How to Spend 5 Days In Yellowstone National Park

It greatly pains me to speak to anyone that has been to Yellowstone and doesn’t love it. The reason for this is quite simple: they did it wrong. Yes, there is a right way and wrong way to do Yellowstone and I’m here to tell you how to make the perfect Yellowstone National Park Itinerary.

I’ve been to Yellowstone 4 times in my life. Once when I was a baby (I literally took my first steps in this park), once as a pre-teen, once as a college kid, and most recently at 34 with my husband (it was his first time!). I’ve enjoyed it every time. Well, I don’t know about the very first time, but I’d like to think that’s why I (finally) started walking. It was my love of Yellowstone. 🙂

I truly believe Yellowstone is the best National Park, BUT, as I said before, it is NOT a “drive-thru” park. In fact, the scenery isn’t the reason to go. If you just want scenery, I definitely recommend the Grand Tetons instead.

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How to Spend 5 Days in Yellowstone

Okay, now you’ve arrived. You’re going to spend 5 days in Yellowstone. Now, let’s be clear, this is 5 days in the park. Not going to the Tetons, unless you want to rush a bit. 5 days in the park will give you time to breathe, maybe take in a few hikes, etc. The best part? You’ll be more likely to see some pretty awesome wildlife. This means beyond the buffalo and the elk (which I do love too!). The longer you stay, the more likely you are to see epic wildlife like grizzlies and wolves.

You’ll definitely get to see everything if you stay 5 days in the park. Here’s how I’d do it. This is based on no road closures, but those do happen, so check before you go. If roads are closed, I recommend moving hotels so that you can go early to look for wildlife.

• Day 1: Arrive in the park and drive to Canyon. This is about 1-2.5 hours drive from the entrance depending on which direction you choose to come from. Canyon is my favorite place to stay as it’s central and not as crowded.

• Day 2: Start the day by waking early and exploring all Canyon has to offer. Usually takes about half a day. Then drive over to Norris and spend the afternoon there. This takes about an hour. Head back to Canyon and explore the Visitor Center before closure.

• Day 3: On Day three I would head up to Mammoth. If the road between Canyon and Tower is not closed then I would get up early and go see the wolves. By early I mean day break. Then head over to Mammoth and spend the morning there. From Mammoth, be sure to make the short drive to see the Roosevelt Arch. After getting up early for the wolves and walking Mammoth, you’ll probably be tired. I head back to Canyon for an early evening. If you’re up for it, drive around Hayden Valley during the early evening to look for animals.

• Day 4: For the fourth day, it’s time to explore the bottom half of Yellowstone. Head to Old Faithful first through Madison. You’ll go by the Artist Pots, Monument Geyser Basin, and Gibbon Falls. Then, you’ll reach Lower Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin (which includes the Grand Prismatic), Upper Geyser Basin, and finally Old Faithful. Take your time getting there, explore each of the Basins and hike up to see the Grand Prismatic from the top of the hill. Once you get to Old Faithful there’s plenty to keep you busy during the afternoon. Don’t forget to visit the Morning Glory Pool at Old Faithful. Walking there will take you by loads of other Geysers. Usually, they have ranger talks that are also worth doing (when there’s not COVID) so hang around Old Faithful for dinner and ranger talks.

• Day 5: On your last day get up early (yes, do this daily) and drive down to West Thumb. Take your time looking for wildlife in Hayden Valley. Check out the lake and fishing bridge (won’t take long) then spend the morning at West Thumb. For your final afternoon, you could go back to any of the places you felt you needed more time, or head to the Grand Tetons.

Top Tip:
Download the audio guide to Yellowstone to your phone.
It’s a very drivable park but if it’s your first time, this will help immensely.

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The Biggest Reason You Need This Much Time for Your Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

I can honestly sum up why you need time in one word: wildlife. You have to be a bit patient to see the really amazing wildlife and you’ve got to get up early. Not 10 am early, 5 am early. Get out there before day break. There’s two major areas for wildlife spotting in Yellowstone.

1. Hayden Valley

This area goes right through the middle of the park and you will likely drive it several times. You’ll see people out there every day with binoculars, scopes, and impressive cameras. There are those who do nothing but wait for the wildlife. They know where they live, what pack they’re in, and what they had for breakfast. Okay, maybe not the breakfast, but close.

On our last day in Yellowstone we saw a grizzly bear with a bull elk it had just killed across the river in this area. We just happened to stumble upon it driving through the valley. You can’t miss this kind of thing, there will be people there as well as a ranger controlling the situation. Needless to say, it’s the coolest wildlife experience I’ve seen to date.

