A day trip that you can access from either the West Entrance or the North Entrance is to drive the northern loop road. There are several points of interest along this drive that don’t require long walks. Most sites you can see from your car or by walking just a short distance on paved walkways. Mammoth Hot Springs, near the North Entrance, is another area that gets very crowded. Parking can be difficult there so if this is high on your “must see” list then arrive early. The village area around Mammoth Hot Springs includes the hotel, restaurant and a visitor center. There are often elk lounging on the lawns right next to the buildings.

As you continue on the road past Mammoth look for the turn to the Blacktail Plateau Drive. This is a one way 6-mile dirt and gravel road that will take you on top of the Blacktail Plateau for some great scenery. If you are lucky, you will run into a herd of bison and a black bear or two.Once you reach the Tower -Roosevelt junction, you can head toward the Lamar Valley, or you can continue around the loop toward Canyon Village. Lamar Valley is known for the abundance of wildlife, but we have never seen much there. I think it is because we usually don’t arrive there until late afternoon. The Lamar Valley is probably best to explore if you are staying near the north entrance and can get an earlier start.

My favorite area of Yellowstone is the drive between Tower Junction and Canyon Village along the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. At Tower Falls there is a short, paved walk from the parking lot to the falls. The rock formations surrounding the falls look like towers, thus the name. There is also a trailhead here for more experienced hikers.

Leaving Tower Falls you will travel over Dunraven Pass. There are incredible views and plenty of spots to pull off and enjoy the scenery.

Continuing on, drive past the junction at Canyon Village and drive a bit further to the South Rim Drive. Stop at the upper falls viewpoint – there is a large parking lot here where you can walk a short way to see the upper falls. After that continue on to Artist Point. This may be my favorite spot in all of Yellowstone. It is a short level walk out to the viewpoint. Artist point is the subject of many photographs and paintings. Once you see it you will understand why. The mist at the bottom of the falls as you look up the canyon seems magical.

After leaving the South Rim Drive, backtrack and take the North Rim Drive. Drive out to Inspiration Point for more great views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Leaving the North Rim Drive, backtrack to Canyon Village. It is worth the time to stop here either before or after your drive to the South rim. There is a nice visitor center, a couple of restaurants, and a grocery that sells snacks and souvenirs. It is a good stop for lunch if you have not packed a cooler to take with you.

Leaving Canyon Village take the road toward Norris. This is a short drive, but we have seen lots of wildlife in this area, herds of elk, coyotes, and a lone bison right on the road

When you get to Norris you will travel either north or west depending on where you started. This will complete the loop. This drive will take most of the day depending on how often you stop for the sights.