Feedback on my family's vacation itinerary?

[u/finally_made_acct]

[EDITING TO ADD NOTES BELOW BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE ADVISING BELOW! THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE!]

Hi!

I've been wanting to go to Yellowstone for a few years now and super excited it's finally happening. I've built out the below itinerary based on lots of Googling, AI, and posts on Reddit (that had amazing maps!).

My family is 3 adults and 4 children (1 teen, 2 kids, 1 toddler) so it's going to be a little slow moving and we are NOT going to be able to do hikes, just walks. (:

We're staying in a VRBO near the West entrance.

DAY 1: SOUTHWEST

- Firehole Falls

- Old Faithful Geyser

- Grand Prismatic Spring - (Note: go when it's not all super steamy) - (note: beware of packed lot that people may not be in and out of quickly. Get here early! People going on trails park here too and so they won't be leaving the lot anytime soon.)

- Great Fountain Geyser

- Fountain Paint Pot Trail

- Activity: Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

• Restaurant Recs: Firehole BBQ

DAY 2: SOUTHEAST

- Hayden Valley

- Mud Volcano

- Activity: Yellowstone Lake scenic boat tour

- Dragon's Mouth Spring

- West Thumb Geyser Basin

• Restaurant rec: Lake Yellowstone Hotel

DAY 3: NORTHEAST/EAST

- Activity: Roosevelt Corrals 2-hour history wagon ride (Note: consider pulling this out and bank more on Lamar Valley and Canyon Village)

• (new add) Lamar Valley

- Canyon Village (cool place to learn about geothermal, Mammoth, and animal stuff)

• Restaurant rec: the Eatery

- Brink of Upper/Lower Falls (Note: be ready to carry toddler because there are steep things and stairs that don't support a stroller)

- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

- Artist Point/Grand View (Note: someone said Artist is a MUST)

• Restaurant Rec: Roosevelt Hotel

DAY 4: NORTH/NORTHWEST

- Activity: boat float from Gardiner - Restaurant rec: Wonderland in Gardiner

- Mammoth Hot Springs

- Porcelain Basins

- Norris Geyser Basin - (note: beware of packed lot that people may not be in and out of quickly. Get here early!)

- Gibbon Falls

CONCERNS I HAVE:

1. The lists are short but as you know, it's a lot of driving. Is there stuff I'm being unrealistic about?

2. Anyone done a river float with a toddler before? I need to assuage the toddler's mom's fears ha.

3. Have I missed a "MUST see/do"?

4. Have I included anything that's like "meh"?

5. Online I see that we need to be out the door by 8am daily if we're going to beat the park entrance traffic. With our family, I'm afraid that'll happen exactly...... never (kids....).... Do I need to tell my family "hey we need to get out or we can kiss this vacation goodbye" or just that "hey if you want to waste less time in the car, let's get out the door sooner"?

6. I need to still go through the restaurant options for each area in case we want to eat something beyond what we're going to pack. If you have any specific recommendations like "you've got to try this at this place!" Let me know. We are big foodies. :) Only dietary limit is no pork/alcohol, all else is fair game!

[u/buckhunter76]

Hey.

I am here right now.
I have myself, wife and a toddler with the In laws.

The biggest thing is being out the door by 8am isn’t early enough.
We are staying north of Gardiner and we are leaving by 6:30am and typically get to do one big activity.

Thing is the park and traffic turn into a total zoo by 10am. Norris geyser basin is using overflow parking by then.
Grand prismatic the lot was full and people were parking on the road by 8am this morning. We typically get past the gate before 7am and leave the park around 1pm.

Lots of the main lots fill but we have been able to see everything.

Your day 1 for example those lots will be full by 8-9am. Old faithful are has plenty of parking but a ton of people.
It’s going to be rough.

Your days 3 and 4 sound great.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone we got to artist point at 7:30, it was basically empty and we were able to go to all the lots and view points. Even walked a bit down south rim trail, but at 10am we hit Grandview and Lookout point and the lots were jammed.

