View Full Version : Yellowstone National Park/Grand Teton National Park
I'm thinking about a trip there in June. Anyone have suggestions/must do's? All I have on the list right now is doing a geyser walk. I've been fascinated to see Old Faithful after seeing the Disney reproduction at Disneyworld Florida. :~)
I've only been to the Tetons. Thought they were spectacular in my brief visit last summer. Stop by at the bridge crossing between Jackson town and the airport to visit with the moose. Speaking of Jackson airport, the short runway and severe weather is not for the faint of heart---I think I'd choose a regional jet or turboprop deliberately next time.
Downtown Jackson is worth a couple of hours visit, but I thought it was very expensive and not very user-friendly. We arrived back in town late after touring and had a lot of trouble getting a late dinner.
:sick:$220 a night for a dumpy (though clean) 60s vintage motel room!!!! My wife and daughter found a cheaper and more pleasant room in midtown Manhattan a couple of weeks ago.
With the upper and lower falls. This is where you can see the actual yellow stone of Yellowstone National Park.
If you have any additional time to go north, Glacier National Park is amazing also. The "Going-to-the-Sun" road is fabulous if only for the name.
Crossing the continental divide is kind of fun. You can do that in both Glacier and Yellowstone parks.
One of the iconic views of the Tetons is at Oxbow Bend. Another interesting stop is the Cunningham Cabin.
I love the Teton Mountains. It is one of my favorite places I've ever been. The view from the visitor's center is breathtaking.
Lake Hotel on Yellowstone Lake is a beautiful old hotel to wander through. The boat ride on the Lake sounds hoky but I enjoyed it. Learned a lot about the Lake.
Yellowstone Canyon (or whatever it is called) is very pretty. I love Yellowstone too.
jennipurrr
1-5-11, 10:30am
I went to Yelllowstone / Glacier NPs this summer. They were both amazing! I highly recommend the book Yellowstone Treasures by Janet Chapple. My copy got more than its share of usage. It has everything organized by the main roads with distances so it is very easy to follow along as you drive through the park. It is one of the best guidebooks I have ever used.
Definitely book a night at the Old Faithful Inn if you can! It is not cheap but it was worth it. Don't let the shared bathrooms scare you as they are very nice. One afternoon after we had been out all day, we sat on the deck and watched Old Faithful go off several times. You have to book early, so you might want to consider doing that ASAP.
I loved driving through the Lamar Valley...there isn't a lot going on there geologically but the animals there are amazing.
Up above Mammoth there is a little spot where you can get in the water where a hot spring meets cold water. It is called the Boiling River. DH spent most of the trip dying to touch the springs (a big no no!) and so he was really thrilled to be able to get in.
Here are some pics of highlights from our trip - it is Yellowstone until you get to the Arch, then it starts Glacier. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2494125&id=27431285&l=306395af71
Wow- those were some awesome pictures! I did pick up the Yellowstone Treasures book- and I am pumped. The only tough thing will be narrowing down the itinerary to put in 5-6 days.
Thanks all for your suggestions!
Unless you plan to do some big hikes in the Tetons, you can plan to spend just one day there. I would recommend the majority of the time be spent in Yellowstone. Teton NP is absolutely beautiful, but it's a narrow park so you can just spend a day driving through it, stopping at various spots to take in the views and maybe do a small hike then go on to the next one. Also, they are right next to each other so you can plan to stay in either one on the transition day. Yellowstone is so huge and has so many different types of things to see that it's worth planning ahead a little. DH and I spent a week there in early Sept and it was fantastic. Be sure to see not only Old Faithful but some of the other geysers. There is an easy hiking path to a bunch of them and there's beautiful pools as well as the geysers. You're nearly guaranteed to see buffalo and likely to see moose, elk, bears and trout if you look in the streams. If you have 3 full days I would recommend a day for geysers (Old Faithful area), a day at Mammoth (terraces etc) and a day around Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. More days could add more time at any of these or other areas such as the Lamar valley. We camped the entire time; some backpacking and some car camping so it was cheap but I don't have recommendations for places to stay in the park.
