Yellowstone This Summer - So Confused! Please Advise..

i'm so jealous!
i did jackson hole, the tetons and yellowstone in one insanely fast whirling day. i fell in love and can't wait to go back.
i think they are all 3 unique and gorgeous. if you have to skip one, skip the tetons, but it's a shame. do NOT skip yellowstone!
khairete
S.

I am sure between all of us, we can help you out with your concerns!

I have not been to the other parks but have been to Yellowstone many times. It is a very unique place and very beautiful. There are boardwalks around the park so it is easy to push a stroller around. It does get very busy and crowded in the summer. Expect lines to bathrooms. The visitors center by Old Faithful is really nice and has huge, clean nice bathrooms. The restrooms by the smaller areas are the "pit" toilets and can be a bit scary for a small kid. Just a heads up.

To see all of Yellowstone, it will take several days. When we went last year, we went and saw some of the hot pots, mud pots and small geysers and then Old Faithful and that took from maybe 11 am to 4 pm. With small children, you really do need to break it up, ya know? There is a very cool cave I believe called Dragon's Cave or something similar, it smells of sulphur and has smelly steam billowing out of it. There is Yellowstone Lake, lots of rivers and streams you can play in. You might see a lot of wildlife like buffalo, moose, elk etc.

I would strap him in or use a leash for much of the time. Little rambunctious kids could fall off the boardwalk and get badly burned in one of the scalding hot pots.

Island Park, Idaho is a very quick drive from West Yellowstone and is a fantastic place to stay. We go there several times a year, we love it so much. It is a small town but there is a lot to do in the summer. There are some really nice campgrounds we go to that are right next to the river and have nice bathrooms as well (well, nice for a campground, lol!) Last year we floated the river all weekend and we even floated right past a moose. You can rent canoes or other small boats at Mack's Inn. You can fish if you are interested in that.

If you do not like camping, I would suggest Pines at Island Park. They are cabins and are absolutely fantastic and a decent price. The smallest one has a kitchenette and the large ones have a full kitchen will everything you could possibly need. All have hot tubs on the decks. We went there for our honeymoon and go back every year because we like staying there so much.

Jackson Hole is a nice town, too. In fact we just got back from there a few days ago. It is a touristy "old western" type town with boardwalks everywhere. Lots of shopping and fantastic restaurants (try Trio and Cafe Genevieve.) There is even a very nice rec center there with a few waterslides and several kiddie pools.

We went last summer, the first week in June...the first week the season opened. Our kids were 6 and 3. Our 3 year old still remembers Yellowstone and since that visit the Bison has been her favorite animal. She sleeps with a stuffed Bison every night.

Yellowstone, hands down, has been the best trip we have ever taken. We saw incredible, amazing things!

We heard from many people that the Grand Tetons are also nice. We only had a week, we wanted to spend it seeing as much of Yellowstone as we could. We did hear from many park rangers that that's the place to go if you want to see a Moose. The Moose is the only animal we wanted to see that elluded us. We were lucky to see Grizzly, black bear, elk, fox, wolves,bison,marmots, nesting owls....but we never saw a moose.

The park is most likely booked. When we made our reservations, I was told that most people book up to a year in advance. We stayed on the park. You may call and ask about waiting lists or cancellations. The park is so large, driving in and out daily would be tiresome.

The Frommer's guide to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons is excellent. I usually don't read guide books, but this one really helped us plan our trip. Things we would have skipped (like the cowboy cook out) we did because they were recommended for kids, and I am so glad we did! This book also helped prepare us for the weather. I was expecting cooler than Texas, I was not expecting snow storms in June! We were prepared thanks to the book.

We each picked the one thing we wanted to see. We watched videos about Yellowstone on Netflix with the kids, so they could choose too. Be careful with the videos, some can be a bit scary for kids. You might want to preview them first. This helped us plot our travels. We did not over book ourselves. We saw one or two major things each day, so that we would have plenty of time for side trips, breaks, meals, etc.

Our kids both did great in the car. There were so many interesting things to see, we never heard complaints. It also gave them time to rest up or nap. We did make sure to bring plenty of snacks and drinks, all the hiking made them hungry! We also invested in good hiking shoes. I cringed at buying $50 shoes for the kids, but it was money well spent (and on a side note, one year later, the kids are STILL wearing those shoes).

