Yellowstone (park, not show)

[sdlaura]

I'm planning a summer trip for a few families next July and we're considering going to Yellowstone. Does anyone have any tips?

It looks like the West entrance is probably the closest to most attractions? We'd ideally like to stay in a big house together vs. camp or do individual hotel rooms, so is West Yellowstone or the nearby Island Park area too far removed?

We'd like do a few days with just our family before meeting the other families and visiting Yellowstone. Would we want to fly into Bozeman and visit Big Sky, or fly into Jackson and visit Grand Teton area?

Tentatively,  I'm thinking we fly into Jackson, spend a few nights there/Grand Teton (go white water rafting?), then rent a house in Island Park for a few nights with our friends and explore Yellowstone from there (doing some hikes in the park), then move into the park and spend one night at Old Faithful Inn? Please critique this plan We have four kids who will be ages 10, 9, 6, and 3. The other families have kids ages 5-11. We'll be flying from San Diego, while they'll likely be driving from Boulder and Portland. Thanks for any advice!

[gardengal]

Our Yellowstone plan for last summer was cancelled because of the catastrophic floods. HOWEVER!!! Our plan was to stay in West Yellowstone. We were staying there because the things I wanted to do most were closest to that entrance & the more north and west areas were more "can do" for us. I'd rec mapping out the things you want to see b/c everything I read said traffic can really back up.

FWIW, I think Island Park might a lot of driving, especially with kids. Unless your kids are into it? When we visited Grand Teton, we stayed in Victor, ID & it was about an hour drive to get into Grand Teton every day and by day 3 they were over the commute. Because there was also a fair amount of driving to see wildlife

We really enjoyed Grand Teton. If you want something a little different & low key, we also went to some 'ghost towns' in MT: Virginia City & Nevada City. They were exactly as my kids expected an olde time-y town to look and they learned a lot of history. We mined local gems too.

[RoxMonster]

Oh I love this area! We stayed in park cabins/hotels when we visited so I am not well-versed on outside of park accommodations, but Yellowstone is huge! If you are doing W Yellowstone for some time, I’d maybe make your in-park night someplace like Canyon or Lake so you can see the other half of the park. Old Faithful area isn’t too far from W Yellowstone. I did love staying in the OF area to see it erupt at night though and also at sunrise.

Food in the park is meh. Just plan for that or bring picnic items. OF Dining for dinner was probably the best. If you are wanting hike ideas, I can give a few that we did.

Although I’ve never been to Big Sky, I would absolutely do the Grand Tetons option. I have been to 19 national parks and GT is currently my favorite. It is stunning there. And much smaller than Yellowstone so easier to see it all. Food is better also. Get to Jenny Lake very early if you want to do the boat across because it gets super busy. The Colter Bay beach is phenomenal at sunset.

[pixy0stix]

I love Yellowstone, but I've never had to worry about accommodations (every time I went I knew people who worked in the park), so I'm useless there. Old Faithful Inn is pricey for what it is, BUT the geyser trails easily accessible from there are great. Pro-tip: stay away from all wildlife. For real, don't be that person.

Bozeman is a perfectly lovely small airport that's easy to get in/out of. If you do the Bozeman route, I second the Virginia City, MT rec and add in the Lewis & Clark caverns - fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/lewis-and-clark-caverns

[ohgillian]

I’ve been a few times and if seeing wildlife is a goal, I recommend Lamar Valley. H and I wish we had planned more time there last trip and we will plan for more if/when we go again.

[InBetweenDays]

We went to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons 6 years ago (kids were 7 and 10) and loved both. In Yellowstone we camped for two nights at the Madison Campground (west side of the park) and stayed at a hotel in Canyon Village for two nights (east side of the park). So I can't speak to staying outside the park but I will say travel times take WAY more than the Google estimate - both getting into the park (backup at the entrance) and through the park (due to bison jams). Depending on when you're going I'd almost double the estimated travel time.

Some of our highlights:
*Drove to Old Faithful at 7am. It was nearly empty
*Swam in the Firehole River near Madison Campground - one of the only places you can swim in the park
*Did the Old West Dinner Cookout. We signed up too late to ride the horses so we were in the chuckwagons, but we all had a blast
*Drove out the Hayden Valley near sunset - saw a ton of wildlife out that way and a lot less traffic than other areas
*Hiked the trail along the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from Uncle Tom's Trail to Artist Point. Absolutely gorgeous.
*Hiked up Mt. Washburn. Fun fire lookout at the top with amazing views.

I've never flown in to Jackson but I have flown in to Bozeman. It's pretty small so was a super easy airport to get in and out of.