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2. Lamar Valley

Lamar Valley is where the wolves are located. I definitely recommend getting out there early at least one day and seeing what you can find. Now, there are plenty of wildlife tours that will take you to these places. Some will tell you that you must do them, as they have the right equipment to show you the wolves, they know where they are, etc. While this can be good advice, I’m against it personally.

See, you will not find a day out there when there aren’t people looking for wolves. People who track them, know where they are, and have the equipment. Also, they want to share this. I was standing on the hill looking around and a man motioned me to come look with his scope (no, don’t make it dirty). He showed me a giant grizzly and some wolves. People are kind and they want you to see things. I’m not huge on tours so I’ll need to really be convinced on them and this just isn’t something I find you need.

When (dangerous) wildlife is near the main highways, you won’t be first to stumble upon it, believe me. There will be at least one ranger and probably 50 or so photographers. With social media and the ability to share where things are happening, it’s unlikely you’ll struggle. That’s not say you can’t stumble upon things, but if there’s a big highlight such as a grizzly eating an elk near the road (yup, we saw that), there will be others.

Yes, we did stumble upon a fox with his fish when we were walking out to the wilderness and that can happen. Just rest assured, if you spend enough time in the park, you will most likely see something epic. No, I won’t guarantee it, and really, tours can’t either. No matter what they claim.

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Where to Stay for Your Yellowstone National Park Itinerary

I said several times that you need to stay in the park. I whole-heartedly believe this. The places to stay are expensive, not that nice, and without a lot of options. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to stay so it is what it is. You also need to book early. It fills up. Here are your options below. Basically each of the 8 areas has places to stay.

BUT, keep in mind, the are varying degrees of “rustic” and certain ones are only open during certain times. You must always check road, hotel, and campsite closures. And Yellowstone is whole other world in the winter. In fact, the next time I go, I plan to go in the winter as it’s a completely different beast and therefore experience.

1. Mammoth Hot Springs: Mammoth is a good place to stay but it gets crowded and it’s not centrally located. However, it’s a good starting or ending point.
2. Tower-Roosevelt: Roosevelt Lodge is not always open but does have lodging.
3. Canyon Village: Canyon is my favorite place to stay. Remember that epic waterfall from above? That’s this area. But that’s not why I recommend it. It’s less crowded than Old Faithful or Mammoth. Since we went during the pandemic of 2020, this was a big plus. Really, it would be nice anyway though. You’re probably headed out to Yellowstone to be away from crowds and while that’s not going to happen completely, this will help. It’s also centrally located so easy to get around to different parts of the park. With a park as big as Yellowstone, you definitely need that.
4. Fishing Bridge + Lake Village: There is an RV park at Fishing Bridge and Lake Village does have accommodations.
5. Grant Village + West Thumb: There is accommodation here as well but it closes early in the fall.
6. Old Faithful: I’m sure you’ve heard of Old Faithful Lodge. Obviously, there is accommodation here but it’s not as glamorous as you might think, but it’s an option.
7. Madison: Madison has campsites you can book.
8. Norris: Norris also has campsites.

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What Makes Yellowstone So Special?

Alright, I’ve raved about Yellowstone, but what is it that makes it so special? That, my friend, is the thermal activity. You see, Yellowstone is actually a super volcano. Yes, they expect it to erupt any day now. However, they’ve been saying that my whole life. Huge eruptions occurred here, the latest about 600,000 years ago.

What is now the park was the center and it collapsed, forming a 30 by 45 mile caldera or basin. The heat that powered those eruptions is what still fuels the park’s geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mudpots. When I say hot springs, I do not mean ones you can sit in like in Colorado. These are not safe for that. Please stay on the boardwalks and trails.

This isn’t the only place that has this, but it’s one of very few. Iceland, New Zeland and Japan are the only others that have this sort of hydrothermal activity. And Yellowstone, is the largest group of hydrothermal features in the world.

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One More Recommendation

Now, for some of you, this last recommendation might seem a little morbid, but I’m adding it anyway. I truly believe you should read this book about Deaths in Yellowstone before going. You may be thinking “Wait, what?! You’re sick!” but really, trust me. See, there was a time when people didn’t know what this park was about, before we even had roads, and as you can imagine, that caused a lot of drama. No railings or walkways and one mis-step and you landed in a 150 degree geyser and fried within minutes. I’m not exaggerating.

Yellowstone is a dangerous place. People used to feed bears, put their children on bison for a photo, and more. What’s worse, these things still happen. I know it’s tempting to reach over the boardwalk to see what the water feels like. And while it’s not usually that hot right near the boardwalk, it could be. I’m usually a hop off the trail, climb over railings sort of person (within reason), but in Yellowstone, I will not do it. The entire thing is a volcano. However, I do get the urge to do things like this, which is why I read the book, and you should too.

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