Road trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks? With the kids? We did, and it was great! Here is our three day family itinerary.
Family trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Last summer we took our three kids (ages 17, 10 and 7) on the road trip of a lifetime. The main destination? Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
FUN FACT:Did you know that Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are right next to each other? They border on each other.
We spent an amazing three days in these popular national parks, mostly located in Wyoming, and I share everything our family did and saw during our visits to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
Tips for planning a family visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
If you're planning a family vacation to these popular national parks, let me give you some helpful tips. All of these tips worked extremely well for us.
IF YOU ARE TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN, VISIT GRAND TETON FIRST.Grand Teton National Park offers beautiful scenery. Even children are impressed by the mountain view. The scenery of the Teton Mountains may not seem as impressive to children after the excitement of Yellowstone. I mean come on, Yellowstone offers erupting volcanic geysers and iridescent springs.
ONLY CHOOSE THE BEST ROUTES FOR YOUR FAMILY.There are so many great walks in both parks. It's important to be selective about the trails you ride. Look for trails that the whole family will find exciting and that aren't too strenuous for your kids.
RELATED: How to really enjoy walking with children
VISIT THE MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS FIRST.Both Yellowstone and Grand Teton are incredibly popular parks and the most popular attractions can get quite crowded. Avoid the biggest crowds (and find a parking spot) by visiting these super-popular attractions first thing in the morning.
MIX THINGS A LITTLE ON YOUR ITINERARY.Don't make the mistake of visiting too many similar sites in a row. It's hard to fully appreciate any of these geological wonders if you've just seen something similar, and there's a wide variety of other places to see in these parks. Mix it up a bit. Maybe wildlife spotting, followed by a geyser pool, then a waterfall, then a visitor center and maybe another geyser pool. Do you get the idea right?
Three days (with kids) in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Our family's Grand Teton and Yellowstone itinerary
Our family spent a total of three days in these national parks. We spent the first day in Grand Teton National Park and the last two days in Yellowstone National Park.
A day at Grand Teton National Park with kids
We first visited the Grand Teton National Park and we really liked it. We were all in awe of the mountain view (even the kids)! I'm not sure the kids would have been as impressed with the scenery if we had seen the wonders of Yellowstone just before visiting Grand Teton. I definitely think we made the right decision to visit the quieter park first.
Grand Teton 1 Day Family Vacation Itinerary
Here's everything we did and saw during our one-day visit to Grand Teton National Park.
Jenny Lago
We arrived at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center at 8:30 am and easily found a parking space. This is one of the most popular areas of Grand Teton National Park and we recommend arriving early in the day. The parking lot was full when we left this part of the park at 11am.
We explored the Visitor Center a bit, got a map from the park ranger at the information desk and took a ferry ride across the lake. Also, our kids picked up their workbooks for the Junior Ranger program while we were here.
Arriving on the other side of Jenny Lake, we hiked to Hidden Falls (the only accessible waterfall in Grand Teton National Park) and up to Inspiration Point.
RELATED: Hidden waterfalls and inspiration point in Grand Teton National Park
Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
Our next stop was at theCraig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. We viewed the exhibits there, the boys turned in their Junior Ranger workbooks to receive their badges, and we planned our driving route to our remaining stops for the day.
mormon row
This group of historic buildings had once been a very small Mormon settlement. The old buildings against the backdrop of the majestic Tetons make for a great picture. (One of the buildings there, Moulton Barn, is said to be the most photographed barn in all of Wyoming.) Adults love it for its history and scenery. Children, however, may not be so impressed.
With sites like this, I always carry a spare old digital camera for each child. Then I encourage them to take pictures of anything and everything. This keeps our kids busy and entertained while my husband and I leisurely enjoy the historic surroundings. Further,PRIMAWe all had a good laugh at some of the photos they took: shots of the old outhouse on the property and several large holes dug by ground squirrels.
HELPFUL TIP:Give kids their own digital camera to use when you stop in a place they would normally consider "boring." This helps keep our kids engaged and entertained. It could also work for you.
Schwabacher-landing
Schwabacher Landing, an often overlooked part of the park, is something of a hidden gem in Grand Teton National Park. It's easy to find and not crowded. We enjoyed a picnic lunch here and then we walked a bit on the trail.
