Hi--
I've travelled a lot, including with my son (now age 10)--but this is the first trip I'm taking w/o extended family or friends. He really wants to go to Yellowstone, and really wants to see wildlife-esp wolves, if possible.

I'm trying to decide if I should knock myself out planning a trip, involving rafting, Shoshone (probably) horse back riding, and hiking (some w/ guides? thoughts welcome)...I've planned this kind of trip before, and had a great time, but there were always other adults around for my son (and other kids)....

Maybe I should let an "all inclusive" trip take care of it all this time? I really want to have fun with my son, too--and driving on roads I don't know w/ an impatient kid can make me a little...grumpy. Tension isn't good...but is less tension worth the money of a packaged trip? Anyone have some thoughts on this, has anyone shared the single parent travelling experience?

First: anyone out there taken Austin-Lehman trips? Did you like them? Any other group good?

Next: I've heard that Antelope Valley is the place to go for wolf sightings. Anyone know anything about this? How can I maximize our chances of seeing wolves?

Finally--a glance at mapquest implied that Bryce/Capitol reef/Arches are about as far from YNP as Tetons. Maybe that's not true....wondering why everyone packages GT & YNP, and not CR & Arches--which are absolutely a heavenly place? (Bryce has limited charm, I guess...I think horses and hoodoos are fun, but maybe not everyone agrees.)

Finally again-- if anyone knows where to send single parents for good group trips, please let me know!
Thanks so much.

Teton and Yellowstone are about an hour apart. The other parks you mention are in Southern Utah. Sorry, can't help you with the rest of your questions.

I am sure you will get some good advice from Fodorites but I highly recommend you also go here:

http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/index.html

It would take days to really read this website but at least puruse it. Then go to the chat page and post your questions. I think you will find the posters to be very helpful and knowledgable.

Yellowstone is incredible! You will love it. Would it be possible for your son to take a friend along? It might give you an occasional break and your son might enjoy it even more with a friend.

You have already gotten some response. But I opened the thread because I thought you were asking about YNP - i.e. Yosemite National Park.

Since both YNP's are such popular destinations, you might want to re-post with "Yellowstone" in your title.

Thanks for your help! Wish I could afford to bring a friend along for my son, but...

Hope to hear more thoughts, espcially on the choice between doing it on my own and taking a group family tour.

I'm not sure how to edit my initial post, sorry.

Hi Mom,

You can't edit your original post but you can start a new post with a different title. Maybe something like "Single Mom and Son Going to Yellowstone". You can even get very descriptive in your title and mention going on your own or with a group. This might get you more responses! By the way, Yellowstone is awesome and really doesn't take too much planning, IMO. It's very possible though that your son won't see wolves so make sure he understands that so he won't be disappointed. He'll see so many other animals in Yellowstone it probably won't matter anyway!

Your son is wanting to wildlife in Yellowstone. One of the best places in YS to view wolves, bison or bears is in the Lamar Valley area. The valley is located between Tower Junction/Roosevelt and Cooke City. This area is the home of several wolf packs and a large bison herd. The best time of day to view is early morning or late evening. You might want to consider staying at the Roosevelt Lodge or Cooke City for a night or so. The Lodge offers horse back riding and a chuck wagon cookout. This area of the park is much less traveled than the main fig-8 loop.

Some of these may interest you

www.nps.gov

www.us-national-parks.net

www.recreation.gov

If you take your time while driving you will not have any trouble with the roads of the Park. If you go into the Valley you will not have a problem finding the good viewing areas, others will be there. If something is out there it will be pointed out to you by a helpful person. I would say go for it and have the time of your life. When my grandson was younger this was the part of the park he liked the best. We have spent many nights camping in this area.

I can't wait until my son is closer in age to yours. I want to do a winter camping trip in Yellowstone. Apparently it's amazing and lots of wildlife. Go to the Yellowstone website and check that out! We've been twice in the summer and had good wildlife sighting luck: wolves, bears, bison, moose, elk. But it was luck. We never left the main roads really.

It was not just luck when you saw the wild life, you were just in the right place at the right time.

I am a single mom and took my son,(then 12)to Yellowstone in the winter. We stayed in West Yellowstone. I rented a snowmobile and he rode on the back. We took it through Yellowstone Park. We were within feet of incredible wildlife. He always says that is favorite vacation we ever took. If you can go in the winter, let me know. I will give you additional tips.

The distance between Yellowstone and the Tetons is about 75 miles; between Yellowstone and Bryce is almost 600 miles.

