6 Best Things to do in Yellowstone National Park on your First Trip

Yellowstone National Park is a true beauty. From the wildlife, geysers and geothermal features to the incredible landscapes, there is so much to see and do at Yellowstone.

In May 2025, I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time with my boyfriend who has already been a few times before and fell in love with the park. We visited right before peak season really got started and got to explore the park with less crowds and snow. Most roads were open and some facilities. One of my favorite things about this park is the lack of cell phone service which allows you to disconnect and really enjoy the moment.

I can’t wait to visit Yellowstone National Park again and I hope you enjoy reading about some of the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park especially if it is your first visit. All pictures included in the post are from my visit.

1. Roosevelt Arch

The Roosevelt Arch is located at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, MT. This arch is over 50 feet tall, and you can even walk through both sides of it and look up into the arch. You can park near it and walk over to it.

This is one of my favorite entrances at Yellowstone and is a must see on my list. With the words written on it “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People”, this is like a gateway to another world you never knew you were missing in your life. One of the best ways to start your visit is by officially driving under the arch and starting your journey in the first national park in the United States.

2. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is absolutely beautiful. It is around 20 miles long and is located in the Canyon Village area of Yellowstone National Park. There are the Upper and Lower falls and North and South Rim with various overlooks, walkways, and scenic drives.

I remember really taking in the view and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing was real. This is a place you could really spend a good amount of time admiring and exploring. It is a must see when visiting the park.

3. Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the largest high elevation lake in North America and remains cold year-round. We viewed the lake in the Lake Village area of Yellowstone National Park near the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.

We had packed our lunch and ate it in the car on the lake front right next to the hotel. Unfortunately, not much was open in this area at the time we visited but the lake was a perfect spot for lunch and is still worth a visit. During peak season you are able to tour, stay, and even dine at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and there are even more activities on the water to enjoy but swimming is not recommended.

4. Old Faithful Geyser

Old Faithful Geyser is one of the most popular things to witness in the park and is for the most part predictable. It is located in the Upper Geyser Basin area of Yellowstone National Park. With eruption lasting for up to five minutes, it is a once in a lifetime sight to see. Even if you don’t know what time it will be erupting, there are multiple ways to find out whether you look online, in the visitor center, or even just begin to see a ton of people gathering near it.

When we arrived, we just missed the eruption and had to wait for the next one which is around every 90 minutes but was completely worth it. When it is time to wait for the eruption, you can head over to the boardwalk and grab a seat about 20-30 minutes before. When we went it was quite cold while we were waiting so be prepared! When the eruption starts, you’ll think is that it when it starts but wait until it actually happens and you will be blown away by what you just witnessed.

5. Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring is Yellowstone’s largest hot spring and known for its bright colors. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin area of Yellowstone National Park and worth a visit.

There is a wheelchair accessible boardwalk that is not too big that goes in a circle through Midway Geyser Basin that gives you views of various geysers and springs besides Grand Prismatic Spring. As you can tell from the picture, it is a little bit hard to see the spring entirely on the day we went due to the steam but there is a Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook you can walk too as well. We didn’t get a chance to do that this trip but want to next time!

6. Lamar Valley

Lamar Valley is one of the best areas in the park to view wildlife with the best times to see wildlife would be very early in the morning or in the evening. It is located just past the Tower-Roosevelt Junction area of the park to the Northeast Entrance. There are opportunities to see wolves, bison, bears, pronghorn, and even a moose which we saw closer to the Northeast Entrance.

We actually took a wildlife watching private tour of Lamar Valley with a non-profit organization called Yellowstone Forever. I honestly recommend taking a tour with them and hope to do another one in the future, it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We used high-powered scopes and binoculars on the tour that let us see wolves (we even got to hear them howl and got a video recorded on my phone), see a bear stand up, spot a mountain goat, and so much more. Also, they have a wheelchair accessible bus for the tour if needed.

Note: We didn’t make it to every single area of the park this visit but I would also recommend Mammoth Hot Springs which we drove past but didn’t get a chance to get out and visit.