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Must-See Sights Outside of Yellowstone National Park

Get to know the stunning landscapes of Greater Yellowstone.

Terraced Falls cascades down rocky terrain near the southern end of southern end of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
Hike the Cascade Creek Trail to Terraced Falls. 
Terry Thomas / Alamy

Greater Yellowstone, the 30,903-square-mile region surrounding the national park, offers even more natural splendor—trails, rivers, and lakes—and less traffic. These tranquil destinations are located a short drive from the park in each direction.

To the North: Tom Miner Basin, Montana

A 12-mile gravel road 17 miles north of Gardiner, off U.S. 89, passes through meadows, mountain forests, and working cattle ranches complete with weathered barns. Keep an eye out for elk, grizzlies, and pretty much every other type of Yellowstone wildlife. From the Tom Miner Campground at the road’s end, an easy, one-mile interpretive trail winds past an aspen grove to a cluster of petrified tree trunks.

grizzly bear pair in field during summer at Tom Miner Basin, Montana, near Yellowstone National Park, picture

Grizzly bears at Tom Miner Basin.

Louise Johns

To the East: Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, Wyoming

Wide grassy valleys and expansive vistas lure adventurers to this uncrowded road. The 47-mile drive connects the iconic, skyscraping Beartooth Highway (outside the park’s northeast entrance) with Highway 120 near Cody. Most of the route is open all year, but the snowplows stop just short of Yellowstone in winter.

Chief Joseph Scenic Highway in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park, picture

Take in the sights from Chief Joseph Scenic Highway.

Brown Cannon III

To the South: Grassy Lake Road, Wyoming

The slow but scenic drive along this very rough 49-mile dirt road connecting Flagg Ranch (near the park’s south entrance) and Ashton, Idaho, serves up epic views of the snowcapped Tetons. The road also meanders into a wildflower-filled stretch of forest. Allow three hours for the whole trip, longer if you want to linger over the vistas or perhaps gaze at the waterfalls on the 3.7- mile hike along Cascade Creek Trail to Terraced Falls.

Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone in Montana, picture

Hebgen Lake is a hot spot for anglers.

Courtesy Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

To the West: Hebgen Lake, Montana

Fat and happy trout cruise the shore of this lake 20 miles beyond the town of West Yellowstone. Treasured by anglers, the area also beckons paddlers and wildlife enthusiasts who come for the moose, bears, and bald eagles. In summer, stop by the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center to see how a magnitude 7.5 temblor dramatically reshaped the land in 1959.

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