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Yellowstone vacation ~ when to go, where to stay?


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Dh and I have pretty much decided to go to Yellowstone this summer. I've been once a long time ago, dh and the kids have never been. We are looking at staying 4 or 5 days.

 

Could use some tips, advice, etc. on the following:

 

What's a good hotel/motel that isn't expensive (would like to keep it under $100/night if possible)? Doesn't have to be brand name chain hotel, I know that independant local places can be just as nice if not better sometimes.

 

Should we got in May or June?

 

Anything else we should know?

 

Thanks!

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We went at the end of May/beginning of June. In the mountainous areas there was still snow. Old Faithful was beautiful because of the snow melt (at least that is what we think.) We saw tons of wildlife.

 

We spent 1 night in Jackson Hole and that was expensive. The next 2 nights we stayed in the park in a cabin. It was only 2 of us and it was small and shall I say rustic. It had a bathroom, a sink, a bed and heat which was really all we needed. We called the day before just on chance and they had it available. It was kind of in the center of the park. I don't remember the name of the area.

 

It is a beautiful place, have a great time.

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We camped so I don't have any info on hotels. (camping is difficult due to having to put everything away immediately after use due to bear and wolf issues)

 

I would go in June, toward the end. We went in July and the weather was perfect...warm in the day and cool at night. I do recommend getting up really early before dawn at least once to see the wolves and other wildlife...amazing! There are some wonderful talks given by the rangers at the campgrounds in the evenings. My kids really enjoyed them and learned a lot. They especially loved the wolf talks.

 

Yellowstone is one of my favorite places to go...enjoy!

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I grew up in the Park. You'll love it! I would say go in June because there really is still quite a bit of snow in May. Sometimes the roads aren't all plowed out until late May, and even then there can be huge snow piles on the sides of the road and you can't see much (we have a photo of dh and I standing on one that's taller than we are in early June when we went to visit my parents just before we married). July and August are kind of the peak season months, and it gets pretty crowded. June is nice because everything is green and nice (it all dries out around the end of August). September is a really good time of year too, as a lot of wildlife moves down to the valleys for the winter but the snows don't get super heavy and deep until more like October usually.

 

As far as lodging, honestly I have family out that way still and we stay with them so I don't have specific recommendations. I do think West Yellowstone is less expensive than Jackson Hole (plus West has a cute little theater called the "Playmill" where I was first introduced to live-production musicals, so it has a special place in my heart. :) ). The towns near the other Park entrances are really small, and less-traveled, but do have lodging and might be worth checking into. The accommodations inside the Park are run by a government contracted concessions company and are required by law to be priced competetively with the surrounding towns. They are fairly basic accommodations, and in some of the older inns, like at Old Faithful, you will be sharing a bathroom down the hall with other hotel guests. Just so you know. :) Wherever you decide to stay, though, get your reservations as much in advance as possible because they're almost always booked solid all summer long.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

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I do NOT recommend going in the summer. There is one 2 lane road through the park. If there is a bear 20 miles up ahead, you sit and see nothing. We were leaving one year, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Fortunately, we were leaving. If we had been coming in, OMG. It is one lane of traffic, bumper to bumper. We have gone 3 or 4 times in late May. The week before Memorial Day. The Bison have just had their babies and they are SO cute :001_wub:

 

Late May is busy enough to not feel isolated, but not crowded. To the point of being non-functional.

 

Also, you might still have a chance to get lodging in May. I seriously doubt you can get lodging in the park, even camping, this summer.

 

When we went, we stayed in Mammoth Hot Springs. that was my favorite places. We also stayed in the cabins near the Snow Lodge. Both of those were great. The lodge itself is nice too, but stay in the newer part. We've stayed in West Yellowstone, and that is ok. There is a grizzly and wolf refuge.

 

If you go, you DEFINITELY should go see the Tetons in Jackson Hole. We stayed at the Best Western down there. It was super expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. You should do a smooth river raft trip at sunrise or sunset. It is BEAUTIFUL. And the Tetons are just incredible. We see moose down there more than in the park.

 

Bears, in Yellowstone; Rosie is a black bear that hangs out near Roosevelt Lodge. We've seen her and her cubs a couple of years. Those cubs can scamper up a tree pretty fast!

 

Go. Spend at least a week. See it all! It's absolutely FABULOUS. I've been 3 or 4 times, and I'd go again in a heartbeat if I had the means, and a babysitter. Cuz my girls don't know what shush means. And they'd be scaring all the animals off. :glare:

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I do NOT recommend going in the summer. There is one 2 lane road through the park. If there is a bear 20 miles up ahead, you sit and see nothing. We were leaving one year, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Fortunately, we were leaving. If we had been coming in, OMG. It is one lane of traffic, bumper to bumper. We have gone 3 or 4 times in late May. The week before Memorial Day. The Bison have just had their babies and they are SO cute :001_wub:

 

Late May is busy enough to not feel isolated, but not crowded. To the point of being non-functional.

