Yellowstone/Tetons Summer of 2014 help

We are also planning a summer 2014 visit to Yellowstone and the Tetons. We are planning a 10 day vacation to the area. I've done lots of research lately on the area and I'm really looking forward to it. We are going June 19-29th. I'm sure it will be busy but hopefully not as busy as the July 4th time frame. I didn't want to go too early and have the weather be chilly.

I made reservations last week at Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone and Colter Bay in Moran Wy as others have recommended in this thread. I wanted some place with full hook ups that allowed us to visit Jackson hole, the Tetons and Yellowstone and those two places fit the bill based upon my research. Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone came highly recommended to me from a friend who has stayed there many times.

katleman wrote:
2 weeks is fine
My preference is June, before the crowds of July & August arrive.

There is much more to do at Yellowstone, I would split your time 80/20, and consider two locations to base from in Yellowstone, to minimize driving.

x2! a ranger told us that July is the busiest month of the year, by far.
agree with the 80/20 split and having a base in YNP, due to how long it takes to drive around.
personally, we would never visit YNP in the summer. way too many people!
Sept. and Oct. are perfect times to visit.

2 weeks is fine

I've been to Yellowstone/Grand Teton 4 times, one week each time, and I still did and saw things I had never seen before this summer.

My preference is June, before the crowds of July & August arrive.

There is much more to do at Yellowstone, I would split your time 80/20, and consider two locations to base from in Yellowstone, to minimize driving.

Agree with the above posters. You can't swallow all of YNP in one meal, but you can get a good feel for areas where you'd like to spend more time on your next visit, and there will be a next time. Some secrets (Don't tell anybody).
Don't forget camera and binoculars. From the west gate to the Grand Loop is 12 miles. Lots of wildlife on that little stretch, so watch for other cars pulled over. There's something to see, or they wouldn't have stopped. There's a Ranger station as you get to the loop. Stop in to see where the animals are that day. They'll know.
The SW quadrant boasts Old Faithful and the geyser basin. Stop in Yellowstone Lodge while there. A beautiful lobby. The SE quadrant has Yellowstone Lake. The NW quadrant has Mammoth Hot Springs. The old Army Barracks are in the small settlement there and elk wander through the streets. The NE quadrant has the upper and lower falls of the Yellowstone River. The lower falls are higher, but farther away from the headwaters - so lower falls.
The Tetons-
Drive the Teton Park Road south from Rt. 191. It passes Jackson Lake. Take Signal Mountain Rd. to the top. There's a viewing platform up there where you can see lots of the park and the Tetons above the tree line. My last visit, a hot air balloon went by - below me.
Then back to the Jenny Lake Loop Rd. Further south, there's a tiny turnout that holds maybe 5 or six cars. Walk over to the shore, sit on a rock and feel your Blood Pressure drop about 20 points. The prettiest view you may ever see.
As long as you're that close, you might as well drive into Jackson. Souvenir shops abound, but the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is worth a visit. Good burgers, and the stools at the bar are saddles. The park in the center of town has arch entrances at each corner made out of Elk horns.
If you missed something, don't worry. You'll be back.

There is a new RV park behind the Imax theater, adjacent to the Grizzly park. That is more convenient to some of West Yellowstone tourist trap locales.
Two weeks is about right. Remember that it is a good distance to the Tetons from West Yellowstone. You may want to do a loop. Enter Yellowstone through West Yellowstone and exist via Jackson, WY and return home from there.
You will need to make reservations soon.
What part of WA? Would help to know in helping you plan route.

We spent a week at Colter Bay RV park in September. Spaces are a little tight but otherwise I recommend it highly. Short walk down to the lake shore for a spectacular view of the Tetons, especiallly so at sunrise and sunset. Nice store with great warm rolls at 7:00 every morning.

Yellowstone is an old Indian word that means "lots of driving required". It is a big place, so plan on lots of miles, regardless of where you stay. Two weeks (including transit time) sure isn't too much time for most people. However, I have met people who find 1 day is more than enough. to those people a zoo is the place to see animals, waterfalls are nothing more than big faucets, geysers look a lot like broken pipes, mountains just make straight roads crooked and hiking is for people who can't afford a car. With two weeks I would suggest around 5 days at the north entrance (Gardiner, Montana) as this makes for the best base camp with hookups for the Lamar Valley, A trip over the Beartooth Highway, and touring the northern loop. The west entrance for three (West Yellowstone, Montana)for the Geyser basins and the Southern part of the Park and 3 days at Grand Teton. This will leave you with 2 days travel time coming and going and a day of flexibility. Fishing Bridge RV park is also not a bad option, but I prefer having Wifi, stores, restaurants, cable TV, cell service and the like, so the gateway towns are better for me. Plan a long day from either Gardiner or West Yellowstone for a day trip to Cody, Wyoming and the Buffalo Bill Historical center if you appreciate museums, western art and western firearms. It is the best in the world for those things.

Highly recommend Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. Very convenient to the park and town.

We haven't camped outside Teton, so no recommendations there.

Two weeks should allow you to get a pretty good experience in both parks.

Jim

Mid June through August is prime time for NP visiting in that area.

We have been to the Yellowstone area three times in the last ten years.

The Tetons we usually stay two days three nights at Colter Bay RV Campground (FHU). Make reservations early.

For Yellowstone we have stayed at Madison Campground (dry camping). Nice campground if you don't need hookups. Fishing Bridge (FHU) but tight spots. Okay as you are not spending much time in the campground.

Our favorite is Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, right outside the west entrance. Kinda pricey but walking distance into town. Also has laundry.

With any on these make reservations early as they will fill up at peak season.
My blog has pictures of campgrounds.

Our favorite time to go is spring (Memorial weekend into first part of June.

We like the early part of June for Grand Teton/Yellowstone as it starts to get crowded during the third week. One reason is that we drive the MH around the Parks and it is easier to get parking before all the folks with school age kids arrive. We also travel without advance reservations (although we may reserve a few days ahead on occasion) so avoiding times with high demand is good for us. We're out of there before the 4th of July.

Two weeks is good amount of time, as there is plenty to see and do. We were there for four weeks in 2012 and will be back again in 2014.

Since you want full hookups, my suggestions would be Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone and Colter Bay RV for Grand Teton.

Just as a heads up, dogs aren't allowed on the trails and boardwalks in Yellowstone. Check their website for details.