Bird’s-eye view
See Yellowstone from the best advantage
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yellowstone was designated as the United States’ first national park in 1872 and sees more than 4 million visitors a year. To take in the full grandeur of the area (and to avoid the crowds), start with an aerial tour of its most popular sites.
Grand Prismatic Spring
This iconic hot spring (above) is a highlight of any air tour over Yellowstone. The 121-foot-deep pool has a 370-foot diameter and is famous for its rainbow-bright colors created by bacteria living in the spring. The bird’s-eye view will let you fully appreciate its beauty and scale, especially when you compare the size of visitors on the boardwalk that surrounds the spring to the size of the water.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and its more than 300-foot-tall waterfall are stunning sights. The canyon walls are lined with the yellow stone for which the park gets its English name—Native American names focus more on the area’s volcanic nature. According to the National Park Service, the yellow color is formed by iron in the canyon, not sulfur as is commonly believed. Practice your turns around a point here and get the perfect angle for an aerial photo.
Old Faithful
The most famous of Yellowstone’s geysers, Old Faithful is a must-visit. If you’re lucky, you’ll see it erupt from the air, and if not, check out the Old Faithful Inn. Eruptions occur about once an hour and the park expects around 20 eruptions per day. When you visit on the ground, grab a scoop or three of huckleberry ice cream from the café inside the inn.
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