Yellowstone Camper Van Trip - Lower Loop Highlights
Yellowstone Park's road system traces a figure 8 through the north and south half of the park. In this post, we’ve outlined a counter-clockwise reel of some of the Lower or South Loop's best features. If you haven't already, we recommend starting with our overview of the Grand Loop then diving into this post or our other one featuring highlights of the Upper Loop.
For the Lower Loop, take at least a full day, if not two, to explore this 96-mile section which includes the world-famous attractions of Old Faithful Geyser, Grand Prismatic Spring, and Yellowstone Lake. Our Lower Loop itinerary starts at Norris Geyser Basin and heads south towards Madison Junction.
Grand Loop Road System Overview
Norris to Madison
From the steaming, lunar-like landscape of Norris Geyser Basin, point your camper van south towards Madison Junction. If you have time, plan to stop at the beautiful Artists' Paintpots, a 1-mile trail that passes through a partially burned lodgepole pine forest then winds across a wet meadow via boardwalks. The hydrothermal area contains colorful hot pots, bubbling mudpots, and small, steaming geysers.
Madison to Old Faithful
This classic section of the Grand Loop starts off with Firehole Canyon Road, a 2-mile one-way stretch (and a worthy backtrack) with beautiful waterfall views. For hardy souls looking to cool off, check out the Firehole River swimming hole (sorry, no hot springs) located along the road. The hot springs are closed during the high water of spring runoff (typically through June), so check at the park's visitor centers for updated information.
Once you're back on the main highway, there's a great picnic area along the Firehole River. Take in the colorful pools and geysers of the Fountain Paint Pots thermal area, or keep going to find the entrance to the one-way Firehole Lake Drive.
A few miles further south, you'll pass the parking area for Midway Geyser Basin, home to the beautiful Grand Prismatic Spring. Hike up the Fairy Falls Trail and enjoy bird's eye views of Grand Prismatic and the Midway Geyser Basin, with your destination an incredible 200' waterfall. Or take a walk along the boardwalks of Midway for an experience one naturalist described as being “like walking along a beach of color.”
Grand Prismatic at the Midway Geyser Basin
Features of the Midway Geyser Basin
The Old Faithful area is sprawling and energetic. Home to not just its famous namesake, but dozens of other geysers and thermal features as well as a number of lodges, visitor's centers, restaurants, shops, trails, and more, you could easily spend days on end here (and many people do). We recommend planning to spend at least a few hours in the area, for two reasons. First, Old Faithful erupts approximately every 90 minutes, give or take a few dozen, so you want to give yourself extra elbow room in the day's schedule. Second, there's so much to see here!
The iconic, 120-year-old Old Faithful Inn is the largest log structure in the world. Venture upstairs for a drink at the bar overlooking the massive geyser basin. Beyond the inn, explore boardwalks and trails that loop past steaming fumaroles, spitting geysers, and colorful pools — the further you venture past the historic lodge and Old Faithful viewing point, the more the crowds will thin.
Of course, Old Faithful itself is the highlight of this stop. With eruptions topping 184 feet, this show is not to be missed! Check out the NPS app in advance for estimated eruption times.
Old Faithful to West Thumb
South of Old Faithful, the road heads east toward West Thumb and Yellowstone Lake. This section of the Lower Loop is a meandering cruise through lodgepole pine forests with a few backcountry trailheads and scenic overlooks.
The Continental Divide and CDT trail pass through this part of the park — keep an eye out for the roadsign announcing that you're crossing the backbone of the continent. At Isa Lake, near Craig Pass, a unique curvature of the landscape creates an interesting phenomenon — the lake's eastern outlet loops back to the west and drains into the Pacific Ocean, and the outlet on the lake's western shore curves around to the east, eventually draining to the Gulf of Mexico. After Craig Pass, watch for Shoshone Viewpoint — the only roadside vista in Yellowstone Park with a view of the mighty Grand Tetons in the distance.
West Thumb got its name from the shape of the lakeshore — if you really squint, and use your imagination, it kind of looks like an outstretched thumb. Or two. (We're not 100% convinced.) A few miles south sits Grant Village, so park literature often refers to this as the West Thumb-Grant Village area. For a truly unique experience, guests can embark on paddle tours of Yellowstone Lake which typically run between 3-4 hours from the Grant Village Marina.
