Yellowstone National Park is a place that everyone needs to visit at least once in their lifetime. Opening in 1872, it is America’s oldest national park and one of the most unique, with millions of visitors a year. I’ve been there four times now, and I still haven’t seen and done everything that there is to do.

Our most recent trip to Yellowstone National Park was the first week of August, 2020. This trip was a little different with some COVID regulations put in place, as well as some closures throughout the park. I’ve written a complete Yellowstone travel guide with everything that you need to know to enjoy your vacation, even during COVID. I’ve also included how the park has changed a bit with COVID, information on closures, and what you need to prepare for if you’re visiting soon to keep your family safe and healthy. I hope you enjoy!

Camping at Yellowstone

First things first. Where to stay? There are some beautiful hotel options in Yellowstone National Park like this one in the summer and this one in the winter, but currently most hotels in Yellowstone are either closed or partially closed due to COVID. (Make sure to checkout the websites for more details on COVID closures) Every time that I have visited Yellowstone, I have camped. Camping in Yellowstone gives you the full national park experience, being right in the thick of it all. Here is a list of the twelve campsites in Yellowstone (2,000 sites) with details about each of them. Book your campsite here early, because they always fill up fast. If you find that all of the campsites are booked for the dates that you are looking for, keep checking back because sites often open up last minute.

Campgrounds Open During COVID

Grant Village –

This is the campsite that we stayed at most recently. The best thing about staying at Grant Village is how close it is to Yellowstone Lake. It would be the perfect place to camp if you’re into fishing, have a boat, or wanted to spend a lot of time near the lake. (It’s not the best lake for swimming though as it is freezing!) The 430 sites at Grant Village are open from June - September, and are $32 a night. The downside of Grant Village is that it is really far from a lot of things in Yellowstone. We spent more time in the car this trip (part of that was because of road closures due to COVID), but with all the driving, we did see more wildlife! This campsite is reservation only.

Canyon Village –

This is a very popular campsite and for good reason. It is conveniently located by Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone where the best waterfall hikes are found. There is a nice village area to stop at nearby with a grocery store and restaurants. This campsite is reservation only and is open from June - September. It costs $32 a night, and there are 273 sites available. I would love to stay at Canyon Village on a future trip to Yellowstone!

Bridge Bay –

This campground would be perfect for anyone who likes to fish or boat because it is located right by Yellowstone Lake. (Similar to Grant Village in that way) Open from June - September, this campsite is reservation only. It costs $27 a night, and there are 432 sites available.

Madison –

I have never stayed at Madison, but we would love to try it out on a future trip. It is really popular and hard to get a spot there so book early! It has a nice location, right in the middle of the park and close to one of the best spots in Yellowstone, The Grand Prismatic Spring, as well as one of my favorites, Firehole Falls. It is open from June - October with 278 sites. This campsite is reservation only and is $27 a night.

Campgrounds Closed During COVID

Norris –

We stayed at this campsite in the summer of 2018 when we visited. The best thing about it was the river right by the campsites. it was really beautiful to see it first thing every morning. Bison often roam nearby. Another great thing about Norris is that it is centrally located, which means less time spent in the car. This is a first come - first served campsite with 111 sites available.

Fishing Bridge –

This campsite is in a heavily populated grizzly bear area so only hard sided RV’s can stay here. This is not a spot where you can sleep in a tent. They also don’t allow camp fires here. This campsite is reservation only, but currently, their 310 sites are closed for the remainder of 2020 for maintenance.

Indian Creek –

If you’re looking for a quieter camping experience, this is your place. Indian Creek campsite gives you breathtaking views of the Gallatin Mountains. This campsite is first come - first served. There are 70 sites available.

Mammoth –

This campground is the only camping area in Yellowstone that is open year-round. It is near the park headquarters, close to many gift shops and restaurants. It is also close to the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces, which are a must-see when visiting Yellowstone. It’s a first come - first served campsite with 85 sites available.

Lewis Lake-

Being the farthest south campground in the entire park, it makes it very far away from anything that you’d want to see while you’re visiting. It is small with only 84 sites available. However, if you’re looking for a slow and quiet camping experience without much traveling, this could be a good fit for you. It is also nearby the small but beautiful, Lewis Lake. This is a first come - first served campsite.

Pebble Creek –

This is a small and more isolated camping experience with only 27 sites available. It is located in the Lamar Valley, making for lots of wildlife sightings, especially bison. This is a first come - first served campsite.

