Yellowstone, America's first national park, is a land of wonders. Rainbow-colored hot springs, steaming geysers, bubbling mud pots, deep canyons, waterfalls and herds of wildlife fill its more than 2 million acres, stretching from northwest Wyoming into Montana and Idaho. When fur trapper and Lewis and Clark scout John Colter described its geothermal marvels in the early 1800s, people thought he was exaggerating.

Watch Old Faithful erupt, then walk the boardwalks past the vivid Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the U.S. Explore the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its thundering Lower Falls, and the shores of Yellowstone Lake, including the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Head to the Lamar and Hayden valleys for some of the best wildlife viewing in the country, where bison, elk, wolves and grizzly bears roam. Millions of people visit each year, but if you venture beyond the busiest spots, it's easy to find quiet trails and wild places.

Yellowstone's lodges book up a year or more in advance. I'll secure your lodging, plan your route through the park's loops and pair Yellowstone with Grand Teton and Jackson Hole.