My family is planning to leave in about two weeks to head to Yellowstone from Colorado. Please give us suggestions on:1. What to do2. Where to stay3. What to expect4. How long to stay5. Supplies we will needThanks a bunch in advance!

Holy cow, 2 weeks and you don't have reservations already? Where to stay: With a popup, you have a little more flexibility, as long as you can do without hookups. Nevertheless, at least half of the campgrounds inside Yellowstone take reservations (through Xanterra.com) and are likely to be full. The first-come, first-served campgrounds (check Xanterra for the list) will probably be full by midday. You can stay outside the park - there are some nice national forest/national park campgrounds (no hookups) in the Tetons if you're coming in from the south. If you're coming in from the east (Cody), be aware that Cody itself is a good 2-hour drive (one way) from the Yellowstone Grand Loop road (which is where you need to be). Plan on a minimum of 3 full days in Yellowstone to just skim the highlights; 4 or 5 days better, especially if you want to include the (next-door) Grand Teton National Park. (One entry fee of $25 per vehicle covers both parks for a week. Keep your receipt.) Most convenient place to stay outside the park or if you need hookups is in West Yellowstone, which is, as it sounds, on the west side of the park. Grizzly RV, two different KOAs, some smaller private campgrounds, and Henrys Lake State Park (Idaho) are decent choices. Call ahead NOW to reserve a site. I strongly recommend you check rvparkreviews.com for information on CGs, and do a search for "Yellowstone" on this site for "what to expect." Briefly, what to expect - lots of driving, 45 mph or less, beautiful scenery (much milder & less spectacular than Colorado), high altitude (most of the park is 7500 feet or higher), lots of wildlife (especially bison), some of which will be right alongside the road or even on it, none of which is tame. Thermal features (geysers, hot springs, etc.) in many areas of the park, but concentrated in a few areas. Also expect lots of fellow tourists everywhere.Supplies: bring clothes for layering; bring rain gear - the park has been wet this year & is often cool at night. Cameras & binoculars for sure. Re: food - there are restaurants (pricey), hot dog-burger-ice cream places (not all that cheap) and cafeterias in the park at the major lodging areas (Old Faithful, Canyon, Lake, Mammoth, Grant Village). Yellowstone General Stores often have small grocery stores (very pricey). West Yellowstone has a couple (pricey) small grocery stores. Cody has a Walmart. What to do: Sightsee. Depending on your family's interests, there are some activities offered in & around the park, such as horseback riding, scenic boat tours, fishing (Wyoming licenses required, but short-term ones are not terribly expensive), hiking. Be sure to check with the rangers before you hike, as there are some restrictions and some very important cautions you will need to know about. There are also other activities outside the park - the Cody rodeo, a brand-new rope climbing/zipline park in West Yellowstone, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone - lots more. Swimming, TV and Wifi connections are rather limited in the area.

I returned form Yellowstone last week. I planned this nearly 5 months in advance. We did speak with several people who were able to find accommodations for one or two nights, mid week, with little notice. We drove from Mt Rushmore to West Yellowstone. It is the best place to stay, if not staying in the park. When I do this trip again, I WILL stay in the park. From our site in West Yellowstone KOA, to the nearest point of interest in the park, was a 30 minute drive. Keep in mind, each subsequent day, the destinations get further away from the origin... The services in West Yellowstone were great. They had all the tourist stuff. I found decent prices on groceries and fuel. 4-5 days is probably what you will want to budget to get to most of the spots throughout the park. We did dinner at Old Faithful Inn, was great! We hiked to most of the "scenic overlooks" to escape the huge crowds that travel in large packs in the middle of the day. Some of the sights have horrible parking or access, we drove by and planned our return for later in the day when the crowds would be smaller. I also gauged the length of our stay based on the interest and energy level of my three kids. They each had their own interests and could only out up with so much driving, parking, hiking, watching steam... The info sessions, movies and exhibits at the various visitor centres are a great way to break up the day. There really is enough variety to cater to most people's wants. In terms of what to bring, I would pack clothing for three seasons. We had everything from cold temps at higher elevations to impromptu rain/hail storms to 90+ degree heat. Lots of sunscreen is a must! While I found the flying pests to not be an issue at most places, as soon as you are off the beaten path, they find you. I was without bug repellant one day, not again after that though. Be prepared to stop and drive slowly through the park. You hear about it, and can see the videos pasted on Youtube. I can tell you, it is very real. People will park in the road, get out to take a picture.

We got spots at the Red Rock RV / Campground in Island Park by Henry Lake. Very nice ( arrived today) and is about 25 min from the west gate. Now we are YS veterans and wanted something new. We have stained in the park and in West Yellowstone at the KOA and the Grizzly..... It is best to stay in the park if you can because it will save you a few hours of driving every day. Just to get in and out of the park. Fishing Bridge is full hook-ups but hard side trailers only.We always carry a propane grill so we can pull over any place we like and tail gate. The food in the park is expensive crummy and the places are crowded..... Cook a burger or dog roadside and look for things others drive past. Take a chill-pill, you will need it. People will stop any place they see an animal and you will too...Google Yellowstone and go to the site that has NPS in the web address. It will have a plan your trip section. Click it and it will take you to the reservation page. You can see what is open or call for cancellations.Enjoy the park, we do.JMHO

I'll second what kknowlton said about supplies - take LOTS of your own food, etc. and stock up that pantry before you get into the park. Even basic groceries in the YNP "trading posts" are very expensive and you'll not find much in the way of variety of brands and/or sizes. Fuel - there's nothing you can do about that. We traveled over 300 miles within the park in just three days so you'll need to gas up in YNP. Grin & bear it. Clothing - layering - yes. The weather in very changeable throughout the day. On our second day we went from bright sunshine to hailstorm. It gets cold at night, even in July. Be sure you have warm clothing, blankets for the beds and your LP supply is sufficient. What to do? I think the better question is deciding what you have time for and what you'll have to put off for a future visit! The famous attractions are a must - Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful. We rented a motorboat and went out on the lake for a couple of hours. Cost was reasonable (in 2004 dollars, $37 an hour) and we had a blast. There are thousands of geysers, hot springs, and the like. Ones that stand out in my mind are Artists' Paint Pots, Mud Volcano, Dragon's Mouth Spring. Enjoy & safe travels.

