1 night lodging, 1 day trip. Where to stay, what to do?

We will be spending 3 days in Yellowstone, spending the last night at Old Faithful Inn, leaving YNP on May 20. I would like to take the following day and see what we can of Grand Teton. I%26#39;m thinking we need to drive south through the park, making a few stops and take a hike at Jenny Lake, maybe a boat ride.

There doesn%26#39;t seem to be a central reservations for lodging in the park. I do like staying in the park. I don%26#39;t need amenities, but budget is definitely a consideration. So having said that, is there a place I should check out for one night%26#39;s lodging in the park, or should I head to Jackson for the night?

I don%26#39;t really care about the nightlife. We%26#39;re really looking at the scenery and wildlife.

I%26#39;d rather have a view or some interesting place but if it%26#39;s all too expensive I would be willing to stay in a Super 8.

What would you do for the day? What kind of suggestions would you have for lodging? I%26#39;d love to sleep in a cabin but we will be there May 20, so I%26#39;m not sure what%26#39;s open then.

Thanks.

Cindy

1 night lodging, 1 day trip. Where to stay, what to do?

Our Grand Tetons has links to the 3 choices in the Tetons. Look at the bottom of the page.

www.alandsuejohnson.com/grand_tetons_top.htm

Colter Bay might be the closest to budget.

If you can, stay in the park. All three of the main lodges have a nice view. We%26#39;ve stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge twice and drove through the others.

You might also look at our 2008 trip (button at top). It will show you what we did with a full day and might give you some ideas.

1 night lodging, 1 day trip. Where to stay, what to do?

Unfortunately Colter Bay is not open yet. We can get a cabin at Signal Mt. for $160. I do love staying in the park. We could stay in Jackson for probably half that, but you give up those views.

It%26#39;s a cross country trip for my son and me, so I want it to be memorable but not break the bank. I%26#39;ll think about it for a day.

Your webpage is awesome and I%26#39;ll have to spend more time navigating and looking at those awesome pictures.

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn%26#39;t know where to start with lodging in the park.

Cindy

Colter Bay cabin would be your best bet for about $100...simple and clean accomodations. But they may or may not be open on May 20th. Jackson Lake Lodge is nicer but much pricier. Both can be booked through here: http://www.gtlc.com/

If neither of those work-out, I%26#39;d shoot for staying in Jackson. You can leave Old Faithful Inn early on May 20th, drive through Grand Teton. Maybe do a short hike to Inspiration Point and a boat ride across Jenny Lake. See if any moose are out near Oxbow bend. Stop at Jackson Lake Lodge for a great view of the Tetons. Maybe fit in a short hike in the valley (will probably be pretty snow packed in the mountains on May 20th). Then head into Jackson in the evening. Explore the town a little and grab a good bite to eat (probably your best meal of the trip after some of the dining options in Yellowstone). If time allows on May 21, then drive back into the park and do some more exploring.

Since Colter Bay is not available, I am seriously thinking about staying in Jackson. We could have the whole day in the park and come back the next morning if we wanted. I%26#39;m thinking I could save some money for activities and food. We probably wouldn%26#39;t get into Jackson until late in the day so I think we could at least get in some pretty awesome sights. And Jackson could be fun too for a night.

I like all your suggestions about things to do. It sounds like a great plan. Plus food is really expensive in the park. I will be packing a cooler and we will have dinner at Old Faithful Inn the night before.

Do you think the boats will be out on Jenny Lake that early?

Thanks again,

Cindy

CRose...I think staying in Jackson is a good call. There really aren%26#39;t many great places in GT with splendid views from your room...Jenny lake cabins and Jackson Lake Lodge nicer rooms are the only two that come to mind. But they are really expensive for the accomodations.

In regards to Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle...it opens at 10:00am. http://www.jennylakeboating.com/ I imagine you won%26#39;t get there before 10:00am from Old Faithful Inn. You can either take a one-way shuttle and hike back, or do the opposite of that, or take a roundtrip shuttle. Its a flat and easy 2 mile hike.

