Visiting Yellowstone

We went in August with our boys who are 12 and 15. It was beautiful, but be prepared to spend a lot of time in the car. Although they loved the geysers, mudpots and wildlife on the road they did get a little bored with all of the driving. Be sure to abide by all of the warnings and cautions re wildlife. Not to scare you, but there are incidents involving humans and wildlife there every summer. Food is only available at about four locations in the whole park and they all pretty much have the same menu except at Old Faithful, which has a larger cafeteria. It is also expensive. If you want more flexibility and want to save some money be prepared to bring food, snacks, water, etc. with you. Some of the hikes to see the attractions can be a little long for younger children, but we saw A LOT of very elderly people who could barely walk so there are alternate ways to view things. One of the highlights for us was the "boiling river," but your kids might be a little young for that.

You will need to decide if you want to stay inside or outside of the park. If you want to stay inside you need to make reservations now. Are you camping or do you need a hotel? We personally found it cheaper and more family-friendly to stay just outside the park. We stayed in West Yellowstone, MT near the west entrance of the park. There are four entrances and all of them have some sort of lodging somewhat nearby, although I think West Yellowstone might have the most options. Keep in mind that there is lodging in Cody, WY, but that is a one hour drive just to get to the entrance to the park. West Yellowstone is not really a tourist attraction in and of itself, but the big perk was that our hotel was 1/2 mile from the entrance to the park. The food in West Yellowstone was better than I was led to believe it was going to be. There is an IMAX theater in West Yellowstone and we really enjoyed the movie about the big fire in the park in 1988 (evidence of which remains in the park today). There is also a Grizzly wildlife center that is kind of touristy, but it was a safe and easy way to get up close to real grizzlies.

PM me if you have specific questions. We also spent a few nights in Jackson Hole, WY and drove and hiked through the Grand Tetons.

We did this this past summer and had a fantastic time. We camped the whole time, and my son (who had just turned 5) gained amazing confidence. With kids, I definitely recommend the Junior Ranger and Young Scientist programs. In addition to the geysers, be sure to take a drive through the Lamar Valley (the Serengeti of North America) -- you can see hundreds of bison, and probably a coyote or two, any time of year.

If you're going in the summer, be sure to bring PLENTY of sunscreen and water. It's hot and dry! Kids are also quite prone to altitude sickness, and it's not uncommon for them to be nauseous for the first day, but the clinics there are great and take all health insurance -- they can give you very safe, mild anti-nausea medicine if needed. Nosebleeds are also a likely risk, given the dryness and altitude. Really, though, the park is very well staffed with rangers, etc., so it's very safe. Enjoy!

Yes - we went last summer in August. It was hot during the day and cold at night so be prepared. What are you staying in - tent, trailer, hotel? There are nice walking paths so the kids will be fine, just STAY ON THE PATHS. Don't get to close to wildlife - even buffalos, they are dangerous.
We camped at the Canyon Campground? Centrally located. We did that area one day, then the northern loop one day, then the southern loop and Old Faithful the last day. You easily could spend more time than that too. Afterwards, we drove south to Tetons and spent 2 days there too.
Please feel free to message me if you have questions! OH, and stock up on groceries and supplies before you get in the park - their prices are more. And be prepared for no cell phone service. We had to warn my worrying MIL about this so if she couldn't reach us, don't freak out!

Oh, wow! I remember my visit there. I was 12. It was such a neat place. They have all kinds of things to look at and see. Gosh, if I can remember where we stayed, I will contact you. I know their is a neat old hotel around there that has lodging inside, as well as little cabins. We stayed in the cabin. Their were moose sightings all the time, and one actually was right out front our cabin one morning! They also have a huge dining hall/restaurant that is open to the public. I just remember the food was great.

Everything is pretty easy to get to, and they have trails, as well as parks all over. Lots of wildlife.

My brother was 8, and I as 12, so we remembered so much more. Old Faithful, geysers, hot springs, etc..

Oh, it's so fun!! We went about 8 years ago when my first DD was 2 1/2. We stayed in some cabins next to this big hotel/shopping center. It was awesome. We only stayed for 2 days though. Wish it would have been 3.
No advice other than have fun! I want to go back so bad!

We went this past August with our kids who are .... 3 and 6. It was AWESOME!! We camped the whole time, but it does get chilly at night (we are mountain UT people, so cold weather doesn't really bother us that much). Make sure you check out the Jr. Ranger or Jr Scientist programs that they have -- you'll want to get the papers for those on the first day so you can complete them as you go around the park. We have stayed at the cabins up by Mammoth before (about 4 years ago) and those were pretty nice to stay in -- like half way between camping and a hotel. I prefer camping because then you have better control over making your own food -- but then we did have to deal with all the bear rules too (all food has to be inside a hard-sided vehicle or bear box unless it is being prepared or consumed). We stayed near the lake (sorry, but I can't remember the name of the campground right now) when we camped and it was pretty nice. But we didn't spend much time in the campground at all.
Have fun!