AboutSue Mecham Expertise Hello! I have all the necessary brochures for booking vacations in Yellowstone National Park and have been there MANY, MANY times!
Expert: Sue Mecham Date: 5/7/2008 Subject: yellowstone/grand teton parks
Question I'm planning a trip in early Sept to Yellowstone/Grand Teton NPs. We'll be
flying into Salt Lake City and renting a car. The total trip will be 9-10 days
including travel time. We are very much budget travelers and don't mind
roughing it but will be unable to camp. I'd like to spend at least one night in
each of the parks and the remainder outside perhaps somewhere with a
kitchenette. We have two children who are good hikers (up to 15 mi a day if
broken up into shorter hikes). Our number one priority is to explore the
natural beauty of the parks. We're open to boat rides or horseback riding but
those aren't necessary. Could you suggest an itinerary for us?
Answer Hello!
You have picked an excellent time to visit the park. Crowds will be gone and the animals will be abundant! You'll probably get to hear elk bugling - makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck!
Leaving SLC, head north on I-15, take the 354 exit and get some fresh fruit at the many fruit stands there. If it's a time to eat, stop at Maddox on the left for some great chicken or beef!...When you get to the center of town, take a right to LOGAN Hwy 89. Stay on hwy 89 through Logan heading for Bear Lake and Montpelier, ID. If you need to stay a night, Logan might be your best bet besides the northern area of SLC.
Go through Montpelier to Wyoming and through Star Valley. You'll see some wonderful small towns. Turn right in Alpine and you are on your way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Motel6 there may have lower rates instead of the $90 summer rates (check online)... you'll want to spend at least a few hours here walking the boardwalks, eating ice cream and maybe even seeing a play.
I suggest you stay at the Old Faithful Inn one night. It's an experience, and not all that costly. Get a room with the bathroom down the hall. You won't regret it! You can check out the rates for other places in the park on the above website to see if they fit your travel budget.
One thing I want to suggest is stopping at a store (Logan, Montpelier, Jackson) and getting a small styrofoam cooler, drinks, sandwich supplies, snacks, etc and enjoy a picnic for lunch every day while you are in the park. It's the warmest part of the day and picnic tables are plentiful. Eating IN the park is pricey, but if you visit West Yellowstone or Gardiner, they have some good places to eat.
If you stay 6 nights in the park, do two nights each at Old Faithful, Canyon or Lake, and Mammoth. The center of the park is in the shape of an "8" so make a circle of the bottom one day with a side trip in the Fishing Bridge area; circle the other way the next day and visit West Yellowstone (Imax, Grizzly Experience, McDonalds, Fuel) then do the top circle the next day.
Always watch for movement when you get to an open field - you just MIGHT see a wolf (jogging in a straight line) or a coyote looking for food. Stay a safe distance from the buffalo & elk. You can see Old World Swans on the road between Madison Jct. and W. Yellowstone, and Brown Pelicans north of the Lake District.
You'll have boardwalk trails all over the park. Some are a fair distance, some are within sight of the road. Let the kids know how important it is to stay ON these - every year at least one person is killed when straying off the boardwalk and getting scalded.
Just as an idea, you could do one day in the Montana Ghost Towns of Virginia City and Nevada City, just west of Ennis. Another option for returning to SLC is via West Yellowstone - Rexburg - Idaho Falls - Pocatello. You'll have some inexpensive places to stay (the motel6 in Pocatello is cheaper than the one in Idaho Falls) and if you are SURE about your dates, check out biddingfortravel.com for accepted bids and priceline.com to bid on places to stay at half price.
Take a look at a map, check out this info, plan a tentative itinerary, and then contact me again. For the horse rides and boat rides, that's up to you, but I think you'll get plenty of activity and fun walking the boardwalk tours. I don't want to tell you what to do.... but I would like to help with any other questions you have after checking out the lodging and planning the trip on map.
