Grand Tetons and Yellowstone ... input needed

[mrs. magoo]

So I have done a couple of searches and read some great suggestions about visiting these 2 parks but I would love more information from those who have gone. Last summer was our first visit to a National Park - Zion and Bryce - we fell in love with them and want to do more so I am planning this trip.

We are planning for August 2023 - Plans so far - Fly into Salt Lake City spend the night - My son's best friend from grade school and high school lives there and I am sure my son would like to hang with him.

Day 2/3 - Grand Teton - we will do some of the easy hikes. We like the outdoors but we are not big hikers. I have read that there are many easy hikes so this sounds cool.

Day 4/5/6 - Yellowstone - here is where I am at a loss. The park is so big and there is so much that I am unsure what to plan - Do we go with a tour or do we do it on our own? From reading on here - I think we should try to stay in the park but I will need to book rooms a year in advance and my dates may need to change along with the number in our party so I am not sure what plan I should have when I look to book.? - We could be a party of 3/4/5 or 6. It will depend on work schedules and college schedules. If we are unable to get into one of the lodges what are the best outside the park choices?

Day 7 - drive back to SLC and fly home.

I know people are going to say that we need more time but a week is all I can work out between juggling 4 kids schedules - teaching - boarding the dog - and making sure my father is ok - a week is all we can do.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[cedricandsophie]

You do know it’s at least a 5 hour drive from Salt Lake City to Jackson Wyoming which is the start of the Grand Tetons? So my suggestion would be to fly into SLC early and then drive to the Jackson that day. Maybe see your sons friend the night before you leave for home?

Jackson is very busy during tourist season so be sure to get hotel reservations well in advance.
It’s a short ride through the grand Tetons into Yellowstone. I would try to get a room or rooms within the park at the lodge. But yes you do need to reserve well ahead. If you can’t get in the park Cody is outside the northeast entrance. Again you need to reserve well ahead. But Cody is at least 7 hours back to SLC. Do you would need to leave the day before your flight in order to get back to SLC.

You might consider flying in and out of Bozeman or Billings Instead to allow less driving time.

 

[China Expat]

Once you are inside Yellowstone NP, just circumnavigate the entire loop road (2 days?) and use the park map and ample signage for pull outs and hikes. Very clear.

 

[TeamRiley]

I have been to both parks many times. Unless you are dying to stay inside Yellowstone - which is pricey - I would find a good hotel or VRBO in West Yellowstone. It is right on the edge of the Park and is very convenient. But book way ahead.

The other thing you should consider is planning your trip in reverse. It actually takes less time to get to West Yellowstone from SLC than it does to Jackson Hole. I would go to West Yellowstone first, spend multiple days in the Park, then go south to Teton and get a place in Jackson (again, well in advance).

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Do you have to fly into SLC? It isn't actually that convenient to get to either park from there, and you could really cut your drive times by flying in/out from a closer airport. You can fly directly to Jackson Hole, or Bozeman, MT and I think either of those would be a significant drive savings.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

We did this trip this past August. Flew in to Jackson, stayed 3 nights in town there, toured around Tetons and other areas around Jackson, then headed in to Yellowstone, stayed 4 nights at Old Faithful Inn. We booked several of the photography tours on the yellow buses. One early morning tour it was just hubby and I on it, quite fun. Ended up being a private tour. We liked the tours as a way to see things. Also did the stage coach dinner. This added in the fun of driving all the way from Old Faithful out to Roosevelt area, so quite the long way around to see a lot of the park. Last summer it was not possible to drive the entire loop. The road was closed from the Roosevelt area to the Lake (sorry, forget the name over there) so you had to turn around and go back.

We flew back out of Jackson later in the afternoon on our last day so we had plenty of time to get up and drive back to the airport.

 

[jimmymc]

I did this trip last year over about 10 days. 1 night in Gardiner, 4 nights camping at Bay Bridge, 3 nights camping at Headwaters just north of Grand Teton, and 1 night in Bozeman, where I flew in and out of. We filled every day and it still feels like I barely saw the park. You really can't spend enough time there.

I don't recommend the tours around Yellowstone unless you have trouble driving. The park is so spread out and you will want to go at your own pace. You will hit some bad traffic though, so be aware.

