Yellowstone Part III - from Madison Campground to Tower Junction
- David Maiwald
- May 28, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2024
Part III of the Yellowstone Series
In this article:
Quick facts about the area in between Madison, West Thumb, and Tower Junction:
top activities: wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, sightseeing
best hikes: Cascade Lake / Mount Washburn
campsites: Madison / Bridge Bay
villages / visitor centers: Old Faithful / Grant / Fishing Bridge / Canyon
accessibility: West / South / East Entrances
good to know: most lodging inside the park around Yellowstone Lake / Old Faithful
Old Faithful & West Thumb
Yellowstone’s southwestern corner, in between West Yellowstone and the South Entrance, features most of the park’s geothermal features. Among them are some of the park’s most popular sights and all-time favorites including Grand Prismatic Spring and the Old Faithful geyser. There are plenty of opportunities to go for a hike and explore some of the park’s most colorful and impressive springs as well as a dense concentration of geysers. I explored this part of Yellowstone National Park during my first visit in the fall of 2022 when I set up camp in West Yellowstone and the Madison Campground for a couple of nights.
About 14 miles from West Yellowstone - just south of Madison Campground - lies Firehole Canyon Road which closely follows the roaring and raging sections of the Firehole River with all its rapids and waterfalls. A short drive from the southern end of Firehole Canyon Road Lower Geyser Basin awaits - one of the park’s largest geyser basins, which can be made out from afar with all its towering steam clouds. Here I walked over a short and easy loop trail that led me right to the geysers and springs clustered around this area and which offered sweeping views of the surrounding open plains. A few minutes further down the road is Midway Geyser Basin which is where the Grand Prismatic Spring can be found! Since parking here can be quite challenging I decided to continue down south for another 2 miles and park my car at the Fairy Falls Parking Lot. From there it is a short walk to the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook - a spectacular spot to take it all in from a slightly elevated vantage point and to experience one of the park’s most colorful and beautiful main attractions!
5 miles from Midway Geyser Basin lies the very heart of Yellowstone’s amazing geothermal attractions - the Upper Geyser Basin and its surrounding areas. An area that features the highest concentration of countless hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots, colorful pools, and geysers in the entire park which can be explored via an extensive network of trails and boardwalks. And this is where Yellowstone’s all-time favorite can be found - the Old Faithful Geyser. Even though this place was packed with large crowds I did manage to find a quiet vantage point where I was able to sit down and watch one of the park’s largest geysers erupting - an absolute must-see event! Right here I was also able to stock up and fill up since the Old Faithful area offers a large number of services and amenities including a general store, gas station, restaurants and cafeterias, and a visitor center! Besides that it was also worth it to check out the historic Old Faithful Inn - a place listed as a national historic landmark! Leaving the Old Faithful area behind I made my way further down south towards the shores of Yellowstone Lake and Grant Village. Located right at the shore of Lake Yellowstone, West Thumb Geyser Basin offers a network of easily accessible boardwalks that lead around a variety of geysers and pools combined with sweeping views across the lake and of the distant mountains to the east.
There is plenty of lodging in the area, with West Yellowstone nearby and the Old Faithful village featuring some of the largest hotels within the park’s boundaries. However, I felt like camping would be the best way to make the most out of my first Yellowstone visit, which is why I decided to stay at Madison Campground - one of the park’s largest campgrounds beautifully located along the banks of Madison River. Here I could sit back and watch the bison roam through the picturesque river valley in front of me - a perfect end to a long day!
Sightseeing in Yellowstone's Southwest:
Firehole Canyon: 2 mile detour off Grand Loop Rd / 0.2hrs / further details: nps.gov
Lower Geyser Basin: short and easy boardwalk / 0.5hrs / further details: nps.gov
Midway Geyser Basin: short and easy boardwalk / 0.5hrs / further details: nps.gov
Upper Geyser Basin: vast network of easy to moderate trails / historic district / 2 - 3hrs / further details: nps.gov
Lodging / Food / Shopping in Yellowstone's Southwest:
Old Faithful Inn / Old Faithful Snow Lodge / Old Faithful Lodge: upscale and very popular lodging opportunities including historic district / book via xanterra.com
Restaurants, general stores, and other services available around the Old Faithful area (most close at 5 PM)
Visitor Center in Yellowstone's Southwest:
Old Faithful Visitor Education Center: Open May thru February / further details: nps.gov
Yellowstone Lake & Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
While the stretch in between the Grant Village and the Fishing Bridge visitor center does not have the large concentration and variety of attractions which can be found in the northern and western park segments, the area around Yellowstone Lake offers the park’s largest concentration of lodging opportunities as well as many other services and amenities. Most of the highlights of this area are situated north of Fishing Bridge with beautiful landscapes and several wildlife hotspots. I explored the eastern portion of the park during my first visit in the fall of 2022, in the spring of 2023, and then again in the summer of 2024. Three entirely different experiences that highlighted how each season at Yellowstone has its very own character!