[InBetweenDays]

We stayed 3 nights in the Tetons at Jackson Lake Lodge. Took the boat across Jenny Lake and hiked up to and past Inspiration Point one day, and floated the Snake River a second day. The Tetons are just stunning.

[hbomdiggity]

We’ve gone twice and stayed in West Yellowstone as home base. It’s convenient enough to the park and has decent amenities. Probably need at least 2-3 days to see the park. We took a daytrip to Jackson/tetons.

[mswax]

We spent almost 2 weeks in Jackson, WY last summer, and did a day trip up to Yellowstone. We were never bored, but the 1 day in Yellowstone was not enough! My kids are 14, 12, and 9, and I did a lot of hiking with my oldest, but we also went white water rafting and did more mellow exploring with the rest of the family. Happy to answer any specific questions you may have.

[dcrunnergirl52]

We did Yellowstone in 2021, and it was amazing. We all still talk about it. I have a long write-up here as part of my bigger road trip report:

docs.google.com/document/d/1sBhhN5p_0m1lhC8wmdAsMJpLAEOw9vaGYsVSYE8v5d0/edit

We stayed in West Yellowstone, and it was perfect. I wouldn't have wanted to stay farther out b/c the travel in the parks is already far enough to get places. Plus, West Yellowstone has lots of amenities, shops, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.

Please don't miss out on Grand Teton. Definitely make a few separate days for that. I am still so, so sad that we didn't go there on our trip and could only see the Tetons from a distance.

If you are into wildlife, I highly recommend a wildlife tour for kids. They are great at finding wildlife you otherwise wouldn't see.

[mrsd2006]

We did this last year. We flew into Jackson, drove up to Mammoth and stayed at the hotel there one night. Then did 3 nights at the Old Faithful snow lodge- the main hotel had already closed for the season. Then to Jackson for 3 nights at a B&B to explore the Tetons.

Be advised there is next to none cell service in the park, except in the lodgeing areas. We downloaded the Gypsy app, it was around $15 for the Tetons/YP program. It works via satellite, so it knows where you are at all times. It gives you history and info about the places as you come up to them, and whether or not it's worth stopping at.

gypsyguide.com/tour/yellowstone-grand-teton/

There are some good FB pages for YP and Teton trip planning.

[steamboat185]

Big Sky, while lovely, doesn’t compare IMHO to Grand Teton. Grand Teton is one of my favorite national Parks and we have visited 5 or 6 times. There are a bunch of lakes you can hike to and swim in, there is tons of wildlife, and the scenery is amazing.

I’d be careful staying outside the park the line to get back in can be well over an hour between 10am and 5pm. If you do stay outside, especially by the West Yellowstone entrance, get in early. Yellowstone is huge. We have stayed in the park 4 times and typically stay in two locations as it makes it easier to get out for early morning viewing take a break in the middle of the day and then do more closer to sunset. There are a lot of picnic areas by Lake Yellowstone many with beach access. We spent a decent bit of time one day hanging out by the lake avoiding the crowds.

Edit
I spent a few weeks camping in Idaho this summer and I wouldn’t stay in Island Park. It is aways from any of the attractions in Yellowstone and you will be driving for 5-6 hours a day at a minimum to see anything.
Edit again make sure you bring lots of bug spray! We were the Idaho Park area around the 4th of July and there were a TON of mosquitoes anytime you went into the woods. The hike to Bechler falls resulted in a TON of bug bites and mosquitoes don’t usually like me. Warm River is a really fun tubing location not far from Island Park it’s super shallow and not very long, but it was a lot of fun! We stayed at the campground, but I think the day use was only a few dollars and you can walk up and float down several times in 2-4 hours.

[karinothing]

For those that have been, have any of you done Glacier? I want to go in 2024 and we were thinking of taking 2 weeks to do Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much driving.

[dutchgirl678]

We went two years ago in August (drove from Portland). Originally we had a hotel room in Gardiner but a week before we left there was a road closure in the road to Mammoth Springs and we were afraid it wouldn't be resolved in time so we switched to W. Yellowstone. It was resolved, but I think W. Yellowstone was great. We were able to drive everywhere and had 3 full days and one evening after we arrived and that was plenty. Some tips:

- We got to Old Faithful on our first evening at around 7pm. We waited about 15 minutes for it to start erupting and the crowds were not bad at all. We had dinner before and after it was over, everybody left to go to their cars while we started walking around the basin. It was beautiful and there was still plenty of light and hardly any people on the trail.

- In the morning we first drove to Black Sand and Biscuit Basin. In the early morning there is a lot of mist over the water in the various pools, so you can't see the colors very well. So around 11:00 we parked at the trailhead to Fairy Falls and hiked up a bit to the viewpoint from where you can see the Grand Prismatic Spring. It really is the best spot to see it and all the colors. We tried to go to the parking lot at the Grand Prismatic afterwards and it was packed so we left and went to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone instead. We went back to the Grand Prismatic the next day but in the late afternoon and there were plenty of open parking spots then.

