I have 5 days to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone

<p>I have 5 days to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Will this be enough time to do both. I want to see moose, bosion, wolf, elk, and the old faithful and other scenic spots. What would you recommend that I can see within the time frame I have? there will be at least 3 full days to tour the parks as the 1 and last day is done traveling to and from the park to salt lake city int'l airport. </p>

<p>Yellowstone is a huge park. Check the NPS website for any construction and road closures within the park as that can add hours to a drive. Spend a day in geyser basins in the SW part of the park walking the boardwalks. Spend a day in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Hayden Valley area. Spend a day in Grand Teton, take the boat ride in Jenny Lake. I don't think you have time for Mammoth Hot Springs or Lamar Valley in the northern part of the park. A lot of it depends on where you are staying as the drive to and from there can easily add 1-3 hours each day.</p>

<p>I just went to Grand Teton and Yellowstone in late June / early July 2010. I wrote a blog about it that describes the places I went and there is link to the decent photos from the trip from the blog page. Most of the photos are the popular places you would want to visit.</p>

<p>See http://www.philgoblephoto.com/Blogs/Blogs.htm for the places I visited and press on the portfolio link to see the photos. The site uses flash and if your monitor isn't color corrected it may not look good.<br>

I agree with Walt that Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Hayden Valley should be one of your destinations in Yellowstone. You can also spend the mid morning to late afternoon portion of the day and beyond shooting the geysers in Yellowstone.<br>

<br />Grand Teton is really a morning place (in my opinion), and its easy to get to the "classic" locations. On my best morning in the Tetons I got great shots from three different locations in the first 2 hours of the morning.</p>

<p>If I remember I will check back if you have any questions about anything in the blog.</p>

 

<p>I went the second week of May. Stayed at Jackson for two days. There is a road through the Grand Tetons that will take you to Yellowstone. When I was there the road was close, so I had to drive around to get to Yellowstone. Stayed at Yellowstone for 2 days and then went back to Jackson using the road that was closed earlier. Granted, I ran into snow and Spring had not arrived yet but Yellowstone impressed me more then the Tetons. Many more sites to see and more wildlife (buffalo wandering in the road often) at Yellowstone. Do some research on hotel prices. I barely beat the season where rates go up and ended up paying around $50.00 per night. That is a good deal. If you have time, call both states and ask for maps and tourist brochures. Agree with Walt..Don't miss the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Old faithful was disappointing for me. I enjoyed the colorful springs and pools more, plus the geysers were more active there. I went with intention of doing a lot of light painting at night but my new remote gave me fits and a couple of times the buffalo grazing along the river at night caused me to have to move because your supposed to stay 75 feet away. I was a little worried about bears at night but never saw one during the whole trip. I just read in the paper that a man was killed a couple of weeks ago and the bears are having a hard time finding their usual food, so they are looking protein. Be smart :)<br>

When I drove back to Jackson (Tetons) from Yellowstone I came upon a big lake that had fantastic tree stumps all along it and colorful rocks. I wish I would of known of this place earlier in the trip because it would of been my choice for the light painting. I would have to look up what lake that was. Tetons has some cool old cabins. When I went Jenny Lake was frozen. The town of Jackson was much larger and offered more lodging and food. then the part of Yellowstone that I stayed at. Gas was outrageous at Yellowstone. Wait to fill up at Jackson if possible.</p>

<p>Hey phil what area in Grand Teton did you photo the moose. I spoke the park ranger and said the camp ground is first come first serve at yellow stone and at Jenny lake at grand Teton. </p>

<p>If you look on the NPS Grand Teton map you'll see the Moose Visitor Center. The Moose-Wilson road leaves Teton Park Road very near it. After getting on Moose-Wilson road from that point drive to the second turnout where there is a stream you can see. I saw moose there three mornings in a row. One day there were five of them. As I mentioned in my blog, the ranger said they are there frequently. That was in late June / early July, so they may move later in the year, but I suspect they are there a lot of the year. People frequently park up a little further, but it causes a lot of road congestion if you do.</p>

<p>I live in Bozeman and go down that way several times a year. Moose and wolves are going to be problematic. The best times I have had seeing wolves are in the winter, the only time I've seen moose is just outside of Yellowstone near Cooke City in the winter. Bison and Elk are probably going to be best seen in the Lamar valley or Hayden valley. The whitebark pine crop is having a bad year, so the grizzly bears have been reported coming to lower altitudes already this year, you might get lucky. For wolves and grizzly you will need a looooong lens, and really even then it won't be long enough. Elk and bison are easy. Be sure and save some time for Firehole Drive (a right turn just north of Fountain Paint Pots (another good thing to see), if you are traveling from the south) it is really cool. Three days will be enough to hit the highlights, but really....<br>

Grand Teton is a relatively small park and is right next to Yellowstone, easy to see Jenny Lake and the eponymous peaks and Old Faithful in a single day. <br>

You might try contacting Salvatore Vasopolli at http://vasapolliphotography.com. He's a good friend of mine who has been photographing Yellowstone for 30 years. He's good enough to be a featured photographer on the Outdoor Photographer website.</p>

<p>Hey John, I thought Jenny Lake was a good spot for moose at grand Tetons? I thought is safer near the lake to camp to avoid the bears at yellow stone or norris. and stay away from the hills at Lamar valley such as the pebbie camp ground. Maybe is better I take bear spray. I do have a long lens. Are there any wolves. I was thinking of stopping at Grand tetons first, then Yellow stone. Is better to spend 2/1 at grand tetons, then 4/3 at yellow stone. </p>

<p>"Maybe is better I take bear spray." If you are flying, the flight inspection team may not let you on the aircraft with <strong>bear spray</strong> -- whatever it is....</p>

<p>The park ranger's will let you know if camping (in a tent) is safe or not. A hard-side van would give a bear more of a challenge as long as you keep your food in a different location at night.</p>

<p>You can buy the bear spray when you arrive. I heard of bears tearing up RV's and VAN's since they now link them with food. </p>

<p>I saw Jack Hanna on the news a couple of weeks ago talking about this incident. If link does not work, just google it.</p>

<h3 ><a onmousedown="return rwt(this,'','','','1','AFQjCNFBaW34m__FsKjJH0qZvxNNO1OvVw','','0CBIQFjAA')" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fstories%2F2010%2F07%2F28%2Fearlyshow%2Fmain6720870.shtml&rct=j&q=jack%20hanna%20maces%20bear&ei=wlZzTK76I4O88gaPpL2xAw&usg=AFQjCNFBaW34m__FsKjJH0qZvxNNO1OvVw&cad=rja"><em>Jack Hanna</em> Wards Off Grizzlies with Pepper Spray</a></h3>

<p>Timing is everything! When are you going? The last week of September is prime time for fall foliage in the Tetons and for the elk rut in Yellowstone. The rut goes on for weeks, so timing isn't as critical for this. Use the long lens for the rut - don't get anywhere near the bulls, and if you suddenly see more of the whites of a bull's eyes, get to safety immediately - he's likely to charge. The bulls get kinda sideways during the rut and can decide to charge for no apparent reason.</p>

<p>I've been to Yellowstone 4 times have never seen a moose inside the park. The best locations I know of are in the Teton park, along the Snake River early or late in the day. They like to feed on the willows along the banks. The lakes don't have much in the way of bottom grass (which is what the Alaskan moose are so famous for).</p>

<p>There's a beetle killing a species of pine that produces a favorite protein-rich nut that the grizzlies love. There is much speculation that this may lead to more human-bear entanglements this fall as the bears look to stoke up on protein in the last weeks before hibernation takes hold. All speculation at this point - the 2 bear maulings this year in the Yellowstone area are not related to this.</p>

<p>Do some Google homework - search in Yellowstone and another keyword like waterfall or wildlife, and you'll get an abundance of links. Look among them for maps of these locations - I got a bunch for my next trip the last week of September. Also Google the same way for the Tetons. I'm staying 3 nights in Jackson and 4 nights in West Yellowstone MT, all under $100/night. Very little if anything left in the park that last week of Sep - many hotels close for the season before then. Cheaper rooms in surrounding places like Jackson and West Yellowstone are disappearing fast, too, so don't wait to make plans. You aren't in any danger of not being able to get a room - waiting will just make the available rooms more expensive.</p>

<p>Bison - everywhere in both parks, no need to plan on where to find them - they will be in the way! Y'stone has 12,00-15,000 elk, so finding them won't be a challenge, either. If plan to go later than Oct, half this herd migrates to the elk refuge in Jackson Hole for the winter.</p>

<p>Bears are expected to be more active than usual this fall because of the pine problem. Stop at a ranger statio when you get there and ask where they have been reported in the last day or 2. Wolves are the toughest - Lamar Valley is the most promising, Hayden Valley, too. Google on Yellowstone, wolf, and map - there's a good map out there that shows the primary ranges of the packs in the park. For closeups in a captoive environment, the Wolf and Grizzly Center in West Yellowstone is excellent. Not wild, but a way to see them close enough to admire just how handsome these animals are, and get good closeup shots of wolves and grizzlies.</p>

<p>You should also ask at the ranger station about where to see eagles, swans, and beavers.</p>

 

<p>I will be at yellowstone first week of sept, not the last week, but thanks for the info and any other info that one might have. is the yellowstone moose the same as the alaska moose?</p>

<p>Ok, why see both? And the desire to see "everything" and every "critter" as you so clearly state will force you to see the inside of your windshield 5 hours a day and then the inside of your eyelids for the others.</p>

<p>Slow down, enjoy, experience. 5 days is just a drop into the sights you are going to see. But if you race through: Nada shows up in your pics.</p>

<p>This should not be the "vacation of a lifetime"; do come back and penetrate these parks in a deeper sense than by looking at the dead bugs that crowd your windshield, you racing hither and thither. Take a hike and another one. Smell the trees and so forth. </p>

<p>Too much tourist consumption is not good for anything, anyone, any soul. </p>

<p>My 2 cents, sorry.</p>

<p>My time is limited to 5 days and have no idea when I will return that's why I want to see both.</p>

<p>Marc<br>

I live in West Yellowstone. The only major road construction is between Norris and Madison as they are building a new bridge and rerouting a road. Delays are only at they say 30 min. I was in there on Sunday and waited the most of 10 min. If you go up to Mt. Washburn on either side you have a good chance to see bear. Bear right now are on the move getting ready for winter. Keep bear spray with you. Regular pepper spray will not work. Moose mainly hang out in the willows. Best chance is down in the Tetons. The best times to really see bears, moose wolf is early morning before it gets warm. Bison are best in Lamar or Hayden valley. Elk are pretty much everywhere. Bulls have a fairly large rack still in velvet currently. Give yourself time to walk around the geyser basins. Seeing geysers going off say Beehive is a hit and miss, but is fasinating. Norris is another good spot for geysers. Mammoth is dying and there is not much activity but still interesting to look at and study. Definately visit Canyon and see the Lower Falls. Or as people mistakenly call it "Yellowstone Falls". There is a whole loop in Yellowstone that will take you from West thumb to Old Faithful, Madison, Norris, Canyon, Artist Point, Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge and back to West Thumb. That will take pretty much all day. There is alot to see. From Salt Lake you are looking at a 4 - 5 hour drive (that is to get to West Yellowstone). In Jackson before you get to Teton Valley (I believe) you can get to the old barn that everyone shoots with the Tetons in the background. Give yourself all day in the Tetons as well if you really want to see it (hint, hint). Bring clothing for all types of weather. This morning we had a low of 26 F. Thunderstorms are possible still or just rain as it did last weekend. At this time of year there are very large temp fluctuations. Anywhere from 40 - 60 degrees in flucuations in one day. So there is two full days gone. Mammoth is a interesting area since the terrain is so vast. You will be in the high desert to woodlands to grasslands. You may also see some big horn sheep by Mammoth as well. Oh and I guarantee you will see elk at Mammoth, If you dont Ill buy you dinner. Any other questions feel free to email me. The spectacular places in the park are off trail and in the back country but you dont have time for that. Have a safe trip.</p>

<p>Hey mike I am coming from Salt Lake city will I be hitting the Teton valley where the old barn is. Are the wolf's hit and miss? Are these bears the same as the ones at Brooks falls where they don't brother with people?</p>

<p>Hi Marc,<br>

It is definitely doable as a brief (overview) tour in five very full days, depending on where you are staying and the time of year. On my first trip to Yellowstone/Teton in 9/2004 (past Labor Day) I spent five days with three in Yellowstone (Lake Village served as "home base") and two in Grand Teton. As it was my first tour, I treated it more as an exploratory trip, as I had (and still have) intentions to return. I returned to the area last year, spending two nights in Grand Teton.<br>

However, one problem is the time of year you are going. As it appears you are going around Labor Day, you probably will see *far* more tourists (tour groups in large buses as well as car traffic) than animals. I happened to drive through Yellowstone (NE entrance to S Entrance. on the way to Teton) on Labor Day last year, and there basically was a traffic jam inside the park. Even the bison herds were keeping their distance from the crowds. Closest herd I saw was 1/2 mile away. It seems that even the animals wanted to keep their distance from the crowds. You probably will have to plan to drive around dawn/dusk to have the best chance of seeing animals. If you aren't staying inside the park, you may have to do a considerable amount of driving. Yellowstone is a very large park and the speed limits are 25-45mph. Also, there is always some road closure, construction, or maintenance occurring as well as the occasional "bear/bison jam" and inclement weather which can add to the travel time.<br>

And, you can also expect the Canyon area and Geyser Basins to have a lot of tourists as well. These are prime locations for landscape photography. Finding parking will be a problem, especially from 9AM onward.<br>

Grand Teton actually may be a little bit less crowded and more so immediately after Labor Day. As another person wrote, Grand Teton is primarily a morning destination. My observation is that, it is definitely not as crowded as Yellowstone. Good places for morning photography include Schwabacher Landing, Grand Viewpoint, and the Mormon Row settlements. Best place to see wildlife in the Teton is the Oxbow Bend area, especially around dawn, late evening, or dusk (moose, elk, waterfowl, birds of prey). In all Yellowstone and Teton, it is probably the best/most easily accessible place to see moose imho. A telephoto lens is essential.<br>

If you are intent on seeing wildlife in Yellowstone, you might want to consider joining a photo tour. All of the accommodations in the park offer various tours, although these may decrease past Labor Day.<br>

If you are intent on seeing wolves, then you have to go to Lamar Valley and (preferably) camp. Otherwise, you may also get lucky and see something.l<br>

Some pictures:<br>

Teton Schwabacher Landing: <a href="

Teton/Mormon Row Settlements: <a href=" />Yellowstone Geyser Basin: <a href=" in Yellowstone (chance occurrence): <a href="

Regards,<br>

Michael</p>

 

<p>Marc<br>

The wolfs are a hit and miss. Usually the best place to spot them is in and around Hayden and Lamar Valley. If you have a spotting scope, bring it as well. Most of the time that people usually spot them in these valleys is in the evening. Its a big waiting game. Go to the ranger station and ask them and they will give you a more precise location and time (if you get a ranger that knows them) Look for the vehicles that have a couple of antennas on them as well. These are private citizens that are trackers and they have tracking devices, and they keep close eye on the wolves locations and know them by packs and which packs are traveling where. The bears like any bear is a wild animal and they are pretty melow if not bothered. The ones with cubs are a little more timid. Rule is you have to stay 100 yards form all bears. You will know when you get to a bear jam, lots of people. There have been warnings this year about the bears being a little more aggresive. Of course this goes for every year especially since they are trying to get ready for winter. Guess they are tired and getting grumpy. We have Cinnamon, Black, Silvertips. I got word over the weekend that on the outside of the park there is white bear that I am going to be tracking down hopefully capture shots of them. Keep a eye and ear on Buffalo because they should be just starting to get on the horney side. So of course as with all wild animals their attention is on one thing and everything either sets them off or they love it.</p>

<p>Yellowstone Moose are not the same as Alaska Moose. Yellowstone moose are a little smaller and their spoons dont not get near the size of Alaska moose. They can not see at all so be careful around them. If you are around them and their ears go back and their main is standing up, time to change plans. He is getting ready to charge you. I was fortunate that 2 wks ago I saw a cow with 2 calfs, which I have never seen before. They were only 50 feet from me off the road. Not in the park. This was down by Island Park, Idaho which is another good area for Moose</p>

