LuvToGo

We'll be flying (round trip) into Jackson Hole in Sept. for a 10 day trip. Should we do GTNP or YNP first? What are the driving times from each place? Never been out to this area before and want to see as much as we can in our 10 days.

AlJ

With 10 days, you have time to do a lot. You go through GTNP to get to Yellowstone so might as well go there first.

I can't help much with GTNP. We flew into Jackson Hole and drove around that afternoon. Its a beautiful place. The next morning, we went back through the Tetons to get to Yellowstone. Again it was beautiful. We got out and took pictures but didn't do any hiking.

We're going back in June and heading pretty much straight to Yellowstone. On the way back we're staying at Lake Jackson Lodge in GTNP to be closer to the airport.

My memory is a little shakey but I think its around 53 miles from the airport to the south entrance to Yellowstone. From there, its tough to measure distance in miles. Too many possibilities for places to stop and enjoy the sites.

You should take a look at our website. We put all our planning information for our trip on the site as well as thoughts on how it worked out. We were heading to Glacier NP with stops at GTNP and YNP along the way. Some of what's there might help. Bunches of pictures too.

www.AlandSueJohnson.com click on the bison picture.

RedRock

My suggestion would be spend a few nights in Jackson and see the Tetons. Then onward into the Yellowstone. You may be able to get lodging inside the park in Sept. If not one of the gateways of West Yellowstone, Gardiner or Cooke City would be your other choices. Its to much of a commute from the town of Jackson to do YSP. As far as things to do you can check the Parks web sites http://www.nps.gov/state/wy/ for additional information. Things start to wind down in Sept. Winter comes early in that part of the country. http://www.yellowstone.net/

HowardR

September is probably the best month of the year to visit the area. The weather is great, the foliage is marvelous and the crowds are smaller!
My first bit of advice would be to get a copy of Frommer's Yellowstone & Grand Tetons National Parks. At $11, it's a bargain considering all the information it'll provide.
I'm not sure what you mean by "driving times." The Teton is very close to the Jackson Airport, so you might want to go there first. I don't think it really makes that much of a difference. Ten days gives you ample time to enjoy both parks.

BayouGal

Check dates of anything you'd like to do in the area before deciding which park to do first. For instance, rafting in the Tetons usually stops in September, so if interested, you should check on closing dates.

BayouGal

I should have also mentioned lodging. For instance, we LOVE the Dunraven Lodge in Canyon, YNP. It closed the Sunday after our Thursday arrival, so we went straight to YNP so we could stay there a few days. It was an excellent choice, too, since we heard wolves howling and elk bugling from our window each night.

justme22

i am planning a trip in late aug.early sept. i am flying into jackson and directly driving to yellowstone lake and stay there a couple of days then on to gardiner. (i want to drive the beartooth highway during this time)

From there to jackson, this way no long driving days at the end of the trip, jackson is more touristy and i'll be ready to hit some galleries after about 8 days of hiking and observing nature.... just one more "plan of attack"!

bob_brown

You really don't have a choice unless you take a circuitous route to get to Yellowstone because the shortest route from the Jackson airport to Old Faithful and Lake Yellowstone goes north along the main spine of the Teton range.

The only way not to see it is to shut your eyes.

Driving times? Depends on how much you stop and the number of wildlife traffic jams you run into.