Advice on a yellowstone/grand teton itinerary -- 5 days

Hi:

I hope I%26#39;m posting in the right forum -- my sister and I are planning a short%26#39;ish%26#39; vacation with my parents in early August for Yellowstone/Grand teton. We only have ~ 5 days to spend on this trip and I%26#39;d love to hear your advice on possible driving itineraries. We%26#39;re likely to fly into Jackson, but we%26#39;re not sure whether to fly out of Jackson as well, or fly out of Bozeman, perhaps? I%26#39;m not sure what would be the best and would appreciate any insight. We have yet to book reservations for accommodations.

Thanks!

Advice on a yellowstone/grand teton itinerary -- 5 days

I%26#39;d probably be thinking about flying out of Billings instead of Bozeman so I would drive the Beartooth highway, but before I committed myself I%26#39;d want to check out the drop off charge for the rental car. I might even check with the locations reversed, flying into Billings and out Jackson to see if there is a major difference in total cost, flight plus rental. I%26#39;d maybe even compare with Bozeman as one of the locations.

Advice on a yellowstone/grand teton itinerary -- 5 days

With only 5 days to see both parks..not much time to travel too far from the parks. I would check to see which airfare is best..Jackson, Bozeman or Billings. Also as mentioned before, check drop off charges onthe car. To make things easy...here%26#39;s a trip in and out of Jackson.

Day 1 fly into Jackson WY. See Tetons. Stay in Tetons or Jackson

Day 2 Tetons in the morning, then up to YS. Stay in the park if you can or in West YS.

Day 3 YS

Day 4 YS

Day 5 Back to Jackson to fly out.

I would suggest that you make your lodging reservations as soon as possible.

If you will be trying to stay in YNP, where you stay will depend on where you can find a vacancy. Call Xanterra directly, as they have more current info on availablity than is shown on their website.

Good Luck - and come back with any further questions!

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do I need SUV in early May?

Hi. I am planning to visit YNP in early May. We will be driving from salt lake city.

My question is do I need SUV/4X4 for the visit to yellowstone? Normally I rent a compact sedan for travel and I%26#39;ve noticed that renting SUV costs so much more! (compact sedan under $200 SUV ovr $500!)

do I need SUV in early May?

The quick, easy answer is, ';NO'; you should not need an SUV(4x4). However, let me qualify that.

Depending on how early in May you are going, you could experience some late winter weather at the higher elevations in YNP, including snowy and icy roads, and possibly wet and muddy conditions. If you are comfortable driving in conditions like that in a standard car, then by all means save the difference in price. If you are from a rural area in New York, that type of late winter/early spring driving should be nothing new for you.

One other point regarding a larger vehicle. Once in the park you will be spending a lot of time in the vehicle. Some find an SUV more comfortable, easier climbing in and out, and more room for passengers, gear and luggage. Are those features worth the extra charges? That is strictly up to you. For the most part, you will be driving on well maintained, paved roads, so off-road capability is not a requirement.

do I need SUV in early May?

Are you planning on staying on paved roads and just following the roads in Yellowstone?

We are having some spring snowstorms which has built up snow levels in the higher elevations and off the roads. The roads themselves in early Map are generally free of snow.

The other advantage to an SUV is these vehicles generally sit up higher and you can see out and over for better viewing. Especially if there are snowbanks.

Not sure if Salt Lake has a Dollar rental car but I just rented a Jeep Liberty this weekend at a very low price $200 for the week. I think they have some promos

Check them out to see if you can get a good rate out of Salt Lake

I used Coupon code LNKSH to save an extra 5% use in the promo code spot

If you have a Costco membership check out their rental car rates - they tend to be cheaper. Also, they have a liberal cancellation policy, so if you find something better, you can always change.

You wouldn%26#39;t necessarily need 4-wheel drive, but for reasons already stated an SUV is an advantage if you can find a good price!

