I am trying to decide on lodging for a possible Yellowstone trip next summer. We will also wish to visit the Grand Tetons and other surrounding areas of interest. I love the idea of the Old Faithful Inn for a night or two but then wonder if we should move to another area. If so, which area is best? I am thinking of a four or five night stay - is this enough time? We wish to do the major highlights, see wildlife and probably do a small amount of hiking. Thanks!

If it were me I'd stay 3 nights in Old Faithful Inn and 2 nights at Signal Mountain Lodge in the Tetons.

Be sure to ask for a room above the first floor at Old Faithful. It's a tourist attraction and noisy.

Kathryn
We did this 2 yrs ago. We stayed at the base of Grand Tetons--Jackson Hole. Stayed at the Snake river Lodge(I think it was the name? maybe Saddle River!!) Anyway it is the ski resort area. You can tour Jackson Hole & Grand Tetons without a problem. For Yellowstione-we stayed in the Lake Hotel and also had reservations at Old Faithful for the last few days. Not necessary at all. Stick with one place within the park--either way you'll be driving and touring and the traffic is bad during the summer. Beware--the first Bison you encounter!! We think it is the a real treat (which it is) but you will see MANY during your stay. But they are usually the culprits for major traffic jams!!! If you have the time--we stayed urther up and out the park instead of 2 hotels in the park. A out of the way but in a gourgous stting is Chico springs Spa & Resort. If you don't stay go eat there!!! It is past Gardiner. Hope some of this helps --IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

We stayed at the Lake Yellowstone Inn and liked it. We visited the Old Faithful Inn and were glad we didn't stay there--way too many people hanging out. But it depends if you mind big crowds or not. IMO the Lake Yellowstone Inn has much more charm and I liked the location--nearer to the Canyon area which was my favorite area. The restaurant was pretty good too (for a National park).

Do yourself a favor and call Signal Mountain Lodge ASAP for next summer. It is located just south of Yellowstone and a short distance into the town of Jackson. Ask for a lakeview room-the Tetons rising above the lake from your porch is literally "postcard perfect" and will take your breath away.It is what you would picture heaven to look like! You can rent a boat on the lake,fish and swim ,etc.while staying in a unit that has a separate bedroom,living area and kitchenette. We stayed there for 3 days and it was not enough. We just drove into Jackson when we did our raft trip ,etc.Everyone that I have ever "steered" to staying there has never regretted it. Look up on past replies to get the complete scoop on staying within Yellowstone and the Tetons. Have fun and enjoy-its a great trip!

We stayed about the same time - 1 night in Grand Teton and 3 in Yelloestone. It was enough for us on that trip (part of a much longer trip) but you could easily double the time and not see everything.

We stayed in the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins which are not too far from the OF Inn. The cabins are a very good deal. You can get them either with or without a bath (showers available in the Lodge). We got one of each type cabin.

When we were there, the area was crowded during the day and almost deserted in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. There's something really great about being the only one watching Old Faithful spout!

If I was staying in Yellowstone more than 3 days, I would also stay at one of the other locations.

In Grand Teton, we stayed at Colter Bay Cabins. A little more expensive than the ones in YNP, but larger and slept all 4 of us. It was my wife's favorite lodging during our 6 week trip.

As soon as you can make a decision on when you will go and where you stay, make reservations. People make reservations 1 year in advance!

Thanks everyone. I will start making reservations now!

We stayed at Snow Lodge cabins for two nights. From the outside the cabin was rather unattractive, but the inside was large and modern. Also stayed at a single-unit cabin at Mammouth (2 nights) and a log cabin at Signal Mtn Lodge (2 nights). We like the cabins better than the hotels as you can park right outside your door making loading and unloading the car very easy, and they are very private. They all had private bathrooms. The Mammoth and Signal Mtn private porches, and we did not have to deal with crowds and the hassle of hotels.

I am going to get flamed for saying this, but staying IN Yellowstone Park is way overated. I have stayed at the Lodge, at the Old Faithful Inn, and at the Yellowstone Lake (Historical) Hotel. I have REALLY give it a try. The best stay was at the Yellowstone Lake, but I will not bother to stay in the Park again. Instead this last July, we stayed in Cooke City, the Alpine Motel. Located just off the Northeast entrance, we LOVED IT! Clean, comfortable, huge rooms, great service, quiet. In the mornings, we will come into the park early and beautiful Lamar Valley was just waking up. Breathtaking beauty.

Chatters-I totally agree with you about staying with Yellowstone. Our family stayed right at the West entrance and used that as our base and then used Signal Mountain down in the Tetons as our base there.As long as you have a car, the possibilities are endless.We had difficulty even eating at the Old Faithful Lodge with all the crowds and it was the first week of June-not the true high season. Our family enjoys the scenery and solitude of the area without the throngs of tour buses and their people mingling with us at night.