Hilltop Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 We got back earlier this week from our 12 day camping trip to Yellowstone/Teton National Park. My entire family and I absolutely loved Yellowstone... it truly exceeded our expectations. I was blown away by how stunningly beautiful the park is. The wildlife is amazing and the geological features are spectacular. We had been to the Tetons before having children, but it was so fun to experience it with our dds. If you have never been, and have a chance to go, do not hesitate! Thanks to everyone who shared their Yellowstone tips! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Glad you had a great time! Do you have any tips? We are going next week for 12 days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Yes, please share! We will be there in two weeks! Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 So glad the bears didn't get ya! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 It's beautiful isn't it? My dh thought it was better than the Grand Canyon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 I took notes on everything we did because we have many friends that want to go, but find it overwhelming to plan the trip. I'll be back after dinner to share details. Is there anything specific you are wondering about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 So glad the bears didn't get ya! :D :001_smile: Me too! We saw a grizzly cub from our car, but did not stick around to see if mama bear was going to show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I would love to know if there were particular activities the kiddos enjoyed. Thanks! Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I would love to know if there were particular activities the kiddos enjoyed. Thanks! Terri My girls really, really enjoyed Yellowstone. They just turned 7 in May. Before we went we read books about bears, bison, and wolves. We also read a few books about geysers, which they were amazed by in person, but they weren't really that interested in reading about them prior to going. We did a couple of cooking experiments/recipes from this cookbook and that was fun. Their favorites include: the wildlife, Old Faithful and the surrounding geysers/springs, Artists Paintpots, swimming in the Madison River (by the campground), Norris Geyser Basin, Firehole Canyon Drive, short hikes, and earning their Junior Ranger badges, and Wilcoxson ice cream. :) The short hikes we enjoyed were: Wraith Falls (between Mammoth Springs and Tower) and Sheepeater Cliffs (we had a nice picnic here). We camped one night at Norris and 4 nights at Madison. We enjoyed both campgrounds, but the girls' favorite was Madison because there were more families and we could walk to the river and wade/swim in it. When we went to see Old Faithful and the surrounding area, we rented bikes at Snow Lodge. This was so helpful because we were able to make it all the way out to see Morning Glory Pool and see all of the surrounding geysers/pools/springs. I don't think my dds would have made it that far just walking as it was a warm day. It was a breeze to get there and see everything on the bikes. We got up early one morning and went to Lamar Valley, hoping to see wolves. It was absolutely beautiful. We saw lots of bison, lots of pronghorn, and a gray wolf! We all thought it was worth it to get up early. In fact, we really enjoyed all of the popular spots so much more earlier in the day or in the evening when the crowds are considerably less. When we were in Yellowstone Boiling River was closed for swimming. The ranger said that it would probably be closed for 3-4 more weeks due to high water levels. That was one activity that was highly recommended by some friends that we didn't get to do. Please let me know if I can answer any specific questions and/or if you want our Teton National Park highlights too. Enjoy your trip!! My dh and I both thought we would enjoy Yellowstone, but it would be something we'd check off our list and not visit again. We would LOVE to go back! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Wow! You really did the park justice with all those amazing activities. We spent two days there a couple years ago, and also found it so much more exciting that we were expecting. The Junior Ranger program was a huge hit for our gang. We did get to swim in Boiling River, which was an amazing experience. Too bad you missed it, though you had a full trip. We also hiked to Yellowstone Canyon, which is spectacular! It is really colourful, has some beautiful waterfalls, and is easier to take in than the Grand Canyon, being that much smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Glad you enjoyed it. Yellowstone is definitely on my "top" list for National Parks I really recommend people see. It's usually top of the top, but that depends a little upon what people want to see. Now I'm wishing we could go back for a few days... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 What are the best times of the year for a Yellowstone trip? Is early fall too cold---like early September? Are most of the activities closed at that time of year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I think all those things you mentioned are on our list of things to do! That is very encouraging. What did your kids like at the Tetons? We are going there and DH has been there before but they went hiking (all hiking, all the time!) which is fine, we are a family that loves hiking, but I would like to know some specific things that my dd would enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottonmama Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Thank you for sharing this! My dh's family is in Wyoming, and after the kids are older, we plan to extend our visits out there to one week with family and one week at Yellowstone. I went there myself when I was in elementary school and have fond memories of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I'll crash the party and add my thanks for the tips/advice I got from WTM and also add a few thoughts. We just went on our first trip there- June 15-24 :) We entered from the south entrance (but we RV camped 9 nights at West Yellowstone http://www.yellowstoneholiday.com/...fabulous campground that is worth the extra driving- it was 6 miles outside the town, reasonably quiet and on a lake, so it was its own destination) LOVED it! The sunsets we had on that lake were spectacular! We are so thankful we had space/quiet in our down time. But if we were only going for 2-3 days, in the park would be ok. We left from the East entrance and really loved the drive. Weather : Again, we went June 15-24 and it was still a little chilly at night (upper 30's) but mostly pleasant during the days (50's-70's)- we had a range of temps, really- towards the end, we had 80 degree temps. Busy/people wise: it was just before it started to get really busy (so I was told), but I was already shocked at how many people were there- traffic & crowds were already an issue, for sure. Tour buses were more prevelant