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  1. #11
    bisous is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Thanks all! I'm seeing more options available as I look at communities just outside the park. I'm wondering if I shouldn't try to highlight a few things we must do and then look for housing close? Man I just don't know anything about the parks.

    What are the "must do" activities? Any guidebooks that can help me pick out interesting activities. In a lot of ways my kids are fine with pretty hikes in nature but I'd love to steer them towards their major interests which include wildlife and especially the geological marvels of the park.

    Also, I'm kind of freaking out about camping. I mean, speaking of wildlife, we've got black bears for camping here but Yellowstone has grizzlies. I'm on a Yellowstone FB group and I swear half the pictures are sightings of bears, lol! My kids would love to SEE them but it makes me nervous! Talk me down?

  2. #12
    marinkitty is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Also, I'm kind of freaking out about camping. I mean, speaking of wildlife, we've got black bears for camping here but Yellowstone has grizzlies. I'm on a Yellowstone FB group and I swear half the pictures are sightings of bears, lol! My kids would love to SEE them but it makes me nervous! Talk me down?[/QUOTE]

    When you camp in grizzly country you need to think about a few things - one having bear spray on hand (which you should also have for hiking on any trails) and learn how to use it, make sure to never bring any food or scented toiietries into your tent - those all need to be stored in your car (ok for Yellowstone) or the bear locker that each national park campsite has. Trash must also either be in your vehicle or in one of the bear proof dumpsters at the campground. Beyond that, it isn't different than camping anywhere else. I've seen both grizzly and black bears in the park, but have never had any issue at a campground.

  3. #13
    WatchingThemGrow is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    After seeing the animals at Yellowstone up close, I don’t think I could sleep outside there! We got a room in the old faithful inn with 3 double beds. It worked perfectly! Can’t remember if we called or found it online.


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  4. #14
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    I don't have an issue backpacking in Yellowstone because I am not surrounded by people and keep a beyond clean tent space, hang food 100 yards away, etc. I will say that I have not heard/read much about bears being an issue in established campgrounds there and I have tent camped in the Fishing Bridge campground. So you can do it. BUT--EVERYTHING that has any odor has to be kept in the car (toothbrush, deodorant, etc). With 4 kids, I would be in a metal sided camper or cabin/hotel lodging. I would price out renting something in Idaho Falls or Salt Lake city to see if it make sense. Not an RV--because then you have to drive it everywhere. But a small camper that you could pull??? Or figure out how to splurge on lodging. Even if you stay in West yellowstone, it's expensive because these places are in small towns and cater only to tourists. I do know someone who stayed in RExburg and drove to Yellowstone every day but that sounds beyond miserable to me.
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  5. #15
    bisous is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    OK guys! I'm going to try and tweak my plan. I only have camping reservations right now. I couldn't find anything in the park. I guess I didn't realize I could stay outside the park (I'm a newbie!) so other locations help. I found this site that gave a review of some of the biggest attractions in Yellowstone and also some potential trip plans.

    https://www.earthtrekkers.com/yellow...n-yellowstone/

    I really liked the four day plan and we're starting there! We don't have hotels yet! But I'm going to be relentless on finding accommodations. And I guess we can camp if nothing else works? (Not my dream, but at least its cheap?)

    So we're really hemmed in by dates this summer. This trip involves leaving right after DS3 and DD get out of school and driving to LV to stay one night there. I thought that could actually be a fun experience! I'm sure we'll be able to find SOMETHING in LV. That might be my last place to book. Wouldn't mind family friendly fun accommodations there or nearby but I also don't think we need anything fancy.

    The next day we'll drive most of the day to West Yellowstone. I plan to have reservations for 2 days there.

    The following morning (so Day 3 or our trip but Day 1 officially of Yellowstone) we'll do Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Geyser Basin and we'll go from there? We'll stay again in West Yellowstone.

    Day 4 (Day 2 of Yellowstone) we'll go to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, and I think my kids would like the Mud Volcano. That night we might move to Gardiner.

    Day 5 (Day 3 of Yellowstone) we'll do Norris Geyser Basin and some of the Hot Springs. Maybe fishing would fit in on this day? I know DH would love that.

    Day 6 (Day 4 of Yellowstone) we'll do a hike near Mammoth, Lamar Valley, maybe Beartooth Hwy? We actually want to try to drive to SLC that night. Might be ambitious.

