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Originally Posted by floridaorange
Taking the family to Yellowstone this summer. Going to the Grand Tetons as well. Any other suggestions or tips - this place has always been a great resource, so had to ask. Would love to drive something sporty but will be driving a full size F150 on this trip.
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I've been to Yellowstone 7 times. Even saw bears back in the day. My trips have been probably once in the spring, 5 times in the summer, once in the fall. One of my best trips is when my car broke down in West Yellowstone. The part took 3 days to get there. So, we rented a car and just went inside the park for three days. Saw everything.
The summer is insanely busy. September is just as nuts because the weather is cooler, but the empty nesters flock there, thinking there will be less people - - but it's still packed.
Depending on your route in, both entrances from the east are nice.
Hwy 14 is quite scenic (blue), but if you can get yourself to Red Lodge (a very fun town in it's own right) take Hwy 212 (red): The Beartooth Highway. It's an amazing road that eventually tops out at nearly 11,000 feet - so it may not be open until July.
Tower Jct down to Canyon Village is very nice. The big waterfalls are here. Try to go to all the viewpoints on both sides of the river. Spectacular.
The road in Yellowstone is a big figure 8. Continuing south will loop you past Yellowstone Lake and the marvelous Yellowstone Lake Lodge.
Coming back up the other side gets you to Old Faithful. Its ALWAYS jammed, but there's lots of parking at the lodge. You just have to tough out the crowds.
The lodge is busy at spouting time
A little further north is the Grand Prismatic Spring. It has a tiny parking lot for thousands of people. They park all along the road. I bailed in 2017, but last year we said "Dammit, we're seeing it." We ended up walking over a mile to get to the lot. It's worth it.
Norris Geyser Basin is in the upper west side loop. There's a big parking lot - always jammed - and an auxiliary lot with another mile walk. We were there just as it was getting dark and made it into the main lot. Most people had left.
Mammoth Hot Springs is at the upper NW corner. Also very crowded, also a bit disappointing. It's not the fun bubbly mess I remembered as a youth. It's now mostly dried up - I wouldn't make this a priority.
The Tetons are quite spectacular. The problem is haze during the summer from forest fires. They really blot out the beauty of the mountains.
Jenny lake is worth the trip
The Jackson Tram out of Teton Village near Jackson is fun. You go up to 10,000 feet. Lots of views and hiking. Again, the haze can make it not as worthwhile.
You just gotta be patient on a trip like this. I've noticed several major parks recently are just being loved to death.