Transportation to Yellowstone/Jackson in Winter
Nov 23rd, 2007, 05:58 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Transportation to Yellowstone/Jackson in Winter
Hello! My husband and I are traveling to Yellowstone in December. We have reservations to stay at Old Faithful Lodge (accessible via snowcoach). However, our arrival into Jackson Hole's airport (at noon) is too late to make the Flagg Ranch snowcoach pickup (at 1pm). So, it looks like we will be spending the first night outside of the park and arranging transport to Flagg Ranch the next morning.
I have several questions... Do you think that spending the night in Jackson Hole is the best option (I've been told most people do this)? What about Moran? My husband is an expert skier and I have skied twice in my life. If it were up to me, I'd rather do anything but ski.
Snowshoeing, dog sledding, snow mobiling, etc. are more appealing to me.
Another question is about transportation. I have discovered two options:
Option 1:
Alltrans is a transport company that will pick us up from the airport or Jackson Hole and drop us off at the Flagg Ranch pick-up station. The problem is that a 2-way ticket (one that will drop us at Flagg Ranch and then, pick us up and take us to the airport) will cost us a combined total of $200. This does not include transport from the airport to the hotel or from the hotel to any activities we might do.
Option 2:
For that price, we could rent a car from the airport, drive ourselves to the hotel/inn, etc. for the first night and then leave the car at Flagg Ranch (can we do this? Is there a place to park a rental car for 3 days in Flagg Ranch?) while we visit Yellowstone. Then when the snowcoach returns us to Flagg Ranch, we're able to drive it back to the airport.
Are there any other options besides these? I've looked around for an overnight dog-sled tour that would get us from the airport to Flagg Ranch by 1pm. But, I cannot find a suitable one (most leave at 6am in the morning from Jackson and we do not arrive at the airport until noon).
What about snowmobiling? Is there a company that will get us from the airport directly to Old Faithful Lodge after the park's snowcoach pickup?
Surely more people have arrived in Jackson Hole too late for the 1pm Snowcoach pick-up. What did you do?
Thank you for your time and any advice you might have.
I have several questions... Do you think that spending the night in Jackson Hole is the best option (I've been told most people do this)? What about Moran? My husband is an expert skier and I have skied twice in my life. If it were up to me, I'd rather do anything but ski.
Snowshoeing, dog sledding, snow mobiling, etc. are more appealing to me.Another question is about transportation. I have discovered two options:
Option 1:
Alltrans is a transport company that will pick us up from the airport or Jackson Hole and drop us off at the Flagg Ranch pick-up station. The problem is that a 2-way ticket (one that will drop us at Flagg Ranch and then, pick us up and take us to the airport) will cost us a combined total of $200. This does not include transport from the airport to the hotel or from the hotel to any activities we might do.
Option 2:
For that price, we could rent a car from the airport, drive ourselves to the hotel/inn, etc. for the first night and then leave the car at Flagg Ranch (can we do this? Is there a place to park a rental car for 3 days in Flagg Ranch?) while we visit Yellowstone. Then when the snowcoach returns us to Flagg Ranch, we're able to drive it back to the airport.
Are there any other options besides these? I've looked around for an overnight dog-sled tour that would get us from the airport to Flagg Ranch by 1pm. But, I cannot find a suitable one (most leave at 6am in the morning from Jackson and we do not arrive at the airport until noon).
What about snowmobiling? Is there a company that will get us from the airport directly to Old Faithful Lodge after the park's snowcoach pickup?
Surely more people have arrived in Jackson Hole too late for the 1pm Snowcoach pick-up. What did you do?
Thank you for your time and any advice you might have.
Nov 23rd, 2007, 07:13 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi paperkite,
Staying in Jackson for the first night is a great idea. It's a fun town and there are lots of activities (other than skiing) for you to enjoy. The wildlife museum gets great reviews, plus on the town side of things there are fabulous art galleries.
I've never looked into dog sledding there, but I would think that there would be short afternoon trips available besides morning/all day trips. Why on earth would you want to do an overnight camping dog sled trip? Is that what you really meant?
Yes, there will be a place to park a rental car at the Flagg Ranch. You might have one H**l of a time getting it started when you return after 3 nights outside in those temps, so have someone from the ranch standing by with jumpercables. (Which I'm sure they used to doing.)
I would do the rental car if the price is the same as the trans company shuttle.
Your post has me confused though. Are you saying you want to dog sled from the airport to the Flagg Ranch? That is not going to be an option.
There are many snowmobiling companies in the area, and even more run out of West Yellowstone. There might be one that would leave later than 1pm, but I doubt it. The snowcoaches take about 3-4 hours to get into Old Faithful. It gets dark early in Dec. Snowmobiles would be a bit faster, but they do stop for scenic points and wildlife. It's meant to be an experience rather than just speedy transportation, and there are speed limits. You don't want to hit a bison herd at 50 mph! They like to use the roads and go at their own speed - they are the bosses.
Flagg Ranch may be your only choice for getting into the park from the south entrance. So you may have to go with their hours.
