Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park was established on 1 March 1872 as the world's first national park. It covers about 3,472 square miles of high volcanic plateau in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with slivers in Montana and Idaho. It holds more than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including more than half the world's geysers, and herds of bison and elk that share the valleys with grizzlies and wolves.

In 2025 Yellowstone had 4,762,988 recreation visits, its second busiest year after 2021, and July alone had 975,109. The facts below come from the park's own pages, read on 26 October 2026. Our guides to where to stay in Yellowstone and the best time to visit Yellowstone go deeper.

Which geyser basins, canyons and valleys are worth the drive?

Yellowstone's sights sit in clusters along one road, so most visitors plan the days around five areas.

• Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin: at least 150 hydrothermal features in one square mile. Old Faithful erupts about every 102 minutes, give or take 10, to an average of 130 feet. The visitor centre posts the next eruption time while it is open. Nearby Biscuit Basin has been closed until further notice since 23 July 2024, and our guide to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin covers the basin in detail.
• Grand Prismatic Spring: the world's largest hot spring, more than 120 feet deep, in the Midway Geyser Basin. The overlook trail starts at the Fairy Falls Trailhead, a mile south, and is 1.2 miles there and back; parking at both is very limited.
• Norris Geyser Basin: the hottest, oldest and most changeable thermal area, home to Steamboat, the world's tallest geyser at 300 to 400 feet in a major eruption.
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: a canyon more than 1,000 feet deep, with the 308-foot Lower Falls seen from Artist Point, Lookout Point and the North and South Rim drives.
• Mammoth Hot Springs: travertine terraces that change shape within days, with elk living around the old army post all year.

Two open valleys hold most of the big animals. Hayden Valley, a marshy valley in the middle of the park, has bison, elk and grizzlies. Lamar Valley, in the northeast, has been the place to watch wolves since they were brought back in 1995.

How long does it take to drive around Yellowstone?

Driving around Yellowstone takes far longer than the map suggests, because the speed limit is 45 mph and animals stop traffic. The Grand Loop Road, about 140 miles, is shaped like a figure eight, with five roads leading out to the entrances.

The first row adds two of the Park Service's junction times together. It warns that all of them may be much longer with wildlife, weather or roadworks. Plan one area per half day rather than the whole loop in one.

Which Yellowstone entrance should you use?

Yellowstone's five entrances each lead to a different part of the park, and the right one depends on where you sleep and which way you drive on.

Three of the five entrances open from Montana. Our guide to Montana covers those gateway towns, the airports at Bozeman and Billings, and the 400-mile drive on to Glacier.

The road from Gardiner to Mammoth has run on a temporary route, the gravel Old Gardiner Road, since October 2022, after the flood of that June destroyed the canyon road. The Park Service chose the line of a permanent road in September 2026.

What does Yellowstone cost a visitor from abroad?

Yellowstone costs $35 a car for seven days, $30 a motorcycle and $20 a person on foot or bicycle. Under-16s enter free. Since 1 January 2026 it is also one of 11 parks that charge non-residents aged 16 or over a $100 surcharge each, on top of the entrance fee.

The surcharge does not apply to anyone entering on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Two adults from abroad in one car pay $235 a week without one, and the non-resident America the Beautiful pass costs $250. That pass also covers Grand Teton, which charges a separate $235. Our guide to national park fees for international visitors has the rules.

When are Yellowstone's roads open to cars?

Yellowstone's roads open to cars in stages from mid-April and close on 1 November, except one. In 2026, 31 October was the last day to drive most roads and the West, South and East entrances.

• All year: the road from the North Entrance at Gardiner through Mammoth, Tower Junction and Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance, weather permitting.
• From mid-April: in 2026, West Entrance to Old Faithful, Norris and Canyon opened on 17 April.
• By late May: the Park Service says all roads typically open by Memorial Day weekend. The 2026 openings ran on 1 May, 8 May and 22 May for the last pass, Dunraven.
• Winter: from 15 December 2026 to mid-March 2027 the interior is open only to guided snowcoach and snowmobile tours.

Between 1 November and 15 December, and again from mid-March to mid-April, the interior is closed to cars and snow vehicles alike. The 2027 opening dates were not yet published on 26 October 2026.

How close can you get to bison, bears and the elk at Mammoth?

Yellowstone's rule is at least 25 yards from bison, elk and all other animals, and at least 100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars. The Park Service says bison have injured more people here than any other animal. At Mammoth, elk have chased, trapped and injured visitors.

When animals block the road, stay with the car and pull over only with all four wheels off the tarmac. Carry bear spray on any trail, one can a person, in a holster you can reach. It cannot go on a plane, so buy it in the park's shops or rent it in season, which at Old Faithful means the rental yurt open from 23 May to 3 October in 2026.

Why do the boardwalks over the geyser basins matter?

Yellowstone's boardwalks keep visitors off thin crust over boiling water, and the Park Service says more than 20 people have died from burns after entering or falling into its hot springs. Always walk on the boardwalks and marked trails in the thermal areas.

Pets are not allowed on boardwalks or in thermal areas. Swimming or bathing in water that comes entirely from a hot spring is illegal.

Is there phone signal and fuel along the Grand Loop Road?

Phone signal inside Yellowstone is extremely limited, in the Park Service's words. Masts at Mammoth, Old Faithful, Grant Village, Lake Village, Mount Washburn and West Yellowstone cover most developed areas. Expect none along most roads, so download maps before you leave the gateway town.

Fuel is easier. There are stations at Canyon Village, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, Mammoth, Old Faithful and Tower Junction, and every one has 24-hour card pumps all year. There are no public electric car chargers in the park; Gardiner and West Yellowstone have them.

Our Wyoming guide covers the airports, and the Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip joins the two parks into one route.