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Camping Summer of 2015 Yellowstone? Yosemite? GT?

Camping Summer of 2015 Yellowstone? Yosemite? GT?

Old Apr 15th, 2014, 11:04 AM
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Camping Summer of 2015 Yellowstone? Yosemite? GT?

We are wanting to plan a trip in the summer of 2015. We can be flexible on dates, from late May until middle August. We will be driving from Arkansas, and will probably spend a night in Colorado, and not sure on our route home....

But where should we camp? We've got 3 young kids ( 7,6,3) and camp locally often, and have camped at the GSMNP among others, but haven't been this far west. Neither my husband or myself have ever been.

Looking online in Yellowstone the Canyon Campground looks like a good spot.
Should we in a central palce the whole time and explore just Yellowstone? Should we move around campsite within Yellowstone? Should we do a few days in Yellowstone then move to the Grand Tetons?

Activities we like: picnicking, would like to see the geysers, hiking, just normal scenery, the kids are used to camping and hiking. Would love to see some wildlife, maybe do the Wild West dinner thing. Not sure.

We could be gone up to 10 days with 2 day driving time there, and 2 days back so we could have 6 full days vacationing. Thoughts??
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 11:42 AM
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Absolutely agree that Yellowstone is the place for you this trip. I've never camped there, but I can say to expect to take a looong time to navigate the figure 8 loop of the park during the summer. If you can stay in two separate campgrounds, would cut down on that. However, Canyon is pretty central if you can only pick one.

As to Grand Tetons - I would spend most of the time in Yellowstone, and a night or two in GT. That's because I think the kids would enjoy seeing the geysers and bison the most.
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 11:57 AM
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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them. Yes we would all enjoy bison, or any other wildlife for that matter.
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Old Apr 15th, 2014, 06:08 PM
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The canyon area is a good location for the Canyon, Hayden Valley where you will see a lot of wildlife, the lake, the northern loop of the park and even West Thumb but if you plan on spending a couple of days in the geyser area then you might consider a few nights at Madison depending on how hard it is for you to move camp.

The other advantage of Canyon is there are showers, dining and stores nearby. When you stay at Madison you will have to travel to Old Faithful area or even back to the Canyon to get showers and there are no dining or stores near the campground.

I would also recommend a night or two at the Grand Tetons.

Are you camping in a tent or do you have some kind of RV?

Utahtea
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 06:09 AM
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Thank you for your response. We tent camp, but it's not that big of a deal for us to take it down and set it back up.

It might be fun to stay at one of those tent cabins in the Grant Tetons, although it looks like there aren't reservations for those so we could pitch a tent if they were full. We could do a few days there at the end of our trip before we start home.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 06:28 AM
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Have you checked this link to make reservations for tent cabins?

http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/colter-b...age-tents.aspx
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 06:36 AM
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Hey! We are also planning to go there one day. Maybe you can share your experience bec that will help us decide. Thanks much in advanced! xoxo
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 04:14 PM
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Yellowstone is awesome and so are the Tetons. That said, I really like Yosemite too. I'm from Oklahoma and hike in Arkansas a ton(especially Upper Buffalo River area). I think Mid-June is best in either Yellowstone/Tetons. Perhaps the first week after Memorial Day is best for Yosemite.
Crowds are somewhat lighter(if that can actually be said). Waterfalls are best at Yosemite then. Animals, babies are more plentiful and active in Yellowstone. The downer is that if you wanted to swim at bit it is better to go later in the summer for either place. Now since your from the same area as we are, we still find the water to be super cold even in August at places like that.

We've been to the smokies several times, and even though we like it, it isn't even in the same category as any of those you have planned for this summer, IMOP.

You do need to be very very bear aware in all three places. Very very likely to encounter bears. Your going to see all kinds of wildlife in Yellowstone and Tetons, you don't even have to worry about that(especially with 10 days). There is some wildlife in Yosemite(probably comparable to smokies, but if you want wildlife, then head to Yellowstone/Tetons. Your in for a fantastic time!!

With that amount of time, you might want to float the Snake River, kayak/canoe Lake Jackson a bit or Lake Yellowstone. I haven't fished there, but you see a lot of people fly-fishing, if that interests you.

