Yellowstone National Park Travel Forum

Hello,
I am just beginning to plan a trip to Yellowstone.
Our trip needs to take place in June of 2007.
We have six children who will be ranging in age from 18 down to almost 3 when the trip takes place.
For our older children this may be our only chance to see Yellowstone with them and I want to make the most of it.
I am looking for guidance about the best way to see Yellowstone.
Thanks

How long will you be there? Where are you flying into? Jackson or Salt Lake City or Montana?
If you're entering from South Entrance, closer to Jackson we have found following to be the best (based on 20 trips to the area).
South entrance to Lake Lodge lunch and explore around lake area...continue to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and over night at Canyon Lodge.
You'll pass through Hayden Valley and see buffalo, etc.
Early morning - revisit upper and lower falls (the mist and steam generated by the falls in early morning light is awsome).
continue on to Mammoth. Go through Mt. Washburn area (good spot to look for grizzlies) Make sure and stop off at Tower Falls...continue through scenery and winding roads - Overnight Mammoth and explore area all the next day, including a hop to Montana, Gardiner.
Continue on to Geyser basins. First stop should be Norris Geyser basin. Don't just rush to Old Faithful, explore basins along the way.
Do the lower Geyser basin including Firehole river drive.
Eventually, end up at Old Faithful.
Spend a day or two here (I get geysered out after only 2 days).
If you have more than a week, continue on to Grand Teton National park on way out, via south entrance and have a good week here.
To me, Grand Teton is even more picturesque than Yellowstone.
Good luck and enjoy, it's an amazing trip!

I agree that the Grand Teton's are more impressive than Yellowstone. I found Yellowstone to be sort of flat and the trees skinny when compared to the California Sierra's. However, the thermal ponds were way awsome and the wild life is to cool and very very close to the road.

Coming in from the south via Jackson Hole, WY would be the way I would enter as the view is awsome and the road is good. There really is no bad route around Yellowstone each area has its own special look.

I enjoyed spending time around the north gate at Gardiner, MT and driving the Beartooth Highway over to Red Lodge, MT.

Hi
We were there a few weeks ago and had a ball. We put a trip report together on our web site that shows the Tetons, Yellowstone (and Glacier). There's a bunch of pictures that might help you decide what to see.

www.alandsuejohnson.com click on the bison picture

One thing to consider is whether to stay in one place the whole time or to more to a different location. We spent all 3 nights at the Old Faithful Inn. We enjoyed it but the drive to Hayden Valley was a long one and it was hard to get there early. Hard to believe how big the park is until you start driving around.

Hi, I live near Yellowstone, and therefore travel there often, but have still not seen everything there is to see. Last time we were there we saw two geysers go off we had never seen in action before. What to see depends on how long you will be there. When in Yellowstone, of course you have to see Old Faithful, as it is the most famous of all the geysers. It is a nice one, but I have to say there are a few I like better. One thing that is fun is to take the Old Faithful Lodge historic tour. It is quite interesting. If you don't want to do this, at least go in and look around. It is the most outstanding log structure I have ever seen. Besides the Old Faithful geyser basin, the Norris geyser basin is nice. Try to see Eucinas geyser erupt while in Norris. It use to be very regular, but isn't anymore, so this may be difficult. One of our very favorite geysers is Great Fountain which is located on the Firehole Lake Drive. You can get an estimate of when it might erupt at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Be sure to see the Canyon area and it's falls. Artists Point is my favorite look out point, and a must see view. Inspiration Point is also very very nice. The mud pots are pretty interesting, but they are at their best in the fall when they are really just like moving mud, in the spring with the snow melt off they are watered down and are more like gray liquid water. If you have enough time Mammoth Hot Springs area and Tower Falls are also very nice to explore, although I can't remember how far you have to walk to see Tower Falls, so I don't know if this would work with a 3 year old. If you want to eat out in a nice restaurant the old log lodge at Old Faithful, the Lake Hotel, and the lodge at Mammoth all have excellent restaurants, although they are somewhat pricey. I can't remember if they have a children's menu. If you want to eat in any of these, make your reservations well in advance as they are popular. I have a lot of pretty detailed information on places to eat, see, stay, etc. on my VT Yellowstone pages.

One thing I would suggest if you are going to be there for a number of days, is to make room reservations or campground reservations in a variety of locations in the park. The main park loop road is 142-miles in size. If you stay in one area of the park, visit the sites there, then move to another location in the park, you will save your self a lot of time driving around from place to place. June is a good time to go, as July and August are really crawling with people. Do come with light weight and heavy weight clothing. It can be like summer or winter in June, and it may change from day to day.

I also have to respond to the Grand Teton suggestions. I have seen a number of mountain ranges in the US and the Tetons may be my favorite. Yellowstone, however, is a completely different experience. The best view of mountains is from the northern part of the park---around the Mammoth area, or from the Lamar valley, which is a good wildlife viewing area, or looking out over Yellowstone Lake from the west side looking East. The mountains in these areas are very nice, but they aren't as awsome as the Tetons. Although Yellowstone certainly isn't flat, it isn't in a valley with towering mountain rising up as the Tetons do. Yellowstone, however, offers you much more of a variety of things to see and do, plus you see more wildlife in Yellowstone. Many of the sites in Yellowstone can only be seen in 3 or 4 other places in the world. If you are driving from the south or SW it is certainly worth a day's exploring. If you are driving from the east, plan to spend a day or two in Cody, Wyoming. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center museum is nationally recognized, and has five wings covering 5 different subjects. Old Trail Town there is also a lot of fun, if you have time to take it in. The nightly rodeo would be a lot of fun for the children, and as an adult, if you have never seen a rodeo, you may find it very interesting.