If you have visited Yellowstone NP come on in please

[mommyoffive]

I am thinking of doing a Yellowstone NP trip this summer.  

If you  have gone come and impart your wisdom.  

When did you go? 

Where did you stay? 

Did you do the whole park?  If so how?  Did you stay a few days on one side and then the other or something along those lines? 

Did you do go to one side and just see that part? 

Other advice??

[JFSinIL]

All I recall from our trip years ago is that we stayed just outside the western entrance in West Yellowstone, Montana.  That timing to get places varied..depending on the bison.  If a bison wants to stand in the road, everything stops.  If there is a grizzly bear on the far side of a meadow, everything stops as folks crane their necks to see it.  If you book a horseback riding event in one location, be prepared to allow extra hour or more to get to it than you'd expect.  Bison etc run the park, not the humans 😉

Since it is a National Park, there may or may not be many rooms let at area cabins, motels outside the park, etc. 

[bolt.]

We were there about 20 years ago in June. It was chilly at night, but not bad. We camped, and stayed in one spot. We visited places all around the park for about a week. Most of my advice would be out of date, I assume.

[catz]

We did like a week at Yellowstone a few years back.  We drove in from the east, stayed in the NW corner (Gardiner) one night, we stayed on the the east side (Cody?) a couple days and the west side (West Yellowstone) a couple days.  And we went out through Grand Teton and stayed in Jackson, WY a couple days too.  It was a GREAT trip!  The east side was super quiet, that was nice and tons of bison on that side.  It made us laugh going back to west and people lining up to see a single bison.  

Anyway, what I would do would depend on how much time you have.  That west side is most popular and has the most lodging.  But it was certainly worthwhile having more time to dig into the other areas of the park.  We couldn't camp on that trip for a few reason (we combined that trip with a trip to a music camp in CO for our kids, and packing was tight as is).  

Edited May 24, 2021 by FuzzyCatz

[kokotg]

We went four years ago in mid-June. I think we had 5 full days, one of which got eaten up taking my youngest to the only doctor in West Yellowstone (or within an hour or so of West Yellowstone, for that matter, as I recall). We had our travel trailer with us, so we split our time between Fishing Bridge inside the park and Grizzly RV (they also have cabins, I believe) in West Yellowstone, right outside the west entrance. We roughly split the park into quarters and did the northwest one day, northeast another day, southeast one day, etc. We certainly didn't see the whole park, but we hit a lot of highlights. General advice: it really is crowded in season. I thought, "it's in the middle of nowhere, and I've been to Disney World. How crowded can it be?" But, no, it's really crowded. So get to the big places early in the day if you can. It's huge. You'll do a ton of driving. But it's very pretty driving. It's overwhelmingly big and there's an overwhelming amount of planning information out there, but it's actually a fairly easy park to plan an itinerary for because it's all pretty nicely laid out, with visitors center along the loop road near all the biggest attractions. West Yellowstone is a really nice little town. If you have time to see Grand Teton, too, do that--it's not far away, and it's beautiful and a very different vibe from Yellowstone. Like if I had a week, I'd give 2 days to the Tetons. My blog in my signature has several Yellowstone posts if you want to hear me blather on about it a lot more. 

[kokotg]

Just noticed that you said this summer....you may run into trouble booking stuff this late for this summer. A lot of places always book up early, and it's likely to be a very big year for places like Yellowstone since so many people are still staying in the US and looking for outdoorsy stuff (and making up for canceled trips last year). On the other hand, Yellowstone gets a ton of visitors from overseas, too, so it might be mitigated somewhat by fewer international tourists. But even in a normal year places book early.

[mommyoffive]

I have already looked for Airbnbs and are finding ones for when we would probably go.  Outside the park, but not more that 20 mins from an entrance. Some less than a mile.  

[kokotg]

1 minute ago, mommyoffive said:

I have already looked for Airbnbs and are finding ones for when we would probably go.  Outside the park, but not more that 20 mins from an entrance. Some less than a mile.  

oh, good! I mostly know about booking campgrounds, and those are increasingly impossible at popular RVing destinations.

[Faith-manor]

6 minutes ago, kokotg said:

Just noticed that you said this summer....you may run into trouble booking stuff this late for this summer. A lot of places always book up early, and it's likely to be a very big year for places like Yellowstone since so many people are still staying in the US and looking for outdoorsy stuff (and making up for canceled trips last year). On the other hand, Yellowstone gets a ton of visitors from overseas, too, so it might be mitigated somewhat by fewer international tourists. But even in a normal year places book early.