Tower Fall –

This campsite is located near the Lamar Valley and many of the gorgeous waterfall hikes that Yellowstone offers. Unfortunately, it is closed for all of 2020. This is a first come - first served campsite with 31 sites available.

Slough Creek –

This campsite is located in the Lamar Valley, one of the most beautiful places in Yellowstone. You are likely to see wildlife in this area, like bison and wolves. It is tiny with only 16 sites. This is a first come - first served campsite.

Getting Around Yellowstone National Park

Bring Your Own Vehicle

Having your own vehicle to get around in Yellowstone National Park is a must. Because the park is so large, you will be spending a good amount of time driving from one site to the next. The drive isn’t so bad though because that is often when you see wildlife roaming near the streets. If you’re coming to Yellowstone in an RV, I’d recommend towing a vehicle behind you if possible. With the amount of driving you’ll be doing, you’ll want something smaller to drive around. Also, some areas of the park don’t allow RV’s to park in the parking lots.

Yellowstone Yellow Bus Tours

When we visited Yellowstone in the summer of 2018, we took a yellow bus tour one afternoon and had a blast! From May to October, they offer group and private tours around different areas of the park. They depart from Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Lake Hotel. You can buy your tickets online or check out one of these spots for last minute tickets. We booked ours last minute and were able to get on one within the hour. The bus tours go different places depending on your preference, offering trips to see geysers, wildlife, and hot pots. Sadly, all of the group and private bus, car, and van tours are currently closed at Yellowstone National Park due to COVID, until further notice. For more information and to book your tickets, click here.

Yellowstone Lake

As I stated above, the best part about camping at Grant Village campground was the close proximity that it was to Yellowstone Lake. We could walk there in 1-minute directly from our campsite. The thing that was the most surprising about this lake was how cold it was. I thought I was used to cold lakes being from Northern Idaho, but this was the coldest lake that I have ever felt, and I visited in August! It felt like ice water, and it hurt my feet to be in it for too long. Despite being cold, it was a gorgeous lake. It is huge! I loved spending time by the lake and just taking in the scenery. Jimmy loved throwing rocks into the water and seeing them make a big splash.

Fishing on Yellowstone Lake

Bridge Bay Marina

Jimmy brought his PJ Masks fishing pole to Yellowstone and was determined to go fishing this trip and catch a fish. We got the proper fishing licenses needed, (Jimmy didn’t need one, only for 16 and up) and bought some fishing lures. A 3-day fishing license costs $18, 7-day costs $25, and a full season license costs $40. Yellowstone is a bait-free fishing park, so you’ll need a fishing lure when you fish, and the hook needs to be bare. More info about fishing rules in Yellowstone, click here.

We rented a fishing boat from Bridge Bay Marina. A boat was available within the hour, so we waited around the marina until it was ready. They do first come-first served only for rentals, however, if you’re wanting a private guided fishing tour, you need to make a reservation. There is a Yellowstone General Store nearby the dock with souvenirs and snacks. While we waited for our boat, we checked out the store and bought a huckleberry chocolate bar to enjoy. When our boat was ready, we got on our life jackets and headed out. It ended up being a really fun outing and a beautiful one too. We weren’t too lucky with the fishing however, only catching one fish in two hours with three poles. We went in the afternoon, which I know isn’t the best time for fishing. . . but we had fun nonetheless! Check out the link here for more info on renting a fishing boat.

Yellowstone Hydrothermal Features

Yellowstone has a giant collection of hydrothermal features. There are hot pots, hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles, 10,000 hydrothermal features in total for visitors to see! Each one is unique, making Yellowstone hold its excitement because you can never see it all.

This last trip, my favorite thermal area was near Grant Village campground where we were staying – West Thumb Geyser Basin. When we arrived, we saw a mama elk and her baby roaming around the hot pots. It made a beautiful place even more stunning with the added natural wildlife. The “Black Pool” here was my favorite part of this area. It looked like a gorgeous and inviting large turquoise hot tub that you could just jump right into. Too bad that isn’t the case. Yellowstone Lake is right next to West Thumb Geyser Basin. I found it fascinating that to my right were boiling thermal pools and to my left was a freezing cold lake. Two completely contrasting bodies of water within just feet of each other. This area was interesting too because of the cones of thermal water found bubbling inside of the lake, one of which is called, Fishing Cone. Fisherman used to catch fish and throw it into the cone of boiling water to cook it. Others attempted to cook fish by hanging them over the cone. Cooking fish over this natural thermal cone was a Yellowstone tradition for years, but it is no longer allowed after a fisherman was badly burned in 1921. More info about West Thumb Geyser Basin here.