- The next morning we did the Norris Geyser basin. We got there about 10AM and there was still plenty of parking and it didn't feel crowded (although it was August it was also still during Covid, so crowds were slightly less than normal). Then we drove to Gardiner and had lunch there at a wonderful pizza place. In the afternoon we went to Mammoth and then to the Grand Prismatic. On our way back to the hotel, we discovered this loop called the Firehole Lake Drive and there was hardly anyone there. The Great Fountain Geyser just started erupting when we stopped there, it was gorgeous!

- We also went to the Artists Paintpots and got ice cream at the little shop at West Thumb.

- I also wouldn't stay in Island Park. Google Maps says it takes 1.5 hours to drive from there to Old Faithful. West Yellowstone was fine. We usually got to the park early, by 8AM. Advantage is we saw a huge herd of elk in the Yellowstone river when we entered.

[steamboat185]

Dec 1, 2022 10:34:48 GMT -5 karinothing said:

For those that have been, have any of you done Glacier? I want to go in 2024 and we were thinking of taking 2 weeks to do Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much driving.

Assuming, you don’t plan on doing a lot of long hikes or backpacking two weeks is probably fine if you fly into/out of different airports.

[InBetweenDays]

Dec 1, 2022 9:50:34 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Be advised there is next to none cell service in the park, except in the lodgeing areas. 

And the top of Mt. Washburn. We couldn't believe when we got to the top and our cell phones started dinging with all the messages coming through  

[InBetweenDays]

Dec 1, 2022 10:34:48 GMT -5 karinothing said:

For those that have been, have any of you done Glacier? I want to go in 2024 and we were thinking of taking 2 weeks to do Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much driving.

We did Glacier in 2014. We only did East Glacier both because the Going to the Sun Road wasn't open yet and because West Glacier landscape isn't that different from where we live.

I think 2 weeks would be enough. Especially if you flew in and out of different airports as a PP said. Between our trips we spent 3 nights in the Tetons, 4 in Yellowstone, and 3 in Glacier. You could add on an additional night in Tetons and/or Glacier plus a day for driving between Yellowstone/Tetons and Glacier and a day or two for travel.

[karinothing]

Dec 1, 2022 12:57:14 GMT -5 steamboat185 said:

Dec 1, 2022 10:34:48 GMT -5 karinothing said:

For those that have been, have any of you done Glacier? I want to go in 2024 and we were thinking of taking 2 weeks to do Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much driving.

Assuming, you don’t plan on doing a lot of long hikes or backpacking two weeks is probably fine if you fly into/out of different airports.

Yes, we were planning on starting near the Grand Tetons and ending in Glacier (or the opposite depending on where the rental cars are lol). No real long hikes or backpacking. Well, hikes are like a max of 5 miles or so (i assume that is not long). 

[osulori]

We went to Yellowstone for our honeymoon (July 2008 so it's been a while) and stayed in Island Park I believe the place we stayed at was Pines of Island Park? We liked it fine and didn't mind the driving (I think it was half an hour or so from there to the West Yellowstone park entrance, then more driving once inside the park) but it was also just the two of us. If we were taking one or both of our kids we'd aim for staying in West Yellowstone or somewhere inside the park.

[steamboat185]

Dec 1, 2022 13:20:42 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Dec 1, 2022 12:57:14 GMT -5 steamboat185 said:

Assuming, you don’t plan on doing a lot of long hikes or backpacking two weeks is probably fine if you fly into/out of different airports.

Yes, we were planning on starting near the Grand Tetons and ending in Glacier (or the opposite depending on where the rental cars are lol). No real long hikes or backpacking. Well, hikes are like a max of 5 miles or so (i assume that is not long). 

You should be fine! Consider hiking to Phelps lake in Grand Teton I think it’s about 7 miles round trip to the beach (shorter if you stop before the beach), but it’s pretty flat. We did it when our kids were 7 and 4 (the 4 year old got a piggyback ride for part), but the lake is very nice and crystal clear. We packed inner tubes, bathing suits, and lunch and floated around on the lake for a few hours. It’s lovely and much less busy than some of the other options.

[karinothing]

Dec 1, 2022 13:36:58 GMT -5 steamboat185 said:

Dec 1, 2022 13:20:42 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Yes, we were planning on starting near the Grand Tetons and ending in Glacier (or the opposite depending on where the rental cars are lol). No real long hikes or backpacking. Well, hikes are like a max of 5 miles or so (i assume that is not long). 

