Western, US
 

HELP!! My trip is in less than a month and I need help finding cheap, fun, family activities to do in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

What's wrong with touring, walking or hiking? These parks don't need to cost any more than the gas to drive around them and some good walking shoes. Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are natures best amusement parks.

Last year we spent two weeks in Yellowstone just driving around the park enjoying the sites and taking short walks to get up close to the geysers, mud pots, falls, canyons, etc. So much can be done without having to spend any money at all.

Utahtea

If you don't already have in park reservations for the nights, you will need to see if you can. First go to www.nps.gov and click on yellowstone and the tetons and check on line for rooms. If they say they are full, take the phone number and call and keep calling as they get cancellations regularly. It is a long drive into yellowstone if you have to stay outside the park. As utahtea said there is more than enough to do on your own for free, fantastic place, if you need to be entertained, I'm sure there are outfitters who will be willing to do it for you.

I downloaded the ranger program guides form the nps.gov site. It lists all the ranger led activities in each area of the park - ie Canyon, Old Faithful,Mammoth-most are free!! Many listed are "family friendly." I am excited to check them out and will report when I get back in August!

Here's a link to some planning information we put together for Yellowstone. Look it over to see if it helps.

http://www.alandsuejohnson.com/yello...ing_a_trip.htm

From there, you can click Yellowstone or Grand Teton on the left side menu to see other info. Many pictures, stories, maps and some sample itineraries.

You better get moving or you won't have a place to sleep.

It is the most beautiful part of the west. Fun things to do are to take a float trip, horseback ride, hike, look at the geysers. You weren't thinking amusement park were you?

The parks have had record attendance this year. Lots and lots of tourists. I would book rooms and then play it by ear.

Besides all the float trips, animal watching (huge herd of Bison by Old Faithful last Saturday), hiking, geysers and all. West Yellowstone also has a fun little rodeo every night