Where do you plan on staying? This is a huge factor with traffic. Staying in the parks really cuts down on the amount of driving, but it can be expensive. You can also look at camping, which is what I did. Jenny Lake Lodge is right in the middle of the most popular area of Grand Teton, but the other in-park hotels are also close to good hikes and have amazing views. In Yellowstone, Canyon Village is the most centrally located hotel, and Old Faithful Inn is closest to the hot springs and main attractions. You can also stay in the park at Mammouth, but at that point you are so close to Gardiner that you might as well stay there and save the money. Booking for these hotels will open for you on August 5, 2022. See here: https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/advanced-reservation-window/

If you're staying outside the park, I would split the trip between Teton Village or Jackson for the Grand Teton portion and Gardiner for the Yellowstone portion. The two parks are basically connected, so you'll probably have to stay at one or the other. The only exception is the Headwaters Lodge, which might be considered part of the Grand Teton park hotels but is located between the two. I can personally recommend the Absaroka Lodge in Gardiner. Basic, clean rooms that all have a minifridge, microwave, and view of the Yellowstone River.

For your days in Grand Teton, I recommend taking the boat or trail across Jenny Lake to see Hidden Falls. It will be crowded but they are beautiful. Drive along Rt. 191 and you can see some of the former ranches that were used to make the park. If you're up for a tougher hike, pick one of the canyons to head up. Death Canyon, Cascade Canyon, and Paintbrush Canyon are pretty fun. Bring bear spray on these hikes, because there is a good chance you see one at some point.

For Yellowstone, there are a lot of places to see, so I'll just list them off: Mammouth Springs, Norris Basin, Artists Paintpots, Gibbon Falls, Firehole Canyon, Firehole Spring, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, Biscuit Basin, West Thumb Geysers, Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls, Artists Point, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcano, Lewis Canyon and waterfall, Tower Falls, and the Virginia Cascades. You can't look up in these parks without seeing something beautiful. Things I think are must do's are in bold.

One last recommendation is to go rafting while you're there. For a gentle ride you can go the Snake river in Grand Teton. For a rougher ride, you can do the Yellowstone River from Gardiner. We used Wild West Rafting and they were amazing.

 

[mrs. magoo]

Thank you for all your input. I will be sure to look into all your suggestions. The trip was briefly on hold because my cousin was talking about an Alaskan cruise but it looks like that is not going to happen due to some people in the extended party not being vaccinated so back to planning this trip.

 

[CeCe0906]

Our last "big vacation" was in Sept 2019 pre pandemic. We flew into SLC, and traveled to Yellowstone for a few days before joining an REI tour in Utah. We stayed at the Kelly Inn in West Yellowstone. It was nice, clean and had comfortable beds. The entrance to Yellowstone was right there in town. We went early to beat the heat, and didn't encounter too bad of lines to get in. Hit different areas of the park on different days. Plenty of easy trails around the geysers and noteworthy spots. Bought entrance pass online before. There are plenty of guides, etc online to see ahead of time what interests most. Stop at the welcome center around old faithful, they give great info and maps.

You don't need a tour, it is easy to navigate, and you can go at your own pace.
On our last day, before we drove back to SLC we drove to Yellowstone Raft Company 111 S 2nd St, Gardiner, MT and did a rafting morning trip, it was fun!

 

[China Expat]

Well, now Yellowstone impassable!

 

[jimmymc]

Yeah, I would not plan on visiting the northern half of the park this year.

 

[Her Dotness]

Yeah, I would not plan on visiting the northern half of the park this year.

Indeed.

When I was a kid, we went to West Yellowstone a year after the catastrophic 1959 earthquake that caused the bulk of a mountain to slide into Hebgen Lake just west of Yellowstone. (Yes, my dad was a ghoul like the rest of his tornado-damage-touring siblings and wanted to see how bad it was.)

The highway had been restored by then, but the remaining damage was striking, and there were signs and barricades warning tourists that the earth was still unstable in areas, not to walk or climb where posted.

Restoring roads and structures will take a good long while.

 

[Simba's Mom]

You're right-Yellowstone is really big. Three out of the 4 times we've gone, we've spent a few nights at different hotels in different parts of the park. Our favorite was Lake Yellowstone, the cabins which only hold 2 people. Every evening after supper, we'd drive up to (not sure of the name) Hayden (?) Valley, and watch the buffalo from the overlook.