OT: National Parks trip help

[Sportfan2017]

If you are going to Tetons and Yellowstone.......check out Thermopolis, Wyoming. Largest hot springs in the world. My son and I stopped there on a whim......various pools with various temperatures.....it was such a relaxing and refreshing day. My son had a blast and my back loved it . After days of hiking the Badlands and Devils Tower.....it was a great break. I imagine the weather will have no effect on the hot mineral springs.

 

[eddy line]

Thanks! Good stuff in both posts.

Trip appears to be shaping up as: 2d in Grand Teton, 4-5d in Yellowstone. If there's a little slack, first up = Grizzly/Wolf Preserve in West Yellowstone, 2nd = Elk Preserve and the Wildlife Art Museum in Jackson, 3rd = Bozeman.

Maybe add a day for Cody (etc.). Was originally going to nix that -- far out of the way, too many things (like the rodeo) closed by then. Big draw was Beartooth Hwy, but that's a huge risk of snow closure on my dates. Will have to think about Chief Joseph.

Glacier will have to be a separate trip. It is far, but really I'd rather wait until Prime Minister Blackface allows Americans across the border to see Waterton Lakes on the same trip.

Got a good laugh about the food comments. Had already accepted that this trip could be a lot of burgers, pizza, and snack bars. Which I guess helps offset the cost of lodging.

Sounds like a good plan. A few comments:

• Usually, the elk don’t make their way to the Reserve until later in the fall, typically after the first meaningful snowfall. Until then, the Reserve is basically a big, grassy field. Not much to see. (You’ll probably hear more elk than you see. It’s bugling season, which is pretty cool.)
• I forgot about the Wildlife Museum. It’s been years since I’ve been there. Worth a visit.
• Tom Mangelsen (the wildlife photographer) is based in Jackson. I recommend a visit to his store. It’s on the main drag leading into town.
• Bozeman is a cool town. It’s growing rapidly, as are many towns and cities in that part of the country. It’s just up the road 45 minutes or so from Big Sky, MT. Depending on the direction of your travels, you may be driving right by Big Sky. If so, it’s worth a pit stop.
• I’d definitely consider the Chief Joseph drive. Driving out the east entrance of YNP, paralleling the Shoshone River (cool dam) all the way to Cody, the view from Chief Joseph, back to the north east entrance to YNP...doesn’t get much better than that. Plus Lamar Valley is up that way - it’s one of my favorite spots in YNP.

Happy trails!

 

[El-Jefe]

• I’d definitely consider the Chief Joseph drive. Driving out the east entrance of YNP, paralleling the Shoshone River (cool dam) all the way to Cody, the view from Chief Joseph, back to the north east entrance to YNP...doesn’t get much better than that. Plus Lamar Valley is up that way - it’s one of my favorite spots in YNP.

Happy trails!

Question about this part of the trip:

I'm thinking of driving from Cody --> Chief Joseph --> Cooke City. Would spend the night in Cooke City, in order to hit early morning animal viewing in Lamar Valley.

BUT: I might not arrive before Beartooth Hwy closes on 10/13. I think I read that Hwy 212 from Chief Joseph to Yellowstone NE Entrance remains open -- but only the east-most 4 miles are plowed if it snows; the 10+ miles closest to Cooke City are not maintained and snowmobile-only if it snows.

Is all of that true?

Because if that stretch is closed (or high risk of being closed to cars), then it no longer makes sense for me to go to Cody or Chief Joseph.

And that obviously changes my entire strategy for the park + hotels. Especially with Grand Loop Drive from Tower to Canyon Village closed for construction.

 

[Cold Smoke]

Question about this part of the trip:

I'm thinking of driving from Cody --> Chief Joseph --> Cooke City. Would spend the night in Cooke City, in order to hit early morning animal viewing in Lamar Valley.

BUT: I might not arrive before Beartooth Hwy closes on 10/13. I think I read that Hwy 212 from Chief Joseph to Yellowstone NE Entrance remains open -- but only the east-most 4 miles are plowed if it snows; the 10+ miles closest to Cooke City are not maintained and snowmobile-only if it snows.

Is all of that true?

Because if that stretch is closed (or high risk of being closed to cars), then it no longer makes sense for me to go to Cody or Chief Joseph.

