yellowstone ??
 

Arriving in Billings at 10am on a Saturday. (in August) We have reservations for monday and tuesday at Old Faithful Inn, wednesday and thursday at Mammouth Hot Springs. I also booked the chuckwagon cook out for thursday. My problems is that we want to see the Grand Tetons. I know it will take us 4 hrs to drive Beartooth Hwy. Would it be pushing it too much to cont to the Grand Tetons on Saturday through the park? I know it would be a long day but then we could stay 2 nights in Jackson Hole for sat and sun night. Then finish our trip by arriving in Cody late on Friday and departing monday for our 5pm flight home. I think it might be easier to do our long day driving at the beginning of the trip instead at the end. I was surprised to see that car rentals in Billings do not offer unlimited miles!! It seems 1500 miles would be enough...any comments?

We flew into Billings also but only went as far as Red Lodge the first day. Getting in at 10, getting your rental car and driving the Bear Tooth Hwy through the park to GTNP sounds like an extremely long day to me. We left Red Lodge at 7 am, stopped for a picnic lunch and Mammoth Hot Springs, plus some other stops along the way, and got to the Lake Hotel in YNP around 3. In August, you'll hit a lot of traffic in YNP and probably some buffalo-jams which will make that trip, which is long already, very time-consuming. I'd look for someplace else to stay Saturday and go to GTNP the next day. If you can't get a place in the park, maybe West Yellowstone would work.

I have to agree driving doing beartooth and driving to tetons in same day would be very long day.I would suggest taking your time enjoy beartooth even do part of chief joseph hwy which is beautiful and stay in red lodge first night.

change your car rental company. The tetons are different and worth seeing and we saw moose there and not elsewhere. mc

I am not familiar w Billings????

This is the plan to stay the first night in park...my options on canyon lodge, Grant , Lake Yellowstone, and Roosevelt Lodge. On Sunday drive to the GT for one night and leave monday afternoon for Yellowstone. My plans were to stay in Cody for three nights arriving late Friday, but husband thinks 2 full days in Cody will be too much... We could get another night at Mammoth Hot Springs.

I agree that 2 full days in Cody is not necessary. If you can stay the extra day in the park, there is so much to see and it's so big, it takes time to see it. We spent 3 nights there and didn't get to really visit everything we wanted to. It was our first trip and we didn't realize how wonderful Yellowstone truly is, despite all the great things said about. We spent on night in Cody on our way to Mt. Rushmore and that's enough time to see the museum. Also, we thought the food in the Lake hotel dining room was quite good if that's important to you--it's supposed to be the best in the park but we didn't eat dinner anywhere else to compare.

RuthMc where did you stay? I am now thinking about spending two more nights in Yellowstone.
Saturday-Beartooth Hwy
Sunday-drive to Grand Tetons
Monday-GT, stay at Old Faithful
Tuesday-Old Faithful
Wednesday- Mammouth
Thursday- Mammnouth
Friday-?Yellowstone
Saturday-?Yellowstone
Sunday-drive to Cody in the morning do the museum and rodeo
Monday leave for Billings our flight leaves at 4:45pm
Just a note our sons are 9 and 11 and love the outdoors. Thanks for the help.

As a former resident of nearby MT, I add my 2cents worth to RuthMc's comments. One day is all you'll need in Cody.Do not bypass Grand Teton. Nice accomodations in TNP at Jackson Lodge or Signal Mt. Lodge.Spend the first night in Cooke City after drving Beartooh, which is also not to be missed. One warning, be ready for a freeway complete with cloverleaf overpasses at Old Faithful. Nonetheless, it's a great place to visit.

Recommendations for the first night after Beartooth. I thought about staying at Roosevelt...my husband loves staying in the park, but I am open for suggestions and I am planning the trip!

We stayed at the Lake hotel in Yellowstone, Signal Mt. Lodge in Grant Teton and the Quality Inn in Cody. Loved Signal Mt. and the Quality Inn was very nice. I'd take whatever rooms I could get in the park, but since you're staying at Old Faithful and Mammouth, maybe Roosevelt is a good idea.