West Thumb may not have the fame and romance of the Old Faithful area, but it has a diverse range of thermal features, a picturesque lakeside setting, and relatively low crowds that make it well worth a stop. The boardwalk around West Thumb is unique in that it weaves around the basin divvying it up into two zones. We recommend taking a right at the fork (from the path connecting the basin and the parking lot) and head down to the dividing walk. Plan for about an hour here to see the lake and explore the area.
At West Thumb, the road splits: to the south is Grand Teton National Park (worth of its own overnight) and Jackson, Wyoming; to the north, the road loops back in its figure-8, crossing back / backtracking on itself towards Canyon Village.
Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in the park and is the result of an immense caldera left behind by the collapse of the Yellowstone super-volcano during its last massive eruption 600,000 years ago.
West Thumb to Canyon Village
As the road curves east and north, it hugs the shores of the massive Yellowstone Lake — the largest freshwater lake above 7,000' in the US. The drive is beautiful, with opportunities to hop out of the van lakeside and stretch your legs by the water.
Just before the road turns north from the lake, you pass by Fishing Bridge. This area can be a bit quieter than other parts of the park. To soak up the peaceful scenery, hike the 3-mile Storm Point Trail, a loop that passes by a beach, through old-growth forest, and up to the vista of Storm Point.
Then load up and head north. Look for Mud Volcano and Sulphur Cauldron, mud-filled thermal features that offer an interesting contrast to the clear, colorful waters of many other Yellowstone hot pools. From Mud Volcano, a short boardwalk leads to the Dragon’s Mouth Spring, one of the more interesting features in the park. From a small cave-like opening, boiling water and steam billows out from within. Bizarre noises make the dragon’s mouth name rather believable.
Dragon’s Mouth Spring in the Mud Volcano Area
At the heart of Yellowstone is the magnificent Hayden Valley - an open grassland teeming with wildlife. This broad, beautiful expanse of landscape has few trees which makes it perfect for wildlife spotting. Cruise through, or stop to take in the scenery and spot animals with a pair of binoculars stocked in each of our campervans. This is one of the few places in the world where wolves, grizzlies and bison coexist in an area easily accessed by paved road.
Just before Canyon Village waits one of Yellowstone Park's most amazing features: the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This deep and beautiful canyon culminates in two falls, with the towering 300' Lower Falls being the most iconic of the two. Between the North and South Rims, you can find at least a half dozen hikes, trails, and overlooks offering at least half a day of sightseeing. On the South Rim, the most impressive views of the falls can be found at Artist's Point, while North Rim highlights include the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail hike, Lookout Point vista, and Red Rock Point hike.
Canyon Village to Norris
Canyon Village marks another split in the road — north to Tower along the Upper Loop, or west to Norris to complete the Lower Loop. Your direction here will likely depend on your itinerary, and where you plan to spend the night. If you've already read our Upper Loop post, this section will be familiar to you — Norris to Canyon, but in reverse.
Between Canyon Village and Norris, you'll find a number of pleasant hikes with beautiful scenery. If you're still craving more waterfall views, stop at Little Gibbon Falls. The Ice Lake Trail is a short, friendly hike leading to a forested lake. Just east of Norris, you'll reach Virginia Cascades Drive, a one-way road that takes you to a glorious 60' waterfall.
And at Norris, you've officially completed the Lower Loop! From here, you can move on to the Upper Loop, or spend another day enjoying the Lower Loop attractions you missed on day one. Another option is to head south to Madison Junction, west to the gateway community of West Yellowstone, and beyond to Quake Lake, Hebgen Reservoir, or Big Sky, Montana. Or, continue your adventure south, to the adjoining Grand Teton National Park.
Yellowstone's Lower Loop offers something for everyone — beautiful scenery, wildlife watching, fishing, hiking, and more. Tierra Traveler wants to share our big, beautiful backyard with you, making it easy to travel in comfort and style in a fully-equipped sprinter camper van. When you reserve a Yellowstone camper van rental with us, we're here to help answer your trip-planning questions to make this the trip of a lifetime!
