Rustic Falls in Wyoming is a small roadside stop that many people pass by, but it's really worth a…read morequick stop. The waterfall is right next to the parking area, so you can see it instantly without any hiking. Because the parking is limited, it stays quiet and often feels like a hidden spot. While others rush to bigger attractions, this place gives you a calm, simple moment in nature. The waterfall itself isn't huge, but it's beautiful in its own way -- water rushing over the rocks, framed by trees and open sky. It feels natural, peaceful, and refreshing. If you're driving by, stop for a few minutes. It's simple, easy, and surprisingly memorable.

Here at the Rustic Falls on Grand Loop Road, on the western side of the North Loop, we stopped at…read morethe first of two pulloffs for an amazing view of the towering fractured Golden Gate wall of golden-reddish stone. The pulloff is not large. There's another just ahead. We were protected from the deep canyon by a low wall. Rustic Falls are directly below this pulloff. A fantastic experience! For photography, we actually liked the view of the falls better from the very next pulloff.

Bunsen peak is a lovely hike that I would consider to be moderate. I received the rec to do this…read morehike from a ranger at the station near West Geyser after I'd asked about Mount Washburn trail and Avalanche peak (recs from a friend). The ranger told me that the peaks were actually still covered in snow (per cameras they have) and that the trails would be icy even though it was the end of May, so they wouldn't be recommended. But she said that Bunsen offers a lovely landscape peak at the top and had almost no snow at all so it would be a good option. I'm glad I went! The trailhead has a small parking lot, there were a couple spots available when I came around 10am. It took me about an hour to go up the trail to the peak, and I did encounter some snow and slippery areas because of how steep they were near the peak, but it was navigable with just my hiking boots (I didn't have chains or crampons on). The view at the top was totally worth it, it was just stunning! You get a 360 view depending on where you're standing, and the weather was excellent too - clear skies with just a few clouds and a cool breeze but it isn't cold since you're moving around. Was a great place to stop for a snack, and I actually had 2-3 bars of signal so I FaceTimed my mom to show her the view. Would rec this trail to anyone visiting Yellowstone who wants a moderate hike with a gorgeous sweeping view of the park, including all the way into mammoth lake area and Montana!

Remember the old days in high school where you got to use a Bunsen Burner in science lab? Well this…read morepeak is named after the guy who invented it - German chemist Robert Bunsen. He was responsible for early work on volcanic geyser theories and got a mountain named after him for it. When I visited Yellowstone, my goal was to do a hike everyday. This one was probably my favorite. It's relatively short and gives you amazing panoramic views. The hike to Bunsen Peak summit is 2.1 miles (4.2 miles roundtrip). You can get there and back in 3-4 hrs. But you don't have to go all the way to the top to get great views. You can see Mammoth Hot Springs in the far distance within the first hour of the hike. The beginning part of the hike is filled with a lot of trees until you make a turn at Cathedral Rock. Then you hit a lot of switchbacks until you get to the top. You can continue on to Osprey Falls from the summit if you want to make your day a little longer. Parking for Bunsen Peak is right off Grand Loop Road. The lot is pretty small and fills up quick. There is another parking lot across the street and down the road a little bit if you don't mind the short walk. This hike was a lot of fun! I highly recommend you fit it in your day if you are visiting Yellowstone.

Another must do when visiting the Canyon area of Yellowstone National Park. A very easy walk to…read morethe Brink of the Upper Falls for a great view of the falls. Also recommend the the Upper Falls View, Uncle Tom's Trail (when it is open again) and Artist Point on the South Rim and Brink of the Lower Falls, Lookout Point (take the additional walk down to the lower viewpoint) on the North Rim.

The two main roads coming into West Yellowstone have great photo-ready Welcome signs. This…read morelocation on the Yelp map is on Gallatin as you come from the north, across the road from a rather-hidden motel, just north of where all the buildings start. I like this Welcome sign more than the other, because it's easier to get trees for your background. Be sure to angle around to try for the mountain-shaped top and bottom edges of the sign!

The Gardiner Chamber of Commerce is located in a shopping center right across and right outside the…read moreentrance of Yellowstone. There is plenty of parking. If anyone needs to use the restroom , I recommend coming here and using these nice clean restrooms. These are just to relive yourself , absolutely NO grooming yourself like a sink bath or anything like that . They had signs prohibiting that. There are lots and lots of magazines , maps , and pamphlets here that are free. There are also lots of little information areas inside. They had information and displays on the rocks and fossils in Yellowstone. They had the nicest volunteers who were ready to help with all the publications I was filling my arms up with. I explained that the tourist books are what helps me be Yelpful on Yelp ;) I would stop here if you have younger ones that need a cool spot to walk around on warm days for a few minutes or if you need to inquire about permits for anything from fishing to camp spots. They can answer your questions.

We liked Gardiner MT at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It's a very small town,…read moreand we found it easy to walk everywhere. There were cute and rustic places to eat and to shop. Some of them have a good number of years of history behind them. The next time we come to The Yellowstone national Park, maybe we'll stay in Gardiner.

When we viewed this herd of bison (Jul 2026), we were at Lat-Lon 44.6231666667, -110.4309722222 ,…read morejust south of the Mud Volcano parking area. I mention this because the Yelp map had the wrong location as of Aug 2026.

After our side-drive down Firehole Canyon Road to Firehole Falls, we drove another mile or so to…read morethe Firehole River Swimming Area. The beach was closed, which we knew, ahead of time. There was a gravel parking lot on the left about one tenth mile past the beach, and we walked back just past the beach to the waterless vault-style outhouses. Like the others we've seen, these were clean, and had the necessary supplies.

I was not sure about coming all the way out here because my original itinerary had me taking the…read moreroad on the other side of the park. However, I fortunately was informed by rangers that Bunsen peak (close to mammoth springs) was a better choice than the original trails I was gonna check out (they were still covered in snow!), so I came here because it's just minutes away from the Bunsen peak trailhead. I'm so glad I did! The formations of the hot spring are SO interesting, one of the coolest areas in the park in my opinion. The colors are lovely, and the path is very accessible (it's a big wooden boardwalk, like how the thumb geyser basin area is). There are a number of steps but parts of the path are flat/wheelchair accessible. There is sporadic parking throughout, and a lot of turnover so I got a spot reasonably easy. There are maps posted all throughout the area so you can walk the whole thing and not get lost. Overall, I would highly rec a visit to this area for anyone visiting Yellowstone, it's really cool and I've not seen any other natural springs before that are quite like it. 10/10!!!

# WARNING: lotta snakes at this section of Yellowstone. And temperamental geothermal ground. Stay…read moreon the boardwalk. Keep your eyes peeled. + Thank goodness for sufficient well-maintained restrooms. ~ Initially when I saw over 5 ppl lined up at the single vault toilet at the Upper Terrace Lot (X77R+PP Mammoth, WY), my heart sank. Since I really needed to go, I drove 5min farther north to MHS' other bigger parking lot, and huzzah! Enough restrooms to go around for everyone! (X7FW+X7 Mammoth, WY). + And about the bullsnakes or gopher snakes fighting, I'm glad they were doing it on the thermal ground, not on the boardwalk. Don't bring your pets, and watch your kids. Pets have died wandering off the boardwalk, and humans have suffered 90%-body severe burns following suit. Lotta aptly named palette springs here. Nature is wondrous!