Two Day Yellowstone Itinerary for First Time Visitors

Planning The Ideal Yellowstone Itinerary for First Time Visitors

Knowing what to include in your 2 Day Yellowstone itinerary on your first visit to the national park can be a challenge, but planning a Yellowstone vacation doesn’t have to be overwhelming or overcomplicated.

There are so many things to see on a Yellowstone vacation, but if you go without any planning, you’re sure to waste time and miss out on seeing things you really want to see.

Basically, I’m going to help you to not be me.

I visited Yellowstone as a solo female traveler and I admittedly did little to no planning. I read a few articles in the days before and added the sights I thought I wanted to see into my app.

Hey, what can I say? I’m a wing it kind of traveler.

And since it was just me, I didn’t have to meet anyone’s expectations but my own. I had an amazing time as a solo visitor in Yellowstone and my only regret is that I didn’t have more time to spend.

However, I definitely learned from some rookie mistakes and I admit that had I been a little more diligent in my planning, I could have seen more than I did.

Can you see Yellowstone in two days?
With a great strategy and plenty of gas in the tank, yes you can.

Lucky for you, you can learn from my mistakes and put together the perfect Yellowstone itinerary for your Yellowstone vacation if you only have 2 or 3 days to spend in the park.

Helpful Apps To Download When Planning a Trip to Yellowstone

Wifi and limited cell service may be available in the campground/lodge areas of the national park. You will want to download these apps well in advance of your arrival to the park when you have a strong signal.

1. Yellowstone National Park app (FREE) –
   This is the official app from NPS. It will give you downloadable maps of the park, help you plot the attractions you want to see, and provide geyser prediction times. This was key to plotting my routes for each day.
   
2. Maps.me (FREE) –
   The GPS functionality will work offline. This app was clutch for me. If you prefer to have turn by turn directions then this app will work well for you. I navigated the park like a pro by inputting the next stop on my itinerary and letting the app do the work.
   
3. Justahead –
   This is another GPS map that has downloadable packages to receive a guided tour of the park. When you approach an attraction it will narrate more information for you.
   
4. Star Walk –
   With such big clear skies and no city lights, it’s a great chance to do some stargazing. This app is a great way to help you identify the many constellations you can see, planets, and satellites.
   

Maximizing Your Time With 2 Days In Yellowstone

My 2 Day Yellowstone Itinerary: Day 1

This assumes you will arrive into the park no later than 8am

• Arrival through park gate
  $35 entrance fee cash and credit
• Mammoth Hot Springs
  There’s an upper and lower terrace boardwalk. Elk like to frequent this area
• Canary Spring (Top View)
  Really neat landscape. Get a unique vantage point of Canary Spring from a lookout point on your way up from Mammoth Springs to the Canary Spring Top View boardwalk over.
• Boiling River Swim
  I missed my turn for this attraction and ran out of time to drive back up and find it again. This is still on my list of things to do to soak in the warm waters of this river.
• Norris Basin Geyser (Steamboat Geyser, world’s biggest geyser is here)
• Check in at Canyon Village Campground
• Hayden Valley Wildlife Viewing
  Great place to see bison roam and play.
• Mud Volcano
• Yellowstone Lake Scenic Boat Ride – Bridge Bay Marina ($18)
  Takes about an hour. Gives great views of lake and lots of park history and facts.
• Lunch at Yellowstone Lake Hotel
• West Thumb Geyser Basin
• Lewis Falls
• Moose Falls
• Dinner at campground restaurant or your campsite if you packed in food.

Instead of the last 3 items on my itinerary, I ditched them and decided I would go down to Grand Teton National Park.

I was overly ambitious for sure. It was about an hour and a half from the campground to get to Grand Teton.

The views really were unbelievably beautiful, but in hindsight I think it was a mistake to cram it in. The Grand Tetons need a full day or 2 of its own.

OD Protip: Get an early start because the crowds are in full force by 10am. Pack your patience.

My 2 Day Yellowstone Itinerary: Day 2

• Breakfast on the go
• Sunrise at Upper Falls Lookout
  There was a harvest full moon while I was in the park. I watched the moon set over the falls and the sunrise over the canyon. It was such a God moment.
• Yellowstone Grand Canyon
• Lower Falls Lookout
• Artist’s Paintpots
• Beryl Spring
• Gibbon Falls
• Midway Geyser Basin (Grand Prismatic Spring)
  There is also a trail to a scenic overlook just up the road from the main parking lot. This area was full of bubbling water and a serene babbling river.
• Old Faithful Geyser
  It was worth the visit to see Old Faithful put on her show.
• Lunch at Old Faithful
• Nap time (totally optional but trust me you will need a break)
• Tower Falls
• Lamar Valley Wildlife Viewing
  Give yourself plenty of time to just find a spot to park and watch the animals. Early morning or dusk are the best times for seeing a variety of wildlife.
  

OD Protip: Check for geyser eruption predictions on your Yellowstone app while you have wifi at your campsite and screenshot the times.

Where To Stay In Yellowstone

Your Yellowstone lodging choice will directly affect your Yellowstone itinerary. This 2 day Yellowstone itinerary is based on staying inside the park during in-season months.

