fooldor

I'm planning to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone the week of July 4 2016. After accounting for flight time, I should have 7 full days to spend in the parks. I found flying into Jackson Hole will save a few hours of driving, so I'll probably go with that instead of flying to SLC. I have come up with the following sleeping arrangements:

- flying in 7/1
- around GTNP/Jackson 7/1, 7/2, 7/3
- OF 7/4
- Mammoth 7/5
- Roosevelt 7/6
- Canyon/Lake 7/7
- around GTNP/Jackson 7/8
- flying out 7/9

I have some questions:
- is 7 days enough for both parks?
- How bad will the crowd be during that week? Should I visit another time?
- By moving every night, hopefully will avoid having to drive back and forth and waste time. Any comments?
- are there any grocery store in the park where I can buy food and ice? I'm thinking about bring my camping stove and a cooler so I can cook some of my own meal either at picnic sites or somewhere outside. Eating restaurant food for a whole week will make me sick.

Myer

I think you're moving around way too much.

I've been there twice and both times slept in OF, Canyon and Signal Lake (GTNP).

We found these locations excellent for everything we did.

Mammoth is pretty close to Roosevelt.

If you leave GTNP for the end, depending upon what time your flight leaves you can save another change there.

So, if you really want to stay in the Roosevelt area I would consider:

OF, Roosevelt, Canyon and either Jackson Lake or Signal Mountain

There are grocery stores in each lodging area but prices are expensive. We got our supplies in Jackson Hole when we got the car.

About length of time. It depends on your interests.

About crowds. Both times I went very early in August. There were quite a few people but not wall-to-wall people.

The only time we had that was at the Jenny Lake hike on a Sunday. During the week it would have been fine. Now, July 4th may be an issue. Others may have an opinion.

Dianedancer

We stayed in Signal Lake area in GT (2 nights), then to Lake area in Yellowstone (2 nights) and to Old Faithful Snow lodge (3 nights). 7 days is a good enough amount of time.

We went at the end of September, beginning of October so I don't know about the crowds in the high-time of July. I would guess it's pretty damn busy.

We felt our choices of where to stay proved just fine. No need to change lodging every night.

fooldor

Hi thanks for your input. I agree with the advice and changed my plan, now staying at most locations 2 nights instead of moving every night and save GTNP for the end. It works something like this:

- 2 nights at OF
- 2 nights at Roosevelt
- 1 night at Lake
- 3 nights GTNP (have not booked)

I'm mostly interested in day hiking and scenery. Geothermal/wildlife are something to tick off the list. Must do, but not a focus.

Any place where they publish stats on number of visitors so I can estimate how bad the crowd is gonna be on July 4th week? I have seem videos of legions of tourists sporting giant cameras taking photo of 1 bear and huge traffic back up. Not my idea of nice national park hiking vacation!

starrs

"I have seem videos of legions of tourists sporting giant cameras taking photo of 1 bear and huge traffic back up. Not my idea of nice national park hiking vacation!"

Then don't stop. Move on past and park at a trailhead and go for a hike.

utahtea

If you want to get away from the crowds check out Lone Star Geyser. It's an easy 5 mile round trip hike to the geyser. If you're lucky you will get to see it erupt and there will only be a dozen or so others there with you. You can check at the visitor center to see if they know the approx eruption time.

Otherwise, you're going to want to do most of the regular tourist stuff in your short time here. Look at the park map and just hit all the highlights like all the geyser basins, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and all the falls, Mud Volcano, Hayden Valley, etc.

Check out West Thumb Geyser area on your way down to the Grand Tetons.

Utahtea

sludick

As far as "animal jams," you can expect that to happen frequently - although rarely for a bear, mostly for bison. Oh, and elk. Unfortunately, you will find that you cannot just not stop, but it will tie up traffic for you. Keep in mind that there will be bison on the road so you will just need to be patient.

If you do have flexibility, you could go in September, once the kids are in school. But you should go whenever you can, and utahtea's suggestions can take you away from the crowds. Even off season, Old Faithful will have the most people, but if you move away from the immediate space by that particular feature, there will be much fewer people on even the easy trails.

starrs

When traffic is a standstill, you have to stop. But you don't have to join the folks pulling over to take pictures of the wildlife. If the standstill is due to road construction, everyone waits of course. When bison are crossing the road, you stop until they move of course. But when folks are pulled over to try to take a photo of a grizzly on a hillside, etc. you can continue on.

I agree fall is a fabulous time to go to Yellowstone. Far fewer visitors. I've not been there during fall construction projects. My guess is that start as soon as possible in the spring and work hard to complete road projects by summer's end. In October it's almost like having the park to yourself. I've been in July (during a week's stay in Idaho) and avoid the Old Faithful quadrant until late afternoon and have lucked out re traffic and crowds. July 4th will be a busy time compared to fall, but IMO unless you get caught up in serious road construction you won't have a "crowded" experience.

Myer

You have to understand that bears are special.

Bison will walk on the roads and linger. After seeing a bison most people won't bother to stand for an hour and take photos.

But bears are special. A bear just off the road will definitely get people's attention.

starrs

"You have to understand that bears are special."

Are you addressing your post to me?

fooldor

I have seem bison both in the zoon in NYC and on Antelope island in the great salt lake. They are cool animals but really not that spectacular.

utahtea

fooldor,

I guess we have different ideas of spectacular. When I see a herd of bison in the wild....it's spectacular. When a herd of bison are all laying down one minute and the next minute they are up running....it's spectacular. When bison are all of a sudden walking down the middle of the road coming right at our vehicle and their big heads are right next to our face...it's spectacular! When I see a herd of bison crossing a river....it's spectacular! When we were on a hike and out of no where a bison is on the trail coming right at us....it's spectacular and SCARY as heck!

Utahtea

sludick

Yes, bison in the wild are impressive beasts. I too had seen them in contained surroundings, but there is really no comparison - and they are supremely confident. The ones in Yellowstone seemed much bigger, healthier, and alert than any I had seen in a zoo or corralled. The sight of even one walking by your car - and it is bigger than your car - swinging its head slightly and making those grunting sounds as it walks, and you know that even an inadvertent twitch from one will take out part of your vehicle.

We too have been caught on a trail, in the snow (so you don't dare step off the trail), and that feeling of ohmygodwhatnow IS scary as heck.

Spectacular animals.

Myer

stars,

I wasn't posting to anybody in particular.

Different people go to different places for different reasons.

To some, the main reason for going somewhere is the wildlife they may see.

If that's one of the reasons you go somewhere it doesn't make sense not to make an effort to see wildlife.

To Utahtea, anything to do with bisons is spectacular.

To others, you've seen a couple of bisons and that's enough.

I don't know of too many people who would avoid seeing a bear because there are some people watching it.