We are planning a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons with a 7 and 10 year old at the end of August. We will have about a week. We are thinking we will probably fly in and out of Jackson.

I was able to make an online reservation for 2 nights at OF Snow Lodge - but starts the day we are supposed to arrive. Is it manageable to fly into Jackson and Drive up to Yellowstone the same day? Also, is it worth calling everyday to see if we can get into OF Inn instead?

I would prefer to not move around too much and spend the other nights in one place. Has anyone stayed at the cabins at Jackson Hole Campground? It is in Wilson, WY and looks like a great place to use as a base camp- there is a separate bedroom and the kids would stay on a pull-out in the living room instead of all of us in one room like at a regular hotel. Is it feasible to explore the Grand Tetons and do some other day trips from here (horseback riding, fishing, cookouts, etc).

Is two nights near Old Faithful enough? Is it worth spending a couple of more nights in another part of Yellowstone like the lake area?

From reading other posts, it sounds like everyone is advocating more days in Yellowstone, but wondering what will be most appealing to kids this age.

Thanks!

Wilson, WY is 7 miles in the wrong direction from Yellowstone and you will have to go though the town of Jackson, WY every time you want to visit Yellowstone. There is a back road, but I've never been on it. This might be an ok place to stay for the Grand Tetons, but I wouldn't recommend the location for seeing Yellowstone on a daily basis. It's 104 miles from Old Faithful and plan on at least 2 hours one way!

As for landing in Jackson, WY and making it to Old Faithful the same day. The airport is 16 miles north of Jackson and 16 miles closer to Yellowstone and you won't have to drive though town, if you have at least 2 hours, you should be able to make it there. The Old Faithful area would be a great place to do all your touring of Yellowstone. Some days might be longer driving days so if you can get lodging at either Mammoth or Canyon, I'd recommend those locations. If you can't get lodging in the park, then I'd recommend West Yellowstone as a good location for your visit.

BTW....if we didn't camp in Yellowstone, I'd say calling daily to see if there were openings at Old Faithful would be well worth the effort.

Utahtea

It is not practical to stay near Jackson or GTNP and see Yellowstone. Roads are paved but transit is often slowed by animal jams. Also, the road within Yellowstone is a giant "figure 8" - so you then backtrack every day - and while the animals will change, the landscape obviously does not.

It would be a most efficient use of your time, and I believe more enjoyable if you could stay in 3 places, although I know you prefer not to move, but the trade-off is having more fun each day rather than riding in the car past things you have already seen with your kids possibly complaining.

I would divide the trip in thirds. First 2-3 nights near GTNP - either in Park or consider Teton Village - a group of condos less than a mile from entrance to GTNP - all sizes, but with kitchen, separate bedrooms. We spent a day looking for moose in GTNP and returned to find one eating the landscaping at the condos.

Then you have several other options. Old Faithful area would work, as would West Yellowstone or even Gardiner (west and north entrances to Park) or in-Park lodging. While it is certainly a different experience to stay in-Park, hotels outside of Park in both these places are really less than a mile from entrance and usually provide more space and amenities for less money - but you lose the rustic in-Park experience. Also, for the kids most of these have pools.

Many people book outside Park lodging and then keep trying to get inside Park and cancel the other.

And always allow far more time than you would consider reasonable to get from Point A to B thru Yellowstone - there are frequent animal jams and always something you want to see. Not talking about bumper-to-bumper traffic even during busiest season - but if the bison want the roadway, no one argues with them.

We did this trip with our two kids, 9 and 12. We spend 4 days in the tetons and 3 days camping in Yellowstone. My kids liked the tetons better. More lakes, swimming, horseback riding, rafting. They liked Yellowstone but got tired of the geysers. There was also a lot more driving. We are staying this time in Colter Baby tent cabins. You can cook, and feel like camping, but are inside.

It sounds like you are already on the right track - some lodging booked in Yellowstone for that portion of the trip, other plans to stay closer to Jackson for GTNP and other excursions. I agree with PPs...staying in Yellowstone is a must for exploring the area conveniently and if you have 2-3 hours, it's not a problem to drive to Yellowstone after you land in Jackson.

The campground in Wilson is actually on Hwy 390 (Teton Village Road) not in Wilson proper, and I would consider it pretty convenient to visiting GTNP as well as other Jackson activities. To reach GTNP from there, you would take Hwy 390 to the more "back entrance" which is about 7 miles north of the campground (10 minute drive). Once you enter the park, that stretch of 390 is usually referred to as the Moose-Wilson road. It is also how you would access some great hiking areas including the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve and the Death Canyon trailhead.

And that campground is reasonably close to rafting and other activities as well. It is about a 10 minute drive to downtown Jackson, but to me, that's not too far. The major consideration is that at some other lodging options in downtown Jackson, you could walk to dinner, shops, etc. With the campground, that's not an option, but I'm sure you're saving a lot of money.

Have a great trip!

The GTNP is a great location for the kids. Take a float trip, for one. Also, drive down Antelope Flats Road for a great closeup experience with bison (plus a magnificent photo of the Moulton Barn, with the mountains in the background).