This. We are going next May if possible as a college graduation gift to our youngest. We are already struggling to find vacation rentals or hotel suites big enough for the five of is who are going. And it is the first week of May which is early in the season since school is in session pretty much across the country.

[mommyoffive]

8 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

This. We are going next May if possible as a college graduation gift to our youngest. We are already struggling to find vacation rentals or hotel suites big enough for the five of is who are going. And it is the first week of May which is early in the season since school is in session pretty much across the country.

Yep that is always the problem with our family too.  We can't fit in normal rooms in hotels and mostly it ends up not going so well.  We prefer to get a house and have more bedrooms to spread out in.  

Have you checked Airbnb and VRBO?  I found a lot more on VRBO.     Some of the rooms inside the park I think don't open up reservations until 13 months before hand or something like that.  

I read that in this article

Where to stay in and around Yellowstone; A complete guide (thepointsguy.com)

 

[Faith-manor]

4 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Yep that is always the problem with our family too.  We can't fit in normal rooms in hotels and mostly it ends up not going so well.  We prefer to get a house and have more bedrooms to spread out in.  

Have you checked Airbnb and VRBO?  I found a lot more on VRBO.     Some of the rooms inside the park I think don't open up reservations until 13 months before hand or something like that.  

I read that in this article

Where to stay in and around Yellowstone; A complete guide (thepointsguy.com)

 

Yes, our budget is a little smaller than we would like because we are buying a house. So that is an issue. However, I think we will.be okay now because dh said he would.be fine staying in Bozeman and driving in which lowers prices, and more is available.

[craftyerin]

We went in early June 2019 and got 3 inches of snow our first day in Yellowstone!  We started with 3 days/2 nights in Grand Teton NP, which I wouldn't miss! It's my favorite NP we've visited so far. Then we drove up into Yellowstone through the south entrance. We explored around Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring (definitely take the hike up to see that one from above), and areas around there the first day and then stayed in a lodge at Grant Village. The 2nd day we drove around and did some hikes and stops around the lake and then on up to Canyon Village where we stayed 2 nights. The 3rd day we explored around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and then stayed back in Canyon Village. The 4th day we drove up to Mammoth and saw things on the north end of the park and then left though the north entrance. So we didn't see it ALL, but I felt like we saw most of the major attractions, tons of wildlife, etc.

I loved staying in the park. Everything in Yellowstone is so spread out. You can spend hours in the car. I'd hate to spend that extra time driving into and out of the park every day. That said, you're probably too late for in the park accommodations for this summer. 

It was a wonderful trip, though! I'd do it again in a heartbeat! 

[mommyoffive]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

Yes, our budget is a little smaller than we would like because we are buying a house. So that is an issue. However, I think we will.be okay now because dh said he would.be fine staying in Bozeman and driving in which lowers prices, and more is available.

How far is the drive in from Bozeman?

[skywards]

I know its not QUITE the same as Yellowstone, but if thats too crowded and booked up don't rule out Glacier! Its gorgeous up there too, and Kalispell and Whitefish are both very neat towns. I may be slightly biased as I lived up there for some time but its definitely a super fun place to visit and there's usually decidedly less people. 

[LAS in LA]

Our "Out West" trip was in late June 2019. We drove to Yellowstone from Denver, tent camping at the KOA in Dubois, WY en route (highly recommended). From Dubois, we went up through Grand Teton to the Yellowstone South Entrance. We spent one night tenting at the Canyon Campground and went to Cody the next night. So the Yellowstone leg of the trip was short, but we saw all of the highlights (Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake, bison, bear, elk, etc.). It was a lot of scenic driving, but didn't feel too overwhelming since the campground was in the middle of the park. There were lots of people, but I wouldn't say crowded like an amusement park.

Note: if you're buying an annual pass (good at all National Parks), you need to have it mailed to you before leaving on your trip. There isn't (or wasn't in 2019) a digital version of the pass. The nice rangers let us in anyway when we showed them the email receipt, but they didn't have to do that.

Have a great trip! 