Since your camping, I don't know whether or not to tell you to stay a couple of places in Yellowstone or just stay put. With that many days, I don't know that it matters, your gonna have plenty of time to explore the park very well.

If you do go thru Colorado, let me suggest The Great Sand Dunes National Park as a stopping spot. It is great for young kids. However, I would only go at the end of May or the 1st of June when Medano Creek is running. It is a park that you really only need 1/2 or a full day there. If your in a 4 wheel drive exit via the Primitive Road on your way out--it is interesting drive. Rocky Mountain National Park is nice, but since your doing Yellowstone/Tetons then I wouldn't spend any time there really.

Take pretty much an entire day to see the Geysers. I like Castle and Riverside Best. Old Faithful is the easiest one to catch, see it go a few times.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 04:57 PM
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Jenny Lake in the Tetons is beautiful and tent only, very nice. Also no grizzlies there like in Yellowstone (unless things have changed in the past few years).

I second the Snake River raft trip through the Tetons. It is pretty flat water but of course you'll have to check if you can take (or would want to) a 3 year old. The older kids I think would really love it.

For cabins, check out the Roosevelt Cabins in northeast Yellowstone (near Lamar). Cheap, cute, very western and outdoorsy. You have to use a common shared bathroom. Nice western themed restaurant there, too.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 05:49 PM
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I don't know where in Arkansas you are coming from but you need to look up a realistic driving time from your house to Yellowstone. Just as an example, Fort Smith to Yellowstone is about 20 hours of driving and that appears to be about the closest location in the state. So anywhere else you're looking at an even longer drive. If you're planning on doing that in two days, it's doable but tiring. And you aren't going to want to arrive in Yellowstone late in the evening and have to set up camp so just plan accordingly.

Having said that, I think Yellowstone would be a great place to camp. You might want to look at heading home through the Black Hills and stopping there for a day or so. The route through Rapid City back to Arkansas is only an hour or two longer than going through Denver. There's a lot of stuff to do in the Black Hills so you'd have to limit yourself to just one or two things, but I think it would be worthwhile to go that way since it's basically the same amount of driving either way.

You could even just go to the Black Hills for 6 days instead of Yellowstone, it's a lot less driving and there's plenty to fill up your time in that area. Or just go to Colorado, for that matter. You really can't go wrong with any of those areas, it just depends on how much driving you are willing to do with kids that age.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 08:06 PM
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pantanal said "Also no grizzlies there like in Yellowstone (unless things have changed in the past few years"

There ARE grizzly bears in Yellowstone. There are NO grizzly bears in Yosemite. Both have black bears and they can attack too.

You have a good amount of time for Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I personally wouldn't try to do Yosemite from Arkansas on the same trip you do Yellowstone and especially with three young children.

Utahtea
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 09:19 AM
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You can be certain THERE ARE Grizzlies in both Yellowstone and Tetons, along with black bears too. Just google it or look at them on youtube.

Yosemite bear attacks are fairly uncommon. I'm not sure if any of them have been fatal, but that is the case in Yellowstone(a lot of times seems to be in a tent). HAVE BEAR SPRAY. Bear spray is not allowed in Yosemite.
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 09:20 AM
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search on youtube "grizzly bear jenny lake grand teton" you'll find plenty
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 09:42 AM
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Thank you all.

We wouldn't try do Yosemite and Yellowstone. We would do one or the other, but it sounds like Yellowstone is really the best option for us. Maybe another time we will do Yosemite.

You are correc taht is is about 20-21 hours from Arkansas, we we were planning on doing 10-12 hours day one, then finish the drive the next day, or even stay a day in Colorado before going again. Our kids are good travelers and we have driven with them before, it is tiring, but we try to drive at night so they can sleep.

You all have me so excited. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 02:32 PM
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Little Rock to Old Faithful is very close to 24 hours drive time. The kids might like to see the Wildlife Sanctuary outside Denver for the end of the first long drive. http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/home.html
Learn about how to hang your food or use a bear proof locker when camping in bear country.
Remind the kids not to sneak food into the tent at any time.
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