REVISED Yellowstone NP Group Itinerary

August 12–17, 2026

Camping

Corey & Ellie
Fishing Bridge RV Park

Jonathan & Joellyn
Bridge Bay Campground

Fixed Reservation

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room
Saturday, August 15
3:45–5:45 PM

Jonathan & Joellyn

Their arrival is uncertain until sometime Thursday night or Friday.

They expect to leave Bridge Bay around noon on Sunday, August 16, to head back to Salt Lake City.

Trip at a Glance

Wednesday, August 12 — Arrival and Setup
Corey & Ellie

Thursday, August 13 — Hayden Valley + Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Corey & Ellie

Friday, August 14 — Flexible Arrival Day + Optional Hayden Valley Outing + Evening Meetup
Depends on Jonathan & Joellyn’s arrival

Saturday, August 15 — Lamar Valley at Dawn + Old Faithful + Dinner
Corey, Ellie, Jonathan & Joellyn

Sunday, August 16 Morning — Norris Geyser Basin
Corey, Ellie, Jonathan & Joellyn

Sunday, August 16 Afternoon — Grand Prismatic Spring + West Thumb Geyser Basin
Corey & Ellie

Monday, August 17 — Departure
Corey & Ellie

Wednesday, August 12

Arrival at Fishing Bridge

Corey and Ellie arrive, set up camp, and leave the remainder of the day unscheduled.

No sightseeing objectives.

Thursday, August 13

Hayden Valley + Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Participants: Corey & Ellie

Jonathan and Joellyn are unlikely to be available, and they have already seen the Grand Canyon area. This makes Thursday an ideal day for Corey and Ellie to explore that part of Yellowstone independently.

5:45–6:00 AM — Leave Fishing Bridge

Head north into Hayden Valley.

6:00–7:30 AM — Hayden Valley Wildlife

Drive slowly through the valley and stop wherever wildlife activity warrants it.

Possible sightings include:

  • Bison

  • Elk

  • Coyotes

  • Bears

  • Waterfowl

  • Possibly wolves at considerable distance

Wildlife takes precedence over the schedule.

If a pullout is crowded with people using spotting scopes, it may be worth stopping to see what they are watching.

7:45–10:30 AM — Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Concentrate on the best viewpoints rather than trying to see every overlook.

Artist Point

The classic view of Lower Falls and the canyon.

Lookout Point

Another excellent view of Lower Falls from the opposite side of the canyon.

Brink of Upper Falls

A close view of the Yellowstone River immediately before it plunges over Upper Falls.

Add other overlooks if parking, weather, and time cooperate.

10:30 AM — Return South

Drive back through Hayden Valley for another wildlife pass.

Animal locations and activity can change considerably over only a few hours.

Approximately 11:30 AM–Noon — Return to Fishing Bridge

Afternoon free.

Optional Thursday Evening

Mud Volcano + Hayden Valley

Approximately 5:00 PM

Visit Mud Volcano, followed by another slow wildlife pass through Hayden Valley.

This is optional.

If the morning was already productive or Corey and Ellie are ready for a quieter evening, skip it.

Friday, August 14

Flexible Arrival Day

No major group attraction is scheduled because Jonathan and Joellyn’s arrival remains uncertain.

There are two possible versions of Friday.

Friday Option A

If Jonathan & Joellyn Arrive Thursday Night

Jonathan works Friday.

Approximately 8:00 AM

Corey and Ellie pick up Joellyn at Bridge Bay.

8:15–10:30 AM — Hayden Valley Wildlife

Take a relaxed wildlife drive through Hayden Valley.

This does not need to be a dawn excursion because the major early-morning wildlife outing is planned for Saturday.

If Corey and Ellie skipped Mud Volcano Thursday evening, it can be included during this outing.

Approximately 10:30–11:00 AM

Return Joellyn to Bridge Bay.

The remainder of the day is free.

Friday Option B

If Jonathan & Joellyn Arrive Friday

Corey and Ellie keep the morning low-key.

Possible activities include:

  • Yellowstone Lake

  • Lake Yellowstone Hotel

  • Lake Village

  • Fishing Bridge area

  • Another Hayden Valley wildlife pass

  • Relaxing at the campground

Do not use this period for Norris or another major attraction that would be better shared with Jonathan and Joellyn.

