How to Plan the Perfect 2 Days in Yellowstone National Park Itinerary
This 2 days in Yellowstone National Park itinerary features the best views of waterfalls, geysers, hot springs and mountains for a short visit.
Planning a short road trip through Yellowstone? This Yellowstone 2 day itinerary will help you make the most of your time in the famous national park.
Known for its abundance of geysers, hot springs, and other hydrothermal features, Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and remains one of the most popular thanks to the 2.2 million acres of stunning scenery.
While you could spend a week or more on the miles of hiking trails and boardwalks weaving through the park, visiting Yellowstone in 2 days is enough time to see the highlights and make you want to return for more.
It’s especially important on a quick visit to make sure you arrive with a game plan to maximize your time. This two days in Yellowstone itinerary and route map includes where to stop, where to hike, and where to stay. For a longer trip, check out this 4 days in Yellowstone itinerary.
Where is the Best Place to Stay in Yellowstone?
When you’re visiting Yellowstone in two days, it makes sense to stay as close to the park as possible to save driving time. If you’re booking several months out and can afford it, there are nine lodges inside the park and the ones in Canyon Village and the Old Faithful area make the most sense for this itinerary. There are also 12 campgrounds, several that you can reserve and a few first come, first served ones.
These are a few other cities and towns near Yellowstone you may consider.
Yellowstone Itinerary 2 Days
This Yellowstone National Park map shows where the top attractions are located. Click the square in the top right corner to open a copy in Google Maps. You can save the map to help plan your 2 days in Yellowstone trip.
Day 1 — Yellowstone Upper Grand Loop Road
This Yellowstone 2 days itinerary starts with the upper part of Grand Loop Road, but you could easily swap the first and second days depending on where you’re coming from.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Entering Yellowstone from the north, one of the first attractions you’ll see is Mammoth Hot Springs. For a short visit, you can drive the Upper Terrace Loop and hop out at the Main Terrace Overlook for a quick view over the steaming landscape. At the lower terrace, boardwalks weave around several different hydrothermal features in shades of white and orange.
The village of Mammoth at the base of the hot springs is home to historic Fort Yellowstone, an Army post from 1886 to 1918. Parking at Mammoth Hot Springs is very crowded, so try to visit this one first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Lamar Valley
The Lamar Valley on the northeast end of Yellowstone is one of the best areas to look for the park’s big five animals — wolves, bears, bison, elk and moose.
Dawn and dusk are the prime times to drive through the valley while the wildlife is most active. There are spots to pull over to safely watch from your car, but also be prepared for the famous “bison jams,” where traffic comes to a standstill for bovine crossing or walking close to the road.
Remember to keep at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife.
Tower Fall
One of the prettiest waterfalls in Yellowstone, Tower Fall drops 132 feet surrounded by pinnacle rocks. This can be a quick stop, as the lookout point is a short walk from parking. Grab some snacks and supplies from the general store here if you need to as shops in Yellowstone are few and far between.
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Dunraven Pass-Mount Washburn Trail
If you have time to squeeze in a hike during your 2 days in Yellowstone, Mount Washburn is a favorite for a moderate workout and panoramic vistas of the park. It’s about a 7 miles round-trip from the Dunraven Pass Trailhead to reach the 10,243-foot peak.
At the top, a fire lookout station does double duty as a scenic overlook with exhibits inside a shelter at the base.
The National Park Service recommends avoiding this area in the fall when grizzlies are very active. Carrying bear spray is advised for all hikes in the park (you can rent it from Canyon Village).
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone River cuts through the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for about 20 miles, dropping two stunning waterfalls visible from overlooks along two roads — South Rim Drive and North Rim Drive.
South Rim Drive is best for a quick glimpse at both cascades. Stop at the Upper Falls Viewpoints to see the 109-foot Upper Falls and the famous Artist Point for one of the best angles of 308-foot Lower Falls.
The one-way North Rim Drive takes a little longer and has more lookouts and trails, including the Brink of the Lower Falls, a hike down to the top of the waterfall, Lookout Point, an easy-to-reach full view of Lower Falls, and Red Rock Points Trail, a steep decline to one of the closest shots of Lower Falls. Grand View Point and Inspiration Point both have sweeping vistas of the colorful canyon walls.
While a morning visit here is ideal for lower crowds and better lighting, with just two days in Yellowstone, you might end up hitting this one during the busier afternoon hours.
Canyon Village
Canyon Village is the perfect rest or lunch stop after a busy morning of sightseeing and hiking. The Visitor Education Center here shows a park film and has exhibits. There is also a restaurant and general store that sells meals to go.
