A Complete Guide to Exploring Yellowstone with Kids and Teens (20 Amazing things to Do)

Planning to visit Yellowstone with kids and overwhelmed with where to start? Yellowstone National Park is a massive place to explore with so many different sites and activities. There are so many things to do in Yellowstone with kids it’s sometimes hard to know where to start!

Whether you plan to spend 1 day in Yellowstone or are looking for things to do in Yellowstone for a week, we’re here to help plan an epic vacation to Yellowstone with kids, tweens and teens. You can find information below on the best hikes in Yellowstone Park, the best activities, the best Yellowstone tours, the best places to stay with kids in Yellowstone, and even the best Yellowstone guidebooks.

Looking for more help planning a trip to Yellowstone, check out our Yellowstone Itinerary.

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Why you Should Visit Yellowstone with Kids

Yellowstone National Park is a land of wonder with so many aspects that there is sure to be something for everyone. Kids and teens will love the otherworldliness of the geysers and springs, spotting wildlife, and the majesty of the canyons, waterfalls, and hills.

Yellowstone National Park is rich with natural learning and has a huge awe factor. When we recently visited the park, our kids were blown away by the natural wonders and the park easily exceeded all of our expectations.

Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park in the world and is one of the most visited park in the United States each year.

When to Visit Yellowstone National Park with Kids

If you are travelling to Yellowstone National Park with kids, you may have limited windows when you can visit. Summer is naturally a busy time in the park. Luckily the park is large so crowds are spread out, but with all the wildlife you may encounter traffic jams throughout the park. The best time to visit Yellowstone to avoid crowds is in the shoulder seasons – April-June and Sept-Oct.

Visiting Yellowstone in winter is fun if you are prepared for the colder temps, and it is amazing to see the geysers steaming in the winter. Expect closures in many areas and always be prepared for the cold temperatures.

The biome of Yellowstone National Park is the Taiga biome based on the plants and animals that live here. The Taiga Biome (or boreal forest biome) makes up a large portion of the world with a large range of climate conditions.

It’s also a good idea to plan your days around the weather and crowds. This means early mornings in the summer when it’s cool and more people are still waking up, or late day exploration of the some of the popular attractions.

Best Yellowstone Hikes for Families

It’s easy to see Yellowstone by car – the total land area is massive, but when you’re traveling with teens and kids, it’s important to break up the driving with some of the best Yellowstone day hikes. Your family will love the chance to stretch their legs, get views of the Mountains and look for wildlife. The hikes below are what we consider some of the best hikes – Yellowstone edition for families.

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls is a 5.4 mile easy hike to a waterfall. You will leave from the same parking lot at the Grand Prismatic Overlook trail, so it is best to go early or late in the day before the lot fills up. The waterfall itself is quite a tall and pretty waterfall and worth the walk. Keep your eyes open for wildlife on the trail!

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

This part of Yellowstone feels like a different world from the geysers and bison. The Yellowstone River carved the deep canyon over many, many years. Walking on either the North or South Rim gives you epic views into this canyon and the power of the water as it flows down the many falls here. The walk along both rims is relatively easy and there are a few sections where you can hike the steep trail down to the river level to see one of the waterfalls. We though this was the best hike in Yellowstone.

Elephant Back Mountain Trail

This 4-ish miles trail takes you up a mountain with excellent views of Yellowstone. You will hike through lodgepole forests and there is ample opportunity to see wildlife. Bring your bear spray and be on the lookout!

Trout Lake

This is an easy 1.2 miles hike around Trout Lake and is a great way to break up your driving. It’s near the Northeast entrance road and only gains about 150 feet of elevation. Be on the lookout for wildlife including bear on this hike.

Mount Washburn

This out and back 6 mile trail starting at Dunraven Pass. The trail is well established and you often see wildlife on this hike as well as stunning views along the way. Try to choose a clear day to do this popular hike as the top can become socked in with clouds and lightening strikes are common above tree level.