If I had known there were so many board walks (especially at Old Faithful), I would have brought the stroller. We made it work. She rode on Daddy's shoulders when she got tired and my hubby didn't seem to mind. But had I known that a stroller would have worked in so many places, I would have packed it.

We didn't have any problems with the fumes. Most are blocked so you can't get right on top of them. So there were no problems with that at all. Well, the kids did make a lot of "rotten egg" and "fart" jokes, but I guess that is to be expected. :)

Food, gas, souvenirs are pricey! Get what you can outside the park. We bought t shirts (Lots of sales on those), but we ordered toy souvenirs on amazon before we left and hid them in the luggage. Glad we did that and saved some cash. Pack a cooler if you can.

Make sure to bring plenty of memory cards for the camera. You'll take more photos than you ever thought possible.

The cowboy dinner will be worth it for your kiddo. It's pricey and the food is just ok, but the experience is great. Our son also did the junior ranger program to earn badges. It's free. They had something for our daughter to do as well. The ranger swore her in and gave her pencils and stickers instead of a badge. And if you also have older children the young scientist program at Old Faithful is fantastic. You have to pay $5 or so, but it is so worth it! They give the kids laser thermometers to see how hot the geysers get. It made things really interesting. Let the kids talk to the rangers. They were all really friendly and taught our kids a lot. The ranger talks that are scheduled daily are worth the 10 minutes.

We flew in to Billings. I think the drive was a little under an hour. That drive is tedious. We let the kids watch movies. Once we made it to the park, we banned all electronics for the week.

I hope you can make this happen. It really was an incredible experience for our whole family. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions I might be able to answer. I am absolutely no expert, but I might be able to help.

I can't speak to everything you are asking, but Yellowstone is beautiful! We went there on our honey moon and rented a small cabin. It only had cold water but was nice and clean. I now live in Alaska and have been to Denali many times, it is very different to Yellowstone.

I went when I was a kid, about 8 and I will share what I remember 30yrs later in hopes it will help you make your kid's memories too. I remember the Grand Tetons being pretty cool. I remember LOVING the fact that I could see the wildlife on our drives/tours around the parks, we went horseback riding (I think at the Grand Tetons Park) and the Rodeo in Jackson Hole was possibly THE BEST PART of the whole trip. So from my 8yr old self's memories those are things to consider.

I am from wyoming so my opinions might be a bit colored by that fact. Yellwostone is a lovely place...and although there are lots of lovely places around the country I happen to think that yellowstone is very special.
I cant talk to other park other than the rockies, but there are things you can see at Yellowstone that you cant see any place else...there are some great water falls and the hot springs, while a little smelly are great too look at too!
I havnt been in years so i am not sure where to tell you to stay at, but maybe look into cabins. you get a great camping exp with some comforts, like running water and a kitchen, that will help cut down on some of what you spend on food!
I travel with 2 kids and hear a lot of "She is breathing on me and "he's looking at me funny". If you have just the one little one this wont be a problem. And while I am ageist plugin kids in I would still have something interactive for the little guy to play with. Wyoming has some beautiful spots but you drive though a lot of nothing to get to them. So if you have a leap pad or something of the like Take it. Also when travailing with my kids I will buy a new coloring book and colors and not even let them know I have it until they get really fussy. then I am like "OH look....see what mommy has!!" and that will keep them happy for a while. A new book with bright pictures does the trick too. Also a fun new snack!
I agree with the mom that said to hold on to the little one...there are board walks in most places but some are missing railing, so think about bring a stroller.
All and all I think Yellowstont is a great family place, so are the teatons! the people are friendly and helpful! Aug is a great time to visit! Summers here are mild, whoever the weather can very, so bring clothing to layer and dont forget the sun screen!! We are closer to the sun so burns can happen fast if your not careful! If you want more help just let me know and I can pass along some websites to you!!
Hope to see you in Wonderful Wyoming!!
P.S. Jackson Hole might have some places, but could be a bit pricy, Look into Thermopolis too....hey also have some great hot springs!!
Also I see someone mentioned the Rodeo in Jackson if thats your thing Come see us in Cheyenne for Frontier Days...we have the Bigest, and Best outdoor Rodeo in the world! Please let me know if you need more help!!

Hi. I have been to all of those places you've listed and Yellowstone is unique, different. I don't have time to respond in detail now because I am leaving for an overnight baseball tournament, but I will be back tomorrow if you need more details and information. In terms of a place to stay outside the park I recommend the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone, MT. It is less than a mile from one of the entrances to the park. There are other motels and places to stay in West Yellowstone, but the Holiday Inn is the nicest. It does not have breakfast included, which I like when I travel with kids, but it does have a restaurant on site.

