Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and area WITH kids???
 

Hello: <BR>We are planning a trip west by car from Wisconsin. We would like to see the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore and on to Yellowstone. We have 3 kids ages 6 through 12, and we *HAVE* to take them with! Oh, well! Any "kid" advice? We plan on going the 2nd and 3rd weeks of July, and staying in hotels or cabins, etc. Do we have to make all reservations ahead of time? Or is there sufficient lodging available once we get in the area? Any help on these questions, or other do's and don'ts would be much appreciated.

Late July is nearing the height of the tourist season, and would be dangerous to arrive at a place like Yellowstone without firm reservations. You PROBABLY would be able to find SOMETHING, but it may not match your price tag or lodging style. The LAST you want to do is drive around looking for a place to stay when you have a bunch of cranky kids wanting to see the geysers or take a nap!! <BR> <BR>Kid advice: get a book of travel games that kids can play while riding. You're going to have HOURS of dull time, and kids get bored REALLY quickly. If some of the kids are into a type of music, a portable CD player (with headphones!) will be worth its weight in gold! <BR> <BR>Make certain the kids (and you!) are aware that Yellowstone is NOT a zoo; the animals are NOT tame, and they WILL attack (sometimes KILL) if THEY decide you are threatening them. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE and do NOT approach wildlife!!

I can only speak about Yellowstone accommodations. And, it might already be too late. I would call immediately. The last number I have is 307-344-7901. You definitely do not want to go there in the summer without a place to stay. <BR>While the previous comment by Paul might sound a little menacing, it definitely applies to bison. <BR>P.S.: It'll be a great trip for the kids!

I don' like to be the bearer of bad news, but you are not going to stay overnight in Yellowstone this summer in a cabin or one of the lodges. Why? <BR>They are all sold out and probably were sold out by the end of January. <BR>I just checked the web site for Amfacs, the lodging concessioner, and I could not find even one night in a cabin or lodge anywhere, not even in the most rustic accommodations such as the Roosevelt Lodge. Rooms at Old Faithful Inn probably were gone by the end of last September. <BR>Your best bet is to lookup West Yellowstone on the web and start calling motels there. But for peak summer summer season, the time you have planned to be there, my guess is that availability is already very, very limited. <BR>Whether or not the children will enjoy Yellowstone is a function of preparation. Not just now, but in their schooling to date. My son and his two boys (almost 6 and almost 9 at the time) went last year and had a great time of it. He and his wife got the instructions for completing the junior ranger certificate and encouraged the boys to fill the requirements. (The requiremets for a child who is old enough to have a good reading vocabulary are non trivial!) Viewing geysers and appreciating them takes some knowledge. I guess I am a little cynical about that because I have seen so many teen agers who were bored stiff with the place. All they saw was water spewing out of the ground and thought Morning Glory Pool was a good place to pitch a penny, totally ignorant of the fact that they were contributing to the destruction of a sensitive thermal feature. <BR>Fortunately my son spent quite a bit of time explaining to the boys that Yellowstone was the caldera of a volcano that exploded many thousands of years ago. And that geysers are rare because the conditions that are required for their existence do not come together often. Taken as a whole, Yellowstone is a wonderful place because of the lake, the wildlife, and the thermal features. <BR>The Badlands are interesting. And some people think Rushmore is wonderful. <BR>I guess I don't; I think it is a defaced mountain! But that is my own view.

What a coincidence! We, too, are planning a trip to Yellowstone -- from Wisconsin! We also have 3 kids - ages 7 through 15. We originally were planning to drive but are now leaning toward flying. And, after reading all the replies, realize we most likely have started this planning much too late for a trip there this summer. <BR> <BR>I originally wanted to head west to the mountains just to be in the mountains. I don't really care what we're doing just as long as we're doing it in the mountains. My husband and I have taken a couple of mini vacations to Colorado and absolutely loved it but since the kids are coming along this time (argh!) we need to go or plan activities that they will enjoy. <BR> <BR>Anyone have any suggestions? If not Yellowstone, where and/or what? Any ideas will me much appreciated.

I might suggest that you just keep calling Amfac for reservations in Yellowstone. People cancel quite frequently and you might get lucky and find something. I definitely would not suggest taking the chance of finding something within reasonable distance once you get there. There were several people at all the places we stayed last year looking for last-minute accommodations, and ALL of them were turned away. My brother tried it once several years ago, and the closest thing he found to Yellowstone was about 3 hours away. When we went we stayed in Cody, WY one night, Gardiner, MT a couple of nights, and then several nights in the park. Yellowstone is huge and I'd suggest trying to space out your accommodations if possible. Gardine is very nice and at the northern end of the park. I think we stayed at a Best Western, and it was beautiful with a deck right on the Yellowstone River. I didn't care for West Yellowstone just because it was very touristy, but there's a ton of places to stay and you'll probably end up there. Cody was nice but probably too far away for more than one or two nights. I have a ton of web sites bookmarked that I'd be happy to share with you if interested. (personally, I'd skip Mt. Rush-me-some-more, but the Badlands are cool.)

