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Yellowstone Itinerary: July 2025

Posted on 1/2/25 at 12:01 pm
Posted by Costanza85
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2015
96 posts
Posted on 1/2/25 at 12:01 pm
Traveling with family (kids 16 and 12). Looking to fill 7 days.

Any and all information will help.

Thanks!
Posted by Sweet Pickles
Member since Mar 2017
445 posts
Posted on 1/2/25 at 12:04 pm to
Do you already have lodging? Makes a big difference.
Posted by slinger1
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2017
295 posts
Posted on 1/2/25 at 12:45 pm to
Get out of the car and hike a lot, I went in June and messed up by driving around looking for wildlife the whole time, you’re going to see plenty regardless, but get out and enjoy the countryside, also at old faithful there is a lookout on the mountain on the other side away from the lodge, far less crowded
Posted by Costanza85
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2015
96 posts
Posted on 1/2/25 at 1:22 pm to
Lodging is one of the questions we were looking at. We have looked at “Yellowstone under canvas” but was unsure if the kids would like that for an extended stay.

Any suggestions on lodging?
Posted by bamapoet
North Alabama
Member since Nov 2011
562 posts
Posted on 1/2/25 at 5:45 pm to
Look in, Island Park ID. Great place to spend your nights while touring Yellowstone.
Posted by Sweet Pickles
Member since Mar 2017
445 posts
Posted on 1/3/25 at 7:11 am to
Probably too late to get anything in the park. If you can get a campsite I would rent a small RV through something like Outdoorsy. If not, will have to get something outside the park and spend quite a bit of time driving.
Posted by LSUintheNW
At your mom’s house
Member since Aug 2009
36772 posts
Posted on 1/3/25 at 8:13 am to
Staying inside the park is ideal.

Moving your “home” base within the park every couple days is ideal. The park is huge and it’s smarter to concentrate on an area then move.

Get up very early and you’ll avoid a lot of people and parking is easier for awhile. Anyone with young kids will start later and finish sooner. Also, you’ll see some wildlife you may not see later on.



Posted by LSU
Houston
Member since Oct 2003
9079 posts
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:01 am to
I recommend staying at the lodges inside the park for the sake of convenience. Think there's about 9 of them. We went in May 2021, but our reservation at Old Faithful Inn was cancelled a few weeks prior to arrival because of Covid & staffing delays. Only 4 of the lodges were open at the time we stayed & all of them were booked full by the time our reservation got cancelled.

We spent 3 nights in 3 separate towns: Jackson Hole, WY, Gardiner, MT, & Island Park, ID. All were great spots, but required a little more drive time each day to finish there.

Just have a solid plan of what you want to accomplish each day & then map your route out to be the most efficient.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23306 posts
Posted on 1/3/25 at 11:09 am to
Have you been to Grand Teton NP and Jackson hole? I’d put in some time there also.

A family member owned a property in Jackson so I’ve been there 4-5 times. I’d personally suggest 2-3 days in Yellowstone and the rest in Grand Tetons and Jackson to round out your trip especially with kids. I would do 2-3 nights in the park or in either West Yellowstone or Gardiner but only staying one night at each, and moving around. It’s a huge park and it’s a waste of time to return. So it’s best to slowly move around the circle/ figure 8 roads.

How are you getting there? So where are you starting?

Then I’d personally get a home base in Jackson or Teton village for 3-4 days and explore GTNP and Jackson Hole. The hiking and Mountain View’s are generally better in GTNP. There’s a fantastic horseback ride that’s rated as the best in the USA just south of Jackson, as en example. Also white water rafting or floating in Jackson.

ETA: Colter Bay lodge just south of Yellowstone and Jackson Lake Lodge are also great spots to spend the night between the 2 spots. Jackson lake lodge has a great outdoor patio to watch the sunset over the Tetons
This post was edited on 1/3/25 at 11:16 am
Posted by Louie11
Member since Dec 2020
108 posts
Posted on 1/4/25 at 9:33 pm to
We visited Jackson Hole and stayed at the Yellowstone Hotel for 3 days then went to a dude ranch in the Wind River Valley for 3-4 days. Floated down the Snake River. Great trip
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46280 posts
Posted on 1/5/25 at 10:04 am to
stay in the park if at all possible. We split 5 nites at 3 lodges and it was perfect. If central location is desired stay at the canyon

get up early, hit the hot spots for an area then have hikes planned in that area so that you are off the road and away from the tour busses at peak insanity. Get a mile away into the trails and you’ll have them basically to yourselves. Best hike I have ever taken was a half day on the south rim of the canyon. Another that will get you to an incredible scene without a crowd is fairy falls to imperial geyser behind grand prismatic. Third is the hike at the lake to storm point. All three of these include seeing shite you cannot see from the road and will blow your mind, all in relative solitude

the food in the park is terrible…lower your expectations

after your hikes chill out then plan to be in the valleys at late afternoon and dusk to see the animals. Spend as little time on the figure 8 during peak hours as is possible

Bring mosquito spray and bear spray. Do not leave any bag laying around that has food in it. YS is one of the parks where you have to have a plan and you have to go pretty hard
This post was edited on 1/5/25 at 10:05 am
Posted by CurDog
Member since Jan 2007
28139 posts
Posted on 1/6/25 at 2:21 pm to
we have been twice and both times stayed in Idaho. The second time we rented a house in Idaho Park. It is about 30 minutes south of the west yellowstone entrance.

If you stay in jackson Wyoming it is a great town but about a hour or so south of yellowstone. You do have to pass through Teton National park to get to Yellowstone

Yellowstone is enormous. The first year we did the southern side , the second time we drove the northern half.
The southern side has all the sulpher pools / Old Faithful / etc. The northern side has the falls , the grand canyon of yellowstone / alot of the animals. It would be tough to travel the entirity of Yellowstone in a week unless you skipped a bunch of stuff

Go white water rafting on the snake river. There are a ton of guides and depending on your bravery , a ton of different dificulties

Get the app Gypsy(it might be called something else now). You pay for the park you are visting and it gives you history and suggestions on where to stop / what to pass up. It uses GPS so it knows where you are

One thing to keep in mind, the cell service in the park is spotty at best. Around the hotels and things like that it is fine but there are places with no service
Posted by Costanza85
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2015
96 posts
Posted on 1/8/25 at 7:04 am to
Thank y’all so much. This has been VERY helpful.
Posted by CurDog
Member since Jan 2007
28139 posts
Posted on 1/8/25 at 2:37 pm to
I forgot to add

If you go to Teton National park stop at Dornan's pizza. We did a hike one day and were lookig for food and just happen to pass this place.
Real good pizza with amazing views
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