8:30 AM · 2 h 30 min
Drive Bozeman airport to West Yellowstone
Scenic Gallatin Canyon route; pick up rental car first
Day-by-day plan, $5
Yellowstone in 4 days
For anyone going to West Yellowstone & Gardiner: all 4 days planned, 23 places in order.
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- Its places average 4.7 on Google19 rated places, 55,892 reviews
Watch Old Faithful erupt, walk past Grand Prismatic's colors, see Lower Falls from the canyon rim, and track bison and wolves in Lamar Valley. Relaxed pace with plenty of boardwalk time.
The plan
4 days · 23 stops
What it's like in JuneJune highs around 20°C (68°F), lows near 3.8°C (39°F). Expect about 9 rainy days, so pack a warm layer and a rain jacket.
Day 1
Madison River and Grand Prismatic
Wildlife river watch, then Grand Prismatic at sunset.
18 min
1:48 PM · 45 min
Firehole Avenue & North Canyon Street
Intersection800-foot rock walls and Firehole Falls, quieter than the loop
1 h 12 min
Photo: Carsten Steger / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.03:45 PM · 1 h 15 min
Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook
Scenic spotBest colors in early-afternoon sun, 0.8 miles each way
4.9(879)Googlefree
5 min
Photo: Bryant Thompson / Google1 h 13 min
Photo: M. H. / Google7:18 PM · 1 h 30 min
Madison Crossing Lounge
RestaurantRibeye and game sausage in the historic school
4.4(1,460)Google$$-$$$
Day 2
Old Faithful and the geyser basins
Early eruption, boardwalks, then bison at dusk.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.08:00 AM · 1 h
Old Faithful
Tourist attractionCheck NPS predictions; arrive 30 minutes early
4.7(28,237)Googlefree
10 min
Photo: Jayati Das / Google9:15 AM · 2 h
Morning Glory Pool
Tourist attractionCastle, Grotto and Daisy geysers on the way
4.9(1,238)Googlefree
10 min
Photo: Sean Xu / Google11:30 AM · 45 min
Observation Point Trailhead
Hiking areaElevated view over the whole geyser basin
4.9(20)Googlefree
11 min
Photo: Domenico Salvagnin from Legnaro, Italy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.02:00 PM · 45 min
Black Sand Basin
Tourist attractionBiscuit Basin is closed; this is the quieter swap
4.8(983)Googlefree
1 h 5 min
Photo: 王振榮 / Google3:50 PM · 1 h 15 min
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Hiking areaAzure springs border the cold blue lake
4.8(144)Googlefree
1 h 16 min
Photo: J. Schmidt / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain6:30 PM · 1 h 30 min
Hayden Valley
Natural featureBison herds and possible grizzlies at golden hour
4.8(334)Googlefree
Day 3
Grand Canyon to Mammoth
Dawn falls views, Norris boardwalks, Mammoth terraces.
Photo: My camera and me / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.06:00 AM · 1 h
Artist Point
Scenic spotSoft light on the 308-foot Lower Falls, few crowds
4.9(2,607)Googlefree
9 min
Photo: Daniel McAdams / Google12 min
Photo: MsFayeling / Google49 min
Photo: Magicpiano / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.010:45 AM · 1 h 30 min
Norris Geyser Basin
Hiking areaHottest, most acidic basin; Steamboat Geyser lives here
4.8(8)Googlefree
1 h 13 min
Photo: Prateek Bijapurkar / Google1:45 PM · 2 h
Mammoth Hot Springs
Tourist attractionTravertine terraces unlike anywhere else in the park
4.7(6,659)Googlefree
22 min
Photo: Bob Moffett / Google4:15 PM · 30 min
Roosevelt Arch - Yellowstone North Entrance
Monument1903 stone arch at the park's north gate
4.8(2,628)Googlefree
4 min
Photo: HB / Google6:00 PM · 1 h 30 min
Wonderland Cafe & Lodge
RestaurantGardiner's top pick; scratch-made local comfort food
4.4(1,944)Google$$-$$$
Day 4
Lamar Valley wildlife and home
Bison and pronghorn drive, waterfall stop, lunch in Gardiner.
Photo: Brett Tobler / Google7:45 AM · 1 h 15 min
Lamar Valley
Scenic spotBison herds with red calves, plus pronghorn
4.9(2,186)Googlefree
50 min
Photo: Daniel Mayer / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.09:50 AM · 45 min
Tower Fall
Tourist attraction132-foot fall framed by volcanic pinnacles
4.7(1,643)Googlefree
11:00 AM · 2 h 30 min
Drive via Mammoth and Gardiner to Bozeman
Reach Bozeman airport for your flight home
39 min
Photo: The CORRAL / Google2:09 PM · 1 h
The CORRAL
RestaurantLongtime Gardiner chophouse serving hearty Western lunches.
