About to road-trip with the fam to Yellowstone... any ideas?

how many days will you spend in the park? also, you’ll be very close to the grand tetons national park (awesome as well). any plans to visit there? at least 2 days needed for a decent visit to yellowstone, a day or less for grand tetons. both parks have paved roads that will give you access to most of the best sites at each park. when you enter the park a park ranger will give you a map of the roads. highly recommended if you’re not spending more than just a couple of days visiting – you will be more than highly rewarded! have a great time!

@avalmez haha I think we’re spending 3 days there… it should be exciting. I’ve always wanted to go in the winter and see the wild wolves but I guess I’ll just have to settle for summer. Did you eat or lodge at any interesting places? Any certain establishments you recommend I visit? Sorry, I just have an utter fear of ‘missing out’ that’s why I’m asking lol. Take care and thank you!

just don’t get blown up by the supervolcano

there are lodges and places to eat throughout yellowstone. i don’t recall any at grand tetons. lots of wild life to see in any case. guarentee buffalo, moose most likely, elks, sheep…you go by a eagle nesting site tho i think this time of year you probably won’t see any. bear at a distance highly likely (and desireable). there’s a nice lodge by ole’ faithful. i would concerntrate on taking in the site more than eating. i stayed at the Stage Coach Lodge in W. Yellowstone. Good accommodations and W. Yellowstone is a cool village.

and if you have an opportunity, try buffalo burgers – better than beef!

I am so jealous, I went with my three teenage grandsons a few years ago. We sent for the “tour Yellowstone” video, and got a lot of good ideas from that. Go on their website and do the virtual tour. The best ideas are all right there.

Three days isn’t enough to do it right, but in hindsight, I would spend a lot more time visiting the geysers, and less time driving around the beautiful countryside. We stayed in the cabins, since we had a dog with us, and visited the lodges for meals.

@YARNLADY geysers are definitely cool but the paved roads offer so many exciting and beauthiful sites that personally, i’d make certain i do the roaming over concentrating on geysers. there is one geyser that erupts in the wee hours of the day that is supposed to be more spectacular than ole faithful and which i would have liked to have seen. but, it’s also off the paved roads and certainly can be fit into a 3 day trip, more is better of course, but given constraints, go with the roads.

@avalmez that’s what I ran into. I didn’t really have time to go on the hikes required to see the best geysers, and we were there 10 days.

jealous, you must have had a great time

there’s something really special about yellowstone and other parks out west. i’m going to deliberately not use a word i think is appropriate about it because of so much concern on this site about things related to that word.

as you drive about the parks, listen to classical music. bach, beethoven, vivaldi (four seasons, esp). it will speak to your inner-being, ultimate self, uber-person.

Well, if you don’t have reservations in or near the park already, be prepared to have tp stay pretty far away to find a room. There isn’t a whole lot in the way of lodging around the park. Having said that, Yellowstone is amazingly fun and beautiful. Go onto the national park service website to download maps of the park so you can plan your trip now. I wouldn’t spend less than three days exploring the park, because it is HUGE. Give yourself enough time so you don’t miss anything awesome.
Also, one of my favorite national parks, Grand Teton is just south of Yellowstone (with the quaint, but busy, town of Jackson Hole right next door). If you are in the Yellowstone area, Grand Teton is not to miss. It is breathtaking.

If you are stopping in Cheyenne on your way there, expect at least another whole day of driving to get to Yellowstone. Its pretty easy driving on I-80 (the highest point on I-80 is right outside of Laramie (where I live), you’ll see a big sculpture of Lincoln’s head. 8600 feet). I would take 80 to Rock Springs where you’ll take 191. You’ll take that for a while, then it merges onto 189. This will take you to Yellowstone through the south, so you’ll hit up Jackson Hole and the Tetons before getting to Yellowstone. There are many other ways to go, but this is one of the easiest.

On your way home (if you’re going East), leave Yellowstone from the East entrance and you’ll pass through Cody, Greybull, then you’ll start going South to Worland. Pick up I-90 and start your journey back east. Near Sundance, you’ll be able to see Devil’s Tower from I-90, but you can always stop and take a better look. Its pretty cool.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Have a great trip.

also heading west from the park you drive right past badlands natl park. you can’t imiss it as all signs telling you how far you are from wall drug (100’s of them along the way) essentially tell you how far you are from the park.

@avalmez – I think you mean heading East from the park. But you’re right, the Badlands are incredible, too. South Dakota

I just read you live in San Diego. Don’t go to Cheyenne! Too far out of your way. ;-)

yes…east! thanks for the correction les

Any of u know of any good places to stay in the Jackson Hole area? I’m typing this from the iPhone Fluther app were alrdy halfway to Yellowstone!! Yayy

Quality Inn and Suites: 307–733-7550‎
Jackson Hole Lodge: (800) 604–9404‎
Antler Motel:(307) 733–2364‎

Those are just some. Start calling, because I think you’re going to have a hard time finding a room with no reservation.

Consider staying in Idaho Falls, if you can’t find anything in Jackson.