Yellowstone Sept 2008 - help !!!
 

I am currently planning our mid September 2008 vacation to GTNP and Yellowstone. In taking all the great advice from Fodorites’ we have already successfully booked 4 out of 7 nights, still confused about the last 3. So far it looks as though we will be flying in to Jackson Hole, but our departure destination is still up in the air. -(reservations either way have yet to be purchased). We will be renting a car, staying at Signal Mountain for 2 nights, OFI for 2 nights and that is as far as we have gotten. We would rather not retrace our steps so we thought we would start at GTNP and work our way up.
Our #1 priority on this vacation, like everyone else is to see the wildlife, but we are not much of hikers so deep backcountry will probably be minimal. We enjoy walking and a little rough terrain won’t hurt us, but “day hiking” is not really for us.
Through previous posts I have read that the weather will vary and some roads may be closed pending the weather, Bear Tooth included so I am afraid to plan that into our itinerary. Same with the Lamar area. The way I see it if we are able to see those two areas it will be an added bonus to our trip. We are not sure if we want to stay at Mammoth for the rest of our stay and fly out of Billings or keep going north. My husband mentioned that he would like to go to Glacier, but I think if we did that we would be rushed through Yellowstone.
Once in Yellowstone, we plan on having one complete day at OF area (since DH is a water feature kind of guy; he could spend all day in front of the Bellagio in LV watching the fountains), the rest of the trip is hour-by-hour, day-by-day.
I have done a lot of research, read what seems to be zillions of posts and even ordered the trip planner on Yellowstone, but it’s all getting to be a blur. Where would be a good place to stay after Old Faithful? Should we try Glacier? IYHO what are the “not to be missed” hikes/trails? If the roads are closed, does this mean we won’t see that area at all or are there snow vehicles available? Any help with the rest of our itinerary will be greatly appreciated.

HiJ,

I really doubt that any of the roads will be closed in mid-Sept. If they were, that would be a very early winter closing. I live in the Wasatch Mtns of Utah and visit Yellowstone often, so I know what I'm talking about. I think you could safely count on the Lamar Valley and even the Beartooth hwy.

That said, it can snow at any time - even in July, but it will melt fast. For example - Alta ski resort east of SLC got 19 inches of snow this last Saturday - today it was 80 degrees in SLC and an absolutely gorgeous day with the snow on the mountains and the fall leaves. Typical fall Rockies weather!

I would not try to do Glacier - too long of a drive and not enough time.

You might like to stay another couple nights at Canyon (if it's still open past mid-Sept, I don't think it is), or Mammoth would be oK too.

If you do the Beartooth hwy, you could spend a night in Red Lodge, cute town for a night. Then continue on and fly out of Billings. Or, if you stay in Mammoth, go out of the north (Gardner, MT ) entrance and head up to Big Sky for a night or 2. Should be gorgeous at that time of year, but quiet. Big Sky is a wonderful area for fly fishing and horseback riding, photo ops too if you're not outdoorsy.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

PS - Signal Mtn Lodge is more toward the north end of Grand Teton Natl Park, so you will be doing a little backtracking regardless.

jmm55-If you only have seven nights I would definitely concentrate them all within the park. The Lamar valley road will be open as they keep it cleared year round. You don't have to back track. The road in Yellowstone is a figure eight so you can basically drive without backtracking, except from the entrance up to the first split. I would do as you had planned and then stay the next night in Mammoth, or just outside in Gardiner and then decide after that if you want to do Lamar Valley and continue on through there over the Beartooth or do the Lamar Valley and stay in Cooke City and then come back or just plan the Lamar Valley in as a day trip from Mammoth area and return to Mammoth, or head down through Canyon and stay at Lake. Canyon does close at some point in September (you will need to check with the park for that) and if it is snowing they most likely will close it as well. Can it be a bit of a gamble sure but there is no way to predict nature, especially in the Rocky Mountains.

I would definitely not add GNP in your itinerary. YNP is huge and you will make many many stops. The roads are slow going so don't be fooled by the actual mileage. Bank on averaging 30 mph at best. And worse comes to worse if it snows on you and you have to go back the way you came trust me in you will see many things you did not on the way up.

Another great website is www.yellowstone.net
it is also a forum type website dedicated soley to YNP and GTNP. There is a wealth of info to be had there as well. Scroll down on the left until you see the link for the forum

Thank you for your help. Glad to hear we have a good chance at Lamar and the Bear Tooth. Also, DH and I have decided to eliminate GNP so we can take our time at GTNP & YNP. I have pretty much spent all day today (at work, shame on me) researching Mammoth, Gardiner, Cooke and Red Lodge and I think I have made a decision. Canyon is closed and Mammoth has only cabins w/o bath available so after our 2 nights at OFI, I think we will stay at Gardiner for 2 nights, Red Lodge for our last night then off to Billings for our departure. Now as far as accomodations are concerned in Gardiner and Red Lodge - anyone have any recommendations of which hotel/motel/cabin etc? We have a mixture going on so far, Signal Mountain we are in a cabin w/ a fireplace and OFI we are in a Frontside East Wing room. As long as it's clean, has it's own bathroom and heat we are happy.

If you aren't looking for accommodations in the park in mid September, I don't think you will have any problem finding a place to stay in Gardner at that time, so you could more loosely plan your trip for those days as it gets closer. Although what you have planned sounds good to me.

As far as hikes, you will be doing quite a bit of walking while seeing the sights. If you have time and want to do pretty easy hikes which take you away from the road, I would recommend the Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point (and if you want go on a ways into Cascade Canyon trail) in GTNP. Not sure when the ferry to take you across ends. And while at OFI, the Fairy Falls trail is relatively flat. I'd go on to Imperial Geyser.

There is a lot of information and so much to see and do that it can get confusing. Just have a general plan and then play it by ear once you get there. We've never done "everything" on our list, but it gives you an excuse to go back.

The best animal sightings IMO are usually the unexpected ones while you are driving from place to place and you don't want to be overplanned so you feel rushed when something unexpected occurs (but you have probably already picked up on that from other posts). Really like the yellowstone.net forum also. Especially as you get closer to your trip. Great trip reports and people write that are working in the park in the summer (weather conditions, animal sightings, etc). Have fun planning.

Another option to Gardiner, about 45 minutes drive, is Chico Hot Springs, MT. DH, my son and I really enjoyed our overnight stay there a few years ago.
http://www.chicohotsprings.com/

I did consider Chico Hot Springs, still looking into that. Also, Thanks for the website, from what Ive seen it look to be very helpful. Sometimes when I plan a vacation I think I get to detail oriented so it seems as if Ive already been there, when I get there. I am just so afraid that I will miss something and want to make sure I have everything covered. (Im not a Vacation Nazi, but sometimes I feel like I over do) ;-D You're right though Maj, I should just go with a general plan and roll with it.

jmm55- Smart decision on taking GNP out of your plan.

We have stayed at the Absaroka Lodge in Gardiner everytime and find it great. It is always clean. It is right on the banks of the Yellowstone River and you can easily walk into town for dinner. Check Trip Advisor for reviews.

If your #1 priority is seeing wildlife, I'd suggest staying in a cabin at Roosevelt Lodge. This is the quietest area of the park and has the most abundant wildlife. We visited YNP this summer, and this was the area of the park where we knew every morning we would see lots of animals. You also might add a stay at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. You can do Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from there, and it has a very different feel from the rest of the park.

Hello jmm55 :)

Yellowstone in September! Perfect!

We spent 2 weeks there just this past September. Great trip!

As far as the Gardiner area, we stayed 3 nights at the Best Western Mammoth Hot Springs. It was quite nice and comfortable, right on the river, kind of at the edge of the town. Very quiet, and there were a couple good restaurants within very easy walking distance.

I was quite surprised on the whole trip that each place was totally booked up, No Vacancy signs everywhere. Expected it in the Park itself (we stayed at OFI and the Lake Hotel), but in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody - it was amazing that everything seemed like it was booked.

I've got a meeting this afternoon or I'd love to give you a bit more info. If you need specific info about Jackson, West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Red Lodge, Cody, and also Yellowstone, I'd be happy to help where I can.

Happy travels!

I considered Chico Hot Springs, but it seems to be a little farther (an add'l 45 min) than what we would like to travel daily while still doing the upper loop. Ideally, Roosevelt would have been perfect, but from what I see they are closed for the season.
(FYI: That was our 1st choice)
Kopp - From what I hear everything gets booked far in advance so I am trying to stay ahead of the game. Once I get my hotels booked I will feel a little less stressed into my "year from now vacation".
I guess what I really need is info on Gardiner and Red Lodge. Airports too!. If you ar anyone can tell me is it worth a nights stay (our last night) in Red Lodge and fly out of Billings or should we just stay in Gardiner and fly out of Bozeman.
Currently looking at:
Absaroka Lodge in Gardiner and the
Chateau Rouge or Rock Creek Resort in Red Lodge.

J,

On my trip last year, I stayed one night in Red Lodge and 1 night in Gardner. I really liked Red Lodge much more than Gardner.

I stayed at budget motels that take dogs, so can't help with you lodging decision.

I can't help with the flight situation. We flew in/out of Jackson.

We took the Beartooth Hwy. from Gardiner up to Red Lodge, then onto Cody for overnight. But that was in one day. So I can't help with the lodging in Red Lodge.

