The best short hikes in Yellowstone National Park

It was 1872 when one of mankind’s best ideas came to life: The US congress and President Ulysses S. Grant established the world’s first National Park

“for the benefit and enjoyment of the people”

A bunch of smart scientists recognized the potential of Yellowstone’s landscape, wildlife and geothermal features which are unique on our planet and therefore worth protecting. To me whatsoever, I never had Yellowstone on my radar.When my fiance and I looked for a trip in mid-August, we planned to go to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and/or California. But I was slightly worried about the heat during that time of the year as I wanted to do some hiking. At the end we picked a completely different route which you can see here.

We certainly didn’t regret our decision. The temperature was moderate – if not cool – and Yellowstone completely blew my mind! It wasn’t for its landscape so much (which certainly was beautiful too) but it was the wildlife, hot springs and geysers that fascinated me the most. I’ve never seen a place with so much volcanic activity – it felt like our planet was “breathing” and the earth’s core was closer than anywhere else.

Although most of the park’s main attractions are well connected by roads, it would’ve been a less “natural” experience if we had only driven all the time. After all, it’s a National Park! While most visitors are limited in time, it’s not easy to pick the right hike from the countless options. I did some extensive research before we went and picked 3 easy to moderate hikes that can be done within a few hours:

1. Storm Point

(approx. 6 km round-trip, 2 hours, easy)

Coming into the park from the East, the road took us through vast dead and young forests until we reached the gigantic Yellowstone Lake which lies in the heart of the National Park. From there we started our first (short) hike to the so-called Storm Point (the name says it all) – we hardly met other people but some cute marmots 🙂 The ground is mostly flat but still you get some great lake views!

2. Fairy Falls

(approx. 9.5 km round-trip, 3 hours, easy)

I chose that hike because it covers two highlights at once: The path leads through a viewpoint over the most iconic landmark of Yellowstone – the Grand Prismatic Spring – and ends at a waterfall! Although we went on a rather cloudy and rainy day, the spectrum of colours looked quite amazing!

Most people end their walk here. If you keep following the path through young pine forest, you’ll soon hit the Fairy Falls which is a rewarding sight as well!

3. Mount Washburn

(approx. 9 km round-trip, 4-5 hours, moderately strenuous)

If you only got time for one hiking trip, most guides will tell you it has to be this one! And honestly – it was the most rewarding one. As you’ll gain quite some elevation, it can be a moderate to strenuous hike – depending on your fitness level. I’m by far not in my best shape and it was doable with some little breaks in-between. At the top of Mount Washburn (over 10,000 feet high, one of the highest points of the park) you’ll find a ranger station to take a rest, warm up and take in the views.

I barely managed to smile for the photo because I was so tired and hungry 😛

Along the way we spotted mountain goats and these cute little fellas!

And at the end, an elk crossed our way…

4. Bonus: Other Highlights of Yellowstone

With the sheer size of the National Park it’s impossible to get around without your own vehicle. And most likely you’ll encounter wildlife conveniently (and safely!) right from your car’s window! However we never expected to see grizzly bears so close to the road! Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see it) we were too far away to capture the grizzly mother with her two cubs properly on camera. I don’t have a good zoom-lens, so this photo with maximum digital zoom is the only one I got! Can you spot them?

Bison are using the roads frequently as well!

The geothermal activity is so real and feels so close that it is actually scary: There was steam and hot springs coming up from literally anywhere – actually the ground looked so fragile that I’ve wondered how many people (and animals) have cracked into boiling, acidic water… More than ever it’s advisable to follow the warning signs and stay on the marked trails!

Two thirds of all geysers in the world are concentrated in Yellowstone – that’s A LOT. It’s impossible to see all of them but in the Upper Geyser Basin you’ll find some great samples of different shapes and sizes. Walking along the boardwalk and watching the bubbles and steam were a surreal experience.

Don’t miss the show of the day: Old Faithful is probably the world’s most famous geyser which erupts on a reliable schedule of approximately every 90 minutes. It’s quite a spectacle and the atmosphere is like an open-air theatre!

Lodging in Yellowstone is very competitive during high season and accommodation within the park was fully booked. We wanted to spend at least one night inside the park, so the first-come, first-serve campsites were our only chance. Advice: Be early! The first campsite we approached was filled up before 9 am! Fortunately we found another one at Indian Creek. It was a very basic campsite which we didn’t mind, but Jesus! – we totally underestimated how cold it gets at night (we stayed in a tent, not in a RV). We learned our lesson after a freezing and sleepless night :/ Keep that in mind in bring WARM gear into Yellowstone, even in summer!

I wish I would have taken more and better videos of that trip because there was so much action! My humble attempt to make a video resulted in this 1-minute Oscar-worthy clip 😛 I hope you enjoy it nevertheless!

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Useful information:

• The park is huge! There’s so much to see and distances within the park are far – so be prepared for lots of driving. In addition, you may encounter wildlife, construction and/or traffic jams times which slow you down even more. The parking lots at some attractions are huge but still fill up quickly – it gets really busy during peak season. I recommend to spend at least three full days in the park to cover the highlights.

• Book early! The lodges in the park are booked out many months before, especially during high season (July, August). If you can’t find a room, you can either camp in one of the several campsites or stay outside the National Park near the entrances, for example in West Yellowstone or Cody. This involves even more driving though. If you want to grab a spot in a first-come, first-serve campsite, make sure you get there as early as possible!

• Yes we saw grizzlies, so the warning of bear encounters is no joke! Always carry bear spray which can be bought in camping stores or in the general stores inside the park. Keep a safe distance to wildlife and don’t feed them. Follow the advice and warnings of the park rangers.

• There are several “villages” that offer lodges, gas, restaurants and general stores, however everything is slightly more expensive than outside the park. The souvenir shops on the other hand were quite nice and had useful stuff 😉

• The closest airports are Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone, Montana; Jackson Hole Airport and Yellowstone Regional Airport, both in Wyoming. Optional you can fly into Bozeman or Billings, Montana (where we flew into) as these airports are bigger and offer more frequent flights. Rental cars are more plentiful there too.

• The official National Park’s website is a very useful source of information to plan your trip. Check for seasonal updates, current events and facts.

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