    Day 7 We need to get home by the next day! That's why I'm hoping we are starting in at least SLC. I know we can knock out that drive in a day. DS2 has a youth group camp that starts the very next day!

    What do you guys think? Do you think the site I linked sounds like they know what they're talking about? Would you move anything around?

    TIA!

  6. #16
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    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I didn’t look at the website, but your various days seem well grouped. Given your short time frame and need to get home promptly, I would suggest leaving the Beartooth Highway off and maybe even Lamar Valley. I would rather see Grand Tetons on the way back to SLC than those. Lamar Valley is best seen early in the morning but that’s hard to do if you’re starting near Mammoth. If you took that advice (I won’t be offended if you don’t!) I would move Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful to the last day as you can do them on the way south to GTs. We stayed one night in a Canyon Village hotel and it was nice to have one night we didn’t have to backtrack out of the park and one morning to start already in the park. I highly recommend it if you can find one.


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  7. #17
    bisous is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by nfceagles View Post
    I didn’t look at the website, but your various days seem well grouped. Given your short time frame and need to get home promptly, I would suggest leaving the Beartooth Highway off and maybe even Lamar Valley. I would rather see Grand Tetons on the way back to SLC than those. Lamar Valley is best seen early in the morning but that’s hard to do if you’re starting near Mammoth. If you took that advice (I won’t be offended if you don’t!) I would move Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful to the last day as you can do them on the way south to GTs. We stayed one night in a Canyon Village hotel and it was nice to have one night we didn’t have to backtrack out of the park and one morning to start already in the park. I highly recommend it if you can find one.


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    The website suggested staying in Yellowstone proper one night! I might see if we can swing that. I was interested in Lamar Valley because it is supposed to be very the best way to see wildlife in the park and that's something both my kids really wanted! I like the idea of driving back through the Grand Tetons. I guess I need to orient myself on the map a little more. Let me do some research...

  8. #18
    bisous is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    OK. New plan.

    First night, LV

    Second day, drive all day. Stay the night in West Yellowstone.

    Third day, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Basin, Fairy Falls (possibly), Fountain Paint Pots Trail (possibly), etc. Stay in West Yellowstone

    Fourth day, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Boiling Rock Hot Springs. Stay in Gardiner. (I might be least excited about this day??)

    Fifith day (it is a Sunday I just realized!). Beaver parks loop trail in the morning. Drive out to Lamar Valley, Black Tail Plateau. Stay in Gardiner.

    Sixth day, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Elephant Back Mountain hike (maybe). Hayden Valley. Mud Volcano. West Thumb Geyser. Stay in Yellowstone?? (hopefully?)

    Seventh day, maybe catch a few things then head towards SLC. I like the idea of driving through Jackson Hole but can't quite figure out why I'm getting alerts on that. Is part of that road closed seasonally? What am I missing? One search says it is about a 7 hour drive, another says the fastest way is 13 hours if we go through Jackson Hole. I know some of the internal Yellowstone roads are closed and I know mountain roads might be closed now in January but maybe they're open in June?

    Eight Day, wake up in SLC and drive home. Phew!

    Any advice appreciated!

  9. #19
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    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I remember having trouble getting Google Maps to estimate drives because I was researching in the winter time. I just checked Moran (in GT) to SLC and I’m getting about a 5.5hr drive. Old Faithful to Moran is coming in at 1:40. Just for reference, I know Old Faithful is for a different day but it gets me south of the winter closed roads.

    I like your new plan too. It sounds like a lot of fun!

    WRT to Lamar Valley, we stayed one night in Canyon Village specifically so that we could get up early and drive thru LV. I had heard early was best for wildlife. It was beautiful and we saw lots of buffalo, but not much else. I don’t regret it, but we saw buffalo plenty elsewhere so it’s the the thing I would drop if your schedule is too tight. That’s all. Canyon Village was central, modern, and plentiful so that’s why I’d look there but really anything you can get in the park would be great for one night if you can swing it.

    I think of the park sort of like a figure 8. With gateway cities to the N, S, E, and W.


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  10. #20
    bisous is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Thanks nfceagles! Your feedback is super helpful on the drive and also all the activities. I'll keep searching for lodging in the park!

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