Yellowstone/Tetons lodging ???

[chasbos]

All I can say is WOW!!! What amazing pictures - I cannot wait until we are there in August!

Does anyone have any good travel books or sites they can recommend so we do not miss anything while we are in the area?

 

[MrsPete]

We are going this summer! I love the mountains. However, we will have some extra people. Me, DH, DS, the twin DD's, and my DSIL. So 3 adults and 3 kids, ages 6 and 2. The girls will probably be in pack and plays. I know where to stay in the Tetons (Colter Bay cabins) but what in Yellowstone would be big enough but cheap with a bathroom? I can't find any really good sites that tell you what you get, how big it is, and how much it costs. I know some of the cabins that are older are very tiny. We also don't want to stay in Mammoth. Any help?

You should check your dates to see what's still available. Those places go fast! I'm going in July and have had reservations at the Yellowstone Canyon Lodge for some time. I was reading some things online and thought perhaps I'd change my reservation to the Yellowstone Lake Cottages -- nope, sold out. Anyway, you really ought to see what's possible before you get your heart set on a particular place.


AMAZING PICTURES! I teach photography, and I very much hope to take some photos this good!


Question about activities in Yellowstone: I've seen information online about the Yellow Bus Tours. My daughters have never been to Yellowstone, so I definitely want themto see all the geothermal activity. Would it be better to take the Yellow Bus Firehole Basin tour, which would give us a 3-hour ride and a tour guide to show us the various things . . . or would we see just as much on our own without having to stick to someone else's schedule?

 

[Sonya]

We used to go to RMNP every year. With the kids the drive across Kansas seems to take forever so we will wait to go when they are older.
Here is my pic of Sprague:

Also, for you that are going to the Tetons, consider a small day hike to Cascade Canyon. Take the boat across Jenny Lake and start hiking! Inspiration point is great!
Here is the canyon:

And a short hike in Yellowstone is up Mt. Washburn. There is an observation tower at the top. It was quite a climb! But you can see the caldera.

Disclaimer, these are scanned images, it has been a while since we have been, and last time we didn't have a digital camera!!!!

I didn't think about booking so far out, I hope we can get something. Seems like last time (3 years ago) I booked closer to the date and still got what I wanted. I hope I still can!

 

[Simba's Mom]

We are going this summer! I love the mountains. However, we will have some extra people. Me, DH, DS, the twin DD's, and my DSIL. So 3 adults and 3 kids, ages 6 and 2. The girls will probably be in pack and plays. I know where to stay in the Tetons (Colter Bay cabins) but what in Yellowstone would be big enough but cheap with a bathroom? I can't find any really good sites that tell you what you get, how big it is, and how much it costs. I know some of the cabins that are older are very tiny. We also don't want to stay in Mammoth. Any help?

I'm a little nervous reading the part about "We don't want to stay in Mammoth". We never have, but I just made reservations for there this coming June, staying in a cabin. Or did you just have a bad experience there like we did at Colter Bay in Grand Tetons? That's probably a find place, but we had a horrible time (not all because of the place-I got very sick).

 

[Sonya]

No, we have never stayed in Mammoth, but we don't find much up there to do. We like the thermal features down south better. I know there are things to do, just not for us since we usually stay on the south side.
Sorry you had a bad time in Colter, we love it there.

 

[Sonya]

OK, just called, all cabins are booked!!!!
What about outside of Yellowstone? We have been to West Yellowstone and it is OK, but how far is it from the Lake or Old Faithful for example? And where to stay there? Or would another place be better?
The Lodge rooms in Yellowstone are about $200/night and that is a bit much for us.

 

[Simba's Mom]

No, we have never stayed in Mammoth, but we don't find much up there to do. We like the thermal features down south better. I know there are things to do, just not for us since we usually stay on the south side.
Sorry you had a bad time in Colter, we love it there.

Thanks, I
understand now. Just bad memories of my illness with Colter.
Anyways, don't give up with Yellowstone lodging if you want to stay in the park. The reservationist gave me some great advice last fall-they get so many cancellations come spring (especially in this economy),keep checking the website. Last fall, we couldn't get the cabins we wanted, but I kept checking every week or two. A few weeks ago,we got it. Now I checked and no availibility again.

 

[merrily]

OK, just called, all cabins are booked!!!!
What about outside of Yellowstone? We have been to West Yellowstone and it is OK, but how far is it from the Lake or Old Faithful for example? And where to stay there? Or would another place be better?
The Lodge rooms in Yellowstone are about $200/night and that is a bit much for us.

Keep checking with Yellowstone. The availability of lodging changes all the time. If you are interested in staying in Cody, I highly recommend the Cody Cowboy Village as a place to stay.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

We are planning on going to Yellowstone June/July of 2010. When does everyone suggest I start booking?

