Yellowstone National Park: 12 days
 

My beloved and I are travelling to Yellowstone sept. 10-23. Is this enough or too much time to spend there? We will be flying to Salt Lake City and can fly out from there or anywhere in that region. Is there enough time to get to Glacier Park or is that too ambitious as we would like to spend a day or two in the Grand Tetons? What about staying in the Park? Is it bettr to take day trips into YNP from outlying 'real towns' and how feasible is this plan? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. It's much better to stay in the park.
2. You ask if it's enough or too much time. That really depends on what you like to do! If you like hiking and other outdoor activities, you can easily spend 12 days in YNP and GTNP.
3. The Grand Teton and Yellowstone are each definitely worth several days.

I concur with Howard. YNP and GTNP will keep you fully occupied for 12 days <b> if </b> you like to hike.

Personally, I think you'll be ready to go see some other parts of the area. Glacier is very doable in your time frame and well worth it.

I would also tell you to do the Beartooth Hwy but it's doubtable it will be rebuilt by then--they've had mudslides that wiped out parts of the road.

Between hiking and watching and waiting for the geysers, you could use up the time.
Too bad the Beartooth is likely to be less than fully accessible because of damage to the road structure itself. If the problem was only debris lying on the pavement, I think the road would reopen by August. But this one involves undercutting of the roadbed itself.

you could go to glacier but then you are using two of your days driving.

i think that between yellowstone and grand tetons you will have the more leisurely vacation that the area warrants. you can wait around for certain geysers

(look for the geyers watchers, they know when things are going to happen i'm sure the rangers know who they are)

you can take the time for a horseback ride up near paradise valley (my sister and her family did this last summer and saw a pack of wolves in the far distance!)

you can take a quiet float on the river in the morning to see wildlife. shop in jackson.... although i absolutely love glacier, i don't think it fits with yellowstone.

i combined glacier with banff the first time, and then gave glacier the whole two weeks next time i was out there!

I agree with everyone else. There's plenty to spend the time between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and I wouldn't attempt Glacier just because of the distance in the wrong direction.

If you really want do to do something a little differnt, you might consder exiting the Grand Tetons and driving though Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area and spend a couple nights in Vernal, Utah seeing Dinosuar National Monument. Besides the dinosuar digs, this is a very scenic area. This would only add 185 miles if you exit from the Grand Tetons. Glacier on the other hand will add at least 1,000 miles to the trip and as justme2 said....you will spend 2 days driving instead of siteseeing.

Utahtea

Another suggestion for a sidetrip is the Wind River Mountains, a beautiful area to the east of the Teton.
We did it on our our most recent trip there. You can easily make a two-day loop through that area.

Thanks for all the help so far...now I pretty much know to keep Glacier Nat'l Park for another trip. So, now, how about accomodations? In the park? What about towns like Cody, Jackson, or even the Dinosaur Nat'l Monument or the Wind River Range? What are your opinions on these?
By the way ssachida, I just read your trip journal of the Olympic Peninsula and loved it. This Yellowstone trip is in lieu of an Olympic trip . I have been there already, and would return in a trice, however, neither
of us have been to Montana or Wyoming and certainly never to a real geyser. I shall always return to the Olympic Peninsula...It is a fantasmagorical world of wonder right here on earth and I have only seen a fraction of it.
Again, thanks everyone...

If you can get accommodations in the park, that's the best place to be. If you don't mind changing locations, I'd recommend staying at two or three different locations. Old Faithful if you can get in.

If you can't get lodging in the park then West Yellowstone will be the best location outside the park for seeing Yellowstone.

Cody is nice for a day trip, but the road in and out of the park is to far and slow and they are still doing road construction on this road. You won't want to do that drive to many times!

Utahtea

Thanks again. I am getting more and more excited. Is there horesbackriding within the park or do you have to stay outside for that? We are into lots of short hikes and horsebackriding. Anyone else? Any info will be slurpingly devoured.

We've never done it, but there is horseback riding in the park.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/services/horsride.htm

You can use that link to find out much, much more about Yellowstone!

It's been YEARS, but the stagecoach ride and chuckwagon dinner was a lot of fun! This was out of Roosevelt area.

Utahtea