What Are The Main Yellowstone National Park Attractions?

Your plan is doable but that isn't very much time to see a very large park. I recommend you spend 2.5 days there if possible. Following is a suggested itinerary for your visit. I'll list the points of interest that you may or may not want to see. Go to this web page and download the park maps so you can get your bearings.

http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/carto-de...

On day 1, see the following:

1. Lamar Valley - possibly the best place for wildlife viewing.

2. Tower Falls - one of the taller falls in the park.

3. Petrified Tree - nothing to compare with Petrified Forest NP but interesting if you haven't seen a petrified tree before.

4. Blacktail Plateau Drive - if you didn't get enough of the wildlife in the Lamar Valley.

5. Blacktail Ponds - more wildlife.

6. Wraith Falls

7. Undine Falls

8. Mammoth Hot Springs - upper and lower terraces, allow 1 hour minimum.

9. Sheepeater Cliff - similar to Devil's Postpile National Monument in California.

10. Obsidian Cliff - mountain of black glass.

11. Roaring Mountain - a look at geology / volcanism.

12. Norris Geyser Basin - major thermal area, allow 1 to 2 hours minimum.

13. Madison River - more wildlife.

You will pass Gibbon Falls while driving from Norris to Madison. Unfortunately, you'll be going south and all the parking is on the northbound side. If traffic permits, try to get into one of those parking stalls because they're the only place you can pull over to see the falls. You can wait until the following morning to stop here because you'll pass it again on the way to Canyon Village and Yellowstone Falls. However, the view is better in the afternoon because of the lighting. If you can't get into a stall safely don't try it. Safety first.

If you get to West Yellowstone early, check to see what time the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center closes. When you exit the park in West Yellowstone, turn left onto South Canyon St and go 1 block south. You'll see it. If you have at least 30 minutes, go in and see the grizzlies and wolves close up. This might be your only chance to see a grizzly and grey wolf. You can spend the rest of the day checking out the many shops in West Yellowstone.

On day 2, see the following:

1. Gibbon Falls - if you didn't already see it.

2. Virginia Cascade

3. Canyon Village Visitor Center

4. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - From the visitor center, continue west and south on the one-way drive stopping at Inspiration Point, Grand View Point and Lookout Point. You will pass the upper viewing area for Lower Yellowstone Fall but the hike has a substantial elevation change. Go down if the 8,000 ft altitude isn't bothering you to see a rather unique view of the brink of the fall. You can stop at the upper viewing area of the Upper Yellowstone Fall for a similar view of the upper fall.

5. Uncle Tom's Trail - a trail that leads to a viewing platform offering an excellent view of Lower Yellowstone Fall. The trials descends 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the canyon by means of a metal stairway with 328 steps. Again, if the altitude isn't bothering you by all means go down.

6. Artist Point

7. Mud Volcano

8. Lake Village - if you want to see the historic Lake Lodge on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

9. Bridge Bay - stop at the marina for a boat tour of Yellowstone Lake. In the spring and early summer, the water is very cold making this a very cold boat ride. Carry your jackets.

10. West Thumb Geyser Basin

11. Grand Teton National Park - from West Thumb, continue south and exit the south entrance to enter Grand Teton National Park. Stop at Colter Bay Visitor Center, Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain and Jenny Lake.

Return to West Yellowstone via Yellowstone National Park.

On day 3, see the following:

1. Upper Geyser Basin - walk the 3 mile path around the entire geyser basin bookended by what I consider to be the two must see features - Old Faithful and Morning Glory Pool.

2. Black Sand Basin

3. Biscuit Basin

4. Midway Geyser Basin - must see Grand Prismatic Spring.

5. Firehole Lake Drive

6. Lower Geyser Basin - Fountain Paint Pot.

7. Firehole Canyon Drive - Firehole Falls.

Your drive to Helena from the end of Firehole Canyon Drive is 3 hours via West Yellowstone and Belgrade (near Bozeman). Take 90 west and 287/12 north to Helena. Faster than going to Butte and taking 15 north to Helena. If you haven't seen the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center this would be a good time to do it. Allow 30 - 60 minutes.

