Yellowstone National Park is a great place for children regardless of their interests and hobbies. In Yellowstone, kids can learn about geology, history, wildlife, and much more. Activities like hiking, boating, and exploring the park will keep children occupied and entertained. Listed below are ten of the most popular attractions and natural wonders for kids, preteens, and teenagers.
1. The Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful: The Upper Geyser Basin contains over 150 thermal features within only one square mile. This means you can see a variety of geysers and hot springs without walking very far. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to Old Faithful, Yellowstone's most well known geyser. It was named in 1870 for its consistent and predictable performance. Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, but it is not the largest or most regular geyser in Yellowstone. On average, Old Faithful erupts about every ninety minutes. Most eruptions last just a few minutes and reach heights of over one hundred feet. Old Faithful is still as spectacular and predictable as it was a hundred years ago.
2. Yellowstone Lake and the West Thumb Geyser Basin: Yellowstone Lake is the park's largest lake. The deepest part of Yellowstone Lake is called the West Thumb (because the lake is shaped like a hand with this part as the thumb). Along this section of the lake is a small geyser basin with boardwalks that run right along the shore of the lake. There are several interesting and colorful hot springs, fumaroles, geysers, and mudpots along this trail. One of the most famous attractions is the Fishing Cone. Early visitors to the park claimed that you could use your fishing pole to catch a fish in the lake then quickly dip it into the boiling waters of the Fishing Cone Geyser to cook it!
3. The Mud Volcano and Sulfur Caldron: Short trails bring you past mudpots and strange looking and sounding fumaroles. Walk past the Dragon's Mouth and you may hear it gurgling and belching at you!
4. The Grand Canyon area and the Canyon Visitor Education Center: The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is about twenty miles long and was formed by erosion caused by the rushing waters of the Yellowstone River. There are two major waterfalls in the canyon. The Upper Falls is 109 feet high and the Lower Falls is 308 feet high. The Canyon Visitor Education Center has several kid-friendly exhibits including a room-size model of Yellowstone that shows the park's volcanic eruptions, lava flows, glaciers, and earthquake faults.
5. Mammoth Hot Springs: The Mammoth Hot Springs area is in the Northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. The hot springs here are different from any other thermal features you will see in Yellowstone. The Liberty Cap and Minerva Spring and Terrace are two highlights in this section of the park. The Liberty Cap was named because it resembles the caps worn by colonial soldiers in the Revolutionary War.
6. The Artist Paint Pot Trail: The Artist Paint Pot Trail near Madison is a one- mile walk that is good for children of all ages. At the end of the trail you will find some of the most colorful hot springs as well as a few mudpots at the top of the hill.
7. Wildlife: Yellowstone offers some of the best opportunities to see wildlife in the United States. Bring your binoculars and you may see wolves, grizzly bears, bison, elk, coyotes, bighorn sheep, and more.
8. Museum of the National Park Ranger: The Museum of the National Park Ranger is in a beautiful, old log building that was built in 1908 as a station for soldiers on patrol. The displays in the museum tell the history of the National Park Service, focusing on the men and women who have helped to protect our national parks throughout history. The museum is staffed by retired National Park Service employees who often have interesting stories about Yellowstone.
9. Roosevelt/Tower Cookout: During the summer you can enjoy a western cookout in the Tower-Roosevelt area. You can either ride a horse or take a covered wagon to Pleasant Valley where the cookout is held. The cookout includes authentic western food (steak, corn bread, and baked beans) and some type of entertainment (usually a cowboy singer).
10. Grand Prismatic Spring: The Grand Prismatic Spring is named for its beautiful colors, caused by microscopic organisms called thermophiles that live in the hot water. The center of the spring is deep blue followed by pale blue toward the edge. Along the border, green alga fades into yellow and orange then red marks the outer border. Steam often makes it difficult to appreciate the bright colors.
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