Self-Guided Tours of Yellowstone National Park
The GaperGuide tours of Yellowstone National Park will show you the geysers, big animals, lakes, hikes, valleys and even where the best picnic areas are. Yellowstone is a big place! There are two tours. One covers the northern loop, and the other covers the southern loop. They automatically tell you what you need to know while you drive. It’s like having a tour guide sitting in the back seat. The guide follows you, wherever you decide to go in the park.
Explore Yellowstone from the comfort of your own car, at your own pace!
The Park: Yellowstone is the world’s first national park. It was created on March 1, 1872, by President Ulysses S. Grant signing an act of Congress into law. The park is 3,468 square miles, and it is home to the largest supervolcano on the continent. That massive volcano, 30 x 40 miles, is currently active and could theoretically erupt anytime. The park was created to protect the wildlife, lakes, rivers, canyons, mountains and the very unique thermal features in this part of Wyoming and Montana. There are massive herds of bison and elk roaming the forests and open valleys. These are prey for the wolves, grizzly and black bears, and mountain lions. The pronghorn, whitetail, blacktail and mule deer are all at risk of becoming dinner too, but the huge moose have less to worry about. Bald eagles and osprey perch in the trees by the side of the rivers and hunt cutthroat trout, while trumpeter swans and white pelicans float peacefully by.
The Drive: Make your reservations to stay at the hotels or campgrounds in Yellowstone early! Then let THEPARKGUIDE show you around. There are gorgeous picnic areas, overlooks and trails to amazing views if you know where to look. Yellowstone is the place to see things that you can’t see anywhere else on the planet. The two tours are separated geographically. See the routes here.
The Tours: The GaperGuide tours will tell you where to look for the animals and geysers, and about the relationship between the natural environment and the volcanic and glacial geology. With GaperGuide, you can explore at your own pace, stop where you want to stop, and you won’t miss anything. It’s your vacation, in your car, on your schedule. The “South Loop”, or “Lower Loop” has the majority of the unique thermal features in Yellowstone, including the Old Faithful geyser and all of the hotels, restaurants, visitor center and facilities surrounding it. There are definitely many thermal features in the North as well, like Mammoth Hot Springs, but The “North Loop” or “Upper Loop” has the majority of the opportunities to see animals like bison, elk, grizzly and black bears, and wolves… just to mention the big ones. Of course, there are animals in the South as well, but they are just easier to find in the North.
Buy the South Yellowstone Tour for $19.99 now: TravelStorys Purchase Page
Buy the North Yellowstone Tour for $19.99 now: TravelStorys Purchase Page
Top Attractions in Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park Suggested Drives and Top 10 Spots:
South Yellowstone Tour “Lower Loop” Clockwise Route
- Old Faithful – see the geyser, and the architecture of the Old Faithful Inn and the new Visitor Center
- Junior Ranger/Young Scientist Programs for children from 5 to 12 – get them involved in the park
- Midway Geyser Basin – Grand Prismatic Spring is THE huge and colorful hot spring
- Firehole Lake Drive & Fountain Paint Pots – see a geyser erupt from your car
- Firehole Canyon Drive Swimming Hole – clear and clean, 75 – 80 degrees, great for kids!
- Norris Geyser Basin – hottest and most otherworldly of all the geyser basins
- Canyon Area – see the Grand Canyon with spectacular waterfalls, amazing colors and wildlife
- Canyon Visitor Education Center – explains the supervolcano with amazing displays and a huge 3D map
- Lake Lodge – relax on the porch in a rocking chair and watch bison pass by in front of Yellowstone Lake
- Bridge Bay – rent a boat to fish/explore, or take a tour on the Lake Queen
- Off the beaten path: camp or hike at Slough Creek – quiet and scenic for simple solitude and fishing