Livingston itinerary scene

Weekend itinerary

Two nights in Livingston: river, valley, and Main Street

Check in at Murray Hotel Friday, float or hike Saturday on the Yellowstone and US-89, reserve 2nd Street Bistro or Neptune's for dinner, and finish Sunday at Faye's Cafe or the depot before checkout.

By Cal Mercer — a Second Star Guide itinerary

US-89 south carries the Yellowstone River toward Chico and Gardiner; downtown Livingston supplies the depot, Dan Bailey's, and dinner on Park Street.

Best length

2 nights

Two nights leave Friday for downtown, Saturday for the Yellowstone River or Paradise Valley, and Sunday for Faye's Cafe and the depot before the road home.

Stay

Home2 Suites by Hilton Livingston

This pet-friendly all-suite Livingston hotel provides functional suites, complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi, plus a Spin2 Cycle room combining fitness equipment with guest laundry.

Main activity

the Yellowstone River, Paradise Valley, and downtown Livingston

Use Saturday for a Yellowstone River float or the Paradise Valley road, then return for the depot district and dinner downtown.

Pace

River, valley, and town

Friday belongs on Main Street, Saturday follows the Yellowstone south toward Chico or Mammoth, and Sunday stays light before checkout.

Friday

Check in at Murray Hotel and eat on Park Street.

Drop bags downtown, walk past the 1902 depot, and settle into Gil's Goods or Neptune's while the Bozeman or I-90 drive is still fresh.

4:00 PM

Saturday

Float, hike, or drive US-89 toward Mammoth.

Saturday can hold a Yellowstone River float, Pine Creek Falls, Chico Hot Springs, or Mammoth terraces before returning to Livingston for dinner.

10:00 AM

Main activity

Give Saturday to the Yellowstone River or Paradise Valley.

Book a guided float from Dan Bailey's, hike Pine Creek Falls, stop at Chico Hot Springs, or drive US-89 to Mammoth Hot Springs. Each choice fills the daylight hours without borrowing the evening from downtown Livingston.

Compare

Open the river and Yellowstone guide

Named river, valley, and north-Yellowstone stops in one sequenced guide.

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Browse more attractions and activities

See additional things to do around Livingston.

4:30 PM

Afternoon

Walk the depot district before dinner.

Livingston Depot Center, Yellowstone Gateway Museum, and the Murray Hotel lobby make a concrete late-afternoon loop before a reserved table at 2nd Street Bistro or Neptune's.

Sunday

Coffee, local history, and the road home.

Sunday leaves room for Faye's Cafe on weekday mornings, Pinky's any day, the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, or a short river walk before checkout.

Choose your Saturday

Trout water, a waterfall, or Mammoth terraces?

A Yellowstone River float, Pine Creek Falls, and Mammoth offer different versions of Livingston: time on the water, forest above Paradise Valley, or limestone terraces inside Yellowstone. Choose the experience you most want, then give it the daylight rather than treating the other two as stops along the way.

Fly fishing on the Yellowstone River near Livingston
The Yellowstone beside Livingston gives the weekend a destination before the national park entrance.

For anglers: the Yellowstone, then downtown

Start with local conditions and guide referrals at Dan Bailey's on Park Street. Arrange the fishing outing before setting breakfast or dinner times; the guide's meeting time should lead the day. Back in town, the depot district makes a natural change of subject from trout water to railroad history.

For a valley day: Pine Creek Falls and Emigrant

Follow US-89 south and make Pine Creek Falls the main outing: a waterfall-and-forest hike on the Absaroka side of Paradise Valley. Leave time for a meal in Emigrant before returning to Livingston. Prefer pools to a trail? Choose Chico Hot Springs instead of the hike, after confirming pool access for your date.

For Yellowstone: Gardiner, then Mammoth

Leave early for Gardiner and continue inside the north entrance to Mammoth's terrace boardwalks. This is the park version of Saturday, not an addition to a fishing day. Lamar Valley adds another driving leg; make wildlife the priority if you continue there, rather than also promising a depot visit before dinner. Check NPS road and entrance alerts before departing.

Read the river, valley, and north-Yellowstone details →