Yellowstone National Park/Grand Tetons National Park
 

We are two adults, active 60's. Will be spending four nights at the Old Faithful Inn at end of May. Then planning three nights each In Grand Tetons National Park and Jackson Hole. We have no reservations in either place yet. This basically gives us four days in Yellowstone, three days in GTNP and two days in Jackson Hole. What are your thoughts on this time frame? Also open to seggestions for hotels in GTNP and Jackson Hole although I am in the process of looking where others of you have stayed. We do not camp and are not looking for the cheapest hotels.

We are driving and have no plans after Jackson Hole. We are thinking of going to Vail CO before returning to SE Texas. Our route to Yellowstone takes us through Carlsbad and Taos NM, Moab UT and Craters of the Moon National Park. Any suggestions on our route home?

In GTNP Jenny Lake Lodge is the best, but hard to get into and expensive. Signal Mountain Lodge and Jackson Lake Lodge are nice.. Personally prefer Signal Mountain, but Jackson Lake Lodge gets reviews on a par with Signal Mtn.
After Jackson....if you haven't already visite, I'd backtrack through Yellowstone and visit Cody, WY. Maybe do part or all of Beartooth Pas route. Could visit Red Lodge, then south to Cody.
From there it depends on how much time you want to take to get home. If you could take Highwat 120 out of Cody to Thermopolis and then thrugh the Wind River Canyon on 20. Stay with 20 to Casper and then I25 into Colorado. Do Denver, Col. Springs (Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak) or swing west through Rocky Mt. Nat. Park and thence on to Denver if desired. OR, after RMNP wine your way though the mountain to the Great Sand Dunes Nat. Mon. before making your way over to Raton, NM, then hit any highsopts (Santa Fe, ALbq. etc. you have time for en route to Texas .

Loved Jenny Lake Lodge - if fits in your budget I highly recommend. Great meals, wonderful hiking and we even enjoyed the evening cocktail mixer.

I like you Grand Canyon/Teton/Jackson Hole Iten. I might have stayed at 2 places in Yellowstone instead of just the one. In the Tetons, what about Jackson Lodge, Colter Village, or Signal Mnt. We enjoyed our cabin in Colter Village. Jenny Lake would be awesome, but it is pricey.

I love Utah and Carlsbad both. I am going to both of those again this summer myself. I am really into National Parks, so hit as many of them as you can. Do like you are doing and spend at least a few days in most places. Somewhere like The Great Sand Dunes might be just for one day. We stayed two days there and it is very interesting. National Parks always amaze me. Each one is so unique and different. If you do go to Carlsbad be sure and see Guadalupe NP as well.

Good thoughts, thanks. We have visited many of the places and or parks suggested. I like boom_booms suggested route through Cody & Casper towards the Denver/Vail area.

I stayed 2 nights at OF, 3 nights in Canyon and 3 at Signal Mtn in GTNP. Worked out well and liked each.

Hopefully, all of Yellowstone's roads will be open at the end of May. We hit a snow flurries at the end of June. If you haven't been to Mt. Rushmore, after you exit through Cody, that would not be too far out of your way. Also Wind cave and/or Jewel cave (I haven't been to these but they look good) or even over to Badlands.


If you don't have a National Park senior pass, get one at the first park. They are $10 and good for a lifetime for the folks with you too.

Have been using our Park Pass for several year now. This was the best $10 we have ever spent. Not only the cost savings but the whole park experience has been fantastic.

I would add time to YNP, especially if you like to hike. It is so large, and there are so many things to see. GTNP is absolutely gorgeous, but you could get by with 2 days there as it is not nearly as large as YNP. I enjoy Jackson, but a day and a night there is enough for me.