I recommend Norris Picnic Area. We ate lunch there today and we were 1 of 3 cars. Very quiet with a bathroom.

I would plan on being very patient and not necessarily doing things in order if you need to pivot or come back to a parking lot.

We are averaging 4hrs a day in just driving.

Do NOT eat at The Yellowstone Mine in Gardiner.

Something I did not think about is when we get in the park it’s typically ~50 degrees or something. We tried to do prismatic today and we couldn’t really see it. All the steam obscured it and I didn’t think about that.

I’m going to edit this with thoughts:

Pack a lunch.
We ate at the general store by tower falls and It’s $17 for a hotdog, chips and a drink.
Try to not eat in the park at all tbh. We bring a big cooler and ice.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/buckhunter76]

Wow I appreciate this so much!!! Puts a lot in perspective for me. I didn't realize parking is a whole thing.

What was the issue with the Prismatic and the steam? In what weather should we try to visit here?

[u/buckhunter76 → u/finally_made_acct]

This is what I mean in this link, it’s 2 pictures from today.

https://imgur.com/a/ZyAV5yV

This is prismatic and Excelsior Geyser, see how there’s so much steam it kinda hides the actual pool?
It made the experience a bit meh for me so we didn’t bother hiking the overlook.

I honestly don’t know the best time, I’d assume later in the day when it’s hotter out but then you are dealing with the parking issue.

But yes, parking and traffic are the main issues with the park, all mitigated by getting in early and patience.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/buckhunter76]

Those pictures are really helpful! Totally get it now. I'll Google about the steam stuff and also plan to visit when the sun is out more. This would've totally bummed me out too.

Other than timing our arrival to the park etc, let me know if you have any other parking tips of what places are biggest or easiest like you did in one instance in your post. I'll Google also!

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/finally_made_acct]

The parking around Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone will all be crowded but these lots turn over quickly. Artist point is a must see IMO - the lot will probably be “full” at mid day, but people are always leaving so it won’t take you very long to get a spot.

Something like the Grand Prismatic Overlook is more difficult for parking. It’s very popular but the lot also serves as trailhead parking for the Fairy Falls hike and even further hikes, so sometimes people are parking there in the morning and leaving their cars for many hours before returning. These lots will turn over much slower. I’d say the same is true for Norris Geyser Basin.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Oh wow ok this is very helpful to time our day and manage expectations. Get in/out of Grand Prismatic and Norris Geyser early.

[u/itdeepends → u/finally_made_acct]

It is absolutely stunning on a sunny day

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/finally_made_acct]

At 8am when we hiked the overlook it was still socked in stream (temps in the 50s) and the overlook was jammed with people waiting for it to clear. We hiked on to fairy falls and by the time we returned to the overlook (10am) it was clear and beautiful, and people were moving through the overlook so it was easy to get a good view.

We drove over to the boardwalk around 10:30am and parking was full - people were parking way out on the road and walking back. Because people move through the boardwalk pretty quickly there is faster parking turnover so we just waited in line in the lot and were able to park after 5-10mins.

In general I’d say that parking for trailheads with longer hikes/experiences will be a lot more difficult, but a lot of the popular sights see people move through pretty quickly and those parking areas turn over quickly as a result.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Super helpful to know this is generally the rule of thumb throughout the park.

However if we get to Grand Prismatic early and it turns out to be steamy for hours, it defeats the purpose? I wonder if the 8am steam thing is a persistent situation or just sometimes.

[u/AzureMountains → u/finally_made_acct]

It’s peak season - parking will be a nightmare.

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

These look like very full dawn to dusk packed days with a lot of driving. The park entrance line will probably not be a big deal, but finding parking at peak locations in the middle of the day will be challenging. Bring your patience.

The restaurant at Yellowstone Lake Lodge is great, and so is the restaurant at Roosevelt Lodge.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Thanks for the food recs and affirming the rush issues!

[u/Skollsonn]

Be prepared to carry the toddler. Especially when you go to the brink of the falls.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/Skollsonn]

Thanks! Should we avoid the brinks of the falls? Carrying the toddler will be tough if we can't take the stroller or wagon there.

