How We Conquered Yellowstone National Park in 3 Days
Although Yellowstone National Park is a MASSIVE National Park, if the trip is planned strategically, a lot can still be done during a 3 day period without wearing yourself out completely! Here is how we conquered Yellowstone National Park in 3 Days and were completely satisfied with our adventures!
Yellowstone National Park Day 1
I think we probably packed the most Yellowstone punch into Day 1 hitting up pretty much MOST of the eastern side of Yellowstone National Park. Our home base was in Cody, WY (not the most ideal for most visitors, but we needed cell service in order to work during the week) so it was quite a drive JUST to get to Yellowstone National Park.
Since Deanna and I work eastern time and are living in mountain time at the moment, we took advantage of that and headed out really early in the morning (on a weekend) to get a head start on the drive. Although we were KIND of in a rush to get to Artist Point, don’t forget to look around on the way there because the entire area is absolutely beautiful!
First Stop Day 1 (Artist Point Area)
Artist Point is a must see if heading through the Yellowstone area. It is probably one of the coolest canyon areas we have seen on our travels thus far. The lower falls just takes your breath away as it flows down the center of the canyon below.
Second Stop Day 1 ( Tower Falls )
Technically our 2nd stop was the Canyon Village area for a quick lunch (really good food btw), but our next vista area was up towards the northeast corner of the loop road near Tower Falls! This wasn’t a very long stop because we had a lot to do for the day, but we both took turns hiking towards the falls and then exploring the area just beyond. Neither of us made it down towards the river since we had to take turns watching Blaze, but it was still sweet!
Third Stop Day 1 ( One of the many overlooks by Dunraven Pass)
Seriously, any of the overlooks in this area were amazing, but we decided to actually stop and relax for a bit while enjoying the view of the valley below and surrounding mountains. Oh, and we got to see our very first bear in the wild around this area as well!!!
Fourth Stop Day 1 ( Mud Volcano)
Mud Volcano’s name alone caught our attention so we just had to check it out. We had already bypassed it once already on our way to Artist Point earlier that day so we really wanted to see it. Not only was this area full of awesome bubbling pits of mud, but it is also a highly populated area of Bison! Keep on the look out and keep your distance because these guys can mean business!
Fifth Stop Day 1 (Yellowstone Lake)
Yellowstone Lake really needs no introduction whatsoever. If you come in from the eastern entrance as we did, you will see it not too long into your journey. Yellowstone Lake covers 136 sq miles and has 110 miles of shoreline to walk along. Yea, not going to be something you can explore all in one day, BUT it is still awesome to look at! After we got done chilling at the lake, we decided to call it a day and come back for more later.
Yellowstone National Park Day 2
On our 2nd day in Yellowstone National Park, it was more of a …drive thru rather than a stop and stay all day adventure. We were moving from our campground in Cody, Wyoming all the way to Island Park, Idaho. (Sounds farther than it really is). It was about a 3 hour drive and we had to drive through Yellowstone. WHY NOT make an adventure of it right?
Stop One Day 2 (Norris Geyser Basin – Porcelain Springs)
Not going to lie, hauling a 5th wheel through Yellowstone can be a nerve racking when there are some fairly narrow roads and a large portion of the roads are under construction. However, luck was on our side as we picked the very last RV spot at Norris Geyser Basin’s –>RV Parking<– area (NOT REGULAR CAR PARKING AREA). We saw so many RVers having to drive on past because cars had filled up all the RV parking despite the obvious signs. Don’t be a jerk folks. A dude working the area told us to just double park them in next time if they take our RV spots haha.
Stop Two Day 2 (Norris Geyser Basin -Steamboat Geyser)
Yes, I realize this is still in Norris Geyser Basin, but Steamboat Geyser has caused quite a ruckus this year! For a while there it was erupting at a record rate and we really wanted to see this thing going! Unfortunately, both Deanna and I just had to watch the steam slowly rising up from it instead…but definitely a large geyser to check out if you can!
Since we still had to check in to our campground that day, we decided to move on through Yellowstone now that the place was getting crowded. RV parking certainly isn’t easy to come by if folks don’t follow the rules!
Yellowstone National Park Day 3
After setting up camp in Island Park, ID, it was time to head back to Yellowstone National Park but this time through the West Gate! Btw, West Yellowstone is a fantastic place to visit with all the cool stores! We also got to meet fellow YouTubers Travels With Delaney and The Roads We Roam while in the area and it was a blast!
Stop One Day 3 (Old Faithful)
Didn’t think we would make a visit to Yellowstone without visiting Old Faithful did ya? OF COURSE NOT! We got to the Old Faithful area JUST in the nick of time before an eruption started. You can literally see us walking…fast…to the eruption as it was taking place in the video above. 🙂 How about that for some luck?
Stop Two Day 3 ( The REST of the Geysers)
Around the Old Faithful area there are a TON of other geysers you just have to check out. One of my favorites was Castle Geyser that looks well, kind of like a castle. It stands taller than the others we have seen and sounds like it can put on quite a show.
Bee Hive was also a really cool geyser that we were able to witness from afar as it erupted up into the air quite high! I’m not sure how far it shoots up, but we could see it from quite a distance.
There are definitely still quite a few things we missed while visiting Yellowstone National Park this year (2019), but we were totally satisfied with our three day visit! What are some of your favorite places to visit in Yellowstone? We would love to hear about them! Leave us a comment in the comment section below or in one of the attached videos.
OTHER “NEARBY” ADVENTURES
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Favorite Hike at Rocky Mountain National Park
Alluvial Fan Rocky Mountain National Park
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
