Yellowstone National Park is a place like no other. The geysers, hot springs, lava formations. The falls, hiking trails, wild flowers, roaming buffalo. The nature of the park is diverse and picturesque. There are stunning vistas in every direction.

Coming from Grand Teton National Park, I entered Yellowstone from the south. Since my lodging was north of the park (in Gardiner), I decided that this was the day to explore the southern points of interest, which meant this was geyser day. I started with a morning walk at West Thumb. This accessible loop trail gives a nice introduction to geysers with a backdrop of Yellowstone Lake. Fun fact, Yellowstone Lake is the largest highest elevation lake in the United States. I liked the contrast between the heat of the geysers and the cold water – so cold that the NPS service says that people would only survive in its water for about 20 minutes.

Just north of West Thumb is the iconic Old Faithful. During the two hours I spent around these grounds, I was lucky enough to catch Old Faithful going off twice. Between the first and second show, I enjoyed walking around all of the bubbling and spitting hydrothermal wonders. I was able to see one of the other geysers erupt from afar, but I was more interested in the vibrant colors and diversity in shape & size of the largest collection of geysers in the park.

Next was the Prismatic Overlook. I don’t know if it was because it was getting later in the day or because of the heat coming off of the geothermal elements here, but this was the hottest part of my day. The parking lot is small, so it might take a little bit to secure a spot, but it’s worth it. Everyone talks about the vibrant colors of the geyser, and yes, these were awesome, but I also really enjoyed looking for animal tracks and thinking about how it would feel to walk across this fire ground.

One last geyser spot for the day was a walk around Norris Back Basin. This wooden boardwalk meanders through many small geysers. The whole place feels like it’s on fire.

Here is where my Yellowstone strategy came in. I’m from the East Coast, and I only arrived in the area a few days before; so instead of trying to acclimate to the local time, I kept myself on East Coast time. This meant that even though I had already driven from Alpine, Wyoming and visited four different spots in Yellowstone, it was only early afternoon. In the summer months, this meant that the temperature was at its peak – even more so with the thermal heat element, so I headed to my lodging in Gardiner for a mid afternoon nap & refresh. I did this all three days I had in Yellowstone. Because of the summer sunset time, I was still able explore the small tourist town of Gardiner for the late afternoon & dinner.

The next morning, I woke before the sun to make my way to Lamar Valley. While I didn’t have a telescope or professional camera, I enjoyed my breakfast watching the sun coming up over the mountains and the wild buffalo and elk roaming the lands. There was a collection of photographers trying to capture wolf activity from afar, but even though I couldn’t see the wolves, I could see the elk and deer fleeing from their presence.

When I started my early morning hike in the Lamar Valley, I was happy to merge with another couple so that we could keep the volume up and look out for bears. This all paid off with a 1.2 hike up to Trout Lake that reflected the mountains and flowers around it. I was a peaceful start to a much quieter day.

My second hike of the morning was all about the wildflowers. I parked at the campground near the Roosevelt Dining Room (my lunch plan for the day), and made my way through the forested trails to the rolling meadows of Lost Lake Trail. As the trail name indicates, there is a small lake here tucked away from the crowds. I saw few people but many birds and other small wild life on my three mile hike.

By the time I made my way back to Roosevelt Dining Room, I was more than ready for lunch. The natural wood beams and posts create a rustic atmosphere that aligns with the space. The homey food hit the spot & prepared me for my afternoon nap back at my lodging.

After my mid afternoon nap, my evening excursion for today was Mammoth Hot Springs. I was greeted outside of the Springs with the local elk and deer hanging out in the town square. From there, the layers of white limestone and the yellow travertine make this unlike other sights in the park. At the top of the Springs, the unearthly colors of the stone flats contrast with the view of the neighboring mountains.

My final day consisted of one more hike and an evening horseback ride.

While a lot of people – including myself – want to see bears on their Yellowstone trip, I was hoping not to actually encounter them. I got the best of both worlds when I saw people on the side of the road looking down into a ravine where a mother bear and two cubs were hanging out.

What I was hoping to see were bighorn sheep, so during my next hike to the Yellowstone River Picnic Area Trail, I spent the whole 3.5 mile hike searching the rocks for the sheep. While I didn’t encounter any sheep on this trail, I did see many a marmot, which I enjoyed watching sunbathing and scurrying away. This trail followed the curves of the canyon, and the sight of the Yellowstone River below was beautiful, as were the waterfalls along the way.

Overall, I found the hiking in Yellowstone easy in difficulty with few inclines or rocky terrain. This allowed me to venture on longer trails and hike more trails in a day. From geysers to lakes, buffalo to antelope, forests to meadows, Yellowstone provides a hike for every mood.

My final night took me into the hills of Gardiner for a horseback ride and cookout. I’ve only been on a horse a few times in my life, and I’ve never been on a guided tour, so I wasn’t sure what to except. From the very beginning, the tour company (Flying Pig Adventures) made everyone feel welcome – they matched up horses with riders and talked through each horse’s preference. The ride was mellow, which allowed me to relax in the saddle and enjoy the vast landscape. it was fun to sit with other people afterward and share stories about our travels over a hearty meal.

A friend’s dad has been to Yellowstone over 30 times at this point, and before I went, I didn’t understand how one park across the country could prompt so many return trips. Now that I visited, I can see how the diversity of experiences as well as the unique sights of the park can easily call someone back to visit time and again.

Google Map of places mentioned in this post.