 

Also, you might still have a chance to get lodging in May. I seriously doubt you can get lodging in the park, even camping, this summer.

 

When we went, we stayed in Mammoth Hot Springs. that was my favorite places. We also stayed in the cabins near the Snow Lodge. Both of those were great. The lodge itself is nice too, but stay in the newer part. We've stayed in West Yellowstone, and that is ok. There is a grizzly and wolf refuge.

 

If you go, you DEFINITELY should go see the Tetons in Jackson Hole. We stayed at the Best Western down there. It was super expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. You should do a smooth river raft trip at sunrise or sunset. It is BEAUTIFUL. And the Tetons are just incredible. We see moose down there more than in the park.

 

Bears, in Yellowstone; Rosie is a black bear that hangs out near Roosevelt Lodge. We've seen her and her cubs a couple of years. Those cubs can scamper up a tree pretty fast!

 

Go. Spend at least a week. See it all! It's absolutely FABULOUS. I've been 3 or 4 times, and I'd go again in a heartbeat if I had the means, and a babysitter. Cuz my girls don't know what shush means. And they'd be scaring all the animals off. :glare:

 

That's where I grew up. :) I used to clean rooms up at the hotel in the summer and bus tables at the restaurant over Christmas break to earn money for college.

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Our trip to Yellowstone was fabulous. We went in July. Nights were chilly, long sleeves and jackets but days were just right. We camped so I can't help with lodging. There are so many amazing things we did and saw during our time there but these are our highlights. One of our favorite activities in Yellowstone was the Roosevelt Old West Dinner Cookout. We will also never forget swimming in the Boiling River. I think as far as geysers go, everyone enjoyed the Artist Paint Pot walk the most. For spectacular views spend some time on the hiking trails around the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

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Thanks for the info. We're most likely going to stay somewhere outside the park. I'd love to go camping there, we have a tent trailer and are considering using it but not sure yet, it's close but still several hours from here and it'll cost a lot more in gas to take the truck hauling the trailer.

 

I don't want to go in July or August simply because of the crowds. I'd rather go in late May or early June.

 

We'll figure it out. :) Thanks again.

 

ETA: for those that have camped, what did you camp in (tent, travel trailer, tent trailer, rv, etc.)?

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We went sev yrs ago in early/mid-May. The weather was a bit sketchy, but the park was mostly empty. It was wonderful driving and seeing no other cars for miles. My only issue (and this is a neurotic one that annoyed DH to no end) was that the bears were starting to come out of hibernation. They had signs all over the place, and I spent a good chunk of my time being paranoid that we would run into one. They also had some trails/attractions closed b/c of bear activity. When we go again, I think I would like to a bit later in May. I would much rather deal w/my fear of hungry bears than packs of tourists who clog up roads and then make weird faces and rude gestures at you when you don't stop to oogle the wildlife w/them (this happened when I went as a child).

 

For lodging, I can't help since we stayed in the Snow Lodge. DD was 2, and I wanted to be somewhat centrally located in the park.

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We went the very last part of August last year and it was nice. Beautiful weather and not terribly crowded. We tent camped at Canyon which was lovely and central. It is a pain packing everything up all the time for bear precautions but you get used to it. It was cold at night and in the early mornings (30s) but warmed up to the 70s during the day. I can't wait to go back and I'd pick that time again.

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We were there in Mid June last year...the Lord blessed us with many animal sightings but it was frigid cold and we camped-there is no electric hookup at their campsites...our campsite was surrounded in snow, our picnic table was under mounds of snow and we wore layers and layers of clothes to bed in the pop up...

Because of the weather, we actually cut bait and moved to West yellowstone where we could have electric hookup and thaw out:)

 

5 minutes after pulling into the front gate we saw a grizzly bear! He was feet away from our car and crazy people were out of their cars taking pictures....we took plenty of pictures from the safety of our van!

 

It was an amazing visit...I'd love to go back some time. We also loved Jackson Hole and the Tetons...stunningly beautiful!

 

Just be prepared and bring LOTS of layers...we were in full winter mode...thermals,hats,gloves,heavy coats etc. If you plan to stay within the actual park you will need to make reservations soon...it fills up quickly!!

 

It will be a trip you and your kids will never forget.

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Thanks for the info. We're most likely going to stay somewhere outside the park. I'd love to go camping there, we have a tent trailer and are considering using it but not sure yet, it's close but still several hours from here and it'll cost a lot more in gas to take the truck hauling the trailer.

 

I don't want to go in July or August simply because of the crowds. I'd rather go in late May or early June.

 

We'll figure it out. :) Thanks again.

 

ETA: for those that have camped, what did you camp in (tent, travel trailer, tent trailer, rv, etc.)?

 

If you can get reservations, I'd really suggest staying in the park. The Old Faithful Inn is such a neat place.

