elk getting a drink at the lake!

The springs at West Thumb come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Black Pool and Fishing Cone were two of my favorites. Black Pool was this beautiful blue color, and Fishing Cone looked like a cone coming right out of the lake. Back in the 1800s, fishermen would catch a fish in the lake and then cook it by hanging off a string into Fishing Cone!

My absolute favorite though was the Paint Pots. Each pot was a different color. It was amazing to see!

☼ 8:50AM-12:00PM

Next, it was time to see everybody's favorite, Old Faithful! On the route to Old Faithful, don't forget to pass by the Continental Divide for a photo op!

Honestly, it was just luck that we arrived to Old Faithful about 20 minutes before she was expected to erupt. There are multiple benches that surround Old Faithful on the wooden platform. We were able to sit right up front. Note that we did visit in September so it is very likely that it is more crowded during the peak months (June-August).

Old Faithful was estimated to erupt at 9:18AM, and it was within a couple of that estimation. It erupts about every 90 minutes. You can download the NPS Geysers app which will tell you the estimated times of eruption. They also have a sign with the times inside the Old Faithful Visitor's Center. You can also find bathrooms here as well.

Honestly, it was just as incredible as I thought it would be! It begins by bubbling up a bit for a few minutes, and then all the sudden it will just shoot up straight into the sky. It is really miraculous that something like this is on our Earth.

After watching Old Faithful erupt, we walked around the Upper Geyser Basin Trail. We bypassed the Old Faithful Overlook and walked until we reached Morning Glory. We then turned around and headed back towards Old Faithful. This trail is about 3.5 miles long and takes about one and half hours to complete. This is a really popular trail so expect lots of people.

Along the trail, you will see multiple different geysers and hot springs. It is a beautiful walk which is either paved or boardwalks. One of my favorite parts was trying to figure out how a certain geyser/hot spring got its name. Morning Glory is one of the prettiest sites and is worth walking all the way there.

We were very lucky with our timing of our walk because just as we came around the corner headed back towards the parking lot, Old Faithful erupted again!

☼ 12:20-1:00PM

This picnic area made for the perfect lunch. We were able to secure a picnic table that was pretty secluded, and we were able to eat lunch with just us and nature.

I highly recommend buying groceries prior to entering the parking and bringing along an ice chest. We did not want to spend time driving off our route to find food. In addition, we did not want to tackle the crowds and waste time waiting for food. You'll also save money by buying groceries outside of the park!

We really enjoyed our huckleberry jam and peanut butter sandwiches!

This picnic area is very shaded and has a composting toilet.

1:00-2:30PM

Okay, so we had planned on hiking Mystic Falls Trail and hiking up to the Grand Prismatic Overlook, but we decided to skip it. You see, there was tons of people and traffic. Parking was very difficult to find. It also didn't help that there was some construction going on which had cars backed up for miles!

This was also in mid-September so I can't imagine how crowded it must get during the summer months. My advice is if there is somewhere you really want to go, go first thing in the morning! I wish we would've had another day in the park because I would have come back to the Grand Prismatic early before the crowds arrived.

We ended up keeping our car parked at Whiskey Flat and walking about half a mile to the Grand Prismatic Parking Lot. We walked along the Midway Geyser Basin Trail which is about 0.7 miles long. This is another very popular trail so expect lots of people walking.

The Grand Prismatic is grand though! With all the people around it is a bit difficult to sit and reflect at how amazing this really is. It is absolutely incredible and almost otherworldly, and the colors are so beautiful.

2:45-3:15PM

Since we skipped some of the super crowded areas, we had extra time. We found that a great way to spend time was to just jump from one overlook to the next. The 'unpopular' overlooks and stops rarely had lots of people there and we always found a place to park.

We stopped at the turnout near Firehole River Picnic Area, had a snack, and just enjoyed the beauty and quiet.

3:30-4:00PM

Next we stumbled upon Gibbon Falls. This pull out had very few people and offered a very pretty sight!

This trail is paved and only half a mile long. It does have a slight slope but is an easy walk. It takes very little effort for a very beautiful view of a waterfall. This is definitely worth a stop!

4:15-5:00PM

Virginia Cascade Drive was a pleasant surprise! This was not something we had planned, but I'm so glad that we saw the sign for it. This drive is one-way and about two and half miles long. On the drive, you'll see Virginia Cascade, of course! You can park your car on the small pull out and take pictures of the pretty 60-foot waterfall.

