Ok, in order to spend less time driving, I plan on staying first night in Lake Hotel, next in Roosevelt/northeast entrance area, then in Mammoth/Gardiner area, then in OF/west area. Kind of making a big circle. I have one more night is there another area I should add on or add an extra day to one I already have? Is this a good plan?

If you have an extra day I'd recommend the Old Faithful area. There are so many different geyser to see that two days would be better to do them justice. The five mile round trip to Lone Star Geyser is well worth it if you can time an eruption!

Utahtea

Have you called to see if there is availability for your dates? Usually you have to take what they have available.

Do the extra night at old faithful.

Another vote for Old Faithful area. Driving around in Yellowstone is not a bad thing. It is one place I don't mind driving the same places over and over.

Thanks, we actually have 2 nights at OF lodge, but I wasn't sure if I should keep it that way. I have reservations there and Lake Lodge. I have a reservation in Gardiner, but I'm waiting to see if something in Mammoth opens up. I need to make a reservation outside the northeast. We don't mind driving, it's just such a short trip I want to use our time wisely.

I would go the other way. reduce the number of places to two. Too much packing and unpacking.

Maybe SW - OF and NE or canyon.

Try to stay at Roosevelt. This is by far the quietest area and the best place to see wildlife. I would skip the Mammoth area--the least interesting area of the park--and add another night to one of your other locations. I have liked staying in several locations. There is lots of packing and unpacking, but you save time driving.

Unless there is a specific reason that you want to stay someplace outside the northeast entrance, I'd agree with Digbydog - try to get reservations in the Tower-Roosevelt area of the park instead. It's a nice base for a day trip to Mammoth or a day spent exploring the wildlife packed Lamar Valley, or a hike up Mt. Washburn.

Although the drive from the northeast entrance to Tower Junction (the Roosevelt area) is scenic, it's still a 40 minute (one-way) drive.

Dear roxanne207, We are traveling to Yellowstone next year and I'd like to know if you liked your itinerary and if you would do anything differently?? Thank you!

We leave July 24th, so I'll report back when we return. I'm doing Lake, Roosevelt, OF x2, and Canyon in that order. It's true, people really do cancel ressies frequently, and I just used the computer, I didn't even call.

Way too much moving around in my opinion. Yellowstone is large but not that large. We stay in one place (usually somewhere central) and see it all from there. Done it many times.

I agree that you don't need to move around that much. Some people see all of Yellowstone in one day. No, they don't get off the road for hikes, etc. but it's very drivable in one day. Moving that many times would get old - and waste time in checkins/checkouts IMO.

I have a feeling that roxanne207 didn't have a lot of choice in how many places she stayed, but it was more of if she wanted to spend 8 days in the park, this is what she had to do.

If given the choice of having to move 4 times or not spending as much time in Yellowstone....I'd pick moving to stay in the park!

Utahtea

If that is the only way, I agree.

OP starts with "in order to spend less time driving" so I didn't get the idea that she HAD to stay in several locations.

OP later said: It's true, people really do cancel ressies frequently, and I just used the computer, I didn't even call.

So while some of the nights might have been planned, I don't know if they all were.

Utahtea

It was kind of both- I would have preferred 2-3 places instead of four, but did want to move around more than stay in one place. I'm not worried about the packing and unpacking; I'm a little worried about the check-in time. LIve and learn, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out.

MY husband and I will be in the Yellowstone/Teton area in September to celebrate our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.We have no idea where to stay,realize time is getting short to make reservations,but just have not had the opportunity to connect with people who have been there. Any thoughts, or tips, would be welcome! We will be in the area for 8-10 days.

Happy Anniversary!

I'd want to spend 5 days at Old Faithful, and then a couple nights in the northern secton at either Mammoth or Roosevelt, then the rest of the time at the Grand Tetons.

That said, lodging books up pretty fast and you didn't mention when in September you were coming. I would check the closing dates for September http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...CP_JUMP_127510 and then see where you can find lodging in Yellowstone park.

If there's nothing available in the park, then keep checking back because people do cancel and rooms open up. If you can't find lodging in the park, then I'd suggest West Yellowstone, Montana as the best location outside the park.

Utahtea