 

However, I'd be very careful about planning a trip in May. We live about 2 1/2 hours away and have had to cancel one trip in May because of a huge snowstorm. We've also gone in May and although the weather was beautiful one year, many of the trails we wanted to hike were still covered with several feet of snow. Other years, it has been cold and rainy. (And this is usually mid to late May.) You may not have as many people in May, but there is also a greater risk of inclement weather, and so you will need to pack winter type coats just in case.

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Thanks for the info. We're most likely going to stay somewhere outside the park. I'd love to go camping there, we have a tent trailer and are considering using it but not sure yet, it's close but still several hours from here and it'll cost a lot more in gas to take the truck hauling the trailer.

 

I'd really recommend staying in the park, at least for the nights in the middle of your trip. If you stay outside the park every night, you'll end up "wasting" a lot of time driving back and forth. It takes a long time to drive from one side of the park to the other (long distances, plus low speed limits on lots of it, plus traffic if it's June-August).

 

I'd also suggest early to mid-September as a great time to go. There are still lots of tourists there, but the crowds are way down from their pre-Labor Day highs. Accommodations in the park will still be pretty much full, so you do need to book as soon as possible. There may not be much available for the summer, but there is probably more availability for September.

 

If you really want to stay outside the park, you can get reservations as long as you do it a month or so in advance, even for the height of summer. Obviously, the further ahead you book, the more options you will have.

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Thanks again. We're going to sit down and go over the pros and cons of taking the trailer and camping vs. staying in a hotel.

 

As for the weather, that doesn't bother me, lol! Where we live and go camping it's the same kind of weather conditions. When our neice and nephews came up last August for a visit we told them to pack for camping shorts and tshirts for the day but jeans and warm coats for the nights. Our trailer has a heater in it, so we'll be good to go. :) We also have a generator so it's not an issue to not have electric hookups; run the generator during the day, use the battery and lanterns at night. We have this kind of setup due to when we go camping, we go for up to a week at a time.

 

Again, thanks everyone! Keep sharing, I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts. :)

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We went a few years ago and were miserable tent camping. A pop-up would really be no better. The bear rules are so strict that you can't leave hardly anything at your campsite.

 

If I were to do Yellowstone again, I would rent a hard-sided RV just north of Yellowstone. It is tricky to drive them on those tiny roads, but you can have the most freedom and flexibility. They are expensive, but so is lodging in the park. And No. Way. would I try to tent camp again.

 

If it's cold you will have heat. You won't have to worry so much about the bear rules. You will always have kitchen facilities and all of your clothes with you. It can take a long time to get from one place to another in the park, and this way you can just have lunch or dinner wherever you are. The weather can change rapidly, and if suddenly it gets sunny and warm, you can change into your bathing suits, instead of having them be two hours away (sigh).

 

I would also make sure I allotted time to go to the Tetons. I think it was prettier than Yellowstone, but we only allotted part of a day to see that park.

 

Unless you can sneak in at the end of May or beginning of September, it will be VERY VERY crowded. That is quite annoying. Don't get me wrong--Yellowstone is beautiful, but I'm not that into crowds.

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We went in September and stayed in West Yellowstone, Montana. I got the impression the hotels located in the park book early, and it's hard to get a room unless you are planning WAY ahead.

 

This is true, but if you're close enough to be flexible with your travel dates, you can call the park and see what rooms are available when. That's usually what we do. We've always had very helpful people when we call and they can look across the park's hotels and see what availability they have.

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We went the weekend before Memorial Day weekend. Besides the blizzard we drove through in Butte, Montana, the weather was great. There were some places in the park that hadn't been plowed yet (hiking trails, mainly), but the roads were clear and we saw plenty of wildlife with no crowds. We stayed in West Yellowstone, which is probably the best place to stay if you're coming from WA and you want to see the entire park.

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Wow, I've heard that they even close the park to visitors sometimes during the summer because they get so full -I'm not sure summer is a good time to go at all! We went the first week of September one year (after Labor Day), right before they closed, and the weather was terrific. It was still very warm (though chilly at night). There were still a decent amount of other people, but it was not packed by any means and we got to see a ton of animals.

 

Also, we went in through Cody, Wyoming, and the Buffalo Bill Museum there is an absolute gem - completely full of wonderful Native American artifacts as well as works by great Western artists. You could easily spend an entire day there (I didn't get to see everything as we had no idea how great it was and simply didn't have the time to devote to it!)

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I'd also suggest early to mid-September as a great time to go.

 

:iagree:

 

There are some Teddy Roosevelt rough cabins that looks good, but everything needs to be reserved early.

 

There is a good 30 minutes minimum drive into and out of the park. If you have a short time staying in the park would be best.

 

We stayed outside of W. Yellowstone (western entrance) in the KOA cabins there. It was nice, but it was a drive. If I'd known we were passing through earlier I would have reserved something in the park.

 

Beautiful! Enjoy!

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