4.2(1,169)Google
Take it with you
Every day is here to read. The app adds offline maps, the next stop and the walk to it as you go, and updates until you go.
- 4-day loop: geysers, canyon, Lamar Valley, Mammoth
- Where to sleep and drive times between stops
- Morning wildlife and quiet geyser hours
- Offline maps in the app
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Give it as a giftNot ready yet? Tell Sally why.
Thanks, that helps.
Sally can plan your ownRead Day 1 freeYellowstone itinerary for 4 days: how the route works
This plan is four days in Yellowstone National Park for two adults with a rental car, flying in and out of Bozeman in June. It sleeps in West Yellowstone, then Gardiner on the last night, and is built around the geyser basins from Grand Prismatic to Old Faithful, Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, and bison in Hayden and Lamar valleys.
The 4-day Yellowstone itinerary, day by day
- Day 1, Madison River and Grand Prismatic: pick up the car at Bozeman airport, take the Gallatin Canyon route to West Yellowstone, watch for elk and bison on the Madison River, drive the volcanic canyon to Firehole Falls, see Grand Prismatic Spring from the overlook, then walk the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk at the spring's edge.
- Day 2, Old Faithful and the geyser basins: an Old Faithful eruption, the Upper Geyser Basin loop to Morning Glory Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin beside Yellowstone Lake, and bison in Hayden Valley at dusk.
- Day 3, Grand Canyon to Mammoth: Lower Falls at dawn from Artist Point and from its brink, Norris Geyser Basin, and the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, ending at the Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner.
- Day 4, Lamar Valley and home: a morning drive through Lamar Valley for bison and pronghorn, Tower Fall, then out through Mammoth and Gardiner to Bozeman airport.
How many days in Yellowstone?
This plan uses four and gives each part of the park its own day: the Firehole and Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful's basins, the canyon and Mammoth, then Lamar Valley on the way home. It doesn't include Grand Teton, and it starts and ends at Bozeman airport.
With three days, Day 4 is the simplest cut. Day 3 already ends in Gardiner, by the park's north gate, so you can drive to Bozeman from there and skip Lamar Valley and Tower Fall. With a week, Iceland in 7 days is another June road trip built on geysers and waterfalls, with Geysir on the Golden Circle.
Driving Yellowstone: the pass, wildlife and parking
- The plan's cost note for park entry is a $35 vehicle pass. Fill the tank and buy bear spray in town before you go in.
- Keep 25 yards from elk and bison and 100 yards from wolves and bears.
- Stop for wildlife only at pullouts; bison jams can add 30 to 90 minutes.
- Stay on the boardwalks in the geyser basins, where the crust is thin.
- Parking fills early: the Fairy Falls trailhead lot for the Grand Prismatic overlook by midday, Norris by mid-morning, and Artist Point by 9:30 a.m.
Where to stay and eat
The plan sleeps in West Yellowstone, then in Gardiner for the last night. The first dinner is at Madison Crossing Lounge in West Yellowstone, set in a historic school, for ribeye, game sausage and huckleberry cocktails. It's rated 4.4 on Google by 1,460 reviewers; reserve ahead. In Gardiner, Wonderland Cafe & Lodge does elk chili and bison burgers, rated 4.4 by 1,944 reviewers; go early to beat the dinner wait.
The plan doesn't price flights, the car or rooms; to total them for two, use the trip cost calculator.
How this plan was made. Sally, Highlights' AI trip planner, wrote it from a brief written for this trip. Its stops are matched to their Google Maps listings (checked Nov 12, 2026), and the ratings, hours and addresses come from Google.
Questions
When is the best time to see Grand Prismatic Spring?
The plan's note is that the colors are best in early-afternoon sun. It views the spring from the overlook, 0.8 miles each way from the Fairy Falls trailhead, whose lot fills by midday, then walks the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk for the steam and the brilliant rims up close.
How do you plan around Old Faithful's eruptions?
Check the NPS eruption predictions and arrive 30 minutes early to get a bench seat on the boardwalk. This plan watches Old Faithful at the start of Day 2, then walks the Upper Geyser Basin loop past Castle, Grotto and Daisy geysers to Morning Glory Pool. Daisy erupts often; ask rangers for its timing.
Where can you see wildlife in Yellowstone in four days?
On this plan: elk and bison in the Madison River meadows on Day 1, bison herds and possible grizzlies in Hayden Valley at dusk on Day 2, elk that often rest on the village lawns at Mammoth on Day 3, and bison with red calves plus pronghorn in Lamar Valley on Day 4.
What is the weather like in Yellowstone in June?
June highs are around 20°C (68°F) and lows near 3.8°C (39°F), with about 9 rainy days. Pack a warm layer and a rain jacket. Mornings at the canyon are cold, so dress in layers for the early start at Artist Point.
