Things to do / Travel Guide
From erupting geysers to grazing bighorn sheep, canyon views, and mountain vistas, Greater Yellowstone is filled with sights that highlight all of mother nature's charms. You will find yourself pulling the car over just to get a glimpse of the unique scenic overlooks and regional must-see attractions.
Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
It is certainly the most famous attraction at Yellowstone, and the one sight seen by practically everyone who visits the park. Old Faithful is the world's most visited geyser, attracting as many as 25,000 people on busy summer days. In the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone, views of the brimming basin's most famous geyser and its almost-hourly eruptions are available along a paved almost-level path circling Old Faithful. Although none of the views are particularly close to the Geyser due to safety concerns, the path provides many different angles from which visitors can view the eruptions. Steam encased boiling water shoots out of the geyser up into the air, reaching 100-180 feet for two to five minutes before rapidly dropping down. A typical eruption produces 3,700 – 8,400 gallons of water, and it generally erupts around every 92 minutes, although the cycle can vary from anywhere between 45 to 120 minutes. Old Faithful is highly accessible and fairly predictable. Expect hundreds of people jamming the east and south sides around the geyser just before eruption time, waiting to get a glimpse – and a photo – of the geothermal action. A board in the Old Faithful Visitor Center lists the predicted eruption times for the six major geysers in the area.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Hiking
While it is often upstaged by Yellowstone's world famous geysers and grizzlies, Yellowstone's very own Grand Canyon offers some of the most spectacular – and memorable – views in the region. The 20-mile long canyon ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 feet across and features striking yellow, orange, pink, and buff colored cliffs dropping to as deep as 1,200 feet on either side. The Yellowstone river tumbles its way into two massive waterfalls along the canyon's rims. Canyon views are accessible from both the north and south sides, with a number of popular overlook points lacing the rim. Along the northern rim, farthest east is Inspiration Point with excellent views of the canyon and Lower Falls. About 200 feet up from Inspiration Point, visitors will eye a 500-ton boulder that was deposited by a glacier 15,000 yeas ago. On the southern rim the canyon's most popular overlook is Artist Point. Located one mile beyond Uncle Tom's parking area across the Chittenden Bridge, Artist Point is itself a beautiful spot, with views upriver to the lower falls or down toward the canyon. Thermal activity can be spotted far below. The spot is supposedly where artist Thomas Moran painted some of his famous watercolors. To avoid the crowds, arrive early.
Other must-see sights in Yellowstone also have scenic overlooks and viewpoints well worth the visit. Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, and Lake Yellowstone are all popular attractions that are also scenic in their own right.
Hiking to Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park
The most beloved of Grand Teton's lakes, Jenny, is nestled at the foot of the Cascade Canyon and surrounded by lush forests of spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine. One of the most popular attractions in the area is Inspiration Point. It's located on the west side of Jenny Lake where the views can't be beat. It is 2.4 miles by trail from the Jenny Lake Ranger Station, or you can take one of the summertime shuttle boats that cross the lake every 20 minutes or so. The trail climbs one-half mile to Hidden Falls and then reaches Inspiration Point after another half mile. At the Point, visitors will be treated with views overlooking Jackson Hole from 400 feet above Jenny Lake.
Drive to Signal Mountain Summit, Grand Teton National Park
As scenic Signal Mountain Road curves through the park, it passes Jenny and Jackson Lakes and boasts views of the Tetons. Once you reach the mountain's pinnacle, 800 feet above the valley, summit overlooks provide panoramic views of the entire Teton Range, Jackson Lake, and most of Jackson Hole. The five-mile drive to the summit starts one mile south of Signal Mountain Lodge and Campground. Both the drive and destination rank at the top of the region's most scenic views.
Devils Canyon Overlook, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Straddling the northern Wyoming and southern Montana Borders, the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a popular attraction for its fishing, wildlife viewing, and sight seeing. The Bighorn River and 64 million years of time carved a deep and winding chasm through the mountain landscape. Today, the Big Horn Canyon is a spectacular sight with its vertical limestone walls towering as high as 1,000 feet above Bighorn Lake. At its north end some mountain points rise 2,000 feet above the water. One not-to-be-missed attraction is the Devils Canyon Overlook, located about 17 miles north from the Horseshoe Bend turnoff to Bighorn Canyon along Wyoming 37. The overlook provides stunning views over the edge of the canyon at the steep, colorful canyon walls and Bighorn Lake at the bottom. Visitors will see where the Bighorn and Devil Canyons meet from atop cliffs that tower 1,000 feet above the lake. Visitors may even spot wild mustangs or bighorn sheep on the walls of the canyons themselves.
Scenic Overlooks along the Beartooth Highway
As one of the nation's most scenic highways, visitors should expect nothing less than some of the nation's most scenic overlooks lining the route. A number of pull-over points provide stunning views of the peaks and plateaus of the surrounding Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness from different angles and altitudes. Driving from Red Lodge, after about five miles of dramatic switchbacks, the Vista Point Scenic Overlook is a must-stop for area visitors. A short path leads to the tip of a promontory at a breathtaking 9,200 feet. Phenomenal views are visible across Rock Creek Canyon out toward the high rolling country of the Beartooh Plateau. At Clay Butte Lookout, a gravel road leads to a fire tower with inspiring views of Montana's highest mountains. At the Pilot and Index Overlook, further toward Cooke City, visitors will get excellent views of the northern edge of the Absaroka Range; an eroded mass of lava, ash, and mudflows that began forming over 50 million years ago.
Scenic Drive Overlook at Whiskey Mountain, Dubois, Wyoming
Visitors to Dubois in the southeastern most stretches of the Yellowstone area are in for a treat: the basin at the base of nearby Whiskey Mountain is home to the largest herd of rocky mountain bighorn sheep in the United States. An excellent wildlife viewing site is located 2.5 miles from highway 26 off of the scenic Trail Lake Road. It is a great place for close-up observations of the sheep as they graze on the slopes of Whiskey Mountain, plentiful in their natural habitat. Views from the mountain itself are also spectacular, and visitors will be able to see the badlands adjacent to the Wind River Mountains as well as many historic ruins.
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