anonxx

We will be vacationing for a week in the Yellowstone area with kids ages 12, 20, 22 that like horses, fishing, rafting, hiking, etc. We were thinking of 2 nights in Red Lodge MT (inc. July 2 rodeo), 2 nights in Cody, WY at a ranch/lodge, and 2 nights in Grand Teton at Signal Mtn Lodge. Thoughts or suggested changes? Thanks much!

BayouGal

Are you going into YNP at all? Your locations are quite a distance for a commute to and from YNP for day trips. Maybe give up one night at Red Lodge or Cody for one night in YNP? If just wanting to be in the area, but not really spending time in that park, then I understand your itinerary.

GrannyJoan

Your itinerary sounds great. I assume you will be driving from Cody thru the YP area on way to Grand Teton.

Just check out the stops you want to see at YP and make a day's drive along the way to Teton area. It is lovely drive and has nice view points to see. Depending on the time of year YP can be crowded and hard to get reservations in park at lodges. Check out the national parks website for maps.

Have a great trip!
- Granny Joan

Dayle

Hi Anonxx,

Do you mean this July? And you don't have lodging reservations yet? This is the most croweded week of the year and the towns you are considering are small! Better get going and hope to get a cancellation.

LHS

With the distance from Red Lodge & Cody, it doesn't sound like you'll spend much time in Yellowstone, but maybe that is your intent.

It took us 4 hours to drive from the east entrance to Cody with the construction last year in Aug.

Viajero2

Your itinerary sounds a bit unrealistic. You state you will be vacationing in the Yellowstone area but there seems to be little planning to actualy spend any worthwhile time in YNP. Huge miss. I suggest you stay closer to YNP; i.e. West Yellowstone instead of Red Lodge, which is a fun town, but not a very convenient home base for YNP. The last 15 years I have stayed in Cooke City (Alpine Motel). It is the town closest to YNP Northeast Gate. Cooke City is convenient, if nothing else. In the morning we wake up early and within 5 minutes wer are YNP Lamar Valley, where the early rising wildlife is just spectacular to watch.

Again, IF in fact your vacation aims to spin around YNP your route needs work. If it aims at outdoords activities instead, then it is fine; but there are plenty places to fish, hike, etc... you don't have to travel to YNP to just do that....

anonxx

Just to clarify. We will be taking the Beartooth Pass from Red Lodge to Silver Creek - NE entrance to YNP, and will come out the east entrance at YNP and stay at the Pahaska lodge (Cody address). The reviews for the Pahaska lodge aren't too good, so I reserved a night at a cabin in Silver Creek, and we will only stay one night at Pahaska. We will be driving from Cody thru YNP on the way to Grand Teton.

We plan to skip the west/Old Faithful side of YNP because I heard it is more crowded than the NE side of YNP. Is that true?

Right now I have 2 nights in Red Lodge, 1 night at a cabin in Silver Creek, 1 night at a lodge near Cody, and 2 nights at Siggnal Mtn Lodge in Grand Teton. Other suggestions?

LHS

Pashaska is much closer to the park entrance. I stayed there many years ago traveling with my parents, I liked it then, but it was probably too long ago to give any indication of what it may be like now. Very scenic area though.

Dayle

Hi Anonxx,

To drive though just the east side of Yellowstone and miss all the geysers is a crime. Especially to take your kids there and miss it. It's crowded for a reason. Nowhere else like it, amazing and beautiful.

I rented a "cabin" in Silvergate last year for 4 nights. (It was not primarily a Yellowstone trip as I live nearby and go there almost every year.) The cabin was so disappointing and so unacceptable, that I left after 1 night and my vacation became a very fun road trip through Montana.

I think you'll be OK there just as a place to sleep for one night - but put something under the door to keep the mice out! And don't expect much....

sharondi

I couldn't agree more with Dayle - please don't skip the west side of the park. There is nothing like it anywhere! And especially since your kids are old enough to really appreciate the amazing thermal features. Seems to me it would make more sense to spend a few days on the east side and a few on the west. The park is huge and you need a few days to really see all the different areas. I hope you'll reconsider and see OF and the Norris Geyser Basin.

wtm003

I agree with Dayle and Sharondi - don't miss the geyser basin. I was in Yellowstone over the July 4th weekend two years ago and the crowds were not a problem for my family. We were up and out of our hotel by 8:30 or 9 a.m. each morning. Most people don't do more than stop and take a picture, so if you get out of your car and walk just a LITTLE ways from the parking lot onto the trails or boardwalks the crowds magically disappear. Visit OF first thing in the morning or early evening and you practically have it to yourself. I've been to Red Lodge, Cody and Grand Teton (love it) and all have been worth a visit, but I would not put any of those above Yellowstone. I would skip Cody and spend those days in Yellowstone.