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Kansas City, MO
United States
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ITINERARY (Full Day)
Old Faithful Geyser
Artist Paintpots
Artist Point
nugget’s Advice
Prepare in advance
If you plan on camping or staying at a lodge in the Park, book your stay at least 2 months in advance. Spots fill up quickly, especially in the summer. Download the Yellowstone app prior to driving to the park. It is very helpful, but there is little-to-no internet/wifi access in the park to use it. Be sure to pick up a Ranger’s wildlife sighting guide for your kids as soon as you get to the park.
Good to know
Some areas of Yellowstone are not stroller accessible. Make sure to bring a backpack or sling for little ones. In general, keep close to those kiddos who tend to wander off. Signs everywhere in the Park indicate that the ground is unstable and visitors should keep to the paths. Be prepared to possibly sit in “traffic,” especially during peak season.
Recommended day/time
The earlier the start, the less people are out. As it gets closer to lunch, more people are out and about.
Recommended time of the year
I personally would not take small children to Yellowstone in the winter—especially if you are camping. Even in August, the temperature dropped to the low/mid-40s during the night and in the morning. By noon it had warmed up considerably but I can imagine the winters in Yellowstone are brutal.
Save Money
National Park entrance fees can be spendy, so if you plan on visiting more than one in a year, purchase a National Park Pass. Fuel up and grocery shop outside the park. Gas and groceries inside the park are more expensive.
About This Day
This family-friendly tour of Yellowstone National Park takes you to some of the must-see sights in one of America’s greatest national parks. Kids will love to spot wildlife as you drive through the park and each stop provides a unique opportunity to connect with nature. Start your day with the awe-inspiring eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. Even little kids will be mesmerized by the steaming water shooting from the ground. Next, head to the Artist Paintpots for a leisurely walk around the colorful pools. Early morning light is particularly pretty. End your day with the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This Yellowstone for kids itinerary will certainly be a memorable day for all!
FREE
Old Faithful is probably the most popular and well-known spot in the park. Steam rising from the geyser’s vents can be seen in the distance in all directions. The viewing area has a wide, boardwalk-like walking paths that’s very stroller-friendly. It looks like a lovely place to take a morning stroll. There are also hiking trails in the Geyser Basin, but we didn’t try them. The erupting geyser can be seen from many spots, so even if you walk around the area and it’s crowded, the chances are good that you will see it from wherever you are. Our nuggets were impatient waiting for the geyser to erupt (we waited almost 30 minutes), but once it did they were captivated. Even my one-year-old nuggets kept pointing and saying “wow!” over and over. What’s more, each eruption lasts close to 10 minutes, so there’s time to get to “the show” even after it starts. Overall, Old Faithful is well equipped for the crowds it draws (i.e., plenty of parking, bathrooms with flush toilets/running water).
DIRECTIONS Follow the map to the Old Faithful area. From the parking lot walk to the visitors center. Straight out from the visitors center is the Old Faithful viewing area and walking paths.
TIP Visit the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center first to see when the estimated time is for the next eruption. Get to the viewing area 10-15 minutes prior if you want good seats, otherwise you can see it standing in the back too. There's plenty to watch/read in the visitor center for older kids. The cafeteria is pricy, but the food was good and it was a family-friendly atmosphere.
FREE
Compared to Old Faithful, this area is more “rustic.” The restrooms are pit toilets and there are no paved paths. However, you will feel closer to nature in this part of the park. It's quiet and doesn't draw big crowds. It is also a great place to see small wildlife such as rabbits, chipmunks and birds. To reach the Paintpots, walk a little ways on unpaved paths until the boardwalk paths begin. If you have a stroller, avoid the upper trails (which have stairs) and stick to the lower trail. But pretty much everything can be seen from the lower trails, anyway. Once there, it is quite interesting: each “poo” is a different color (hence the name). A couple of them stink! So much so, in fact, you should prepare to hear some complaints from your kiddos. We visited the Paintpots early in the morning with only a handful of other visitors walking around. The timing was perfect. The morning sun shining through the rising steam is breathtaking.
DIRECTIONS Artist Paintpots are located in the Norris area of Yellowstone National Park. There's a small parking lot and you follow the trail to the pools. The trail is not paved.
TIP Many of the pools are quite hot and bubbly and in some places there is no railing. Make sure to keep a close eye on little ones that like to wander off.
Artist Point
South Rim Trail, Yellowstone National Park
FREE
There are many places to view the Canyon and the Upper/Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. The Artist Point on the South Rim Trail presents a dramatic view of cliffs and drops offs. It is remarkable how the river is such a vivid blue-green color and the sound of the rushing water is relaxing. I'm not much for heights myself and watching my kids lean over the edge to look at the river below made me feel dizzy. However, my husband and our kids enjoyed the views! We opted to use our carriers and ditch the stroller. If you stick to the viewpoint, a stroller would be fine. But if you wanted to walk along the trail along the Canyon, a stroller would not work. There is no visitors center/restaurant/shop but there are portable toilets in the parking lot. There is a Canyon Visitors Center in a different area of the park, but we didn’t visit it.
DIRECTIONS Follow the map to the Artist Point viewing area on the South Rim Trail.
TIP Visit early to avoid the crowds. We arrived around lunchtime and it was packed. We also found it difficult to find a parking spot for our RV because there were so many visitors. For those who suffer from vertigo, both the view and the cliffside drive to get there may be challenging. Keep your kids close and make sure everyone is wearing proper footwear. People have fallen to their death before.
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Yellowstone National Park Madison Campground
West Entrance Road, Yellowstone National Park
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WE LOVEDThe campground was very quiet.
WE DIDN'T LIKESites are pretty close together.
TIPCome prepared. There are flush toilets/running water, but no hook-ups for RVs (most sites within the national park don’t have RV hook-ups). Garbage needs to be hung and food not in use needs to be stored away to avoid attracting wildlife. Keep in mind it gets cold at night/early morning even during the summer months. Also, there is little to no Internet/wifi is available inside the park. If you are not into camping, you can opt for the Old Faithful Lodge. We might stay there next time, especial since my 5-year-old son pointed out that it is the model for the lodge in the Disney movie Planes Fire & Rescue (2014).
STAYED14 August, 2016 with
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