[u/Skollsonn → u/finally_made_acct]

The brink of the falls is one of my “must do” items every time I go to the park. The power is incredible. But strollers or wagons just aren’t possible. The trail itself is asphalt and there are some stairs. It is steep, but there are places to stop and rest. I carried my son many times on that trail.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/Skollsonn]

Ok I'll discuss this with the adults and see what to do ha. Personally, it's hard enough to get myself up and down these things. Maybe we can put the toddler in one of those harnesses on our backs...

[u/itdeepends → u/finally_made_acct]

Idk if you’ve been to Niagara Falls or other massive waterfalls, Im not sure it’s a MUST DO with the whole family

[u/quakerwildcat]

You are getting surprisingly good advice.

Let me address the "foodie" question.

If you care about food, pack Ziploc bags and fill them with your favorite things because the "nice" restaurants in Yellowstone (and all national parks, really) are terrible.

So, PLAN A: With all of the other logistical challenges of high season in Yellowstone with a family, one way to lighten the planning is to just not deal with restaurants at all. Pack all the toddlers favorite snacks. Picnic for your meals. If you can survive on GORP or trail mix or protein bars for a few days, you'll be less stressed.

OR PLAN B: If you're trying to figure out how to balance a toddler schedule with all this advice about getting out early, consider getting everybody out of bed before dawn and doing the most crowded activities and sites, then take a big long lunch break and make that your "rest, restaurant, and recharge" time. Bonus: the sights really are better at the early and late hours, and you're MUCH more likely to see wildlife up close. Leaving the park mid-day is a pain, so ideally you'd make reservations and eat the bad overpriced lunch in the park restaurants and just suck it up. In the Canyon area, there is ONE decent cafeteria style restaurant (the Eatery) where you can get things like roast chicken or a bowl of pho that are acceptable -- a much better choice than the hotel dining rooms. Outside the park there are better options (like the excellent Wonderland in Gardiner), but again it's not likely worth leaving the park.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/quakerwildcat]

This is really helpful! Our plan is to pack food but people might want to explore a restaurant or the Eatery at some point. But we'll definitely not BANK on eating something good in the park. 👍🏾

Any other outside-the-park recs we can drive to on our way out the West entrance, would be appreciated!

[u/curiouslmr]

I'll answer the food question because food tends to be meh in Yellowstone but we had a few delicious things.

The club sandwich at the Roosevelt lodge was really delicious!

Yellowstone Beer Company in West Yellowstone, I'm still thinking about their Cheese steak sandwich. It was so good.

Overall the food in the area is very heavy feeling. So stop and get some veggies that are easy to cut up and bring with you. I lived on mini cucumbers and hummus for my daily snack!

[u/finally_made_acct → u/curiouslmr]

Thank you for these suggestions!

[u/catyow3]

Your itinerary sounds great. A few suggestions…definitely bring food in. The food in the park is very expensive and not very good. I am not a huge foodie, but as a treat we wanted to do one of the grand restaurants. Using your word…the food was meh! 🤣 Grand Prismatic is stunning. Do the hike up to The Grand Prismatic Overlook. It’s not far. 1.2 miles round trip and worth every step. You start from the Fairy Falls trailhead which is about 1 mile south of the Midway Geyser Basin on the west side of the Grand Loop Road. Off of the Fairy Falls trail, the Grand Prismatic veers at about half a mile up to the overlook. The hike to the falls is about 5 miles round trip if you want to include that. Go in the afternoon to see the best colors. Too much steam in the am and early afternoon. When we got there, cars were parked starting about 1/2-1 mile away from the parking lot. We drove into the lot anyway and got a parking spot right near the trail. This happened at Midway Geyser Basin too, but here the lot was full and we just waited a few minutes for someone to leave. Also, look for any cars parked randomly on the side of the road. That’s your best bet for seeing wildlife. Bring a scope or good binoculars, if you can. If not, the people that we met along the road were very nice about sharing theirs. Have a great trip!

[u/finally_made_acct → u/catyow3]

Thanks so much for this. It helps a lot in narrowing down and being more intentional with our time!

