eveningcrane

We are planning an August 2008 trip to Yellowstone and Glacier NPs and I have a tentative itinerary - comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We love spectacular scenery, wildlife viewing, birdwatching and hiking.

Day 1: Drive to Santa Fe NM
(leaving Las Cruces NM mid-afternoon) (~4 hr)

Day 2: Drive Santa Fe NM to Casper WY
(~ 9.5 hrs , 670 miles)

Day 3: Drive Casper WY to Red Lodge MT
(~ 5.0 hrs , 340 miles)

?? any sights along the way ??
?? recommended lodging in Red Lodge ??

Day 4: Drive Red Lodge to Yellowstone - The Beartooth Scenic Byway
( ~2.5 hrs 100 miles)

stay 2 nights at Roosevelt Lodge Cabins
stay 2 nights at Old Faithful Inn

main activities
- early morning/ late day wild life spotting (Hayden Valley - other suggestions ???)
- soaking/swimming in hot springs ( Fire Hole, up near Mammoth, other???)
- geyser viewing / hiking suggestions ??
- perhaps a day with guide service (does anyone have any experience with the various guide services ??)

Day 8 Drive to Glacier NP
(~ 8 hrs 430 miles)

- it's a long day driving but should we stop for the museum in Bozeman ??

stay 4 nights at Many Glacier
stay 1 night at Lake McDonald Lodge

- day hike to Iceberg Lake
- Red Bus tour of Going to the Sun Highway
- day hike / boat ride to Grinnell glacier
- drive up to Waterton
- pie at the Park Cafe

- Other suggestions ??

Day 12 Drive from Many Glacier to Roosevelt Lodge

- suggestions for afternoon activity near Roosevelt Lodge ????

Day 13 - 17 Drive back to Las Cruces

- We are thinking of spending two night somewhere in Idaho ( day 13 and 14) ( Sun Valley / Ketchum ????)
- any thoughts on good places to stay, places to see, routes to take ???

- and then two night around Moab (day 15 and 16) (we are thinking of doing one of the tomcar safaris - or other 4wd off-road tour)

Day 17 - Back to Cruces ( ~9 hrs, 600 miles)

Any comments and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Pamela

AlJ

If you're driving GTTSR to get to Lake McDonald, stop at Logan Pass and take the Hidden Lake Overlook trail. Very pretty and we saw mountain goats beside the trail.

We spent a day with Rick from Yellowstone Yearround Adventures while we stayed at Roosevelt. Very nice day and he'll pick you up at Roosevelt.

If you don't do that, add Lamar Valley to your list. You're pretty much there while at Roosevelt.

wtm003

Between Casper and Red Lodge, make a stop at the Little Bighorn Battlefield - fascinating and worthwhile. We probably spent an hour visiting the museum and memorial. I would have liked to have stayed longer but it was a 100+ degrees that day.

www.nps.gov/libi

In Red Lodge we stayed at the Comfort Inn - very clean, microwave, refrigerator and my favorite - a bowed shower curtain. It is on the outskirts of town, but only a 10 - 15 minute walk to be in the center of town.

bob_brown

You are skipping the Tetons?
Ignoring the Big Horns?

By passing Rocky Mountain National park in exchange for a mediocre scenic place like Sun Valley? Why?

You are running a lot to see too little in my opinion and missing a few of the stars in the crown in the process.

I also don't think you will drive 670 miles in 9.5 hours. That is an average of better than 70 mph. You do plan on stopping for gas and a restroom do you not?

dadof3

A short, breathtakingly beautiful hike in Yellowstone is near Old Faithful. Mystic Falls. MF trail is less than 1 mile to the waterfall, which cascades about 70 feet, but, after you see the falls, don't turn around and go back the same way. Instead take the longer route, to the top of the ridge, maybe 1.5 miles from the falls & back to where you started. Fantastic view of the Upper Geyser Basin & Old Faithful Area. So beautiful.

Also at Glacier I concur about Hidden Lake trail, which starts at Logan Pass. Short hike, with wildlife along the way. You've got a fun trip planned, but I think I'd also vote for the Tetons, since you are so close.

annieO

When you leave Casper you can get to Yellowstone from the east through Cody instead of going to Red Lodge unless you had a specific reason for going to Red Lodge. There is a wonderful museum in Cody.