 

[Momto6inIN]

We are going in August. We booked rooms within the park last May and crossed our fingers it would all still be open 😉

My husband went years ago and remembers driving crazy long hours just getting into and around the park, so we saved and splurged on hotel rooms in the park. Usually we camp on our vacations, but since we are planning on spending 2-3 nights in various locations around the park we didn't want to break camp and make camp over and over again.

We are coming in from the east and spending 2 nights in Canyon Village, then going to Mammoth Springs and spending 2 nights there, then going to Roosevelt and spending 1 night, then 3 nights at Old Faithful. We really like to hike and we are hoping that doing it this way will enable us to spend most of our time hiking and exploring and minimizing the driving time between locations. We're planning to stop at Devil's Tower on the way there and spending a couple of days doing old West stuff in Cody before stopping at Mt Rushmore on the way back.

We are excited!!! It will the longest vacation we've ever taken.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Momto6inIN said:

We are going in August. We booked rooms within the park last May and crossed our fingers it would all still be open 😉

My husband went years ago and remembers driving crazy long hours just getting into and around the park, so we saved and splurged on hotel rooms in the park. Usually we camp on our vacations, but since we are planning on spending 2-3 nights in various locations around the park we didn't want to break camp and make camp over and over again.

We are coming in from the east and spending 2 nights in Canyon Village, then going to Mammoth Springs and spending 2 nights there, then going to Roosevelt and spending 1 night, then 3 nights at Old Faithful. We really like to hike and we are hoping that doing it this way will enable us to spend most of our time hiking and exploring and minimizing the driving time between locations. We're planning to stop at Devil's Tower on the way there and spending a couple of days doing old West stuff in Cody before stopping at Mt Rushmore on the way back.

We are excited!!! It will the longest vacation we've ever taken.

Yeah that you got all the hotel reservations.  That seems smartest.  How long is your whole trip?  Are you taking all the kids or is just you and your dh.  

Was it hard to get all the reservations?  

That would have been my original plan, but I am doing this all sort of last minute.  I have wanted to go to Yellowstone and the Badlands forever, but we always skipped it and did international trips instead.  I also thought we would do this in one huge trip together, but we decided to do 2 different trips this time instead.  We don't really want to be away from our dogs in a long stretch and it forces us to stay in one place longer and not rush and see things, which sometimes we do when we are trying to fit everything into one trip.  

[mommyoffive]

Has anyone done any of the guided tours like Horseback riding, whitewater rafting, or animal tours? 

[prairiewindmomma]

We went two years ago. It was not a great NP experience as it was completely overrun with people. The only way I would go again beyond a day trip to see the prismatic springs would be if I were camping back country. The main roads were crazy busy and we saw almost no wildlife. (And if I wanted to see bears, I could drive a tiny bit from my house and have a near guaranteed sighting as it’s trash night here. The bears will be busy. I can likewise see elk and fish for salmon etc without much work here.) 

For a day trip, the Hampton Inn in Rexburg (90 miles south) is nice. The suite rooms sleep 6, and there is a decent free breakfast.

Edited May 24, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[popmom]

39 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

We went two years ago. It was not a great NP experience as it was completely overrun with people. The only way I would go again beyond a day trip to see the prismatic springs would be if I were camping back country. The main roads were crazy busy and we saw almost no wildlife. (And if I wanted to see bears, I could drive a tiny bit from my house and have a near guaranteed sighting as it’s trash night here. The bears will be busy. I can likewise see elk and fish for salmon etc without much work here.) 

For a day trip, the Hampton Inn in Rexburg (90 miles south) is nice. The suite rooms sleep 6, and there is a decent free breakfast.

What month were you there? 
 

[Momto6inIN]

57 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Yeah that you got all the hotel reservations.  That seems smartest.  How long is your whole trip?  Are you taking all the kids or is just you and your dh.  

Was it hard to get all the reservations?  

That would have been my original plan, but I am doing this all sort of last minute.  I have wanted to go to Yellowstone and the Badlands forever, but we always skipped it and did international trips instead.  I also thought we would do this in one huge trip together, but we decided to do 2 different trips this time instead.  We don't really want to be away from our dogs in a long stretch and it forces us to stay in one place longer and not rush and see things, which sometimes we do when we are trying to fit everything into one trip.  