I don%26#39;t think it is a bad idea to have one. We were in Yellowstone and the Tetgons last spring from June 6-12. I was glad we were in a 4 wheel drive. We had snow on 5 of the 7 days we were there. On 3 of those days, there was significant snow and the roads were icy.

The day we left YNP for GTNP (June 10), they closed the South Entrance about 30 minutes after we exited the park. The roads were very slick that morning. On the day we left GTNP for Denver (June 12), we had to go south through Pinedale because Togwotee Pass was closed with over a foot of snow. While last June%26#39;s weather was on the extreme side (a West Yellowstone business man told me that they had opted not to participate in global warming), you better be prepared with layers of clothes. We saw MANY tourists buying coats because they didn%26#39;t have layers for comfort.

On a positive note, we saw some beautiful and unexpected winter time scenery in June and we were able to get around to where we wanted to go. Wildlife was abundant in all areas. You will have a great trip, just be prepared. Since you are from NY, driving in snow probably won%26#39;t be a big issue for you.

Closest airport to Yellowstone

What are the closest airports to Yellowstone. Do you have recommendations? We arrive on June 20th %26#39;09.

Closest airport to Yellowstone

Don%26#39;t really know all the airports in the region, but Jackson, Wyoming is convenient at about 1.5 hours from Yellowstone. Regularly served by American Airlines and other carriers. Located in Jackson Hole beside Grand Teton National Park. Flights there can be more expensive than other options such as Salt lake City which requires a long drive but may be worth it depending upon your budget.

Closest airport to Yellowstone

Major airports in the vicinity of Yellowstone Park are Denver, Salt Lake City and Billings. Of those three Billings would be the closest. Billings to the northeast entrance is 120 miles (over Beartooth Pass).

You can also fly into smaller airports in Bozeman, MT, Jackson, WY and Cody WY. All three are relatively close to the park.

Deb

The closest airports to YNP are; Bozeman, Montana(BZN), Billings, Montana(BIL), Cody, Wyoming(COD) and Jackson, Wyoming(JAC). There is also limited seasonal commercial service into West Yellowstone, Montana(WYS). Others choose to fly into Salt lake City, Utah(SLC) and even Denver, Colorado(DEN) and drive the rest of the way to Yellowstone.

The choice of an airport usually depends upon your budget first of all, how much driving you feel like doing after you land, where you plan on staying,and the areas that you want to spend the bulk of your time in. Without knowing these things, it%26#39;s hard for anyone to recommend the ';best'; airport. If you can fill us in a little bit on your ';wish list'; or proposed itinerary we can probably help you better.

We have flown into both Denver and Salt Lake City in the summer. I like SLC better and it is closer. We will fly into Jackson Hole this winter for our snowcoach trip.

The closest airport to the park is in West Yellowstone (2 miles from the western boundary) which operates seasonally. It will be open when you come. It would require a transfer in Denver or Salt Lake from Delta Airlines.

Thank you for all the input. After checking into SLC and rental car and gas costs, plus the extra time it would take to get to YNP, we decided to go into Jackson and stay a few days in GTNP, then go up to YNP for the rest of the 9 day trip. The last day will be driving directly back to Jackson, so not really a Yellowstone day. But I think this will give us the most time in the NPs which is our goal.

[Sorry for not responding earlier. I didn%26#39;t know about responding.]

Since your trip will include a stay in GTNP, Jackson is a great choice for airport. You will have to connect through either DEN or SLC depending on your choice of airline. Jackson(JAC) is a fun little airport located right at the base of The Tetons, about 8 miles(12-13K)north of the town, and weather permitting, you will have a spectacular view of the mountains as your flight lands.

If you have not already done so, I would strongly urge you to lock in your lodging reservations RIGHT AWAY! In-park facitities are somewhat limited, and they do fill up very quickly MONTHS in advance.

Have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy your holiday next year!

Thank you. We are staying at Jackson Lake Lodge for the first three nights and Canyon Lodge for the remainder of the time. I keep telling my extended family to reserve, but... you can lead a horse to water... you know.

