JC98

We've booked our flight to Jackson, WY for the week around Labor Day's weekend, but didn't realize that all lodges in the parks are booked. Plan B is to camp. We might rent a small camper with a bed inside.

Could you recommend the campsites to camp. We want a place with showers, but if that campsite is booked up and we have to stay somewhere without shower facility, where do we take showers? In GT, thinking of staying at Colter Bay. In Yellowstone, the 2 campsites that have showers are Grant and Canyon.

Please also recommend a good route through the parks if we have to stay at those places. We have 7 days flying in and out of Jackson.

Is it possible to squeeze in Glacier NP as well?

Thanks for your advice!

starrs

My camping days are over so I'd opt for hotel rooms instead of camping. I just got back from a Grand Teton/Yellowstone/Glacier trip and we had 2 weeks. I wouldn't try to squeeze Glacier into a 1 week trip - WAY too much driving.

If I were to go back for one week, I'd spend 2 nights in Jackson (depending on when the flight gets in) and then a couple of nights in West Yellowstone and finish up with 2 nights in Cody. You can probably get hotel rooms and book whatever you can get. THEN call EVERY day to see if there are cancellations in the parks and snag whatever rooms come up.

GTNP has a main road that runs from Jackson into YNP. That's your route, although you'll enjoy your trip more if you ALSO get off on the secondary roads some. (see my trip report for examples if interested). The road in Yellowstone makes a figure 8 so you can opt to do the Lower Loop and the Upper Loop in an order you want. Roads enter/exit the park from outside towns but all lead to the figure 8.

I have an idea of one place that may work for the whole trip. I'll try to find it.

ElendilPickle

You could stay in Jackson for your time at Grand Teton. As Starrs said, keep calling to see if you can get cancellations in Yellowstone.

Lee Ann

taitai

JC

Yellowstone is huge with more and more visitors each year (this past June was a record), yet the number of rooms is, thankfully, very small. We booked our lodging in the fall for our August trip and even then were shut out of the extra night we wanted at the Old Faithful Inn. Keep CALLING (not checking the web site) Xanterra every day...people do cancel and the web site is often not as up to date as we would all want. Something might open up. I don't know about the camp sites...I know my parents booked Fishing Bridge in December for our trip this August. So, unclear how early they book up. My guess is that they leave some sites open for a 1st come, 1st served type of arrangement each day.

Not sure if you are willing to do this or if it even still an option but when I was young and camping across country, I lived in a tent for a couple weeks near Jenny Lake and showered at the youth hostel in Jackson. Think I paid $5 or so for the shower facilities. A different type of trip than the kinds I take now but if you were really desperate.....

I would also suggest you try the Yellowstone National Park forum over on TripAdvisor. It is just much more active on Yellowstone than Fodors. There are quite a few real experts over there that live and breathe Yellowstone and can tell you a tremendous amount.

Good luck on the lodging.

starrs

The YNET forums are great too. I spent so much time on there a few years ago I actually contributed money for a camera lens for a posters birthday. He was a cornerstone of the forum and was a great guy too. Those guys can tell you everything you need to know if you. I was amazed at how well they knew the litters of the animals and where/when to find certain animals (often by name) in the park for photo ops.

http://forums.yellowstone.net/viewforum.php?f=5

I just glanced at some of the topics - one was where to find hummus and greek yogurt

JC98

Thanks, all, for your helpful responses. I'll try calling for available rooms, and will also check other forums.

Thanks!