Forum Discussion

kfrost72's avatar
kfrost72
Explorer
Feb 05, 2015

Grand Teton or Glacier

We've got our plans set to drive out to Yellowstone next September, starting labor day weekend. We're going to do a circle from eastern Oregon, down into Southern Idaho and Wyoming and then up through the park and back through Montana. We have a couple of extra days on either end of our Yellowstone visit, but can't decide if we should spend them in the Grand Teton park or Glacier park. Any recommendations?

Also, last time I was in Yellowstone I was 10 years old and it was 1979. I remember driving near Jackson on a road that went over the Teton with a section that had a ton of cut backs that were lifted up on posts to make the corner. At 10 in the back of my parents old 1969 camper (pre-seatbelt and child protection laws) I remember being petrified by the road and semi's coming down the other side. I tried looking for where that road is now but can't find it. Anyone know?

Kari
  • loggenrock's avatar
    loggenrock
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    My opinion - if you only have a couple days, visit Grand Teton. Glacier is worth a trip of more than just a couple of days!!! Have fun either way! ST
  • Itching2go's avatar
    Itching2go
    Explorer II
    Feb 05, 2015
    loggenrock wrote:
    My opinion - if you only have a couple days, visit Grand Teton. Glacier is worth a trip of more than just a couple of days!!! Have fun either way! ST


    x2 (or x3...) It would be a shame to not spend the time at the Tetons when it is just down the road from Yellowstone, and absolutely agree that Glacier is worth a LOT more than a couple of days. You'd be much better to invest your time at GTNP, and then make Glacier a future trip all it's own. That way you can also add Banff National Park in Canada on to the itinerary.
  • Lauren's avatar
    Lauren
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    We LOVE Glacier as well as Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

    It is 375 miles - give or take - from Yellowstone to Glacier. For a "couple extra days" you would be spending all of it driving to Glacier and back with long drives each way to make it in a day.
  • Jim_Shoe's avatar
    Jim_Shoe
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    The road you remember:
    Before they built State Route 22 between Wilson and Teton Pass to iron the wrinkles out of the road, there was only Old Pass Road. There were some switchbacks that were so tight, if you looked out the back window of your car, you could see your front bumper. (Slight exaggeration).
    BTW, there's still a few roads like that driving through Custer State Park in South Dakota. At about that same age, my Dad had me looking for the front bumper out the back window. :)
  • mikeleblanc413's avatar
    mikeleblanc413
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    I'm with everyone on the Teton/Yellowstone/Glacier visit info. I worked the summer of 2014 in St. Mary Montana at the East Gate of Glacier Park. Make use of your time by getting current information from the St. Mary Visitor Center (just inside the gate). You could easily fill 7 days. Going To The Sun Road will literally take your breath away! P.S. The Going To The Sun Road will close sometime near the end of September and the FREE shuttle will shut off earlier. Check out before making reservations.
  • kfrost72's avatar
    kfrost72
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    I wish we had more time, but since we're not full time yet 2 weeks for the full trip is about all we can plan. This is our current plan, with a day to load up and get read and then a day to unload and clean everything before going back to work. We could only get 3 nights at Canyon but we figured at that point we'd need water/dump anyways. After reading many of your comments I was wondering if we should add more time at Yellowstone and stay a couple of nights at a different camp or just outside the park.

    2 nights out
    2 nights drive through Jackson and Tetons
    3 nights Yellowstone
    2 night Bozeman (visiting an old friend)
    2 nights Tetons
    1 nights back
  • kfrost72's avatar
    kfrost72
    Explorer
    Feb 05, 2015
    Jim Shoe wrote:
    The road you remember:
    Before they built State Route 22 between Wilson and Teton Pass to iron the wrinkles out of the road, there was only Old Pass Road. There were some switchbacks that were so tight, if you looked out the back window of your car, you could see your front bumper. (Slight exaggeration).
    BTW, there's still a few roads like that driving through Custer State Park in South Dakota. At about that same age, my Dad had me looking for the front bumper out the back window. :)


    Thanks Jim! That's one of my strongest memories of that trip. That, two buffalo fighting at sunset in Lamar Valley, horse back riding along the side of the canyon, and some bears in the campground. I was petrified of that road, my brother was up in the bed above the cab cause the thought it was the coolest thing. And I remember my mom stressed as she didn't want to take the road and the old truck loaded down was straining to get up the hill.

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