I am seriously considering a trip to Yellowstone next September, and right now I’m just hoping for general information. I plan to do more research, but people here have opinions I value, so I’m looking for guidance.
Assuming we will definitely go to Yellowstone, and probably stay there at least 3-4 nights.
We want to combine it with another location, and won’t want to be away from home longer than about 10 days.
We DON’T want to spend a ton of time driving. We like to hike, bike, kayak, and spend time in nature, and to eat fairly well (eat out probably once a day, usually lunch or dinner, especially if we have a kitchen in our accommodations).
We value location of place more than luxury, but we aren’t campers. (I mean we’d prefer to stay in a less luxurious place if it’s in the park, and has beautiful views and makes getting to places easier more than staying at a high end resort kind of place). I know I need to call places soon to get eat reservations for next year.
I would appreciate suggestions for where to stay (specific names of hotels or condos or whatever if known), what to consider/combine besides Yellowstone, and potential number of days in each.
Other information will be valuable as we make decisions, but right now I’m trying to work out the big picture things.
Thanks
Jackson, WY in September will be lovely. Not as crowded as in July, and less than 20 minutes from Grand Teton. Great restaurants and lots of options for lodging. My personal favorite is the Antler Inn, but there is a wide range and the decision will probably come down to your budget. On the higher end: the Four Seasons and the Amangani. In the middle: Antler Inn, Mountain Modern, Virginian, Snow King Hotel, and more. I don’t have too much experience with lower cost options, but I would check out other hotels and VRBOs. If you decide on Jackson, I can also give restaurant and activity suggestions for in Jackson, in Grand Teton, and in other nearby areas.
Stay inside Yellowstone. The lodges at Old Faithful and at Mammoth are both good.
I just got back from six nights in that area. Four nights at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone, one night at Colter Bay Village in Grand Teton and one night in Jackson. Canyon Lodge is a good location. Since I booked at the last minute we were in the cabins which look bad on the outside but the interior had been renovated and was perfectly fine for us. There is no TV or A/C in any of the lodges in Yellowstone (IIRC). There was a coffee maker but no microwave or refrigerator… There was also poor internet and cell reception. The food at the Canyon Lodge eateries was basic, mundane and fuel for energy only. Nothing special. The new lodges at Canyon looked very nice and new. There were about six of those buildings in a cluster.
Colter Bay cabins in Grand Teton were cute little log cabins which I liked very much. Again no TV or A/C and no hair dryers. No coffee maker. But they had a cabin called the ‘guest lounge’ which did have wifi. We ate dinner at the Jackson Lake Lodge bar because it has windows that overlook the river and moose habitat. I had the best meal of the trip there.
In Jackson, we stayed at the Ranch Inn which is just a block or so from the center square. A nice motel with a large room and a balcony overlooking the street and mountain. Jackson is a 50 mile drive from the entrance to Yellowstone and Yellowstone is huge with a lot of driving itself. I would not base in Jackson for seeing Yellowstone as my preference.
September was a lovely time to go. Really nice weather that varied from 28 degrees early in the morning to 75 in the afternoon. The aspen were turning yellow and the crowds were somewhat diminished. I went trying to hear the elk bugling with the fall rut, but saw only a few dozen elk and heard nothing. But I saw thousands of bison, pronghorn, a couple of wolves and one grizzly bear. I also saw the world’s largest geyser erupt, which made the trip absolutely spectacular just by itself.
I heard from a friend that there is zero cell service within the outdoor areas of the park. If you are going with a larger group, you’ll have to make plans and synchronize your watches like in the old days.
I had very limited cell phone service. Texting (Verizon) worked. I got one cell phone call but it cut in and out.
We stayed 7 nights in the YS, and we barely scratched the surface. Our lodgings were in the 1) Lake Lodge, 2) Old Faithful Inn, 3) Canon Lodge, and 4) Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins. With the lodgings spread out strategically, we were able to get the taste of the whole park. We then stayed a night in Jackson Hole for the Grand Teton. After spending $106 at the Motel 6 in Jackson Hole (and this was more than a decade ago), we went camping ever since and saved lots of money and had more fun doing it.