It looks like I am going to be in the minority on this website and we did see A LOT of small children in Yellowstone, but I think Yellowstone would be tough with a 3-year-old. Although my boys were very active and challenging at 3 and it sounds like your son is more easy going. Has he started potty training or is he potty trained? How good is he about telling you when he has to go? The bathrooms are pretty far a part in the park. There are porta-potties, but those can be tricky to track down too. The food in the park is expensive, but very family-friendly. I would want a way to contain or control him, such as a stroller (strapped in) or harness. We have asthma in our family and we did not have problems with the fumes.

My boys are significantly older, but they actually enjoyed Jackson Hole, WY and our trip to the Black Hills/Badlands more than they enjoyed Yellowstone. However, if you might be leaving the country soon I do consider Yellowstone one of those "must see" places.

ETA: Rain delay in our baseball schedule. Anyhow, there is a lot of driving in Yellowstone. That's probably the main reason my boys didn't enjoy it as much as they did Jackson Hole and the Black Hills. Obviously Old Faithful is a must-see and there are a couple of different options for dining in that area. My boys really like the mud pots. In West Yellowstone, MT there is a Grizzly Bear refuge and visitor center. There's also an IMAX theater. We enjoyed a movie about the Yellowstone fires and a little history. Your son would probably enjoy the Grizzly refuge because you can see the bears up close.

West Yellowstone is a very small town, but it was very convenient to the park entrance. Some people stay in Cody, but keep in mind that then you have an hour drive before you even get to the park entrance.

There are a lot of fun things to do in Jackson Hole. As someone else suggested I would get a guide book. My boys were 14 and 11 at the time. We did white water rafting, an alpine slide, the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and the rodeo. We thought the rodeo was kind of boring, but we loved everything else. They have river raft rides that don't involve white water. Your son might be able to go down the alpine slide with one of you. I think there might be a Children's Museum, but I don't remember. We also flew in and out of Jackson Hole and that worked well because we got to see the Grand Tetons driving back and forth to Yellowstone. I think we stayed at a Hampton Inn in Jackson Hole. I had turned my carry-on backpack into our daypack for Yellowstone and our hikes in the Grand Teton park. When we flew out I forgot to remove the sunscreen from the carry on (so TSA tossed it all) and I had put our bear spray in my checked luggage. That was a huge problem! It is a federal offense to leave bear spray in your luggage! We were able to retrieve my suitcase and get it out, but I was pretty nervous and the airport personnel were NOT happy with me.

Feel free to PM me if you have any qestions. And as others have said, the geysers and mudpots, etc. in Yellowstone are pretty open. There are boardwalks and railings in many places, but they are not railings designed to protect people or young children. You would need to hang on to your son's hand, have him in a stroller, etc. The wildlife roams freely too and sometimes block the roads so there are warnings to remain in your vehicle near the wildlife, don't feed it, etc.

I love Yellowstone! My family has gone a couple of times and it is always fun! We have stayed just outside of Yellowstone in Island Park, Idaho which is near West Yellowstone. In West Yellowstone there are hotels, cabins, restaurants, and gift shops there, it is cute. There is a really amazing place in West Yellowstone called the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center which costs a lot ($10 for adults, $5 for kids) but it is worth it to see the wolves and bears up close! And if you go there your admission is good for two days so you can go back the next day for free. As for the driving, it can be a bit confining, but the trick is to also plan for some hikes to tire your little one out (bring plenty of water!) And the amazing scenery and wildlife out the window makes the drive much more interesting. Be smart about the animals, they are dangerous, but if you keep your distance and are prepared you will be fine. Make lots of noise when you hike so you don't surprise a wild animal, and stick to clearly marked trails. I think on their website they have a list of all the trails, some are stroller friendly. The last time we went my littlest was only 16 months, we put him in his jogging stroller and went on a fairly easy 5 mile hike to a waterfall called fairy falls, it was awesome! Oh, another tip, be careful about food! We took snacks with us into the park but never took them out of the car, you don't want bears to smell your food. They have restaurants in the park, but they are pricey. I think that Yellowstone is a unique and beautiful place, and I hope you have a great vacation there!

Go!! I grew up 100 miles east of Yellowstone and we went at least once almost every year. My parents live 50 miles closer now and they will go at least once a month all summer long--sometimes on the spur of the moment. We went to Jackson and Teton Park less frequently, but still every time we go it is a different experience.