You won't see wolves easily in Yellowstone, but there are coyotes everywhere, as well as buffalo herds. Bears have all been relocated to remote areas of the park and are seldom seen today.

I think you and your son could have a good time together without going with a tour. There are tons of outfitters for riding, rafting etc. in West Yellowstone and Jackson. Be sure to visit Tom Mangelsen's photo gallery in Jackson (Images of Nature) for the finest wildlife photos you'll ever see--your son will love them.

happytourist

It is getting much easier to see the wolves and the bears. We have been in the park 20 times in the last 25 years and they all are making a big comeback. The wolves are cutting down the coyote population however. We normally camp in the Lamar Valley area or a FS campground just out of Cooke City and very seldom have we not seen a bear. A couple of times had a couple of blacks in the campground. This is one place you don't want to see them, same for moose and the bison. This past summer there were nine bear sightings from the Tower Junction area up thru the Valley to the Pebble Creek area, was late in the evening and they were going to water. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes not. The wolf is still the hardest to spot, very shy.

I am the single mom of an 11-year-old daughter, so I know first-hand how hard vacations can be, how exhausting it can be to do it all yourself, and how tempting it is to spend a lot of $$ to guarantee that it truly is fun for you both. Despite all that, I encourage you to trust your ability to plan a fabulous adventure and save your pennies for those must-do activities that you need assistance with.

My daughter and I have had very few downer vacations, and lots of fun/successful "road trips" (despite her tendency to get car sick!), traveled to Ethiopia/Kenya for a month in 2004 and "did" Chicago last summer. So I have lots of tips to offer, but I'll try to summarize here:

1) go visit www.singleparenttravel.net. This site has tons of inspiring, interesting and savvy advice tailored to singles, etc.

2) know your son's preferences and habits well, be really clear about his and your expectations, and plan around him whenever possible to avoid rough spots. Your son doesn't like to be too hot? Make the hot part of the day your driving time and use the a/c liberally. Your son an avid reader? Stock the car with books on tape/CD; enjoy them together or get him a player with headphones. Your son an extrovert? Choose accomodations that encourage mixing and mingling, such as hostels or lodges where people hang out and play games or visit. Make a point of taking advantage of the opportunity for him to interact with others, takes the pressure off you to be 100 percent entertainment for him. Make learning about the upcoming trip fun, give him choices that you can live with whatever he chooses, and let him make real decisions. Play up your role as a team, by giving him real jobs, such as being navigator and tracking your progress on a map. Be clear about areas where he doesn't get to decide, describe the downsides as well as the upsides, and how you expect him to behave even if he is impatient/bored.

3) splurge when/where you can, and do so wisely. One of my favorite ways to travel is going really cheap for a portion of a trip, then splurging for a portion. For example, a few nights at a youth hostel in downtown Chicago, then splurging on a high-end hotel with theatre tickets at the end. For your trip, that could mean planning your own itinerary and staying at inexpensive places for part of the trip, and splurging on some kind of family ranch/all-inclusive that includes some activities your son wants and also has other families w/kids so there will be other built-in entertainment.

OK, I could go on an on. Hope this is helpful!

Thanks, Coolquail! I needed this kind of pep talk....together w/ some of the other advice about where to see wildlife, I think I'll give it a whirl!

I do not recommend that you take a tour. Most tours rush to fast. It is a very easy trip to plan and do.

Considering that rooms in Yellowstone or driving to a town for the night is expensive, you might consider renting some camping gear and camping in Yellowstone a couple of nights. My first little brother and I had a great time doing that; we mixed up camping and hotels. I do not remember the name, but there is a large campground in the northern part of Yellowstone that you can soak in the hot springs beside the river, but there is no shower and you smell of sulfur all night.

Are you flying and renting a car, or driving? Will you rent the car in one town and drop it off in another? How long will you have?

Rafting can be done in Jackson. South of Jackson, they have white water trips: very active, very wet, and very exciting. North, there are very slow and mellow float trips.

The Tetons are 60-70 miles south of Yellowstone Park. Jackson is 70 miles south of the Tetons. Bryce Canyon area is another 7-8 hours away from Jackson.

Cody, east of Yellowstone, has a very good museum. Glacier National Park is a few hours north of YNP

Jackson: 1.5-2 days including rafting. Very tourist oriented town., so expensive

Tetons: 1 day. See on the way to Yellowstone.

Yellowstone: 2-2.5 days depending on what all you wish to see.

Cody: 1 day

Whatever you decide, have fun together.