Three Days (With Kids) in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Road trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks? With the kids? We did it, and it was amazing! Here’s our three-day family-friendly itinerary.

 

Family Trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Last summer, we took our three children (ages 17, 10 and 7) on the road trip of a lifetime. The main destination? Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

FUN FACT:  Did you know that Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are right next to each other? They border one another.

We spent three amazing days in these popular national parks located mostly in Wyoming, and I am sharing everything that our family did and saw during our visits to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

 

Tips for Planning a Family-Friendly Visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

If you are planning a family vacation to these popular national parks, let me share a few helpful tips with you. All of these tips worked extremely well for us.

IF TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN, VISIT GRAND TETON FIRST. Grand Teton National Park offers beautiful scenery. Even children are impressed by the mountain views. However, the scenery of the Teton Mountains may not seem as impressive to the kids after the excitement of Yellowstone. I mean, come on, Yellowstone offers volcanic-like geyser eruptions and rainbow-colored springs.

CHOOSE ONLY THE BEST HIKES FOR YOUR FAMILY. There are so many great hikes at both parks. It’s going to be important to be selective about what trails you hike. Look for trails that the entire family will find exciting and that won’t be too strenuous for your children.

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VISIT THE MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS FIRST. Both, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, are incredibly popular parks, and the most popular attractions can get quite crowded. Avoid the biggest crowds (and find parking) by visiting these super popular attractions first thing in the morning.

MIX THINGS UP A LITTLE IN YOUR ITINERARY. Don’t make the mistake of visiting too many similar sites back-to-back. It’s hard to fully appreciate each of these geologic wonders if you have just seen something very similar, and there is such a variety of other sights to see at these parks. Mix it up a little. Maybe check out the wildlife, followed by a geyser basin, then a waterfall, then a visitor center, and then maybe another geyser basin. You get the idea, right?

 

Three Days (With Kids) in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Our Family’s Grand Teton and Yellowstone Itinerary

Our family spent a total of three days at these national parks. We spent the first day at Grand Teton National Park and the last two days at Yellowstone National Park.

 

One Day in Grand Teton National Park With Kids

We visited Grand Teton National Park first, and it worked out perfectly for us. We were all amazed by the mountain views (even the kids)! I’m not positive that the kids would have been as impressed with the scenery if we had seen the wonders of Yellowstone immediately before visiting Grand Teton. I definitely think we made the right decision to visit the more low-key park first.

 

1-Day Grand Teton Family Vacation Itinerary

Here’s everything we did and saw during our one-day visit to Grand Teton National Park.

 

Jenny Lake

We arrived at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center by 8:30AM and easily found parking. This is one of the most popular areas of Grand Teton National Park, and we highly recommend getting there early in the day. The parking lot was overflowing by the time we left this area of the park at 11AM.

We explored the Visitor Center a little, got a map from the park ranger at the information desk, and hitched a ride on the ferry to cross the lake. Also, our kids picked up their Junior Ranger Program workbooks while we were here.

Upon arriving on the other side of Jenny Lake, we hiked out to see Hidden Falls (the only accessible waterfall in Grand Teton National Park) and up to Inspiration Point.

RELATED:  Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point at Grand Teton National Park

 

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Our next stop was at the Craig Thomas discovery and Visitor Center. We checked out the exhibits there, the kids turned in their Junior Ranger Workbooks in order to receive their badges, and we planned our driving route to our remaining stops for the day.

 

Mormon Row

This cluster of historic buildings had once been a very small Mormon settlement. The old buildings set against a backdrop of the majestic Teton Mountains makes for a great picture. (One of the structures there, Moulton Barn, is said to be the most photographed barn in all of Wyoming.)  Adults love it for the history and the scenery. However, kids may not be quite as impressed.

With sites like this, I always bring an old spare digital camera for each kid. Then, I encourage them to take pictures of anything and everything. This keeps our kids occupied and amused while my husband and I take in the historic setting at our leisure. Plus, BONUS, we all had a good laugh over some of the pictures they snapped – pictures of the old outhouse on site and several large holes dug by ground squirrels.

HELPFUL TIP:  Give children their own digital camera to use whenever you stop at a site they would normally consider “boring.” This helps to keep our kids engaged and amused. It might work for you, too.

 

Schwabacher Landing

An often overlooked area of the park, Schwabacher Landing is kind of a hidden gem in Grand Teton National Park. It’s easy to find and not crowded at all. We enjoyed a picnic lunch here, and then, wandered a short ways along the trail.

I had heard this is a great place to see moose at dawn or dusk. We were visiting during the mid-day so we did not see any moose. We did enjoy the mountain views though. (I could never get tired of those mountain views!) Additionally, we enjoyed seeing a large beaver dam and the subsequent pond it created. This is also a great place to snag a photo of the mountains reflected in the water.

