Last Updated: May 25, 2026
We spent a full week in Gardiner, Montana, at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It was the perfect base — a short drive to the entrance gate, and each morning we were greeted by elk and pronghorn antelope right along the road. We explored the park on multiple days, covering the Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, the Madison River corridor, and more thermal features than we could fit into one visit.
Gardiner, Montana
From Little Bighorn we traveled a few hours west to Gardiner. We stayed at the Yellowstone RV Park, which sits right on the Yellowstone River — hands down the best feature of the place. They offered 50-amp service, high water pressure (bring a water pressure regulator), sewer, cable, and decent internet. Verizon service was solid. Gardiner itself has a good selection of shops and restaurants, and the park entrance is just minutes away.
Flying Pig Adventure Company
Address: 511 Scott St W, Gardiner, MT 59030. Hours: Seasonal, typically May through September; trip times vary. Phone: (406) 848-7510. Website: flyingpigrafting.com.
We took a two-hour raft trip down the Yellowstone River with Flying Pig Adventure Company. Water levels were running high from snowmelt, which meant the current was fast but the rapids were washed out — not a white-knuckle ride, but a beautiful float through the canyon with great scenery. We barely got wet and had a lot of fun. The photo was taken from our motorhome as another raft came past.
Yellowstone National Park — North Entrance
North Entrance: US-89, Gardiner, MT 59030. Hours: The North Entrance is open year-round, 24 hours a day — it is the only entrance open to wheeled vehicles all winter. Interior road access varies seasonally. Admission: $35 per vehicle (valid for seven days); the America the Beautiful annual pass is accepted. Phone: (307) 344-7381. Website: nps.gov/yell.
Yellowstone from the north is a different experience than from the east or west — quieter in some areas, and the Lamar Valley alone is worth the trip for wildlife watchers. The only real downside to any Yellowstone visit is the crowds at the most popular stops and the long driving distances between features, but a week-long stay smoothed all of that out. We could spread the highlights across multiple days and pick our timing.
Lamar Valley
The Lamar Valley stretches east of Tower-Roosevelt in the northern section of the park — wide-open grassland, the Lamar River winding through the valley floor, and snow-capped peaks on every horizon. It is known as the Serengeti of North America for good reason. A large bison herd had taken up residence here, and the wildlife viewing from the road was exceptional morning after morning.
On the way to the Lamar Valley we passed Undine Falls — a lovely two-tiered waterfall tucked into a canyon just off the road between Mammoth and Tower. Most people drive right past it.
In and around the valley we came across mule deer, a coyote moving at a fast trot through the grass, and a black bear foraging along the road — all in a single morning.
Bull elk with antlers still in summer velvet were common near the entrance road, and pronghorn antelope grazed on the flats between Gardiner and the park boundary.
The bison herd in the Lamar Valley was massive — animals scattered across the valley floor and along the river, often right on the road. There is nothing quite like sitting in your car while a herd of bison walks past the windows.
Sandy spotted this yellow-bellied marmot basking on a rocky outcrop — one of those small delights that rewards anyone who slows down and looks beyond the obvious attractions.
Going over Dunraven Pass — the highest road in Yellowstone at 8,859 feet — we stopped repeatedly for wildflowers: sticky purple geranium, Rocky Mountain phlox, Rydberg’s penstemon, and more blooming in every direction.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs sits just inside the north entrance and covers a large area of hillside in layered travertine terraces — an entirely different visual experience from the geysers and hot springs in the rest of the park. Here, superheated water carrying dissolved limestone rises to the surface and deposits calcium carbonate as it cools, building the terraces inch by inch over thousands of years. The patterns and colors are extraordinary.
An extensive boardwalk system winds through the terraces, getting you close to the active pools and formations without damaging the fragile surface. The colors shift depending on which thermophile bacteria are active — white where there are none, orange and pink where the water is cooler and microbes thrive.
Beryl Spring
Beryl Spring sits right alongside the road on the Gibbon River, easy to miss but worth stopping for. It averages 198°F — one of the hottest springs in the entire park — and the water roils and steams visibly even in summer. A quick pull-off with almost no crowds.
Terrace Springs
Terrace Springs is a small cluster of thermal pools just off the Norris–Madison road, and almost nobody stopped while we were there. With the crowds pushing toward Old Faithful and Norris, this hidden spot was peaceful and just as beautiful. Worth the two-minute detour.
Norris Geyser Basin
Norris took us a few attempts over multiple days before we finally found parking — it is that popular. The wait was worth every bit of frustration. Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest in the park: a drill test here was abandoned when steam temperatures exceeded 400°F. The landscape is stark, barren in places, and deeply otherworldly.
Porcelain Basin is the open, barren section of Norris — its sulfuric acid environment kills most vegetation, giving it a lunar quality. Pink, red, and orange iron oxides and vivid yellow sulfur deposits brighten the pale ground, and small geysers erupt continuously across the basin floor.
