Yellowstone National Park Attractions

Part of the Geyser region, the easy to walk Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail ranks among my family's favorite paths for its colorfulness. Various algae and bacteria surround the muddy pools of these thermal springs and small geysers, turning the waters pastel green, blue and pink -- hence the walk's name. Allow at least 30 minutes.

Another easy walk even for young children is the Midway Geyser Basin trail, a half-mile loop that leads you past the Excelsior geyser and the Grand Prismatic spring. With older kids and teens, try the 2.4-mile roundtrip Mystic Falls trail through a pine forest and along a creek to the 70-foot Mystic Falls. Sometimes Rangers lead hikes to Mystic Falls.

After the acidic hot springs' waters pass through the limestone, calcium carbonate remains, eventually causing the unusual shaped terraces that you see. We think the springs look even more dramatic in winter when the steaming waters melt the surrounding snow. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and part of Mammoth Hot Springs remain open year-round.

In winter without hordes of people, Old Faithful is even more impressive, especially when snow blankets the grounds and bison gather near the geysers. After watching Old Faithful, the park's most dramatic and predictable geyser, shoot sprays of water more than 100 feet into the air, walk the trails of the Upper Geyser Basin past scores of steamy, smaller geysers and thermal pools. In spring and summer when crowds pack the area in front of Old Faithful, it's best to view the geyser from the boardwalk path of the less crowded Upper Geyser trail.

Yellowstone offers 200 miles of snowmobile trails. Although the noisy machines scare away the wildlife you might see en route, most tours stop at Old Faithful, a gathering place for bison drawn to the warmth of the geysers. When my children were teens, we rode snowmobiles for hours, all the way from Jackson Hole, W.Y., to Old Faithful and back again. I returned exhausted and cold. My teens returned exhausted but exhilarated. Some outfitters allow two-people on a snowmobile. In general, we recommend shorter treks than our all-day outing and then only for driving age and older teens that can follow directions and resist racing. Be sure to pick a reliable company. Check the park's Web site for permitted outfitters.

Explore snowbound Yellowstone on snowshoes or by cross-country skiing. Along the way pause to admire animal tracks and the icicles dangling from the thick coats of the bison. At select times rangers as well as Yellowstone Association Institute naturalists lead small groups on snowshoe or cross-country tours. The minimum age for the Institute tours tends to be 12 years and older.

Treat your family to some of Yellowstone's special experiences. In summer, go “western” by saddling-up for one- or two-hour guided horseback trail rides (minimum age 8; minimum height 48 inches) through valleys and alongside creeks. Try a cookout dinner and opt to arrive by horseback or by wagon. Take a stagecoach ride in an 18-passenger vehicle that’s a replica of the ones used by Yellowstone’s early visitors.

Explore forests, meadows, rivers and gorges in the Tower-Roosevelt area. Among the highlights are Specimen Ridge, one of the world’s largest collections of petrified trees, and Tower Fall, whose waters tumble 132 feet. Admire the whitewater and the mountains from a viewing platform then hike the half-mile, switchback trail to the base of the falls. Along the way, you're likely to see deer.

In winter a rustic peace and a fairytale-like beauty pervades Yellowstone as deep snow blankets the park. Against the white background, it's actually easier to spot the animals (except for the hibernating bears) and fun to spy tracks, figuring out whether these belong to wolves or coyotes, pronghorn antelope or deer.

Park rangers, Xanterra Parks and Resorts and the Yellowstone Association Institute offer special day seminars and multi-day programs throughout winter. Board a snowcoach (an enclosed vehicle similar to a school bus but with tractor-like treads) for wildlife spotting and naturalist talks. Some outings visit the Lamar Valley, an animal-rich area, and others take in Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs and West Yellowstone.

In winter, opt for daylong field seminars (minimum age 15 with an adult) or multi-day programs (most are for ages 12 and older, but family programs are geared to families with children ages 8 to 12.) Part of the Institute’s Lodging and Learning programs, the family multi-day programs include four nights of lodging. Family winter holiday programs for children's ages 8 to 12, typically held over Christmas, Martin Luther King weekend and President's Day weekend, kids track and photograph animals, snowshoe or cross-country sk. Teens 12 and older are welcome on the adult programs. Reserve well in advance.

In spring, summer and fall, the Yellowstone Association Institute offers daylong and multiday field seminars, private tours and multiday lodging and learning packages. Families with teens (ages 12 and older) interested in wildlife can sign up for Spring Wolf and Bear Discovery or a Fall Wolf and Elk Discovery.

With Yellowstone for Families at Mammoth, the summer Lodging and Learning program, geared to families with kids ages 8 to 12, you track animals, hike and explore the park's geysers, waterfalls and canyons. Kids earn a Junior Ranger Badge.

Harness older teens’ energy and interest by booking an eight-hour privately guided tour focusing on the park’s canyon, lake, natural history or geology. Book all Yellowstone Association programs well in advance.

Yellowstone Lake, with nearly 140 miles of shoreline, reigns as North America’s largest mountain lake, a prime place for boating and fishing for lake and cutthroat trout. To get out on the water the easy way, board the Lake Queen for a one-hour narrated cruise. You're likely to see eagles, osprey and other birds and possibly elk on the shore. To rent rowboats or motorboats, contact the Bridge Bay Marina.

Many visitors think that Yellowstone's canyon ranks as the park's most dramatic feature. The canyon, 20 miles long and 4,000 feet across, captivates with its pink, yellow and orange striations and its two, cascading waterfalls. Lower Falls and the Upper Falls both cascade into canyon, creating mist. Popular overlooks include Inspiration Point and Lookout Point with its view of the Lower Falls.