 

Oxbow Bend

Our last stop of the day was at Oxbow Bend – a famous bend in the Snake River known for its beautiful mountain views. This is where most people go to snag an iconic reflection photo of the mountains in the water. During our visit, we were delighted to see an artist with her easel set up trying to capture the scenery on her canvas!

We stopped and just admired the view for a short while. This is also a popular place to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. The light plays beautifully on the mountains in the early morning and late evening.

 

West Yellowstone

That night we slept at a hotel in West Yellowstone (near the West Entrance of Yellowstone Park). We wanted to get an early start for our Yellowstone adventures the next day.

 

 

Two Days in Yellowstone National Park With Kids

After our visit to Grand Teton National Park, we spent two days touring Yellowstone. There is so much to see and do there! We were so glad we had allotted more time for Yellowstone National Park. We were also glad that we had researched where we wanted to stop ahead of time. This allowed us to beat the crowds to the most popular attractions. Because, WOW, Yellowstone was a busy place.

Here’s everything we did and saw during our two-day visit to Yellowstone National Park.

 

Day One: Family-Friendly Yellowstone Itinerary

 

Midway Basin

We started the day bright and early at the Midway Basin – home of the extremely popular Grand Prismatic Springs.

After parking at the Fairy Falls Trail lot, we first hiked a short ways along the Fairy Falls Trail to the Grand Prismatic Overlook. I highly recommend this short hike. It allows you to really see all the amazing colors from this distance. It truly is a rainbow of multi-colors around the hot spring!

After our short hike, we drove over to the main parking area for the Midway Basin. We followed along the boardwalk paths for up close views of the various springs, pools and geysers. It was a great introduction to some of Yellowstone’s spectacular geothermic features. The entire family found it intriguing.

 

Upper Geyser Basin (Old Faithful Area)

Our next stop was the Upper Geyser Basin – home of the iconic Old Faithful Geyser.

We explored the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Here, we purchased Junior Ranger Program workbooks for our children. (This is the only national park site that has ever charged us for a Junior Ranger Program workbook. But the fee was nominal – only a couple of dollars.) We also checked out the exhibits and the schedule for the next predicted eruption of Old Faithful. We saw that Old Faithful was due to erupt soon.

We decided to find a good spot along the boardwalk to watch the infamous geyser eruption. Then, we sat down and helped the kids work through their junior ranger workbooks while we waited for the big event to occur. This worked our really well as the kids were able to complete several worksheets while we waited.

Old Faithful did not disappoint. It is definitely worth the wait!

After the big geyser blast, we wandered back to our vehicle to enjoy our picnic lunches. Then, we made our way back to the geyser basin in time to listen to a ranger presentation (a requirement for the junior ranger program). After the ranger-led program, we had an opportunity to see Old Faithful blow again and wander the boardwalk paths. While exploring the boardwalk paths, we saw a lot of geothermal features like springs, pools, and geysers. Our most memorable moment though was when one of the geysers in the Lion Group erupted right as we were walking by. We were rained on by a geyser!

We also enjoyed peeking around inside the historic Old Faithful Inn. My youngest children especially enjoyed this. Before our vacation, we watched the 1963 Disney movie, Yellowstone Cubs, featuring curious bear cubs causing all sorts of mischief including raiding the Old Faithful Inn kitchen.

Before leaving the area, we stopped back into the visitor center to collect the kids’ Junior Ranger Badges.

 

Firehole Canyon

This is a short one-way scenic drive that happened to be along our route. It featured an impressive waterfall, some breathtaking scenery and a popular swimming hole. We admired the scenery but didn’t stop to swim.

 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Our last stop for the evening was in Mammoth Hot Springs. According to the Yellowstone National Park’s website, “Mammoth Hot Springs looks like an inside-out cave.” That is a pretty accurate description. The geothermal features in this area look very different from all of our stops earlier that day, and it was definitely worth a look.

Our entire family for a couple of other reasons as well – seeing wildlife and eating at Terrace Grill. In the evenings, elk wander through the town and can be seen in the green spaces between buildings. Additionally, the kids loved their kiddie meals from Terrace Grill which are served in Souvenir Yellow Buses!

 

Gardiner

That night, we stayed in a hotel in Gardiner near the park’s North Entrance. It was a beautiful drive – gorgeous scenery and interesting wildlife. Our hotel was located right beside the river. So we had gorgeous views from our hotel patio as well.

While you are there, you may want to snag a picture of the famed Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance.

 

Day Two: Yellowstone With Kids Itinerary

 

Lamar Valley

We started our day extremely early. We had heard that the best time to see wildlife in Lamar Valley is at dawn or at dusk. Thus, we wanted to be in Lamar Valley in time for the sunrise.

