National Park vacations are perfect for children with autism and other sensory processing disorders. There are plenty of wide open spaces, no trouble with loud noises, and a huge assortment of exciting things to look at and investigate. Nature doesn’t have opening and closing times, so if you’re really enjoying yourself wherever you are, you don’t need to force a transition or stick to a timeline.
Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first National Park and a definite bucket list destination for families. If flat-out gorgeous natural beauty isn’t motivation enough to visit, you can sneak in a science lesson every hour you’re there.
Geothermal features, like the Old Faithful geyser and the colorful Grand Prismatic Spring, are a complete break from what kids see at home every day. Watching bison, elk, and bears in their natural habitat is exciting and awe-inspiring. The park's magnificent landscapes are the perfect backdrop for learning about environmental protection and conservation.
Several tour companies offer 4, 7 and 10 day bus tours of Yellowstone National Park. The longer tours include the Grand Tetons and/or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. We always want the flexibility to linger at places of high interest, and to take time out for sensory breaks when we need to, so we planned our own trip. In this series of posts, we’ll share highlights from our adventures in and near Yellowstone National Park.
A Quick Overview of Yellowstone
Must-See Wonders in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone sits atop one of the world's largest active super-volcanoes, the source of the park's famous geysers, hot springs, and other dramatic hydrothermal features. Its last major eruption happened more than 600,00 years ago, and good for us, scientists monitoring the volcano don’t see any signs of that happening again any time in the foreseeable future.
At Yellowstone, the most popular geysers, waterfalls, and wildlife viewing areas are extremely accessible through a combination of scenic drives, flat boardwalks, and nearby parking lots.
Old Faithful
Old Faithful erupts roughly every 90 minutes, shooting hot water and steam high into the air.
The Old Faithful Lodge is the world’s largest log building and also very interesting to explore!
Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States. Its rainbow-like effects are caused by different species of heat-loving bacteria that live in the varied temperature bands of the spring. Come in the middle of the day to see the best colors.
Lamar Valley
Come here at dawn or dusk to view herds of free-roaming bison, grizzly bears, and wolves. The lush green meadows and winding river provide a stunning natural backdrop for incredible wildlife viewing.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a 20-mile-long, V-shaped gorge renowned for its yellow and red rock walls. It was carved by the Yellowstone River over the past 10,000 - 15,000 years.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is a striking set of limestone terraces formed by hot underground water dissolving the rock and bringing it to the surface.
Don’t Let the Map Fool You - Yellowstone is Enormous
The single biggest mistake that people make visiting Yellowstone is to underestimate its size and the amount of time needed to move around inside it. Yellowstone National Park stretches across parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park itself covers almost 3500 square miles - larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Yellowstone National Park is surrounded by National Forest lands and mountain terrain, with wilderness of 50 or more miles beyond its borders in almost all directions.
The main road through the park is the 142 mile long Grand Loop, in the shape of a figure-eight. As you travel the Grand Loop, there are lots of places to stop and see a hot spring, check out an interesting rock formation, watch some bison, or break out your picnic basket and relax. In the middle of the day, traffic backs up around every major stop, and moves slowly almost everywhere else. If a buffalo or an elk stops in the middle of the road, so does traffic. (By the way - this is awesome if you’re close to the front of the line!)
To do a good job of seeing most important geological features of the park, you need at least three days. Plan on one day for the south loop, one day for the north, and a third day for the middle section. Add additional days if you plan to do longer hikes, white water rafting, horseback riding or other fun activities. Don’t overlook the great things to do in the gateway towns of Gardiner and West Yellowstone.
Sensory and Safety
Like all wide open, outdoor spaces, Yellowstone National Park is very sensory friendly. Popular sites, like Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring, get extremely crowded in the afternoons. The hot spring areas have strong sulfur smells.
Yellowstone National Park ranges between 6500 and 8500 feet elevation. Make sure everyone in your family drinks plenty of water, and wears sunscreen. In summer, you can wake up to near freezing temperatures, and by afternoon, be up to 90 degrees. We travelled with t-shirts, lightweight fleece jackets, and lightweight down vests.
To access Yellowstone safely, your child needs to be able to understand and follow instructions about wildlife and geothermic features.
Wildlife is wild, they are not pets. Maintain at least 100 yards distance from any wild animal, and never approach it, even if it seems calm or asleep.
Be aware of Bears. If you’re at a major point of interest with a crowd of people, it’s extremely unlikely that a bear will approach your group. If you plan to walk longer trails, or will be exploring places where you’re the only ones there, carry bear spray and know how to use it. Click here to learn more about Bear Safety.
When you’re in a geyser or hot springs area, always stay on the paved path or boardwalk. The surface crust near the hot springs is thin, and could collapse if you walk on it. The water underneath is over 200 degrees F and highly acidic.
Where to Stay in Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park has a great selection of lodging options at a great variety of price points. Within the park itself, Xanterra runs all of the hotels, cabins, and some camp grounds. There’s also a limited number of campsites available directly from the National Park Service. In the nearby communities of West Yellowstone and Gardiner, Montana, you’ll find hotels, VRBO properties, and additional camping facilities.
Stay inside the National Park if
You want to be in the middle of it all without too much daily driving - Canyon Village is the place for you.
You want to stay in a historic hotel with epic views - Book your room at Old Faithful Inn or Lake Yellowstone Hotel
You want to do some star gazing at night
You’re camping
Stay in West Yellowstone or Gardiner, MT if
You want access to a swimming pool
You’re dealing with special diets - Hotels and cabins inside the park provide coffee makers but don’t allow any cooking at all inside the room. (You can cook on a grill in any national park picnic area but not inside the hotels or cabins.)
You can’t live without reliable Wifi and cell phone service.
Gardiner is at the north entrance to the National Park, directly on the Yellowstone River. It’s a great choice for families that want to try white water rafting or go fly fishing.
West Yellowstone is a larger town with lots of activities, relatively closer to the center of the Grand Loop.
If you want a variety of experiences and don’t mind changing hotels
Split your nights between the North and South Entrances to the park.
We stayed at Xanterra Grant Village at the South Entrance and the Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel in Gardiner.
Getting to Yellowstone
The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman
The closest airports to Yellowstone National Park are Bozeman, Montana (BZN) to the north and Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC) to the south, each about 90 minutes away from the National Park entrance.
If your child is excited about dinosaurs, fly in or out of Bozeman and make sure you stop in at the Museum of the Rockies. If you fly in or out of Jackson Hole, you will pass right through Grand Teton National Park. Lots of families fly into one and out the other!
If you can’t get a direct flight to either Bozeman or Jackson Hole, and you prefer to avoid connecting flights, Salt Lake City is about a 4.5 hour ride from Yellowstone. Although that sounds like a long ride - and it is - it still may be faster and easier than a layover, then a connecting flight, followed by a 1.5-2 hour drive into Yellowstone. Yellowstone wouldn’t be what it is if it were easy to get to — it’s all part of the adventure.