Start your adventure by driving along the crystal-clear Madison River. As one of the best rivers in the nation for fly fishing, it holds the honorable distinction of being a Blue Ribbon Fishery. Some sights you’ll pass by are Talus Mountain, Mount Haynes, and National Park Mountain.
There are lots to see and do nearby, including checking out the Visitor Center, the Tribal Heritage Center, or the surrounding hydrothermal features along the Geyser Loop Trail. If you need a snack, coffee, or restroom break, be sure to stop by the historic Old Faithful Lodge. That’s also where you’ll find the gift shop.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

To start your epic day loop, head right at Madison Junction. Don’t forget to stop by the restroom if you need to!

• Admission Ticket Free

It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for—Mammoth Hot Springs! Some big highlights on this 1.5-mile drive are the Orange Spring Mound, Angel Terrace, and Aphrodite Terrace. You won’t want to miss this iconic drive around Yellowstone’s white travertine terraces.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Take a quick detour down Fountain Flat Drive, where you’ll find a lively, grassy meadow, two small hot springs, and the legendary Maiden’s Grave. You’ll also get another good look at the Firehole River, jumping and splashing with trout.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

A brief loop on the 3-mile Firehole Lake Drive leads to several stunning hydrothermal features, including the White and Pink Dome Geysers and the Great Dome Geyser. They’re all available from roadside lookouts or short boardwalk walks.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Midway Geyser Basin may just end up being your favorite stop in the park. Along the short boardwalk trail that encircles the gigantic, 370′ Grand Prismatic Spring, you’ll also witness a number of other smaller hot springs.

If you have time, be sure to pull into Fairy Falls Trailhead and take the 0.6 mile one-way hike to Grand Prismatic Overlook. If you’re feeling adventurous, this trail continues for another 1 mile (each way) to Fairy Falls, one of the park’s most spectacular waterfalls.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

It’s not a trip to Yellowstone without visiting the iconic, reliable Old Faithful. The big geyser itself erupts about every 60-110 minutes, but if you get there early, don’t fret.

There’s lots to see and do nearby, including checking out the Visitor Center, Tribal Heritage Center, or visiting one of its many surrounding hydrothermal features along the Geyser Loop Trail.

If you need a snack, coffee, or restroom break, be sure to stop by the historic Old Faithful Lodge. That’s also where you’ll find the gift shop.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

A short boardwalk allows visitors to see the roaring Kepler Cascades. This multi-tiered fall has drops as long as 50 feet.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Stop at Isa Lake and see the only lake in the world that flows into two different oceans. Not only that, this lake drains backward—the western end flows to the Atlantic, and the eastern end flows to the Pacific. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind stop.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This may just be one of the best-kept secrets in aYellowstone. Without traveling too far off the beaten path, you’ll be able to enjoy one of Yellowstone’s best geyser basins. Be sure to check out the famous Fishing Cone Geyser while you’re there! The Yellowstone Lake Overlook Trail is also worth a walk if you have time. It’s a quick 1.7-mile loop that’s popular with birders.

• Admission Ticket Free

Take this scenic drive along the lake peninsula and enjoy a picnic stop at Gull Point.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fishing Bridge has a ranger station, a general store, and, of course, the fishing bridge. Be sure to walk along the bridge to scan for the Cutthroat trout that like to gather below. Then, when you’re done, rejoin the Grand Loop and continue north.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Continue your journey north by driving into the wildlife haven known as Hayden Valley. This marshy landscape attracts grazers from all over, and grazers attract predators. Keep on going until you reach the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Take a short boardwalk down to the Yellowstone River and the roaring LeHardy Rapids. In early spring, these rapids are alive with jumping, spawning cutthroat trout.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This may not be one of the park’s best-known geysers, but it should be! Mud Volcano is one of the most unique and overlooked hydrothermal areas of the park—and one of the most acidic! Be sure to check out Dragon’s Mouth Hot Spring—a roaring, sloshing, bubbling hot spring full of personality!

• Admission Ticket Free

This drive leads to two more fantastic canyon viewpoints—the Upper Falls View and Artist Point—along with some optional hikes. I recommend Uncle Tom’s Trail. Take time to admire this geological wonder: the eras of rock carved through by the Yellowstone River’s awesome power are truly breathtaking.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

After you circle around, turn right just past the North Rim Drive to get one final look at the Upper Falls. This viewpoint, right at the brink of the falls, is one of the best in the park. You’ll need to walk just over a quarter mile on an easy trail to enjoy its viewing platform.

• Admission Ticket Free

Canyon Village has a restaurant, a lodge, several shops, and a visitor center. If you do nothing else, be sure to stop by the visitor center—the displays, including one lit diorama of Yellowstone, are informative. They really help to visualize complex geological processes like the formation of the canyon and caldera.

