7 day Yellowstone+Teton plan
 

Planning to Land in Bozeman in the evening and stay there first night.

Including our 10 month old, there are 3 of us travelling.

I am not sure exactly how I should distribute the time or stay. Planning to stay 3-4 nights in West Yellowstone and 2 nights in Jackson.

Our interests are photography and beautiful scenery. Snow capped mountains and fall colors would be a great background.

Will there be any snow capped mountains or fall colors in Mid September in Yellowstone or GTeton?

Thanks
-njs

The Tetons will always have some degree of snow on their peaks year round (the amount varies, of course). Peak leaf peeping is typically the 3rd week of September. This can also vary on exact location, weather, etc. I worked in GTP in the summers while in college...it's a magical place.

Let me make a few suggestions on your trip. I realize that traveling with a small child can be limiting, but I will suggest anyhow!!

Before leaving Bozeman, visit the Museum of the Rockies on the Montana State University campus. It is a very good museum and received a major upgrade about 5 years ago.

Some of the dinosaur presentations there are fantastic. The museum is the winter home of paleontologist Jack Horner, who has done an amazing amount of research in the lives and habits of nesting dinosaurs. I think Dr, Horner probably got more publicity from the T-Rex he unearthed a few years ago, but his other research is equally noteworthy.

Paleontology is not the only theme of the museum, however. There is a model of a working farm that shows what life was like a few dozen years ago. When I was there, the members of the museum staff who were working the farm exhibit were "in character" and played the role of the early settlers of the area.

From Bozeman, let me suggest you drive to Red Lodge and take the Beartooth Highway to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone.

The highway rises to over 10,900 feet and should give you a good chance to see some mountain scenery and hopefully some snow and leaves. I just hope the highway is still open by mid September!!!!! I would be sure to ask before driving that far!!!

Bear in mind that Yellowstone is an immense park and driving from area of attraction to another can eat up some miles and hours.

My own two favorite area are the Upper Geyser Basin and the Falls of the Yellowstone River and that beautiful canyon.

The Upper Geyser Basin features Castle, Grand, Daisy, Riverside, and Old Faithful geysers. Of the somewhat predictable geysers, Grand and Castle put on by far the best show. Old Faithful is fine, too, and it is the most predictable of the bunch.

The falls and the canyon are of course world famous and the colors of the canyon walls help give Yellowstone its name.

Along the road through Haydn Valley you have your best chance of seeing wildlife. However, bison are very migratory and can turn up most anywhere in the park! I have seen them along the Lamar Valley, which is the river the road from the northeast entrance follows. I have also seen them standing in the Madison River which you follow on the road between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction.

While you are in the Tetons, be sure to visit Signal Mountain. It has a viewpoint that gives an all encompassing view of the Teton range.

Photography from that point is tricky because of the light. The mountains are usually in shadow and the sun is aimed at your light meter. Fortunately with digital cameras you can wipe out the bad shots on the spot!!

Your best photo ops will be in the mornings because in the afternoon, the peaks are back-lighted. If you can take advantage of the lighting, those dark colors of the Grand Teton itself can be very dramatic when photographed late in the day.

I hope you have a great trip, and hopefully the weather will cooperate and the Beartooth Pass will be open that late in September.

You are going at a great time to see the fall colors. As a photographer, I can tell you that you'll be in paradise!
The Grand Teton, especially, will provide with some jaw-dropping settings. I recommend that while in the Teton, you check out the following:
1. Drive down Antelope Flats Road to the Moulton Barn. Then snap away with the barn in the foreground and the Teton in the background. As a bonus, it's also a great site for some up-close shots of bison.
2. The scenic stop at Oxbow Bend offers a spectacular view.

Sept is a wonderful time to see Yellowstone - the wildlife viewing is incredible! Last Sept, we spent 6 nights in YNP & 2 nights in Tetons - saw several grizzley & black bear (w/cubs), wolves, coyotes, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, bison, moose (in Tetons), eagles, osprey, elk, deer. Even more amazing though were the park's thermal features. The colors and sounds of geysers, hot pools, mud pots is unlike anything you've ever experienced.
We really appreciated staying in the park because it provided early morning photo opportunities, howling wolves and bugling elk. If you can split your time and do 2 nights at Mammoth (you'll be there during the elk rut and it is so amazing! They are everywhere in Mammoth and fun to watch and hear their bugling. Nothing like it) and 2 nights in OF area (the geyser field is awesome, especially in early morning). The park is huge and just the drive in from outside the park is too long and not worth it. Unless you are really fussy, in park accomodations are just fine.
Here is a link to our pics (way too many) from last Sept trip. You'll love Yellowstone & the Tetons.

Oops! Here's the link:

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/yellowstone_06