You should be fine! Consider hiking to Phelps lake in Grand Teton I think it’s about 7 miles round trip to the beach (shorter if you stop before the beach), but it’s pretty flat. We did it when our kids were 7 and 4 (the 4 year old got a piggyback ride for part), but the lake is very nice and crystal clear. We packed inner tubes, bathing suits, and lunch and floated around on the lake for a few hours. It’s lovely and much less busy than some of the other options.

oh that sounds very cool. Thanks

[karinothing]

Oh someone just suggested to do Yellowtone/Grand Teton in one trip and Glacier/Banff in another. I really want to go to Banff and had no idea it was so "close" to Glacier. So maybe we will do that. Too bad I can't just take a month off and do all four lol.

[hbomdiggity]

Dec 1, 2022 13:49:51 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oh someone just suggested to do Yellowtone/Grand Teton in one trip and Glacier/Banff in another. I really want to go to Banff and had no idea it was so "close" to Glacier. So maybe we will do that. Too bad I can't just take a month off and do all four lol.

We were originally planning a 2 week glacier/banff but when covid hit we had to switch to Yellowstone/glacier.

We did not include Tetons in the Yellowstone - Glacier trip. Also, glacier was only west glacier because other parts of the park were closed for covid. 2 weeks included driving to/from PNW.

We went back for Yellowstone-Tetons. And this coming summer we will go back for Glacier-Banff.

[hbomdiggity]

Dec 1, 2022 9:50:34 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

We did this last year. We flew into Jackson, drove up to Mammoth and stayed at the hotel there one night. Then did 3 nights at the Old Faithful snow lodge- the main hotel had already closed for the season. Then to Jackson for 3 nights at a B&B to explore the Tetons.

Be advised there is next to none cell service in the park, except in the lodgeing areas. We downloaded the Gypsy app, it was around $15 for the Tetons/YP program. It works via satellite, so it knows where you are at all times. It gives you history and info about the places as you come up to them, and whether or not it's worth stopping at.

gypsyguide.com/tour/yellowstone-grand-teton/

There are some good FB pages for YP and Teton trip planning.

Gypsy guide is a definite pro tip! He covers glacier as well.

We really missed him this past summer when we went to NPs with no guide.

[mrsd2006]

Dec 1, 2022 15:44:48 GMT -5 kellady said:

Second the Gypsy guide!  We went to Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone and Tetons this past summer, and the guide was great!  I loved Grand Tetons most, although we had to cut our trip short because H got Covid.  (After 2-1/2 years and every vaccine and booster offered.)

We stayed in the Lake Lodge cabins in Yellowstone for three nights (could have added more), and two nights at the Cowboy Village Resort in Jackson, (also could have added another night.). I want to go back to Jackson to see what I missed in September but I don’t know if that will happen.

I think it was the Gypsy guide guy who said that Grand Teton is the only national park that contains an airport.😀

Yep, the airport for Jackson is in Grand Teton park. 

[letsgetweird]

I just went over labor day. I stayed one night in Jackson and 4 nights in West Yellowstone. If I could do it over again (I planned my trip last minute), I would stay in the park. The Canyon Village area seemed to be a good central location.

West Yellowstone is still a good location because its literally less than 5 minutes from the park. Keep in mind the park is huge so you'll be doing alot of driving inside the park. I would try to limit your commute from the hotel to the park simply because you'll already be driving alot.

Also Jackson was quite a bit more expensive than West Yellowstone.

[RoxMonster]

I also recommend downloading the Geyser Times app if you are planning to try and catch some geysers in Yellowstone. It is updated pretty much 24/7 unlike the park website by dedicated geyser watchers. We were always able to get it to load within the park, even when we didn't have much cell service.

[caramia]

I live 90 minutes from Yellowstone, so I’m no help on accommodations, but 100% go to Grand Teton. We’ve been to YNP multiple times & like Grand Teton SO much more. It’s much less crowded, with more open space.

If you do venture to West Yellowstone, hit up Running Bear for pancakes & the Gusher for pizza 😉

No matter where you go in YNP, be ready for traffic & delays (bring snacks & drinks)

[midwestmama]

Yes, West Yellowstone will have a lot of the main attractions. I would go all the way north to Mammoth Hot Springs and down to Old Faithful. Make sure to stop at the Grand Prismatic Spring. We stayed in Gardiner, MT (North Entrance), then started the day at Old Faithful and worked our way back north. That seemed to be the opposite of a lot of the traffic, so something to consider.

Artist Point is also a beautiful stop if you decide to go further to the east.

I don't have recommendations for places to stay, as we stayed at a hotel in Gardiner, MT.

Pack snacks and warm clothes/dress in layers, as the days can start out cool, even in the summer. (We went in early June 2021 and one of the mornings was in the 30s when we started out.)