Friday Evening

Group Meetup

Once Jonathan finishes work and Jonathan and Joellyn are settled at Bridge Bay, everyone gets together.

Good meeting areas include:

  • Bridge Bay

  • Lake Village

  • Lake Yellowstone Hotel

Use the evening for dinner, visiting, and confirming Saturday’s plans.

Keep it relatively early because Saturday starts before dawn.

Saturday, August 15

Lamar Valley Wildlife + Old Faithful

This is the main shared sightseeing day.

The day is intentionally divided into two outings, with a substantial break in the middle.

Saturday Morning

Lamar Valley at Dawn

4:45 AM

Jonathan and Joellyn leave Bridge Bay.

5:00 AM

Meet Corey and Ellie at Fishing Bridge.

Carpool if convenient.

Route

Fishing Bridge
Hayden Valley
Canyon
Dunraven Pass
Tower Junction
Lamar Valley

Bring

  • Binoculars

  • Spotting scope if available

  • Camera

  • Warm layers

  • Coffee

  • Water

  • Snacks

Approximately 6:15–8:30 AM — Lamar Valley

Move slowly through Lamar Valley and stop at promising wildlife pullouts.

Possible wildlife includes:

  • Bison

  • Pronghorn

  • Elk

  • Coyotes

  • Black bears

  • Grizzly bears

  • Wolves

Predators are never guaranteed.

The main objective is to experience Yellowstone’s northern wildlife country during one of the best times of day.

If a good wildlife sighting occurs, stay and watch rather than worrying about the schedule.

Approximately 8:30 AM — Begin Return Trip

Head back toward Fishing Bridge.

Optional Stop — Tower Fall

Stop only if:

  • Parking is easy

  • Everyone still has the energy

  • Wildlife viewing has not already pushed the schedule later

Lamar Valley is the priority.

Approximately 10:30–11:00 AM — Return to Fishing Bridge

Jonathan and Joellyn continue to Bridge Bay.

11:00 AM–1:15 PM

Lunch and Rest

Keep this break.

Everyone will have been awake since well before sunrise, and the Old Faithful outing will continue into the evening.

Saturday Afternoon

Old Faithful

1:15 PM

Corey and Ellie leave Fishing Bridge.

1:30 PM

Meet Jonathan and Joellyn at Bridge Bay.

Continue together toward Old Faithful.

Approximately 2:30–2:45 PM

Arrive in the Old Faithful area.

Find parking and check current geyser eruption predictions.

2:45–3:30 PM — Old Faithful Area

Depending on eruption timing:

  • Watch Old Faithful

  • Visit the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

  • Explore nearby Upper Geyser Basin features

  • Walk through the historic Old Faithful Inn

Do not spend the entire period simply waiting for Old Faithful if the timing is poor.

There will still be time after dinner.

3:45–5:45 PM

Dinner — Old Faithful Inn Dining Room

Fixed reservation.

After Dinner

Old Faithful + Upper Geyser Basin

Approximately 5:45–7:00 PM

Check current geyser predictions again.

Possible targets include:

  • Old Faithful

  • Castle Geyser

  • Grand Geyser

  • Daisy Geyser

  • Riverside Geyser

  • Nearby hot springs and boardwalks

Follow eruption timing rather than trying to complete a fixed route.

There is no need to walk the entire Upper Geyser Basin.

Approximately 7:00 PM — Return to Camp

Route:

Old Faithful
West Thumb
Bridge Bay
Fishing Bridge

Saturday is intentionally the longest sightseeing day of the trip.

Sunday, August 16

Norris Geyser Basin

Participants: Corey, Ellie, Jonathan & Joellyn

This is the final shared Yellowstone activity before Jonathan and Joellyn leave for Salt Lake City.

Sunday morning is kept compact enough for them to return to Bridge Bay, finish packing, and leave around noon.

6:15 AM

Jonathan and Joellyn leave Bridge Bay.

6:30 AM

Meet Corey and Ellie at Fishing Bridge.

Travel together toward Norris via Canyon.