• Admission Ticket Free

The Washburn Hot Springs Overlook is a great place to stretch your legs, look out at the Yellowstone caldera, and take a quick restroom break.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The drive up to Mount Washburn is sure to leave you breathless—whether from the heights or the narrow road. The stunning view that awaits you looks over the river, peaks, and valleys off in the distance.

• Admission Ticket Free

Tower Falls has a general store and, as you may have guessed, a waterfall. A short boardwalk leads to several breathtaking overlooks of the plunging 132-foot falls. There is also a one-mile there-and-back trail that leads to the river and past a few bubbling cauldrons.

• Admission Ticket Free

Up next is the majestic hot spring cone known as Soda Butte. Even though it’s no longer active, it’s still worth stopping by. Not to mention, cliff swallows have turned the cone into a kind of bird condominium, so be sure to check it out!

• Admission Ticket Free

Take a quick restroom break and fill up the tank before continuing your journey along the northern loop. If you’re feeling hungry, step into the historic Roosevelt Lodge to fill up your internal tank.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Take a short detour to see one of Yellowstone’s petrified trees—a fossilized remnant from a time when Yellowstone was covered in redwoods and warm-weather forests.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Blacktail Drive is accessible to all vehicles, but exercise caution after rain. This gravel road is much more scenic and private than the main road, and that means you’ll have a better chance to see wildlife. Be aware that this one-way drive will take you back to Tower Junction, so you will have to turn around if you choose to take this optional side-trip.

• Admission Ticket Free

Undine Falls is where Lava Creek tumbles over basaltic stones. To reach the overlook, you just go down a few wooden steps. At the next pullover—just seconds ahead—lies the Lava Creek Trail and Picnic Area.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

It’s time to check out Mammoth’s famous Lower Terrace. Those stunning photos of snow-white terraces you see online? They happen right here.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

And now, it’s on to the Upper Terrace! Some major highlights on this 1.5-mile drive are the Orange Spring Mound, Angel Terrace, and Aphrodite Terrace. You won’t want to miss this iconic drive around Yellowstone’s white, otherworldly landscape.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This quick looping drive takes you through Yellowstone’s “hoodoos.” Though we call them “hoodoos,” they are actually boulders that rolled down from nearby Terrace Mountain. Real hoodoos are formed by erosion. You should take a few minutes to check out this boulder field and “false hoodoos” for yourself.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

These two pullovers let you admire the plummeting rustic falls and the Golden Gate viaduct. Though this new concrete bridge is much more stable than its wooden predecessor, its sheer height is sure to take your breath away.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pull in to see Sheepeater Cliff, a geometric basaltic wall that was named for the Sheepeater people, one of the few Native American tribes to have lived in Yellowstone year-round. These hexagonal columns formed naturally over 1.3 million years ago and cooled into the unique shape you see today.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Because of some extra-handsy tourists (shame! ), you aren’t allowed to walk directly to the Obsidian Cliff. But we’ll get a great view as you drive past, and then we’ll stop off at the exhibit. Then, take a short 5-minute walk to get another view of the cliff, with black glass shining and shimmering in the sun.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

You’ve seen them, and you’ve smelled them. Now, let’s hear them. Roaring Mountain is pocked with fumaroles, super-hot chasms that “roar” and hiss with steam. The ash-gray color of this mountain is caused by sulfur-reducing bacteria that dissolve the lava stone over time.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Drown down this side road to check out a film about the park rangers, browse some historical exhibits, and maybe pick the brain of a current or retired park ranger. After all, without these dedicated employees, none of what you’re experiencing would be possible.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

You’re not “geysered out” yet, are you? Because there is one more major basin to see before you head up to Mammoth Hot Springs. The Norris Geyser Basin is Yellowstone’s hottest and oldest geyser basin, featuring the tallest geyser in the world! You won’t want to miss this 2.9-mile looping boardwalk trail.

• Admission Ticket Free

Artists’ Paintpots 0.6-mile boardwalk begins in pine woods and emerges into a basin full of colorful mud pots. It’s one of Shaka’s top spots for avoiding the crowds while enjoying the park’s unique, bubbly, gurgly hydrothermals.

• Admission Ticket Free

This is one of the most radiant hot springs in the park, with a striking blue color like that of a beryl stone. It’s just on the side of the road, so it’s more than worth the stop.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Want to enjoy the music of the Gibbon River while having lunch? Swing by the Gibbon Picnic Area! After you’re done, it’s less than a half-mile drive to Gibbon Falls, named for early Yellowstone explorer Colonel Gibbon.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yellowstone’s early volcanic eruptions left behind this mountain of compacted, welded volcanic ash. Be sure to stop by to see it. Additionally, picnic tables and a restroom are available at the pullover.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

From here, it’s a scenic drive at dusk through the west exit. Then, you’ll be back in West Yellowstone and ready to rest and recharge for your day in Grand Teton!

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free