Wyoming
Yellowstone Grand Loop
About this adventure route
The Grand Loop Road is the 142 mile figure-eight that connects nearly everything most visitors come to Yellowstone to see. This line takes the western and northern halves: the geyser basins, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the travertine terraces at Mammoth. Driving time is deceptive. Wildlife jams, construction and the sheer number of stops mean a day covers less ground here than anywhere else in the park system.
Old Faithful to Artist Point to Mammoth, the classic figure-eight through the park’s headline sights.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin, the densest concentration of geysers on earth
- Artist Point looks straight down the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at Lower Falls
- Mammoth Hot Springs and its terraces
- Bison, elk and, in the Lamar Valley beyond Mammoth, wolves
Stops
- 1
Old Faithful
Upper Geyser Basin and the visitor education center.
- 2
Artist Point
The classic view of Lower Falls and the canyon.
- 3
Mammoth Hot Springs
Travertine terraces and park headquarters.
When to go
Best time to go
Late May through September for full road access. Interior roads close from November to April.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 5h 29m
Before you go
Know before you go
- Stay 25 yards from all wildlife and 100 yards from bears and wolves. This is enforced.
- Thermal ground is thin and the water is scalding. Boardwalks are not a suggestion.
- Lodging inside the park books roughly a year out.
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