Yellowstone

[Biff Tannen 45665]

That canyon blew my freaking mind.  Amazing.

[NIUHuskies 504]

The canyon is awesome to experience. I was also a fan of the other cascades-Virginia and Kepler. Lamar Valley is worth the drive to. Just thousands of bison roaming. Harkens back to what one could image what the West was. I also enjoyed the town of Mammoth itself because I like going to old forts.

[Mango4 189]

Just got back from a few days in Yellowstone. What a place. We got up early on Tuesday and had the Lower Geyser Basin entirely to ourselves. That was an experience. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone lived up to the hype, that place was incredible. Early morning is the best time in the park, less people and the steam coming off the hot springs and geysers is incredible.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Here’s some. It was super hazy from the smoke, unfortunately. Not real happy with what I got. May have more later if any of the shots I took on film turn out. I was kinda lazy and didn’t get up early, but spent sunset in Hayden Valley a few times. Didn’t have nearly enough lens for wildlife, either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

This probably won’t work, but I’ll try (did it with camera in landscape instead of portrait).

 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

Great fucking shots man.

[Al_4_ISU 12451]

That shot of the falls is iconic.

[Biff Tannen 45665]

What is that UFO in front of the geyser?

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

What is that UFO in front of the geyser?

A raven.

[BlueGreySky 1004]

Damn dude - awesome pics.  I may just take those and photoshop my family in there like Michael Scott's Christmas card with Carol's family. 

[txhorns 2409]

Taking my family to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs in July this year.  Was going to stay in a cabin but have now decided to tent camp.  What campgrounds do you recommend to look at?  We can stay in either park or split the camping between the 2 parks.  Going to be there at the end of July.  TIA for any recs.

[Telegraph_it 3357]

On 2/1/2021 at 5:43 PM, txhorns said:

Taking my family to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs in July this year.  Was going to stay in a cabin but have now decided to tent camp.  What campgrounds do you recommend to look at?  We can stay in either park or split the camping between the 2 parks.  Going to be there at the end of July.  TIA for any recs.

I’d get your spot reserved now. The number of people in both parks last year during July was the most I’ve ever seen. 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

There’s a tent camp area at fishing bridge for sure. Never seen one in Tetons.  Better to tent camp in the busier areas so the bears don’t stop by. 

[Telegraph_it 3357]

Also, it looks like United is flying nonstop from IAH to JAC this summer most days of the week. Prices right now are around $500 which is pretty good unless Frontier is your thing. 
 

Nonstop is a god send since I’ll be traveling with two kids now. 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

On 2/6/2021 at 12:15 PM, Telegraph_it said:

Also, it looks like United is flying nonstop from IAH to JAC this summer most days of the week. Prices right now are around $500 which is pretty good unless Frontier is your thing. 
 

Nonstop is a god send since I’ll be traveling with two kids now. 

Flying into JAC is well worth it.  The drive from either Salt Lake or Spokane is long.

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

Just now, Biff Tannen said:

Flying into JAC is well worth it.  The drive from either Salt Lake or Spokane is long.

You can fly into cody, but not direct. Have to go thru slc on delta or Denver on United. 50 minutes from the East gate of ynp.  Jackson is probably around 40 minutes from the southern gtmp entrance. 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

2 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

You can fly into cody, but not direct. Have to go thru slc on delta or Denver on United. 50 minutes from the East gate of ynp.  Jackson is probably around 40 minutes from the southern gtmp entrance. 

How much though?  From Austin.  There were AUS-IAH-JAC flights recently for like $250, one way.

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

12 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

How much though?  From Austin.  There were AUS-IAH-JAC flights recently for like $250, one way.