I wouldn't stay in Moran. There's nothing there. If you have to stay 1 night before your trip into the park, Jackson is the place.
Have fun!
Staying in Jackson for the first night is a great idea. It's a fun town and there are lots of activities (other than skiing) for you to enjoy. The wildlife museum gets great reviews, plus on the town side of things there are fabulous art galleries.
I've never looked into dog sledding there, but I would think that there would be short afternoon trips available besides morning/all day trips. Why on earth would you want to do an overnight camping dog sled trip? Is that what you really meant?
Yes, there will be a place to park a rental car at the Flagg Ranch. You might have one H**l of a time getting it started when you return after 3 nights outside in those temps, so have someone from the ranch standing by with jumpercables. (Which I'm sure they used to doing.)
I would do the rental car if the price is the same as the trans company shuttle.
Your post has me confused though. Are you saying you want to dog sled from the airport to the Flagg Ranch? That is not going to be an option.
There are many snowmobiling companies in the area, and even more run out of West Yellowstone. There might be one that would leave later than 1pm, but I doubt it. The snowcoaches take about 3-4 hours to get into Old Faithful. It gets dark early in Dec. Snowmobiles would be a bit faster, but they do stop for scenic points and wildlife. It's meant to be an experience rather than just speedy transportation, and there are speed limits. You don't want to hit a bison herd at 50 mph! They like to use the roads and go at their own speed - they are the bosses.
Flagg Ranch may be your only choice for getting into the park from the south entrance. So you may have to go with their hours.
I wouldn't stay in Moran. There's nothing there. If you have to stay 1 night before your trip into the park, Jackson is the place.
Have fun!
Nov 23rd, 2007, 03:57 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Dayle for the tips and advice! It's a shame we'd have to look forward to a dead battery when we're dropped off at the end of our stay. That's a good point and definitely something to consider. Maybe a travel company in Jackson has a package deal with all of these details worked out for people who arrive too late to make the connection to Yellowstone. Isn't this the type of thing Travel Agents are suppose to do? Hmm...
Yep, there are overnight "camping" trips offered by one of the dogsled companies. But, from my *brief* reading, I understand it isn't really camping and it's not dogsledding all day. It's a mix of snowshoes, snowmobiles and dog sleds to get into the backcountry, where you spend the night in a warm, communal "Yurt". To me, that sounds like a fun way to spend that night before going to Yellowstone! But, alas, they leave too early in the morning.
What would be ideal is a company that picked you (and your luggage) up at the airport and got you to the doorstep of Old Faithful lodge (via combo of van, snowmobile, dogs, coach, sleigh, whatever). But if it gets too dark and there is not a Yurt... then, it gets too dark.
Jackson looks like a great place from which to explore the Tetons. Hopefully, we can find something to do in the outdoors in the afternoon. I'm looking around...
Thanks again!
Yep, there are overnight "camping" trips offered by one of the dogsled companies. But, from my *brief* reading, I understand it isn't really camping and it's not dogsledding all day. It's a mix of snowshoes, snowmobiles and dog sleds to get into the backcountry, where you spend the night in a warm, communal "Yurt". To me, that sounds like a fun way to spend that night before going to Yellowstone!
But, alas, they leave too early in the morning. What would be ideal is a company that picked you (and your luggage) up at the airport and got you to the doorstep of Old Faithful lodge (via combo of van, snowmobile, dogs, coach, sleigh, whatever). But if it gets too dark and there is not a Yurt... then, it gets too dark.
Jackson looks like a great place from which to explore the Tetons. Hopefully, we can find something to do in the outdoors in the afternoon. I'm looking around...
Thanks again!
Nov 23rd, 2007, 05:17 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Paperkite,
I didn't mean to sound like I was guaranteeing you a dead battery, just that having some kind of contingency plan is a good idea. If you left your keys with the folks at Flag Ranch, they would probably start the car each day for you....
The dog sledding / overnight in a yurt sounds great! You might want to go a day early just for that!
Have fun!
I didn't mean to sound like I was guaranteeing you a dead battery, just that having some kind of contingency plan is a good idea. If you left your keys with the folks at Flag Ranch, they would probably start the car each day for you....
The dog sledding / overnight in a yurt sounds great! You might want to go a day early just for that!
Have fun!
Nov 23rd, 2007, 07:14 PM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,029
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jacksonhole.com will give you links to various companies for outdoor activities besides downhill skiing. There is a Nordic ski center right near the mountain, too, so your husband could ski and you could cross country or snow shoe.
Nov 25th, 2007, 02:15 PM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,443
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if you can arrange the dog sled thing, go for it. We did a dog sled ride in Alaska this past summer that was just incredible. It was on a huge snow covered glacier miles away from anywhere. The guy (he has run ididarod several years) that owns and even trains other dogs lives on the glacier for 3 months without electricity or water. They haul everything out by helicopter including dog poop. We spent about 4 hours with them, but didn't get near enough. Yellowstone should be awesome in the winter. Hope your transportation works out for you.