Took three kids the same route last June and had a ball. We left from Illinois, followed the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Highway through Wisconsin, Minnesota, and into South Dakota, with stops in Walnut Grove and DeSmet (we had a ten-year-old girl with us, what can I say?). Then dropped down to Mitchell to see the Corn Palace and Doll Museum, then through the Badlands, which the kids thought were cool, a stop at Wall Drug (yeah, it's tacky, but fun for kids, and a good place to eat lunch). We stayed at a campground just outside of Custer in the Black Hills (did this whole trip in a pop-up camper, by the way). The kids' favorites in the Black Hills were Evan's Plunge (hot spring-fed indoor water park), the Black Hills Maze (allow yourselves at least 60-90 minutes for that one), Mt. Rushmore of course, and if you've got the time, stop at Ken's Rocks and Minerals just East of Custer and talk to Ken about panning for gold. It cost us $35 for a family of 5 and took almost 2 hours, but the kids had a ball. Genuine 90-year-old prospector, authentic muddy stream (no fake troughs) and REAL GOLD (okay, it was only 3 little flakes, but WE found it. ) It was fun, and even the jaded 15-year-old was impressed. From the Black Hills, we stopped at Devil's Tower (awesome) and proceeded on to Yellowstone. We spent 5 days there and had a terrific time. Saw only a fraction of the park but loved it. Make sure you reserve lodging in advance. DON'T show up there in July without reservations. If you have any specific questions, e-mail me anytime.

Please don't miss Mt. Rushmore on the basis of the 2 negative comments above. We've beem there several times with our kids (now 11 and 8)and it's a must-see for several reasons: 1.) Patriotism is sorely lacking in our country nowadays (MY personal opinion)and if the evening ceremony at Mt. Rushmore's ampitheatre doesn't stir those patriotic juices, then I'm afraid nothing will. It made my usually need-to-be cool 11 year old son teary and provoked plenty of good discussion afterwards; 2.) It's a good history lesson. The kids can earn a junior rangers badge by roaming around the interactive visitors center exhibits and answering some questions; 3.) There are hiking trails leading up to the faces and provide a close-up view. Personally I think the enormity of the task faced by the sculpture and the vision shown by one man is a good example of what determination and hard work can do. <BR> <BR>There are plenty of tacky things in the Black Hills, but Mt. Rushmore isn't one of them. Okay, off my soapbox. Do pan for gold--it's totally fun and you'll enjoy it as much as your kids! If cabins, etc. are full in the Black Hills, Rapid City is a good-sized town less than an hour away and has just about every chain hotel that you could possibly think of--it would be fine for a "base-camp." Have a great trip--sounds like fun.

Took trip to Yellowstone late last August/early Sept with two teenagers and had great trip. Took in Corn Palace and Walls Drugs Store. In fact, stayed at motel near Walls Drugs Store. Had a pool. Badlands were great! Fed the prarie dogs at the tourist shop before entering the Badlands. Got the National Park passport so family could get "stamped" at various places. Hikes some trails and in the process saw big horn sheep (up close) and interesting trees. Took in Custer State Park, fed the wild burros and again, took a hike (French Creek area) where we also ran into big horn sheep. Mt Rushmore was okay but hit there late in day and think we were a bit tired. Was interesting and now having seen the special on the Discovery Channel it has a lot more meaning then it did last year. Varied stays at Yellowstone. Gardiner area has nice motels and good eateries (check out the little take out place across the road from the motel complex). Stayed couple of nights at Days Inn rates vary but explore discounts (AAA, other clubs etc). Tried the Lodge at Yellowstone Lake but was very disappointed. We were in the annex. Sounds from adjacent room were very obvious and place is not air-conditioned. Very pricey. Check out good reference book on Yellowstone. Fodors has one. Lots of things to keep the younger visitors busy. If you can, get out early some morning at one of the overlooks (say along the River in the Hayden valley) and watch the park wake up. Yes, by all means take games. We still do. And, even with two teenagers we still make up some. A wildlife check list was fun. Imagine the older teen getting points for being the first to spot a sand hill crane as we headed into Yellowstone the first morning. Have a great trip.

Would you consider renting an RV? We travelled thru a number of national parks for a month years ago with kids ages 4 and 7. We all still remember it as the best family vacation we ever took. The RV provided plenty of room for play, a bathroom, and cold drinks and snacks on demand. It also would be a solution to the reservations problem in Yellowstone. An RV is expensive, but it is not only transportation, but your hotel and your restaurant when you want it to be. If you get one, check the campground reservation policy in the national park. You really only need full hookups every couple of nights. <BR>I agree with one of the other writers about the need to educate kids about what they will be seeing. <BR>Try some ranger-led nature walks; they are great. We went to one by a river in the Tetons where the ranger had set up telescopes to view wildlife across the river. We watched otters playing and saw an eagle in flight.