Yellowstone National Park Guide: Everything to Know Before Your Trip

Do walk the boulevards over Mammoth Hot Springs and its steamy travertine terraces, but then try a moderate hike at the nearby Bunson Peak Trailhead, ascending through meadows to an 8,564-foot peak with views over Swan Lake Flats. For a family friendly option, see the Old Faithful geyser and nearby Biscuit Basin with its crystal-clear pools, then hop on the Mystic Falls Trailhead for a three-mile roundtrip hike to a 70-foot waterfall. Want something more intrepid? Try AllTrails new “Trails Less Traveled” filter, which lets you search for popular trails light on traffic, including the challenging 11.2-mile Sepulcher Mountain Trail.

The best time to visit 

Yes, summer has the best weather, longer days, baby animals, and wildflowers, but also the most people. If you must come in summer, avoid the crush of traffic by visiting outside the park’s busiest hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., arriving strategically late or as early as 6 a.m., when wildlife is out, and roads and boardwalks are clear. For still-comfortable weather and lighter crowds, aim for June, when baby animals—like bear cubs, wolf puppies, and adorable bighorn fawns—are abundant and waterfalls are at their fullest, or September to mid-October, when aspens turn to gold and elk are bugling.

Mid-October through April is winter in these parts, definitely the least crowded and actually quite spectacular. Expect brisk temps that range from single digits to the low 20s, but also a truly peaceful experience with multicolored hot pools against white snow, bison herds crusted with icicles, and Old Faithful seemingly all to yourself. Most roads are closed in winter, though you can visit parts of the park via snowmobiling or guided snowcoach (small bus) tours. For an extra cool nighttime visit in winter, check out the “Steam, Stars and Winter Soundscapes Tour” snowcoach experience. You can also rent skis from the shops at Mammoth Hot Springs or enjoy privately guided snowshoeing adventures as part of a stay at Lone Mountain Ranch in the Big Sky area.

Where to stay

Yellowstone’s bonkers visitation numbers mean accommodations are often snatched up fast, anywhere from six months to a year in advance, with the latter becoming the norm. We’ve called out our favorite accommodations in this complete guide on where to stay in Yellowstone, which includes glamping sites, cabins, and mountain-view condos in and near the park.