Lots of questions for first time family trip to Yellowstone

My husband and I have decided to take our two boys ages 9 and 13 to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. We have never been before, so I am totally clueless. Although I have been reading through all the posts, so I am learning. But, I still have lost of questions. We are planning to go next summer. It will probably be in July, although I%26#39;d rather go in June. But my boys play baseball and my husband doesn%26#39;t want them to miss any games. After reading all of the information, I know we want to stay in the park. I was playing around on the website to book cabins and everything is already full! I thought I was planning pretty early. Should I wait and call in a couple of months? Also I would like your input on the places I%26#39;m considering. Canyon cabins are 1st on my list,followed by Lake Hotel, Roosevelt and Old Faithful Inn. I guess we would want to stay in 2 different places right? What do you think? I also want to visit GTNP. We will be flying from Cincinnnati, so I%26#39;m not sure which airport to fly into. Also, should we plan on seeing Yellowstone first or GTNP? I would also love to drive the Beartooth Highway. Is there a certain airport to fly into that you would drive that highway to get to yellowstone? I know this is long and I%26#39;m rambling on, but I really want to plan this vacation right. My boys are growing up fast so I want it to be special. Any input or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks, Lisa

Lots of questions for first time family trip to Yellowstone

If this is a 2009 trip, you%26#39;re pretty late. That doesn%26#39;t mean you can%26#39;t do it though. Sounds like you%26#39;ve already been to the xanterra website so call them. You might be able to get something close to what you want.

We put this together on our website with the intention of helping folks plan their first trip to Yellowstone. There might be some useful information and links there to help.

alandsuejohnson.com/yellowstone_planning_a_t…

We like to fly into Jackson Hole, Its right in the Tetons. Beautiful area. Salt Lake City is cheaper but a 5.5 hour drive. You could also check Bozeman and Billings, MT. They would give you reasonable access to the north end of the park.

I always go to Yellowstone first because I%26#39;m too excited to wait. If you fly into Jackson Hole, that will work. Stay in a lodge in the Tetons (or Jackson, WY) and drive to the airport when you leave. If you fly into Montana, you might want to go to the Tetons first, even though its a long drive. That will shorten your trip back to the airport. We%26#39;ve never looked at flying into one airport and out a different. I suppose its simply a cost issue so check to see if it will work.

If it will work, stay in one of the Old Faithful lodges a night or 2 to see the west side of the park. Canyon or Lake would work for the east side. Personally, I really like Roosevelt but its a drive from there to Hayden Valley.

Lots of questions for first time family trip to Yellowstone

If it is for ';next'; summer (2010) I am pretty sure ethey don%26#39;t take reservations this early. I would say Canyon and Old Faithful would be good choices.

Personally I love Old Faithful Inn, but everyone has their own favorite. Never flown in, always driven from Kansas, so can%26#39;t help there. Our kids loved YNP when they were younger and all of them look forward to taking their kids there.

Like I said we have never flown in, but I always thought Cody would be a good place to fly into. Cody can be a lot of fun, Buffalo Bill Museum is neat and they have a rodeo. Then you can drive the Beartooth from there.

Watch for travel bargains on Southwest air lines for cheap travel to SLC. We are using them when we come in August 2009. They are a lot cheaper than Delta, etc. We flew Delta in 2007 to SLC but flew into Denver in 2008 because we also did Black Hills. You can get good rental car rates out of SLC also. If you want to stay in the park then call Xanterra. If you want outside the park then stay in West Yellowstone for YNP and Jackson Hole for GT. Cody is a neat place to visit with the rodeo and museums and you can do the Beartooth at that time. Be sure and do a float trip on the Snake River in the GT. Your boys will love it. Early June is great for seeing wildlife but the weather can be a bit cold and snowy sometime. In 2007 the weather was beautiful but in 2008 it was cold and snowing.

Thanks for the info so far. Our trip is for 2010 not this summer. I look forward to more input.

Hi Suttlesboys,

We made our reservations for June 2009 in May 2008 (If I remember correctly, May 1 is the ';opening day'; to book reservations for the following year.) So do call Xanterra to book your lodgings.

Based on all of the fabulous info here on TA, we decided to spend two nights in Grand Tetons, one night at Old Faithful, and the remainder at Canyon. I would rather not change lodgings so much, but wanted to see the geysers erupt in the moonlight (hence staying at Old Faithful). Most TAers suggest that Canyon is the most centrally located, so that%26#39;s why we chose it. We decided on the Western cabins for their two queen beds.

Here’s the link for Canyon:

travelyellowstone.com/canyon-lodge-cabins-86…

In addition, if you%26#39;re considering the western cookout at Roosevelt, this activity gets filled up early, so you may want to book it when you make your lodging reservations.

Hope this helps.

Have fun planning!

I think the Xanterra website shows that everything is full when it%26#39;s still too early to book. Like another poster mentioned, May 1 seems to be the first day to book for the following summer. So, for July 2010 you could start booking May 1, 2009.

Thanks, I will be calling first thing in the morning on May 1st. So, I%26#39;ll have a month to figure out which two places to stay. Also, where should we stay in GTNP? I%26#39;ve read a little about Jackson Lodge and Signal Mountain Lodge. And should we stay for 1 or 2 nights? We will want to take a float trip or a whitewater rafting trip and a few hikes.

Hi again Lisa,

We haven%26#39;t been to Yellowstone yet, so the regulars will have much more knowledge about how many days to spend at different places. We’re spending 8 days in GTNP and YNP combined, so we chose two nights in Grand Tetons with the rest in Yellowstone. Like you, we want to do a raft trip on the Snake River. We%26#39;re deciding between Barker-Ewing and Solitude.

We booked Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Tetons. It has received good reviews both here on the forums and in the lodging section. Others also like Signal Mountain and Colter Bay.

BTW, don’t get discouraged on May 1 when calling Xanterra to reserve your rooms. The lines were busy for a long time before I finally got in. You may have better luck trying to book online.

Sorry I can’t be of more help. Even though I’ve agonized over where to stay and for how long, it appears that one just can’t go wrong in Yellowstone.

1travelingfamily, thanks for your suggestions. I was also thinking of 1 night at Old Faithful Inn or Snowlodge and the rest at Canyon in the western cabins. Are you going to Yellowstone first or GTNP? and are you staying at Old Faithuful first or Canyon? Just trying to figure out which one to do first. Thanks again and hope you have a great trip this summer.