Yes, Canyon Lodge cabins were $250/night. Colter Bay was $200. But Old Faithful and Lake Lodge can get really ridiculous. I saw rooms for $500 to $700/night.
@tatinG- I am so jealous you saw Steamboat!!
We did this same trip this summer - it was the best and I can’t stop thinking about when we can go back again. We went early June so it wasn’t too crowded yet, I think September will be similar. I know tons of people stay outside the park but I really encourage people to stay in if they can swing it. It is hard to explain just how big the area is and how much driving you will be doing. It is so nice to wake up in the park and see sights before the tour busses show up and then to have some time at night when it gets quiet again. I also am not a big fan of spending tons of time in Jackson - it’s a cute town but small and you can see it in a day I think. If you decide to stay in Jackson it is easy to do the Tetons form there but not Yellowstone.
Will you be driving there or flying? There are several options for airports (Bozeman, Idaho Falls, even Salt Lake) but we wanted to spend less time driving so we flew right into Jackson. The plan was the first tow nights in the Tetons but our plane was delayed and we missed our connecting flight so we only got one night there. We stayed at the Jackson Lake Lodge right in the park. The lodging (it was called a cabin I think but it was more like a motel down the hill fort he main lodge - I booked there late so that was our only choice) was fine and basic, the main lodge was absolutely beautiful! There is no TV but there is cell service in the Tetons. If I really, really wanted to splurge I would try the Jenny Lake Lodge for sure but I would have no problem going back to Jackson Lake Lodge.
Next we spent 3 nights at Old Faithful Inn. Again it is a basic room but we did make sure to get rooms with private baths. We got the rooms facing Old Faithful but I don’t know if I would pay more for that again - most rooms are blocked by trees anyway. It was nice to be in the hallway so close to the main lobby though. As TatinG said, the food is not the best, even in the nice main dining room it was jus so so. The ice cream is awesome though! 
After OFI we spent two nights at Lake Hotel which I love. We got the Presidential Suite (which sounds fancy but it was almost the same price as two rooms which we needed for all 5 of us) which was awesome. DH and I spent part of our honeymoon at this hotel so we were really excited to go there with the kids. The food in the main restaurant here is the best we had both 19 years ago and on this trip. Both hotels have music in the evenings which we loved (on the second floor at OFI and by the lobby bar at Lake Hotel.)
If I could do it again I think I would pick hotels that are more on opposite parts of the park - maybe OFI and Canyon or Lake and Mammoth - just so it would be easier to see everything. We love Lamar Valley and it is not that easy to get there from Lake (the park is SO huge) and we would have loved to stay later at night but since you don’t want to be driving after dark we had to leave earlier than we wanted to get back to the lake.
We spent the last night in the town of Jackson to be close to the airport for a very early flight - we stayed at a place called The Lodge at Jackson Hole - nothing special but it was OK. If we hadn’t needed two rooms we would have stayed at The Wort Hotel where we stayed on our honeymoon but it was too expensive. It is a great location though right in the middle of town.
As for the combination of nights if I had 10 days here is what I would do -
Day 1 - travel, stay in Tetons (Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake Lodge, Colter Bay, Signal Mt, Lodge -not Flagg Ranch/Headwaters, it is in the park but very far form everything)
Day 2 - Tetons
Day 3 - Tetons
Day 4 - Drive to Yellowstone (pick two hotels on opposite coheres of the park and do a few night in each)
Day 5 - Yellowstone
Day 6 - Yellowstone
Day 7 - Yellowstone
Day 8 - Yellowstone
Day 9 - depending what you want to see more of either leave early from Yellowstone and do more Tetons on way to Jackson hotel or do more Yellowstone and drive to Jackson later in the evening or just get to Jackson to enjoy the town
Day 10 - fly home
I loved this trip so much and researched for a long time - I have tons of information I can send you if you decide to go!