Approximately 7:30–9:30 AM — Norris Geyser Basin

Norris provides a distinctly different geothermal experience from Old Faithful.

It is Yellowstone’s hottest and one of its most dynamic thermal areas.

Porcelain Basin

Make this the main priority.

Expect:

  • Geysers

  • Steam vents

  • Hot springs

  • Mineral deposits

  • A stark geothermal landscape

Back Basin

Explore only as time permits.

This area includes Steamboat Geyser, which is famous for enormous but highly unpredictable major eruptions.

Do not wait for an eruption.

9:30 AM — Leave Norris

Return via Canyon toward Fishing Bridge and Bridge Bay.

Approximately 10:30–10:45 AM — Return to Fishing Bridge Area

Jonathan and Joellyn continue to Bridge Bay to finish packing and prepare for departure.

Around Noon

Jonathan & Joellyn Depart for Salt Lake City

This concludes the shared portion of the Yellowstone visit.

Sunday Afternoon

Grand Prismatic Spring

Participants: Corey & Ellie

After lunch, Corey and Ellie head southwest toward Grand Prismatic.

Approximately 12:00–12:30 PM — Leave Fishing Bridge

Route:

Fishing Bridge
West Thumb
Old Faithful area
Fairy Falls Trailhead

Approximately 1:30–2:30 PM — Grand Prismatic Overlook

Park at the Fairy Falls Trailhead and walk to the Grand Prismatic Overlook.

This elevated perspective is the priority view because it shows the scale, shape, and colors of Grand Prismatic particularly well.

Optional

Midway Geyser Basin Boardwalk

After the overlook, check parking at Midway Geyser Basin.

If parking is reasonable, walk the boardwalk.

Highlights include:

  • Grand Prismatic Spring at ground level

  • Excelsior Geyser Crater

  • Opal Pool

  • Turquoise Pool

If traffic and parking are excessive, skip this stop.

The overlook is the more important Grand Prismatic experience.

Sunday Late Afternoon

West Thumb Geyser Basin

On the return trip toward Fishing Bridge, stop at West Thumb.

Approximately 4:00–5:15 PM

Walk the thermal boardwalks along Yellowstone Lake.

Highlights include:

  • Abyss Pool

  • Black Pool

  • Lakeshore thermal features

  • Yellowstone Lake views

West Thumb provides a very different setting from Norris, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic because the thermal features sit directly beside the lake.

Sunday Evening

Final Yellowstone Evening

Return toward Fishing Bridge.

Keep the evening unscheduled.

Possible choices include:

  • Lake Yellowstone Hotel

  • Yellowstone Lake shoreline

  • One final Hayden Valley wildlife pass

  • Dinner and relaxation at camp

Choose based on energy and what Corey and Ellie have enjoyed most during the visit.

Monday, August 17

Departure

No sightseeing scheduled.

Corey and Ellie pack up and depart.

What the Trip Covers

Corey & Ellie

  • Hayden Valley

  • Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

  • Artist Point

  • Lookout Point

  • Brink of Upper Falls

  • Lamar Valley

  • Norris Geyser Basin

  • Old Faithful

  • Upper Geyser Basin

  • Grand Prismatic Spring

  • West Thumb Geyser Basin

  • Yellowstone Lake

  • Optional Mud Volcano

  • Optional Tower Fall

Jonathan & Joellyn

During this visit:

  • Lamar Valley

  • Old Faithful

  • Upper Geyser Basin

  • Norris Geyser Basin

  • Yellowstone Lake area

  • Optional Friday Hayden Valley wildlife outing for Joellyn

Jonathan and Joellyn have already visited the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, so that area is deliberately scheduled before they arrive.

Flexibility

The times are guidelines rather than strict deadlines.

Once sightseeing begins, the following should take priority over the written schedule:

  • Wildlife sightings

  • Geyser eruption predictions

  • Traffic

  • Parking

  • Weather

  • Energy level

If wolves appear in Lamar Valley, stay and watch them.

If a major geyser has a favorable eruption prediction, adjust the Old Faithful plans.

If a parking area is badly congested, move on rather than losing substantial time to a secondary stop.

The itinerary is designed so that the major Yellowstone experiences still fit even if some optional stops are skipped.