Itinerary Help, Please

Here is a tentative YNP, GTNP, etc itinerary for our family of 4 with two kids (ages 4 and 7) in August. The kids are good travelers and we like exposing them to new things, but am I biting off more than I can chew? Please comment. Thanks.

Day 1. Arrive in SLC. Overnight in Idaho Falls.

Days 2,3. Stay in Bozeman, MT. Explore surrounding area. Visit Museum of Rockies.

Day 4. Stay in Red Lodge, MT.

Days 5,6,7. Drive the Beartooth then travel to Old Faithful Snow Lodge and spend 3 nights there. Is the Beartooth too much with young kids? Is is too much to go from Red Lodge to Old Faithful in one day?

Days 8,9. Stay at Jackson Lake Lodge, GTNP.

Day 10. Stay in Jackson, WY.

Days 11,12,13. Unwind at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, UT before flying home from SLC.

Itinerary Help, Please

The kids should have no trouble with the Beartooth nor is it that long a drive, see following. I%26#39;d leave Red Lodge quite early, however, to enjoy the trip. Once at YNP, you%26#39;ll drive, with stops, through, among other interesting areas, the Lamar Valley, to see wildlife. YNP is large, the traffic speed limited, so you have a way to go to Old Faithful, about 90 miles from the NE entrance.

The Beartooth viewpoints stretch the time; and it is beautiful. MapQuest says:

Red Lodge, MT to Yellowstone National Park, WY

Total Estimated Time: 3.0 hours 28 minutes

Total Estimated Distance: 122 miles

Sounds like a great trip. Bring binoculars to better see the wildlife, and a cheap cooler with beverages and snacks so you don%26#39;t have to rush off for food just when the wildlife gets interesting.

nps.gov/archive/…neetotwr.htm

Itinerary Help, Please

You will have a great trip.

Day 1. Arrive in SLC. Overnight in Idaho Falls.

Days 2,3. While driving from Idaho Falls you may want to stop and see Virginia City MT, west of Ennis. Neat old town with wooden walkways and a restored ghost town to visit. Also you may want to see Headwaters State Park west of Bozeman, which is the beginning of the Missouri River. Nearby is the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.

Day 4. Stay in Red Lodge, MT. Enjoy the quiet.

Days 5,6,7. 3 days at Old Faithful.. how cool. You can do the Junior Ranger Program with your kids.. they answer questions, visit places and get a patch/badge. My son loved this. In West Yellowstone is the Grizzly/Wolf Discover Center.. may want to visit if you don%26#39;t see either of these animals inside the park!

Days 8,9. Stay at Jackson Lake Lodge, GTNP. Maybe rent a boat for a few hours. Also there are some chuckwagon type dinners that may be fun for you and the kids. I have read that the Jackson Lake Lodge has a pool.. not sure if that is true or not!!

Day 10. Stay in Jackson, WY.

Days 11,12,13. Unwind at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, UT before flying home from SLC.

Sounds like a great trip! Enjoy!

There is a great stopping point for you and your kids on your Beartooth leg. Once you start coming down the mountain, and come back into the trees, watch for a store on the right called the ';Top of World Store.'; It is an old building with a store full of everything. Last time we stopped, they had some great ice cream. But, it gives your kids a break and chance to stretch.

A belated thanks for your help. So, how long should I plan the drive from Red Lodge to Old Faithful to take us (including, of course, many stops along the way, as suggested)?

red lodge to old faithful might take 4-5 hours with stops. it%26#39;s around 180 miles.

The kids would like the apline slide in Jackson and go to the shoot out downtown - also a float trip on the Snake would be fun. If they like art the Nat%26#39;l Museum of Wildlife Art in jackson hole is wonderful! Go to the top of SIgnal Mt for the view - the dining room at the Signal Mt. Lodge is nice. We loved the Beartooth - lots of snow at the top when we were there. There is horseback riding available at some places you are going too. Have fun!