If you go to Waterton, make sure you take a passport or birth certicates to get back into the US. You will have an easier time getting back in with passports but they aren't required until next year.

After you leave Glacier Park it would be more a more direct route back to NM to go south past Flathead Lake, Missoula, Butte, and down I 15 to Utah. Deer Lodge has an old prison museum and out of Dillon is the ghost town Bannack.

The roads to Sun Valley, Ketchum will take longer to navigate. Sun Valley is a resort town but it is beautiful scenery north of there.

It is a long drive from Sun Valley to Moab. If you go to Moab be prepared for heat. It is very hot in Utah this summer.

Enjoy your time up north. Take time to just soak in the beauty of Montana. It is a beautiful relaxing place.

tamaralea

Ditto on Grand Teton National Park. It's beautiful. Jackson Lake Lodge is great. We did the yellow touring car half day tour called Firehole Basin and loved it. It left from Old Faithful Inn.

eveningcrane

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback

Our plans for heading back (after leaving Lake McDonald) are very much in flux, we just don't want to do a straight back to Cruces, two day endurance drive, so we thought of wending our way down through Idaho and Utah.

Idaho - what are the high points of Idaho? Should we detour over to Couer D'alene? Any Idaho insights would be greatly appreciated. What are the Bitterroots like?

We have been to the Grand Tetons and Rocky Mountain NP and I expect to return to Grand Tetons in the nest couple of years. If Idaho really doesn't have much to offer, we could add the Tetons as a stop on the way home.

We were planning to make some stops on GTTS highway on the way to Lake McDonald, so the suggestion for Hidden Lake Overlook trail is much appreciated.

We also like the idea of stopping at Little Bighorn Battlefield, my DH is a history buff.

FYI, the reason for stopping at Red Lodge is to drive into Yellowstone via the Beartooth Scenic Byway, it is a little out of the way but we generally like driving scenic byways and this one sounds special.

Bob, the 670 miles in 9.67 hrs is a mapquest estimate! I have always considered Mapquest to be rather generous in their time allotments but this one seems tighter than most. Since 663 of these miles are on I25 it may be doable with DH at the wheel.

Also thanks for the Mystic Trail suggestion and I will look into the Yellowcar tours.

Thanks again, I'll let you know how our plans progress

Pamela

FLmom

"stay 2 nights at Roosevelt Lodge Cabins
stay 2 nights at Old Faithful Inn"

We just got back and loved staying in both places, excellent choices. Be sure to book early!

John

Another great short easy hike on your way to the west side of GP is Avalanche Lake. Will be less crowded than Hidden Lake with spectacular waterfalls once you reach the lake.
Hiking Iceberg Lake you are ALMOST guaranteed to see Grizzly in the distance. I've hiked it many times and have only been disappointed a couple of times.
Happy trails!

Stewartmama

When you leave old Faithful Inn, stop in Bozeman and visit the Museum of the Rockies, then on to Missoula and plan on over-nighting there...lots of motels. That means you give up a night at either Many Glacier or Lake McDonald Lodge and believe me, there is much more to see and do at Many Glacier than LML. Take in the Smokejumper Center and the National Elk Foundation in Missoula or stop at the National Bison Range between Missoula and Polson (good birding there) the next morning. The drive to Many Glacier from Missoula is all on 2 lane,(except for first 8 miles) heavily traveled hiways and the going is slow. The scenery is beautiful so you shouldn't mind. Once you enter Glacier Park your speed limit drops to 30 - 40 miles an hour and you will want to get to Many Glacier mid-afternoon so you can watch for Grizzly bear and Mountain sheep on the mountains surrounding the lodge. Also good bear spotting from the parking lot of Swiftcurrent motel. You'll see people there with spotting scopes who are more than happy to point them out to you. Also you will want to make many stops along Going to the Sun hiway to view spectacular sights which will slow down your arrival at Many Glaciers. Make reservations at the activities deck when you check in, to take the first boat with a Ranger guide to Grinnell Lake and on to Grinell Glacier(if you are into more strenuous hiking). Iceberg Lake hike is a shorter hike and well worth it. An all day horseback ride to Granite Park Chalet will give you views you never dreamed of. WOW! I'd skip the red bus trip over going to the sun because you will drive it both ways going to Many Glacier (and it is marvelous both ways) unless you decide to drive back via hwy 200 to Great Falls and take I-15 back down to Yellowstone Park. I will tell you that either way you go it is one HECK of a long drive from Many Glacier to Yellowstone. I've lived in Montana all my life and know the areas you will be traveling well. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