“This is the best day of my entire life!” –my seven-year-old daughter after seeing the wildlife in Lamar Valley

Let me tell you something. It was definitely worth the 4AM wake up time. We saw so much wildlife. My daughter enjoyed it so much that she still tells people that this was the best day of her entire life.

READ MORE:  Sunrise Drive Through Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley

We saw hundreds of bison (also known as American Buffalo), two black bears, a coyote, pronghorns, elk and deer (including a doe with her baby). Oh, and we got into a traffic jam of bison blocking the road! We didn’t even mind being stuck in traffic for that!

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Artist Point and Uncle Tom’s Trail

Our next stop was a visit to Artist Point. This famed overlook provides views of Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, the Yellowstone River and the massive 308-foot Lower Falls. Artists have been inspired to paint the scenery from this viewpoint for over 100 years! I gave each kid their digital camera, and like all the artists there before them, my kids each stopped to capture these scenic views.

FUN FACT:  Artist Point’s name was a mistake. (Source: YellowstonePark.com)

We then made our way over to the trailhead for Uncle Tom’s Trail. This was our one big hike planned for the day, and we were looking forward to it. While the trail is only .6 miles long, it features 328 stairs leading down to the base of the Lower Falls. Despite all those stairs, we were all excited for this hike… until we learned that the trail was closed for reconstruction. What a major disappointment for us all!

 

Artists Paintpots

Lucky for us, our next stop – the Artists Paintpots – more than made up for our disappointment over the closure of Uncle Tom’s Trail.

The Artists Paintpots area is filled with unique geothermal features. Along the short loop trail, we saw colorful hot springs and bubbling mudpots. My kids thought it was awesome! We all especially enjoyed watching the pits occasionally spit large globs of mud high into the air.

Plus, after visiting the super popular Grand Prismatic Springs and Old Faithful the day before, it was nice to get away from the crowds for a bit.

 

Norris Geyser Basin

Our final stop for the day was at the Norris Geyser Basin. We quickly enjoyed our picnic lunches in the parking lot before heading into the Norris Geyser Museum. It was small but interesting.

Then, we headed out to explore the geyser basin. Norris Geyser Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser (the tallest geyser in the world) and a unique area called Porcelain Basin. We were glad that we stopped but didn’t stay long. We were tired and had a long drive ahead of us. (We were headed to Idaho that night in order to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument the next day.)

 

Other Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Adventures

Other Family-Friendly Things to Do in Grand Teton and Yellowstone

Overall, we were pleased with our Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We felt like it was a well-rounded introduction to these two National Parks. But we also know that we missed out on some really great stuff, too.

A few things I wish we would have had time for include:

• Glacier View Turnout in Grand Teton – I had heard that the moon sometimes rises right between the peaks of the mountains when viewed from this lookout. Wouldn’t that be awesome to see?
• Beartooth Highway – Starting in Red Lodge, Montana, you can drive this 68-mile stretch of scenic byway along mountains, forests and alpine lakes all the way into Yellowstone. I think this scenic drive sounds amazing but we didn’t have the time. Plus, our kids don’t appreciate too many scenic drives too close together.
• Little Gibbon Falls Trail in Yellowstone – We had heard this is a nice family-friendly trail – short hike, uncrowded, and waterfall views. Our visit was such a short duration that we didn’t have time for any extra hikes though.
• Fishing Cone in Yellowstone’s West Thumb Basin – We didn’t have time to visit all of the geyser basins, and this one didn’t make it on to our itinerary. However, I thought the kids would have really enjoyed hearing the story of the hot spring they call Fishing Cone. Located along the shores of Yellowstone Lake’s West Thumb, fisherman would actually cook the fish they caught in this hot spring.
• Blacktail Plateau in Yellowstone – A friend had told me that this is a great place to enjoy a sunset. After full days in the park, we were too tired to stay late enough to catch the sunset.

I’m sure that we missed out on many other family-friendly adventures during our visit as well.

Have you been to Yellowstone or Grand Teton? What other awesome adventures did we miss? What should we include on the itinerary for our next visit there?

 

When Will Your Family Vacation in Yellowstone and Grand Teton?

Do you have plans to visit either of these popular national parks soon? What sights are you most excited to see there?

 

 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE READING:

• Preparing for Family Road Trips
• Hiking to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point in Grand Teton National Park
• See Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley
• How to Actually Enjoy Hiking with Children
• Craters of the Moon is a Fun Day Trip from Yellowstone National Park
• Find Begging Burros and Buffalo at Custer State Park
• Independence Rock: An Oregon Trail History Adventure in Wyoming