Yellowstone/Tetons with 8yo girl
 

Hi,
We have planned our first trip to Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks for the second week of June.
We are going to fly to Salt Lake City and drive to Idaho Falls to sleep.
The Next Day we will get up early and go to Yellowstone Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. I am guessing that that will take about 3-4 hours.
We want to get to Roosevelt Lodge in time for the horseback ride and cookout, so we do not think we will have to time that day to get to the Mammoth Springs.
We have booked 1 night at Mammoth Hot Springs Cabin for that night.
If we did not have time to explore Mammoth Hot Springs, we will have do it this morning after breakfast.
We are not keen on going to the Lamar Valley early morning because dd would be upset if she witnessed a wolf killing an animal.
So after touring Mammoth Hot Springs we can either drive to the Canyon area or drive down to OF taking the Firehole River Drive.
I am leaning towards giving a full day to the Canyon area even if it means driving up from OF. We want to do the Brink and Uncle Tom's Trail and Artist's Point at the Canyon area. Also, if we visit the Canyon, we would like to have dinner at Lake Yellowstone Hotel that day.
2 nights at Old Faithful Inn.
We also want to see Grand Prismatic Spring, Fountain Paint Pots, and at least one other geyser erupt other than OF.
When we check out of OFI, we want to go to Jackson Lake Lodge for 3 nights.
We would like to arrive in Jackson in time for the shoot-out, have dinner, and then go to the rodeo.
In Jackson, we hope to do an early morning float trip with Barker-Ewing, maybe an early breakfast boat trip through Jackson Lake Lodge. I really want do the 2 hour horseback ride offered by Jackson Lake Lodge (I think they go to Emma Matilda Lake and Oxbow Bend.) We would like to get to the Chapel of the Transfiguration and Mormon Row. We would also like to take the boat across Jenny Lake for the hike to Inspiration Point.
We are thinking of also having dinner at Couloir one night (for the gondola ride) and Bar T 5 Chuckwagon Dinner another night.
After checking out of Jackson Lake Lodge, we are going to drive to Salt Lake.
My husband wants to stop at the Golden Spike (dd will find this boring). He also wants to try to swim in the Salt Lake. Again, I do not think dd would like this because although she is a good swimmer, I have heard that the lake has an odor.
We might spend one or two nights in Salt Lake and briefly tour Temple Square.
So, please tell me how these plans are. I keep calling for an extra night in Yellowstone, but there is nothing available for an extra night.
Also, dd has adhd. So, we might limit time on the geyser areas in case she runs and doesn't listen.

There is no railing on the walkway out to Grand Prismatic Spring. Make sure DD understands the dangers of hot water.
The Mammoth Hot Springs attractions are within walking distance of your lodging in Mammoth.
The one public swimming spot at the Great Salt Lake does have showers to use right after you get out.
If you don't take a good shower and rinse out your swimsuit, you will be very itchy within an hour.

Here is my trip report on Yellowstone with kids the age of yours:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ellowstone.cfm

Here is my trip report on Jackson with kids:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

I live in Salt Lake. Do not waste your time here when awesome National Parks beckon!!!!

That water in the Salt Lake is going to be cooold in June. I understand that he might need to swim there--some people do. It stinks like holy heck--but not so bad in June. You could make it a day trip to Antelope Island, which has some interesting things. Does your DH understand that the Golden Spike monument really isn't much?? Like unless he is a train fanatic, it will not be interesting to him? (maybe he is....)

Not sure if you medicate your daughter for ADHD--if you do, then meds whilst visiting the geysers are a MUST!!! (as a mom of a son with similar issues, I know from whence I speak) One wrong step and it does not end well!

Pack a cooler and snacks in the car - also perhaps some sort of activity if she becomes restless if stuck in an animal jam on the roads. No matter where the destination, ADHD or not, a bored hungry kid is not a good traveling companion and food and drink is not as available while touring the Parks as many kids are accustomed to.

But don't eliminate anything your daughter might find boring - you might be surprised.

Thank you so much for your replies. I am pretty sure we can teach her about the danger of getting off of the walkway. We went to Niagara Falls last year, and she definitely understood the dangers of the Falls. She was a little frightened when she stood on the Hurricane Platform at Cave of the Winds, and she does not scare easily.

I was thinking of getting automatic read thermometers so she could point to a spot and see how hot it is. I hear that Adventures by Disney provides that for the kids on their tour. Anyone ever do this.

Thank you so much for your replies.

StanHyde, I just read both trip reports. They were awesome. I love the idea of rodeo school, but that might be too advanced for my daughter. I like the raptor idea, too. We are thinking of the Barker-Ewing Float trip & 4 hour whitewater rafting trip. My husband and I never went whitewater rafting. We are both in reasonable shape, though.

I am pretty sure we can teach her about the danger of getting off of the walkway. We went to Niagara Falls last year, and she definitely understood the dangers of the Falls. She was a little frightened when she stood on the Hurricane Platform at Cave of the Winds, and she does not scare easily.

I was thinking of getting automatic read thermometers so she could point to a spot and see how hot it is. I hear that Adventures by Disney provides that for the kids on their tour. Anyone ever do this.

We do books on tape--my kids looooove them. I don't know about the thermometers.

I wouldn't do the float trip and the whitewater trip. I would do one or the other. Float trips can be boring in that you are sitting still for 4 hours. Great scenery, but still sitting.

If you still want to do something with horses--there are lots of trail rides you can do. I like those better than being in an arena. But my daughter liked being in the arena because she could lope (canter) the horse. There is also the alpine slide in Jackson-fun for a quick bit.