Anyone visited Yellowstone National Park?

[Ladyw/theTramp]

subscribing for great ideas... our family has discussed this as a plan for next year as well! THanks for all the info!

 

[jsmith]

Somethings i left out -
distances in the west are greater than back east-everything is a was apart-its 200 miles from Salt Lake to Jackson-60 miles from Idaho Falls to Jackson, 100 miles from Billings to Cody and 100 from Cody to Old Faithful-and speeds in the park are SLOW-the speed limit in all of Yellowstone and Grand Teton is 35 mph and most of the time you wont move that fast because of animal back ups.
The highway in Mt that someone mentions is the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge to Cooke City-yes it is very beautiful and yes-its most accessible from Billings. If you are not accustomed to Mountain driving all of the driving will be somewhat challenging-but it is very pretty.

 

[CowboyCO]

I'm so happy to see responses...thanks everyone! The whole reason for planning a trip like this is so my family will keep indulging me with my obsession of vacationing in Disney. My DS13 expressed that he would like to try a trip somewhere else for a change.

Anyway, for now I'm curious how many days/nights one would recommend to visit this area (we'll definitely be on a modest budget).

Since we live in S.C., I'm assuming that we would fly in and then rent a car. Where's the closest airport and then how far to Yellowstone? Sorry for such a dopey question...I'm truly clueless at this stage, but I will research like a maniac once my family gives this plan a thumbs up.

CowboyCo, I was looking at the Old Faithful Lodge earlier and I immediately thought of Wilderness Lodge.

Also, how's the weather in Wyoming during the summer months?
Thanks again for your replies! I the DIS

If you could take a whole week to go to Yellowstone/GTNP, you could see the highlights. One thing to remember is that it is VERY big. Yellowstone is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Spped limits are low and quite frankly, you don't want to hurry anyway. One of the things I love most about Yellowstone is that you may come around the bend of road see a spectacularly beautiful waterfall that isn't even a blip in the major guidebooks because there are so many amazing places. Places that if they were located somewhere in the East, they would be a major tourist attraction on their own. Or you may turn a corner and see a herd of buffalo, elk or just one of thousands of grand views.

Summer weather in Wyoming is glorious, but can be challenging. June is still a little cool and wet. You can still see snow on the ground from winter in June and it still can snow in early June. Bring layered clothes. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets. Nighttime temps will drop to the 40s and 50s because it is dry and you are at 7,000-8,000 feet in elevation. My favorite time to go in the summer is in August. The days are the warmest they will be, which is in the high 70's & low 80's. Plus, by late summer, the deer, elk and moose have put on 90% of the growth on their new sets of antlers. The pictures are amazing when they have their full racks.

If you are on a budget, I suggest, alternating camping and staying hotels. We'll camp for a night or two and then stay a night or two in a hotel to "get civilized" again. Camping also lowers your food costs because you can roast hot dogs by the fire. I know you are flying in, so camping may be out. There are what Xanterra calls "primitive" cabins than can be had for less than $100.00 They are pretty primitive. They will have a sink, but the bathroom may be down the hall. They are clean and very cool and rustic.

 

[Carina]

Went last summer, stayed in the town of West Yellowstone and drove in each day.

Rented a cabin at the Grizzly RV Park, I can't say enough great things about how great the cabin and park in general was, and the price was fantastic! The cabins are bring your own bedding/towels. But for the money we saved and because we drove there, that was no problem. We also were a family of 5 and the cabin had a bed and bunk bed so we brought a blow up mattress for person #5, they did not charge us more for the 5th person.

Most places in the area wont let you book a 5th person no matter what, so when comparing a VERY NICE cabin, at $88 a night to hotel rooms at $300 ( 2 rooms at 150 each) it made the cabin seem even nicer....lol

We too focused on the paint pots and gysers, but the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone should not be missed. Also the highlight of our trip was the boiling river. It's not marked on signs or maps in the park so ask about it on the tripadvisor forum. My family also loved the Firehole river swimming hole.

