Gazing into one of the many mesmerizing hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, I wondered to myself, how can this exist in nature?! I was astounded by the bright blues, greens, yellows and oranges of these pools of water. They looked too vibrant to be natural. Luckily, Yellowstone is full of these types of fascinating geological phenomena, making this park well worth a visit – even if you only have one day!
Want to see the park, but have limited time? Never fear – it’s possible to hit the highlights in a short amount of time. Get started below with my guide to making the most of one day in Yellowstone National Park!
There are so many beautiful hot springs you can see in Yellowstone in just one day!
About Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is located in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana and is one of the most popular national parks in the US. In fact, it is widely believed to be the first national park in the world! This, combined with the out-of-this-world hot springs and geysers that litter the park, make Yellowstone a must-see bucket-list destination.
There are entrances to the park from all directions, making it easily accessible. Entrance fees to the park are $35 per car for seven days. You can also purchase an annual national parks pass for $80, called the America the Beautiful Pass, if you plan to visit more than one national park in the next 12 months (this is what I did, and it was well worth it!).
Read more: The Ultimate U.S. National Parks Guide
Yellowstone One Day Itinerary
This itinerary is intended to be driven west to east. However, you can easily reverse the order, depending on how you enter the park!
I can’t get over the crazy landscape around Grand Prismatic!
Grand Prismatic Hot Spring
Start your day early at one of Yellowstone’s most famous sites – the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s a popular site, but for good reason – at 370 feet in diameter (essentially a small lake!), Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the US, and the third largest in the world. This was perhaps my favorite site in Yellowstone – photos of its bright colors can’t even do it justice. You’ll be glad to be able to enjoy this magnificent site without the crowds!
First, park at the Fairy Falls trail parking lot and hike the 0.6 miles to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. The hike will take less than an hour and only climbs 105 feet. However, this is enough to reward you with spectacular aerial views!
It’s worth it to also stop at the Midway Geyser Basin turnout and get up close and personal with Grand Prismatic. Here, you can walk on a 0.7 mile loop boardwalk that will take you right past Grand Prismatic, as well as some other epic hot springs such as Excelsior. The Excelsior hot spring is also quite large and its steamy blue waters fill a crater from an earlier eruption. Hold on to your hats though – it gets windy on the boardwalk, often blowing large billows of hot steam onto visitors, and it is extremely dangerous to step off the path onto the unstable ground.
These colors at Morning Glory though!
Morning Glory Hot Spring
Head back south on US-191 about five minutes and stop at the Biscuit Basin parking lot. There is another boardwalk near some hot springs in this parking lot, but the main attraction is across the street at the Artemisia Trail Head. This relatively flat 1.0 mile trail will take you past multiple colorful hot springs, culminating in the famed Morning Glory Pool.
Morning Glory has more greens, yellows, and oranges than many of the nearby hot springs. Unfortunately, this is due to visitors dropping objects into the deep spring. This causes the geyser to clog, the water temperatures to cool, and the yellow bacteria near the surface to creep closer to the spring’s opening. Much of this damage is irreversible. It’s a good reminder to us all to not take nature for granted, and to always leave the parks better than we found them.
Beyond Morning Glory, the Artemisia trail will connect with the paved trails that lead back to Old Faithful. You can continue to hike another mile or so to Old Faithful, or you can hike back to your car and drive to the Old Faithful parking lot. I chose the latter option to avoid the crowds! I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were often the only people on the Artemisia trail, making this portion of our trip even more peaceful and enjoyable.
Old Faithful geyser getting ready to erupt.
Old Faithful + Geyser Hill
You can’t spend one day in Yellowstone without seeing this famous geyser! To get there, continue driving south a few more minutes until you reach the Old Faithful visitor center and parking lot. This is a large complex where you can use the restroom and fill up on snacks and water if needed.
There will be signs everywhere about the next time Old Faithful is predicted to erupt. While not the biggest geyser in the park, it is one of the most frequent and most predictable – it goes off about every 90 minutes! If you do want to see the largest geyser in the park – and in the world – stop over at Steamboat Geyser. When it erupts, it can send water up to 300 feet in the air. Unfortunately, its eruptions are not very predictable, so if you see it, you’ll be in luck!
There is a large viewing platform in front of Old Faithful, meaning that there isn’t a bad seat in the house! Be at the viewing platform 10 minutes before the predicted time, just in case it comes early. You can expect water to erupt for several minutes once it starts – plenty of time for photo opportunities.
Despite its fame, Old Faithful was probably my least favorite site in Yellowstone. I’m glad I saw it so I can check it off my bucket list, but I don’t think I would see it again if I were to go back to the park. However, there are several other geysers nearby that I would recommend exploring! Just follow the boardwalk down from the Old Faithful viewing platform. We got lucky and saw a less frequent geyser erupt, and it was much taller than Old Faithful!
