Thanks for the comment, it's really refreshing to hear, again. But Yellowstone NP is mostly (95%) in Wyoming. Not sure I'd call that "west" but hey, I've looked at a map before.
I'll think of more to add in time as it's been either 19 or 20 years ago we took our girls there. Either 10 and 12, or 11 and 13? So this is post one: (already thinking of more to add in post two.) We spent around 12-13 days going in and out of the park multiple times, entering from Jackson Hole and exiting on US 212 towards Red Lodge. Weekends in the park are usually less crowded than weekends, because many fly to Salt Lake City or other airports on the weekend, then drive in Monday. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the busiest days at Old Faithful. Traffic gradually thins out from Wednesday evening on. You will likely not enjoy driving around and parking whatever type of camper you have, as both were sometimes no fun in my extended multi-purpose E-350 van. We hung out at the O.F. Lodge a lot, and really wished we'd planned ahead to stay there. They did do guided tours of The Lodge back then, and they were cool. To keep our kids engaged and looking around, we paid small cash bounties for spotting wildlife. We revised it upward for hard to spot animals as the week went on. Letting them have the camera to take pictures (before cell phones,) was the best thing I did, when we stopped at the Harold Warp Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska, on the way out. The Park Rangers were amazing with the kids everywhere we stopped to talk with the, and we did that a lot! Be sure to get to a National Park well before you go to get your kid a N.P. Passport in person, from a Park Ranger. Then stop and get it stamped whenever you possibly can. The girls both got into searching for places they could get their next stamp. So much so, our oldest daughter has been chasing her way around every National Park she and her fiancé can get to, for the past 8 years. There is really too much to see in just a week, honestly.
We drove through there from the north gate to the West Yellowstone gate 3-4 times in the last 3 years. It’s a shorter jog through, but still saw a lot of wildlife, and got out to check out a few thermal attractions. Old Faithful is hard to pass up if you’re already there, and the hike up next to it with the kids was fun. In West Yellowstone town there is a nature center with a couple of grizzly bears and a pack of wolves. And the drive out to the 15 (Idaho Falls) is long, but has views of the Tetons along the way. I wish I had had more time to drive through Grand Teton Park. If you go west to Twin Falls, it’s pretty cool. It’s a huge ravine in an otherwise flat area with the‘Niagara of the West’ falls and Evel Knievel’s Snake River Jump site. If you head south toward Vegas, we really liked Zion National Park also. We found a lucky camper cancellation for 4th of July. Was warm, but man is it pretty. Moab last year and Arches NP was good too. Enjoy!!
Thanks all so far. got the passport covered - she’s been working hers since she was 6. The Grand Canyon and Pala Doro Canyon trips got a bunch of stamps. Beck and I are thinking (based on input from here) we like the idea of camping near Teton and “commuting” to Yellowstone on the connector roads. Any suggestion for RV spots near Teton greatly appreciated. I don’t mind taking the truck down the gravel connector roads, but not wanting to take the camper down them. keep the info coming. Gracias hermanos.
West Yellowstone has a nice RV park that you can drive from, right next to west Yellowstone gate. And close to the nature center. Big campers are tough in the park. Small roads and slow speeds for minimal impact.
I really dig the town of West Yellowstone, or down the road a bit is the Island Park area in Idaho. But if you want to stay on the Teton side, see if Flagg Ranch has any open spots for your trip. It's not a secluded dispersed camping area, but it's a good RV park on the north end of Teton Park. Makes it easy to hit up areas in either park. And there are always a lot of moose and elk in that area. Close enough for a day trip into Yellowstone and hit the south ring to the Old Faithful basin, or another day up past the lake to the Yellowstone River falls and to canyon village. There are always animals on that drive, then head over Norris canyon road where there are a couple of open areas to see animals. From canyon village up to tower junction will typically have grizzly. It's a longer haul from there to lamar valley, but that is a primo spot for wildlife and scenery. It's also close to day trips down into Teton and Jenny Lake, the moose road overlook, even down into Jackson with the fish hatchery and elk refuge.
Yellowstone? Tell Beth Dutton I said hello and that she left her panties in my truck... Seriously, Yellowstone NP is definitely on my wish list. I have nothing to add other than I hope you & the family have a great trip and make life-lasting memories.
Personally, we found Yellowstone to be a bit of a boar. The Teton's were much more interesting. Stayed in teepees at a ranch overlooking the Tetons (you can see them in the background, kind of hazy that day). Then we hiked to Delta Lake at 9,000'. Beautiful place. Afterwards hit the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson to celebrate the day.
The key when I was there a couple of years ago was to get your butt up and get through the gate before 8AM and it wasn't bad at all. That was when part of the park was closed due to the floods, so visitors were down. In any case, the week or so before you go, check the live camera in the morning to see when the lines get long enough you can't see the end of the line. Get in before that and it won't be too bad.
Make a point to take 191 south to Moran, then go east toward Dubois, to Togwotee pass. the road, and views of the Tetons from Togwotee Mountain Lodge to Jackson are breathtaking. Ski