“Yes, Canyon Lodge cabins were $250/night. Colter Bay was $200. But Old Faithful and Lake Lodge can get really ridiculous. I saw rooms for $500 to $700/night.”
My my… the lodging price has inflated multiple-fold since I last visited the park. But the OP doesn’t want to camp, I believe…
We stayed at Lake Hotel in Yellowstone and loved it. There is also Absaroka Lodge in Gardiner, MT, just outside of the north entrance of Yellowstone, which we also stayed at. I believe the lodge was less expensive and had larger rooms. My dad liked that it had wifi & TV (which didn’t matter to me or H). I really loved having a private tour by Yellowstone Association. They picked us up at our lodging–once at Absaroka Lodge and once at Lake Hotel. The tour was 8 hours and took us to see animals (which is what I requested). They have other options as well and it can be private or you can tour with others as well. You can also select the fitness/exertion level you prefer. I really thought that private tours were well worth it for our group of 7.
We also liked Tetons, which are nearby. We went on a nice float trip down the river (warning–it is MUCH colder than you might think and you need to expect it to be cold & windy on the float trip if you go). We stayed in cabins in the Tetons as well as throughout Yellowstone. It was fun to stay at different places in the park–at least 2 nights or more at each location.
You can do activities offered by Zantara in the park–horseback riding, wagon ride and other activities. We enjoyed the activities and can view the offerings on the website. We spent at day at Cody, WY and looked around the old western town. It was OK. We also went to Rapid City and saw Mt Rushmore and drove across to Yellowstone with our kids when they were grade schoolers. When we went with my folks, we didn’t drive, just flew from Rapid City to MT and then drove to Yellowstone.
Tiggerdad, camper here as well, a few years ago in September after a river trip on the Missouri out of Billings, Montana. Driving from Billings, on the Beartooth highway into Yellowstone was spectacular and I though on par with other high altitude drives such as the one in RMNP.
Agreed on staying in different parts of the park, as driving is slow and slowed even more by the bison and other animals that wander on the roads. We stayed in the Madison area and then up by Mammouth on the way out for a night There is so much to see. Settling into the Old faithful lodge and walking the various sights in that area before busy with tour buses sounds ideal. I though September was an ideal time to visit.
I’d highly recommend Grand Teton NP… we went there and Yellowstone the same summer and Yellowstone is like the must-do touristy part while Grand Teton is the place to kick back and relax and enjoy the stunning mountain scenery. We stayed in the Colter Bay cabins which are rustic but well-located. Depending on how many of you are going (couple vs family) you might want to also check out the Jackson Lake lodge- I think the rooms are higher-end and more of a view but less spacious and more expensive. And I’d second the Snake River float trip (we did the dinner trip and saw a moose).
When we were at Yellowstone we stayed in West Yellowstone so I can’t really help with in-park accommodations. But you are good to be making your bookings now if you want to stay inside the park.
As far as # of days in each… it’s been about 6 years since we went but I think we did something like - drive from Bay Area (overnight on the way), one night in Jackson, 4 nights (or maybe 3) in GTNP, drive through Yellowstone stopping at West Thumb thermal area and continue to Cody WY for 2 nights, then drive back into Yellowstone through the northeast entrance past the falls and on to West Yellowstone for 4 nights.
Wanted to add - make sure you ONLY deal with the approved hotel websites for the parks. If you just google “yellowstone hotels” you will see a lot of third party sites that sell hotel rooms - to be sure you are getting exactly what you want go through the official sites. I actually liked calling because you don’t talk to a reservation agent at a call center, you talk to someone in the park.
Yellowstone - https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com
Tetons - https://www.gtlc.com or you can go directly to Dornans or Signal Mt. Lodge websites if you prefer those
Also, it is a too early to book now but if you are interested it may help you choose a hotel - if you call the day the Old Faithful Inn opens and get lucky you can sign up to help with the flag lowering ceremony. OFI has four flags on top (you can see in the pictures of the lodge) - USA, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. They are raised and lowered each day by the hotel bell hops. Each night they let a group (I think 8-10 people) help with the lowering which is around 6pm. You get a great mini history of the hotel from the bell hop, get to go up to the crow’s nest then all the way on to the roof which as you can imagine has an awesome view. I have heard they try to time it with an eruption of Old Faithful but we were not that lucky. It was a super cool experience and I am so glad we were able to do it even though it was snowing and my FL kids were freezing! If you end up staying here I will find out the exact day you can call- it took me over an hour to get through but it was worth it.
