West Yellowstone Tourist Traps

Although West Yellowstone is located at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, that doesn’t mean you are close to the main attractions in the park. You still have to drive 14 miles to the main park road, which is 142-miles in size. Yes, Yellowstone is huge, so expect a lot of driving. Plus the speed limit is slow, at 45 miles per hour in most areas, and even 35mpr in others. With bison, and rude tourist who stop in the middle of the road to look at something instead of pulling over to the side, it can take you a long time to get from place to place. To get to Old Faithful from the west entrance you will have to drive 30 miles, and to Norris Geyser Basin, it is 28 miles. To the Mammoth Hot Springs area you will have to travel 49 miles. You will want to visit the Canyon, and that is either 40 miles or 68, depending on if you travel south past Old Faithful (68 miles), or north to Norris, then turn east to the Canyon(40 miles). It is 67 miles from West Yellowstone to the Tower Falls area, and the beginning of Lamar Valley. And keep in mind that these are all one-way distances. So, although West Yellowstone is a very good location if you can not stay inside the park, it is not as convenient as lodging choices that can be made within Yellowstone in locations right AT some of the more popular sites.

My photos is a zoomed in detail of rock formations around Inspiration Point in Yellowstone’s stunning Canyon area.

Unique Suggestions: Plan ahead!!! Decide what you want to see, and find out their locations within the park. Then plan your driving routes carefully, so that you are not jumping all over the park, but are seeing places along your route. When planning, take into consideration how many days you will be in Yellowstone, and place a priority on the places you want to see the most. My Yellowstone VT pages can help you make these choices.

Fun Alternatives: If you are coming to Yellowstone specifically to spend most of your time exploring the northern road in the park, in particular, Lamar Valley, then either stay in the park at Mammoth Hot Springs, or outside the park in Silver Gate, Montana. You will find a lodging suggestion for Silver Gate on my Hotels & Accommodations section of my Yellowstone Pages.