Moving along you'll see a pull out to get out of your car to see and walk around the river. Towards the end of the drive, there are picnic tables and a composting toilet. There was hardly anybody else on this drive which allowed us to drive as slow as we wanted. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled during the drive. We saw a marmot right on the side of the road!

5:30-6:30PM

While heading to Nez Perce Ford, we saw a herd of bison! To be honest, there are lots of opportunities to see herds of bison in Yellowstone. We just had to stop every time. They are such cool creatures!

There were not many people at Nez Perce Ford either. While picnicking, you have a gorgeous view of Yellowstone River. There is multiple picnic tables and a composting toilet here.

Yellowstone had tons of mushrooms literally everywhere when we visited in September. Nez Perce Ford was no exception. They were all over the place and HUGE!

So I didn't get around to booking our Wyoming trip until about two months before leaving. This meant that there were no cabins or lodging within the park available. We found this place called Absaroka Mountain Lodge which is located about 15 minutes away from the Yellowstone East Entrance. It did mean that we had quite the drive each morning and evening, but honestly we didn't mind much. The drives were so pretty, and we were always looking for wildlife. Just plan for driving a bit slower when dark outside. We saw so many deer right on the side of the road!

We stayed in the Buckaroo for two nights. It was just big enough for a queen-sized bed, a mini fridge, a desk, and a rocking chair. It also had a full bathroom. It was small, but that was fine because pretty much were only here to sleep. It worked perfectly for our 3-day trip to Yellowstone.

5:30-8:30AM

Once again we had a pretty early morning in order to beat the crowds and watch the sunrise in the park. We saw lots of deer while driving before the sun rose, and we also saw a herd of elk right on the side of the road! We pulled over to watch them a bit and even got to hear the males bugle. I would definitely say that waking up early is worth it.

When the sun was rising, we found a pull out on the side of the road and watched it. While I'm sure there are some prime sunrise photography spots in Yellowstone, there aren't any bad spots to watch the sunrise. You get a good view pretty much anywhere you are!

8:30-10:30AM

We were really excited for Lamar Valley in hopes that we would see some cool wildlife sightings. Unfortunately, we weren't that lucky this time. We saw some pretty big herds of bison and pronghorn though!

Most of our drive to Lamar Valley was spent waiting in traffic due to construction. I'm not sure if construction is a common occurence in Yellowstone during the month of September, but we got caught in one-way construction multiple times during our visit. Make sure to account for construction and seasonal traffic as well especially when visiting during the summer.

During our research, we had read that Lamar Valley was a good place to go because not a lot of people drive out there. However, that was not our experience. There was tons of people in Lamar Valley when we showed up around 8:30AM. A lot of the pull outs were full of tour buses and photographers.

I'm still really glad that we drove out to Lamar Valley because it was absolutely gorgeous. You can't beat those views especially with the all the bison grazing. But it was not as empty as the internet makes it seem even when visiting in mid-September. I wish we would have been able to get there right before sunrise. Next time!

10:45-11:15AM

I would consider Calcite Springs Overlook a must stop. The overlook is only a short walk away from the parking lot and the views are incredible.

11:15-11:45AM

Tower Falls is located a short distance away from the Tower Falls General Store. This is a popular place with lots of people eating lunch and resting, but we had no problems finding a parking spot. Tower Falls was one of those spots that was cool to see in person, but because of the positioning of the sun during the time we were there, a huge shadow showed up on the pictures. I would say it is still worth a stop. Tower Falls is also a great stop to grab some food, use the restrooms, and buy some souvenirs!

11:45AM-12:15PM

We next found a picnic table near Lava Creek. This spot had only a few picnic tables, but offered a very pretty backdrop while eating our picnic lunch. We even had entertainment from a very cute chipmunk who was hopping around the picnic tables.

12:30-1:45PM

Mammoth Hot Springs was not like anything I've ever seen before. The terraces which are formed by calcium carbonate deposited in the form of travertine are bright white. They are so white that it actually almost hurts your eyes when the sun is shining bright. It really is amazing to see in person, and I highly recommend stopping.

The trail is known as the Mammoth Terraces Trail and is about two and half miles long. The trail is mostly boardwalk, but it can get a bit steep in some places and has many stairs. Mammoth Hot Springs is a very popular place with lots of tourists on the trail.

1:45-2:15PM

This is a one-way drive that is about one and half miles long. You'll see more hot springs and travertine formations.

2:30-3:00PM

We were a little bit ahead of our original schedule so we decided to just turn into all the different pull outs. Sheepeater Cliff was such a fun stop and would also be a great place to picnic. The cliff is actually made of cooled basalt lava! There is also a small trail that takes you to the water and more pretty sights.

