Travelling to Yellowstone with Children

[firebug]

Heading off on a family road-trip next week with my wife and two kids (aged 2 and 6) down to Montana, so thought I would seek the help of the CP braintrust.

We will spend a couple days in Billings (with my brother) and then down to Yellowstone for 2 days and nights.

My plan is to come into Yellowstone through the NE entrance on Day one via route 212 and travel through the Northern Part of the Park spending the first night in Gardiner, MT (According to Google maps this is a 3-hour drive).

Day two I have Old faithful on the list and possibly driving the South loop before returning back to Gardiner.

Any recommendations on places to stop and thing to check out while in the park?

Normally I am a keen hiker, but with small children and a small car I will not be able to be geared up proper to travel too far on foot.

Mammoth Hot Springs is near Gardiner. Is it like the hot springs in Radium and Fairmont? If so, we will probably stop in for a soak on the first night.

Thanks for your help!

~bug

[troutman]

Be prepared for big crowds and much traffic.

[Rerun]

Hey firebug.... my wife and I are heading to Yellowstone next week too.... Leaving this Saturday and spending 4 nights in the Kalispell area and then 1 night in Helena and 2 nights in West Yellowstone (July 1 & 2) which is at the NW entrance.

We are going to do the Grande Loop and see all the sites on it (see #1 thru 10 (#7 not included on the map in the following website) ... http://www.yellowstone.net/topten.htm

When will you be there?

Also... are you going to see the Lewis & Clarke Caverns (just west of Bozeman near Three Forks and Whitehall Mt)?

We're going there. Apparently they are quite impressive.

[firebug]

We will be a couple days behind you.

Our nights in Gardiner are the 5th and 6th, and then my plan will be to head straight up 89 to Great Falls so will likely not catch the Caverns.

Depending on how the kids are holding up, maybe I will be able to coax everyone into a side trip, but I expect all of us to be suffering from traveling fatigue by then.

~firebug

[evilcougar]

What ever you do make sure you find artist point. I was just there last month. Simply amazing. The pics of have of it don't do it justice, but, i'll post one anyway.
Also here's a link. Yellowstone Park is absolutely beautiful. Good pick for a family trip.
http://www.wyomingtourism.org/overvi...llowstone/2370

[BurningYears]

Protect your picinic baskets and watch out for super volcanoes

[JiriHrdina]

Old Faithful is full of crowds and not necessarily worth it - there are plenty of other cool things to see in the area - not need to waste an afternoon waiting for that thing to fart.

I love Yellowstone. Amazing place.

[evilcougar]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Old Faithful is full of crowds and not necessarily worth it - there are plenty of other cool things to see in the area - not need to waste an afternoon waiting for that thing to fart.

I love Yellowstone. Amazing place.

That's true, but, they also have several long benches for people to sit on, there was more than enough room when i was there a month ago. Plus they have a sign saying when they estimate Old Faithful to erupt next. So, if it's on it's hour and a half schedule, you can take off and do other things in the mean time and just come back.

[COGENT]

It takes twice as long to drive places than it should, something to keep in mind... mostly because people stop in the middle of the road for pretty much anything. It is an amazing place though.

I never did this personally because of time restraints but there are a few places that the wolves generally go to every morning that you can see from the high way. If I remember correctly you have to be there in the wee hours of the morning (5:30am I believe) but I was told it's amazing to see. I'm sure if you ask the tourist centre they can tell you about it.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Lots of great stuff to see in Yellowstone that is easily accessible with small children. The traffic will be stupid, so prepare yourself mentally.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by COGENT

It takes twice as long to drive places than it should, something to keep in mind... mostly because people stop in the middle of the road for pretty much anything. It is an amazing place though.

So it's identical to Waterton.....good to know!

I've always wanted to ride my motorbike to Yellowstone, but all this talk of traffic sure changes that idea. Good info folks, thx.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

So it's identical to Waterton.....good to know!

I've always wanted to ride my motorbike to Yellowstone, but all this talk of traffic sure changes that idea. Good info folks, thx.

It's worth it, especially if you go on a weekday. The traffic can be bad, but most people aren't in a big rush, so they'll pull over to let motorbikes pass. Also, riding the Beartooth Highway to the northeast entrance is great if you like twisties. Being face to face with a buffalo is a little more intimidating when you aren't surrounded by a car, but other than that, it's great.

As for traveling there with kids, ignore the advice of anyone who says to skip old faithful. I didn't want to be waiting around with hundreds of other tourists, so I skipped it the first time I went to Yellowstone, then I spent the next year regretting it until I went back. It's crowded and sortof boring, but your kids will like it and you probably will too.

Originally Posted by firebug

Mammoth Hot Springs is near Gardiner. Is it like the hot springs in Radium and Fairmont? If so, we will probably stop in for a soak on the first night.

I don't think there are places to soak at Mammoth Hot Springs (though I could be wrong, as I've never looked into it), but it's definitely worth walking around there. It really looks like it should be on some other planet.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by firebug

Heading off on a family road-trip next week with my wife and two kids (aged 2 and 6) down to Montana, so thought I would seek the help of the CP braintrust.

We will spend a couple days in Billings (with my brother) and then down to Yellowstone for 2 days and nights.

My plan is to come into Yellowstone through the NE entrance on Day one via route 212 and travel through the Northern Part of the Park spending the first night in Gardiner, MT (According to Google maps this is a 3-hour drive).

Day two I have Old faithful on the list and possibly driving the South loop before returning back to Gardiner.

Any recommendations on places to stop and thing to check out while in the park?

Normally I am a keen hiker, but with small children and a small car I will not be able to be geared up proper to travel too far on foot.

Mammoth Hot Springs is near Gardiner. Is it like the hot springs in Radium and Fairmont? If so, we will probably stop in for a soak on the first night.

Thanks for your help!

~bug

I did the exact route as you did (you drive right by Chrystal Lake Camp Ground...just like in the Jason Movies!!!).

As far as Mammoth Hot Springs, you're making the same mistake I did; it's not like fairmont or banff, they are at a temperature in the hundreds of degrees, so you can't go in them. There is a neat little boardwalk built for walking around them and a little town as well with an old hotel, so do that and take some pictures. It's neat to see.

Yellowstone itself was pretty amazing, definitely do old faithful and prepare to drive 40kms/hr the entire way around it.