Yellowstone
A caldera the size of Corsica where the Earth still boils: geysers, rainbow springs, bison by the thousand — the world's first national park remains its most alive.
Suggested stay — 3 to 4 nights
Yellowstone concentrates half the planet's geysers on a volcanic plateau at 2,400 m: Old Faithful erupts roughly every 90 minutes (predicted times posted at the visitor center), the Grand Prismatic unfolds its orange and turquoise rings — climb to the overlook from Fairy Falls, the boardwalk below shows only steam —, and Mammoth Hot Springs sculpts its white limestone terraces in the north. The Grand Loop Road (a 230-km figure eight) links it all, but average speeds collapse the moment a bison decides to use it too.
Because Yellowstone is above all a wildlife sanctuary on the American scale: bison herds in the Hayden Valley, elk, black bears, and — in the Lamar Valley at dawn — the wolves reintroduced in 1995 and prowling grizzlies. The distance rule is federal and serious: 23 m from bison and elk, 91 m from bears and wolves. Every year, gored visitors remind everyone that the placidly grazing 900-kg bison runs at 50 km/h.
Don't miss
- The Grand Prismatic from the Fairy Falls trail overlook, at midday when the colours saturate
- The Lamar Valley at dawn, binoculars or a spotting scope for wolves and grizzlies
- Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin walk out to Morning Glory Pool
- The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from Artist Point and the Uncle Tom's Trail descent
Our tips on the ground
- Sleep INSIDE the park if you can (lodges and campgrounds open bookings 12-13 months ahead): the gateway towns of West Yellowstone or Gardiner add 1-2 hours of daily driving.
- Drive before 8 am and after 5 pm: it's the wildlife window AND the escape from midday jams — a "bison jam" can block the Grand Loop for 45 minutes.
- Rent bear spray at Canyon Village or buy it ($50) the moment you hike off the boardwalks: in grizzly country it isn't decorative — learn the draw.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“The United States, Independently”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Yellowstone
When is the best time for Yellowstone?
Mid-May to June for the births (red bison calves, bear cubs) and snowmelt-swollen waterfalls, September for the elk rut and the colours — July-August works but combines maximum crowds with wildlife dispersed to altitude. The interior roads close from early November to late April: off season, only the north entrance towards the Lamar Valley stays open to cars.
Can you combine Yellowstone with Utah's parks?
Yes, but it's a structural choice: allow 8 hours of driving between Moab and the south entrance via Salt Lake City. Over 15 days, the coherent itinerary chains Yellowstone, Grand Teton (just south, too often sacrificed) then drops to Utah. Over 10-12 days, pick one block: better three parks savoured than six crossed.