Yellowstone Tours

We are planning a trip to Yellowstone next year, probably in the Summer.  We have never been to Yellowstone before and are trying to decide whether to tour the park ourselves or take a guided tour.  Time is not a factor as we are retired and plan to stay as long as a week.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  Staying at the KOA at the West entrance.

If you have a toad then I don't think a tour would be necessary if you are going to be there a week. Yellowstone is gigantic, 2.2 million acres. You could put the entire state of Rhode Island into Yellowstone three times and have room left over. But there is very few roads. If you look at the map of Yellowstone you will see the roads look like a giant figure 8. Everything you want to see is located on these roads and are very well marked. You can easily spend an entire day in the Old Faithful area, one day in the Canyon area, one day around Yellowstone Lake, one day around Madison, one day around Mammoth Springs, etc. Each one of these areas has a multitude of things to see and do.

There are several really nice forum members who work there and they would have a lot of knowledge about places to go and things to see so you might want to find them and chat with them.

If you want to see bison, lots and lots of bison, then go to the Hayden Valley area. If you want to see wolves go to the Lamar Valley area and look for a group of people on the side of the road with spotting scopes. If you join the group everyone will be willing to share their spotting scope with you. Since looking through a spotting scope for more than a minute at a time is challenging there are lots of empty spotting scopes people will share.

Do BOTH.  Seems we go to Yellowstone at least once a year and have for about the last five years.  One year we were there in three different seasons.  The park is so BIG and fabulous you will never come close to seeing everything you want.

We are going after the GNR this year, staying in Grizley West Yellowstone.  Would like suggestions on guides fir fishing.. And will be staying outside of Jackson Hole is Idaho. Teton Valley, Any fishing there?

Jim

Hope to see some of you great people during our trip..


Jim&Kathy

Tin man said:

We are going after the GNR this year, staying in Grizley West Yellowstone.  Would like suggestions on guides fir fishing.. And will be staying outside of Jackson Hole is Idaho. Teton Valley, Any fishing there?
Jim
Hope to see some of you great people during our trip..
Jim&Kathy

Click to expand...

I have a guided fishing day scheduled in Mid-August with an outfit named Jackson Hole Anglers www.jacksonholeanglers.com

. I have never been to the area, but I am told that fishing the Snake River is a great experience.

Below is an itinerary of our trip we took last June.  Everything we had listed each day we did and most days had more time to just relax.  We also got to spend more time in the Hayden and Lamar Valley looking for Wolves.  (We saw them in both valleys)  We were never pressured and enjoyed our trip very much.  I'm currently planning a trip back there in 2014.

---June 12th:  Old Faithful Inn
Drive from Jackson Hole to Old Faithful Inn 
* Sightsee during the drive, multiple pullouts along highway in GTNP
* Arrive Yellowstone, pay entrance fee
* Take picture-Welcome to Yellowstone sign
* Reset Trip odometer for following sights!!!!!
* Lewis Falls
* West Thumb Geyser Basin at West Thumb Junction
* Head to OFI, stop at pullouts along the way if time
* Check in at OFI
* Visit Old Faithful and surrounding geysers
* Dinner


---June 13th  Old Faithful Inn
Visit Western side going north from the Inn including:
* Upper Geyser Basin, (Old Faithful and others if not seen prior day)
* Geyser Hill Loop in upper Basin
* Black Sand Basin Walking tour
* Midway Geyser Basin Loop walk (Grand Prismatic Spring)
* Firehole Lake Drive (one way going north only)
* Fountain Paint Pot Loop Walk
* Firehole Canyon Drive (this is nice)
* Return to OFI for Dinner (reservations are at 8:15pm)



---June 14th  Canyon Village
Drive from Old Faithful Inn to Canyon Village,

* West Thumb Geyser Basin (if not seen on the 12th)
* Lake Hotel Panorama view @ Lake Village
* Fishing Bridge-(visit Lake Butte overlook) page 164
* Mud Volcano Area
* Hayden Valley
* Arrive Canyon Area
* Check in to our room
* Is there time to drive north or south rim?
* Dinner



---June 15th Canyon Village

* Visit Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
* Lower Falls (north rim)
* Grand View (north rim)
* Inspiration Point (north rim)
* Artist Point (south rim)
* Hike down Uncles Toms trail
* see if there?s time to drive over to Norris Geyser Basin
* Dinner

---June 16th Roosevelt
* Drive up from Canyon to Roosevelt
* Dunraven Pass, Hike to Top of Mount Washburn
* Visit Tower Falls 
* Dinner
* Lamar Valley in evening if time

---June 17th Roosevelt
* Drive over to Mammoth Hot Springs
* Lower Terraces walking tour
* Upper Terrace Drive
* Fort Yellowstone
* Visitors Center (Park Headquarters)
* drive back to Roosevelt for dinner

---June 18th Roosevelt
(pages 198-211)
Drive to Cooke City and the Beartooth Pass, spend day sightseeing area
Visit Cody and return to Roosevelt through east entrance

As to fishing, fantastic fishing in and around here (Yellowstone), Henrys Lake is known for it.  One caveat,, because wwe are here where 3 states intersect, plus the Park, you could need up to 4 licenses.  You can buy them by the day, just be ready with the right one.

