Yellowstone / Grand Teton National Parks

[hideinpockets]

That sounds amazing. I’d love to see some bears when we go. We are still deciding on our starting point but I think it might be Denver. Who did you fly with?

[Omega1]

We were also lucky to have 5 or 6 bear sightings in Yellowstone - a female grizzly with two cubs in particular. The most elusive was moose - we finally managed to see a mother and calf when hiking in the Tetons from Jenny Lake. The wildlife sightings were a real highlight of the trip.

[Sue]

Originally Posted by Omega1

We were also lucky to have 5 or 6 bear sightings in Yellowstone - a female grizzly with two cubs in particular. The most elusive was moose - we finally managed to see a mother and calf when hiking in the Tetons from Jenny Lake. The wildlife sightings were a real highlight of the trip.

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We went to Yellowstone (now my official favourite place on Earth - that I have visited obviously ) and the Tetons two years ago and I’ve gone on about it so much, were going back in 2020 and then moving on to Glacier before a drive down the West Coast.
We did an official 5 day tour in Yellowstone and stayed in the park itself - it was expensive but so worth it, we learned way more than just by doing it ourselves, one of the guides grew up there as her father had been a ranger and what she did not know was not worth knowing!
The Tetons are fabulous to look at but we felt less “interactable” with than Yellowstone, apart from some hiking and a boat float we did along the Snake river. We saw moose with calf and many beaver lodges.
In Yellowstone we saw bison, there are thousands, bears, elk, pronghorns and the mountain goats.
I desperately wanted to see or hear wolves but unless you are camping, or up before dawn - this is very unlikely.

You will have a great time and if you’re in that area and thinking of doing Glacier National Park - call in a Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota en route - it is much overlooked but we enjoyed it very much.

[hideinpockets]

Thanks that sounds great. I might have a look for a guided tour at least for one day so we can get a more “insider view”. We were originally planning to do Glacier but we think we’ll spend so much time driving and less time just enjoying the parks and exploring smaller towns that we’ve decided to cut it it. This could definitely all change as we aren’t going until 2020

[suei]

We're recently back from our second trip to Yellowstone & Grand Teton NPs, & it was at least as good as our first! We had more time there this time, but we've still only scratched the surface of all there is to see or do in either of the Parks.
We went in late May/early June our first time, & end of August/early September this time. We did see more animals in May/June & lots of babies too, but still saw plenty this trip. We've seen bears, bison, pronghorns, elk, coyotes, mountain goats, moose, mule deer, raccoons, chipmunks, ground squirrels, marmots, river otters, great grey owls, bald eagles, white pelicans, sandhill cranes, ospreys, etc, etc! On both trips, we did a guided tour with J H Eco Tour Adventures, & had a wonderful day with excellent guides each time. Highly recommended!
And then there's all the amazing scenery, the geysers, hot springs, lakes, the Beartooth Highway, the stunning Tetons, & my absolute favourite Oxbow Bend in GTNP... !
Both times we've been really lucky with the weather. It can snow in these areas throughout the "summer", & it did this time, briefly closing the Beartooth Highway in late August!
We didn't see that many camper vans on either trip. The roads are narrow (a single lane each way max) & the parking lots at the sights can get very busy. Not impossible for camper vans, but not easy either. Early September was perhaps a little quieter than early June.
If you can, try to stay inside the Parks. Bookings for YNP accommodation open for the whole of the season at the beginning of May the previous year. So for the 2020 season, bookings will open in May 2019, & they get booked up fast! You can apparently often pick up cancellations about a month or so before the date you plan to stay - if you can bear to wait that long! It's also good to try to stay in at least 2 different parts of YNP to minimise the driving you'll need to do. As a rough rule of thumb to work out how long it'll take to drive between YNP sights, you double the mileage to get the time it will take in minutes (ie. to drive 20 miles would take around 40 minutes). It can take a lot longer if you get stuck in animal jams though!
We're certainly not experts on these Parks, but are happy to help if you have any questions. Happy planning!

[hideinpockets]

Thanks Suei that sounds great, really great tips.

We won’t be hiring an RV style camper van, just a van size (think VW van size) so it won’t be much bigger then some of the SUV’s out there so i’m assuming that will be ok but will do some more research.

Will have a look at the tour company as well.

Will be packing lots of layers incase of snow as well! I am honestly so excited and would love to be going next year!

[justacey]

I’m following your thread as I’m going next year September. We’ve booked for Canyon Lodge (cheap rooms) and they are sold out now. I watched the price creep up before booking. You pay 1 days deposit and can cancel right up to a month before so do get in quick.

[disneywiseowl]

Make sure you have some warm clothes. We stayed in a cabin in YS n it was freezing - in August! We had to defrost the car in the morning.
Jackson Hole (“they use antlers in all of their decorating”) has a fun rodeo & the river float was good. We hired a private guide for a 3 hr car trip.(her 4x4). It was so worth it- as she knew all the best places to see wildlife. We also enjoyed the ski lift up the Grand Tetons.
Tbh, we all liked the Grand Tetons more than Yellowstone, the scenery is just stunning.
Happy Planning!

[Omega1]

It was several years ago but we did a covered wagon ride and cookout from Jackson Hole. It started about 4pm and we went along various trails before the Indians attacked and took Mrs Omega hostage. It was all very politically incorrect but great fun.

[Jan]

Originally Posted by Omega1

It was a few years ago we did a three week road trip starting and finishing in Denver. Our route took us to Cheyenne for the rodeo, Rapid City for Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Deadwood and the Badlands, Sheridan for Battle of the Little Bighorn, Cody for Buffalo Bill Center of the West, West Yellowstone for the NP, Jackson Hole for Grand Teton NP, Estes Park for Rocky Mountain NP, Boulder and back to Denver. States visited: Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho. A brilliant trip.

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That sounds like a fantastic trip.