A soak in the boiling river is a real treat that's not commonly known about other than "locals." Entering Yellowstone from the Gardner entrance, before Mammoth, is a bridge with parking lots on the left and right of the road. To the left is a 1/4 mile path to the intersection of Gardner River with the Boiling River (natural hot water) where you can soak in the hot water and enjoy the views of the gorgeous scenery. There are often mountain goats on the left before the bridge! :) Enjoy your travels!
fidgiegirl
11-28-11, 6:15pm
@MTRachel, I did that as a teenager. Unforgettable!!
I've been to YNP many times and enjoy everything about this magical place! Take your time and explore as much as possible. If your into wildlife watching spend time in the Lamar and Haden Valleys and have your camera ready. I prefer to camp in National Parks as it adds so much to the "park experience." Many of the campgrounds have nightly ranger led programs that I would highly recommend.
I'm planning another trip to YNP this summer. This one will be a bike touring/camping trip. I'll be going (via bicycle)to a different campground each night and then site seeing in each area on my bike.
There is always lots of traffic in YNP so be patient and enjoy!
:sick:$220 a night for a dumpy (though clean) 60s vintage motel room!!!! My wife and daughter found a cheaper and more pleasant room in midtown Manhattan a couple of weeks ago.
There is a very clean and basic Motel 6 in Jackson that goes for around $40/night - more in summer and durning ski season but a good place to stay. I just checked the rate for Christmas eve (high demand usually) and for one person it was $39/night.
We did both on one trip a couple of years ago and loved it. If you're there in June, remember that at some of the elevations you'll encounter, it may be quite cold still.
This pic was taken on our motorcycle explorations outside Jackson Hole in July, at a stop to warm up. My teeth were chattering.
http://lefttoright.net/images/Grand Tetons
Nice pic!! I'm jealous. I want a motorcycle again. I went on a trip up there on my little Yamaha years (10?) ago and it was freezing too!! That pic I posted awhile ago of me on my MC (in shorts and tank top - UGH) was the same trip - wore real clothes then for sure :-)! Beautiful place but it will be cold - and usually very crowded - in June so the OP should make camping or hotel reservations months before going.
Also just check Motel 6 for a Sat night in mid-June 2012 and it was $109/night but last week of May (before Memorial Day) was $59/night. I guess the $39/night rate is in off season. A good reason to travel in early fall, late spring if possible.
I'm thinking about a trip there in June. Anyone have suggestions/must do's? All I have on the list right now is doing a geyser walk. I've been fascinated to see Old Faithful after seeing the Disney reproduction at Disneyworld Florida. :~)
If you'll have a car (or if the shuttle is running) you might want to take a trip out to the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone" area. Very cool place with a big waterfall and spectacular views of the river. Lots of hiking trails everywhere too. Another area I like is the more remote western half called something like the Geyser Basin area I think. Less people then around Old Faithful (Old Fartful as I call it :-)!) and the nearby wooden boardwalk trails. Also make sure and check out the Old Fartful Lodge. I think it was built in the 1800's and is very cool. One of my dreams is to stay at least one night in all of the old Nat Park lodges (not frugal) as they are very interesting. Also the short drive around Jenny Lake in the Tetons is nice. I like the Tetons better than Yellowstone myself (less crowded and grander scenery IMHO).
I've been to YNP many times and enjoy everything about this magical place! Take your time and explore as much as possible. If your into wildlife watching spend time in the Lamar and Haden Valleys and have your camera ready. I prefer to camp in National Parks as it adds so much to the "park experience." Many of the campgrounds have nightly ranger led programs that I would highly recommend.
I'm planning another trip to YNP this summer. This one will be a bike touring/camping trip. I'll be going (via bicycle)to a different campground each night and then site seeing in each area on my bike.
There is always lots of traffic in YNP so be patient and enjoy!