KOA is located just a couple miles outside the Park, there are other campgrounds as well.  Grizzly is the nicest, but the most expensive.  There are some small ones that are less, being a good place to park the RV and come back to sleep which will save a bit of money.  In the park only Fishing Bridgge has hookups.  Others are dry camping and ,any with size limits. 

Jim & Pat Dick, plus Jolene and I work right inside the Visitor Center in the bookstore at Old Faithful.  Kamper Dave and his wife Sue work in the bookstore at Canyon Visitor Center.

Guided tour or not.  I know many of the guides and they do a fantastic job, they will know about stopping at places you may just bypass, but do you really need one?  Probably not.  I have a guide book in the store that is fantastic, plus has a CD with stops.  You stop at the point indicated by the map, then play that numbered track for an audio explanation.  It also has photos and  key as to where it was taken.  Guides to best places to see animals, flowers, waterfalls etc.  Called Expedition Guide.  ($39.95 before discount) 

(Not trying to be a commercial, but definitely the best guide we have)

If you like to do a float on a river, head south to Macks Inn.  They will rent you a canoe or kayak shuttle you to the put in, and you come back to their place.  Beautiful float, might even see moose, plus you can fish the lower part of the river.  At the takeout you might want to try their snow cone.  (has a scoop of vanilla ice cream  at the bottom, really nice and refreshing!) 

So much to see and do, so much to enjoy.  This is our 5th summer, Jim & Pats 4th summer and we still have lots to do!

Oscar Mike said:

. I have never been to the area, but I am told that fishing the Snake River is a great experience.

Click to expand...

We fly fish and have "float" fished the Snake river a couple of times...it is FABULOUS.  There is limited access, so going with a guide is best.  You can do one day floats or overnight floats.  The overnights give you great access.  There are a couple of guiding shops near Swan Valley.  Our son has a catamaran and one of his buddies is a guide, so we went with them. 

There is a bald eagle preserve in one area and we saw moose along the way.  Fun!

This year we are fishing the Big Horn out of Fort Smith, MT

Marsha~

We are staying at Yellowstone Holiday RV park right on Lake Hebgen which is a little northwest of the town of West Yellowstone. After the FMCA rally in Gillette, we plan to stay near Cody and explore the eastern half of YNP for a week, and then move to West Yellowstone for another week to explore the western half for another week. This will be our second visit to Yellowstone. The last time, we were very naive, so hopefully this time we will enjoy it even more. Even though we were greenhorns the first time, it was fabulous!

I suspect there is fishing at Lake Hebgen. That won't be too far from Grizzly where you are staying.

Bill

Looking foward to seeing you.  Just need to know, did you pose for Grizzly Adams.  Hope you still have the beard I'll spot you in a instant.  Thanks for the advise, I would like to do a day trip with the bride, she never fished, but I think if she goes she'll be HOOKED..

I do not believe I said that. 

Seriously many years ago we took a float trip on tha Snake, and City Slckers we were no hats!  Sun poisoning, daughter and bride sick.  Not a happy ending of a great trip.

Get old too soon, smart too late!

See you in August..

Jim

On Pancake Bill's recommendation I purchased the Yellowstone Expedition Guide from Amazon.com.  Great Reviews, I can't wait to get it.  It'll be used to plan our visit.  Planning to put the CD on my ipod turning it into a walking tour guide.  Bill, I'll look you up next year.

Beard has been trimmed to summer length, icicles are gone.  But you will find me any weekday in the store.

Hey Bill (or anyone else actually)

We are coming into Yellowstone from the East Side (from Rapid City) and right now we are planning on staying 2 nights at the East Entrance (somewhere).  We booked 4 nights at KOA West Entrance already.  It seams everything I am reading has most of the things to do on the West Side.  Do you think I should just extend my stay to the 6 nights on the West Side or is there anything specific worth seeing on the East Side to spark our interest?

Thanks and we look forward to being up there in just over a month.  After we leave Yellowstone we will be staying in Grand Tetons for another 4 days.

Mike

Most is on the West side.  However, Cody is pretty cool, plan at least a full day there.  Then I would head West (young man) and enjoy.  Have you looked around a bit on the west side?  Seems to me KOA's are always a bit pricey.  Bakers Hole has hookups and is a USFS campground.  Just about 2 miles north of the turn off out to the KOA.

Cody is a great stop.  The museum and rodeo is a must.  Us city slickers took it all in.  My only advise do not put out your awning.  Wind come through the canyon like a venturie tube.  It was so strong, it blew the overhead window in a class C.

We stayed at the KOA at west Yellowstone ,  We took the guided tour that is available at the office, was reasonable. It was enjoyable as the tour guide driver pointed out interesting facts, stopped at places to see the springs,  old faithful and the animals when visible.
It would not have been as entertaing in my opinion if we had to drive around ourselves.