mightitrip

We are planning to fly in to SLC, same day drive to Yellowstone; the last day would also need to drive back to SLC to catch up flight. This leaves us a complete 8 days of journey for the national parks. It will be a combination of 60+ parents and 1+ babies family trip.

We are planning to do the rafting as well as horse back riding (not for the baby and the elder =)). I was thinking stay in three places: YS-west, YS-north and GT. Any suggest on the lodging, routing arrangement?

Thanks!!

Myer

Why not stay inpark in Yellowstone?

I'm in my mid-sixties so 60+ parents is more a function of their condition rather than their age.

We stayed in the Old Faithful and Canyon areas in Yellowstone and Signal Mountain in GT. It worked out very well.

We were there a week which is more or less what you're planning.

annael

My family & I traveled to GTNP & Yellowstone for summer vacation last year. We too had a wide age range- from 8-73. We flew into Salt Lake City & met up with some other family members that drove. From there we drove straight from Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole- we took the scenic route, stopped at Fossil Butte National Monument along the way. There is not a lot to see at Fossil Butte but it was a nice break to stop & stretch our legs, we saw a herd of prong horn antelope while we were there.

For GTNP we rented a condo for 4 nights (Teton Village) through Jackson Hole Resort Lodging. We were only a few miles outside of the gate for GTNP. While in GTNP we did a float trip through Triangle X ranch. Everyone in my group had great things to say about the float trip & our guide was amazing! You meet right a parking lot within the park so its quite convenient.

We stayed 6 nights in Yellowstone, 2 nights at Old Faithful Inn, 2 nights in Mammoth & 2 nights in the Lake Hotel. My suggestion would be if you have the opportunity to stay in the Old Faithful Inn, by all means do it, you will not regret it! If you want to stay in a park lodge though, the sooner you get it booked, the better. The lodges fill up quickly & are highly sought after. I booked our rooms a little over a year before we took our trip.

I did not go horseback riding but I know that that fills up as well so you should make a reservation well in advance if you are planning on doing it in the park.

Once we left Yellowstone, we drove back to SLC, stayed overnight & then flew home the following day.

Hope this information helped, I wish you all the best, I know everyone in your family will love the trip. We all enjoyed it so much, we are already trying to figure out when we can go back again!

spirobulldog

Staying "in park" will save you time and won't be anymore expensive. I love the park accomations. I would stay in 2 or 3 spots in Yellowstone and then just one place for the Tetons. Definately Old Faithful Inn, and perhaps Roosevelt or Canyon, and perhaps Lake Hotel. GTNP-Jackson Lodge,Colter Village, Signal Mtn.

whataboutit

I vote for staying in park also. WE went several years ago and stayed in Jackson Hole. More of a commute but fun also!

mightitrip

Thanks for the feedback, inpark lodge seems to be the right choice from all your experience. Just check the Old Faithful Inn during my stay, nothing is available!!!

What do you think is a better sequence for each of the spots for our stay, YS-west, YS-north, GTNP?

spirobulldog

Doesn't really matter what the sequence is, it's all pretty darn good in any direction. What about the snow lodge, canyon, roosevelt


www.travelyellowstone.com is the offical website. I just wanted to make sure you were on the right one. There are many different lodging option around OF.

Myer

Tours book up blocks of rooms a year ahead.

Then as the dates approach they release those not booked.

Call, call, call. Forget the web site.

Especially in the last month or so before the trip.

mightitrip

Thanks for the tips!! I appreciate that and so look forward to the trip!!

Myer

At OF the Inn isn't the only option. There are cabins (the Lodge cabins, etc - a bit sparse but have their own bathrooms and are fine) as well and they cost a lot less I think.

Just keep calling.

jnjfraz

You might be a little late to get reservations on the park. But the idea to call might work.

The park is not that terribly big but the traffic can be aweful. If there is no traffic you can drive from West to Old Faithful in about 45 minutes... but if animals (which is why you are in the park to begin with) then that drive can be 1 1/2 hours. The drive from Jackson to Old Faithful is quite a bit longer.... but all told we have never taken more that 4 hours to drive from Jackson to West.

If you don't want to pay the price or can't get a place in the park then your two best access points are Jackson and West. Jackson is more commercial and up scale and West Yellowstone is smaller and not as glitzy.

A loop is great. Either drive from SLC to Jackson via back roads, then loop around, coming out of West and down to SLC via I15. Or drive up I15 to Idaho Falls over to Jackson (go over the Teton Pass), up to GTNP, the park and come out at West Yellowstone and down to SLC.

I live in Idaho Falls and have had a cabin 10 outside of West Yellowstone for almost all of my life and IMHO the best drive is SLC - Idaho Falls - Jackson via 26 then 33 - Jackson and whatever you want to do in the park - West Yellowstone and down 20 to I 15 to SLC.

mightitrip

Thanks for the input!

We're still debating if we should spend 3 nights at North and West entrance each or simply stay at West for 6 nights...
Any advantage one over the other?

Thanks!