Grand Teton National Park...vacation?

[pklein09]

Two years ago, we did a family vacation in an OKW GV - 12 of us. We had a blast! My Pop would like to do another big family vacation and said the Grand Tetons are breathtaking. He thought it would be a neat place to go.

Has anyone ever gone? Any suggestions? I was on the National Park's website and looked at some of the lodging sites. I will say I'm spoiled by DVC and having a 2BR unit with a kitchen (the GV was a splurge because there were 12 of us). I guess I don't want to feel shoe horned into a hotel room for a week.

This vacation wouldn't be until summer 2018 at the earliest, leaving me lots of time to plan.

Thanks all!

 

[Pamlur]

Look at the VRBO website. We had a house reserved there many years ago, but my son got sick and we had to cancel. We never got around to going.

 

[queenofthehive]

Sounds fabulous! We have not been to this park but it is on my list. We went to Yosemite last year and going to the Grand Canyon this year. I reasearch the parks by using travel books and trip advisor forums for information. You might want to book your lodging at the year mark as they tend to fill up fast if you want to stay in the parks. The NPS site is the best for trail information and ranger programs. I will be subscribing to this thread! Good luck- sounds like a great trip!

 

[Lvsdisney]

I have been there but it's been over 20 years. I do remember checking our the geysers, Old Faithful in particular, and we also did horse back riding, and if I remember correctly, white water rafting. I do not remember where we stayed, though. I think we technically were in Jackson Hole. I CAN tell you that I had a lot of fun when I went as an 8 year old. My biggest memory was my mother making me drink water all the time due to the elevation.

 

[McKelly]

We went a couple years ago and coupled it with Yellowstone since they are so close. It's beautiful. We stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge. i think I got a discounted room on Cyber Monday......weird, but true. We went horseback riding in the area, rafted down the Snake River, boated over Jenny Lake and then hiked to Hidden Falls and up to Inspiration Point. I also spent a lot of time on the back deck of the Lodge just staring at the mountains.....which are breathtaking, like your Pop said. I definitely would like to go back some day!
We visited a ski mountain area nearby (Teton Village) that might have the condo type rentals that you are looking for. We took the ski lift up to the top of the mountain in the summer to look around.

 

[BethID]

We did a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks a few years ago. While I enjoyed Yellowstone, I felt that there were more recreational opportunites in the Tetons. I agree that with the parks are so close together, you should at least try to do a day trip into Yellowstone. Definitely do a white water rafting trip. I think that was the highlight for my kids, who were about 6 and 8 at the time. I would like to make another trip and spend time just at the Grand Tetons.

 

[pklein09]

Thank you for all the replies! We're on the East Coast, so the area is new and I will research all your suggestions.

Have a great day!!!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I've been to GTNP, but have not stayed there. That being said, I looked into staying there, and I know from staying at other National Parks that you want to make those reservations early. Like, a year beforehand, if possible. They fill up like crazy, especially during the summer (which is high season).

GTNP is lovely and has some great hikes and other activities, but Yellowstone is right next door. If anything could put the Tetons to shame, it would be Yellowstone. I was begging my husband for more time there when we had to leave. To do one without the other would be a shame.

 

[hsmamato2]

we visited GTNP and Yellowstone a few years back.... but it was more of a 'roughing it to save money' kind of trip! Tripadvisor is your best friend when planning something like this..... get on those boards and start asking questions! At Tetons,we stayed in a *rough* tent cabin,with a cement floor and an old woodstove (we needed it at night in June).... it was so beautiful at that campground...... Our goal was to stay within the National parks if possible on a budget- we spent 2-3 nights at Tetons,hiking,etc.Jenny Lake was an amazing place to hike,etc. We then went to Yellowstone and worked our way around the loop road for a week..... by FAR our favorite spot to stay was the little cabins (no bathrooms in them) right at Old Faithful,near the big lodge. It was incredible to be that close to excitement,(and the restaurants,I won't lie) and still have a little,inexpensive (comparitively) place to stay in-it was a treat to be able to stay 'rough' and just walk to places of amazing beauty. I want to go back! We flew into Salt Lake City,drove up to Tetons (accidentally took the long way,I wouldn't suggest that) and then drove back down after Yellowstone. Within Yellowstone there are options to stay (I suggest staying inside the parks) that range from somewhat budget to much more expensive.