Bill - one of the old posters here (Simple GIB aka Gary) also does self-contained bike touring and he did one in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons last summer. I don't remember what he said about it other then thsat it was crazy crowded with crazy drivers everywhere and he wouldn't do that again except off season. He blogs on a website called www.crazyguyonabike.com which has tons of info and may "journals" from other long distance bike tourers. Lots and lots of great inspiratinal storeies. My fav being the couple who is going from Calif down thru S. America and then to Timbuctu. So far logging over 1100 days touring!! I'm very jealous of you as that is one thing I'd like to do someday - bike touring - never tried it asit's too hard with dogs. How long are your tours usually? Do you camp the whole time or mix it up (motel occasionally)? Do you need to make reservations months ahead like most campers do to Yellowstone or do they have hiker/biker walk in camps? Do you ever run across people with a dog(s) who do bike touring? Definetly something I'm considering doing once the weather warms up. Now that I have just one small dog (who can ride in a basket on my handlebars) it might actually be doable. Now I do what I call "Lazy Lindi" style touring - which is I stay in one place (tent camp or motel) for a week or 2 and then tour around on my bike unencumbered on long day rides - returning back my "base camp" everynight. Going a different route everyday. It's fun to do it that way but would like to try touring long distance somneday.
If you'll have a car (or if the shuttle is running) you might want to take a trip out to the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone" area. Very cool place with a big waterfall and spectacular views of the river.
If you're gonna talk about it, we at least need pictures. Oh, I just happen to have a few.
http://lefttoright.net/images/grand canyon of yellowstone.jpg
http://lefttoright.net/images/grand canyon of yellowstone falls.jpg
Awesome Alan!! Want to see More More More... I have some of that same area myself but they are scanned from photos and not as nice as yours.
OK, someone mentioned Old Faithful earlier. How about one of it?
http://lefttoright.net\images\old faithful.jpg
Bill - one of the old posters here (Simple GIB aka Gary) also does self-contained bike touring and he did one in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons last summer. I don't remember what he said about it other then thsat it was crazy crowded with crazy drivers everywhere and he wouldn't do that again except off season. He blogs on a website called www.crazyguyonabike.com (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com) which has tons of info and may "journals" from other long distance bike tourers. Lots and lots of great inspiratinal storeies. My fav being the couple who is going from Calif down thru S. America and then to Timbuctu. So far logging over 1100 days touring!! I'm very jealous of you as that is one thing I'd like to do someday - bike touring - never tried it asit's too hard with dogs. How long are your tours usually? Do you camp the whole time or mix it up (motel occasionally)? Do you need to make reservations months ahead like most campers do to Yellowstone or do they have hiker/biker walk in camps? Do you ever run across people with a dog(s) who do bike touring? Definetly something I'm considering doing once the weather warms up. Now that I have just one small dog (who can ride in a basket on my handlebars) it might actually be doable. Now I do what I call "Lazy Lindi" style touring - which is I stay in one place (tent camp or motel) for a week or 2 and then tour around on my bike unencumbered on long day rides - returning back my "base camp" everynight. Going a different route everyday. It's fun to do it that way but would like to try touring long distance somneday.
Hi Spartana-I remember Gary (from the old forums) and have read some of his journals on CGOAB. There are some really good and inspiring journals there. I'm new to bike touring (have been a roadie for several years) this year. I did some short local tours this summer and then did a 6 day tour to Glacier National Park back in August. Myself and two cycling friends took the train (with our touring bikes) to Glacier. It was an awesome trip! We spent the first and last night in a motel and camped in and around the park the other nights.
I have seen journals of people who tour with dogs. I recall one guy pulled his dog in a kiddie trailer. Another woman regularly does trips with her smaller dog in a basket. If your interested search the name Jenia on the CGOAB website.
Yellowstone does have hiker/biker sites which is great as it takes out the stress of finding a site. I have also done the basecamp type of trip that you mentioned and depending on location can work out very well.
I hope you get out there as it's great fun and rather addicting.
Thanks for the info Bill. I do have a bike trailer that I used when I had bigger dogs and it works great but am hoping I can just use the basklet for the little dog and get some panniers. In the process of trying to sell my house now so I can travel full time and hope to do some bike trips - touring or Lazy Lindi basecamp style - in late spring.
Alan - Love the photos!!! Post some more if you got them. Right now I have to live vicariously thru thu other people's travel adventure photos and stories so keep 'em coming!!
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