Can you drive through Yellowstone in one day?

With thousands of acres of land, five entrances, numerous canyons and geyser basins to visit, plus a drive through valleys filled with bison and elk, there's no way you will get to everything with just one day. However, with one day in Yellowstone, you have just enough time to see the highlights.



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Grand Loop Yellowstone National Park's main roads create a figure-eight shape, so driving around the exterior of both loops to make a Grand Loop is a great way to hit many of the park's highlights. Two or three days is reasonable, but the park can keep an avid explorer busy for far longer.

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Yellowstone has areas with winding roads and wildlife crossing can be a road hazard, especially for a speeding car. Beware of bear, buffalo, and traffic jams. Yellowstone's wildlife is certainly one of the things that make the park attractive to its visitors.

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Yellowstone National Park can get very crowded during peak season (June, July, and August). The best months to visit Yellowstone are April, September, and October. These “off season” months provide more chances to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife and enjoy thinner crowds.

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Yellowstone is open 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. This means that if you want to hike a trail at sunrise, you will be able to get in, and if you want to stargaze at 2 a.m., you'll be able to get out. Open roads are not gated.

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A breathtaking river chasm, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Yellowstone National Park. This is the park's second-busiest area, after Old Faithful, and it's not hard to see why.

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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone The two most popular attractions here are the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. The impressive Lower Falls drops approximately 300 feet, while the Upper Falls drops slightly over 100 feet. This picturesque area of Yellowstone is filled with alpine trees, hot springs, and steam vents.

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Next to Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs is arguably the top thing to see during your first-time visiting Yellowstone. A vibrant showcase of reds and blues bubble in this magnificent thermal pool from the bacteria residing in the area.

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Flights to the nearest major airport — that of Jackson Hole, Wyoming — are typically cheapest between November and March, which is the park's low season. Prices for lodging begin to drop after Labor Day, once the summer crowds have diminished and children are back in school.

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Can I sleep in my car in Yellowstone? No, but paid campsites will allow you to sleep in your car if you insist. Yellowstone does not allow overnight parking in attraction parking lots, trailheads, or on the roadside. Only visitors who have reserved rooms one of the many lodging options can park their cars overnight.

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From Moose, drive up the inner park road to Jackson Lake Junction and follow the outer park road through Moran Junction back down to Moose. The loop is 42 miles long, and depending on how many points of interest you chose to explore, plan for at least a one to two hour drive.

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Rockefeller Jr. Highway up to Yellowstone. Plus, if you are staying in Jackson, Wyo., the South Entrance is the easiest entrance to access Yellowstone. Jackson itself is an incredible mountain town that attracts skiers to its steep slopes in the winter and throngs of tourists in the summer.

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