A couple of Yellowstone hotels located in this area would make a great base for this Yellowstone 2 day itinerary if you’re able to get a reservation (they book out months ahead).
Norris Geyser Basin
If you have enough time for one more stop, the Norris Geyser Basin is centrally located and has a couple of walking loops. Home to the oldest, tallest and hottest geyser in the park — the unpredictable Steamboat Geyser — the basin also has boiling springs, steam vents, and smaller acid geysers.
Follow the short Porcelain Basin boardwalk path for wide open views over the landscape, or hop on the 1.5-mile Back Basin trail to see tons of small geysers.
Day 2 — Yellowstone Lower Grand Loop Road
The lower circle of Grand Loop Road is home to some of the best-known destinations in Yellowstone. You’ll have to keep your sightseeing short and snappy to fit everything in, so if you want to hike, you may have to cut something else.
If you’re up before sunrise, start with the Hayden Valley. Otherwise, I’d recommend doing this route in reverse so you hit a couple of the geyser basins before the midday crowds start piling in.
Hayden Valley
Start your day with a dawn drive through the Hayden Valley, one of the top wildlife-watching destinations in the park. Several pullouts and parking areas along the road make it easy to safely stop to look for grizzlies, wolves and bison. Bring a pair of binoculars so you can spot them in the distance.
Yellowstone Lake
The largest lake in the country at an elevation over 7,000 feet, Yellowstone Lake has 141 miles of shoreline. While it averages a frigid 41 degrees, underwater geysers and springs hit temps of up to 252 degrees!
With just 2 days in Yellowstone National Park, you’ll have to cruise by Yellowstone Lake and save the boating and fishing for another trip. For a quick diversion along the water, turn onto Gull Point Drive from Grand Loop Road.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is worth a short stop even on a short 2-day Yellowstone itinerary and has stunning views of Yellowstone Lake. Part of the 0.6-mile walking loop follows the shoreline, where steaming cones and bubbling geysers warm up the water. Some of the most eye-catching features are the Black Pool, a large turquoise hot spring, and the Fishing Cone, a geyser that pops out of the lake.
Old Faithful and Upper Geyser Basin
The Upper Geyser Basin is home to the famous Old Faithful, a 100-foot spout that erupts about every 68 to 94 minutes. Check the current predictions from the NPS here when you arrive so you don’t miss the next eruption.
While you wait, you can walk a half-mile loop of Geyser Hill to see over 50 geysers and springs behind Old Faithful or hike up to Observation Point (1.6 miles round trip) overlooking the landscape.
The Old Faithful area has a ton of amenities, so use this stop to fill up the tank, grab lunch, and use the restroom at a full plumbing facility.
If you have extra time for the Upper Geyser Basin, you can continue following the boardwalks away from the Old Faithful crowds for a couple of miles to the Biscuit Basin area. Or, you can drive here to walk a 0.6-mile path to the Sapphire Pool or a 2.4-mile trail to the 70-foot Mystic Falls.
Midway Geyser Basin
Grand Prismatic Spring is the big draw to the Midway Geyser Basin, a more compact zone with a boardwalk loop around a few turquoise pools. Parking is typically overflowing here around midday, so plan to arrive first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon if possible.
While the boardwalk gets you close to the surface of the famous spring, you’ll actually get a better view by hiking 1.6 miles (round trip) to the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook. To do this, park at the Fairy Falls trailhead south of Grand Prismatic Spring and follow the flat path until you see a sign for the spur trail uphill to the overlook.
Lower Geyser Basin
Covering 18 square miles, the Lower Geyser Basin is the largest one in Yellowstone. There are a few different zones to hit here, depending on how much time you have.
For a quick visit, stop at the Fountain Paint Pots to stroll a short boardwalk by Spasm Geyser and Fountain Geyser, which erupts every few hours. With a little more time, add on Firehole Lake Drive, a 3.5-mile loop that includes Great Fountain Geyser, a 100-foot-tall spout that erupts every 10 to 14 hours, the more frequent but smaller White Dome Geyser, and a pair of steaming lakes.
Yellowstone 2 Day Itinerary Tips
The travel guide below will help you plan your 2 days in Yellowstone. We’ve included handy information about Yellowstone National Park’s seasons and weather, where the closest airports are to Yellowstone, and what you shouldn’t forget to pack for your trip.
Yellowstone National Park Tours
This Yellowstone day trip from Jackson focuses on the lower loop with stops at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Old Faithful, the Hayden Valley, Midway Geyser Basin, and more.
This guided tour of Yellowstone from West Yellowstone includes waterfalls, geysers, wildlife watching and a picnic lunch.
