How to plan the perfect trip to YellowStone!

When you hear Yellowstone National Park you probably think of amazing views, incredible wildlife, Teddy Roosevelt among many other things. Unfortunately the other common thought and in my opinion misconception is cost. Well this is to tell you not only is a Yellowstone vacation attainable, it is also very affordable when done correctly. A bucket list trip is not a trip to be handcuffed where you do not get the full experience so to do everything possible without the insane costs associated with it takes time and research... Unless the research, time, and effort was done for you and lucky for you we have done that here! So let's start!

It all starts with getting there. Unless you live in Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota or Utah driving is probably out of the question. Jackson Hole, WY is the closest airport and puts you at the doorstep of the park but with that being said Jackson Hole is probably one of the most expensive airports in the continental US. The solution to negate those five dollar sign flights is fly somewhere else and rent a car. In the past 3 years we have done this 2 different ways, both of which ultimately cost less than a round trip flight to Jackson Hole, WY. This blog will be about trip 1.

That trip started in Rapid City, SD. Yes, I know if you go on your phone and plug this on the GPS you see 8hrs and 15 minutes but bare with me. A proper Yellowstone vacation at a minimum is 9-10 days. The park is the size of New England and takes days to see "Everything", and you will never ever see everything. New wildlife, seasons, and routes can make every Yellowstone trip you do in your entire life fully unique and different. But back to Rapid City. Rapid City is also the flyin airport to Badlands National Park and Mt Rushmore/Black Hills. So take advantage of it. We flew into Rapid City on an early morning flight, got our bags, rental car and were out of the airport by noon. We took a short drive to Badlands National Park, roughly 45 minutes from the airport and spent half a day seeing the sights which included incredible natural scenery, wildlife (specifically Bison and BigHorn Sheep), and an increible drive through the Badlands that took a little over 3hrs with stops a photo op and pulling over to watch the bison and Big Horns graze. By the time we were out of the park we stopped for some food and drove to Casper, WY a little under 4 hrs away where we stayed at the Casper C'mon Inn. This hotel is the perfect 1 night stop on an adventure trip to Yellowstone and the west as it is themed as such and costs under $120/night. For 1 night this was well worth the price. 

With day 1 in the books you wake up in the morning in Casper, WY and get on the road for a much more manageable 4hr drive and head to Yellowstone's southern region which is the Jackson Hole Region. This region is arguably the prettiest place in the continental United States and I do not believe there is a close 2nd place. Now the tourist traps and high prices will come if you decide to stay in Jackson. We didn't. We actually stayed in our own private cabin in Bondurant, WY roughly 25 minutes outside of Jackson. They were called the Hoback river Cabins and we found them on VRBO. Rather than spend at a minimum $250+ per night in Jackson we had our own log cabin on the Outskirts of Jackson that was cozy and fully immersed you in the western mindset for only $120/night. This allowed us easy access in and out of Jackson for food and drinks, shopping, exploring only a short drive away and was our base camp for entering Grand Teton National Park (Our favorite spot in the US), and Yellowstone National Park's southern range. We stayed in this cabin for a couple days driving in and out of the Tetons and South Yellowstone. 

Some key things to do when staying in the southern range. Spend as much time in Tetons as possible. Everynight around sunset we drove up and down historic Moose-Wilson Rd seeing dozens of black bears and Giant Bull Moose as they munch on huckleberries and grass on the edge of the snake river. The volume of wildlife in Grand Teton National park is incredible. Outside of these 2 species that we literally saw daily in this region we also saw Elk, Bison, Grizzlies, Mule Deer and Pronghorns. Bald Eagles were plentiful on the sides of the river and the occasional Coyote, Badger, Beaver, and other smaller game showed face for us just in the Tetons. If you chose to splurge we did do a scenic river raft ride down the snake river one day with a guide and it was incredible. In regards to Yellowstone from the south entrance you have to drive through Grand Teton National Park past the Grand Teton Mountains which is the best photo you can take on your entire trip so it is a very easy drive. Upon entering S. Yellowstone you enter from the South to see Old Faithful and the Yellowstone Geyser basin. Personally for us outside of Bison and Elk which are everywhere most of your wildlife will be in the Tetons and not in S Yellowstone unless you get a rogue Grizzly in Hayden Valley so keep your eyes peeled. We did see one about half a mile out. S Yellowstone is for the Geysers and Volcanic activity. It is truly breathtaking and words can not describe it. 