And that obviously changes my entire strategy for the park + hotels. Especially with Grand Loop Drive from Tower to Canyon Village closed for construction.

E-J,
Really sounds like a great trip and the October timing is ideal. Couple suggestions on wildlife. The experiences at the griz/wolf/elk “preserves” can be disappointing, as the wild character of these critters is absent and other visitors don’t always help the ambiance. Might as well visit a small zoo in PA before you leave home. If you want to see these animals in a wild setting, best bet by far is to spend more time in the Soda Butte/Lamar areas. When I have a serious visitor(s) who is keen to see a wild wolf or griz bear, we often travel this stretch two or three times, especially the wide Lamar vistas. Take a couple coffee breaks to give things a chance to change. A wolf pack can be just a couple feet out of sight. Others will likely spot your target animals first. Stop at every gathering and inquire. Most folks are happy to let you look through their spotting scopes. Over 40 years of mostly day trips to the park, we have seen almost everything “wild”you can imagine in this area. If the animal sightings are rare, you can always hit West Yellowstone.

Another tip is a drive across Turner’s ranch, a short trip (20 miles) SW of BozeAngeles. Roughly 20 square miles of private land (no hikes or picnics) with a good county gravel road across much of it. Drive in to the Spanish Creek trailhead (hike/picnic) and back out, less than 25 miles. Sometimes this drive has more wildlife than the Lamar. This ranch has regular visits from wolves and griz, and a large resident elk herd. Also over 3000 head in a large commercial herd of bison. These guys can be every bit as dangerous as their kinfolk in the park. Stay back from them.

I live just outside of Bozeman. A very nice town, and, as they say... “only 15 minutes from Montana.” Enjoy!

 

[Ja1339]

E-J,
Really sounds like a great trip and the October timing is ideal. Couple suggestions on wildlife. The experiences at the griz/wolf/elk “preserves” can be disappointing, as the wild character of these critters is absent and other visitors don’t always help the ambiance. Might as well visit a small zoo in PA before you leave home. If you want to see these animals in a wild setting, best bet by far is to spend more time in the Soda Butte/Lamar areas. When I have a serious visitor(s) who is keen to see a wild wolf or griz bear, we often travel this stretch two or three times, especially the wide Lamar vistas. Take a couple coffee breaks to give things a chance to change. A wolf pack can be just a couple feet out of sight. Others will likely spot your target animals first. Stop at every gathering and inquire. Most folks are happy to let you look through their spotting scopes. Over 40 years of mostly day trips to the park, we have seen almost everything “wild”you can imagine in this area. If the animal sightings are rare, you can always hit West Yellowstone.

Another tip is a drive across Turner’s ranch, a short trip (20 miles) SW of BozeAngeles. Roughly 20 square miles of private land (no hikes or picnics) with a good county gravel road across much of it. Drive in to the Spanish Creek trailhead (hike/picnic) and back out, less than 25 miles. Sometimes this drive has more wildlife than the Lamar. This ranch has regular visits from wolves and griz, and a large resident elk herd. Also over 3000 head in a large commercial herd of bison. These guys can be every bit as dangerous as their kinfolk in the park. Stay back from them.

I live just outside of Bozeman. A very nice town, and, as they say... “only 15 minutes from Montana.” Enjoy!

Smoke, really awesome intel. You must be one heck of a host/guide!

 

[eddy line]

Question about this part of the trip:

I'm thinking of driving from Cody --> Chief Joseph --> Cooke City. Would spend the night in Cooke City, in order to hit early morning animal viewing in Lamar Valley.

BUT: I might not arrive before Beartooth Hwy closes on 10/13. I think I read that Hwy 212 from Chief Joseph to Yellowstone NE Entrance remains open -- but only the east-most 4 miles are plowed if it snows; the 10+ miles closest to Cooke City are not maintained and snowmobile-only if it snows.

Is all of that true?

Because if that stretch is closed (or high risk of being closed to cars), then it no longer makes sense for me to go to Cody or Chief Joseph.

And that obviously changes my entire strategy for the park + hotels. Especially with Grand Loop Drive from Tower to Canyon Village closed for construction.

Good question. I asked a few Jackson locals and they weren’t sure. However, I did find this:

Cooke City Chamber of Commerce | Getting Here

www.cookecitychamber.org