It's all 8 of us. Possibly the last or next to last vacation oldest DS will take with us because next summer he will have graduated from college and have a job and who knows what his vacation days will look like. So that was one reason we felt like we could splurge 🙂 I had to call the day reservations opened and I literally spent 2 hours on the phone with the agent because something happened the first time around and we had to start over from the beginning and we needed 2 rooms at each location and different ages in each room and blah blah blah and yeah ... it was not a quick process LOL but I persevered because I reeeeeeally wanted this vacation! We will be gone from for 14 days including drive time.

[prairiewindmomma]

21 minutes ago, popmom said:

What month were you there? 
 

Late August. Most of the eastern half and southern half of the nation was back in school.  We saw a ton of international tourists---huge busloads of Chinese. (Apparently this is a thing--like 500,000+ Chinese visitors annually to Yellowstone.)  Many of the Americans we met on the trails didn't understand hiking trail culture either--they weren't single file on very narrow trails, they dumped trash everywhere, they took selfies while driving from site to site, and they were aggressively close to bison. I'm amazed we didn't see a Darwin award in action. The trails were so heavily trafficked in areas that we were eating dust all of the way, and we were in line like we were headed through a school cafeteria. 🙂

I've been to a lot of national parks.  I'm out on trails pretty often....a few times a month. I haven't ever seen anything quite like that.  Glacier, Grand Teton, and Cascades are all better experiences if you just want mountain nature and don't need the prismatic springs. 

[prairiewindmomma]

None of these surprise me, fwiw....watch for a good laugh: 

 

[Faith-manor]

10 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Late August. Most of the eastern half and southern half of the nation was back in school.  We saw a ton of international tourists---huge busloads of Chinese. (Apparently this is a thing--like 500,000+ Chinese visitors annually to Yellowstone.)  Many of the Americans we met on the trails didn't understand hiking trail culture either--they weren't single file on very narrow trails, they dumped trash everywhere, they took selfies while driving from site to site, and they were aggressively close to bison. I'm amazed we didn't see a Darwin award in action. The trails were so heavily trafficked in areas that we were eating dust all of the way, and we were in line like we were headed through a school cafeteria. 🙂

I've been to a lot of national parks.  I'm out on trails pretty often....a few times a month. I haven't ever seen anything quite like that.  Glacier, Grand Teton, and Cascades are all better experiences if you just want mountain nature and don't need the prismatic springs. 

Last time we were there we saw similar things. We sat in the car and watched three tourists approach a herd of moose followed by racing like the Road Runner back to their cars when a couple of moose got mad. Despite all the warning signs. Idiots!!!

We are big fans of Badlands and will stop there on the way back. Glacier is wonderful as well. There is also a lot of hiking at Devil's Tower as well as rock climbing.

[popmom]

16 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Late August. Most of the eastern half and southern half of the nation was back in school.  We saw a ton of international tourists---huge busloads of Chinese. (Apparently this is a thing--like 500,000+ Chinese visitors annually to Yellowstone.)  Many of the Americans we met on the trails didn't understand hiking trail culture either--they weren't single file on very narrow trails, they dumped trash everywhere, they took selfies while driving from site to site, and they were aggressively close to bison. I'm amazed we didn't see a Darwin award in action. The trails were so heavily trafficked in areas that we were eating dust all of the way, and we were in line like we were headed through a school cafeteria. 🙂

I've been to a lot of national parks.  I'm out on trails pretty often....a few times a month. I haven't ever seen anything quite like that.  Glacier, Grand Teton, and Cascades are all better experiences if you just want mountain nature and don't need the prismatic springs. 

Yikes. I’m researching for a trip out west, and I really want to avoid that. I’m actually leaning toward visiting state parks because of this. 

[MommytoFour]

We live 90 miles from there, and go many times a year (between April and October).  It's usually extremely busy in July/August, so we avoid those months.

If you want to go white water rafting, we've used Wild West Rafting twice and it was a great experience https://wildwestrafting.com

We've never used any other guides.

Also, don't miss Teton National Park (which is next to Yellowstone to the South). It's absolutely beautiful.

[MommytoFour]

Also, if there is no affordable lodging available in the Park or in West Yellowstone, try in Gardiner, Montana (which is just outside the North entrance of the park).

[BeachGal]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

How far is the drive in from Bozeman?

Bozeman is less than a 2-hour drive to YNP.

It is a fantastic little town with very good restaurants and a lot of scenic, local areas where you can hike. Lodging can be pricey, depending on when you stay, but you can also find Airbnbs between Bozeman and YNP that are beautiful and unique.

