June 2008 Trip

Well we are taking our first trip to Yellowstone this June. We are staying in the Canyon campgrounds (tent) and will be there for 4 full days and 2 half days. I have been reading as much as I can on the various things to see and do and have put together the following itinerary:

Tuesday:

Arrive about 4:00 PM

Check out Visitor%26#39;s Center

Get Junior Ranger program Packet %26amp; Info

Dinner

Wednesday:

Half Day Yellowstone River Rafting in Gardiner(Morning)

Mammoth Hot Springs (Afternoon)

Dinner - Old West Cookout from Roosevelt Lodge

Thursday:

Virginia Cascades (Morning Drive-By)

Norris Geyser Basin (Morning)

Artist Paint Pots (Late Morning)

Picnic Lunch

Firehole Canyon Drive (After Lunch Drive-By)

Firehole Lake Drive %26amp; Geysers (Early Afternoon)

Fountain Paint Pots (Afternoon)

Midway Geyser Basin (Late Afternoon)

Old Faithful (Early Evening)

Dinner (at Old Faithful Inn???)

Friday:

Wildlife Watching in Hayden or Lamar Valley (Morning)

Lunch

Mud Volcano Area (early afternoon)

Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone (afternoon)

Dinner

Evening Ranger Program???

Saturday:

Hike to Natural Bridge (Morning)

Yellowstone Lake Scenic Cruise (Late Morning)

Lunch

Storm Point Hike (Afternoon)

Dinner

Evening Ranger Program???

Sunday:

Leave for Grand Teton

On the way stop at:

Kepler Cascades

West Thumb Geyser Basin

For those of you that have experience at Yellowstone, have I missed anything?

Am I trying to do too much on Thursday?

Do I have anything in there that can be skipped?

Which is better for wildlife viewing; Lamar or Hayden Valley?

Thanks in advance,

Dave

June 2008 Trip

By the way, I forgot to mention...

There are 4 of us wife, two kids (11 %26amp; 12) and me.

--

Dave

June 2008 Trip

it%26#39;s very organised, almost too much so, but keep in mind that in june you are likely to see snow in the mornings, sometimes several inches of it, and the roads will be slow going. the park is a figure %26#39;8%26#39; and very large so prepare for travel times in between. enjoy your vsit!

Seems to me you have too much planned, and no time for spontaneous things. You may find yourself stuck in a Bison Jam for awhile, and that may thrill your kids more than anything else.

I have a 4 night trip planned and I have had to remove many things from my ';ideal plan';.

Tues: you arrive late. Get settled in and have a fun dinner in camp. Watch the stars and get to bed early!

Wed: You will have to get up and going early to get to Gardiner for a raft trip in the morning. I think this day is going to be long, especially with the cookout and then drive back to camp.

Thurs: VERY long day. I would plan on a possibly missing some of what you have on your list. I would visit Norris for a bit, then on the Firehole River for lunch. Then spend the afternoon visiting the Geyser basins, with Old Faithful by dinner time. You then have a longish drive back to Canyon CG. Watch for animals

Fri: Hayden is closer to you. I guess it just depends on what animals are where. Check with the rangers, they probably have more ideas on where the wildlife are hanging out.

Sat: Natural Bridge is closed during parts of the summer due to grizzly bear activity. Check with the rangers.

I was afraid I was trying to get too much done. The funny thing is that I used to just get in the car and go. Then we would figure it out once we got there. With this trip I just want to make sure we don%26#39;t miss any key areas. It is such a long drive I don%26#39;t know when we will make it back.

My main goal is to have an idea of all the things we want to see and a plan for hitting them without driving back and forth unnecessarily.

For Thursday, I think I may cut out the Virginia Cascades and stop at either Artist Paint Pots or Fountain Paint Pots, but not both? Which one is better?

CasaAzul, thanks for the heads up about Natural Bridge.

Too much detail in my opinion. Use this as a list but don%26#39;t be afraid to make it up as you go a little. You may burn out on geysers quicker than you think.

Make sure you have reservations for the cookout and dinner at Old Faithful if you haven%26#39;t already.

Friday you%26#39;re pretty much describing the morning in Hayden Valley due to the activities. Start early.

Trying to follow a much detailed itinerary can cause stress when there shouldn%26#39;t be any.

June is a great time to see wildlife and babies. That may get in the way of some of your detailed activities.

Too much planned - are you going to get out and walk or are you going to drive by things. Take time to enjoy the sights without hurrying to get to the next activity. Do you realize that it is quite a drive up to Gardiner? Take some time to hike around the falls and the canyon - in early June there will be lots of babies - we say tons of bison babies last time we were there and swan babies and moose. On the way to the Tetons have lonch at Signal Mt. lodge and go to the top - that is where Ansel Adams took his famous picture from. Relax and enjoy the sights (quiet!) the sounds of the animals and the smells. You have to see how your kids will like the paint pots etc. - my son loves them but yours may not. Be sure to stay away from the bison - they have BAD eyesight but great sense of smell. They also will be very protective if they have babies.