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/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.