 

[aprilgail]

We went to Badlands then to Grand Teton and Yellowstone- they were all great! We stayed in Yellowstone in thing tiny little cabin (shack!) but they have nicer hotels in the park, we just booked to late to get one! If you decide on Yellowstone I would not want to stay outside of the park- its a LONG SLOW drive in each day! The Tetons were great but I would not spend a whole week just there. If you are driving from east coast I can give you some great places to stop, it was the best trip we have ever taken, 6 weeks around the US.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Jumping in as this is our planned trip for May 2019 (graduation present to our daughter). If you are going to have enough folks in your group I would suggest renting a house though VRBO. That is our plan but so far I have just glanced at the site. Keep us posted on your research, I might borrow a few of your plans.

Kate

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I got married at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in August 2015. It is probably my very favorite place on earth, hence why I chose it for my wedding. As a kid, we would travel there in my parent's RV for many, many summers in a row. I have very fond memories of my time there with my family. We went hiking, took horseback rides, did some boating on the lake, etc. We would also spend time in Jackson Hole and take day trips up to Yellowstone NP. We stayed at the RV park at Colter Bay when I was a kid.

I had only ever been to the Tetons during the summer, but when I was planning my wedding, DH and I went at the end of September to do the obligatory wedding prep things, including our engagement photo session. It was beautiful with the trees turning and the crowds were very light then. It was still pretty warm, but that was unusual for the season.

We booked our wedding at the 12 month mark and then rooms became available at the hotel at the 11 month mark. We urged all of our guests to book right away because everything in the area fills up extremely quickly, as was mentioned by someone else. If you want to stay inside the park (and closer to Yellowstone) then you can look at Jackson Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village and Headwaters Lodge. These will vary, but most are pretty rustic (which I think is part of the charm of staying in a national park), so if you want something more equipped such as a condo with a kitchen, then you will want to look at accommodations closer to Jackson Hole or in the ski resort area. Traveling into the park from these locations can take some time, especially in the busier seasons because the roads are usually pretty packed and the speed limit is low to protect the animals.

ETA: Another option that may be fun, but I have never experienced is to stay at a Dude Ranch. There are several close or even inside the park and I believe most of them are all-inclusive, so you don't have to worry so much about having a kitchen, etc. They organize activities for the entire week and cater to families.

 

[PatriciaH]

Signal Mountain Lodge has some rooms with kitchens and a pull out couch.

 

[pklein09]

I am not a "roughing it" kind of person. I've tent camped once, and that was enough. I've done RVs, and they're just too small (it also didn't help that it rained a good part of that week). Cabin....maybe. I like the idea of a large house to share.

Thank you for all the suggestions!!!

 

[dixie47]

Signal Mountain Lodge is my choice within the park. Privately owned, not a part of the lodging system, it has a wide variety of cabins, gorgeous views, reasonable prices, and a good location. Check it out.

You must stay at Old Faithful. The old lodge there is fabulous, big fireplace, lots of places to sit and people watch, great views of the geyser. I like the historic rooms. We went as a family - 11 of us - and everyone enjoyed that lodge and surrounding area.

Yellowstone is huge!!! We flew into Jackson, spent a few days at Signal Mt. Lodge, hiked Jenny Lake trail to Inspiration Point, stayed a couple nights at Old Faithful, moved on to Mammoth Hot Springs cabins so we could do a trail ride/campfire program at Roosevelt. And then to Cody for a rodeo and museum.

Ages 2 to 60, it was a great trip. Good luck!