The first week of August is Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman and Bite of Bozeman. Both are a lot of fun even in the evenings. The food scene there is surprisingly quite good.

Just outside of Bozeman is a small area called Four Corners where you can find the Bozeman Hot Springs. These are swimming pools that use the naturally-heated mineral water from the ground. Twice a week they usually have someone who plays music outdoors in the evening.

https://bozemanhotsprings.co/pools/

Bozeman also has the Museum of the Rockies which has the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the US as well as other exhibits.

ETA Can’t forget Montana Grizzly Encounter where you can see and learn about real grizzly bears!

A few thoughts about Yellowstone:

Old Faithful is a very popular attraction but, IMO, the Grand Prismatic Spring area is so unusual and pretty.

I think the food inside YNP is underwhelming and pricey. If possible, bring your own food from the outside.

Depending when you go, you could still get some snow in that area.

We try to arrive early to avoid other tourists. Doesn't always work.

Check if roads on your route inside park are closed or experiencing delays due to road work.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by BeachGal

[City Mouse]

My DS and I went a few years ago. We stayed at a KOA campground just outside of West Yellowstone in one of the Kamping Kabins. We were there 2 or 3 days maybe. I can’t remember exactly. I remember taking at least 2 days to drive the entire loop around Yellowstone. We did a few ver short hikes- more nature trails really. We would get up and do the drives the morning and early afternoon with a picnic lunch stop along the way. Then we went back to our campground for some swimming pool time, window shopping in West Yellowstone, and dinner out at least once.

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

It's all 8 of us. Possibly the last or next to last vacation oldest DS will take with us because next summer he will have graduated from college and have a job and who knows what his vacation days will look like. So that was one reason we felt like we could splurge 🙂 I had to call the day reservations opened and I literally spent 2 hours on the phone with the agent because something happened the first time around and we had to start over from the beginning and we needed 2 rooms at each location and different ages in each room and blah blah blah and yeah ... it was not a quick process LOL but I persevered because I reeeeeeally wanted this vacation! We will be gone from for 14 days including drive time.

Ok, got it.  Calling an agent is easier/better than doing it online.  I hope you have a great time. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, MommytoFour said:

We live 90 miles from there, and go many times a year (between April and October).  It's usually extremely busy in July/August, so we avoid those months.

If you want to go white water rafting, we've used Wild West Rafting twice and it was a great experience https://wildwestrafting.com

We've never used any other guides.

Also, don't miss Teton National Park (which is next to Yellowstone to the South). It's absolutely beautiful.

That is the exact company I was looking at.  Have your kids gone rafting? 

You are so lucky to live so close!

[MommytoFour]

31 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

That is the exact company I was looking at.  Have your kids gone rafting? 

You are so lucky to live so close!

Yes, the first time we went with Wild West was in mid-April. It was too cold but still fun. The kids were 5-6 years old at the time. It was just our group - my husband and I, plus my husband's best friend, and our four kids.  The second time we went with them was two or three years later, and we went in late July. The weather was great and everyone had a blast. Again, it was just our group on the raft - my family of six, plus two family friends. The guides are really knowledgeable. You feel safe the whole time, but it's super fun.

[plansrme]

I am taking a group of 6 (my husband, 2 of my actual kids, and 2 of my bonus/exchange kids) back in August. We have been multiple times to YNP and areas slightly south of Jackson. I think this will be my eighth trip to Wyoming; it is my happy place; I want to retire there. You cannot go wrong with any itinerary, but I would find places to stay first and work backwards from there. I booked our group two air bnbs (or VRBOs, maybe one of each) a month or more ago, and pickings were already very slim. Also, if you are flying, check out rental car prices before you book. We are splurging and flying into Jackson instead of our usual SLC due to time constraints, and a rental car for 7.5 days is $3700!!!! (We are waiting to see if they come down; if not, one of us will drive my car out and meet everyone, and the other will drive home.) Anyway--general tips:

1. Stock up on groceries outside the park and outside the border towns. If you fly into or drive through SLC, for instance, shop there. Better selection, better prices. Fruits and veggies inside the park are not good; stock up. (Think of the logistics of getting fresh lettuce into the interior of YNP.) The last time we were there, the park would not sell bottled water. You have to take your own water bottle and fill it up at their filling fountains. That may have changed, but we had to buy water bottles from them that were horrible quality ("stainless" that rusted immediately).