The Mud Volcano area was really interesting, right near the Hayden Valley. It’s an area of steaming muddy hot springs located near a volcano vent. It’s said that when Mud Volcano was first found, it was rapidly erupting, throwing large amounts of mud up into the air. We enjoyed walking along the boardwalk path in this area and exploring all of the thermal features including Sour Lake, Dragon’s Mouth Spring, and Sulphur Caldron. More info about this area of the park here.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Another must-hit thermal spot in the park – The Grand Prismatic Spring. Wow. I mean, look at those colors. The water is bright turquoise and around it you’ll see rings of orange, yellow, and green. The Grand Prismatic Spring is located at Midway Geyser Basin and is the largest hot spring at Yellowstone National Park, measuring in at 150-feet deep. The Midway Geyser Basin area also has three other hydrothermal features to see, including the Excelsior Geyser, the Turquoise Pool, and the Opal Pool. This area is very popular, so get there early or go late to avoid the largest crowds.

Mammoth Hot Springs

We visited Mammoth in 2018, and I’d highly recommend checking it out. The name is kind of misleading in my opinion, as it is not a typical hot springs area that you can swim in. No swimming here, unless you want to get burned by thermal water! Nevertheless, this area of Yellowstone is really unique and fun to checkout. Here, you’ll visit a mapped out boardwalk of two different trails, upper and lower, and take a nice walk among the 50 natural hot springs. Many have described this area as an inside out cave because of how it looks. The colors are unique, and I’d say it’s one of the coolest thermal areas of the park. More info here.

What to Eat and Buy at Mammoth?

The “town” area here is alway busy and full of energy. There is a lot going on with gift shops, restaurants, and gas stations. If you have a sweet tooth like me, check out their hand-scooped ice cream options. Go to Mammoth General Store or Terrace Grill (across the street from each other). It isn’t the best ice cream in the world, but it hits the spot, especially on a hot summer day in the park. And, the scoops are huge!

Also in Mammoth General Store, checkout their gift shop. I am a sucker for unique earrings. I found some really fun earrings made out of naturally shed moose antlers, called, “Antler Art.” They are hand painted and come in all sorts of colors and designs. It was hard to choose, because I loved them all. They ranged from $40 - $48 and would be the perfect gift to bring home to a loved one. Jimmy bought a deer stuffed animal here too that is currently his new best friend.

Cell Phone Service

Also, something that is definitely noteworthy, there is cell phone service in this area of Yellowstone! Generally, the service in Yellowstone is horrible throughout the whole park. No Google Maps, which is the worst part for me when driving and trying to figure out where to go. It can be tough at times, and I had to rely on the actual physical map that the park gave me upon arrival to get around. Back to the good old fashioned days! When we arrived at Mammoth, my phone blew up with emails and texts, and I was, although a bit embarrassing to admit, so excited about it. It’s nice to disconnect from it all some times, but it’s also nice to connect too.

Yellowstone Geysers

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is the most popular and well known geyser at Yellowstone National Park. Because it’s a must-see for everyone at the park, it is always very crowded. This can be tricky with COVID and social distancing. We tried our best to stay towards the side of the viewing platform to be around less people and wore our masks to stay safe. Whatever you need to do, make sure you see Old Faithful erupt before you leave Yellowstone. This geyser shoots high into the air, 90 to 184 ft. up. It is very predictable, going off every couple of hours or so, making it perfect for visitors to plan around. Check inside of the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center or in the lodges for the daily schedule of times. More info here.

Upper Geyser Basin

If you’re wanting to see more geysers in this area, take a walk around Upper Geyser Basin. It is the most densely concentrated geyser region in the world. You’ll see so many different geysers in this area including Dome Geyser, Castle Geyser, and Grand Geyser. The entire Upper Geyser Basin is about 5 miles long, but if that’s too much for you, don't do the whole thing. You can turn around at any time. Just make sure you stay on the designated boardwalk paths. Haven’t seen enough geysers? Keep going north, and go checkout Black Sand Basin and Biscuit Basin. You can drive there and park, or just continue walking from Upper Geyser Basin and you will hit them eventually.

What to Buy at Old Faithful?

