I will be spending 3-4 days in Yellowstone with my kids (8-12) and then heading to Teton for a day. There is so much to see and do in Yellowstone. I am having trouble figuring out what to plan for each day, where to tent, how often to move, etc. Can people suggest some good plans for me?
yellowstone plan of attack 3-4 days camping
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Canyon is the most central campground of the park. It is probably more convenient to stay there for the four days rather than pack up camping gear to move to another area. The Canyon campground has more amenities including showers than the other campgrounds.
Make sure you get to Lamar and Hayden valleys. Another day go to Old Faithful, lots to do there not just see that one geyser.
We once stayed at the Madison campground, which was nice because it had a hot spring which one could enjoy in the evening watching the elk in the near-by meadow. But I think that the spring is now closed. During another trip we stayed at the Norris campground, which is between the north entrance and the Old Faithful area, on the west side of the loop. My impression is that the southern loop has fewer obvious sights than the northern loop on which the Norris campground is located. We did not move from one campground to the another during either stay.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157623124826386/show/with/4238396065/
I would spend a full day in the Upper Geyser Basin (there are other geysers beside OF to see-I like Castle and Riverside, but you are likely to catch others too. Of course, OF doesn't really require any patience, but the others you will have to wait on a bit. There are about 6 or 7 geysers that they can predict pretty close though. For sure see Old Faithful Inn too.
Then spend the better part of one day around Canyon area.
Lamar and Hayden Valleys are great for wildlife. We saw a lot of wildlife around Tower area. Probably best at dawn or dusk, but luck does come into play.
You could do something around Lake area. The mud volcano Black Dragon Cauldron is pretty cool and I would think your kids would like.
Our least favorite area of the park was Mammoth. Still worth seeing though. You might want to take a dip in the Boiling River area(right near the entrance). See the Roosevelt Arch there too. Usually elk are everywhere near Mammoth-like right in the parking lot.
Many of the pools are pretty interesting to see too. Fountain Paint Pots is another interesting area.
Here is a link to a website that can help get you started. http://www.youryellowstonevacation.com/index.php?p=natural-wonders Look through the natural wonders and pick one or two that are within close proximity (within 15 miles of eachother) that you want to see on each day.
Canyon Campground is a great place to stay bc it is centrally located. Norris is also somewhat central and would be cheaper. It is also on a first-come, first-serve basis where as Canyon Campground will take reservations. It would be easier and save time to stay at one campground for the duration of your trip.
What dates will you be visiting?