2. It has snowed in the park, at normal altitude, in every single month of the year. Pack some long pants, maybe some gloves.

3. Get out of your car and do long hikes. This is the key to getting away from crowds. Something like 80% of visitors never get out of their cars. One of our favorite memories is a 10-mile hike that ended with us, including my then-8 yo-- running through an open field during a hail storm, for which we were rewarded with a double rainbow.

4. If your kids are young, ranger talks are fabulous. Check the schedules for wherever you happen to be.

5. We usually spend a few days in a border town on one side of the park (West Yellowstone, for instance) and a few days closer to the Grand Tetons. We do not usually stay inside the park because the lodging options are crazy expensive and not very nice.

6. If you want to raft, etc., book now. That is not usually required, but this year, I think it is. 

7. Don't sweat a detailed itinerary for every single day. Pick a general area of the park each day, pick a hike from there, and wing it.

8. The summer staff are from everywhere; we enjoyed talking to them! I am from an Atlanta suburb and have struck up conversations with so many people only to find out that they are also from Atlanta. Some are there for summer jobs (retired teachers abound--I met one who has played tennis in my subdivision), and some are what I aspire to be, a recovering Atlantan and permanent Wyomingite.

9. 

[Faith-manor]

I concur whole heartedly about groceries. And as much as I prefer a vacation that does nor include me cooking, the reality of a place like this is if you want your family to feel good, and your own digestive track to not be a quagmire, planning all of hour food and executing without eating out is the key. Take the camp stove, keep it simple, but definitely plan every meal. We might order in pizza from Bridger Brewing in Bozeman for a one night treat (I will likely eat a salad because I don't think they do much for GF which is not shocking because beer is wheat/barley based), but apart from that. We will be taking care of all the other meals. I am thankful that dh and youngest adult son do enjoy cooking and picnicking so it won't fall exclusively on me.

[Hyacinth]

We went in June 2019 (I think I'm the third or fourth person on this thread to say that), and it was WONDERFUL!

We took several lesser-known hiking trails, which was a great way to avoid the tourists and enjoy the peace and beauty on our own. If you want to avoid tourists, stay away from the Old Faithful side.

We also spent a couple of days in Grand Tetons / Jackson and I'd DEFINITELY do that again. We did a horseback ride even though two of the four of us had never ridden (and it had been decades for the other two), and we also did a whitewater rafting trip. We signed up for a float/whitewater trip and, if I could have a do-over, I'd skip the float part. It was so foggy that we couldn't see anything. But that whitewater rafting part? Oh my. We all talk about that trip like it was the best family vacation ever. Because it was.

Edited May 25, 2021 by Hyacinth

[LAS in LA]

Has anyone gone to the snow lodges in winter? We would love to do this someday.

[Faith-manor]

2 minutes ago, LAS in LA said:

Has anyone gone to the snow lodges in winter? We would love to do this someday.

No, we would love to do so. But I have been afraid to book such a thing. Between our neck of the woods in Michigan, all the way to YP, we face 1563 miles of potential blizzard driving. I feel like we do well just to make it 3 hrs to Shanty Creek ski resort on Schuss Mountain! I have no confidence that we would make it to YP and back without being held up somewhere and then losing our reservation money at one of the lodges.

If we were a lot closer, it would be on my bucket list!

[Forget-Me-Not]

We went last summer for a day trip. It was a weekday in June and it was pretty quiet (height of Covid). We drove from Pocatello, ID to the west entrance and went through the park to the south entrance, then drove back to Pocatello by way of Jackson, WY. The drive through the Tetons alone was worth it.  Stunningly beautiful. 

[NewnameC]

I forgot who mentioned going in early May, but the whole “loop” will not be open at that time. We went late May one year and not all areas of the park were open even though they had less snow than normal that year.

we still had a great time, but we couldn’t visit parts of the park. 
 

To OP, do try to go to both Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. They are completely different even though they are close together. I think GP is pretttier while Yellowstone is more unusual.

[plansrme]

I forgot to put my #9 on the list, which was: the altitude is no joke. Even "regular" YNP (not climbing a mountain) is at about 5000 feet which, if you are from somewhere not at altitude, is enough to feel the effects if you are doing a strenuous hike or,  in my and my son's case several years ago, a half-marathon. Most of the good hikes are not super-strenuous, but be prepared to be more tired than usual.

