Yellowstone is one of the largest parks in the United States. If you want to see more than a fleeting part of this park, you’ll need two or more days to explore. Be aware that this is one of the most popular parks, which means that it is crowded. Some of the parking lots have lines of cars waiting for someone to pull out and many cars park along the side of the roads. Be prepared to walk.
One of the first attractions that we stopped at was Old Faithful. It was the closest stop from the South entrance. The parking lot for this attraction is very large so it’s quick and easy to get in and out of. There are also stores and places to eat at this stop. Also, there are many guisers here beside Old Faithful.
There is a large seating area where one could sit and wait for the eruption of boiling sulfur water. A sign tells when the next predicted eruption will occur, plus or minus ten minutes. We waited for about fifteen minutes (we were a few minutes early). There were multiple false starts where a little eruption of water occurs, but eventually, it starts spraying water high into the sky and maintains the burst for several minutes.
After watching Old Faithful, there is a boardwalk that goes around other hot springs and guisers that are rather interesting. There is also a heavily traveled trail that climbs 200 feet elevation to a lookout.
When we returned the second day, we stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring area. The Prismatic spring is difficult to see from the boardwalk. You’re just too close to it. There is a trail that has a lookout. The parking area is South of the viewing area and the walk is easy.
Gibbons fall has a nice parking area and a large lookout patio. There are several angles to get photos of this waterfall.
The main waterfall attraction is on the Yellowstone River. Known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. There are two falls. The upper falls are smaller and the lower falls are very tall. There are numerous trails and lookouts to get views of both falls from above and from down the river at a distance.
The park information warns of animal life and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see buffalo. There are deer and elk as well. The buffalo were walking down the road when we were there and gave us an opportunity to get a really good photo:
Some deer walked onto a path near the upper falls parking lot. Michelle jumped out with the camera and got these excellent photos:
