Yellowstone/Teton information please?
 

We (husband, 15 yr.old son and I) are driving from IL to Seattle (delivering a car to our daughter at school). We would like to stop and see what we can of Yellowstone/Tetons, but only have three nights. I was thinking of spending one night at Old Faithful lodge, the next in the Tetons, the last at Momouth Hot Springs. Is this a good plan, or would you suggest something else? Any information on making the most of the small amount of time we have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions. Mary

Are you planning for THIS SUMMER/SPRING? If so, you are probably out of luck for reservations at any of those places ... unless you keep trying the phone line for last minute cancellations.

Not sure of the best route/time limits since we are just heading there ourselves for the first time this summer. Just giving you a heads up about reservations. Most of the park was booked as far back as December 2002.

As the previous posted asked, when are you going?
If you do manage to get accommdations, your plan is not the most logical, as you have yourself staying in Yellowstone on the first and third nights and in the Teton the second. That doesn't make sense!
You can do both parks as a sort of "teaser," and you'll be very, very rushed. If you are planning the visit during the busy summer tourist months, you'll be further slowed down by traffic, especially in Yellowstone.

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and booked three places within Yellowstone. We are going to be there over Memorial weekend, so I guess we were just lucky. I know it isn't ideal, but we only have the three nights and want to see what we can. Hopefully we will be able to return for a longer visit in the future. Mary

Now, I'm confused. What do you want to know? At 5:42 you asked about where to stay, and less than 3 hours later you say you've booked rooms differently than you mentioned earlier. (Frankly, the thought of changing hotels every night isn't the route I would go!)

Hi, Sorry if my posts were confusing. I had researched these boards and it was suggested to stay in different lodges each night to save on travel within the park if limited on time. I did book two of the places I had posted about, and did the third night within Yellowstone as well, instead of booking something in Tetons. As I said, this is not ideal, but the best we can do with the time we have. After reading the posts from you and Syv, I thought I should book ASAP, and did so. There is a two day cancellation if plans change. The agent booking me thought this would work well for us to get an overview of the park. Thanks, Mary

That agent hasn't been to Yellowstone is all I can say. If you were able to get a space it is perhaps because the agent has access to some other agent who reserved speculatively a block of rooms.

I never used an agent; make 'em myself.
I can see staying in different places, but there is the chore of packing, unpacking. On the other hand, I have stayed 4 nights near the Upper Geyser Basin, which is the location of the premier geysers in the park.

Get a taste of it this time, and you will know better what to do the next.
I got my intro when I was 21. We stayed only 2 nights and did not see the Tetons. Big mistake. The next time, some 12 years later I stayed for a week. And now I can go back more often.

Hi Bob, Thanks for the reply. I booked thru Yellowstone (Ampac Parks does the reservations) and the agent was at the Monmouth Hot Springs location. We are extremely light packers, rise early and get a lot in when we travel. I thought this way we would make a loop thru the park without too much backtracking. I just hated to be this close without seeing some of it. Our main objective is getting the car to Seattle for our daughter and visiting with her for a few days before we have to fly home. Wish we could get away longer, but we can't. Thank you for your input. mary

3 days in the area (wherever you stay) will still give you a "taste". Enjoy the scenery!

Although I doubt that the highway crews will be working Memorial Day weekend, check highway closures with the park people so that you can plan your day trips accordingly. A blizzard last Oct. 1st on top of road construction sent us on a 180 mile "detour" through Big Sky Country to get back to our logging. Glad to hear that you got reservations in the park, but you can still have trouble getting to them if they're on the other side of the pass!

I am glad you decided to spend the entire three nights in the park...and, contrary to some of these other posts, I think you did the right thing booking three different lodges. Larry and I spend every other weekend in Yellowstone in the summer and we absolutely love it. But it is a huge park and the different, unique areas are spread out...so, three different locations will allow you to rise early and do some sightseeing, hiking, and wildlife viewing at a relaxed pace on your way to your next night's stay...I think it will work perfectly for you. What lodges do you have reserved...if you want any suggestions of things to see/do, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Laura.