We're flying NYC to SLC first week of Aug. Family of 4 (children 11&15). We are leaving the first night open since I don't want to drive into the park in the dark. We'll stay Night 1&2 at Canyon Lodge, Night 3&4 at Lake Lodge Cabins and then go to Grand Teton -- I'm thinking Jackson Lake Lodge for 2 or 3 nights and drive back to SLC for flight home. Am I doing this backwards? Will I be at any spot too long? Any advice is welcome and appreciated.

I would reverse the trip. Only because one of the most spectacular sights in the world is to drive over the Teton pass into Jackson.

I don't know what time you get into SLC but if early enough I would drive up to Idaho Falls (3 hours), stay overnight and then Jackson (2 hours). I don't know what your interests are but your schedule looks good.

I think going over the Teton Pass from west to east is a little more thrilling than east to west.

But, if you already have locked-in reservations at Yellowstone, I think you would find changing them nearly impossible.

The ascent of the Teton Pass from the west is interesting. I drove up it once in a rental car that was a rather sorry affair. At least it had good brakes!!!! For some reason best known to a power greater than I this apparatus had a tachometer on it.

As we groaned up the pass at about 35 mph, the tach was near red line.
The engine was making so much noise that I feared that the pistons would go through the head, or that a valve might start to burn.

Traffic was piled up behind me to the extent that I pulled over and let everybody go by, and to let the engine cool off a bit.

When we resumed the upward journey the gradient turned to 11% or so. Not the steepest in the world, but this car was challenged at 7%, so a steeper grade was the ultimate.

My wife looked over at the speedometer and the tach and made a very helpful observation: I think the tach is gaining on it. Indeed it was, because I was in the lowest gear, and the tach needle was flirting outrageously with the redline.

That was the car I took out of Denver that was well pockmarked with hailstone dents. As we left I asked the attendant at the exit gate to note on our contract that the car had hail damage. Well, he could not write English very well, so he gave hail a phonetic interpretation -- our car had hell damage. Sounded ok to me.

Coming back we got caught in a hail storm of such violent proportions that I was afraid that the ice was going to beat the windshield into our laps. Luckily I spied a gas station and sought the protection of the overhang.

Needless to say, we had quite a few more hail dents in the car than when we left Denver. Our English-challenged friend was more prophetic than he intended.

I'm happy to hear you made it through the Teton pass unharmed. I had no idea it was going to be a treacherous ride. I'm a city girl and want the safest way. For example I prefer driving up the california coast so that I can hug the mountain and not the road's edge. Does that help you make a better recommendation for me of which direction to approach?

by the way, although my plan now is to fly into slc, we might be able to find a relatively low fare into Jackson, hopefully and reduce the driving.

csabia -->>I'm happy to hear you made it through the Teton pass unharmed. I had no idea it was going to be a treacherous ride. I'm a city girl and want the safest way.<<

Driving in any city is much more dangerous than driving anywhere out west in the mountains. Just use common since and take your time. Don't drive like you were at home... If you want to look, just pull off the road and do so. You will find most all the drivers, even the tourist, are more courteous. Some city dwellers bring their bad driving habits with them but others don't..

"For example I prefer driving up the california coast so that I can hug the mountain and not the road's edge."

Casabia, I do exactly the same thing AND have driven over Teton Pass many many times. It is not dangerous, it is not narrow and there is never a time you feel like your going to fall of the road. I have a harder time with Hiway 1 in California that Teton Pass. BUT I would not go over the pass in a rental car that was a "rather sorry affair"

I definitely would fly into Jackson if you have a choice. We have done this trip different ways. My preference would be to fly into Jackson and head to Yellowstone (assuming you arrive early in the day). Then spend the majority of your time in Yellowstone. I would spend the last 2 nights in Tetons, mainly because you will be closer to the airport on the day you leave and won't have to worry about driving from Yellowstone on the day of your departure.

Or, you could spend the first night in Jackson, go to Albertson's to stock up on some supplies you may want (snacks, pop, cooler, etc.) and see some of the Tetons on your way to Yellowstone. Jackson is a neat little city to see.

The only other thing I would consider is to stay in a different area of the park for two nights. Only because Canyon and Lake are close together. Maybe Mammoth or Old Faithful. Or, if you pick Lake, maybe Roosevelt would be nice.

If you do fly into SLC, I agree -- Teton Pass is not like Hwy 1 where you are driving right next to a dropoff at times. It is more of a highway. Also like the west to east views better.

If you have reservations already inside the park and want to change them -- keep calling back to see if any cancellations have occurred on your preferred dates. I just did this and they changed daily.

Let me supplement my story about the slow drive over the Teton Pass. Don't construe my story about that acceleration-challenged vehicle to think that the pass is dangerous.

First of all, the car was underpowered. Secondly, traffic was piling up behind me so I was pushing it a bit beyond its capability. As I said, I finally pulled over to let cars, even trucks, go by me.

Had I been driving a better car, that story would never have happened.

After negotiating the pass in "Slow Poker" I returned a few years later for another trip. This time I had a V6 Chevvy Impala that made a world of difference. There was no problem at all on that trip.

The road is well engineered. If you are driving a decent car it is no different than any other mountain pass. True 11% grades deserve respect, but I have negotiated roads at 17% with no problems. It is not the steepness of the grad3e that is the main problem; it is the width and how well the curves are banked.

I have not mentioned the make of the slow vehicle on purpose, but suffice it to say that it is not one of America's premiere car companies.

Several years (many?) years ago I drove over the Teton Pass in my Dad's Olds 98 that had a huge engine in it, something like 455 cubic inches. The pass seemed relatively flat in that vehicle.

I can think of other passes that are steeper: Cumberland Pass in the Rockies on a dirt road, the road from Alamo Gordo, New Mexico, to Cloudcroft, the ascent of the Big Horns via Ten Sleep Canyon.

The king of them all, however, is in Switzerland. The road from Fruitigen to Griesalp ascends a slope that is 28%. Not what is STEEP. I rode up that one in the Post Bus, but several private cars negotiated the hill just fine.
Having the right equipment is the key.