Public itinerary
Yellowstone Family Slow Loop
Yellowstone Family Slow Loop is a 25-day relaxed, family-friendly, mid-range self-drive with scenic lodge stays and easy boardwalk days itinerary for Bozeman, West Yellowstone,...
Bozeman, West Yellowstone, Madison, Old Faithful
Day 1 - Mon, Jul 6
Bozeman, West Yellowstone
Arrive via Bozeman and pick up rental car
11:00 AMBozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Easy lunch stop in Bozeman
12:30 PMBozeman
Drive to West Yellowstone
2:30 PMWest Yellowstone
Check in and settle near the West Entrance
5:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Early dinner and trip briefing
6:30 PMWest Yellowstone
Day 2 - Tue, Jul 7
West Yellowstone, Madison, Old Faithful
Enter Yellowstone early via West Entrance
7:00 AMWest Entrance
Easy wildlife-and-river stop at Madison area
8:00 AMMadison Junction
Old Faithful eruption and Upper Geyser Basin boardwalks
9:30 AMOld Faithful
Old Faithful Visitor Education Center
11:30 AMOld Faithful
Lunch in the Old Faithful area
12:30 PMOld Faithful
Check into Old Faithful area lodge and rest
3:00 PMOld Faithful
Day 3 - Wed, Jul 8
Old Faithful, Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin, Old Faithful
Slow breakfast at the lodge
8:00 AMOld Faithful
Biscuit Basin short boardwalk outing
9:30 AMBiscuit Basin
Black Sand Basin wander
11:00 AMBlack Sand Basin
Picnic or casual lunch back in Old Faithful
12:30 PMOld Faithful
Free afternoon for naps, gift shops, or another eruption
2:00 PMOld Faithful
Day 4 - Thu, Jul 9
Old Faithful, West Thumb, Lake Village
Scenic drive toward Yellowstone Lake
8:30 AMCraig Pass to West Thumb
West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalks
9:30 AMWest Thumb
Lunch near Lake Village
12:00 PMLake Village
Check in at Lake area lodging
1:30 PMLake Village
Yellowstone Lake shoreline stroll
4:00 PMLake Village
Day 5 - Fri, Jul 10
Lake Village, Hayden Valley, Canyon
Drive north through Hayden Valley
7:30 AMHayden Valley
Wildlife stops in Hayden Valley
8:15 AMHayden Valley
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone overlooks
10:00 AMCanyon Area
Canyon Visitor Education Center
12:00 PMCanyon Village
Lunch in Canyon Village
1:00 PMCanyon Village
Check into Canyon area lodging
3:00 PMCanyon Village
Day 6 - Sat, Jul 11
Canyon
Breakfast and easy start
8:00 AMCanyon Village
North Rim viewpoints
9:30 AMGrand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Picnic lunch with canyon views
12:00 PMCanyon Area
Lodge downtime or junior-ranger style break
1:30 PMCanyon Village
Sunset return to one favorite overlook
6:30 PMCanyon Area
Day 7 - Sun, Jul 12
Canyon, Norris, Mammoth
Drive to Norris Geyser Basin
8:00 AMNorris Junction
Norris Geyser Basin short loop
9:00 AMNorris Geyser Basin
Lunch on arrival in Mammoth
12:00 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Lower Terrace Drive and boardwalks
1:30 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Check into Mammoth area lodging
4:00 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Day 8 - Mon, Jul 13
Mammoth, Lamar Valley, Mammoth
Early drive to Lamar Valley
6:30 AMLamar Valley
Wildlife watching from pullouts
7:30 AMLamar Valley
Late breakfast or brunch back in Mammoth
10:30 AMMammoth Hot Springs
Midday rest at the lodge
12:00 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Afternoon terrace revisit or Albright area wander
3:30 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Day 9 - Tue, Jul 14
Mammoth, Tower-Roosevelt
Drive toward Tower-Roosevelt
9:00 AMTower-Roosevelt
Tower Fall stop
10:30 AMTower Fall
Lunch near Roosevelt
12:00 PMTower-Roosevelt
Check into Roosevelt area cabins
1:30 PMTower-Roosevelt
Easy evening drive into the Northeast corridor
5:00 PMTower Junction area
Day 10 - Wed, Jul 15
Tower-Roosevelt, Lamar Valley
Cabin-area breakfast
7:30 AMTower-Roosevelt
Second Lamar Valley wildlife morning
8:30 AMLamar Valley
Short roadside picnic and river views
11:30 AMLamar Valley
Rest at Roosevelt cabins
2:00 PMTower-Roosevelt
Relaxed lodge dinner
6:00 PMTower-Roosevelt
Day 11 - Thu, Jul 16
Tower-Roosevelt, Mammoth, Gardiner
Drive out via Mammoth toward Gardiner
9:00 AMMammoth to Gardiner
Arch photo stop at the North Entrance
10:30 AMRoosevelt Arch
Lunch in Gardiner
12:00 PMGardiner