The Alititude hit 3 family members mildly and 2 of us ended up with mild alititude sickness for the first few days. It was not bad enough to ruin the trip by any means but we suffered from headaches, dizzyness, inablity to concentrate ( my husband said I had alitude stupidity...lol), bleeding noses, ect

Many will tell you you dont get alititude sickness that low ( aprox 7000 feet) as it's more common at 8000ish. I can tell you thats not always the case. I think it hit us at the lower level because we live at sea level (can see the ocean from my house)

The weather/temprature is wacky. When we were there it was forcast to be lows of 0-1c every night and highs of 16c during the day ( think freezing level at night - to t-shirt/light sweater in the shade weather during the day)

Well we got the 0-1c each night and had frost on the windshield when we woke up every day, but by mid-afternoon the highs were 29c ( think HOT beach weather) thats a huge fluctuation in one day! This was August. Less than a week after we left they got so much snow some roads were closed for several days!

P.S. Just like with Disney, many people say you need to stay in the park ( on site) to get the best experince, but we did not mind the drive in and out of the park each day, and in fact the road in and out of West Yellowstone is where we saw the most wildlife by far, and its a very cute little town.
West Yellowstone is litterally RIGHT outside the park, the West Entrance is 1 block from the edge of town, but it's a 15-20 min drive from there to the main loop road that goes around the park. The road around the park is a big figure 8 with each entrance jutting off of that figure 8. The money we saved on lodging and food, on top of getting A NICE new (not rustic...lol) cabin made it well worth the 20 mins of driving each way - and its a very pretty drive!

 

[3boymthr]

Kinda jumping on board here. I plan to go to WDW next year 2012 and then in 2014, take my family on a cross-country trip. We absolutely plan on Yellowstone being our highlight, so this info is awesome. I am planning on 3 weeks for our whole trip, which should include Mt. Rushmore, Grand Canyon, and YNP. I don't know if or how it will work out, but that's the basic idea so far. I have 3+ years to plan! None of us has ever been on the other side of the Mississippi!

Hi, we did this only from MA. We hit all these places plus CA and OR on our loop. PM me if you want any tips, added fun places to visit, etc. We called the trip "28 states in 28 days". Because of DH's work schedule we had to leave mid week or we could have had four extra days . But it definitely was the best trip ever. Sooo sooo much fun. And definitely memories to last a lifetime.

 

[jsmith]

The Alititude hit 3 family members mildly and 2 of us ended up with mild alititude sickness for the first few days. It was not bad enough to ruin the trip by any means but we suffered from headaches, dizzyness, inablity to concentrate ( my husband said I had alitude stupidity...lol), bleeding noses, ect

This is fairly easy to combat by staying very well hydrated-and being careful how hard you push the first two days-plan any long hikes for the later part of the visit and drink lots and lots of water. saline nasal spray helps with nosebleeds which are actually because it is sooooooooo dry here compared to sealevel and costal areas. Our average humidity in the rocky mountain west runs under 20 percent.

 

[floridascgirl]

I've been reading up on all the different types of rooms/cabins listed on the Yellowstone National Parks Lodges website (the ones operated by Xanterra) and I have a quick question.

When checking rates, it states that rates are per night, for up to 2 adults. I'm assuming that you are allowed to have more than 2 people, so do they just charge a fee per extra body (like a child)? Those who have stayed there before, do you recall how much?

I could call, of course, but the DIS is so much faster!!!!

 

[momoflizandains]

Great thread. We are probably taking a trip to Arizona this summer to see the Grand Canyon but are thinking Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore next summer (WDW around Xmas).

 

[CowboyCO]

I've been reading up on all the different types of rooms/cabins listed on the Yellowstone National Parks Lodges website (the ones operated by Xanterra) and I have a quick question.

When checking rates, it states that rates are per night, for up to 2 adults. I'm assuming that you are allowed to have more than 2 people, so do they just charge a fee per extra body (like a child)? Those who have stayed there before, do you recall how much?

I could call, of course, but the DIS is so much faster!!!!

It depends on the room, but when making reservations, just make sure you have the number of people staying there correctly chosen. I don't think is a fee for more people.

 

[soonerfan2008]

Hi, we did this only from MA. We hit all these places plus CA and OR on our loop. PM me if you want any tips, added fun places to visit, etc. We called the trip "28 states in 28 days". Because of DH's work schedule we had to leave mid week or we could have had four extra days . But it definitely was the best trip ever. Sooo sooo much fun. And definitely memories to last a lifetime.