On our way to Virginia Cascade Drive, we saw some animals! First, we saw multiple people pulled over on the side of the road. That is always a good sign that there is something worth looking at! Everybody was out of their cars photographing this adorable coyote. It was hunting for mice hopping from one spot to another. So cool!

Then a little bit down the road we saw Sandhill Cranes. I didn't realize how big these birds were until I saw them in person for the first time. They are huge!

This is why it is a good idea to give yourself extra time in your itinerary. You want to plan for stopping to watch wildlife!

3:30-4:45PM

We loved Virginia Cascade on our first day in Yellowstone so we decided to drive-through it again! It is just so secluded here and barely any people. We stopped at the picnic area at the end of the drive and had the whole area to ourselves. It was a great place to just take in all the beauty and relax.

It was also here that we found so many mushrooms! They were everywhere, and they were huge. Somebody had picked this huge mushroom before we arrived and left it on the picnic table so, of course, I had to get a picture with it.

5:00-5:30PM

Steamboat Point Picnic Area is a small spot that has four picnic tables overlooking Yellowstone Lake. Our time here did get cut short by a big storm cloud quickly approaching us. It was still the perfect way to end our fun day in Yellowstone.

After leaving, we headed back to Absaroka Mountain Lodge for a good night's sleep.

5:30-7:30AM

We also woke up early on our last day in Yellowstone, and, trust me, the sunrise was worth it! We stopped at LeHardy's Rapids which is on the Yellowstone River. We did not plan to stop here, but I sure am glad we did. The sunrise over the river was beautiful. We walked down the trail just a bit to get the perfect view. We even got to watch some cute little ducks trying to make their way upstream.

Also on our drive into the park we saw a male elk right on the side of the road. He was just grazing and minding his own business. They are very beautiful creatures!

7:45-9:00AM

We then started on what would be the most beautiful hike that I've ever been on! Canyon Rim South Trail is a two and half mile out-and-back trail that starts off at the Falls and takes you to Artist's Point. You can drive to Artist's Point, but I highly recommend walking the trail if you are able. In the middle of the trail, there is a somewhat steep incline with switchbacks. It had our legs burning! The scenic overlooks were pretty crowded, but the trail was not.

During pretty much the whole hike, you get beautiful views of the falls, and artist's point is stunning. I loved every minute of it!

While taking pictures, a raven jumped right in front of my photo! There are tons of ravens in Yellowstone and most of them are not very shy.

10:15-10:30AM

The Grand View Lookout Point is the same view from a different angle. I'm not made that we stopped here though because I could never get tired of that view. This is a great option if you are not up to hiking!

11:00-11:30AM

The fishing bridge area is a bit less crowded than the previous areas. We stopped at the bridge for a few minutes, but unfortunately did not see any trout.

11:45AM-12:45PM

For lunch, we had planned to find a picnic table to eat at, but it started storming. So, instead, we ate lunch in our car outside of the next trail we had planned to hike.

Pelican Creek Nature Trail was a fun hike. It takes you through the forest (where we saw multiple mushrooms) then to the lakeshore and then back to the trailhead. This was an easy trail that was about 0.8 miles long and not very crowded at all.

12:45-1:00PM

We had also planned to hike Storm Point, but, ironically, another storm was brewing so we passed. It was still a very pretty place to stop for a few minutes though!

1:00-1:15PM

We stopped at steamboat point just for a few minutes. It was very moody here with the steam emerging from the earth and the dark storm clouds above.

1:15-1:30PM

Our last stop in the park was up this steep road to the Lake Butte Overlook.Here you will get a wide view of Yellowstone Lake. This area would be a great sunset spot!

1:30-3:00PM

And that's the end of our time in Yellowstone Park! We then went on to Cody, Wyoming continue the rest of our Wyoming trip. Until next time, Yellowstone!

__________________________________

Maybe my husband and I were just really naive, but we were so surprised at how many people were in Yellowstone in September! If you've visited a lot of national parks before then you will probably be less surprised than us. However, we just read over and over again how May and September were the best months to visit because they were the least crowded months. We were not prepared to encounter that many people! As I mentioned in the itinerary, there were sights and trails that we skipped because the parking lots were nightmares. We were much happier searching for small pull outs along our route.

The popular attractions such as Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and Artist's Point were very crowded. However, the lesser talked about places were easily do-able, and we found plenty of parking at all of them. My two cents would be to get to all the popular attractions early in the day if possible- the earlier, the better! If you can't make it to them early then just be prepared to wait for a parking spot or park a distance away. Let me be clear- the crowds were not absolutely terrible in September. We could have definitely done those trails/sights that we skipped if we had waited around. However, we just preferred to find a quieter area of the park. The whole park is gorgeous, and you really can't go wrong with any spot that you choose!