Random June date search 

https://www.orbitz.com/Flights-Search?flight-type=RoundTrip&FrAirport=Austin%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&ToAirport=Cody%2C+Wyoming%2C+United+States+of+America&starDate=06%2F01%2F2021&endDate=06%2F07%2F2021&_xpid=11905|1&mode=search&trip=roundtrip&leg1=from%3AAustin%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America%2Cto%3ACody%2C+Wyoming%2C+United+States+of+America%2Cdeparture%3A06%2F01%2F2021TANYT&leg2=from%3ACody%2C+Wyoming%2C+United+States+of+America%2Cto%3AAustin%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America%2Cdeparture%3A06%2F07%2F2021TANYT&passengers=children%3A0%2Cadults%3A1%2Cseniors%3A0%2Cinfantinlap%3AY

as cheap as 300 RT. 
 

bozeman probably isn’t a bad drive down either. I bet someone has direct from aus and DFW to bzn. 
 

the parks are so large that if you aren’t staying in a central location it’s better to book places in different ends so that you don’t have to double back a lot. 
 

There’s also west Yellowstone airport which is like Cody.  Close but small and would require a change to a smaller regional jet. 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Pato del Muerto

[UTexasFight 9429]

If you and your significant other plus a 6 and 8 yo were flying in to JAC for a week the week before thanksgiving, what would you do? where would you stay?

 

[mininghorn88 2277]

8 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

If you and your significant other plus a 6 and 8 yo were flying in to JAC for a week the week before thanksgiving, what would you do? where would you stay?

 

Travel within the Yellowstone and GTNP can be dicey that time of year so you will need to take into consideration road closures.  I also believe that there are already some road closures within Yellowstone due to construction.

My girlfriend and I went to Yellowstone and GTNP the latter part of October 2020.  We drove up from east Texas since we both enjoy driving/riding and seeing the countryside along the way.  We entered the park in the Northeast Entrance and stayed at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (no TV's) for several days while we explored the upper central and northern part of the park hitting the usual sites.

We then transitioned to Jackson and stayed at the Rustic Inn Creekside Cabins on the north side of town.  They are really nice with fire pits around the property and teepees for the kids to play in.  Moving to this location allowed us to explore the southern part of Yellowstone and the GNP with ease.

We did more hiking in GTNP than in Yellowstone.  For me, Yellowstone has more "site seeing" stops that you get out and walk around and explore whereas GTNP requires getting out and doing some hikes around the lakes, etc.  There are hikes in both parks that are suitable.  Just carry bear spray.

We were there between the "prime seasons" so the lodging rates were lower.  Plus the crowds were not so big either.  Downside of going out-of-season, coupled with Covid, is that some amenities are closed.  Food service in the parks is limited.

There are several nice restaurants in Jackson so there are no issues in finding food for the evening. For food going into the parks we stopped at the Creekside Market and Deli each morning to pick up sandwiches for lunch.  They are fantastic.

Keep checking local conditions for that time of year to help plan on how to visit all of the parks.

[tchookem 3900]

Not so much a Yellowstone question, but a question about the drive up.

We're driving up with stops in Lubbock and Fort Collins and I'm looking for anything (food mostly) that would be worth stopping for along the way.

[Kennythetiger 9376]

More specific route?  

[tchookem 3900]

More specific route?  

Just looking for suggestions around the Lubbock, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Laramie areas.

[deadshank 24652]

I submit to you that are planning a trip to YNP to enlist the private guide services of MacNeil Lyons of Yellowstone Insight.   Very reasonable rates, incredible knowledge of the park and a fun guy to be with. 
 

www.yellowstoneinsight.com

 

 

[tchookem 3900]

I submit to you that are planning a trip to YNP to enlist the private guide services of MacNeil Lyons of Yellowstone Insight.   Very reasonable rates, incredible knowledge of the park and a fun guy to be with. 
 
www.yellowstoneinsight.com
 
 

Not gonna lie, I clicked the link expecting this...

[Spur08 382]

Headed to Jackson next week but staying in Driggs.  Any other recs other than those outlined within?  Any of those places not make it due to COVID?  We have a 4 year old so we won't be doing anything too strenuous.  

