Yellowstone-need help

[whitestavern]

Need help from those of you who've been to Yellowstone. We are going mid May and I have no idea where to stay! There are so many different areas in MT and WY. I have no idea what is best. We're staying for about 4 nights and are also looking for (inexpensive if possible) lodging recommendations. Thanks for any info you can provide!

[Mama Geek]

Check to see if they have cabins available in the park. We called last minute and got a cabin for 2 for much less than a hotel in Jackson Hole. We were there at the end of May.

[NotSoObvious]

West Yellowstone, MT is a fun small town. That's usually how we enter the park. We've done Jackson Hole before and, eh, it was fine. The Tetons are gorgeous though.

They redid the visitor center at Old Faithful a few years ago and it's really cool for kids. We spend a good chunk of the day just in that area.

[whitestavern]

Thanks for the suggestions...should've mentioned that all in-park lodging is full up (or not open yet for the season). Keep any suggestions/ideas coming!!

[plansrme]

West Yellowstone, MT is a fun small town. That's usually how we enter the park. We've done Jackson Hole before and, eh, it was fine. The Tetons are gorgeous though.

They redid the visitor center at Old Faithful a few years ago and it's really cool for kids. We spend a good chunk of the day just in that area.

 

 

Another vote for West Yellowstone, MT. We stayed there for 2 or 3 nights last summer at the Three Bears Lodge. It was great for a family because one of their options is a two-bedroom suite and is a block from the west entrance to the park. If you stay in West Yellowstone, there is an awesome burger place called Kiwi Burger or something like that. When we were there, it looked like a biker bar and, indeed, was largely patronized by bikers. But that was the best food we had on our trip, and our tattooed biker chick server was awesome. (The grizzly/wolf sanctuary in West Yellowstone was NOT worth it.)

 

If you stay in Jackson, near the Grand Tetons, we found the best way to go was to rent a ski condo. All of the hotels were booked when we were looking there, and the hotels were $500 anyway. Yikes! For about $240 a night (maybe less--don't quote me on that), we rented a condo with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a fire place and a washer and dryer. As a bonus, an elk grazed outside our balcony every morning.

 

We loved that trip so, so much. Although I am a little nutso about staying onsite at Disney, I did not feel that staying outside of the park in any way affected our enjoyment of Yellowstone. Getting inside the park is half of the fun.

 

Random suggestions: take binoculars; get up at the crack of dawn if you want to see the most wildlife (be at one of the suggested spots when the sun is coming up--we saw a grizzly and cub that way); and attend as many ranger talks as you can squeeze in. Every ranger talk we attended was worthwhile. If your kids are a good age for it, the Junior Ranger program is a lot of fun. We took long, long hikes miles past signs that warned that we were entering the Yellowstone Backcountry and advising us, repeatedly, about bear safety. Ironically, however, the only bear we saw up close was on a trail that was as busy as a Target store on a Saturday afternoon. We stopped and admired the bear with, literally, a dozen other people.

 

Have fun!

 

 

Terri

[Vida Winter]

Pahaska Tepee- rustic but less expensive than other places.

 

http://www.pahaska.com/index.html

[whitestavern]

Pahaska Tepee- rustic but less expensive than other places.

 

http://www.pahaska.com/index.html

 

 

 

mapquest is showing this as 50 miles from Yellowstone...is this accurate? We had planned on spending some time in Cody after Yellowstone because it seemed so far. The teepees are cute though :)

[LostSurprise]

We stayed at the KOA cabins in West Yellowstone. They were 10 minutes outside of W. Yellowstone.

 

Just remember that anything outside of the park is a good 30 minute drive to get anywhere in the park, even places that look nearby.

[plansrme]

 

 

 

mapquest is showing this as 50 miles from Yellowstone...is this accurate? We had planned on spending some time in Cody after Yellowstone because it seemed so far. The teepees are cute though :)

 

Cody is too far to go into and out of Y'stone, but if you stay a night in Cody, the K3 guest ranch (actually a b&B) is fun and family friendly. I did not love Cody, though it was fine. I would not skip a day in Y'stone or the Tetons for Cody.

 

Terri

 

Eta: what is up with the random smiley? I did not put it there!

[Vida Winter]

I can't remember how far it was from Yellowstone - the whole place is so big. We stayed there because it was close to a boy scout camp where we needed to pick up our son. One strategy is to stay in a different place each night - that way you can see a different part of the park each day and end up sort of near where you are going to stay. Everyone tends to underestimate how far things are.You *will* spend a lot of time driving if you want to see a lot of the park.

[dontknow]

Yellowstone is a wonderland. Tetons shouldn't be missed while you are there. As I recall the two parks are about an hours drive from each other. Jackson Hole is a village community with plenty of shopping, etc.... and is close to the Tetons.

 

We stayed 7 days in Yellowstone and 6 in the Tetons to soak it all in.

 

If you haven't already done so, go to the National Park Service site and you'll get a ton more info. Also check out Frommers on the same.

 

As stated by some others, staying in the park is the best solution and even though they are full now, keep checking in for last minute cancelations.

 

I don't know though about snow issues the time of year you are going so be sure to see if all roads are open to cars.

 

Assuming all roads are open - Yellowstone is vast but very driveable. As I recall, it's a big "Figure 8". Allow stopping time for Buffalo crossing or wildlife viewing. These can take some time from your planned travel.

 

Tetons are extremely driveable, again assuming the roads are open.

 

Early morning or dusk is the best time to see wildlife. However, buffalo and perhaps elk will be around almost all of the time. Come to think of it, there were a few moose that never seemed to go away either. Grizzly and black bears can be seen during the days as well so always be on the lookout for them as well.

 

Mammoth Springs is pretty amazing so be sure to check that area out as well as the Old Faithful Area and The Canyon Area.

 

Have a great time and if you are into it, take a little hike even if it's just for a little bit. Your experience will change a great deal than just looking at it all from the car or sidewalk.

[TrixieB]

We stayed at the Riverside Cottages in Gardiner, MT. Yellowstone is big enough that pretty much everywhere is quite a drive from where you stay, unless you camp in the park and explore the immediate area, then camp at another site, etc.

 

I would love to go back for another visit!

[whitestavern]

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. I did manage to nab a place inside the park, which was our first choice, so I'm very happy about that! Now I'm going to add all your great notes into my travel binder. Vida...you were so right about it taking a long time to go through. We have 3 full days there and I hope we get to see quite a bit, but I was floored when the hotel rep told me it would take 2 hours to get to another hotel in the park! I can get from one side of my state to the other in less than that!

[Candid]

We stayed here: http://www.shoshonelodge.com/

 

One mile outside the east gate. It is still in the wilderness, no town around. A moose and baby walked through one morning.

[datgh]

Would you consider renting an RV? You would have everything you need with you all the time. No need to look for food or rest rooms. We are using Cruise America in a few weeks.