If you are flying in, Jackson is probably your best bet. You can also fly into Billings, Montana or Cody, Wyoming. Billings would probably be a cheaper flight, but both Billings and Cody would probably be a longer drive. The benefit of flying into Jackson is that you would drive through Teton Park on your way to Yellowstone.

There are also lots of places to stay in Jackson, Cody, or West Yellowstone. It will be an hour or longer drive into the interior of Yellowstone each day though. The time depends on how much traffic there is. I have seen traffic in Yellowstone that would rival Twin Cities traffic on a snowy day! Driving in from Cody would also take about the same amount of time. Driving in from West Yellowstone would probably be a little shorter. It wouldn't hurt to try and get on a waiting list for a place to stay in Yellowstone. My favorite place to stay in the Park was the cabins at Old Faithful. Lake Lodge is VERY expensive!

With a 3 year old, you might want to plan it more as a road trip. Look at spending a day in Jackson getting acclimated to the higher elevation and seeing all the fun things there. Spend day 2 driving through Teton Park and into Yellowstone. There are lots of places to stop and look at things, hike, and see animals. Old Faithful is a definite stop. So are the bubbling mud pots. When I was a kid we loved throwing rocks into Yellowstone Lake. Drive on through Yellowstone either to West Yellowstone or Cody to spend the night. Be sure to make reservations!! At that time of year there are lots of people either on their way to or from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and rooms can be difficult to find at the last minute. Spend a day in West Yellowstone or Cody. Both have lots of fun things to do. The Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody has a lot of fun things for kids. Then spend a day driving back through Yellowstone to see some of the things you missed. You might be able to find a guest ranch just outside of the park, but those tend to fill up too.

The thing with Yellowstone is that the things to see and do are not all clustered right together and you do have to do quite a bit of driving inbetween sites. With a 3 year old, you might be able to see all the big things in just a day or two. When we took our daughter when she was 2, we were only in the park for one day and I think we saw all the "big" things. You can definitely spend a lot longer there, but even a day is long enough to hit all of the major sites.

I would also recommend getting information about any road construction that may be going on. When we were there a couple of years ago, you had to be out of the park by a certain time of night or you couldn't leave through that entrance due to safety issues. Roads can be very narrow and when they do construction they are usually one lane roads.

I wouldn't worry about the sulphur fumes. They stink, but I haven't ever known anyone to be particularly bothered by them. Probably more bothersome for your son might be the change in altitude on his ears. We had our daughter there when she was about 2 and that was what bothered her the most. My 3 year old isn't old enough for gum, but we have found that Tootsie Rolls work just as good!

A stroller or harness system would be a good idea if you think your son might not listen and follow directions well. Most of the places where you would hike around the geysers and other hot springs have boardwalks. But, other than some wooded railings there really isn't anything to keep you from stepping off of the boardwalks. In some places the ground and water right off of the boardwalks can be scalding hot, so you don't want to take any chances of your son falling or climbing off of the boardwalks.

Don't approach any of the animals (except maybe the squirrels and rabbits). Even bison and elk can be dangerous so keep your distance. Someone else had mentioned bear spray, but unless you are going into the back country (which I definitely would not recommend with a 3 year old) you won't need bear spray. If a bear has been sighted in a high tourist area they will close the area down. Be sure to have sunscreen and bug repellant. Probably something with DEET because they do have ticks there (I don't think ones that carry Lyme, but the can carry other diseases). You also want to bring layers. It can get quite cold at night and even during the day at higher elevations. You probably won't see snow in early August, but it isn't unheard of at the higher elevations.

With a 3 year old, I would definitely skip the hike down from the Upper Falls. It is very steep and slippery and although there are some guard rails it is kind of a dangerous hike.

These are some links to some "must see" things for kids in Yellowstone:

http://www.uptake.com/blog/family_vacations/ten-cool-thin...

http://family.go.com/travel/trip-planner/trip-plans/wyomi...

This might be a good book to purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-National-Park-Preteens-...

Send me a message if you want more information or have more questions. I don't think you will regret going to Yellowstone at all! It is possible we may also be in Yellowstone for a day in August. We may see you there!

Please remember they only allow x vehicles in at a time. Once up to the gate, you could be waiting for hours on a busy day. I would call and ask the park workers when to come and how to avoid the long wait.