I%26#39;d stop at Jackson Lake Lodge first and catch some good views from the back of the lodge. They also have some reasonable breakfast at the Pioneer Grill. Then Oxbow Bend is only a few miles further down the road. Best place to catch a moose in the willow flats, but not guarantees. A drive up Signal Mountain offers some good views from the top. Then there are numerous hikes north and south of the Jenny Lake area. The String Lake area has a nice picnic area.

In Jackson there is plenty to do for an evening. When booking a hotel there, make sure to check the hotel%26#39;s website for pricing (as I%26#39;ve found it to be lower than the Expedia/Travelocity sites). You should get offseason rates on May 20th, so keep an eye out for that. And there are many nice hotels/motels that aren%26#39;t listed on those sites, so make sure to look into the listing of hotels in the Jackson area. I also recommend booking a room within walking distance of the town square. This way you can park at your hotel and just walk.

Have fun!

Thanks for all your great suggestions. I thought it would be fun to walk to Jackson square. Is this mostly little shops and restaurants? How late does all that stay open?

I did find a few very reasonable hotels in Jackson. Some reviews are not as good but we%26#39;ll be there for one night. I have been checking Tripadviser and also Expedia. I like to buy direct from the hotel webpage if possible. I could get a room for around $80 I think or up to $130 for a little better review :) Can you recommend anyplace?

Thanks for all your information on the drives and hikes. I will take it with me and try to work it in. I%26#39;m so excited.

Cindy

I%26#39;m glad I could help with your planning. I%26#39;ve stayed a few different places in Jackson. All of them moderatly priced at about $100 - $125 during the peak season. The best accomodations I%26#39;ve had for the dollar have been at the Ranch Inn. And they have a special on their tower rooms now (which are fairly new and nice with views of Snow King mountain and a balcony). Only a block to town square. http://www.ranchinn.com/index.htm#specials

I think the shops stay open until around 9:00ish. May be earlier than that in May. Lots of shops with Mountain Western themed items in them. Lots of souveniers and various local outfitters. But the town has a nice feel to it with wooden boardwalks and surrounded by small mountains in the valley. There are many good restaurants to choose from, and it will be a welcome meal after the National Park food.

Another thing to do in Jackson is to take the ski lift up Signal Mountain if the weather is nice. Offers nice views of the town and valley below. Or you can hike up and ride down (or vice versa).

I made our reservation for Jackson, so I%26#39;m all set. It would be fun to do a hike up Signal Mountain. I%26#39;m not sure how far up that would be. But we will be in the car a lot so we need to break it up with some exercise.

I have two nights with no reservations but I think I%26#39;ll leave them open as they are just on the driving stretch and want to get as far as we can. I%26#39;m thinking along I-90 during the week shouldn%26#39;t be a big problem. Leave a little flexibility in our schedule.

Thanks for all your help. I%26#39;m really excited.

CRose....I%26#39;m sorry, I said take a ski lift up ';Signal'; Mountain. I meant to say ';Snow King'; Mountain. Signal Mountain is in the park and you can either drive up it or hike up it. Snow King is about a 1/2 mile from Jackson Square.

You%26#39;ll have a great time. Late May / Early June is my favorite time to visit the area...less crowds, cooler weather, full waterfalls, and more wildlife.

Ranch Inn is a nice place to stay. A block of the square and is walk to Snow King. Also check out the Antler Inn. The Virginian probably has the best combination of a place that is clean with no thrills and best price, but you are about a mile or so walk to the town sqaure.

The time of year that you are coming, drive the Moose to Teton Village Road and the Road out to Kelly along the Gors Ventre River for wildlife. May is a great time to see Moose in that area.

If you are also looking for a chance to see some wildlife and get some great scenery, you can%26#39;t be a float trip. Check out Dave Hansen and Barker Ewing.

blush