Did you search this Forum for Yellowstone? Lots of previous posts. Search the results for `campgrounds' or `tours' or `activities' or `hiking' etc.We stayed at Grizzly in West Yellowstone.

Please Suggest! Yellowstone... | Good Sam Community

katleman
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
Best way to beat the crowds this time of year is to get on the park road by sunrise, or as close as you can. Parking areas around artist paint pots, midway geyser, etc fill up by 9. Old Faithful gets busy too, but there is plenty of parking there, can usually find parking anytime of the day there.

Your early drive will be rewarded by more wildlife viewing, as animals are early risers. Drawback is you will have to spot them yourself as there are fewer folks out and about.

A hike I highly recommend is the 2.5 mile walk out to Lone Star geyser. Very easy, level, on an old road. Lone Star is an impressive geyser, erupting every 3 hours, just like it did in 1872.
Jim_Shoe
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
An extra two hour drive into the park every morning? Grizzly is two blocks from the entrance, and the 12 miles to the grand loop at Madison aren't thru a tunnel. The animals don't follow a script. That's what causes the delay. Auto jams, from people stopping to see the wildlife up close and personal. Just don't get too personal. They are wild animals. One spring day, it took me 4 hours to get to the loop. A pair of Eagles feeding their new babies, a couple of elk feeding themselves, a mama fox and her kits, and the bison crossing the road each AM to feed in the meadow on the other side of the road. And they're in no hurry. One morning I saw a lady complaining to a trooper because she tried to drive thru a bison herd crossing the road, and one put a rather large dent in her car door.
Since she couldn't possibly identify the specific animal, no ticket was issued. :)
photonut4
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
If you head towards the north entrance, you could stop for a soak in the boiliing river.
Mountain_Mama
Explorer
Aug 02, 2014
I would keep checking different times of the day online for reservations in the park. There may be cancellations pop up!
AH64ID
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
I highly recommend staying in the park if possible, the drive from West will get old on the 2nd day especially if you want to do any dawn/dusk drives thru Hayden or Lamar Valley to see more critters.

My folks stayed in West 3 years ago and we stayed in a campground. They had an additional 2 hours of driving time every day, and now they stay in the park.

Canyon and Madison are our favorite campgrounds. We have always wanted to stay at Norris, but don't like moving or waiting on the first come, first serve.

I would call Yellowstone Reservations and see what you can do. 1-866-GEYSERLAND (866-439-7375)

As for in the park, pack a nice lunch and pick a good spot in different parts of the park to enjoy. We like to eat in Mammoth, any of the places between Old Faithful and West Thumb, and Lamar Valley.

We also like to plan a short hike each day. There is so much driving that the kids need to get out and burn some energy. Lot's of day hikes in the park.

The Jr Ranger program gives the kids a lot to look for in the park, and something to show their friends when they get home. I think they are supposed to be 4, but it may be worth looking into.
littlemo
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
Atlee wrote:
Speaking of Bear Tooth Highway. I know its one of, if not the most scenic highways in America. Does it encompass sheer drops of hundreds or thousands of feet, with no shoulder and no guard rail?

littlemo wrote:
Ditto on staying IN THE PARK. Yellowstone is HUGE and encompasses many miles. Don't waste any precious time having to drive into the park every day. Make sure on one of your days you drive the Beartooth Highway! Take your time and enjoy.

"Yes" to drop-offs but "yes" also to guardrails where they are needed. Don't try it if you don't have a toad, though. Not good place for motor home but if you have toad please don't miss this beautiful drive!
Atlee
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2014
Speaking of Bear Tooth Highway. I know its one of, if not the most scenic highways in America. Does it encompass sheer drops of hundreds or thousands of feet, with no shoulder and no guard rail?

littlemo wrote:
Ditto on staying IN THE PARK. Yellowstone is HUGE and encompasses many miles. Don't waste any precious time having to drive into the park every day. Make sure on one of your days you drive the Beartooth Highway! Take your time and enjoy.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Jul 29, 2014
3mtnlabbie wrote:

We will stock our own groceries for the entire trip (hopefully) as well as fuel up before getting into the park, bring our own snacks and lunch every day, and plan for typical Colorado weather - as in you never know what could happen in the next hour!

First of all you might bring a good map. West Yellowstone is in Montana, not Colorado. :)

For things to do you might check out this official national park site and explore things listed on the left side, too. :

Yellowstone - Plan Your Visit
GeoBoy
Explorer
Jul 23, 2014
See if you can get into Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. I stayed 8 nights but you may get away with 6 or 7 nights. You can buy groceries at 2 grocery stores in town. There are nice places to eat in West Yellowstone and reasonable. The nice thing about West Yellowstone you can go north, south or east and do a loop to see all of Yellowstone. Great location.
littlemo
Explorer
Jul 23, 2014
Ditto on staying IN THE PARK. Yellowstone is HUGE and encompasses many miles. Don't waste any precious time having to drive into the park every day. Make sure on one of your days you drive the Beartooth Highway! Take your time and enjoy.