Long lines and delays when entering parks?

We will be visiting both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in July. If we stay outside the parks will we have long delays entering and exiting?

Ideally I would like to stay outside the parks because our experience with accomodations in National Parks in general have not been thrilling - frequently wonderful architecture, but mediocre food, service, and rooms.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Sally

Long lines and delays when entering parks?

Sure there will be people, but nothing to worry about, it will be what it will be. You never know what wildlife will appear while you are in line to enter the park. Long delays no, unless there are animals on the road or construction. Start early and enjoy!

Long lines and delays when entering parks?

We went during July 4th of last year and didn%26#39;t have any problems with crowds. Lines were not that bad and the main thing to remember is the more people means the more more eyes looking for wildlife. We wouldn%26#39;t have been able to see half the animals if it was not for crowds and slowdown of cars with people gawking. What I thought was an average buffalo on a hill was really a grizzly. Wolves following a herd of elk would never had been seen if it weren%26#39;t for groups of people with scopes pointing them out so I could zoom on them with my point and click. So you might have to wait a little bit to get in but once in, everyone works as one and helps each other spot those rare moments that might have been lost otherwise. Have fun and patience!!!!

Sally--a few words about staying at ';inside the park'; lodging. Most of us visit the park system for the natural scenery, wildlife viewing, and to experience the immensity of the outdoors as hikers, photographers, etc. Staying within this environment provides such a unique and exhilarating experience, esp. being able to rise first thing in the morning, walk outside--and there you are! Also being able to enjoy a more relaxing end of a long day instead of having to hightail it out of the park, back to lodging elsewhere. Even if the food, service and rooms are ';mediocre'; compared to places outside of the park, those things would be way down the list, at least for me, when one considers all the tremendous advantages of staying inside the park. Just something for you and others to reconsider.

Thank you all.

We managed to find a cabin at Canyon Lodge, and will be spending four days there. It was always our first choice, but we had no luck finding anything on the Park System website. A phone call solved that problem, plus the strong recommendations on this forum to stay inside the park if at all possible.

We%26#39;re skipping Grand Teton, except maybe for a drive through, and focusing our attention on Yellowstone.

You%26#39;re right, it%26#39;s better to be in the middle of the action, but it%26#39;s a shame that the Park System can%26#39;t find a better contractor for services within the parks.

I%26#39;m struck by your comment: ';...but it%26#39;s a shame that the Park System can%26#39;t find a better contractor for services within the parks.';

In defense of both the contractors and NPS, consider the following: part time, temporary workers; relatively short season; lack of NPS funding for years to update roads, basic infrastructure, much less lodging; etc. My view is, if one wants better lodging, stay in neighboring communities; if one wants the national park experience and a place to crash, stay in the parks. Thankfully, some facilities (e.g., Western Cabins) have been upgraded. I doubt the Frontier and Pioneer Cabins can be (too small, too... well, never mind). Key thing to know is that, for many people being in the park as cheaply as possible, w/o camping, these cabins are good assets.

';We managed to find a cabin at Canyon Lodge, and will be spending four days there. It was always our first choice, but we had no luck finding anything on the Park System website. A phone call solved that problem, plus the strong recommendations on this forum to stay inside the park if at all possible';

voyaging; sounds to me she couldn%26#39;t get reservations made online, I don%26#39;t think she was ';dogging'; the park system. Most of the time its better to do it the old fashion way any way....pick up the phone and call. HTH! (just my 2 cents worth)

Since this thread seems to have gone just a bit off topic anyway, from long lines at the gate, to should we stay inside or outside the park, to Voyaging%26#39;s well stated defence of both The NPS and Xanterra, this feels like an appropriate time to include the following.

While the debate over staying inside the park vs. outside the park will no doubt continue, it%26#39;s a matter of personal choice. The pros and cons of each have been well ';aired';, and there is no right or wrong, one size fitzall answer. What does remain constant on this forum however, is the repeated suggestion from several of us to CALL Xanterra, frequently, rather than rely on their web site alone for inside the park lodging availability, especially as the busy season approaches. Even though it is on their web site, I personally make it a point to include Xanterra%26#39;s TOLL FREE phone number when answering these type of questions. 1-866-439-7375

As stated many times, Xanterra%26#39;s web site is one tool for planning, yes. However as people%26#39;s plans change, they get changes and cancellations all the time. It is impossible for them to have someone dedicated to updating that web site everytime a change is made. Thier agents will work with you, IN REAL TIME, to try and find the accommodations that you might be looking for if they possibly can.

The bottom line is, a toll free phone call will cost you the same as an email, and, as Stormy found out here, if your desire is to stay inside the park, it can, and often does, make the difference.

TennesseeJustme, I agree with you re: website vs. phone call, which has been noted many times on this Forum.]

I was addressing, however, the specific comment which I quoted and which alluded to the quality of the accommodations.

Guys, I wasn%26#39;t attacking the park service.

I agree that by definition a ';National Park'; service should provide a wide variety of services and prices. I have RV camped in Yosemite when we were packed in like sardines, and have stayed at Crater Lake in the lovely lodge.

But when you grant one corporation a monopoly, which we have done in the National Parks, I just wish that the quality was better. For example, I know that the wait staffs are young people from around the world, and that%26#39;s great. But a little extra time training them would make the dining experience, which is quite expensive, much more enjoyable for the public, as well as more efficient for the corporation.

I don%26#39;t want McDonalds in the parks, but I%26#39;ve been advised on this forum several times to stock up on food outside the park so we aren%26#39;t limited to the in-park %26#39;general stores%26#39;.

By the way, thanks to all for the recommendation to call, rather than use the website. At the same time I was calling, and got the cabin at Canyon Lodge, my sister was using the website and finding absolutely no vacancy anywhere.

Again, I%26#39;m a supporter of the National Park system, I just think it could be better, as can everything!

And we%26#39;re really looking forward to our July visit, with thanks to you all for your suggestions.

Sally

Sally, I agree.