Explore The Road Less Traveled At Yellowstone National Park And Discover Endless Hidden Gems
By Courtnie Erickson|Updated on December 04, 2023(Originally published May 03, 2023)
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Courtnie Erickson
Author
From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.
Yellowstone National Park welcomes millions of visitors from around the world every single year. In 2021 alone, nearly five million visitors explored this remarkable park that is found in three states and encompasses 3,472 square miles (making this national park larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined!). While many visitors head to popular natural features like Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin during their visit, I like to venture on the road less traveled. I have made yearly trips to Yellowstone for nearly 20 years and recently took my family on a two-day road trip through the park. We stopped at many of the least-visited areas of Yellowstone National Park and even spent the night in one of our favorite locations inside the park.
If you want to avoid the crowds, yet see many hidden gems tucked away inside the first national park in the world, here’s your ultimate itinerary.
As you drive up to Yellowstone National Park, you’ll immediately fall in love. This national park is home to one of the world's most active volcanoes and more than half of the world's hydrothermal features are found in this area. There are five entrances you can take into this park, and on this particular trip, we entered from West Yellowstone, Montana.
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Since the park is limited on places to eat, we stopped in West Yellowstone for sandwiches and drove just a short distance into the park for a picnic lunch. One of my favorite picnic areas is a quiet pullout along the Madison River.
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While tucked away, this particular pullout is easy to find as there are signs on the West Entrance Road directing you. Here, you will find picnic tables, dumpsters, and a small restroom. There are also a small set of stairs that take you right next to the beautiful Madison River.
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As we continued our drive into the park, we came to Madison Junction. Rather than turn right toward Old Faithful and the geysers, we turned left. It’s time to get away from the crowds and explore!
You'll want to make sure your camera is ready for the next stop on our drive. Artist Paint Pots is one single area where you will find nearly 50 hot pools, mudpots, and small geysers. However, to see them all, you do have to hop out of the car and go for a little hike.
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Courtnie Erickson/OnlyInYourState
My entire family could complete the Artist Paint Pots Loop Trail, which is approximately one mile long. However, there are some steep areas and stairs, making it a little more challenging for some hikers. Once you reach the top, you can look out and see quite the palette of colors.
Along this trail, you’ll also pass by Blood Geyser and Flash Spring — both hidden gems in Yellowstone. Blood Geyser is quite unique as it features the most interesting bright red-orange sulfur deposits. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you may see this small geyser erupt.
We then continued north, past Norris and toward Mammoth Hot Springs. While there are many incredible attractions you will pass by (like the very popular Norris Geyser Basin), we continued on to avoid the crowds. However, we couldn't pass by without stopping at the remarkable Roaring Mountain.
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This stop is one you can see right from the road, but I always love to stop and admire it. Typically, we are one of the few who do as well. One reason I love to stop is that this mountain roars and hisses — literally. Roaring Mountain is actually a large, acidic thermal area that contains fumaroles, also known as steam vents. Fumaroles are the hottest hydrothermal features in the park and the water turns into steam before it ever reaches the surface, creating roaring and hissing noises.
Bunsen Peak is the next stop on our Yellowstone road trip and it is one area that will certainly leave you inspired. This peak sits at 8,564 feet, and if you are up for a hike, this is a must-explore trail in Yellowstone.
This is a 4.6-mile out-and-back trail where you will climb to the summit of Bunsen Peak. Once you summit, you will capture the most breathtaking views of the Yellowstone River Valley, Gallatin Mountain Range, Blacktail Deer Plateau, Swan Lake Flat, and more. During this particular trip, we did not complete the hike due to the weather and my young children, but it is certainly worth every step. However, a word of caution: do not explore this trail without proper hiking gear, particularly bear spray. Grizzly bears are common in this area.
Not much farther down the Grand Loop Road is Mammoth Hot Springs. This is certainly a popular place for visitors due to the majestic hot spring terraces and is where my family loves to spend the night. Mammoth Hot Springs is home to the beautiful and historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins.
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We booked a small frontier cabin in Mammoth Hot Springs, which featured two queen-size beds, a bathroom with a shower, heating system, and fan. There is also a delightful front porch where you can enjoy the views, possibly see some elk, and observe the squirrels who live underneath the cabins.
These cabins are the best place to rest as they are in the park, near dining options, and offer a handful of amenities. However, these cabins book up quickly so you will not want to delay in making a reservation.
One of my favorite parts about spending the night inside Yellowstone National Park is that we can wake up early and get a head start. The early morning is one of the best times to view wildlife as there is significantly less traffic and animal sightings are more likely. I definitely suggest you don't sleep in on this road trip in Yellowstone.
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While some of my favorite routes in the park consist of driving from Mammoth to the Towers and down to Canyon Village, due to road construction and road closures during my visit, this was not possible. Instead, we followed the road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris and then over to Canyon Village.
Along this stretch of road, I love to hop off the main road for a scenic drive to Virginia Cascade.
This is a short one-way scenic drive that takes you to the impressive 60-foot Virginia Cascade on the Gibbon River. This area is typically very quiet and you never know what wildlife may be walking down the road.
One of the last stops is my forever favorite — Mud Volcano.
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Mud Volcano was once a large mud dome that erupted. Today, as you walk by, you’ll not only see bubbling mud that is quite fascinating, but the smell of sulfur in the area is enough to make you flinch. There is a short 0.6-mile boardwalk trail that takes you around Mud Volcano and to other remarkable natural features like Sulphur Cauldron and Dragon’s Mount Spring.
Just a short drive from Mud Volcano is Hayden Valley. This area is one of the best for spotting wildlife including all types of waterfowl, bears, and wolves.
There are many pullouts throughout Hayden Valley and I enjoy occasionally stopping, pulling out the binoculars, and searching for wildlife. You’d be surprised at what you can see in this area of the park, particularly if you are patient.
After leaving Hayden Valley, we began making the drive to Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and numerous geysers. This area is typically the busiest with tourists and so we just continued on our journey, pulling over when we saw a few animals and at random picnic areas when we were in the mood for a snack.
Most park roads are seasonal and while weather can delay your exact route, most roads throughout the park are open by mid May. You can learn more about current road closures on the National Park Service website.
While the popular tourist attractions are certainly remarkable in Yellowstone National Park, some of the best treasures are tucked away — far away from the crowds.
To discover more incredible boots-on-the-ground adventures across America from our team of local travel experts, check out all of the articles in OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers series. What destinations would you like to see featured next? Tell us where we should go on our nominations page.
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More to Explore
Yellowstone National Park
Courtnie Erickson|December 04, 2023
Can you drive through Yellowstone National Park?
Yes! In fact, there are many roads throughout the park, allowing you to easily get from one natural wonder to another. Keep in mind, however, that many of these roads are closed during the winter months, and driving around the entire national park in a vehicle is impossible. You will want to visit the National Park Service website before any visit for the most up-to-date information about current road closures.
I have visited Yellowstone National Park dozens of times throughout my life and have seen many of the natural wonders in the park. While I would recommend every natural wonder I’ve seen, there are some that you definitely don’t want to miss. Some of the must-visit natural wonders in Yellowstone include:
Old Faithful
Midway Geyser Basin
Grand Prismatic Spring
Hayden Valley
Yellowstone Lake
Norris Geyser Basin
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
What are some other outdoor destinations in Wyoming I should check out?
Of course, Wyoming’s national parks should be at the top of anyone’s bucket list, but if you are searching for even more destinations in the Cowboy State to add to your bucket list, I strongly recommend the following destinations:
