A trip to Yellowstone is very doable for families with young or older kids. During the summer of 2017, when our kids were quite young, we made the trip up there, and we all had an excellent time. As with all successful trips, detailed planning is key. Getting in and out of Yellowstone can be a challenge if you don’t intend to land and stay in Jackson Hole. We planned on driving into Yellowstone. There are a few choices close to Yellowstone that you can chose from. We picked Salt Lake City Utah, primarily so we could visit a friend of mine, and also because it would give us an opportunity to visit another city.

Day 0: June 2nd: Friday: Travel Day: Flying out of Houston Southwest Airlines, took us to Salt Lake via Denver. Once in Salt Lake, we took our rental Jeep and headed out to Victor, Idaho, where we had our accommodations for the week. This was exciting! Our first major park tour with the family…The 4 hour drive to Teton Springs Lodge was amazing. We stopped at multiple places to take pictures. We reached Teton Springs lodge at 7pm mountain time, checked in and grabbed dinner at the Fireside Grill.

Day 1: June 3rd: Sat: Tram & Swim: We started our day with some cereal at the Teton Springs Lodge, and then drove down to Jackson hole, it was a 45 min drive. Grabbed brunch at Pearl Street Bagels, and headed to take a tram ride to Rendezvous peak. There was quite a bit of snow here. It was really fun for all of us. After the tram ride we walked around the Jackson Hole downtown, and admired the metal sculptures and the antler gateways at the park. Next up was getting some ice cream at Moo’s Homemade ice cream & Sorbet. Since our lodge had a pool, we figured, why don’t we get some swim clothes for all of us. We headed to a local K-Mart (yes they did exist here in 2017!) and picked up swim clothes. After that we headed back to the resort for some relaxation. It was fun. Wanting to keep some snacks available on hand, in case the kids wanted something to eat while on the drive, we headed to the Broulim’s grocery store and picked up some basics.

Day 2: June 4th: Sunday: Hot springs & Old faithful: We broke our Yellowstone visit into two parts. The first day we would cover the attractions on the south side, and the third day we would cover the attractions on the north side, with some fun activities planned for the second.
We had breakfast in the room and headed out to Yellowstone via Idaho 32. Drove thru Targhee national forest and entered via the West entrance. As we entered the park we had a herd of bison come down the hill and run alongside us. It was a fascinating experience. Once the bison were past us, we stopped at a “picnic spot” by the river and had our lunch. Our loop took us thru:

  • Fountain Springs point–geyser 
  • Midway Geyser Grand Prismatic 
  • Biscuit Basin 
  • Black sand 
  • Old faithful –lasted 4 min, grabbed some ice cream and t-shirts 
  • Teton National Park
  • Bear watching 

Wrapped up the day with Dinner at Hatch, a Mexican restaurant in Jackson Hole.

Day 3: June 5th: Monday: Mesa falls, Horse back riding: Had breakfast and headed out to Mesa Falls on Idaho 32, then Idaho 47. Hiked first to the Upper Mesa falls, and then to the Lower Mesa falls. Grabbed lunch at Wrap & Roll and headed to Linn Canyon Ranch for Horse Riding. The kids got an hour lesson after which we all headed to the trail. Our horses were: Fuzzy, Buddy, Phinea and Roscoe.
Following the horse riding, we returned to our room, to wrap up the day.

Day 4: June 6th: Tue: Yellowstone: Falls & canyons: Today we cover the north loop of Yellowstone. We drove on Idaho 33 then 32, entered Yellowstone, and our trip took us thru:

  • Grand Canyon of Yellowstone 
  • Red rock trail–water falls
  • Grand view 
  • Mount Washburn
  • Tower Falls 
  • Mammoth springs and some ice cream
  • Lots of small hot springs along the way 
  • Beryl Springs

On our way out, we saw some coyotes hunt birds, was interesting to watch. Drove back, and reached our room around 11pm

Day 5: June 7th: Wed: Salt Lake city: We checked out of Teton Spring lodge by 11am, and drove to Salt Lake City. Reached our hotel, Hyatt Place, Salt Lake at around 6pm. Had dinner at The Garden, Salt Lake city, where we met my friend. Not much else today, strolled around the area and then back to the hotel and called it a night.

Day 6: June 8th: Thurs: Salt Lake: Had breakfast at Hyatt, after which kids enjoyed some time in the pool. Headed out, had lunch at Whole Foods, drove to Antelope Island, drove around and explored the island and the Great Salt lake.
Did some shopping at Tanger Outlets, had dinner at Panda Express and then headed back to the room.

Day 7: June 9th: Friday: Back to Houston: Had breakfast, and checked out by 11am. Drove by the Olympic Village, and arrived at the airport by 1pm. Due to flight delays we reached Houston at 2:30am. Exhausted.

Our overall experience on this trip was fantastic. We all had an amazing time. I hope this writeup gives you a good idea of the options you have when traveling to Yellowstone.