Absolutely perfect! The mornings were chilly with the daily lows in the 40s. The afternoons were warm but not too warm with highs in the 70s. We did have one rainy day so always be prepared for a storm or two during your trip!

Layers are your friend! We wore layers so that we were warm in the mornings and then we could start shedding our layers as it warmed up. Each day I wore hiking boots, hiking socks, leggings, tank top, flannel, and a puffy jacket. My husband wore hiking boots, hiking socks, hiking pants, short-sleeved shirt, flannel, and a puffy jacket. It worked great, and we were never too hot nor too cold at any point. We did also bring gloves and a beanie for the mornings and evenings when it was the coldest.

Yes, and please do not be those people. We could not believe some of the stuff that we saw people doing. If you see wildlife in the middle of the road, wait for them to cross. Remember that this is their home, and you are just a guest. If it is safe to do so, you can slowly pass the animal. Don't approach the animals. Do not park your car in the opposite traffic lane to take a picture. All the same road laws apply even inside of a national park! Also do not stop your car in the middle of the road to take a picture of a bison that is in the distance. There are pull outs quite often where you can park your car for this very purpose.

We also witnessed a countless number of people (young and old) touching the water in the hot springs. This is actually crazy. People get burned all the time doing this. We even saw a man scratching the bacteria in one of the bacterial mats. Again, this is their home, not yours...

We did not eat any of the food at Yellowstone. One thing that I highly recommend is buying all your groceries before entering the park. One, this saves you some money. Two, it prevents you from having to search for food to eat during your time in Yellowstone. We did not feel like spending time backtracking to restaurants or waiting for food with all the others during a busy lunch rush. There are practically picnic tables everywhere in the park that you can set up your meal and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.

We brought a insulated backpack (that I also used as my carry-on on the plane) and filled it up with new ice every morning. This worked out great for us!

Ice Chest + Groceries: Like I mentioned in my previous answer, I highly recommend bringing groceries and waters into the park. You especially don't want to be without water!

Physical Map: I had practically zero cell service during our entire time at Yellowstone. I'd recommend keeping a physical map on you just in case you lose service or your phone dies. They hand out maps at the entrance. However, since we entered the park so early each morning, there was nobody there working to give us one. If you are planning on having early mornings like us, you may need to purchase one prior to arriving.

Binoculars + Zoom Lens: Sometimes the cool animals are standing right next to your car, but most of the time they are super far away. I was so glad that we had binoculars and a camera with a good zoom to be able to see and capture them from a distance.

Bear Spray: Even if you don't think you need bear spray, you still need to get bear spray! We didn't see any bears, but I felt so much better knowing that we had bear spray while hiking. We bought ours from a Walmart in Evanston, WY when we were coming up from Salt Lake City. It cost us $42 which sounds like a lot, but better safe than sorry when it comes to bears!

Hiking Boots / Good Shoes: You'll be walking a lot. Even if you don't plan on hitting the trails, you still will be walking. I couldn't believe it when we saw a woman on a trail in flip-flops! I was so thankful for my hiking boots. Also pack a few good bandages just in case you start to rub a blister.

Your Patience: This is something they say on their own Yellowstone radio station. Make sure you pack your patience! There may be lines, traffic, crowds, or a bison clogging up the road, but it's all good. Take a deep breath and know that you are surrounded by beauty and fresh air. Things could be worse.

50 States by 50

Wyoming was our third state to visit for our 50 states by 50 challenge. My husband, Brian, and I are on a mission to visit all 50 states in the United States before we turn 50 years old. To choose which state we visit next, we draw it randomly out of a bucket!

For each state, we plan at least a 4-day trip that includes visiting the state capitol and state museum, exploring a state park, and eating whatever food that state is most known for. I will be documenting it all on my blog and making vlogs as well which will be posted on YouTube. Read more about our 50 States by 50 Bucket List.

__________________________________

Thank you for reading about our three days spent inside of Yellowstone National Park. I hope that this itinerary was helpful in planning your trip to see this beautiful park. If you have any questions or just want to share your must-see Yellowstone National Park places, please leave a comment down below.

Category: Wyoming, State Itineraries, National Parks
Keywords: 3 day itinerary for yellowstone, 3 days in yellowstone, yellowstone park itinerary, things to do in yellowstone

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Bon Voyage!

October 6, 2023 by Laura Ehlers