Finally have made vacation choice!! Need Help, Please!

wow !!! Beautiful pic!!! Thanks for sharing:)

Tara,

As others have mentioned, don't forget to set aside a little time for Jackson, WY and Cody. We just did both parks last summer for the first time, and we appreciated Grand Teton much more than YSNP.

We prefer to camp at state parks and enjoy having spaces more to ourselves. That's what GT felt like to us. You knew there were tons of other people there but it just doesn't seem any where near as crowded as YS. I would recommend if you're a fisherman, get yourself a license for a day and spend an afternoon drowning some worms with the beautiful Tetons set as the backdrop. Very relaxing!

I also recommend that if you have kids with you build in a down day in the middle of YSNP. You will spend a LOT of time driving from one attraction to another and after a few days, the kids needed a day of not riding in the Jeep. They just wanted time to read, play catch, and relax.

And I would also save GT until after YSNP, again just much more relaxing and you'll leave with images like this in your mind...




Doug

Neither Gros Ventre or Colter Bay take reservations so that's not a problem. When we travel to Grand Teton, fortunately we are only about three hours away, we try to get to Colter Bay around 9:00 to 10:00. 11:00 is check-out time so people are leaving and we are usually able to get a site that we want. Two years ago we couldn't get into the Colter Bay campground, not RV Park, and went to Gros Ventre. Since we go to Grand Teton to fish in Jackson Lake, Gros Ventre is a little far away for our tastes as compared to Colter Bay which is right on the lake. We did enjoy it, though, when the two moose wandered through our campsite. There aren't as many pull-through sites available in Gros Ventre as there are in the Colter Bay campground, if that means anything to you. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, we always stay at Gros Ventre campground when visiting the Tetons. Never have had any problem getting a site. Most recent was in 2014 and we spent 5 nights there during the last two weeks of June. I'm sure you will have no trouble getting a site there arriving early to mid afternoon, especially since you plan to arrive mid-June. As the month goes on, it gets more crowded, although there were still empty sites when we left on June 29th back in 2014.

We also spent a night at the Atherton Creek Forest Service campground on Slide Lake east of Kelly. A bit further from the action, but a nice place.

Thanks 2gypies and jalichty we will take 287 north. We are going to Jackson one day and we will make reservations at Bar J Chuckwagon!! sounds like a great and fun way to spend an evening! and we love old ghost towns so we will also go there! We are going without reservations hoping to get in one of the parks fist come first serve campgrounds. what time should we plan on getting to GTNP to get a site? thanks again Tara

2gypsies beat me to it, but if you are coming in on I-80, turn north when entering Rawlins and take 287 to Lander, up through Dubois, over Togwotee and then down to the entrance to Grand Teton with Colter Bay about 10 miles from the entrance. Going up 191 does subject you to Jackson traffic and there is no way to get around it, all roads lead through Jackson in that area. And, the views going from Dubois up to the Park are great, especially when you round the curve right before Togwotee Mountain Lodge and see the Tetons. Right there is a turnout with a rest room and viewing area that offers a magnificent view of the Tetons, well worth the stop if you haven't seen them before. If you decide to go into Jackson one day, make reservations at the Bar J Chuckwagon for a great night of decent food and great western entertainment. They feed about 600 people in 20 minutes and then about two hours of western singing, not country-western, western and comedy. World class fiddle player and some really good singing. Something a person can take any age child to as the performance is totally acceptable to all ages.

If you're taking I-80 you can take 287 at Rawlins into Teton Nat'l Park.

If you're ready for a night's stop at Lander, WY, take the time to go through South Pass City a neat ghost town on Hwy 28 not far out of town. We've stayed at Sinks Canyon State Park but there are a couple RV parks in town.

This way you avoid the massive traffic in the town of Jackson if you would have taken 191. Once you're at a campsite then you can take a day to tour Jackson without the RV. Jackson also has some large grocery stores if you need to stock up and just south of town at Smith's the grocery/liquor store also has good prices on fuel. Once you get into Yellowstone, you'll only have W. Yellowstone to purchase food and their prices will be higher and the stores are tiny so not as much selection.

From Lander and when you get to Moran Junction the view of the Tetons is breathtaking when you enter the park.

Thanks again to everyone for suggestions. They are very much appreciated! We actually have 2 and a half weeks so that's gives us enough time to have a great trip. We are use to long drives, we both drive so that helps a lot. I assume from I-80 it's best to go to Rock springs Wyoming then take 191 to GTNP. Again thanks so much all of you! Tara

As far as hiking in Grand Teton, there are plenty of gentle trails. Colter Bay has a couple to Swan Ponds and Heron Ponds and also to Hermitage Point. They start down by the marina and the Swan Ponds hike is only about two miles. Hermitage Point is about 4-5 miles, but very gentle. Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point is a very gentle hike from the visitor center and is beautiful. Also, the Laurance(sp) Rockefeller Reserve, off the Moose/Wilson Road is the newest part of Grant Teton and is a very gentle hike to Phelps Lake where the Rockefeller compound was located which you can no longer see as they took over 30 buildings out before opening up the reserve. You don't have to climb mountains to hike in Grand Teton, unless you want to do so.

It appears that you have 9 actual days to see the Tetons and Yellowstone NP. The Tetons are spectacular, they have nice paved biking paths and don't miss the cruise to Inspiration Point and the hike back. A trip to Jackson Hole is a nice one especially if you have a rainy day, the wooden walkways along the shops are covered. I would say 4 days in the Tetons and 5 days in Yellowstone NP. Have a GREAT trip.