• Old Faithful Geyser Basin
  

  
  Old Faithful is the image people think of when they think of Yellowstone. Yellowstone's most predictable big geyser—although not its largest — sometimes reaches 180 feet, but it averages 130 feet. This area is also home to the iconic and historic Old Faithful Inn, as well as a vast number of geysers and hot springs that are easily accessible via wooden boardwalks.
  
  

• Grand Prismatic Spring
  

  
  Grand Prismatic Spring is Yellowstone's largest hot spring, 370 feet in diameter. It's in the Midway Geyser Basin, and you can reach it by following the boardwalk. The spring is deep blue in color, with yellow and orange rings formed by bacteria that give it the effect of a prism. For a stunning perspective, look down on in from the Fairy Falls Trail.
  
  

• Mammoth Hot Springs
  

  
  Terraced Mammoth Hot Springs are quite different from thermal areas elsewhere in the park. The most famous feature at the springs is the Minerva Terrace. The Mammoth Terraces extend all the way from the hillside, across the Parade Ground, and down to Boiling River. This area is also a surprisingly good place to see elk grazing on the manicured lawns surrounding the park administrative buildings.
  
  

• Lamar Valley: wildlife
  

  
  Bison, moose, elk, deer, antelopes, black and grizzly bear, foxes and wolves throughout the entire park. The best place to watch them is Lamar Valley, "the Serengeti of America"
  
  

• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
  

  
  Rugged yellow stone canyon, with surreal red and white patches, thanks to hot spring activity. 25 miles long, 1,200 feet deep, complete with a roaring 300 ft-high waterfall
  
  

• Norris Porcelain Geyser Basin
  

  
  Norris Geyser Basin is a home to a vast array of thermal features, including Steamboat Geyser, the world's largest. Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest, oldest, and most dynamic of Yellowstone's thermal areas. Porcelain Basin is barren of trees and provides a sensory experience in sound, color, and smell; a 3/4 mile dirt and boardwalk trail accesses this area.
  
  

• Old Faithful Inn
  

  
  It's hard to imagine how any work could be accomplished when snow and ice blanket the region, but this historic hotel was constructed over the course of a single winter in 1903. This massive log structure is an attraction in its own right. Even if you don't spend a night at the Old Faithful Inn, walk through to admire its massive open-beam lobby and rock fireplace. You can watch Old Faithful geyser from two second-floor outdoor decks.
  
  

• Yellowstone Lake
  

  
  Imposing Yellowstone Lake, and a few dozen smaller ones. Whitewater rivers and streams, with banks dotted with hot springs.
  
  

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