Seattle to Yellowstone

We%26#39;re thinking of driving from Seattle to Yellowstone - 4 adults and 2 teenage kids - our plan is to leave on Friday, June 27th and drive for about 7 hours or so, spend the night in some basic motel and then drive again on Saturday morning. We want to spend Saturday afternoon, Sunday, Monday in the park and then drive back on Tuesday. Hopefully that%26#39;s enough time to see the key features of the park.

I have some questions -

1) Any recommendations on where to stay about 6-7 hours from seattle? Something basic with a decent bed and shower is all we need.

2) Which entrance should we go to?

3) Any recommendations on camp sites? Should we stay inside the park or outside the park?

4) Any idea if reservations would be needed given this is not the July 4th weekend but the one before that?

Thanks,

Kay

Seattle to Yellowstone

1) I can%26#39;t help much, maybe stay in Missoula MT or Butte MT.

2) Probably the West Entrance,

3) Canyon and Madison are both nice. I would stay in the park if you can.

4) Get reservations www.travelyellowstone.com to get the phone number, they don%26#39;t take online. THere also are some campgrounds inside the park that don%26#39;t take reservations. NEed to be there early.

www.nps.gov/yell

Seattle to Yellowstone

Hi there and welcome KaykaySeattle,

Sounds like you are going to have a great time and surely you will want to come back and spend more time.

#1 - I would make the push to get to Missoula (about 8 hours) if you can other wise you will find yourself between Wallace Falls, ID and Superior, MT which are both small towns. In Missoula there are many hotels and resturants right off the freeway (I-90)and you will be sure to get to Yellowstone earlier in the day, though still another 6 hours or so.

#2 - I would choose to go in through West Yellowstone (West Entrance)and out through Gardiner (North Entrance) as this will reduce backtracking and give you a different perspective on mountain scenery.

#3 - Absolutely stay in the park, you mentioned you were camping so I would consider getting reservations at either Canyon or Madison (both are close to the center of the park and eaier if you have an RV) if you need reservations. If you want a smaller campground (which don%26#39;t take reservations) I would try for Norris, Indian Creek, or Pebble Creek (a bit out of the way but beautiful). These campgrounds are 1st come/1st served but there are always some sites available until late afternoon in my experience.

#4 - If you can get them I would try to get reservations first and if you have difficulty then use the many other campgrounds as a fall back. I actually prefer the smaller camps as they are quieter and offer a more traditional experience.

Depending on where you end up staying, I think you can easily commit a day to each loop and your afternoon doing a nice hike like Fairy Falls, Mt. Washburn, or just sit and enjoy the wildlife at either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley. These are the BIG valleys that most of the wildlife viewing occurs and if you have a spotting scope or decent binoculars you might even get to see wolves or bears.

Let us know if you have anymore questions and I hope this is helpful,

- Kery