Travel
navybride06
member
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Yellowstone NP
in Travel
DH and I are looking into going out west to Yellowstone this spring/summer with our 2 kids ( 2in May and 1 in August so babies really). We would fly from NY, any suggestions of hotels, things to do, ideas in general. TIA!
Re: Yellowstone NP
We were there this past October for a week, and it was absolutely breathtaking. My dad owns a timeshare, so he was able to get us in one in Big Sky, Montana, which is about 50 miles North of the West entrance to the park. We flew into Bozeman, MT.
We loved our lodging, but it was a lot of driving each day, 100 miles round trip just to get there and back, not including driving around the park. So if I had it to do over, I would probably stay closer. West Yellowstone is a cute little town right outside the west entrance, and we saw many little hotels there, along with cute shops and some restaurants. I assume it would be cheaper than staying somewhere in the park, but I can't be sure.
It's a lot of driving, we put over 1000 miles on our car during the week, so just be prepared for that. The park is huge, and there's no way that you can see everything. It was our first time there, so we wanted to see the "big" attractions like Old Faithful, Upper and Lower Falls, Mammoth etc. We also took a day trip down to the Tetons.
We had a really good tour book that I recommend, I believe it's called Yellowstone Treasures, or Treasures of Yellowstone, something like that. It gives you a history of the park, but it also chronicles all the sites mile by mile, and it's divided into regions of the park so you know exactly where stuff is. It was very helpful.
Not sure how active you want to be with two small kids, but I would definitley try to get off the main loop road and see the more hidden sites. The book I mentioned has all of this info in it.
Be prepared for any weather. We had temps anywhere from the 20's up to the 70s on our last day. I've heard of it snowing in June and July, so bring layers, and rain gear. Oh, and don't forget the camera
That got really long, sorry! If you have any more specific questions, let me know.
I posted about our trip to Jackson Hole below. I'm working on Part 3 for my blog right now.
Jackson Hole is 63 miles from Yellowstone so it isn't somewhere you can stay and then go into the park each day because it is a long drive. It is there for you to read if interested.
We have been in the park and I was thinking there were a couple of hotels maybe? Have fun!
Hotels
We stayed at a few hotels in the park itself, which varied between okay and great.
- Mammoth Hotel - Okay. The room was good, comfy bed, but the bathroom was shared down the hall. We had a sink in our room, though.
- Canyon Lodge - Okay. We had a cabin room. Bed was just okay, and it took a long time for the water to get hot.
- Old Faithful Inn - Great! We stayed in one of the newer (but not newest) rooms. Bathroom ensuite, comfy bed, and the hotel itself is beautiful.
Restaurant Recs
More of a non-rec -- most of the restaurants in Yellowstone park are not great. Low expectations will help. The ones we did like:
- Old Faithful Inn Dining Room
- Roosevelt Lodge Dining Room
Things to Do
- Mammoth Hot Springs -- some really pretty formations
- Animal-watching -- Drive out to one of the pull-outs in the Lamar Valley (or another valley area) early in the morning or near dusk to see the most wildlife. Bring binoculars.
- Hike the Canyon rim. There's a free ranger-guided hike which was really great.
- There's a ranger-led campfire program at Canyon Lodge that was good for families.
- Make sure you see the Mud Volcano area -- walk around the boardwalks
- West Thumb geyser basin is beautiful.
General Tips
- Get off the main road. Take some hikes away from the paved roads and trails. You'll lose the tourists quickly and get to experience the park in a beautiful way.
- Pack warm clothes. It snowed on us in June.
- Talk to the Geyser Gazers. There's a group of people who constantly watch the geysers in the Old Faithful area. They have walkie-talkies and tell each other when certain ones are going to go off. They know so much about the geysers and are happy to share!
- Take a ranger-led hike. Many of them are free, and the rangers can tell you tons of interesting facts.
- One tip from a ranger: There's a social (i.e. unofficial) trail off a pull-out in the road across from Grand Prismatic Spring. It's straight uphill, but gives you a good overhead view of Grand Prismatic.
Since you'll be in the area, I'd suggest going to Grand Teton NP as well. It's just as beautiful.
We have actually done this twice. We rented a house in Teton Village and drove into Yellowstone 3 different days in a row. It was a lot of driving but it wasn't horrible. On the second trip we kept the house but drove through the whole park and stayed one night in Montana, then drove back the next day through the park.
No idea if it is in your budget, but with little kids I would consider renting a camper. It would give you the ability to explore the park from different bases without having to pack and unpack. And while I haven't stayed in any of the park lodging, it seems pricy for what you get. A camper would also provide access to a kitchen, to save a little money on meals. Food is also really expensive and generally kind of lousy in the park.
That being said, Yellowstone is truly one of the most amazing places in the country and worth going no matter how you decide to do it.
I agree with you but some people might think that is too much driving. It is a lot but totally doable. Sounds like you guys had a great time!
DH and I went last summer and loved it. We camped all five nights(2 in Grand Teton and 3 in Yellowstone) so I can't recommend hotels. The camp sites had running water and flushing toilets. We drove up the way to a place that had showers (in the parks). I actually loved Grand Teton as much as I loved Yellowstone-I would definitely spend at least a day there. It is beautiful. If you want to spend a couple of days in GT you could stay in Jackson Hole which was not that far and has quite a few restaurants and a big grocery store. We drove there both nights from GT to eat dinner.
The views are amazing and the wildlife is incredible. We had a moose in our campground, saw a couple of grizzly bears, tons of bison and elk....You are more likely to see some animals closer to sunrise and sunset. We drove nonstop for three days so we could see the whole park.