All the Geyser Basins

Since the geyser basins are often quite large, we consider these ‘hikes,’ and they can take up most of the day to walk around. These hikes are typically a combination of walking on boardwalks and through trails and areas such as the Back Basin at the Norris Basin have miles of walking you can do through geothermal features.

Best Geysers and Springs in Yellowstone with Kids

The geysers and hot springs are what truly make Yellowstone special. There several geyser basins to visit within Yellowstone. They can all get quite crowded in the summer and parking can be difficult but since since they are generally large you can usually escape the crowds once you’re there. Older kids and teens will have no trouble walking around most of the geysers – just give them a firm warning to follow the posted signs!

Old Faithful

This is probably the most famous geyser in the entire world – not because it’s the biggest, but because it erupts consistently about every hour and a half. You can actually get the next few eruption times online if you want to plan your trip.

There are several locations to view the geyser, including the crowded boardwalk (make sure to get there plenty early to view from here – at least 20 minutes early to get a good spot). You can also walk the just over 1 mile hike up to observation point for a less crowded view. Finally – grab a drink, and watch from the Old Faithful Inn viewing deck.

Upper Geyser Basin and Geyser Hill

Old Faithful is not the only geyser in this location, and you can find over 150 geothermal features, including hot springs, geysers and thermal pools. The boardwalk here takes about 2 hours to walk and if you combine this with Old Faithful it will take up most of a day. There are several other geysers you can watch erupt in this location, and if you decide to stay at the Old Faithful Inn you can do this walk early or late in the day to avoid the crowds.

Midway Geyser Basin (and Grand Prismatic Spring)

This is the largest geothermal hot spring in the United States and the colors are dramatic and everchanging and it is completely worth the visit. The parking can get a little crowded, but you can also see this huge spring by walking to the Great Prismatic Spring Overview.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Located in the Northwestern portion on the park, Mammoth Hot Springs is unlike the other geothermal features. As the hot water has leaked and dripped over the travertine terraces over the years, it’s left behind minerals giving Mammoth Hot Springs its classic look. Check out the springs and then climb up and hike around the other pools at the top. This parking lot is huge but can still get packed so plan accordingly.

Boiling River Hot Springs

This is just north of Mammoth Hot Springs and you can swim in a hot spring river. The Gardner River flows with the water from a hot spring making it a fun place to take a dip.

Norris Geyser Basin

This is a large geyser area with 2 main areas – Back Basin and Porcelain Basin. Steamboat geyser is incredibly tall (up to 300 ft) although unpredictable. You can continue on to so many other geysers on this walk and even though we visited in mid-July by the time you got out into Back Basin there were very few people.

Porcelain Basin is impressive with a dazzling array of springs ang geysers. It is very open, so you can see most of it at once which makes it pretty awe-inspiring.

Artist Paint Pots

This is an easy .6 mile walk through a geyser basin (Gibbon Geyser Basin) with a number of geothermal features. The most popular is Artists Paint Pots with over 50 features including mud pots, vents, spring and geysers in a variety of colors. Depending on the year, it can be less active than Norris Geyser although it is just a few miles south.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

We all loved this geyser basin right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. It’s fun to see the steam rising and bubbling right into the lake. This is also an easy basin to walk around and is close to the southern entrance. The highlight is the large Abyss Pool with Yellowstone Lake in the background.

Viewing Nature and Animals in Yellowstone with Kids

As if the mountains and geothermal features aren’t enough, Yellowstone is an amazing place to view wildlife. Search for roaming bison, sheep, wolves, bears and more. Our first time here we entered from the Northeast corner and when we saw our first bison we stopped for 30 minutes for photos. Little did we know that as we drove south through the Lamar and Hayden Valley we would see thousands of these animals.

If you’re in Yellowstone National Park with kids, make sure to set aside some time to search for wildlife.

Always follow safety precautions and make sure to treat these animals with respect.

Lamar Valley

The Lamar Valley in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park is an expansive river valley bordered by mountains. Bison often roam this area freely and you are likely to see hundreds of these impressive beasts. Since this is far from the other parts of the park it feels like you are in a completely different area.