Yellowstone National Park Tickets and Passes
The Yellowstone admission fee is $35 per car and is good for a week. If you plan to also visit neighboring Grand Teton National Park or another couple of parks within a year, you may consider purchasing the annual America the Beautiful Pass. For $80, the membership grants entry to over 2,000 national parks and recreation areas for a year.
Where Do You Fly Into for Yellowstone National Park?
While there are a couple of small regional airports in West Yellowstone and Cody, most people fly into Bozeman, Montana, or Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for Yellowstone National Park.
The Jackson Hole Airport is about 50 miles from Yellowstone’s South Entrance Station and is a great option if you’re visiting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone in one trip. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport has the most nonstop routes and is about 90 miles from the West Entrance Station to Yellowstone.
Where are the Entrances to Yellowstone?
Yellowstone National Park has five different entrances — you may use just one or access several on your trip.
The busiest one is the West Entrance Station in West Yellowstone, Montana, about 90 miles from Bozeman. This end of the park is close to many of the popular geyser basins for sights like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring.
The North Entrance Station in Gardiner, Montana, has the 1903 Roosevelt Arch and is near the park headquarters. It’s also 90 miles from Bozeman and near the Mammoth Hot Springs area in Yellowstone. This is the only entrance open year-round.
The remote Northeast Entrance Station is where you’ll arrive if you drive the scenic Beartooth Highway through the mountains. There’s just a tiny little community near here called Cooke City-Silver Gate, Montana. The town of Red Lodge, Montana, is 2 hours away and Gardiner is about 1.5 hours through the Lamar Valley. I highly recommend driving the Beartooth Highway in or out of Yellowstone if it fits into your road trip.
The closest town to Yellowstone’s South Entrance Station is Jackson, Wyoming, about 60 miles away. This end of the park is close to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone Lake.
Finally, the East Entrance Station is also close to Yellowstone Lake, and about an hour from Cody, Wyoming. This is likely where you’ll enter from if you’re road tripping from South Dakota or Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.
What to Bring to Yellowstone National Park
Your Yellowstone packing list should include comfy outdoorsy outfits with layers for cold mornings, hiking boots or sneakers, a backpack, a reusable water bottle, camping gear, binoculars, and a camera with a good zoom lens for capturing wildlife in the distance. When you arrive, be sure to also pick up bear spray from an outdoors store or rent it from Canyon Village. You can only bring your own if you’re road tripping in as airlines do not allow it in carry-ons or checked bags.
What is the Best Month to Visit Yellowstone National Park?
The primary tourist season in Yellowstone is May through early fall, when hotels and amenities are fully operational. Millions of people head to the national park during the middle of this short window, so crowds and traffic build at popular spots and many accommodations book up early, despite the surge pricing. Summer typically has pleasant weather, averaging in the 70s during the day and cooling off at night.
To avoid the mid-summer rush, try to plan your 2 day Yellowstone itinerary for late spring or early fall instead. Hotel prices tend to start dropping in late September to early October. While daytime temps can still hit the 50s and 60s during this time, you’ll want to keep an eye on the weather for early winter conditions that may close roads. Many businesses also shut their doors for the season sometime in October, but tourist towns like West Yellowstone will still have enough amenities for a fall stay.
Winter in Yellowstone National Park is a whole different experience, with roads only open to snowmobiles and snow coaches (except for one vehicular route from the North to Northeast entrance). While the park is a wintry wonderland, you can join guided tours to watch for wolves and geysers steaming against the snow. Just be prepared for sub-zero conditions!
Please check the NPS website for the latest updates on weather and park closures.
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How Many Days Do You Need to Visit Yellowstone?
You may be wondering, is 2 days enough in Yellowstone? While there is certainly enough to do in the national park to justify a weeklong vacation, if you’re just passing through, you’ll be able to see several highlights on a Yellowstone 2 day itinerary.
With 2.2 million acres and 900-plus miles of hiking trails in Yellowstone, there is a lot of ground to cover at the national park. A Yellowstone in 2 days itinerary like this one will help you squeeze in as many sights as possible along the upper and lower park loops. Even with just a couple of days, you should have time for the Upper, Midway and Lower geyser basins, Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, wildlife watching in the Lamar or Hayden Valley, and a shorter hike or two if you start early.
With 4 days in Yellowstone or longer, consider adding in more hikes, driving the breathtaking Beartooth Highway into the park, or spending some time at Yellowstone Lake.
Yellowstone National Park Guides
These guide books for Yellowstone National Park and other Wyoming destinations will help you prepare for your Yellowstone 2 days itinerary. Click on the photos to shop.
