We are flying in & out of Jackson Hole in mid August. So far I have booked 3 nights (points) in JH, then 2 nights at Old Faithful Inn. Not sure whether to book 2 nights at Canyon Lodge or 1 night near Mammoth Hot Springs & 1 night at Canyon Lodge (or Lake Yellowstone). My daughter has some disabilities so we need the 3 nights in JH to regroup from flying etc.

Do 2 nights at Canyon-less moving around. You can see plenty from there. If you click on my user name, you will see trip reports for Yellowstone, Jackson and the Tetons. (all with kids)

If we do stay 2 nights in Canyon Villages, would we be able to drive to Mammoth & then back to Canyon in a day? Don’t want to be too rushed but I would like to see Mammoth Hot Springs. Thanks

Is your daughter too challenged to do a half day float trip on the Snake River? Can see animals feeding, eagles. Just a thought if possible.

Dunraven Pass (between Canyon and Tower) will be closed through April 2022 for construction https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm You can drive from Canyon to Norris to Mammoth and the same route back but won't be able to make a loop from Canyon. Is there anything else you want to see on the northern side?

That actually sounds great. Where do you start?

Patty, how long do you think that drive would take round trip? I forgot about that road being closed. Maybe we should skip Mammoth Hot Springs altogether & stay at Yellowstone Lake. Any suggestions? First trip to Yellowstone!

It's approximately an hour and a half one way between Canyon and Mammoth. I've never been in summer and don't know what traffic is like then so it might take longer. If you're interested in wildlife viewing, you could take a day and drive through Lamar Valley from Mammoth. Between Canyon and Lake is Hayden Valley. It's not as long of a stretch or as wide open as Lamar but also good for wildlife spotting.

Thanks so much. I do think that Hayden is a good option. We definitely want to see as much wildlife as possible!

Hayden Valley in the late afternoon/early evening is a MUST for wildlife viewing. Heck, you can go any time of day and see lots of bison.