We did something similar last summer, only we called ours 20 states in 20 days! We spent 5 days at Yellowstone--2 nights halfway between Cody and the East Entrance, and then three nights in Gardiner, MT on the North side.

It was amazing, breathtaking, wonderful, serene and exciting. Everyone should visit at least once.

 

[kfeuer]

My husband and I went in 1999 with his parents and younger brother. We rented a condo in Jackson for roughly $1500 for the week. When you break down that it was for 5 adults and for 7 nights, that was pretty darn cheap. We priced hotels and they would have been double. Call a local realtor and ask for vacation rentals. I don't remember the name of the condos, possibly changed names since anyway, but we walked out on our back patio and there were the Tetons.

FYI for anyone who's planning, prices have gone up quite a bit in the past few years . We're going to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons this summer, and condos in Jackson are about twice that these days. I got a quote on an average looking place 7 miles outside of town and it was $1250 for 3 nights . However, there's six of us going and by the time we rented 2 hotel rooms we'd be in the same ballpark so I feel like a condo is going to give us a better value. Having our own kitchen will let us eat breakfast in and pack lunches for going into the parks.

We're going to drive into West Yellowstone and then move down to Jackson, WY and see Grand Tetons, we're planning on 6 nights and we know we won't see it all. West Yellowstone is a cute little town (fun shopping if you like that sort of thing).

OP, have you priced out airline tickets just to get a feel for how much they'll be? I know you said you're on a limited budget, and flying to that part of the country can be pricey. Just something to consider.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

You should try to take the Bear Tooth Pass out of Red Lodge Montana into the park or out of the park if that is the only way that works. It is very pretty and scenic. We took the trip two summers ago and have been that way a couple times now. I would spend at least 3 full days in Yellowstone if you could. We had breakfast at Old Faithful Lodge on morning. Very cool place try to have one meal there if possible. We stayed in West Yellowstone at a campground but not the KOA since it was so expensive and I think booked up if I remember right. Do some hiking even if it is just getting out at a few of the many board walks or easy walks. The falls are beautiful and worth any hike necessary to see them. There is lots to see and explore in Yellowstone even if you are not a big hiker. It is a very busy park especially in the summer so bring your patience when traveling from one part of the part to the other. I am sure you could take the trip this summer no problems as we decided last minute (a week or two) before heading out. Not all trips have to be planned down to the nano second. I would also check the Tetons, Cody, WY for the rodeo and museum there. There is also a dam outside of Cody that I can't think of at the moment that is very cool and a scenic drive from the park to Cody. Yellowstone is probably my second favorite National Park only to the Great Smoky Mountains. Both are a national treasure that everybody should see at least once if not more than once.

The Dam outside of Cody is called the Buffalo Bill dam. We probably spent a little under an hour there in the evening after spending the day in Yellowstone. Well worth our time as we simply dont have dams like that on the east coast.

 

[mybestieismickey]

Yellowstone is such a fun trip! DH's family camped on Hebgen lake (west of West Yellowstone) at least once just about every summer when he was growing up. He also worked in Mammoth one summer.

If you're flying into SLC, DH recommends going through Idaho Falls and coming into the park through the west instead of the South. He doesn't like the drive the other way and said he'd only take me that way once and only that one time because it is beautiful. I still haven't been that way. I second looking into visiting the Salt Lake area. Even in the summer the ski resorts are beautiful and have lots of activities like hiking and biking even zip lines.

My sister lives just west of Idaho Falls and it's only about an hour and a half to two hours from there to West Yellowstone.

Typically we go in June or late May, but this last summer we needed to go up to see my new nephew and snuck a few days at the park the last few days of July. I couldn't get over how beautiful the wild flowers were! If you like that sort of thing I recommend that time. It was warm during the day, but not crazy hot. The nights were cold enough that DH actually got under the covers--a rare event.

We like the KOA in West--the Kabins are functional and fairly in-expensive. They are bring your own linens. The campground is not far from town--close enough to enjoy the restaurants and shops, and we love how quiet it is at night. The stars are incredible!

I live just outside of Zion and I would highly recommend adding that park to any itenerary involving both Yellowstone and Grand Canyon.