I've heard this is a great place to see elk at dawn or dusk. We were visiting during the afternoon so we didn't see any moose. However, we enjoyed the view of the mountains. (I could never get enough of those mountain views!) We also enjoyed looking at a large beaver dam and the back pond it created. This is also a great place to take a picture of the mountains reflected in the water.
meandering bend
Our last stop of the day was atmeandering bend– a famous bend in the Snake River known for its beautiful mountain views. This is what most people look for in an iconic reflection of mountains in water. During our visit we were delighted to see an artist at her easel trying to capture the landscape on her canvas!
We stopped for a while and admired the view. This is also a popular place to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. The light plays beautifully on the mountains early in the morning and late at night.
Westerse Yellowstone
That night we slept in a hotel in West Yellowstone (near the west entrance of Yellowstone Park). We wanted to start our Yellowstone adventures early the next day.
Two days Yellowstone National Park with kids
After our visit to Grand Teton National Park, we spent two days in Yellowstone. There is so much to see and do there! We were so glad we took more time for Yellowstone National Park. We were also glad we had researched in advance where we wanted to stop. Because of this we were ahead of the crowds at the most popular attractions. Because,WOWYellowstone was a busy place.
Here's everything we did and saw during our two-day visit to Yellowstone National Park.
Day One: Yellowstone Family Itinerary
intermediate basin
We start the day bright and early in Midway Basin, home of the extremely popularlarge prismatic sources.
After parking in the Fairy Falls Trail lot, we first took a short walk along the Fairy Falls Trail to Grand Prismatic Overlook. I highly recommend this short hike. This allows you to really see all the amazing colors from this distance. It really is a rainbow of multiple colors around the hot springs!
After our short hike, we made our way to the Midway Basin main parking lot. We continue along the boardwalk paths to get a closer look at the various springs, pools and geysers. It was a great introduction to some of Yellowstone's spectacular geothermal features. The whole family found it intriguing.
Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful-gebied)
Our next stop was the Upper Geyser Basin, home to the iconicold faithful geyser.
We explored the Old Faithful Visitor Center. This is where we buy workbooks for the Junior Ranger program for our kids. (This is the only national park site to ever charge us for a Junior Ranger program workbook. But the fee was nominal, just a few dollars.) We also review the exhibits and schedule for Old Faithful's next expected eruption . We saw that Old Faithful was about to erupt.
We decided to find a good spot along the boardwalk to watch the infamous geyser erupt. Then we sat down and helped the kids work on their junior ranger workbooks while we waited for the big event to happen. This worked really well as the kids were able to complete several worksheets while we waited.
Old Faithful did not disappoint. It's well worth the wait!
After the great blast of the geyser, we return to our vehicle to enjoy our picnic lunches. We will then return to the Geyser Basin in time to hear a ranger presentation (a requirement for the junior ranger program). After the ranger-led program, we had a chance to see Old Faithful puff again and wander the boardwalk trails. As we explored the boardwalk trails, we saw many geothermal features such as springs, pools, and geysers. Our most memorable moment, however, was when one of the Grupo León geysers erupted just as we passed by.A geyser rained down on us!
We also enjoyed a look at the historic Old Faithful Inn. My younger children especially enjoyed this. Before our vacation, we watched the 1963 Disney movie Yellowstone Cubs, in which curious bear cubs get up to all sorts of mischief, including raiding the kitchen of the Old Faithful Inn.
Before leaving the area, we stopped again at the visitor center to pick up the boys' junior ranger badges.
firing cannon
This is a short one-way ride along our route. It featured an impressive waterfall, beautiful scenery, and a popular swimming hole. We admired the scenery but didn't stop for a swim.
giant hot springs
Our last stop for the night was Mammoth Hot Springs. According to theYellowstone National Park-website, "Mammoth Hot Springs looks like an upside down cavern." That's a pretty accurate description. The geothermal features in this area look very different from any of our stops that same day, and it was well worth checking out.
Our whole family also for a number of other reasons: seeing wildlife and eating at Terrace Grill. In the evenings, the moose roam the town and can be seen in the green spaces between the buildings. Also the kids loved their kids mealsgrill terrasserved on Souvenir Yellow Buses!
gardener
That night we stayed at a hotel in Gardiner near the park's north entrance. It was a wonderful trip - beautiful scenery and interesting wildlife. Our hotel was right on the river. So we also had a beautiful view from our hotel's patio.
While you're there, you might want to take a photo of the famous Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance.
Day two: Yellowstone Trail with Kids
Lamar Valley
We started our day very early. We had heard that was the best timesee wildlife in the Lamar ValleyIt is at sunrise or sunset. That's why we wanted to be in Lamar Valley in time for sunrise.