But Red Lodge is a lovely, quaint town. We had a great lunch at a wine bar. Lots of shops, if that's what you like.

As far as the Absaroka in Gardiner, it does get high marks on Tripadvisor. However, I found its location a bit too near the main road. Not that the road is that busy, but there was plenty of traffic on it when we were there, and the hotel is right next to the road.
Of course, that's your call. I did not see the inside of the rooms there.

All I know is at the Best Western we had a wonderful view of the mountains and river unobstructed by cars, plus a fabulous sunset in the evenings and elk in the parking lot!

But yes, reservations as soon as possible are a requirement, inside and outside the park.

Have fun!

If you don't mind a chain hotel - we stayed at the Comfort Inn in Red Lodge. Fairly new, clean, with a refrigerator, microwave and my favorite - a bowed shower curtain. It is right on the edge of town, but it is an easy 5 - 10 minute walk to the center of town.

We went to YNP last Sept and had an incredible trip. The weather was perfect - warm days, cool nights. Saw tons of wildlife!!
Spent 2 nights each in OFI, Mammoth, and Canyon. I highly recommend a few nights in Mammoth since the elk will be in rut and it was an amazing show!! They roam all over at Mammoth. Canyon was the only place we weren't that excited about - our cabin was cheap and fine and we could hear wolves howling all night long (amazing!) It is also very centrally located so that was nice but it is the busiest area - too many people. Definitely spend the whole time in YNP/GTNP. We saw wolves, grizzley and black bear, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, elk, bison, coyotes, eagles - on and on... The thermal features in OFI and Norris are remarkable! Your husband will flip - these are naturally occurring (not Las Vegas style).

Actually when we were there the first week of September this year (admittedly probably not one of the busiest times -- which is why we went then) there were plenty of vacancy signs all over West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. But it never hurts to get them in advance since you pretty much know where you want to stay. The gateway towns were actually pretty dead when we went in mid September a few years ago, but it sounds like what we have found on most of our vacations -- the baby boomers are starting to travel in the "off" seasons.

I overplan also (partly because I like to do it and also so I have some plan B's depending of weather conditions etc.). My question, I guess, is if you do plan your trip to end at Red Lodge, how disappointing will it be if the Beartooth Highway is either not open or the weather conditions are not the best and you really can't see much on that day. You can make a day trip to the Beartooth Highway from Gardiner if you want. We went from Canyon, out the northeast entrance, drove the Beartooth to Vista Point (we didn't want to continue to Red Lodge once we got there, but it isn't much farther), back to Chief Joseph Highway to Cody and then back in the East Entrance to Canyon. We left early (around 7) and got back before dark with many stops. (I wouldn't bother doing the Chief Joseph Hwy this trip -- just trying to give you an idea of driving time). It is a long day of driving, but you would have more flexibility staying in Gardner. Unless there is another reason you are planning on flying out of Billings it seems like you are putting alot of pressure on that one day.

Hi jmm
We were in Yellowstone in September a few years back, on a long-awaited trip west. Had a fabulous time, and planned to fly back to CT from Billings. Of course, we wanted to drive the Beartooth -- and it would be on my birthday, Sept 30: perfect.

Unfortunately, when we came to the access road up to Beartooth we saw barriers across, road closed by early snow... Got out the map, and decided to take the Chief Joseph which was still open (lower elevation). We thought the Chief Joseph was a stunning and beautiful drive, and were glad that we went that way.

We had booked to stay in the Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge, based on a story I had read in CN Traveler.
http://www.thepollard.net/

We arrived there early evening -- hotel is a restored Victorian building right in the center of town, a charming area right out of a movie set. The whole hotel was very quiet as we were checking in, and we discovered that they were having a special Brazil night that we were invited to join. A classical guitarist performed (everyone was listening, so that's why it was quiet). After the performance, we were served an excellent meal of Brazilian cuisine, with wines to suit each course. It was just a stunning surprise to come upon this in such a far-away place -- we have very fond memories of that time. And what a great birthday treat!

I have no idea if they still do that kind of special evening, but it remains a travel highlight for us. Hotel is not fancy, but was clean and comfortable -- our room was smallish, but had everything we needed. We were only in there to sleep, anyway!

Have a wonderful trip.

jmm55,
Forgot to tell you how great Signal Mtn is - we really loved it. We saw several moose at Oxbow Bend, which is only a short drive from Signal.

Here is a link to a short trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...ondi&fid=1

and pictures: http://www.pbase.com/peterb/yellowstone_06

Kopp,

I had an excellent dinner at that same wine bar in Red Lodge! I can't remember the name, but the food, service, and wine were outstanding.

Hi Dayle :)

I just looked in my photo album for the name. It's the Bridge Creek Backcountry Kitchen Wine Bar (long name!). Quite the popular place!