Also, if you're doing multiple parks, don't forget about the annual pass. It's $25 each for 7 days at Yellowstone, Zion, Grand Canyon and probably all of the other large parks. A one park anuual is $50. A pass that includes all national parks is $80. Our current pass has taken us to Yellowstone and Zion, and we will be visiting Grand Canyon, Arches, and possibly Canyonlands before it expires in July. This covers one car (all occupants) or 4 people where individual fees are charged. Not a bad deal. Certainly cheaper than Disney AP's though we are trying to figure out a way to add those to the budget too

 

[cruisnfamily]

Great thread. We are probably taking a trip to Arizona this summer to see the Grand Canyon but are thinking Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore next summer (WDW around Xmas).

I have a thread about a grand canyon trip going http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2660875 Please post your itinerary and any tips or things you've found out in your planning.
Thanks!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

The last time we went to Yellowstone, we flew into SLC (stayed there a few days---I lived there as a child), then drove up to Yellowstone through Idaho. We had to stay in West Yellowstone because at the time we booked (in September for June!) all the places that slept 5 in the park were booked due to construction at Old Faithful. West Yellowstone was really convenient, though.

We drove to a different part of the park each day during our 3 day stay and still only saw the most general of the highlights. The kids had a blast watching for wildlife and our youngest enjoyed doing the activities to earn her Jr Ranger patch.

We drove south through the park to reach Grand Tetons NP. Glorious! We stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge (picture upthread) in one of the non-view "cottages" as it was much less expensive. We hiked some really nice trails in Tetons. I had wanted to do a river float but the weather was still too chilly for us (it was mid-June). Next time

I also think you should read the forums on Trip Advisor. I use them for all of our non-Disney trips. Using the nps.gov website, TA, and my big ol' AAA driving maps, I can spend months planning a National Parks trip!

 

[eliza61]

Stay at Old Faithful Lodge for a night or two - Wilderness lodge in WDW was based upon it's design. As beautiful as WL is, I've always felt it was a cheap knock-off compared the 100-year-old original.

Hey cowboy,

Let me ask you, is there some way to book Old faithful lodge. I tried last year for th is summer on the national parks website and it seemed every day was booked. Do you know how far in advance do they accept reservations? Can I call the lodge directly?

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

I think you can book one year and one day out (at least, other parks' lodging book that way). The trick is to take whatever days you can find, then compulsively check the website for cancellations.

People booking Yosemite have this down to a science. Cancellations for that park go back into the system at 7am Pacific, so people check then! I learned about this on the Yosemite TripAdvisor forum.

 

[Minnesota!]

We did something similar last summer, only we called ours 20 states in 20 days! We spent 5 days at Yellowstone--2 nights halfway between Cody and the East Entrance, and then three nights in Gardiner, MT on the North side.

It was amazing, breathtaking, wonderful, serene and exciting. Everyone should visit at least once.

Where did you stay on the east side of the park? We will be driving there from MN, so east side is much closer than west.

Thanks!!

 

[CowboyCO]

Hey cowboy,

Let me ask you, is there some way to book Old faithful lodge. I tried last year for th is summer on the national parks website and it seemed every day was booked. Do you know how far in advance do they accept reservations? Can I call the lodge directly?

You have to book it on the Xanterra website (or you can call on your dime). They book a year out. But Old Faithful fills up very fast. It is a unique hotel that just can't be built anymore. If you are looking at 2012, I'd nail your dates down and then book it as soon as it opens for your dates.

 

[CowboyCO]

Yellowstone is such a fun trip! DH's family camped on Hebgen lake (west of West Yellowstone) at least once just about every summer when he was growing up. He also worked in Mammoth one summer.

If you're flying into SLC, DH recommends going through Idaho Falls and coming into the park through the west instead of the South. He doesn't like the drive the other way and said he'd only take me that way once and only that one time because it is beautiful. I still haven't been that way. I second looking into visiting the Salt Lake area. Even in the summer the ski resorts are beautiful and have lots of activities like hiking and biking even zip lines.

I have to disagree here. I'd go up through Kemmerer, up Commisary ridge and then through Star Valley to Jackson. It's a little slower, but the country is more amazing.