Scenic Drives

Scenic Drives

Blacktail Deer Plateau Drive. Keep an eye out for coyotes on this dirt road that traverses sagebrush-covered hills and forests of lodgepole pines. 10 mi east of Mammoth Hot Springs.

East Entrance Road. Crossing the Absaroka Range, this 16-mi drive descends from the 8,530-foot Sylvan Pass to idyllic views of Yellowstone Lake. The road hugs the lake shoreline between Lake Butte and Fishing Bridge, where some vistas may remind you of the northern California coast. Begin drive at East Entrance gate.

Firehole Canyon Drive. Pick up this one-way, 2-mi detour off Grand Loop Road just south of Madison Junction. The narrow asphalt road twists through a deep canyon and passes the 40-foot Firehole Falls. In summer look for a sign marking a pullout and swimming hole. This is one of only two places in the park (Boiling River on the North Entrance Road is the other) where you can safely and legally swim in the park's thermally heated waters. Also, look carefully for osprey and other raptors, plus animal bones in a small cave on the opposite bank of the river. 1 mi south of Madison on Grand Loop Rd., Madison.

Firehole Lake Drive. Eight miles north of Old Faithful, this one-way, 3-mi-long road takes you past Great Fountain Geyser, which shoots out jets of water reaching as high as 200 feet about twice a day. Rangers' predictions have a two-hour window of opportunity. Should you witness it, however, you'll be rewarded with a view of waves of water cascading down the terraces that form the edges of the geyser. Watch for bison, particularly in the winter. Firehole Lake Dr., 8 mi north of Old Faithful, Old Faithful.

Northeastern Grand Loop. A 19-mi segment of Grand Loop Road running between Canyon Village and Roosevelt Falls, this byway passes some of the park's finest scenery, twisting beneath a series of leaning basalt towers 40 to 50 feet high. That behemoth to the east is 10,243-foot Mt. Washburn. Between Canyon Village and Roosevelt Falls, Canyon Area.

South Entrance Road. The sheer black lava walls of the Lewis River canyon make this a memorable drive. Turn into the parking area at the highway bridge for a close-up view of the spectacular Lewis River Falls, one of the park's most-photographed sights. Begin drive at South Entrance gate.

Upper Terrace Drive. Limber pines as old as 500 years line this 1 1/2-mi loop near Mammoth Hot Springs. You'll also spot a variety of mosses growing through white travertine, composed of lime deposited here by the area's hot springs. Approx. 2 mi by car from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel on Grand Loop Rd. Reachable by foot from Lower Terrace Dr., Mammoth Hot Springs.

West Entrance Road. One of the park's four grand drives through wildlife-filled valleys, this road follows the Madison River for 14 mi. From late summer through winter, you'll see bison and elk. Look up, too! Eagles, osprey, and even trumpeter swans may be seen here. At sunset, the drive west can be blinding. Drive begins at West Entrance, West Yellowstone, MT.