Someone else mentioned this earlier, but there is not much in the way of medical care near the park. There is a clinic (staffed, I think, by a NP) at Old Faithful Lodge, and one in West Yellowstone that is only open during the week. If you should contract bronchitis on a Saturday, for instance, you're in for a trip to Bozeman or Jackson.

[Faith-manor]

This. Dh is sensitive and parts of YNP are 7500 ft or higher so he doesn't get a long way from the car. So if you are not accustomed to it, do not plan on long hikes, and definitely not off the beaten path.

[mommyoffive]

6 hours ago, plansrme said:

I am taking a group of 6 (my husband, 2 of my actual kids, and 2 of my bonus/exchange kids) back in August. We have been multiple times to YNP and areas slightly south of Jackson. I think this will be my eighth trip to Wyoming; it is my happy place; I want to retire there. You cannot go wrong with any itinerary, but I would find places to stay first and work backwards from there. I booked our group two air bnbs (or VRBOs, maybe one of each) a month or more ago, and pickings were already very slim. Also, if you are flying, check out rental car prices before you book. We are splurging and flying into Jackson instead of our usual SLC due to time constraints, and a rental car for 7.5 days is $3700!!!! (We are waiting to see if they come down; if not, one of us will drive my car out and meet everyone, and the other will drive home.) Anyway--general tips:

1. Stock up on groceries outside the park and outside the border towns. If you fly into or drive through SLC, for instance, shop there. Better selection, better prices. Fruits and veggies inside the park are not good; stock up. (Think of the logistics of getting fresh lettuce into the interior of YNP.) The last time we were there, the park would not sell bottled water. You have to take your own water bottle and fill it up at their filling fountains. That may have changed, but we had to buy water bottles from them that were horrible quality ("stainless" that rusted immediately).

2. It has snowed in the park, at normal altitude, in every single month of the year. Pack some long pants, maybe some gloves.

3. Get out of your car and do long hikes. This is the key to getting away from crowds. Something like 80% of visitors never get out of their cars. One of our favorite memories is a 10-mile hike that ended with us, including my then-8 yo-- running through an open field during a hail storm, for which we were rewarded with a double rainbow.

4. If your kids are young, ranger talks are fabulous. Check the schedules for wherever you happen to be.

5. We usually spend a few days in a border town on one side of the park (West Yellowstone, for instance) and a few days closer to the Grand Tetons. We do not usually stay inside the park because the lodging options are crazy expensive and not very nice.

6. If you want to raft, etc., book now. That is not usually required, but this year, I think it is. 

7. Don't sweat a detailed itinerary for every single day. Pick a general area of the park each day, pick a hike from there, and wing it.

8. The summer staff are from everywhere; we enjoyed talking to them! I am from an Atlanta suburb and have struck up conversations with so many people only to find out that they are also from Atlanta. Some are there for summer jobs (retired teachers abound--I met one who has played tennis in my subdivision), and some are what I aspire to be, a recovering Atlantan and permanent Wyomingite.

9. 

Yeah that is crazy and why we haven't been there.  I know rentals are supposed to be bad this year, but it has been like that every time we have looked.  So even though we can fly free on miles, or drive 20 hours it has just been easier for us to go to Europe or a place with cheap rental cars.    But I do really want to get there.  

[Faith-manor]

Does anyone know if the US 191 Gallatin Canyon route to the north entrance usually in good shape (not snow or iced in) by May 1st?

[kokotg]

Just saw this and thought of this thread. It's going to be a busy, busy year at a lot of National Parks: https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/yellowstone-grand-teton-set-records-[…]isitation/article_08a3afea-75f6-506f-9689-0ad0fb2c43b7.html#tncms-source=login

Quote

More than 34,000 recreational visitors entered Yellowstone through the North Entrance at Mammoth this spring, with another 33,000 passing through the West Entrance at West Yellowstone. The previous high visitation for April was in 2016 when more than 59,000 people entered.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by kokotg

[NewnameC]

Here is the planned road opening schedule for Yellowstone this year.