My favorite gift shop is near here in the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria building. They have some of the most unique and fun gifts and souvenirs that I’ve seen around the park. Be prepared to wait in line and wear a mask inside of all Yellowstone gift shops. Because of COVID, they are only allowing a small number of guests to enter at a time. I bought a really cute trucker hat here that I didn’t see at any other gift shops. They have a large variety of children’s educational books and toys that are Yellowstone related, as well as some gorgeous handmade local pottery.

Waterfall Hikes Around the Canyon

Yellowstone is known for its waterfalls. Nothing is better in my opinion than going on a long hike and having the reward of a gorgeous waterfall at the end to greet you. It’s like your prize for making it all the way and not giving up. I’ve always loved waterfalls and their grandeur. They make me realize the power of nature and how small I am in comparison. The map below helps to sort out the different waterfall hikes, view points, as well as North Rim vs. South Rim, so that you can plan your trip accordingly.

North Rim

When we visited in 2018, we hiked along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone the entire time, not venturing over to the South Rim. The North Rim tends to be a bit busier than the South Rim, but both are equally gorgeous for hiking and waterfall viewpoints. We particularly enjoyed the hike along the Brink of the Lower Falls. It’s a moderately strenuous hike down to the waterfall, no paved trails, but just naturally made dirt trails. When you get to the bottom, you are literally right next to the waterfall. We were so close that I could feel the mist from the water hitting my face. It gave me a little bit of vertigo looking down at the waterfall rushing by. Seeing it that close made me realize just how big it really was and how steep the incline is of the water falling down into the Yellowstone River. Wow! Unfortunately, this year due to COVID, the Brink of the Lower Falls is closed, due to close quarters with others on the viewing platform.

After we finished hiking the Brink of the Lower Falls, we hiked down to Red Rock Point to see the Lower Falls from a different viewpoint a little further away. This hike was equally gorgeous and rewarding. We got some great pictures of the waterfall and some good exercise in. (If you zoom in, you can see the people from the Brink of the Lower Falls standing on the platform to the right of the waterfall, the place where we were just at!) This hike is currently open during COVID.

South Rim

This year when visiting Yellowstone, we conquered the other side of the canyon, the South Rim. It was our first time exploring this side, and we loved it. First, we did the Upper Falls Viewpoint which was a short little paved walk with a great view. It was even smooth enough to push a stroller or wheelchair down if needed. The Upper Falls waterfall is as large and grand as the Lower Falls waterfall. Then, we headed East and did the South Rim Trail near Artist’s Point. It was a fairly moderate hike, nothing too strenuous. Even Jimmy our 4-year-old was able to participate, with some hand holding at times. We enjoyed the different view points along the way, each a little different than the last. Uncle Tom’s Trail along this rim is currently closed due to COVID until further notice. More info about hiking the North Rim and South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone here.

Firehole Falls

This year was my first time visiting Firehole Falls, and now I’d say it is one of my favorite areas of Yellowstone. The waterfall is gorgeous, not massive like Upper Falls and Lower Falls, but still incredibly beautiful. We decided to hike down to the river, creating our own trail, not anything that was marked. It was quite the adventure. When we got to the bottom, we were so surprised to find a bunch of wild raspberry bushes. They were delicious and were the perfect snack for our hungry 4-year-old, Jimmy. We played around down in this area for a bit and climbed the rocks in the river to take pictures. We got some great shots and had a fun time.

Later, we drove up the road a bit and found that the Firehole Falls swimming area was actually closed due to COVID. We were so bummed! We continued to drive a bit up the river and discovered an area up from Firehole Falls that wasn’t closed. We grabbed our swimsuits and headed in. The thing that was the most surprising was how warm the water was! I was expecting it to be freezing, but it was actually warmer than typical lake water. Funny that the standing water in Yellowstone Lake was colder than the moving water at Firehole Falls. This is because there are thermal areas in this river that shoot out boiling water and it mixes with the cold river water, creating the perfect water temperature for swimming. To me, these kinds of things are what make Yellowstone magical.

Boiling River

I know I’ve said it before, but this is one of my favorite areas of the park. The Boiling River, technically known as Gardner River, is what its name hints because some parts of the river are boiling hot. Since Yellowstone is located on a volcano, there are thermal areas that shoot hot water into this cold river, making it really nice and warm to sit in. It’s the strangest feeling sitting in the Boiling River. One part of your body will be really cold and another part will be really hot at exactly the same time. I had to shift my body around at times because it was either too hot or too cold for me to stand. The contrasting water temperatures make for a weird sensory experience. We loved our time here. I felt like I was visiting a natural spa with “jets” all around me shooting on my back and massaging my legs. Unfortunately, this area is currently closed due to COVID since it is very popular. It would be impossible here to social distance since it is typically very crowded in the summer months. More info about the Boiling River here.

