Things to Do with Kids in West Yellowstone, MT

West Yellowstone is the gateway town that handles the family trip into Yellowstone better than the Mammoth Hot Springs or Old Faithful approaches, because the town is small, walkable, and the in-town options (the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, the Yellowstone IMAX) fill the rest day kids need between park days. Yellowstone Adventures handles the family rental gear; Yellowstone Expeditions runs guided tours that work for younger kids. The Yellowstone Playhouse at Island Park does family-rated summer theater. Grand Prismatic Spring is the iconic photo, and the overlook trail (1.6 miles round trip from Fairy Falls trailhead) is the parent-secret access for the better view of the colored bands. Old Faithful is the timed-eruption performance every family does once; check the predicted-eruption board at the Visitor Education Center on arrival and plan the wait around lunch at the Old Faithful Inn. Pro tip: bison and elk traffic stops are the actual Yellowstone experience, and they happen between 6 and 9 a.m. and 6 and 9 p.m. Plan the park drives on those windows and the wildlife is on a different schedule than the midday tourists. Bear spray is required (rentable at Bear Aware in town). The early-morning lobby coffee at the Three Bear Lodge handles the 5:30 wake-up for sunrise.