West Yellowstone Day Trips: Top 5 Adventures

West Yellowstone, that’s the western gateway to Yellowstone National Park, is actually a very cool spot to make your basecamp. That is, if you’re trying to discover some of the most awesome spots in the area. What’s really neat is that it offers very simple access not just to the park, yet, very great quick day trips that can show you some unforgettable landscapes and wildlife experiences. Ready to discover some great choices? This guide, that’s crafted just for you, is actually going to walk you through the top five day trips. You, like your family, get to have memorable times. These adventures, that you get to experience, is really one of the most unique.

1. Yellowstone’s Geothermal Wonders: Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin

Of course, you absolutely can’t pass up visiting Old Faithful, just one of Yellowstone’s iconic geysers! From West Yellowstone, that’s about a short drive to get you to the Upper Geyser Basin. This place, that is teeming with geothermal features, it’s almost otherwordly. I still get chills when Old Faithful, very reliably, erupts, spewing extremely hot water high into the air. That whole area, I tell you, like the many smaller geysers, springs, and pools, are totally worth a wander around.

Anyway, one time, very early one summer, that I visited with my family, we even, just barely, got to see a coyote hunting near the geyser. What’s interesting, that is more than just Old Faithful here, is that the Upper Geyser Basin is totally brimming with a whole bunch of other geological eye-candy too. Morning Glory Pool, for example, is, pretty much, almost impossibly vibrant. Castle Geyser looks, in a way, so ancient. Plus, there is this whole network of boardwalks that actually makes discovering these features, you know, simple. I’d, kind of, suggest carving out at least a half day to genuinely take all of it. You do that at your own pace.

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2. Wildlife Spotting in the Hayden Valley

Speaking of wildlife, if you actually dig spotting animals in their natural habitat, Hayden Valley, that’s something you can’t pass on. This wide, sprawling valley, that’s sitting pretty in the heart of Yellowstone, actually provides awesome opportunities to catch glimpses of bison, elk, and sometimes even bears or wolves. On an early morning drive, I mean the light is truly fantastic, you’re that much more probable to spot these amazing creatures roaming around. Do pack, like your binoculars, and be that patient guy. Very often, stopping at the various viewpoints really gets you to the place where you are spotting that wildlife!

Anyway, I still think about this time when I actually visited, just about right when the sun began peeking over the hills, there was a huge herd of bison. Like grazing, you know, so peacefully. And once, that happened just the other day, it was totally awesome, yet, we even saw a couple of grizzly bears way off in the distance. Do take note to always keep, actually at all times, a safe distance from the animals. Yellowstone is where wild things roam! Doing so that also ensures, too it’s almost that we are not, for any reason, disrupting their natural conduct. Also, if you, like the chance to get more clued up regarding the ecosystem, actually stop at a ranger station or visitor center. Very insightful.

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3. Grand Prismatic Spring and Midway Geyser Basin

Okay, prepare to have that mind of yours blown by the sheer size, and the colors, very amazing of the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s just, seriously, Yellowstone’s biggest hot spring! It’s nestled within the Midway Geyser Basin. The array of colors, they stretch from that vivid blue in the center. That goes right out to oranges, yellows, and greens on the edges, that’s down to the different species of heat-loving bacteria that live in the water.

Speaking of personal tales, actually, the view from the boardwalks at ground level, those are awesome. But for a very really breathtaking outlook, that you won’t see any place else, take a short hike up to the Fairy Falls Trail viewpoint. We took that. That vantage point, yet, really lets you, more or less, completely appreciate the scale, and, like your friend’s photos on social media, the beauty of this totally remarkable natural wonder. The whole basin area, which has Excelsior Geyser, as well as some other unique geothermal features, are genuinely something to see. All in all, this trip is an amazing experience to enjoy that Mother Nature.

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4. Exploring Yellowstone Lake and the West Thumb Geyser Basin

For a change of scenery, anyway, why not head to Yellowstone Lake? This expansive lake, you see it’s the biggest lake at altitude in North America. It features that coastline with lots of geothermal areas, which gives a real eye-opening contrast to the cool, blue water. One very cool thing to see, if I can share a little here, that’s West Thumb Geyser Basin, actually is settled along the shore. It has geothermal features directly within the lake. You know, like Fishing Cone, this geyser where you may once have, in fact, could’ve caught a fish, you then actually could just plunk it straight into the boiling water to cook.

You see the boat tours available on Yellowstone Lake. This presents you the water, but for an entirely, more or less, totally other viewpoint on the park! Seriously though, if you are someone who likes being by the water, a little detour here will do the trick for a well needed peace and quiet time. So, too it’s almost that with some absolutely fabulous geological wonders on the shores you will have something fun to capture on film!.

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5. A Drive to Quake Lake and the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Actually want a slightly different pace of activity? Drive to Quake Lake. That’s found west of West Yellowstone in Montana. The drive is roughly about 40 minutes or so. Now that destination it will deliver something of education along with the outdoor splendor, it may deliver history, you see. In 1959, a major earthquake in this place created this whole lake. That buried a campground with it.

The Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, yet, there provides something super intriguing. It tells all about this, by the way, geologic event and the story about this spot. Now there is something there when you consider our visit just then, you realize about that power of nature. Just being close to where that actually took place, almost feels that you’ve gone back to time! A moment is very, very sobering. The view you get there it makes that moment almost unreal.

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