[You don't know me 1161]

We just got back from Jackson on Monday.  We spent a total of 10 days and it was amazing.  My pictures don't add anything to those that have already been posted, but I felt the urge to write something about the beauty in that part of the country.  We flew into Salt Lake City and then drove up to Rexburg, ID the first day.  We spent a day there and went to Yellowstone Bear World and the Legacy Flight Museum.  Both were very cool.  We then drove through the West Yellowstone entrance and drove down to Jackson.  We made several stops on the drive, including Old Faithful.  We didn't spend too terribly much time sight seeing that day, as we had plans to go back up during the week.  While in Jackson, we took a scenic river trip on Snake River one day and then did a whitewater trip on the same river later in the week.  Both trips were fantastic.  We did get back up to Yellowstone and spent an entire day driving around up there.  At one point we got into a traffic jam that delayed us by a couple of hours.  Once we saw the reason, we were not disappointed.  There was a herd of bison, probably at least 200, that were in the midst of moving from one side of the road to the other.  The same day we went to the Grand Prismatic and the Little Grand Canyon.  Back in the Jackson area we went to Teton Village and rode the gondola up to the top and saw an amazing view of the valley below. 

I can't recommend this trip enough if you have never been.  The only drawback about the trip was a bit of a haze from the wildfires, but even that got better as the week progressed and the winds shifted.  There was a little rain at some point that helped clear the air quite a bit. 

When we left Jackson, we drove back to Salt Lake City and spent a day and half seeing the sites there.  This trip was a first for me and it was the best vacation that my family has had. 

[Kahuna 41]

On 8/6/2021 at 1:30 PM, You don't know me said:

We just got back from Jackson on Monday.  We spent a total of 10 days and it was amazing.  My pictures don't add anything to those that have already been posted, but I felt the urge to write something about the beauty in that part of the country.  We flew into Salt Lake City and then drove up to Rexburg, ID the first day.  We spent a day there and went to Yellowstone Bear World and the Legacy Flight Museum.  Both were very cool.  We then drove through the West Yellowstone entrance and drove down to Jackson.  We made several stops on the drive, including Old Faithful.  We didn't spend too terribly much time sight seeing that day, as we had plans to go back up during the week.  While in Jackson, we took a scenic river trip on Snake River one day and then did a whitewater trip on the same river later in the week.  Both trips were fantastic.  We did get back up to Yellowstone and spent an entire day driving around up there.  At one point we got into a traffic jam that delayed us by a couple of hours.  Once we saw the reason, we were not disappointed.  There was a herd of bison, probably at least 200, that were in the midst of moving from one side of the road to the other.  The same day we went to the Grand Prismatic and the Little Grand Canyon.  Back in the Jackson area we went to Teton Village and rode the gondola up to the top and saw an amazing view of the valley below. 

I can't recommend this trip enough if you have never been.  The only drawback about the trip was a bit of a haze from the wildfires, but even that got better as the week progressed and the winds shifted.  There was a little rain at some point that helped clear the air quite a bit. 

When we left Jackson, we drove back to Salt Lake City and spent a day and half seeing the sites there.  This trip was a first for me and it was the best vacation that my family has had. 

I spend from June 1 to early October each year about 45 minutes north of Rexburg near the Henry's Fork and Warm River confluence so I know the area well.  It sounds like you put together a pretty good trip for the short time you could spend traveling.  If you have kids, Bear World is a great place to take them.  Yellowstone tends to be pretty boring for younger kids because there is too much car time looking at trees.  You passed by some really fine, uncrowded sights on your way to West Yellowstone (Google Cave Falls in SW Yellowstone NP, Upper Mesa Falls, and Lower Mesa Falls).  My wife and I went over to Yellowstone a week ago for a couple of days of hiking and mountain biking and only saw three bison the entire time. It's hard to hide 3500 bison in the park, but somehow they sneaked off.  It was still hazy from the California smoke.  For a first trip, you had a great overview of the area.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[You don't know me 1161]

15 hours ago, Kahuna said:

I spend from June 1 to early October each year about 45 minutes north of Rexburg near the Henry's Fork and Warm River confluence so I know the area well.  It sounds like you put together a pretty good trip for the short time you could spend traveling.  If you have kids, Bear World is a great place to take them.  Yellowstone tends to be pretty boring for younger kids because there is too much car time looking at trees.  You passed by some really fine, uncrowded sights on your way to West Yellowstone (Google Cave Falls in SW Yellowstone NP, Upper Mesa Falls, and Lower Mesa Falls).  My wife and I went over to Yellowstone a week ago for a couple of days of hiking and mountain biking and only saw three bison the entire time. It's hard to hide 3500 bison in the park, but somehow they sneaked off.  It was still hazy from the California smoke.  For a first trip, you had a great overview of the area.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks, I hope to go back again some day.  This trip was actually due entirely to my mom.  She passed away in October of last year and she loved that area of the country.  She wanted her kids, grand kids and everyone's spouses to go there, so she set aside enough for us all to make this trip and paid for it.  We had a lot of stuff planned around remembering her while just enjoying the beauty that is Jackson Hole.  I'll make that pilgrimage again, but my kids are starting to grow up and the oldest are heading out on their own. A trip with just me and wife will be fantastic too.

[baboso 6054]

On 6/17/2021 at 5:28 PM, tchookem said:

On 6/17/2021 at 1:38 PM, Kennythetiger said:

More specific route?  

Just looking for suggestions around the Lubbock, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Laramie areas.

Evie Mae's BBQ in Wolfforth is one of the TM top 50 bbq joints.  Right outside of Lubbock.

[UTexasFight 9429]

Not exactly Yellowstone but any recs for activities around Jackson the week of Thanksgiving? 
we have a place booked for a week in Victor, ID.
Looking forward to doing not much of anything but we will have a 7 and 9 year old with us and trying to plan a few activities. Snowshoeing? Snowmobiling? 
need to check and see what, if anything, is accessible in the GTNP in mid/late November 

[shnsajax 3591]

Not exactly Yellowstone but any recs for activities around Jackson the week of Thanksgiving? 
we have a place booked for a week in Victor, ID.
Looking forward to doing not much of anything but we will have a 7 and 9 year old with us and trying to plan a few activities. Snowshoeing? Snowmobiling? 
need to check and see what, if anything, is accessible in the GTNP in mid/late November 

Melvin Brewing and Grand TetonBrewing. That’s all I got.

[strangulation! 1716]

12 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Not exactly Yellowstone but any recs for activities around Jackson the week of Thanksgiving? 
we have a place booked for a week in Victor, ID.
Looking forward to doing not much of anything but we will have a 7 and 9 year old with us and trying to plan a few activities. Snowshoeing? Snowmobiling? 
need to check and see what, if anything, is accessible in the GTNP in mid/late November 

skiing? i would assume lifts are open then

[Bob Lives! 900]

Just making my way through this thread. Thinking abut planning a quick RV trip this July. 5 nights. We’d fly into Salt Lake City, rent a 32’ RV that would be delivered to us at the airport, and then we’d drive up to West Yellowstone. Stay one night there, one night at Fishing Bridge and then drive down to Headwaters just inside Grand Teton NP for a night. Then two nights at The Virginian in Jackson before heading back.

I figure 6 days, 5 nights in a RV with a 7 and 8 year old is plenty for my wife and me. We’ve never done this. In addition to that part of the trip, we’d spend sometime with friends in Park City. We talked about extending the trip more after that with a leg into Zion or maybe Moab, but we’re leaning against that now.

The big question I have is if it will be okay driving a 32’ RV around these parks. Will I be able to get around and park at the visitor centers or trailheads? I have experience driving big vehicles from towing boats, so I’m comfortable driving. Just worried about parking space.  Am I better off parking the RV and renting a car?  If we did it that way, we'd be unable to stay in the parks due to availability and would have to keep the RV parked in West Yellowstone and/or Jackson and then see about renting a Jeep or something from there.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 18, 2022 by Bob Lives!

[3shot 139]

On 4/18/2022 at 7:58 AM, Bob Lives! said:

The big question I have is if it will be okay driving a 32’ RV around these parks. Will I be able to get around and park at the visitor centers or trailheads? I have experience driving big vehicles from towing boats, so I’m comfortable driving. Just worried about parking space.  Am I better off parking the RV and renting a car?  If we did it that way, we'd be unable to stay in the parks due to availability and would have to keep the RV parked in West Yellowstone and/or Jackson and then see about renting a Jeep or something from there.