During my visit in the late spring of 2023 I entered Yellowstone National Park via the Eastern Entrance coming from Cody, and set up camp at Bridge Bay Campground near the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake. While it was early June it was still snowing and much of the park had just awakened from a very harsh winter. From Bridge Bay Campground the drive up north beyond Fishing Bridge leads through an area with an exciting mix of natural features and a variety of changing landscapes, ranging from open plains and endless forests to rolling hills and towering mountains. The first miles closely follow the course of the Yellowstone River with several opportunities to hike down to the river bank - like for example at LeHardy Rapids. A little further up north lies a dense cluster of one of Yellowstone’s most popular geothermal features - the Mud Volcano and the Sulphur Caldron - which offers an easy 1 mile loop trail to explore the rocky hillside and consists of a variety of mud pods, hot springs, and pools.
Further up north lies one of the park’s exciting wildlife hotspots, situated in the picturesque landscapes of Hayden Valley. Here I got to see herds of bison and elk grazing in the grasslands of this vast open plain. I took some time to stop along the road and enjoy the sweeping views of the vast landscape around me all the way to the mountains up north. Around 7 miles down the road, just before Canyon Village, I suddenly noticed a large group of cars parked along the side of the road. Curious about what was going on there I also stopped and got out. And that’s when I had my first-ever bear encounter. A black bear some 30 meters away - seemingly unimpressed by the large crowd. I was exhilarated! Little did I know that the following days of my June trip would be filled with several other bear sightings!
During my fall visit of 2022 I explored the area around Canyon Village and with it one of the most popular and awe-inspiring single attractions of Yellowstone National Park - the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is a place full of dramatic colors - hence the name “Yellowstone” - steep cliffs, and towering waterfalls. The area around the Upper and Lower Falls is easily accessible by car with paved roads and parking lots all along the North and South Rims of the Canyon. From the parking lots it is mostly just a short walk up to the brink of the canyon and to various viewpoints of the falls and the rest of the canyon downstream. The most dramatic and picturesque of all of them is Artist Point at the far end of the South Rim, sitting on an exposed edge in the middle of the canyon with sweeping views of the falls and the canyon far below!
After filling up and stocking up at Canyon Village - one of the park’s major hubs which offered all kinds of services - I continued my drive further up north towards Tower Junction. Here the scenery changes into a stunningly beautiful alpine landscape, as the Grand Loop Road winds its way up to its highest point at the Dunraven Pass near Mount Washburn. Just before heading up the southern slope of Mount Washburn, the Cascade Lake Trail offers a short but incredibly scenic hike through a beautiful mix of open meadows and dense forests. The final 20 km drive to the Tower Junction area leads past Mount Washburn Trailhead with its sweeping and far-reaching views of the surrounding Yellowstone wilderness - one of the best viewpoints in the entire park - and back down to the dramatically rugged and colorful landscapes around the Yellowstone River.
And with that we have completed our 215 km journey along the Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park - through a breathtaking variety of landscapes, past countless geysers and hot springs, and through exciting wildlife hotspots!
Hiking / Sightseeing / Fishing around Yellowstone Lake & the Canyon Village:
West Thumb Geyser Basin: short and easy boardwalk / 0.5hrs / further details: nps.gov
Fishing opportunities at Yellowstone Lake - check recreation.gov for rules and regulations
Cascade Lake Trail: 4 miles (7 km) out-and-back / easy / 2 hrs or multi day with backcountry permit for Cascade Lake Campsites (view route on nps.gov / For more details on backcountry permits visit recreation.gov)
Mount Washburn Trail: 7 miles (12 km) out-and-back / easy to moderate / 3-4 hrs (view route on nps.gov)
Fishing opportunities at Cascade Lake - check recreation.gov for rules and regulations
Lodging / Food / Shopping around Yellowstone Lake & the Canyon Village:
Grant Village Lodge: simple hotel with basic services / book via xanterra.com
Lake Lodge Cabins / Lake Yellowstone Hotel: large hotels with all amenities / book via xanterra.com
Bridge Bay Campground (TOP PICK!): large campground with basic services / book via xanterra.com
Fishing Bridge RV Park: RV park with basic services / book via xanterra.com
Restaurants, general stores, and other services available at Grant Village, Lake, and Fishing Bridge (most close at 5 PM)
Canyon Village Lodges: large hotels with all amenities / book via xanterra.com
Canyon Campground: large campground with basic services / book via xanterra.com
Restaurants, general stores, and other services available at Canyon Village (most close at 5 PM)
Visitor Center around Yellowstone Lake & the Canyon Village:
Grant Visitor Center: Open June thru mid October / further details: nps.gov
West Thumb Information Station: Open June thru mid October / further details: nps.gov
Fishing Bridge Visitor Center: Open June thru mid October / further details: nps.gov
Canyon Visitor Education Center: Open June thru mid October / further details: nps.gov
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