Wyoming — travel junkies

Yellowstone National Park

Our rating:

*5 out or 5 stars* It’s no surprise that this is one of the top rated places on our website. There is truly nothing like this spectacular park. The views are jaw dropping, the wild life is abundant and the places to explore are never ending. This definitely needs to be on your bucket list!

About the place:

Yellowstone National Park is a vast area with a range of views. As you drive down the road you’ll pass by steaming geysers and hot springs all around the park. Be sure to drive slow on your adventures, there’s so much wildlife in this park, you are likely to encounter something along the road. It’s important to follow trail signs when hiking, some hikes can be dangerous if you veer off trail.

Fountain Paint Pots

H52V+6F Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Hike Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Views: ★★★★★

Our rating:

*5 out of 5 stars* This was not on our itinerary but the minute we drove by we were drawn in by the steaming geysers and the boardwalk that takes you right up close. This is a really a fun easy hike & a must see.

About the place:

Fountain Paint Pots should definitely be on your list of places to stop at if you’re visiting Yellowstone. There are 12 different hydrothermal features along this easy 0.5 mile loop boardwalk. If you time it right, you can see some very impressive geysers go off.

Red Spouter

Fountain Geyser

How to get there:

If you’re driving south on Grand Loop Road you’ll be able to see the boardwalk from the road. Right after that, you’ll see a parking lot on your right and the boardwalk starts at the edge of the parking lot.

M63H+G8 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Gibbons Falls

Silex Spring

Hike Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Views: ★★★☆☆

Our rating:

*4 out of 5 stars* This is a beautiful view and very easy to get to with the falls being right off the side of the road. It was nice to be able to take in the view without a large crowd, it’s not as popular of a stop as others in the park.

About the place:

Gibbons Falls is found along Gibbons River in Yellowstone National Park. It’s a beautiful view that takes little to no effort to view, making it the perfect quick stop. There’s a short paved path that follows along the side of the road to give you a view of the river and waterfall below. There are also vault bathrooms located in the parking lot which is convenient if needed.

How to get there:

The parking lot is located off of Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

PG92+VX Canyon Village, Wyoming

Our rating:

*5 out of 5 stars* The views here are truly jaw dropping and don’t seem real even when it’s right in front of you! This is a must see if you’re in the park, I wouldn’t miss it.

Red Rock Trail

Lower Overlook

Lookout Point

About the place:

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is approximately 20 miles long with some parts recorded to be as deep as 1,200 feet. The Lower falls (pictured above) is so incredibly large & powerful, it’s almost two times taller than Niagara Falls, standing at 308 ft. The Upper Falls is a little less impressive at 109 feet tall. There are many spots you can take in the view of the Lower Falls along the 6.8 mile North Rim Trail, you can either hike this trail or just park at the lookout points along it. To visit the Upper Falls you will need to go to the South Rim and take the South Rim Trail to the viewpoint.

Red Rock Trail:

In my opinion, the Red Rock Trail gives you the best views of the Lower Falls and canyon. This is a 1.2 mile roundtrip out & back trail with a 500ft change in elevation. The hike begins at the Lookout Point and is considered difficult. As you hike down the Red Rock Trail it’ll bring you deep into the canyon, getting as close to the base of the Lower Falls as possible. Just be prepared, the big change in elevation makes for a tiring hike back up but soo worth it. This trail does close in the winters so be sure to make sure it’s open before going.

Hike Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Views: ★★★★★

How to get there:

If you’re looking to see the view of the Lower Falls you will want to park along the North Rim, this will also give you stunning views of the canyon. If you’re looking to see the Upper Falls, the viewpoint for that is along the South Rim.

Red Rock Trail

Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Loop Rd. Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Hike Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Views: ★★★★★

Our rating:

*5 out of 5 stars* This is a stop you can’t miss when visiting Yellowstone National Park. The colors of this spring are truly unbelievable and the boardwalk takes you right up close.

About the place:

The Grand Prismatic Spring is a stunning feature in Yellowstone and one of our number one favorite stops. The hike to visit this location is only 0.6 miles one-way along a wheelchair accessible boardwalk. The boardwalk takes you right over the scolding hot and colorful ground, taking you right up close to the beautiful spring. The unbelievable colors you see are from the extremophile organisms that thrive in extremely hot temps which no other organisms can survive. Along the boardwalk you will also see the Excelsior Geyser, the Opal Pool & the Turquoise Pool which are very beautiful as well but not as jaw-dropping. The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the world, with a diameter of 200-330 ft and a depth over 120 ft. The hot springs in the park are key to helping prevent volcano eruptions. As the boiling hot water reaches the surface, it cools and sinks back down, being replaced by more hot water. This cycle helps keep the temperatures under the surface down and helps release the pressure from below.

Firehole River

Places near Yellowstone:

Grand Teton National Park 29.5 miles away (40 mins)
Jackson Hole 70.4 miles away (1 hour 30 mins)

Turquoise Pool

Opal Pool

Our rating:

*4 out of 5 stars* This was a fun Geyser to watch go off. The only reason we didn’t give it 5 stars is because it wasn’t as exciting as some of our other stops throughout the park. It’s definitely worth visiting when the geyser is erupting.

How to get there:

The parking lot for the Grand Prismatic Spring is located off of Grand Loop Road, about 2 miles from the Fountain Paint Pots. The trail to these scenic spots is called the Midway Geyser Basin Trail, this will take you by all of the thermal features in the area.

Old Faithful Geyser

Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Hike Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Views: ★★★☆☆

About the place:

Old Faithful is known as the most popular geyser in the park. The eruptions vary, you can check the times it’s due to erupt at the lodge located next to the geyser or at the visitors center. You can also find the schedule on this website, https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/geyser-activity.htm#collapseOne1. When this beautiful geyser erupts it can reach anywhere from 100-180ft in the air, creating a large cloud of steam.

How to get there:

Old Faithful is located behind the Visitors Center. If you’re staying in the Resident Artist Old Faithful Lodge or the Old Faithful Inn, the geyser is located behind these as well.