There are some RV parking spaces at the larger visitor center areas (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Grand Canyon, Canyon Village), but there are not a ton of them.  As for parking at trailhead, I don't recall seeing larger RVs at any of the trailheads, but I don't know if they are specifically prohibited.  However, even if they aren't prohibited, having enough space to park will be an issue at most of them.  You might check The NPS website and see if there is a section on RV rules and regulations.   

If it were me, I would rent a car.  Also, and you are probably already aware of this (but PSA for others), there will be significant road construction this summer on the Lewis River bridge, the road between Old Faithful and West Thumb and the Yellowstone River bridge.  I think the bridge traffic will be manageable, and for my purposes, I just have to deal with it because I'm coming in from the south and I'm not missing the Lamar Valley, which is probably my favorite place on Earth.  But I'm not getting on the road between Old Faithful and West Thumb; I've planned my trip around that one.      

[Kahuna 41]

Since 2006 I have spent the period from June 1 through early October at my summer cabin located about five miles from the SW corner of YNP (Idaho side).  I've had a lot of friends and family visit me so I'll pass along some of the same advice I give them (tailored to some of the details you have provided about your schedule and family).  The first advice is to avoid trying to do everything on your first visit, starting with flying into Salt Lake City to see the Yellowstone area.  I know you have friends to visit, but that is like flying into Lubbock with your family to go visit Austin 6 hours away.  The friends might be a better visit coupled some other time with Zion/Bryce/Arches/etc.  Of course, you might have free passes on Southwest for the family, but at least look at Southwest flying into Bozeman.  Southwest aside, the nearby airports for Yellowstone are Jackson Hole, Idaho Falls, and Bozeman.  West Yellowstone does have a small airport too, but I believe service is sparse.

I would also suggest saving the motor home experience for another trip.  The roads within the parks and surrounding area are two lanes, and even shoulders and pull-offs are hard to find.  There is a lot of traffic and parking lots are full with lines of cars parked along the roadside near some of the major attractions.  Parking anything is a pain, but a 32' motor home will be awful.  Going back to my Austin visit example, it will be like driving it downtown and hoping to find a parking place - and let's go to San Antonio for the sights too and park by the Alamo!  I exaggerate,  but that is the sort of experience I would expect.  I would rent as car at the airport and stay in motels/lodges.  Staying in Jackson Hole to visit Teton NP is great.  I recommend that you try to find a hotel room within Yellowstone NP at least one night.  They are expensive and are likely all booked up by now, but go to the concessionaire booking website (xanterra.com) daily and look for cancellations.  A night inside the park is nice because commuting to/from one of the gateway towns is a real time eater.  Last summer there were lines of cars snaking through West Yellowstone in the morning to get into the park.  Families wasted an hour or more in line just to enter.  Another advantage to at least one night in the park is that you have the pole position for looking for wildlife.  The animals tend to move around more in the early morning and late afternoon/dusk.  That is when most tourists are just finishing breakfast and driving to the park.  You can go out early (maybe with snacks) and travel around in light traffic and then find a place for breakfast as the park heats up.  When others are driving out of the park, you can go out look around and return to your hotel for dinner.

A final comment about food/snacks.  It's a good idea to take food/snacks/drinks along with you as you drive around, so take a collapsible ice chest with you if you bail out on the RV.  Good places for box lunches:

 

West Yellowstone - Ernie's

Jackson - Creekside Market.

I've got a few ideas for excursions the kids (and parents too) will enjoy if you are interested.

[Bob Lives! 900]

