Yellowstone Itinerary with Kids
Yellowstone With Kids: Our 7-Day Family Itinerary (And We Didn’t Even Hit the Lower Loop!)
If you’re planning a family trip to Yellowstone National Park with kids and feeling a little overwhelmed—take a deep breath. You’re in the right place. In this post, I’m walking you through our 7-day Yellowstone itinerary with three kids, how we broke up the trip (without doing the whole Lower Loop!), where we stayed, what we loved, and what we’d do differently.
Whether you’re traveling with highly sensitive kids, neurodivergent kiddos, or you just want a slower, more intentional pace to your trip, I’ve got you.
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Overview: Our 7-Day Yellowstone Itinerary with Kids
We based ourselves in three towns to avoid too much driving each day and to experience different park entrances:
- Bozeman, MT
- West Yellowstone, MT
- Gardiner, MT
Even without touching the Lower Loop, we had full days, countless incredible sights, and still left feeling like we could’ve used three more days! That’s Yellowstone—it’s HUGE.
The one thing I would’ve done differently is booking a few nights WITHIN Yellowstone National Park. If we had planned more in advance, staying inside the park would make a big difference for overall driving time between various parts of the park.
Day 1: Travel Day + Settle in at Bozeman
I will say it until I’m blue in the face–take it EASY on your travel day. No one wins any prizes by hitting the ground running, no matter the destination. Our travel day to Bozeman was longer than usual, since we had a connecting flight. So it was all the more important to veg out and rest, so that we could set ourselves up for success for the rest of the trip.
- Flew into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (with a layover in Minneapolis)
- Rented a car via Turo – way easier than traditional rentals!
- DoorDashed dinner to our hotel
- Hotel: Residence Inn Bozeman Downtown
Tip: We used Instacart to order groceries for the trip—perfect for snacks, easy breakfasts, and lunches on the go. There are less grocery options once you get closer to Yellowstone, so it was important to do this while we were in Bozeman. And while there are food options inside the national park, we didn’t want to have to backtrack for food when we were in the middle of exploring. Prices are also inflated for whatever food you can purchase inside Yellowstone.
Day 2: Explore Bozeman + Museum of the Rockies
Bozeman, a small college town of Montana State University, was such a wonderful experience. I didn’t expect much going into it, but I actually we had MORE time to spend in Bozeman. The Museum of the Rockies was an unexpected surprise, and it was a great way to learn more about the area before heading to Yellowstone.
- Morning walk through Bozeman’s adorable downtown
- Visited the Museum of the Rockies (Dino-lovers, don’t skip this! The Yellowstone-themed play area for young kids was also perfect)
- Lunch at Sidewall Pizza
- Rest time at the hotel (jet lag = early crash)
- Groceries delivered, light dinner in-room
Day 3: Travel to West Yellowstone + Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
We packed up from our hotel in Bozeman after having breakfast in town, and headed down to West Yellowstone. The drive wasn’t too bad and was quite scenic as well. The plan was to stay one night here before heading into the park the next morning. West Yellowstone overall felt like a bit of a tourist trap with lots of kitschy stores with Yellowstone t-shirts and mugs. But the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center was worth visiting, especially for animal lovers!
- Breakfast at The Western Café (so good!)
- Drive to West Yellowstone (traffic can get heavy once you arrive in town)
- Picked up bear spray from Freeheel and Wheel
- Checked in: Three Bear Lodge
- Lunch at Old Town Café
- Visited Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center — highly recommend for families!
- Dinner: We kept it simple with groceries in the room
Day 4: First Full Day in Yellowstone (Upper Geyser Basin + Old Faithful)
The West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park was SO busy…even getting there at 7AM. We probably waited in the car line for about 30 minutes before we actually entered the park. I will note that visiting Yellowstone involves a LOT of car time, and the best way to keep my active toddler from screaming in the car was to make sure we had a fully charged iPad with his favorite apps loaded on ahead of time.
This day was a little stressful because we had to get to the trail ride experience from Old Faithful to Roosevelt Corral. Again, this reiterated just how big Yellowstone is!
- Entered via West Entrance early (there will be a line)
- Saw bison, bubbling springs, and our first geysers!
- Visited Fountain Paint Pot Trail
- Spent a good chunk of time at Old Faithful + Visitor Center
- My daughter did horseback riding at Roosevelt Corral (book ahead!)
- Long but beautiful drive to Gardiner–checked in at Yellowstone Gateway Inn
- Dinner at a local food truck
Day 5: Lamar Valley + Canyon Views
We had NO time-sensitive “commitments” this day, so we were able to go with the flow more. And therefore, it was more relaxing for all of us. I want to highlight Lamar Valley as being VERY kid-friendly! Most of Yellowstone is filled with volcanic activity, mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, but this was the one area where I didn’t have to worry about letting the kids loose for a bit.
- Early morning stop at Undine Falls
- Spent a few hours in Lamar Valley (saw elk, bison, pronghorn)
- Took in stunning views at Tower Fall, Mount Washburn, and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- Canyon Village for snacks, restrooms, and exploring the visitor center
- Hiked Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail
- Dinner: Mammoth Hot Springs Café
- Hotel: Yellowstone Gateway Inn in Gardiner, MT
Day 6: Norris Geyser Basin + Mammoth Hot Springs
Our main priority this day was Norris Geyser Basin. I found this area to be more exciting and mesmerizing than the area around Old Faithful. There are SO many geothermal features in a relatively small area. But the parking lot is SO small relative to all the sights that are here. While there is overflow parking, it is a bit of a trek to get from there to the trails. Norris Geyser Basin is probably the most “sensory overload” in all of Yellowstone. The sights and smells are a LOT to take in, which is important to note.
- Beat the crowds to Norris Geyser Basin (parking fills FAST)
- Wrapped up our visit with one more stop at Mammoth Hot Springs
- Lunch in Gardiner
- Afternoon thunderstorms rolled in, so we hit the road back to Bozeman
- Hotel: Back to Residence Inn Bozeman Downtown
- Dinner: DoorDash again—no shame in vacation survival mode
Day 7: Headed Home
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Packed up and flew home
Traveling Yellowstone with Little Kids: What Worked for Us
Travel Stroller: Our favorite lightweight stroller handled boardwalks, and nap time on the go. Check it out here.
Grocery Delivery: Instacart was a game-changer for stocking up on snacks and picnic lunches.
Bear Spray Rental: Don’t skip this. It’s required for hiking safety, and we rented ours easily from Freeheel and Wheel.
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center: Educational, exciting, and low-key—perfect for downtime between driving and sightseeing.
Audio Tour App: The Guide Along app was engaging, funny, AND educational. This was a major highlight of our entire trip and I would 1000000% use their app for other road trips in the future. It works well in the park even when a regular GPS might not have any signal! I highly recommend, especially for elementary age and older.
Final Thoughts: We Didn’t Even Touch the Lower Loop!
That’s right—we missed out on Yellowstone Lake, Mud Volcano, West Thumb, and the full southern half of the park. But with little kids, we had to prioritize quality over quantity, and honestly? It was STILL one of our best trips ever.
There’s always next time, as the older two kids talk about going back!
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Quick Links Recap:
- Residence Inn Bozeman Downtown
- Three Bear Lodge – West Yellowstone
- Yellowstone Gateway Inn – Gardiner
- Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
- Turo
- Instacart
- Bear Spray Rental
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