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There is so much to see and do at Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park that even after 8 days/9 nights we did not get to do everything that I wanted to. Being able to explore such an amazing part of our country this summer was awesome! From geysers and hot springs to alpine lakes and woods to waterfalls and mountains, the terrain at these parks are different from one area to the next. 
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are in the top 8 most visited national parks (according to 2015 visitors). Therefore, the parks can get quite crowded during the summer months. Below are some tips to help you navigate the busy season at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park, you may enjoy my top 10 things to do in the park. I also have my top 6 favorite things to do at Grand Teton National Park.
We used this book and this book to help plan our trip.
- Plan to be at your first spot of the day early, by 7:00-8:00am. Having a relatively “quiet” first stop will start your day off on the right foot.
- Plan your first stop of the day to be the busiest of the places you are going to visit (Grand Prismatic, Artist Point, Norris Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Lake Jenny, etc.).
- Plan to visit less busy spots in the afternoon (overlooks, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Mud Volcano, Firehole Lake Drive, Colter Bay).
- Be patient – it’s going to be very busy from 10:00am-4:00pm; you may have to circle the parking lot several times to find a place to park.
- Be prepared to be stopped in traffic due to animals on or near the roadways. We were stuck behind a heard of bison walking down the middle of the road for an hour (they had a river/creek/drop off on one side and a mountain on the other. We were also delayed several times (30 minutes – 1 hour) because of black bears near the road.
- There is lots of driving to get from one village to the other (most 15-25 miles apart at 30-45mph).
- Always be on the look out for animals! We saw bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, moose and her calf, wolf, coyote, fox, black bear and cub, pika, yellow bellied marmot, ground squirrel, chipmunks and a variety of birds.
Bonus Tip: Use the National Park Service’s website to help you plan your trip. They have a variety of information, printable maps (overall park, by village and even hiking trails), closures and warning, and so much more.
Have you visited Yellowstone National Park? Do you have a tip to share?
[…] took a two week family trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park over the summer. We traveled with my parents from Louisiana and met my brother, sister-in-law […]