I had heard a lot about Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone and seen some amazing photos of it before heading to the park.  In reality, we actually didn’t get to see the incredible colors or get a great vantage point of this famous spot for a couple reasons.  First, it was crazy crowded here when we arrived and with so many people, it really look away the “awe” of the location.  Second, it was a really overcast afternoon and the steam was billowing off the surround pools in such huge clouds that we didn’t see much of the pool, along with the overcast sky making the pool have not as bright of colors as it would on a bright blue sky day.  All in all, I found it way bigger than I was expecting and hard to photograph.  If you want a really bright colored pool that’s smaller and quieter, Morning Glory is the place to be!

To be really honest with you, I don’t really care much for geysers.  In truth, I kind of feel like once you’ve seen one geyser, you’ve seen them all and after seeing some in Iceland over the years, Yellowstone’s geysers didn’t really do it for me.  However, Old Faithful is such a famous one that we felt like we should at least try to see it while there.  The first day when we arrived, it has just gone off and was projected to go off about 90 minutes later.  We didn’t really want to sit around and wait for it that day and left saying, too bad.  The following day we happened to pass by the exit for Old Faithful again and figured, why not, let’s try it again.  We literally parked, got out of the car and it started going off right as we were walking up which was pure luck but really cool to see!

Around Old Faithful there is a lot more to see as well in the Upper Geyser Basin, including the famous Morning Glory Spring and lots of other geysers and hot springs.  You’ll walk a bit to get to these, but they are well worth the visit as well!

Tips for Old Faithful and Surrounding Areas at Yellowstone

-The parking lot is huge here and it’s a whole little village but there is a parking trick.  Most people circle around and try to park in the huge open lot, but if you go right up to the lodge there is a ton of open parking.  We arrived in the late afternoon the first day and had to park super far away, only to walk up to the lodge and see all the open spots.  So the next day we pulled up there and parked right away.  So drive to the lodge and park there.

-There is seating around Old Faithful so you can wait.  Or you can walk around the other geysers and hot springs here.

-Morning Glory Spring is also here at Old Faithful and takes about 2 miles-ish to walk to from Old Faithful itself.

After seeing most of the famous spots in Yellowstone on our recent trip, looking back, the Biscuit Basin area was actually one of my favorites.  In contrast to the close-by areas like Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful, Biscuit Basin was just as beautiful in my opinion and way less crowded which made it a lot easier to enjoy.  From colorful hot springs to boiling water to small geysers, this area was a pleasant surprise!

Happy 4th of July to all the Americans out there!  And what better way to celebrate our national holiday with a post about an American landmark – Yellowstone! So if you’re headed towards this famous US landmark, here’s everything you need to know before visiting Yellowstone!

I wasn’t sure what to expect at Yellowstone National Park, and while Nick had been as a kid, neither of us really had any idea what we’d think of our time there.  We had two days in the park and afterwards, I can say that we definitely learned a lot about this famous National Park.

Go early.

One thing we found on our first day when we went into the park mid-day, it’s a way better plan to go super early and leave around mid-day.  The tour buses and vans full of people between 11am and 3pm were a little chaotic and it felt like Disneyland at a lot of the famous spots.  We found it was way better to get up early and be in the park for sunrise and stay until around 11am or Noon, then head out of the park when it’s the busiest.

You’ll be driving a lot.

I didn’t quite realize how expansive Yellowstone is and how far each of the famous spots are from each other so expect to be driving a lot.

Signage isn’t great so bring a map.

The signage in the park isn’t great and doesn’t call out everything you might be looking for, so be sure to bring a map.  There also isn’t cell service in most of the park, so a paper map is a must!

There are lots of bison but other wildlife is harder to find.

Bison are everywhere in the park and while the first few times we saw them I got super excited, after awhile, we ended up saying “oh another bison.”  We had high hopes of seeing other wildlife and headed to the areas where people suggested we’d see some, but we didn’t find much else.  I think to see a lot of the wildlife in the park, a tour specifically for that might be your best bet.

Parking lots get really full.

There is not nearly enough parking at the main spots in Yellowstone considering the tour buses take up a ton of it, so people were parked way down the road from the main areas.  We found it was faster to park on the road and walk in rather than sit for 10 years in the very crowded parking lots.

Be prepared to walk after parking.

At the main spots, be prepared to do quite a bit of walking once you arrive and park.  For example, the Morning Glory Pool that’s at the area around Old Faithful is a solid 2-ish mile walk back in there which we weren’t expecting.  So where clothes that you’re comfortable walking in.

Wear layers.

The weather in Yellowstone can range from really cold to really high in one day.  Our days in early June started out really cold, in the high 20’s and got up to the 80’s during the peak of the day, so layers are key to stay warm in the morning and then shed them as it gets hotter.  Also wear lots of sunscreen as you’re out walking a lot and the sun can be quite strong.