Just remember ..... Horses sleep in stables.......

Hello, we%26#39;re planning our trip for December 2009 and will be flying in to Jackson airport. We plan to stay at the Old Faithful Lodge after 1 night in Jackson (we%26#39;ll be coming from Mexico, life is rough). Can you recommend transport between Jackson and Old Faithful and back? Thank you!!

Traveling to Yellowstone National Park

We are looking to take a road-trip from Wisconsin to Yellowstone. However, we have no idea where to stay when we get there. Also we are traveling on a budget. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Traveling to Yellowstone National Park

Stop in Cody for a night and enjoy rodeo and museums then make your base in the park or in West Yellowstone for touring YNP. Call Xanterra ASAP for in park reservations.

Traveling to Yellowstone National Park

www.travelyellowstone.com is the website for Xanterra. Phone number is available there.

Just how small is your budget? We saved a bunch of money by staying in our tent. There are a number of campgrounds in Yellowstone and along the way between Wisconsin and Yellowstone. With the difference in lodging costs, we can afford longer vacations and better restaurants.

Yellowstone Hikes

In August, we are flying in to SLC, spending 2 days in Grand Teton, 4 days in Yellowstone, 4 days in Glacier, and 1 day in Waterton-Lakes. I found a great book on Glacier that has some good hikes, but I can%26#39;t seem to find a good one for Yellowstone.

What are the best hikes for those in good shape? We could either do 2-3 shorter hikes or 1 longer hike (up to 10 miles) per day. We would like to fill all four days with hikes, however I know it takes awhile to drive around the park and get to different locations. We are staying in a Lake Yellowstone Frontier Cabin.

So far I only have these suggestions:

- Shoshone Lake

- Mount Washburn

- Lone Star Geyser

- Fairy Falls

Thank you!

Yellowstone Hikes

I had considered Specimen Ridge but didn%26#39;t have time (or energy) to go. The trail to the brink of the lower falls is interesting as is Uncle Tom%26#39;s Trail that takes you to the lower side of the falls on the opposite side of the river. If you want another look over the park, Bunsen Peak could be a nice hike.

Yellowstone Hikes

There are several good books available covering all of the hiking trails within Yellowstone. Did you know that there are over 1,000 miles of trails in Yellowstone? I use a guide called, ';YELLOWSTONE TRAILS ... A hiking guide'; by Mike Marschall. It gives descriptions and maps of all the trails. It shows you how to locate the trailheads, and it gives detailed info about each trail, such as distances, elevation changes, terrain conditions, and just about anything you want to know. It also contains lots of other tips and general info about wildlife and backcountry hiking in the park. If you can%26#39;t find it locally, you can order the book from The Yellowstone Association right on line @

www.yellowstoneassociation.org then go to the online store.

Enjoy!

Have you checked the Park website? Here%26#39;s their link for hikes: www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

The book I use is: Hiking in YNP by Bill Schneider (a Falcon Guide). I like it because it divides the hikes by area, length, difficulty, etc. But there are lots of other good books out there too - you might check the Barnes and Noble or Borders websites, if you haven%26#39;t already.

Have a great trip!

Try this link if you like waterfalls. Some aren%26#39;t a hike, but you can pick out ones that are short hikes.

www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/wfalls.htm

It%26#39;s been a while since we were there and we are anxious to go back when my DH retires this year.

Outdoor,

What types of hikes interest you and what are you interested in seeing on those hikes. There are a slew of great Yellowstone hikes but I hate to throw out ideas without knowing what you are looking for.

Our two favorite day hike books for YNP are ';Day Hiking Yellowstone'; by Tom Carter and ';Hiking the Yellowstone Backcountry'; by Orveill Bach. Hopefully, they are still in print.

Specimen Ridge. The Specimen Ridge trail is 17.5 miles long, but . . . there is a short-cut trail (3 miles rt, but steep 1300 ft climb and not well-marked) to a slew of standing petrified trees and nice vistas. Hence you want a good trail book guide or, if they are offering it, the all-day ranger-led hike. The short-cut trail starts about 4.3 miles east of Tower Junction, on the Northeast Entrance Road.