Since 2006 I have spent the period from June 1 through early October at my summer cabin located about five miles from the SW corner of YNP (Idaho side).  I've had a lot of friends and family visit me so I'll pass along some of the same advice I give them (tailored to some of the details you have provided about your schedule and family).  The first advice is to avoid trying to do everything on your first visit, starting with flying into Salt Lake City to see the Yellowstone area.  I know you have friends to visit, but that is like flying into Lubbock with your family to go visit Austin 6 hours away.  The friends might be a better visit coupled some other time with Zion/Bryce/Arches/etc.  Of course, you might have free passes on Southwest for the family, but at least look at Southwest flying into Bozeman.  Southwest aside, the nearby airports for Yellowstone are Jackson Hole, Idaho Falls, and Bozeman.  West Yellowstone does have a small airport too, but I believe service is sparse.
I would also suggest saving the motor home experience for another trip.  The roads within the parks and surrounding area are two lanes, and even shoulders and pull-offs are hard to find.  There is a lot of traffic and parking lots are full with lines of cars parked along the roadside near some of the major attractions.  Parking anything is a pain, but a 32' motor home will be awful.  Going back to my Austin visit example, it will be like driving it downtown and hoping to find a parking place - and let's go to San Antonio for the sights too and park by the Alamo!  I exaggerate,  but that is the sort of experience I would expect.  I would rent as car at the airport and stay in motels/lodges.  Staying in Jackson Hole to visit Teton NP is great.  I recommend that you try to find a hotel room within Yellowstone NP at least one night.  They are expensive and are likely all booked up by now, but go to the concessionaire booking website (xanterra.com) daily and look for cancellations.  A night inside the park is nice because commuting to/from one of the gateway towns is a real time eater.  Last summer there were lines of cars snaking through West Yellowstone in the morning to get into the park.  Families wasted an hour or more in line just to enter.  Another advantage to at least one night in the park is that you have the pole position for looking for wildlife.  The animals tend to move around more in the early morning and late afternoon/dusk.  That is when most tourists are just finishing breakfast and driving to the park.  You can go out early (maybe with snacks) and travel around in light traffic and then find a place for breakfast as the park heats up.  When others are driving out of the park, you can go out look around and return to your hotel for dinner.
A final comment about food/snacks.  It's a good idea to take food/snacks/drinks along with you as you drive around, so take a collapsible ice chest with you if you bail out on the RV.  Good places for box lunches:
 
West Yellowstone - Ernie's
Jackson - Creekside Market.
I've got a few ideas for excursions the kids (and parents too) will enjoy if you are interested.

I appreciate that advice! Definitely sounds like we should not try touring the park in an RV. Looks like we’re going to do a guided trip one day in each park and rent a jeep for the days we’ll be on our own. We’d only have the RV in the park on the day we transfer campgrounds from West Yellowstone to Jackson.

I’d really rather make this trip about YP/GT and not the Moab or Zion areas though. If we enjoy this RV experience, we’ll do a Grand Canyon/Zion one another year(s). And I’d rather do Moab on a mountain bike on a boys trip. How bad is the drive from SLC? Google and Apple say 4.5 hours. I wouldn’t mind that, especially driving with mountain scenery, even in traffic.

The guided tours we’re looking at doing are from these guys:
http:// https://www.adventuretoursofyellowstone.com
http:// https://www.jhecotouradventures.com

Would love to hear some more excursion ideas though!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kahuna 41]

I would plan on a six-hour drive from SLC to West Yellowstone, especially in a motor home.  Traffic in SLC tends to be really heavy but will thin out for the rest of the journey as you approach the Utah border with Idaho.  It's not very scenic until you get within an hour or so of West Yellowstone unless you are into potato fields.

Here is one of the excursions I referred to in my prior post:  A lot of visitors to the area just focus on the two parks but there is a ton of scenery and cool places in the surrounding area too.  One I recommend is on your drive up to West Yellowstone.  About an hour from West Yellowstone you'll be driving on US 20 through the little town of Ashton, Idaho ("Seed Potato Capital of the World!").  If you are in a hurry to get to West Yellowstone and start touring the many t-shirt shops proceed ahead on US 20.  However, if the family is ready to stretch their legs, turn right onto Main St. in Ashton.  Main St. is Idaho Highway 47 and is also called the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.  It leaves US 20 in Ashton and then rejoins it about 25 miles later, so you aren't going to be backtracking, just driving a parallel route through the Targhee-Caribou National Forest.  Before leaving Ashton, if you need a meal, there is a little cafe called 511 Main, which is also its address.  It's a decent lunch spot serving soup, sandwiches, pizza (you know you are in Idaho when one of the pizza options is the "Darth Tater") and has an old timey soda fountain with excellent local ice cream.  Continuing on Main St./Hwy 47 you pass through the last of the potato fields and into the forest.  The first recommended stop for the kiddos is a trout feeding spot that will be on your left.  It's not marked by any signage, but is across the road from Three Rivers Ranch (an Orvis-approved flyfishing lodge) which is easy to see.  There is a wooden deck at the spot where you can toss chunks of bread out into the Warm River to feed giant rainbow and brown trout.  Bring some old bread along for this if you can, but there will likely be other folks doing the same thing so you can at least watch.  Polarized glasses really help.  This will be a quick stop on your journey and the kids will have a blast chunking bread at huge trout.  Leaving this area you'll notice that Hwy. 47 starts climbing uphill for quite a while.  That's because you are actually climbing up the side of one of the old Yellowstone super-volcanoes.  When you get to YNP go to the visitors center at Canyon, look for the Island Park Cadera on the 3D display.  That's what you are currently climbing.