Hayden Valley

This is a centrally located Valley within Yellowstone and is an excellent area for viewing bison, bear, and other wildlife. Since this valley is closer than Lamar Valley it is usually very busy with traffic, so don’t be surprised if things more slowly. Try to get here at dusk or dawn when the animals are active.

Beartooth Highway

I’ve included this here since it is right next to Yellowstone, however it is just outside the park itself. Starting in the Lamar Valley, drive Northeast towards Beartooth Pass. The road climbs out of the park and ends in Red Lodge, Montana. This drive is truly amazing and goes up through the tallest Mountains in Montana with plenty of options for hiking and exploring. As we came through in July, there was still some snow at the highest elevations.

Yellowstone Lake

This is a massive high elevation lake (the largest in North America) and is full of cutthroat trout. It’s possible to take a boat ride out on the lake, however if you are bringing your own boat, it’s important to avoid transporting invasive species so follow all rules. If you don’t bring your own boat, you can join a tour like this sunset kayak.

Tower Falls

Tower Falls is an easy stop and a great place to see a waterfall if you don’t want to go for a hike. You can pretty much see the waterfall right from your car and can easily snap a few photos before continuing on your way.

Other Yellowstone Activities

Biking in Yellowstone

Biking can be a fun way to see Yellowstone although it is not for the faint of heart with plenty of traffic and long distances between services. If you are looking to bike with kids in Yellowstone – consider some of the bike trails as opposed to trying to biking on the busy roads. You can find more information on how to bicycle Yellowstone with kids here.

Tours

Most of the information above is geared towards a do-it-yourself approach to exploring Yellowstone. Another aspect to consider is taking a tour. You can do an entire week long tour or select from many options for a day tour. These tours give you a much better understanding and knowledge of the park.

Fishing

The first time we visited Yellowstone with kids I was amazing at how many people were fishing. If you are an experienced angler, this is an excellent way to spend the day and your kids will love spending the day near the water in this beautiful place. If you don’t have your own fishing gear, consider joining a fishing tour.

Where to Stay in Yellowstone with Kids

Best Places to Stay in Yellowstone with Kids

There aren’t many options for places to stay inside the park. There are several campgrounds and you can stay in the Old Faithful Inn, but both these options book up fast. If you want to book one best Yellowstone campgrounds, do your homework early! Depending on your exact needs, here are some of our favorites Yellowstone campgrounds based on different needs:

• Mammoth Campground – best for year round camping
• Indian Creek Campground – best for tents
• Tower Falls – best for camping with horses
• Madison – Best for location

We also stayed at the Old Faithful Inn for a night which was an excellent decision since you avoid having to drive out of the park for the night. You are also right at Old Faithful so can watch the geyser erupt with less crowds. If you are limited on time and only have a night – try to stay at the Old Faithful Inn, one of the other lodges or cabins, or one of the campgrounds in the park.

Best Places to Stay Outside Yellowstone with Kids

If you can’t stay in the park, your next best option is to stay in West Yellowstone (to the West) or Gardiner (to the North). Below are a few of our favorite hotels in both locations for staying near Yellowstone with kids.

Where to Stay in West Yellowstone with Kids

Yellowstone Park Hotel – indoor swimming pool with included Breakfast. Rooms with two queen beds for a family of 4.

Kelly Inn West Yellowstone – indoor pool and rooms that sleep 4-6, laundry available and breakfast included

Holiday Inn West Yellowstone – outdoor pool with rooms that sleep 4 (although you can get connecting rooms here). Onsite restaurant and kids eat free with paying adult.

Best Western Inn – Outdoor pool and jacuzzi and rooms that sleep 4-6. There is also a playground and picnic area right across the street.

Best Places to Stay Gardiner with Kids

The Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone – Indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi with rooms that sleep up to 6 people. Full breakfast is included.

Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites – indoor swimming pool with some rooms that sleep up to 6. Includes a basketball court and picnic area.

Looking for more information about National Parks?

• Visiting the Grand Tetons
• Favorite National Parks in the United States with Teens
• National Parks Guide