Thing to Do

Photography In Yellowstone

A group of people with long camera lenses on tripods.

Popular Shots

Pack your patience if you intend to photograph any of these views during the busy summer months. Traffic can be heavy and parking limited to nonexistent at certain times of day. Before you visit any of these areas, check our current conditions page to learn about closures that might affect your trip.

Three visitors take a selfie in front of a colorful hot spring.
Taking selfies at the Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook.
Grand Prismatic Spring
Colorful bacterial mats radiating from a steaming, azure pool make Yellowstone’s largest hot spring an otherworldly scene and a bucket-list stop for many photographers. A short walk from the Fairy Falls Trailhead leads to the only overlook with an elevated view of the landscape (shown here). The boardwalks in the Midway Geyser Basin offer a ground-level vantage point. Off-trail travel is prohibited in this area (even on the hills overlooking the hot spring), and parking is very limited. Please park in designated areas only.
A large waterfall
The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone and the trail to Red Rock Point as seen from Lookout Point.
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River
Capturing a photo of this famous waterfall may involve visiting several viewpoints depending on time of day and weather. Brink of Lower Falls, Lookout Point, Uncle Tom’s Trail, and Artist Point all provide equally great, yet different, perspectives. On sunny days, a rainbow forms in the spray below the falls. Off-trail travel is prohibited in the Canyon area.
A large crowd in front of an erupting geyser
A crowd gathers for a summer eruption of Old Faithful.
Old Faithful
Timing is everything when it comes to geysers, so check our Geyser Activity Page, our Geyser App or follow @GeyserNPS on Twitter to see predictions for Old Faithful’s next eruption. You can also call 307-344-2751 (option 2). Arrive early if you want a front-row seat, and be ready to shoot since Old Faithful reaches its peak height shortly after it starts erupting.

Other Subjects & Locations

Bison graze
While bison can be seen throughout the park, a large number spend the summer in Lamar Valley.
Animals (Lamar Valley)
While all of Yellowstone offers chances for great wildlife sightings and photography, the highest concentration of animals can usually be found along the Yellowstone and Lamar river valleys between Mammoth Hot Springs and the Northeast Entrance (an area known as the Northern Range). Remember to keep your distance from wildlife and zoom with your lens, not with your feet!
A geyser erupts by the side of a river.
Riverside Geyser is one of several other predicable geysers near Old Faithful.
Geysers (Upper Geyser Basin)
Spend a day or two exploring the boardwalks in the Upper Geyser Basin and you’ll witness dozens of geysers. Stop by the visitor education center or download our Geyser App to get predictions for the handful of geysers with regular intervals between eruptions.
A waterfall drops over a steep rock surface.
Gibbon Falls near Madison Junction.
Lakes & Rivers
As winter gives way to spring, Yellowstone’s lakes and rivers swell with melting snow and provide unlimited opportunities to photograph water. Within the park you’ll find thousands of miles of streams, over a hundred named lakes, and nearly 300 waterfalls. Many waterfalls, including Firehole, Gibbon, Lewis, and Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, can be seen from roads or overlooks.
A galaxy of stars over a mountainous landscape
The milky way as seen from the boardwalk in the Midway Geyser Basin.
Night Skies & Hot Springs
On clear nights stars fill the skies over Yellowstone, and steam rising from hot springs can make a dramatic foreground. The Milky Way is visible over Yellowstone from April through October, and the aurora borealis makes an appearance once or twice a year (a K-index of 7 or more means it might be visible here). Be sure to bring flashlights, some friends, and bear spray if you’re exploring the park after dark.
A sunrise is reflected in a body of water.
A summer sunrise reflected in the waters of Yellowstone Lake.
Sunrises (Yellowstone Lake)
Watching the day begin at Yellowstone Lake often means a brilliant sky reflected in clear, calm water rimmed by jagged peaks. The Grand Loop Road hugs the western shore, providing great views across the water to the east from many pullouts. At the West Thumb Geyser Basin, geysers and hot springs add to the drama of the golden hour.
Beautiful reds and golds color a sunset over a boardwalk with a geyser erupting in the background.
Enjoying the sunset from the boardwalk near Firehole Lake.
Sunsets (Lower Geyser Basin)
As the mid-summer sun drops in the sky, it backlights the steaming hot springs and geysers along Firehole Lake Drive and the boardwalks at Fountain Paint Pot. By waiting to visit until the end of the day, you might even have the place to yourself!
A boy sites on a slope filled with yellow wildflowers
July wildflowers near Dunraven Pass.
Wildflowers (Dunraven Pass)
Wildflower season begins in April at lower elevations (Mammoth Hot Springs) and reaches the mountains in July when slopes around Dunraven Pass become a carpet of yellow flowers.
Geysers steam in the distance of a snow-covered landscape.
Rime ice coats the grasses around a hot spring near Old Faithful.
Winter Wonderland
With snow and ice clinging to every surface, subzero temperatures transform Yellowstone’s landscape into a winter photography paradise. You’ll find trees draped in rime ice, steaming rivers and hot springs, and foxes making acrobatic leaps as they chase rodents under the snow. Access to the park is limited during this time, so read more about the logistics of planning a winter visit.

Photo Albums

Looking for inspiration? Take a look at our Flickr albums to get a sense of places like Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley, Lower Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, West Thumb Geyser Basin, and much more.

Share Your Pics

Follow and tag @YellowstoneNPS on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, and Twitter.

Commercial Photography

If you intend to profit from images or videos taken in Yellowstone, please review the information about commercial film and photography permits.

People stand watching erupting geysers from the safety of a boardwalk.
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Last updated: March 13, 2024