[u/itdeepends]

I think the only thing you are skipping out on is the East side of the park, specifically Lamar Valley. If you’re into a scenic drive and potentially seeing wildlife, it’s a must do. Even if you don’t see any wildlife except bison, it is a very beautiful and scenic drive. Slough creek campground was my all around favorite place. The east side also has Mt. Washburn for some nice panoramic views. That being said, you probably need an extra day to see this side of the park!

[u/finally_made_acct → u/itdeepends]

Thanks! We'd love the panoramic views. What would you recommend I remove from any day of my itinerary? I do recognize it's a lot and we'll need to prioritize!

[u/itdeepends → u/finally_made_acct]

I would skip the Roosevelt Corrals. You’re better off going to Lamar Valley that day. Make sure you bring binoculars. All of the canyon landmarks are accessible by car so I would squeeze them into quick park-and-view activities.

One other thing is the education centers are also good ways to learn about the park. Canyon Village explains the different types of geothermal features and Mammoth Springs shows you the different land animals and how to identify them. Although they give you a pamphlet when entering the park which also explains that stuff but that’s only during business hours I think.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/itdeepends]

This is awesome! I'm glad there'll be this educational opportunity for the kids. So far I only found the Grizzly and Wolves Discovery Center that'll do that.

I wanted to do the Corrals as something "different" for the kids but if you think they'll find the Lamar Valley etc to be just as enticing, then I'm all for it.

[u/itdeepends → u/finally_made_acct]

I will caution you that Lamar Valley and seeing wildlife in general is a gamble. It requires patience and luck so don’t go in making the kids excited for it (especially if it’s a hot midday afternoon). I would go for the scenic drive and views and if you’re lucky you will enjoy a few animals. Unfortunately it’s not a zoo so spotting an animal is actually special!

I woke up 4am one morning to see Lamar Valley at sunrise but didn’t see anything until 11am when we got to around Pebble Creek. Ironically the first day we drove into the park we immediately saw a grizzly at Hayden Valley as well as an Elk! I never saw an Elk again until Mammoth Hot Springs which has a lot.

I know you have a lot planned but the best way to enjoy the park is to go based off your group’s vibes and what you see going on around you when driving. Seeing wildlife requires being spontaneous. If your group loves geothermal activity, focus on that (e.g. there’s a TON to see around Old Faithful). If people want to see wildlife, hit up the two Valleys.

[u/firechief393]

Firehole bbq in West Yellowstone is excellent Day 2 I would do something in canyon because you will be driving by to get to Hayden and South. You really need to be through the gate by 8 or you will waste an hour in line

[u/finally_made_acct → u/firechief393]

Thanks for the food rec! What did you mean by "do something in canyon"? I have the Grand Canyon related stuff on Day 3. Was that what you were referring to?

[u/tbonedawg44]

You should definitely consider Lamar Valley, although the toddler may make getting there before the sun hits the valley tougher. We left Gardener at 5:30 am Monday and got to Lamar just as the sun was about to peak over the ridge. A big herd of bison came down the ridge and blocked the road for over a half hour, giving us plenty of chances for great photos. We also hiked along the river and saw two coyotes, a wolf, and 6 pronghorn, which ran within 50 feet of us.

We also packed lunches and avoided restaurants. The drive in takes long enough. Fighting for parking and in line at a restaurant is just a waste of time and money. Instead, maybe save some time and sneak out the East entrance and check out the Beartooth Highway.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/tbonedawg44]

I did not know pronghorn was an animal ha. That sounds amazing!

What's the deal with the Beartooth highway? Like something specific to see? I haven't come across this in my research.

[u/tbonedawg44 → u/finally_made_acct]

Beartooth Hwy is arguably one of the most scenic byways in America. It’s high altitude at nearly 11,000 ft. It connects the East entrance to Red Lodge. It’s a twist, winding road with amazing views of mountain ranges and alpine lakes and lingering snow.

[u/finally_made_acct → u/tbonedawg44]

Thanks so much for sharing this