Yellowstone Wildlife

One of my favorite things about visiting Yellowstone is seeing all of the wildlife. I love seeing animals in their natural habitats and getting up close and personal but not too close! In Yellowstone National Park you are likely to see bison, moose, elk, deer, antelope, wolves, eagles, and if you’re lucky (or unlucky) grizzly and black bears. Make sure to buy bear spray! There are two places that are famous for seeing the most wildlife – Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley.

Lamar Valley

This past trip was my first time visiting the Lamar Valley and wow! It was beautiful and huge! We left really early one morning, around 7 AM, from our campsite at Grant Village and drove all the way there. We heard that the animals would be out and active during the early hours, so we thought it would be worth losing a little sleep in hopes to see them. We saw the largest group of bison once we arrived, more than we had seen anywhere else in the park, groups of over 100. It is such a beautiful sight when you see a herd of bison in the middle of the most stunning scenery of rolling hills and blue skies. The beauty here is hard to beat. We also saw three antelope, a wolf, and an eagle sitting in its nest. Apparently, the Lamar Valley has been a wolf watching mecca since 1995. More info here.

With that being said, with road closures due to COVID, we ended up being in the car for about 6 hours that day, which I wouldn’t recommend. We were so tired of driving by the end of the day, and we regretted it. Next time, I want to focus on the areas of Yellowstone that are near our campsite and enjoy the close things as much as possible instead of trying to see everything in the park including the far away areas. All of that driving was just not worth it. Yellowstone is so large, so it’s impossible to see it all in one trip, and if you try to, you just end up grouchy and car sick by the end of the day. Lesson learned. If you really want to see Lamar Valley, maybe consider camping at Slough Creek or Pebble Creek. Both of these campsites are located inside of Lamar Valley. Canyon Village campground would be a great choice too since it is really close. It isn’t in the valley but just a short drive away. My take away – camp near the park sites that you are interested in visiting most.

Hayden Valley

The other area where you see lots of wildlife in Yellowstone is Hayden Valley. Hayden Valley is much smaller than the Lamar Valley and not as grand. But with that being said, it is still very beautiful. We saw lots of bison here too but smaller herds. The plus side to going to Hayden Valley is that it is much closer to all things in Yellowstone compared to Lamar Valley. But because it is much closer, it is also much more crowded. You’ll see large amounts of cars pulled over taking pictures of bison and other findings. Sometimes, it can be so crowded that the traffic isn’t even moving, and you get stuck in one spot for a while. (This didn’t happen to us this last trip but did on previous trips. I think the park overall is less crowded this year because of COVID) It’s a beautiful place though and worth visiting. You never know what you might see! More info about Hayden Valley here.

Yellowstone Picnic Areas

Practically everyday for lunch while visiting Yellowstone National Park, we would have a picnic. Typically we ate breakfast at our campsite, had a picnic for lunch, and then ate dinner back at the campsite again. Since everything is so spread out in Yellowstone, it didn’t make sense for us to drive back to camp to eat lunch, so we packed everything beforehand in coolers and threw it in the back of our car.

A great thing about Yellowstone National Park is the designated picnic areas that are mapped out for guests. They have spots specifically made for picnics that are in gorgeous little hidden areas of the park that you typically wouldn’t visit. There are picnic signs that you’ll see when driving and also picnic markings on the Yellowstone map that you’ll see along your route. These picnic areas were inviting, clean, and made the perfect setting for an afternoon lunch break.

My favorite picnic area that we visited was near Lava Creek, in between Undine Falls and Wraith Falls. There is a creek (hence the name) running through the picnic area with fallen logs laying across the water. The logs made natural balance beams, so we could easily cross over the creek and play around on the other side. There was a family of Uinta Ground Squirrels near the picnic tables that kept us entertained. They were running around, going in and out of their different holes in the ground, exiting and entering rather quickly. They were really fun to watch while we ate our ham and cheese sandwiches and BBQ chips. More info about picnicking in Yellowstone here.

I hope you enjoyed this Yellowstone travel guide! Yellowstone is a gem of the United States that everyone needs to experience. It really is unlike any other place in the world. Let me know if you have any questions, and I’d love to help out with your travel plans. Just leave me a comment below or contact me on my Instagram page.