Continuing along Hwy. 47 you will see a well-marked turn to Lower Mesa Falls.  This is another quick stop.  There is a large parking lot and you take a short walk (maybe 150 feet) to a scenic overlook of the Henry's Fork (i.e., the north fork) of the Snake River with a large waterfall in the near distance.  Very cool.  Hop back in the RV and travel another five minutes up Hwy. 47 and turn at the sign for Upper Mesa Falls.  If you don't do anything on this Hwy. 47 drive, I encourage you to do this.  There are two parking lots and there is a small fee (maybe $10/vehicle).  You'll see a log lodge that you should visit after taking a walk.  A nicely maintained loop will take you down to the edge of the Henry's Fork and then alongside the Upper Mesa Falls.  At 114 feet it is really impressive.  It is cascading through an area of volcanic rock that will be explained by a series of interpretive signs.  After completing the loop you wind up back at the wooden lodge.  It is a small museum and nature center so head on in.  In the back room they have a bunch of animal pelts that they encourage the kids to handle and guess what kind on animals they came from.  A key with the answers is posted on the wall so you'll look smart until they are teenagers.  There is a lot of other stuff there that warrants at least 30 minutes.  After this stop continue up Hwy. 47 another 10-15 minutes and turn right onto US Hwy. 20.  If you need another dining choice, about 2-3 miles after rejoining Hwy. 20 you'll see another fishing lodge, Trouthunter, on your left.  It has a nice restaurant/bar with very good food.  They have an outdoor seating area alongside the Henry's Fork - a great place to sip an IPA or two.  We had to chase a momma moose and her baby back across the river from the patio once to keep them off the highway.  Last summer this place required reservations all day due to huge demand so call ahead to check on that if you are interested.  You also won't be able to park and RV in their lot, but there are parking areas close by that I'm sure you could use and then walk over to Trourhunter.  From here you are 30-45 minutes to West Yellowstone.

I have some other potential stops along this route for you that are great and will avoid the crowds of the national parks, but I'll hold off unless you want them.

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

This doesn’t really help you since you’re staying in West Yellowstone, but just as an aside, when I went to YELL and GRTE from SLC, I stayed in Logan for the night and then cut through the Wasatch and went up around Bear Lake and eventually into Wyoming that way, into Jackson and eventually the South YELL entrance. It’s at least much more interesting than the normal highway drive. Some parts are still boring, but was worth it overall.

[JCHIL 414]

21 hours ago, Bob Lives! said:

The guided tours we’re looking at doing are from these guys:
http:// https://www.adventuretoursofyellowstone.com
http:// https://www.jhecotouradventures.com

Would love to hear some more excursion ideas though!

I highly recommend Brushbuck for a guided tour: https://brushbucktours.com/
They have customized mercedes sprinter vans in a small group of 6-8 people with large windows and the guides know where the wildlife is.  They took us to several spots outside of YNP on the drive from Jackson Hole to see Moose and antelope.  It is a very efficient way to cover the highlights of YNP if you are not familiar with it.  The guides can park up front at all tourist areas, they know all the interesting history and tidbits, they have spotting scopes for your use, and we amazingly saw a wolf which is not very common and I am sure we would never have seen one without our guide. 
  

