We recommend starting off early as possible in the morning, because even from West Yellowstone, many stops are at least 45 minutes away. Ernie’s offers a great breakfast and boxed lunches. Order online the night before to pick up quickly on the go.
Drive straight to Old Faithful, the most well-known attraction. Find out the time of the next eruption (every 90 minutes), so you can plan your time accordingly. If it is within 30 minutes, go ahead and grab a seat. Otherwise, plan to be back 15 minutes early to wait for the eruption. Any view is a good view. This is a good place to tour the Visitor Center, gift shop, and use the restrooms while you wait.
While we recommend bringing lunch and snacks into the park, the Old Faithful Inn and Dining Room is worth a stop. It is a beautiful 1908 inn from the early days of the park. Head up the stairs to look down on the lobby from above. Peak into the dining room, if you can’t make dinner reservations.
After you see Old Faithful, hike the Geyser Hill Loop all the way to Morning Glory Pool. It is worth the time and energy to stroll the boardwalks and see this variety of geysers, springs, and wildlife.
The Old Faithful area should take you the majority of the morning and into the early afternoon. On the way back towards West Yellowstone, we recommend stopping at the Grand Prismatic Spring and Fountain Paint Pots.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is better in the afternoon or anytime when the air isn’t freezing. The cold air creates steam and then it is difficult to see the grand scale of the large spring. You may end up parking along the roadway for this popular attraction, but visiting this short boardwalk is worth it.
Finally, stop at the Fountain Paint Pots to take that short walk and see the “boiling” mud. This area is better than the Artists Paint Pots, but we recommend seeing one or the other.
We did explore the other areas that you pass, Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin, but they can be skipped if you are short on time. While they have some colorful and consistent eruptions, you will see many geothermal features throughout Yellowstone, and can focus on the best ones.
This will give you time to get to West Yellowstone in time for dinner, even with the bison traffic jams. In West Yellowstone, the Buffalo Bar is a great place for drinks and pub food. Try the huckleberry lemonade or the huckleberry margarita.