You can see the flags in this picture
https://www.justgoplacesblog.com/old-faithful-inn/
Edited to add - I just looked a little bit on the Yellowstone site and there are rooms left next September but depending on what type of room you want you might have to play with the dates. I suggest calling if you are flexible - I told the lady what rooms I wanted (I was kind of specific since we needed two rooms and I was hoping for that suite) and she was able to find a way to work it out very close to the dates I wanted.
Yes, keep checking right up to the week you leave. Yellowstone rooms become available on and off. We stayed at Canyon Lodge. Nice but basic- I think we paid $270/night. The park is huge and there are often traffic jams due to animals so plan accordingly.
Just a suggestion, we spent several nights in Cody and really enjoyed it. We rafted, went to the rodeo and the museum there is great. They call it the western Smithsonian.
I would recommend a guided hike by Yellowstone Hiking Guides. They are a National Geographic subcontractor and the guide is very good and knowledgeable on where the various types of animals tend to hang out. I took the Lamar Valley Hike, 6 hours, 6 miles up and down animal trails. IWe were a small group of 5 hikers. We saw thousands of bison, two wolves, pronghorn and a mountain goat. They provided binoculars, bear spray and a sack lunch.
There are different types of Snake River float trips. The ones south of Jackson are for the fun of the rapids. It was recommended to us (although we didn’t have time) to do the float trips in Grand Teton NP. They are better for spotting wildlife.
Before you go download the Gypsy guide tour app for Yellowstone. As you drive through the park, gives you interesting history, wildlife info and directions about what’s coming up and parking areas. Like your own guided tour!
Wow, I knew I could count on you guys for info.
I haven’t had time to read it all yet, but I plan to this weekend.
To answer the question about airports, I’m not sure yet. We will fly out of Baltimore, so will depend on cost and convenience from there, in addition to exactly where we decide to go.
The person who said we don’t plan to camp is correct, but I wouldn’t mind staying in a cabin or something similar, as long as bedding, etc. are all provided.
We have stayed in NP lodging before, and I realize much of it is “rustic.”
Thanks everyone.
We just did this! This spring, end of May, early June. My observations, fwiw:
We stayed a night at the Yellowstone Snow Lodge, which shall evermore live in infamy at our house. The perceived convenience was outweighed by the cost, the very poorly run hotel, the crappy overpriced food…but you can go see Old Faithful over and over and over…We stayed at Absaroka in Gardiner and loved it – you are at the Mammoth end of the park, just past the Roosevelt Arch. Fun little town. We had a porch overlooking the river and the mountains, No frills, but that suited us.
GTNP we stayed at Colter Bay, that was great. Pricey, but great. Before we got there, we stayed at a place suggested here called Sleepy J Cabins in Swan Valley Idaho and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. It’s outside the park and it’s a drive, but it’s clean and comfortable and affordable and friendly. Clean, comfortable and near a gas station. And Swan Valley itself is staggeringly beautiful.
The road in Yellowstone proper from Norris to Mammoth is being reconstructed and that adds a ton of travel time. If you stay in Gardiner, you can see th less -busy valley , but you’d miss the geyser basins. I recommend having some “must see” items but staying super flexible. We skipped te waterfalls but got up early to avoid the crowds at Grand Prismatic. GO to your library and check out a guidebook! We had a wonderful, wonderful time. Just remember the bug spray…
I second the Gypsy guide app for Yellowstone/Grand Teton. It’s just the right information with a touch of humor and you’ll never miss your turn.
I’d also say that yes, the Norris to Mammoth Springs road was under construction with possible 30 minute delays. I’m not sure when the work is scheduled to be finished.