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The Mammoth Hot Spring is dying, not the Old Faithful. In the '70s when I went, it erupted exactly every hour. Seven years ago when I visited again, it was 1 hr 30 min between each eruption. Even Old Faithful is not that faithful and becomes tardy.
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Float the Snake in very early morning from Jackson Dam to Jackson. Excellent wildlife and photo ops of Tetons (my favorite)
Pancake chuck wagon breakfast at Jenny Lake
Early morning and early evening drive the parks for FAST transt, more wildlife. Dawn and dusk are best times to be sure you are out in the wild.
I hike and nap under a tree, or swim during mid-day when families are out and about.
Love the NE entrance of Yellowstone and Beartooth Highway ( a top highway in USA, not to be missed)
Camping is great, usually used group sites and pack-in sites for best scenic and Wildlife.
Float agressive / wet rivers during hot afternoons.
...West Yellowstone, Montana is at the south entrance to Yellowstone. Its also very small and wouldn't exist, but for the tourist trade the park creates.
You'll see plenty of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. You may not see a bear though. I've only seen a bear once or twice. Plan on lots of bison, ducks, a few moose, and some elk...
A very minor correction to an excellent and informative post. The town of West Yellowstone and its entrance to the park is west of Yellowstone, not south. The south entrance is approached from Jackson and the Tetons.
And when you get there . . . don't try to pet the bison. And stay on the boardwalks. This past year a few people have been doing really stupid stuff, and some of them have died as a result of their actions.
I did this trip last year in early July. Flew into Jackson Hole which is right there at the Grand Teton Park. Spent a few days wilderness camping (permit required) and hiking then headed up to Yellowstone for 6 days. We camped at the public sites (crowded) and we were able to summit 3 peaks as well as hit all the tourist spots. The tourist spots are packed so if you go, try to do so in the off peak times. Wildlife is all over the place, we saw more Bison than you can impagine along with Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Antelope and several bears (some a little close for comfort). If you go to the Lamar Valley (highly recommended) make certain to go VERY early. The weather at Yellowstone can change very rapidly. We had days where the high was in the upper 70's, the temp would drop and we would get snow. A few hours later it was back in the 70's-crazy.
By the way, we did run into some areas while hiking that resulted in severe attacks by mosquitoes-you couldn't even open your mouth. Be prepared.
Another flight option is Bozeman, MT. It's only a 1 1/2 hour drive from the northern entrance to Yellowstone. The Museum of the Rockies is there, and it has some great dinosaur fossils if that's something your kids are into.
Hi, we have a week/10 days in August next year and I've always wanted to go to this part of the country. I know August is not ideal in terms of crowds (from what I hear), but that's what we have. So would you try to spend a bit of time in both parks? What city could we mix in to break it up a bit? Also, I have 2 boys who love wildlife/animals. So best chances for seeing in the wild would be appreciated. I've reserved a lodge at Yellowstone for the whole time just to get something because I know they book up (and indeed, the first 2 choices were already full for next August when I booked last month) but don't really want to spend the whole time there.
Both parks are great for spotting wildlife. The best times are morning and evening. August is the bison rutting season so you can see some big herds then. Unfortunately there are crowds in the summer but people exaggerate. They're pretty tolerable and really Old Faithful is most crowded, but still not to be missed. No "cities" around but if I were to visit a town I'd go to Jackson, WY and to the Grizzly Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, MT. You can buy souvenirs in Montana with no sales tax in case you want to shop.
FYI, ask this on the Montana and Wyoming forums. You can get some responses from locals.
Your entrance fee is good for both parks. You absolutely must visit Teton. It's gorgeous.
I recommend flying into Bozeman, MT From there you can drive down 191 through Big Sky on your way to West Yellowstone and into the park (gorgeous drive). Or you can hop over to Livingston and drive down 89 through Paradise Valley (aptly named) on your way to the Gardiner entrance to YNP. While both drives are pretty, I recommend 89. Even though you're planning a visit in August you just HAVE to stop by Chico Hot Springs for a dip. And most definitely get a bite to eat in the restaurant (not the poolside diner or saloon).
I just might be passing through at the same time on our way from Banff to Boulder, CO depending on our route. It will be hard for us to pass up Chico while in the vicinity. We've been taking our kids there since our oldest was 3 months.
And should you choose to stay the night at Chico, I recommend the North 40 cabins.
Bozeman, MT is your closest major airport to Yellowstone NP that offers reasonable rates.
Salt Lake City is the closest major airport (320 miles). Boise is not a bad drive either.
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