2021 Spring Opening Dates

Roads will open at 8 am on the following dates (conditions permitting):

• April 16: West Entrance to Madison Junction, Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful, Norris to Canyon Village.
• May 7: East Entrance to Lake Village (Sylvan Pass), Canyon Village to Lake Village.
• May 11: Cooke City to Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
• May 14: South Entrance to West Thumb, Lake Village to West Thumb, West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass).
• May 28: Beartooth Highway

[NewnameC]

there are webcams that allow you to see live conditions. When we went, I was also able to see videos of the previous year. I can’t find that now in a quick search.

Here are current pics

https://www.weatherbug.com/traffic-cam/yellowstone-national-park-wy-82190

https://secretyellowstone.com/webcams/

https://www.seejh.com/webcams/yellowstone/

 

[Tiberia]

Yellowstone is our happy place; we've been there 6 times in the last 9 years. If it's your first time, or the kids' first time, you absolutely want to see Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic. There's a hike from the Fairy Falls parking lot that will get you to the Grand Prismatic overlook, which give a nice perspective. Do some research to find it; it will be less crowded.

The park road is a figure 8, with an upper loop and a lower loop. The lower loop has all the big name attractions: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. These are all worth seeing. If you'll be there for a few days, maybe do the lower loop for two days. You can do hikes in each of these areas. There are extensive walking trails around Old Faithful with other features that are interesting. If you want to eat at Old Faithful, go to the cafe while the geyser is blowing. All the tourists will watch it blow and then stampede into the cafe. During the eruption is the best time to eat. Then hike around until the next eruption. 

The kids can get a Junior Ranger patch by filling out pages with fun park information about animals and features. Adults can get the patch too. I got mine as a 55 year old!

The upper loop is where we go to see wildlife. We spend most of our days there driving up and down Lamar Valley looking for wildlife, or for groups of people with spotting scopes- which indicates that there's something to see. Bring binoculars, and don't be shy to ask others what they're looking at. You could see wolves, bears, elk, big horn sheep. You will see plenty of bison no matter what you do. The upper loop is less crowded than the lower loop, but it's also interesting. 

I recommend getting up very early and getting to the features early to beat the tourists. You may not be able to do this, but it's well worth it to beat the crowds in the early morning. Be prepared for lots of driving; but the scenery and animals are breathtaking. 

I hope you have a blast!

[Happy Camper]

You've gotten some great feedback already, but I have a couple of things to mention. Since you asked, we went in July a few years ago as part of a cross country trip and camped there for 2 nights. We were fairly hardcore and got up and in the car between 5-6 AM to avoid the crowds. It was not easy or pleasant to crawl out of the tents that early, but it was so worth it to get a few stops mostly to ourselves before the crowds showed up. We explored from 6-11ish, went back to the campsite for lunch and naps/down time, then back out again for mid afternoon until dinner. It worked well for us. 

Someone above mentioned the mess that other travelers left behind. This was especially true with some of the bathrooms! Most disgusting bathrooms I've ever seen. My kids learned that in some cultures, people stand on top of the toilet seat (even though signs showed in pictures how the toilet was to be used) and there were poop and used toilet paper on the ground, etc. I would rather have had my kids go in a gallon zip lock behind a bush! I'm sure it's not always like that, but I was shocked and wished I had known. 

On the upside, it's truly a unique and amazing park. We stopped at several parks on our trip and that was one of my favorites, mainly because of the variety of things to see. We had downloaded an app that used GPS to narrate sites as we drove. The whole family enjoyed that and it helped us find things we would have missed without it. I'm not sure which one we used (sorry!), but I know we paid for it and it was worth it. 

Oh, and we entered from the northeast and the drive was spectacular. Stunning views, if a bit stressful to drive! 

[BeachGal]

5 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Does anyone know if the US 191 Gallatin Canyon route to the north entrance usually in good shape (not snow or iced in) by May 1st?

I just asked my family members out there and they said that usually it is safe to drive but that a late snowstorm could make the drive less safe. Montana does not typically salt their roads and you could hit patches of black ice. However, my guess is that by May you’d be fine.

Here are two links that provide road updates in Montana that you might want to bookmark:

https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/hwy191/

https://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/511.shtml

 

 

[BeachGal]

8 hours ago, LAS in LA said:

Has anyone gone to the snow lodges in winter? We would love to do this someday.

My friend’s father was a former park ranger at YNP before he began working as an emergency room MD. I sometimes went on excursions with them into the park in winter. I think only the north entrance is open. It has a different feel but is very peaceful and beautiful. IIRC, they have sled dog rides now that you can sign up for. Not sure.