Driving into and out of the park to stay at lodging outside the park gate adds an hour to 2 hours for arrival and departure of your day just getting in and out of the park boundaries.

The order of what you visit will depend on where in the park you decide to stay.

On my visit, I decided to stay at a campsite within the park. I chose Canyon Village due to its central location and proximity to the Upper Falls.

I originally planned to tent camp, but traveling with that much gear was not something I wanted to be bothered with. Also, the night time temps were around 31 degrees and I knew I would freeze my ass off and be miserable.

I considered getting a lodge or hotel room within the park but the price was more than I wanted to pay and since I was solo traveling there was no splitting the cost.

In the end, I decided I would car camp in my SUV rental instead. This would help me feel safer, warmer, and relatively comfortable.

Remember, you don’t have anything to prove to anyone!

I absolutely hate outdoor snobbery and those that try to minimize the way you choose to do adventure. Do what you are comfortable with and know your limits.

Camping in Yellowstone

I loved Canyon Village! It had showers which not all of the campgrounds do and the restroom was kept very clean.

My site was nestled among a forest of tall swaying pine trees and the smell was intoxicating.

Listen to Episode 19 of the Outdoorsy Diva podcast to hear from me firsthand what it was like to car camp in Yellowstone!

Let’s just say I was beary, beary, scared…. 😱 (If you’re new here, yes I make bad puns LOL)

Canyon Village Campground was serene and peaceful. The village itself was super cute with a diner, giftshop and other eatery options. They also have lodge options if camping is too rustic for you.

Campgrounds are relatively inexpensive at $32 a night for tent and RV sites There are 6 campgrounds in Yellowstone that can be reserved online and availability varies seasonally. There are 7 more that are first come first served in the park.

Yellowstone Campgrounds that can be reserved online:

• Canyon (F,S, R)
• Madison (F,S)
• Fishing Bridge (F)
• Bridge Bay (F)
• Grant Village (F,S)
• Madison (F)
  
  F – Flush toilets; S – Showers

Most have bathroom facilities but only certain campgrounds have showers so you will want to pay close attention when you make your reservation.

The hotels and lodges can be a bit pricier and will vary depending on the time of year. Here are the Yellowstone Hotels and Lodges.

• Canyon Lodge and Cabins: 400+ guest rooms spread across 5 hotel-style lodges, with 100+ cabins being more rustic accommodations.
• Grant Village Lodge: 300 guest rooms spread across 6 two-story, hotel-style lodges.
• Lake Hotel and Cabins: Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations.
• Lake Lodge Cabins: 186 cabins.
• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins: Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations.
• Old Faithful Inn: Rustic lodge with hotel room-style accommodations.
• Old Faithful Lodge: Cabin accommodations.
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge: Large lodge that has hotel room-style and cabin accommodations.
• Roosevelt Lodge: Cabin accommodations.

Yellowstone Travel Tips For Your First Visit

1. Yellowstone is a massive park!!
   I repeat, Yellowstone is ginormous. It will take you hours to get from one point to another. Do not underestimate this. YOU WILL DRIVE ALOT. If driving isn’t your jam then perhaps consider a tour.
   
2. Download any apps you think you may need before you arrive at the park because wifi and cell service will be limited.
   
3. Yellowstone National Park is wild. The animals are not fenced in or kept from entering parts of the park. You are the visitor and the animals can and will go wherever they want.
   
   Use common sense and practice bear safety habits. Also, remember to keep a safe distance from wildlife. All wildlife pics in this post were taken from a safe distance with a zoom lens.
   
   I had a close call with a coyote while out trying to photograph the harvest moon rising. It was a needed reminder that I was in his territory.
   
4. The park sees a lot of visitors and it gets crowded. Popular attractions may not have parking and you may hit traffic due to road work or a wildlife jam on your Yellowstone Vacation.
   
5. If you see something interesting, pull over and enjoy it! There are pull outs along the roads everywhere to view wildlife or just take in a breathtaking view.
   
   Use the itinerary as a guideline but don’t let it stress you out if you miss something.
   
6. Are there gas stations in Yellowstone? There are gas stations at the various villages within the park.
   
7. If you’re afraid of nighttime driving, you’ll need to be intentional about making sure you allow yourself time to get back to where you are staying for the night.
   
8. Be sure to follow park guidelines and rules. Stay on the boardwalks, do not hike at night, and keep a safe distance from wildlife!
   
   And please DO NOT LITTER. That shouldn’t even need to be said but based on the behavior of some people I saw, sadly it does.
   
   

Why You Should Plan a Yellowstone Vacation

Visiting Yellowstone National Park was a bucket list visit for me and I’m so glad I extended my visit to Billing, MT to make it happen.

The nature specials I’ve watched my whole life about Yellowstone honestly don’t do it justice.

I loved seeing the wild bison, deer, elk, bald eagles, and even the coyote that scared me half to death while getting this moon photo.

As terrified and paranoid as I was about encountering a grizzly, I didn’t have any bear sightings.

The land there is so alive due to the vast amounts of thermal activity from Yellowstone’s volcanic beginnings and I was fascinated by that!

You can’t help but feel changed after visiting Yellowstone for yourself.

Do yourself a favor and consider adding a visit to a national park as your next vacation destination.

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