Hotel afternoon and pool time
2:00 PMGardiner
Casual dinner in town
6:00 PMGardiner
Day 12 - Fri, Jul 17
Gardiner, Mammoth, Norris, Old Faithful
Re-enter Yellowstone and drive south
8:00 AMNorth Entrance
Brief Mammoth stop if terraces were missed
8:45 AMMammoth Hot Springs
Lunch in Norris or en route south
12:00 PMCentral Yellowstone
Continue to Old Faithful area
1:30 PMOld Faithful
Check in and enjoy a quiet geyser-basin evening
4:00 PMOld Faithful
Day 13 - Sat, Jul 18
Old Faithful, Midway Geyser Basin, Firehole
Breakfast in the lodge area
8:00 AMOld Faithful
Midway Geyser Basin and Grand Prismatic overlook area
9:30 AMMidway Geyser Basin
Firehole Lake Drive style geothermal sightseeing
11:30 AMFirehole area
Lunch back near Old Faithful
1:00 PMOld Faithful
Free afternoon at leisure
2:30 PMOld Faithful
Day 14 - Sun, Jul 19
Old Faithful, West Yellowstone
Late-morning exit to West Yellowstone
10:00 AMWest Yellowstone
Lunch in West Yellowstone
12:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Hotel check-in and easy afternoon
2:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Browse shops or visitor info in town
4:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Casual dinner in town
6:30 PMWest Yellowstone
Day 15 - Mon, Jul 20
West Yellowstone, Madison, Fountain Paint Pot
Short return drive into the park
8:00 AMWest Entrance
Fountain Paint Pot area boardwalks
9:00 AMLower Geyser Basin
Picnic and river views near Madison
11:30 AMMadison Area
Return to town for downtime
2:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Dinner at your own pace
6:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Day 16 - Tue, Jul 21
West Yellowstone, Old Faithful
Optional return to Old Faithful corridor
8:00 AMOld Faithful
Favorite basin revisit or short ranger-style stop
9:30 AMOld Faithful
Lunch in the village
12:00 PMOld Faithful
Return to West Yellowstone
2:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Quiet evening in town
4:00 PMWest Yellowstone
Day 17 - Wed, Jul 22
West Yellowstone, Bozeman
Drive to Bozeman for a city break
9:00 AMBozeman
Lunch in downtown Bozeman
12:00 PMBozeman
Hotel check-in and relaxed afternoon
2:00 PMBozeman
Stroll downtown or local park
4:30 PMBozeman
Dinner in Bozeman
6:30 PMBozeman
Day 18 - Thu, Jul 23
Bozeman, Gardiner
Drive south to Gardiner
10:00 AMGardiner
Lunch on arrival
12:30 PMGardiner
Check in and slow afternoon
2:00 PMGardiner
Evening river or town walk
5:00 PMGardiner
Dinner with early night
6:30 PMGardiner
Day 19 - Fri, Jul 24
Gardiner, Mammoth, Lamar Valley
North Entrance re-entry for wildlife day
6:30 AMNorth Entrance
Lamar Valley sunrise-to-morning viewing
8:00 AMLamar Valley
Brunch back toward Mammoth or Gardiner
11:30 AMMammoth/Gardiner
Hotel rest and pack buffer
2:00 PMGardiner
Simple dinner in town
6:00 PMGardiner
Day 20 - Sat, Jul 25
Gardiner, Mammoth, Norris
Gentle central-loop day from Gardiner
8:30 AMMammoth to Norris
Choose-one basin revisit
10:00 AMNorris or nearby geothermal area
Picnic lunch in a scenic pullout area
12:30 PMCentral Yellowstone
Brief Mammoth terrace stop on return
3:00 PMMammoth Hot Springs
Final Gardiner evening
5:30 PMGardiner
Day 21 - Sun, Jul 26
Gardiner, Bozeman
Drive back to Bozeman
10:00 AMBozeman
Lunch in Bozeman
12:30 PMBozeman
Hotel check-in and pool/rest time
2:00 PMBozeman
Easy evening downtown wander
5:00 PMBozeman
Day 22 - Mon, Jul 27
Bozeman
Leisurely breakfast
8:30 AMBozeman
Open family day
10:30 AMBozeman
Lunch at your own pace
1:00 PMBozeman
Optional neighborhood stroll
4:00 PMBozeman
Dinner and early packing
6:30 PMBozeman
Day 23 - Tue, Jul 28
Bozeman
Breakfast near hotel
8:30 AMBozeman
Free day for backup weather or rest
10:00 AMBozeman
Lunch break
12:30 PMBozeman
Optional final souvenir stop
3:30 PMBozeman
Relaxed dinner
6:30 PMBozeman
Day 24 - Wed, Jul 29
Bozeman
Slow breakfast and final trip recap
9:00 AMBozeman
Pool, park, or downtime
11:00 AMBozeman
Lunch at leisure
1:00 PMBozeman
Finish packing and rental-car cleanup
3:00 PMBozeman
Farewell dinner
6:30 PMBozeman
Day 25 - Thu, Jul 30
Bozeman
Breakfast and final checkout
8:00 AMBozeman
Drive to the airport and return rental car
9:30 AMBozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Fly home
11:30 AMBozeman Yellowstone International Airport