I am thinking
1 night in Mammoth
2 or 3 nights in lake Yellowstone (One day heading into Cody)
1 or 2 nights in West yellowstone
and then onto Colter cabins for a couple of nights.

What do you experts think of this?

THANKS

 

[gtrain219]

As far as places to stay I am not a real expert on that. I live 100 miles away and go to Yellowstone several times a year with the fam but we make day trips of it only ocassionaly do we spend the night. I work for a hotel in town and during the summer months we get people who stay at our hotel because everything between us and Yellowstone is BOOKED so my advice would be to decide now and make reservations and try to stick to them as best as possible because you don't know what will be available if you do change them

Let me know if I can answer any other questions.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We are planning on going to Yellowstone June/July of 2010. When does everyone suggest I start booking?

I am thinking
1 night in Mammoth
2 or 3 nights in lake Yellowstone (One day heading into Cody)
1 or 2 nights in West yellowstone
and then onto Colter cabins for a couple of nights.

What do you experts think of this?

THANKS

We booked in August for the following June. July and August are busier months so you might want to book a full year ahead in Yellowstone. Colter can usually be booked about 4 months ahead. Your plan sounds great to us! We've done Colter and the Lake Yellowstone Cabins. In June, we'll redo Lake Yellowstone Cabins (obviously, we liked them a lot!) and do Mammoth cabins. In 2007, we did Colter. Our experience with the CS resturant there wasn't good, but we loved getting food at the little general store.
One tip at Colter Bay-be sure you spend some relaxing time sitting on benches at the Marina admiring the scenery-

We loved visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In 2007, we'd planned to visit a different National Park every year. We got as far as visiting Yellowstone and GT and haven't been able to tear ourselves away to visit anywhere else yet.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

We booked in August for the following June. July and August are busier months so you might want to book a full year ahead in Yellowstone. Colter can usually be booked about 4 months ahead. Your plan sounds great to us! We've done Colter and the Lake Yellowstone Cabins. In June, we'll redo Lake Yellowstone Cabins (obviously, we liked them a lot!) and do Mammoth cabins. In 2007, we did Colter. Our experience with the CS resturant there wasn't good, but we loved getting food at the little general store.
One tip at Colter Bay-be sure you spend some relaxing time sitting on benches at the Marina admiring the scenery-

We loved visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In 2007, we'd planned to visit a different National Park every year. We got as far as visiting Yellowstone and GT and haven't been able to tear ourselves away to visit anywhere else yet.

Thank you. That is the advice I needed. There are just so many places to stay and without seeing the cabins beforehand it is so hard to know. I am thinking now though that instead of West Yellowstone I will try to stay in eaither Old Faithful Inn or Olf Faithful Snow cabins.

 

[4fosterkids]

This is a great thread and the pictures are stunning! (many would make fabulous puzzles! lol)
We have talked about going to Yellowstone/Tetons area, but have never done it. We have been die hard Yosemite visitors, but would like to change it up finally. Can somebody give me the weather details May - Sept? I know very little about the area, except the size and beauty. This thread has made me want to really consider it for our family trip.

 

[gtrain219]

Can somebody give me the weather details May - Sept? I know very little about the area, except the size and beauty. This thread has made me want to really consider it for our family trip.

It depends on the year last year we had snow in May and June. Most years the weather is trying to decide what it wants to do in May. One day will be cold and the next will be hot. June - Aug is generally hot with occasional rain and t-storms. When I say hot I am talking 90-100 degrees Sept can begin to get colder with more rain. And it will be cold at night so be preapred for that. Other than the nights being cold everything else is an average.

 

[ScooterL]

We were there Labor Day weekend and the week after last year and had big temperature swings - it was in the 70s and 80s Labor Day weekend, but by Monday it was drizzly and in the 50s, and we got some snow on Wednesday! Highs were in the 40s and 50s until Friday when it finally got up to 60 again.

But we were told that in August it was hot - in the 90s most days.

Elevation makes a difference, too - it's cooler in the Mammoth area than in the Old Faithful area, and nights are generally cool anywhere.

 

[stsomewhere]

subscribing..
in process of planning for next summer.

how far in Tetons from yellowstone?

We were orginally thinking about Yellowstone and Glacier. Any thoughts?

 

[Simba's Mom]

The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone are only about 25 miles apart. It's almost like they're one park. We've done those two parks together twice. Although we haven't done Glacier, I think that's about 3 hours north of Yellowstone, and it's alot bigger than Grand Tetons, so I wouldn't do Glacier and Yellowstone in one trip-too much driving and each park is so huge. That's another reason why it makes sense to do Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons together-the GT are much smaller.