eveningcrane

Stewartmama,

Thanks for the input. After your comment about the horseback ride to Granite Park Chalet, I checked the concessionaires website
http://www.swanmountainoutfitters.co...horseback#many
and didn't see this listed as one of the options.

I would love to take an all day horseback ride. They have a number of rides out of Many Glacier; Poia Lake, Cracker Lake, Grinnell Lake, Josephine Lake and Cracker Flats. they also have a ride to Sperry Chalet out of the east side of Lake McDonald. Any thoughts on any of these rides?

Thanks

Pamela

BayouGal

If you're going to Sun Valley, make a point to go to Sawtooth National Forest/Sawtooth National Rec Area. It's beautiful, but I think I'd forfeit that area for GTNP anyday.

Also, if I were you, I'd break up the driving of day 2 into day 1. For safety and comfort, it's recommended you try to stay around 400 miles a day on a driving vacation like this.

Digbydog

We just returned from a trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Idaho, and we have been to Glacier, so I have a few comments.. The Beartooth Hwy is well worth the time. It is gorgeous, and there seemed to be some great hikes, although we didn't have time. Wel loved the Roosevelt cabins. In fact, our favorite part ot YNP was the Roosevelt area--incredible wildlife viewing and much quieter than other areas of the park. Be sure to go to Dunraven Pass in the early morning or evening. There were grizzlies there constantly.

An area of the park you shouldn't miss is Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You could do this from Roosevelt. We did a great 4 mi. RT hike there from Artist's Point along the South rim to the Clear Lake trail to the Lily Pond trail and back to Artist's Point. It had great views of the canyon and falls and then brought you right up to thermal areas. It was my favorite hike of our trip.

On a previous trip to YNP, we also visited Glacier. We drove from Jackson to Kalispell--it took an entire day, leaving by 8am and arriving at dinner. Rather than visiting Idaho, I might add a day or two and stay at the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton. It is the most dramatic setting of any hotel I have ever stayed in, and there are some lovely hikes in that area. In hindsight, I wish we had gone back to Glacier (it rained the entire time we last visited),, rather than go to Idaho.

On this trip, we drove from Jackson to Sun Valley, stopping at Craters of the Moon. It took the entire day, and the scenery was not spectacular, for the most part. Ketchum is very attractive, but not all that interesting, and there is nothing to Sun Valley. After a night in Ketchum, we spent 3 days in the Sawtooth area, which is beautiful, but not as pretty as GTNP. It is, however, very remote feeling, and you do not pass many hikers. We did not see any wildlife. You could do some hiking in the Sawtooth with Sun Valley as your base, but it is a long way to go from YNP.

maj

We were also trying to find a way to see Idaho from Yellowstone without driving much and most of what we found was echoed by the above poster, which didn't sound appealing. We are tentatively going to go the following route, leaving by way of West Yellowstone then down to Jackson. I had asked the following question and only got one reply on another forum. Yellowstone Treasures book has a chapter on the Bechler Region with this route.

"If we left through West Yellowstone and followed 20 to 47 to Green Timber Road (stopping at Mesa Falls and Cave Falls), is there a way to get to the Rockefeller Parkway or South Entrance Rd. (besides the Grassy Lake Rd -- did a little of that once) or would going back to Ashton to 22 be the only (or best) option. Thought this might be a different route to take to the Tetons."

"Yes- Ashton to the 32/33/22 south to Tetonia/Driggs/Victor and then into Jackson.
It is a pretty drive beacuse you are on the West
side of the Grand Tetons."