Hi RobUSA,

How far into the Specimen Ridge trail are the petrified trees?

Hi again, 1TravelingFamily!

If you use the short-cut both ways, the petrified trees are about 1.5 miles in. I think the last time we took houseguests, we took a more visible trail up the open ridge a little further to the east, headed west into the forest to find the stumps, and then came straight down (north) the shortcut, so it was a little longer (3.5? rt) for us. Once you are up on the ridge, you will find well-worn paths to the specimens. It%26#39;s the shortcut(s) to and from that section of the ridge that are hard to find. If they aren%26#39;t doing a ranger-led hike, I would recommend getting some map guidance from a ranger.

yellowstonepark.com/Things/…

RobUSA:

Thank you for the specific info re. the petrified trees. Hopefully there will be a ranger-led hike, but if not, we still will hike there.

Loved the website! I checked out the various topics-(I wasn%26#39;t aware that YNP was home to trumpeter swans. Would love to see some!)

Thanks, Rob.

driving itinerary

Yippee..we think we have a new plan for our summer 2010 trip.

Fly into Salt Lake City, rent car

Drive to Yellowstone, spend a glorious week.

Leave Yellowstone, drive to Zion/Bryce/Arches/Canyonlands and spend a week exploring, hiking, photography,etc.

We%26#39;ve been to the Tetons, so that is not a must see for the trip out of Yellowstone.

Where would be a good half way point to spend the night between YNP and Southern Utah Parks?

Still not sure which park will be first but most likely Zion as it is the furthest south.

We will then drive back to SLC, drop off the car and fly to Denver to visit family. Time is flexible as I have the entire summer off so if we needed to add a day here or there we can do that.

Thanks for any suggestions!

driving itinerary

It%26#39;s about 600 miles from West Yellowstone (just for an example) to Springdale, UT at the entrance to Zion National Park. It could be done in one day, but my rear gets tired of sitting that long, so I%26#39;d be looking to stop somewhere between Salt Lake City and Springdale, except there aren%26#39;t any bigger cities in that area. I might think about spending part of the day in Yellowstone and getting a later start, stopping in Salt Lake-Provo area and going on the next day.

driving itinerary

Hi there,

We have done this trip a few times and have stopped at Vernal and Grand Junction. Vernal is close to Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Junction has lots of lodging options.

An absolute must is driving state highway 128 from I70 to Moab it is probably one of the most scenic roads in the world. It’s a great way to start your visit to Arches National Park.

WMT

Hi Pozj. Can%26#39;t help with where to stop, but it sounds like a great trip!

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Wildflowers still blooming late Aug/early Sept?

Or is that too late in the season? We%26#39;re going Aug 30-Sept 4, and would love to see some.

If they are still blooming at that time, what are the best areas of the park to see them? Any recommended hikes for viewing wildflowers?

Thanks!

Wildflowers still blooming late Aug/early Sept?

Wildflowers for the most part are spring time surprises. Hopefully you will hit an Indian Summer (meaning a plesant and sunny fall). There may a be a few flowers, but not much. You are more likely to hit a dusting of snow then. It is as likely to snow on Labor Day as it is to be sunny. Be prepared for anything. You may catch some fall colors -- the fact that the park virtually is shut down by mid-Sept. gives you an idea that you will just be around the corner from winter in Yellowstone. Fall is my favorite time in the park.

Wildflowers still blooming late Aug/early Sept?

I can appreciate your desire to see mountain wildflowers. Here is an image of Mt. Rainier in ';springtime';, which is late July and August, at mile high visitor centers. Our ';backyard'; here in Seattle.

cornforthimages.com/images/Paradise_Wildflow…

YNP is beautiful in the Fall. No wildflowers, but some beautiful color changes in the shrubs, etc.

I too love that time of year there - Have Fun!

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