Steamboat Geyser
Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser, capable of erupting to 380 feet — more than three times the height of Old Faithful. Major eruptions are unpredictable and rare, but even the minor eruptions we witnessed were impressive. Being near it when it goes off is said to be unforgettable.
Emerald Spring
Emerald Spring is a beautiful clear blue pool, but because of the yellow sulfur lining its interior, the combined effect produces a striking emerald green. Simple geology, stunning result.
Artists Paintpots
The Artists Paintpots area, a short mile-long trail south of Norris, is one of the more accessible and underrated stops in the park. The trail winds past bubbling grey and pink mud pots, milky blue pools, and small geysers — a compact sampler of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal range with far fewer people than the big attractions.
Waterfalls
Both Gibbon Falls and the Gardner River falls were running spectacularly full from spring snowmelt. Gibbon Falls drops 84 feet right over the rim of the Yellowstone caldera — geology and scenery in one stop. Easy pull-offs for both.
Wildflowers
June in Yellowstone is wildflower season across the park — meadows, roadsides, and mountain slopes all in bloom at once. We stopped constantly.
Madison River
The drive along the Madison River near the west entrance was one of the highlights of our entire week. A large elk herd with newborn calves had settled into the meadows along the river — the calves were tiny and wobbly on their legs, barely days old. Sandy stood quietly on the road’s edge with the herd grazing all around her. A moment we won’t forget.
Practical Tips for Visiting Gardiner and North Yellowstone
Stay at least a week if you can. Yellowstone is enormous — the park covers 3,500 square miles — and a week based in Gardiner let us spread the highlights across multiple days, pick our timing for crowds, and revisit favorites. Two days is not enough. Four is the minimum to feel like you have seen the park.
The North Entrance is the only year-round vehicle entrance. All other entrances close in winter, but the road from Gardiner to Cooke City via Mammoth stays open. If you visit in the off-season, this is your gateway, and Mammoth in winter is stunning.
The Lamar Valley at dawn is unmatched for wildlife. Get there by 6 or 7 a.m. and drive slowly. Bison, elk, pronghorn, coyotes, bears, and — if you are lucky — wolves are all active in the early morning in the valley. Bring binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one.
Norris Geyser Basin requires patience. The parking lot fills fast on summer mornings. We tried three times before we got a spot. Go early, or try late afternoon. The basin is worth as much time as you can give it — the Back Basin and Porcelain Basin together take a solid two hours.
Gardiner is a great base for an RV trip. The Yellowstone RV Park sits right on the river, hookups are solid, and the drive to the north entrance is minutes. The town has restaurants, outfitters, and gear shops. Flying Pig Adventure Company is right in town for rafting on the Yellowstone River.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lamar Valley known for?
The Lamar Valley in northern Yellowstone is known as the “Serengeti of North America” for its exceptional wildlife density. It is the best place in Yellowstone — and arguably in the lower 48 states — to see wolves, bison, elk, bears, and pronghorn in the wild, often in a single morning. The valley is wide, open, and easily viewed from the road.
How is Mammoth Hot Springs different from other Yellowstone thermal features?
Unlike the geysers and hot pools in the rest of the park, Mammoth Hot Springs is built from travertine — calcium carbonate deposited by hot water carrying dissolved limestone from deep underground. The result is a cascading series of stepped terraces, white and orange and pink, that look unlike anything else in the park. The terraces change constantly as water flow shifts and new formations grow.
What is Steamboat Geyser?
Steamboat Geyser at Norris Geyser Basin is the world’s tallest active geyser, capable of erupting to heights of 300–380 feet during a major eruption — more than three times the height of Old Faithful. Major eruptions are irregular and unpredictable, sometimes years apart, sometimes several per year. Minor eruptions happen more frequently. If you are near Norris when a major eruption begins, you will hear it before you see it.
Is rafting on the Yellowstone River worth it?
Yes, especially for a relaxed scenic float when water is running high in early summer. Companies like Flying Pig Adventure Company in Gardiner offer two-hour trips on the Yellowstone River through the Black Canyon. High water washes out the rapids but makes the current fast and the scenery dramatic. For serious whitewater, earlier or lower-water trips can be more exciting.
What wildlife can you see near the north entrance to Yellowstone?
The stretch between Gardiner and Mammoth is one of the best wildlife corridors in the park. Elk and pronghorn are nearly always visible near the entrance road. In the Lamar Valley, bison herds, coyotes, black bears, and grizzly bears are regularly spotted. We also saw a black bear, mule deer, a marmot, and a large elk herd with newborn calves along the Madison River in a single week.
thanks for sharing, beautiful photos as always!
Yellowstone is one of our favorites. Thank you!