Edited April 25, 2022 by JCHIL

[Bob Lives! 900]

What are some things you wish you'd packed for this trip that you didn't?  Or that you're glad you packed and would recommend others not forget? 

Bear spray is one.  Binoculaurs is another.  What else?   Gonna get some hiking boots for the wife and kids, and I'll make them wear them in a bit before the trip.  Quality flash lights.  Bug spray. Rain coats. What am I forgetting? 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

Don’t forget the kibble to hand feed the bison. You can pet them.  Just walk right up to them.  Whole park is like a giant petting zoo with hot tubs interspersed. 

[Kahuna 41]

Buy the bear spray after you arrive; I'm pretty sure it isn't allowed in your suitcase.  Also, you won't really need it unless you are going backcounty.  The grizzlies won't be hanging around Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, visitor centers, etc.  If you take off on trails, however, definitely take some spray and carry it in your hand, not in a backpack.  You have 2-5 seconds to respond to a charge sometimes and you can't call a timeout to dig it out of a pocket on your pack.

Good call on the binoculars; bring several pairs if you can because one pair for four people will be limiting when looking at something cool.  As you drive around you will also see a lot of people with spotting scopes set up.  They usually know about a certain animal's activity or have lucked into something cool that they are monitoring.  Ask them what they are watching, and they almost always invite you to look through their scope.  We've seen wolves, bears, and a perrigine falcon feeding a dove to her chicks on a cliff simply by stopping and asking.  Hiking boots aren't necessary unless you are going some serious trails for a long distance; tennis shoes are fine and more predictable than new boots.  If you are sticking to major sights, you'll be walking on boardwalks and nice trails.

Other stuff you need are daypacks, water bottles, a few warm clothes (be capable of dressing in layers).  I've been snowed on in June and September up there.  You are correct on the bug spray and the rain gear, even though it is a very dry environment.  I also always pack a good corkscrew for obvious reasons.

[Bob Lives! 900]

The one hike I kind of have my heart set on is Delta Lake. Not sure my kids will be up to the task or not though. Their hiking experience thus far is mostly around central Texas and about half the length of that one. 

[Kahuna 41]

I haven't been to Delta Lake but have been to both nearby Taggart Lake and Bradlet Lake.  Those two are at a much lower elevation and were pretty boring; it was just a nice walk.  It looks like Delta will be a lot nicer.  Another kid-friendly excursion I was going to mention is also in TNP.  At Jenny Lake you can take a boat across the lake (for a small fee) and take a short, but steep, hike up to Inspiration Point.  The family can easily handle this short hike and the view back across the lake and park is awesome.  If everyone is up to it, you can then continue on up the trail into Cascade Canyon.  The Cascade Canyon trail is relatively flat, and the "canyon" is merely a valley between the mountains.  It's a pretty hike and you just turn around and return to the boat when you are getting tired.  Take water, snacks, or even pack a lunch.  This is a busy trail, especially up to Inspiration Point, so don't expect privacy.  Hiking boots aren't necessary.  Bear spray wouldn't either unless you went far up Cascade Canyon to where you were leaving the crowds, although my last trip up I walked right by a bedded down moose without noticing it until my return.  Bear (moose) spray might have been useful if I had made it mad.

[RamjetFDO 10575]

@Kahuna - we did the same two hikes 10 years ago (Bradley/Taggert and Inspiration Point/Cascade Canyon) and highly recommend both.

Taggert Lake had some great reflections of the Tetons: 

 

The climb up to Inspiration Point wasn't horrid, but was a little sporty in one or two spots if it was crowded:

 

But the view was excellent:

 

Cascade Canyon's worth the short walk, if for no other reason than to be away from the crowd and literally "up in" the Tetons.

 

But yes - pay attention:

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by RamjetFDO

[Kahuna 41]

Very nice, Ramjet!  I'm headed back up mid-June - can't wait!

[BonzoMontreaux 1038]

I have heard it is not a bad idea to have some 'jingle bells' hanging off a back pack or the like on hikes.

I recommend hitting up Teton Village and taking the tram to the top.  Grab some waffles and a cup a coffee while you're up there.  View is incredible.

Edited April 27, 2022 by BonzoMontreaux
English, how does it work...