by the time we left which honestly, changes everything. Our family is pretty used to experiencing nature up close & personal, but not w/ 1001 of our closest friends. So honestly, overall I'd like to go back in a trully off-season but am glad for our first trip we went during summer. Odd Tidbit: We were not prepared for how long the days would be, light wise. Granted we were there over summer equinox and this is only relevant if you are camping w/ out tree cover- LOL. It was finally mostly dark @10pm *sunset was 9:30) and first light started at 4:45am. So my kiddos slept w/ eye masks on- LOL, even though DS was up at 5:30 for the first 3 mornings. Our Highlights: -Grand Teton Nat'l Park- incredible. I recommend stopping at Jenny Lake in particular. We had a great picnic then let the kiddos play in the lake for a while, and took a short hike. -Yellowstone Geysers, paintpots, hot springs oh my :) Loved ALL of them. My Favorites: Grand Prismatic Spring @ Midway Geyser Basin; The Sawmill @ Upper Geyser Basin; and ALL of Lower Geyser Basin, West Thumb and the Terraces @ Mammoth Hot Springs:) That's about 3 days worth, right there :) -Old Faithful Lodge: you HAVE see the interior. Spectacular! We ate at the restaurant and it was really good ($$ but worth it). They have a bar area off to the side as well... -River Rafting from Gardiner MT (north entrance) was a highlight - we did a 2 hour float and loved it. We used WildWestRafting -Wildlife- we saw 3 bears, 3 wolves as well as many bison, elk etc. One of the bears was literally just on the other side of the road digging in a hole. Amazing! -Fishing- we didn't catch anything at all, but it was our kiddos first time and a wonderful environment to learn in (we also fished at the campground). Fishing license for kiddos is free in Yellowstone, you still have to fill out the paperwork. On the east side of the park on Lake YEllowstone there is a wonderful little sandbar that is great for fishing -At the Fishing Bridge area, we walked back along the river and spotted a river otter who was fishing- caught & ate his fish, so we sat & watched him- it was really neat. :) Additional Thoughts: -Yellowstone is a huge, HUGE park. Be prepared for lots of driving- in our 7+ days, we drove over 1000 miles easily. Budget wise we weren't prepared for THAT much gas- LOL And I didn't leave feeling like I'd seen it all- that's impossible, really. -A difficult thing for me was that I'm used to experiencing nature w/out enormous.crowds.of.Nikon.pointing.tourists all that time- LOL So it was difficult to trully relax and soak it in w/ the crowds of people- especially at the geothermal features where everyone had to walk on the boardwalks- its a very 'museum' feeling and detracted a bit from what we were seeing to have photo ops every 10 seconds. But still worth it and is more a personality thing. Try to plan quiet/private time (like hikes, bike rides, picnics to counter act the mob mentality) :D -There are so many amazing picnic areas- no need to eat in your car. :D For us, it was nice to just be out of the van, in relative calm/quiet every day- it helped balance out the people factor. -I loved seeing the various parts of the park- east, west, north, south. Make sure you get around- the terrain varies quite a bit. The lake & mountains on the east, the river on the north, the geothermals on the west etc... -I wish we had be able to soak in the Boiling River (like PP said, it was closed), found time to go to the Grizzly & wolf Center in West Yellowstone, and I wanted to do the Roosevelt Horse Riding/Cookout combo, but DS is too young for horseback. But we'll be back :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 -A difficult thing for me was that I'm used to experiencing nature w/out enormous.crowds.of.Nikon.pointing.tourists all that time- I am very concerned about this because I am the same way. I really worry that it will be hard to enjoy because I am sure it will be even more busy than when you went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I am very concerned about this because I am the same way. I really worry that it will be hard to enjoy because I am sure it will be even more busy than when you went. We were there in mid-August and the crowds were only big at the obvious places, like the paint pots and Old Faithful. There were people on the trails to Yellowstone canyon, and other geysers, but it was just part of the experience which is different than home. Having to walk on the asphalt or boardwalk paths already changes the feel when you're used to hiking right on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I am very concerned about this because I am the same way. I really worry that it will be hard to enjoy because I am sure it will be even more busy than when you went. If you are able to, go to the popular spots early in the day (before/around 9am) or in the evening. We were amazed at how much less crowded places were during these times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I think all those things you mentioned are on our list of things to do! That is very encouraging. What did your kids like at the Tetons? We are going there and DH has been there before but they went hiking (all hiking, all the time!) which is fine, we are a family that loves hiking, but I would like to know some specific things that my dd would enjoy. We all enjoyed the hike to Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point/Cascade Canyon. We took the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to the trailhead and hiked about 6 miles roundtrip. The hike to Inspiration Point has quite a bit of an elevation change, but beyond that it levels out. We hiked to 2 different spots with spectacular views where the girls took off their shoes and dipped their toes in the creek. It was lovely. The entire Jenny Lake area can get very crowded during the day. It is recommended to get there early. We got there around 9am and got right on the shuttle boat. (They run every 10 minutes.) Another day we rented kayaks at Colter Bay and had a lovely time paddling to a small island where we had a picnic lunch. The views are simply amazing. We spent the 4th of July in Jackson. My girls enjoyed doing the alpine slide at Snow King. It was a little pricey, in my opinion, but they said it was one of their favorite parts of the trip. We spent several hours at the Jackson Aquatic Center. It is a nice indoor pool and my dds loved the waterslides. We were also able to shower there when we were done swimming, which was a nice bonus since we were camping. ;) We heard great things about the Roosevelt Dinner Cookouts but could not get a reservation while we were in Yellowstone. We decided to try the Dinner Wagon Ride in the Tetons instead. My dds were too young to ride the horses, so we rode in a wagon out to a spectacular setting and enjoyed a nice meal. My dds also earned their Junior Ranger badges and thought that was fun. Enjoy your trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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