One of the highest points in the park is along the Continental Divide!
Continental Divide
On your way east towards West Thumb, you’ll pass over the continental divide (twice). If you’re a science nerd like me, you’ll find this an interesting stop! Essentially, the continental divide is a high point that marks the tipping point between rivers that flow west into the Pacific Ocean or east into the Atlantic Ocean. I was shocked that this wasn’t more central to the United States. Make a pit stop to stretch your legs, snap a pic, and revel in this fun fact!
I couldn’t get over how cool it was to have hot springs and the lake so close together!
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Next, drive to West Thumb Geyser Basin, which is about a half an hour east of Old Faithful on US-191. In the back of the parking lot is a trailhead that will take you to a circular boardwalk. This boardwalk goes past a variety of different hot springs – they range from crystal-clear blue water to witches-brew gray mud. I don’t know about you, but I could look at these phenomenal pools forever!
The crystal clear waters of Yellowstone Lake wash right up to the hot springs in West Thumb.
The thing that makes this site extra special is that it is right on the edge of Yellowstone Lake! You can even see some hot springs bubbling under the surface of the water. It’s amazing that so many kinds of landscapes exist so close together.
If it feels like Yellowstone is packed with hot springs and geysers at every turn, that’s because it is! About 60% of the world’s geysers and hot springs are packed into this park, making it quite the geological feat.
Views of Yellowstone Lake are easily accessible from a turnoff along the main road.
Yellowstone Lake
To see more of the grand Yellowstone Lake, turn right out of West Thumb and head north on Grand Loop Road (US-20). This road will take you along the lakeshore, and there are plenty of turnouts with beautiful views to stop at. We drove for about a half an hour, stopping at various turnouts, until we could see all of the lake (not just the part in West Thumb). At 136 square miles, this is the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in North America.
Many of the turnouts have picnic benches, making this an ideal time for a picnic lunch or quick snack!
Lewis Falls is one of the first sites in Yellowstone when you enter the park from its southern entrance.
Decision Point: North or South
From this point in your itinerary, you have a decision to make. Depending on where you’re spending the night (more suggestions on that below!), you can head north, and consider adding on a stop at Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, or Lamar Valley. You can also head south and stop at Lewis Falls on your way to Grand Teton National Park (which is what I did). Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are quite close together, making them ideal stops within the same trip.
The good news is, there’s no wrong decision! Either one is a great addition to what you’ve already seen in your day at Yellowstone.
Where to Stay
After spending one day packing all that you can into your trip to Yellowstone, you’ll need a good night’s sleep! You can head south to Jackson, WY if you’re craving the comforts of the city. You can also stay in one of the properties in Yellowstone, like the Lake Yellowstone Inn or Old Faithful Lodge. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also camp in one of Yellowstone’s many campgrounds! Some of these campsites take reservations, while others are first come, first served, and can fill up quickly, so make sure to stake out your spot early.
Ran into this guy on our drive to Yellowstone – don’t worry, this was taken safely from our car! Doesn’t it look like he’s smiling?!
Packing Considerations for One Day in Yellowstone
Since your one day in Yellowstone will be jam-packed with sightseeing, make sure you pack plenty of water and snacks to keep your energy up throughout your trip! I also always wear sunscreen and bug spray when out exploring – the bugs can get particularly bad as you walk in the forest.
The park is also full of large wildlife, including bears, moose, and bison, so you should bring bear spray (and know how to use it!). Finally, while this itinerary doesn’t include any strenuous hikes, wearing hiking shoes may keep your feet more comfortable after walking all day. I spent only one day at home breaking these in, and then wore them all day on this trip and didn’t get a single blister!
As with any time outdoors, be sure to follow the Leave No Trace Principles by respecting the wildlife, disposing of trash properly, and leaving the park in better condition than you found it.
For some reason, we always seem to be in matching outfits ;)
LGBTQ+ Considerations
While Wyoming is a generally conservative US state, Yellowstone National Park is a popular tourist destination, making it feel generally welcoming to all types of people. While in the park, we encountered people from all walks of life, including families with kids and older travelers. We felt comfortable being ourselves, holding hands, and taking photos together, and didn’t receive any uncomfortable looks or comments. Overall, we had a positive experience visiting Yellowstone and would recommend it to other queer travelers!
Read more: Top Safety Tips for Queer Travelers
Yellowstone is amazing…you get hot springs and geysers and then views like this.
Overall
The diverse landscape in Yellowstone was fascinating – I could easily spend more than just one day here! Between the bubbling geysers, colorful hot springs, and clear blue lakes, the world’s first national park definitely won’t disappoint.
Have you tried seeing Yellowstone in one day? Do you have any other must-sees? Let me know how it went in the comments!
Read more: United States Travel Guide
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This post was last updated on August 12, 2020.
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