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Along the park's main drive—the Grand Loop (also referred to as Yellowstone's Figure Eight)—are eight primary "communities," or developed areas. On the Western Yellowstone map are five of those communities—Grant Village, Old Faithful, Madison, Norris, and Mammoth Hot Springs—with their respective sights. The Eastern Yellowstone map shows the remaining three—Tower-Roosevelt, Canyon, and Lake (for Yellowstone Lake area)—with their respective sights.
At this impressive, contemporary, LEED-certified visitor center that's a jewel of the national park system, you can check out the interactive exhibits and children's area, read the latest geyser-eruption predictions, and find out the schedules for ranger-led walks and talks. Backcountry and fishing permits are dispensed at the ranger station adjacent to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, across the street.
This gleaming visitor center contains elaborate interactive exhibits for adults and kids, with a focus on volcanoes and earthquakes. A room-sized relief model of the park illustrates eruptions, glaciers, and seismic activity, while other displays highlight Native American history and the park’s wildlife, including bison and wolves. The adjacent bookstore is operated by Yellowstone Forever, the park’s official nonprofit partner, and carries hundreds of titles on Yellowstone’s history, geology, and ecology, along with field guides and children’s books.
If you can't distinguish between a Clark's nutcracker and an ermine (one's a bird, the other a weasel), check out the exhibits about the park's smaller wildlife at this distinctive stone-and-log building, built in 1931. Step out the back door to find yourself on one of the beautiful black obsidian beaches of Yellowstone Lake. Adjacent is one of the park's larger amphitheaters. Ranger presentations take place here nightly in summer.
Exhibits at each visitor center describe a small piece of Yellowstone's history—the ones here provide details about the 1988 fire that burned more than a third of the park's total acreage and forced multiple federal agencies to reevaluate their fire-control policies. Watch an informative video, and learn about the 25,000 firefighters from across the United States who battled the blaze. Bathrooms and a backcountry office are here.
In this handsome 1930s stone-and-timber structure, knowledgeable rangers share space with a store that sells books, maps, and learning aids, and a museum with exhibits on the thermal features in the vicinity. Spotting scopes are sometimes set up for viewing eagles, bison, and elk out the rear window. You can pick up backcountry camping and fishing permits, too. Picnic tables, toilets, and an amphitheater for summer-evening ranger programs are shared with the nearby campground.
This 1925 log cabin houses a bookstore and doubles as a warming hut in winter. There are restrooms in the parking area. In summer, check for informal ranger-led discussions beneath the old sequoia tree.