Yellowstone is a great introduction to our national park system but you'll have your hands full seeing all the sights. There won't be much time if any for active things to do like hiking. If you don't mind cutting some of the sightseeing out to make time for something more active I suggest you look into Montana Whitewater - http://www.montanawhitewater.com/ They offer half day and full day raft trips on the Gallatin River of varying difficulties. They also offer a Paddle & Saddle trip with a half day horseback ride into the Spanish Mountains and a half day whitewater raft trip on the Gallatin. I did the Paddle & Saddle in 2008. The horseback ride can be fun if you don't get to ride horses very often. Otherwise skip it and go for the whitewater rafting. I highly recommend the Classic Half Day with class II - IV rapids; especially during the late spring and early summer when water levels are higher. Rafting the "mad mile" near the end of the run is an experience that you'll remember for a long time. I don't believe they allow kids younger than 12 to raft the "mad mile" during high water and will pull their rafts just before the start of this stretch of river.

If you want to do the rafting but not sacrifice your sightseeing in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, do the half day raft trip before going to Helena or spend a night in Bozeman. By the way did you know that the Museum of the Rockies is located on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman - http://www.museumoftherockies.org/ The Museum of the Rockies is home to a world famous collection of dinosaur fossils and paleontology program.

While we're talking about must see places, I consider Glacier National Park in northern Montana to be one of if not the most beautiful national park in the U.S. national park system. If you enjoy hiking you must experience Glacier National Park. It is drop dead gorgeous. You should also be aware that bear spray is highly advisable when hiking in Glacier because you're in grizzly country.

Whatever you decide to do I'm sure you'll have a great time with your family. Enjoy!

There is so much to see in these areas, that you will have to pick and choose only a few to really be able to enjoy the wonders that they have to offer. I hope these links and short descriptions will be helpful in making your choices of places to visit.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/nmammoth.htm

Mammoth Hot Springs are the main attraction of the Mammoth District. The North Entrance Road from Gardiner, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, runs along the Gardner River. Watch for wildlife in season: eagles, osprey, dippers, and kingfishers along the river and bighorn sheep in the steeper parts of the canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/nnorris.htm

Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest, oldest, and most dynamic of Yellowstone's thermal areas. The basin consists of three areas: Porcelain Basin, Back Basin, and One Hundred Springs Plain. Porcelain Basin is barren of trees and provides a sensory experience in sound, color, and smell; a 3/4 mile dirt and boardwalk trail accesses this area. Back Basin is more heavily wooded with features scattered throughout the area; a 1.5 mile trail of boardwalk and dirt encircles this part of the basin. One Hundred Springs Plain is an off-trail section of the Norris Geyser Basin that is very acidic, hollow, and dangerous. Travel is discouraged without the guidance of knowledgeable staff members.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/ncanyon.htm

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the primary geologic feature in the Canyon District. The Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone can be seen from the Brink of the Upper Falls Trail and from Uncle Tom's Trail. And Hayden Valley is one of the best places in the park to view a wide variety of wildlife. It is an excellent place to look for grizzly bears, particularly in the spring and early summer when they may be preying upon newborn bison and elk calves. Large herds of bison may be viewed in the spring, early summer, and during the fall rut, which usually begins late July to early August. Coyotes can almost always be seen in the valley.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/noldfaith.ht...

The Upper Geyser Basin:

Within one square mile there are at least 150 geysers. Of this remarkable number, only five major geysers are predicted regularly by the naturalist staff. They are Castle, Grand, Daisy, Riverside, and Old Faithful.

Lower Geyser Basin:

This large area of hydrothermal activity can be viewed by foot along the boardwalk trail at Fountain Paint Pots and by car along the three mile Firehole Lake Drive. The latter is a one-way drive where you will find the sixth geyser predicted by the Old Faithful staff: Great Fountain.

Midway Geyser Basin:

In this basin is Yellowstone's largest hot springs, Grand Prismatic Spring. This feature is 370 feet in diameter and more than 121 feet in depth.

Lone Star Geyser Basin and Shoshone Geyser Basin:

Both of these basins are accessible only by hiking in.