05-20-2026 Hayden Valley, Canyon Village, Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

- May 29, 2026

Today, we started out going north from Fishing Bridge toward Hayden Valley. Our goal was to make it to the Gibbons Fall, south of Norris, and we did. We had rain and off-and-on snow flurries. We did a lot today and are exhausted.

Our first stop was Mud Volcano. We walked the boardwalk all around this area. Just amazing. The colors are so bright. We saw lots of bison prints all around the area. I took a few videos of the active mud pots to show their activity. Dragon’s Mouth Spring was a favorite. Be sure to watch the video below. It was named around 1912.

The Mud Volcano area was fun to observe, and I learned about the difference between a Mud Pot and a Fumarole. Mud Pots are muddy springs, and Fumaroles are steam vents. See the photo below.

Black Dragon’s Caldron and Cooking Hillside both have an interesting history, too. See the photos and videos below.

As we drove into Hayden Valley, we saw bison everywhere. Sometimes it was only a few together. There was one feeding by the road, and we were able to stop, and I got this great photo.

Next, we took the South Rim Drive and parked in the first parking area to hike to the Upper Falls Viewpoint. This is part of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Again, stunning views. We walked this trail to another viewpoint, Discovery Overlook. On the way back, we spotted three Yellow-bellied Marmots feeding on grass just below the trail. They didn’t mind us taking their picture.

I love these little guys. They are so fun to watch.

Canyon Village was our next stop at the Visitor Education Center for Passport Stamps. We didn’t spend much time here because we wanted to drive the North Rim Drive to walk some of the trail to Lookout Point, Grand View, and Inspiration Point. Each of these stops gives you incredible views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. So far, this is my favorite part of the park. The canyon is awesome, and so are the colors. We ended up having lunch at Inspiration Point. I must say my tuna sandwiches were delicious.

The colors are beautiful, and pictures don't do it justice.

The walls were a beautiful candlelight color.

Norris Geyser Basin was our next stop. According to the NPS.gov website, the bookstore was supposed to be open. This is where we would have gotten our passport stamps. To our disappointment, it was not open. We asked a Ranger about it, and he said he thought it was to be open too. We asked about getting passport stamps and were informed that the person who was to work the bookstore today could not find it and came down to the museum asking if they had it. Sometimes they do if the bookstore is closed. Seems no one knows where the stamp is. He did say he had many people who were unhappy about it.

The turquoise colored water at Norris Geyser Basin was intense. You could see it through the steam. We walked the boardwalk all the way around and then some. Just amazing.

We still had daylight, so we decided to drive to the Artists' Paintpots. A much smaller area to explore, and again, the colors were worth it. We ended our day at Gibbons Falls.