"This is the best day of my entire life!"—my seven-year-old daughter after seeing the wildlife in Lamar Valley
Let me tell you something. It was well worth waking up at 4am. We saw so much wildlife. My daughter enjoyed it so much that she still tells people it wasthe best day of his entire life.
READ MORE: Ride through Yellowstone's Lamar Valley at sunrise
We saw hundreds of bison (aka American buffalo), two black bears, a coyote, pronghorn, elk, and deer (including a doe with her baby). Oh, and we got into a traffic jam of bison blocking the road! We didn't even mind being stuck in traffic because of it!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Driving the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park
Artist Point en Uncle Tom Trail
Our next stop was a visit to Artist Point. This famous vantage point offers views of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon, the Yellowstone River, and the massive 300-foot Lower Falls. For over 100 years, artists have been inspired to paint the landscape from this vantage point! I gave each child their digital camera and like all artists before them, my kids stopped to capture these panoramic views.
FUN FACT:The name Artist Point was a mistake. (Fountain:YellowstonePark. com)
We then went to the trailhead forUncle Tom's path. This was our only big hike planned for today, and we were looking forward to it. Although the trail is only 0.6 miles long, it has 328 steps leading to the base of Lower Falls. Despite all those stairs, we were all excited about this hike…until we heard the trail was closed for reconstruction. What a huge disappointment for all of us!
artist painters
Lucky for us, our next stop, theartist painters- more than made up for our disappointment with the closure of Uncle Tom's Trail.
The Artists Paintpots area is full of unique geothermal features. Along the short loop trail we saw colorful hot springs and bubbling clay pots. My kids loved it! We all particularly enjoyed watching the holes occasionally spew large blobs of mud into the air.
Also, after visiting the super popular Grand Prismatic Springs and Old Faithful the day before, it was nice to get away from the crowds.
Norris Geyser Basin
Our last stop of the day was at theNorris Geyser Basin. We quickly enjoyed our picnic lunches in the parking lot before heading to the Norris Geyser Museum. It was small but interesting.
Then we went outside to explore the geyser basin. Norris Geyser Basin is home to the Steamboat Geyser (the world's tallest geyser) and a unique area called the Porcelain Basin. We're glad we stopped in, but we didn't stay long. We were tired and had a long journey ahead of us. (We were on our way to Idaho that evening to visitCraters of the Moon National Monumentthe next day.)
Other adventures in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park
Other things to do as a family in Grand Teton and Yellowstone
Overall, we were pleased with our Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We found it to be a complete introduction to these two national parks. But we also know that we missed some really cool stuff.
Some things I wish I had time for are:
- Glacier View rise in Grand Teton– I had heard that the moon sometimes rises in the middle of the mountain tops, seen from this vantage point. Wouldn't it be great to see it?
- Bear Tooth Highway- Starting in Red Lodge, Montana, you can drive this 68-mile scenic byway through mountains, forests, and alpine lakes until you reach Yellowstone. I think this scenic drive sounds great, but we ran out of time. Also, our kids don't like too many scenic drives too close together.
- Sendero Little Gibbon Falls in Yellowstone– We had heard that this is a good route for families: short walk, with few people and a view of the waterfall. However, our visit was so brief that we didn't have time to continue walking.
- Fisherman's Cone in Yellowstone's West Thumb Basin– We didn't have time to visit all geyser pools, and this one was not on our itinerary. However, I thought the kids would really enjoy hearing the story of the hot springs they call the Fishing Cone. Located along the shores of Yellowstone Lake's West Thumb, fishermen cooked the fish they caught in this hot spring.
- Meseta Blacktail en Yellowstone– A friend had told me that this is a great place to enjoy a sunset. After full days in the park we were too tired to stay late enough to watch the sunset.
I'm sure we missed many other family adventures during our visit as well.
Have you been to Yellowstone or Grand Teton? What other great adventures did we miss? What should we include in the itinerary of our next visit there?
When does your family go on vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton?
Do you have plans to visit one of these popular national parks soon? What places do you like to see the most there?
YOU ALSO LIKE TO READ:
- Preparing for family road trips
- Hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point in Grand Teton National Park
- View wildlife in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley
- How to really enjoy walking with children
- Craters of the Moon is a fun day trip from Yellowstone National Park
- Spot beggar donkeys and buffalo in Custer State Park
- Independence Rock: A Historic Oregon Trail Adventure in Wyoming