After a few days in S Yellowstone you hop in the car and head to your next homebase. Like we said, Yellowstone is HUGE! You can not access it all if you only stay in 1 zone. Zone 2 was Cody, WY. The Eastern entrance. In Cody Wyoming we once again stayed in a log cabin, this time affiliated w/ Holiday Inn. It was Called Holiday Inn- Buffalo Bill ranch and costs roughly $100/night. We had our own log Cabin and it was in the heart of Cody. When in Cody you have to spend one night at the Cody Western Rodeo. Between the Bulls and Mustangs it was a show and was increible. Also from the luscious forests and mountains in the Jackson region it is incredible that the eastern zone is very much canyons and old western desert looking. When Entering Yellowstone from the East entrance of Cody you head to Yellowstone and go to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone for your pictures of Artist point and Inspiration Point. The waterfall is beautiful. Again from a wildlife perspective outside of Bison and Elk we never had much luck at anything else in this zone outside of some small game (Pika, Marmots) on the cliffs. Several people say they see Grizzlies around Yellowstone Lake when you enter from the east by Fishing Bridge but they alluded us. We did have one increible apparently rare sighting of a Great Grey Owl in this area one day. Dozens of photographers were out of their vehicles taking shots of this owl when we pulled over to look at it. 

After a couple days with Cody as your home base you venture to location 3. The North Entrance, President Teddy Roosevelts main entrance in Gardiner, MT. Gardiner is awesome. All the restaurants and shops are on one street and the town is FULL of elk and Pronghorns walking the streets and sidewalks. We actually stayed at an Airbnb above the Cowboy Lodge and Grill for under $100/night. It was awesome. The town is a true yellowstone town and unlike the previous 2 mentioned cities where a 30 minute drive into Yellowstone is necessary, Gardiner allows you to walk into Yellowstone. It is that close. Take a picture under the Famous Roosevelt Arch. Then venture down to Mammoth Hot Springs for the hike through the springs. You will see more elk than your heart desires and that's a guarantee as they are year round residents of the region. Right outside of Mammoth Hot Springs is where we saw most of the wildlife we saw in Yellowstone in Lamar Valley on the way to Cooke City. This is where the massive Bison herds were and w/ them came the predators. Packs of wolves were common specifically before sunset and at sunrise as well as several Grizzly bears. We saw a handful of badgers in this area and a lone Black bear as well. You can sit in Lamar valley with the car parked on the side of the road for hours and you feel like you are in a real life national geographic episode. Soda Butte is a great photo stop in this region as well. Also on the way toward Cooke City on the side of cliffs we saw a few Mountain Goats. They were very far away so have good binoculars or meet a friendly ranger with some great ones!

For this trip after several days in the Northern range from Gardiner, MT is where we made the journey back to SD. We left a day early so we could spend 1 day at Mt Rushmore before flying out of Rapid City. It is huge. It's cool. It is America. It is also not the only mountain in the range carved. The national Native American museum is a few miles down the road from Rushmore and has Crazy Horse carved into the side of the mountain. 

We did not discuss the Western Entrance in this trip because we did not go but briefly I will touch on this side. We stayed here on a different trip to Yellowstone when we flew into Salt Lake City. The Western entrance had us stay in West Yellowstone, MT. It is right on the border of Idaho. They have an incredible wildlife museum/refuge for Wolves and Grizzlies if you are not so fortunate to see them in the wild in the park. We actually saw a lone wolf when driving in the western entrance for 1 day. The west Entrance gives the easiest route to grand prismatic spring in my opinion and it is a must see. I will give more detailed specifics on West Yellowstone and this trip from Salt Lake City in a future blog.

Overall yellowstone is a must do. It is lots of driving and lots of hiking but it is a great disconnect from the modern world and without being cheesy but fully being cheesy it is good for the soul. It is a 10/10 recommendation from me and deserves to be done right. If it is a place you believe you can frequently visit you can get away with extended trips to only 1 or 2 of the regions but if you know you won't be able to get back knocking out as many of the regions as possible is recommended. Again the price tag at the end of the trip will surprise you. I will end with a couple tips.

Before you get in the park buy a foam throw away cooler, deli meat, cheese, bread, and snacks. During the day in the park there is a lot of driving, watching wildlife and hiking. It is called a "Park" but this isn't Disney. You're in the wild with very little civilization around and food options are slim picking and the ones that exist are either not great or have a very high price tag in our opinion. Having a cooler and food and drinks to pick on throughout the day in the parks is a must. Breakfast and Dinners in your home base towns are great and have lots of options. Bison Burgers, Bison Prime Ribs, and Elk Chops are a must but in the parks a good turkey or ham sandwich and chips will do! Tip 2 bring binoculars or a high zoom lense camera. Some of the wildlife is far away and seeing a dot a is cool but seeing what the dot actually is makes it much cooler. You will see animals, lots of them. Bison and Elk are a given. Don't get discouraged if you are not seeing wolves, bears, or others and use the park rangers for information! These are wild animals and not caged zoo creatures so when and where they turn up isn't a guarantee but the rangers can point you in the right direction! Finally, respect the wildlife. A Moose, Elk, Bison, Bear, Ram, etc can kill you. Again these are wild animals. Tourists get incredibly too close and you hear honor stories every year. Do not be the A**Hole that ends up on the news for trying to pet a 1 ton bison or playing too close to the geysers and getting your arm burned off. 

Please comment or ask questions as we would love to make your trip to Yellowstone anything but regular!