<p>Well, I guess I'm in the minority here as I would spend most of the time in the Grand Tetons NP. I have been several times and have never been disappointed with the amount and variety of wildlife I've found there. We've seen moose, bears, elk, bison, otters, eagles, deer, coyotes and gotten great photos of each. Be sure to drive behind Oxbow Bend on that little dirt road as that is where I've experienced both the best moose and the best eagle viewing. Don't give up, though, just keep driving back through. Along the Moose-Wilson road there are several huckleberry bushes. Black bears love huckleberries! We were in the park one year during the third week of September and there were three different sets of bears who visited the bushes each day at almost exactly 10:00 am and 4:00pm! It was amazing! It sounds like your visit will be a bit too early, but it's worth a try. As I understand it you only have 3 total days for the parks. I'd spend most of two days in the Tetons and one to run through Yellowstone. But, I'm just not a big fan of the geyers. That said, I've had great luck along the Madison river towards West Yellowstone. With only three days, your best bet is to do some research and hit all the high points in both parks. My experience is that the more time you have to hike and just sitting watching, the more wildlife you will be able to experience and since you don't have much time it will probably be best to simply drive through as a tourist. Then, as quickly as possible, begin planning your return visit. Enjoy your time!!</p>

<p>As everyone above has stated, timing is everything. It is such a vast area, weather will play the key role. If you intend on shooting famous scenes and wildlife, you might miss the boat. Relax, it's all good out there. Best shots will be unexpected and unplanned. </p>

<p>The Church of the Transfiguration at the entrance to the Grand Tetons N.P. is really nice to visit. It is not a monument, people worship there every Sunday, but it is beautiful in its simplicity with an unmatched backdrop. </p>

<p>If driving from the Salt Lake city area, I'd suggest going via Brigham City then taking US 89 to and through Logan Utah, up Logan Canyon, around Bear Lake and through Montpelier, Idaho, then on 89 to Alpine Junction, then to Jackson. Some marvelous scenery and some interesting small towns along the way. Per Mapquest, that's about 5 hours/270 miles.</p>

<p>You can kind of plan around the Grand Tetons, then into Yellowstone depending on your interests. We happened to stay in the Signal Mountain area, Inn at Old Faithful and Lake Lodge, and the Motel 6 in Jackson depending on the trip. I'd suggest checking with the NPS about the camping, food storage and bears issues.</p>

<p>Oxbow Bend in Grand Tetons is near Signal Mountain, Morris Junction, etc., and was one of the places we saw moose (and an eagle, otters, and deer). Saw quite a few elk and bison, especially in Yellowstone, also sheep and pronghorn near mammoth. No wolves and only one bear. the biggest "jam" we ran into was caused by a lone coyote. Kind of a disappointment as we live in coyote territory here in SoCal and they aren't all that "exotic" for us.<br>

When we stayed at the Lake Lodge, there was a female moose that wandered around quite close to the hotel, at Old Faithful, bison ambled all around the area. But the animals move around a lot and seasonal migrations may mean they'll be in other places when you're there.</p>

<p>I'd certainly suggest spending some time in the geyser basin near Old Faithful but the drives you'll want to make, looping the main roads and valleys might be best planned after you figure out where you are staying.</p>

<p>Another vote for Motel 6 if you stay in Jackson. They had just remodeled it when I went, plus I talked them down a little more. ( I used to be in the hospitality industry). Bed was kind of weird (no box spring) but the rooms are nicer then old design. The other best deal I could find was the Super 8 next door. They were remodeling, so it was a mess. Super 8 was about $5.00 more but they offered a free breakfast. Motel 6 had been charging for internet access but according to the Jackson Hole website it is free now. Jackson Hole Hotels, Motels & Lodges- http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/lodging/hotels-motels-lodges.php<br /><br />I called Motel 6 corporate back in June and complained about the internet charge and the problems getting the access card to work. Most all motels offer free internet now. It is a must for me when traveling. I like to upload pix to my website the same day if possible as a backup. Does anyone know if Motel 6 is still charging? There are a more motels then what you see in the brochures or online. I must of checked 15 different places when I was there before going with Motel 6. And of course, top your cooler off with ice while your there;) I agree about bringing cold and warm weather clothes but not too much. I always bring too many clothes and end up wearing a couple of pairs of jeans or shorts. I was traveling for 2 weeks and had way too much clothes. It became a real hassle at times when trying to get to something in the trunk. Learned my lesson. Even with all the clothes, I thought to bring a baggy of soap powder and used it for the jeans, t-shirts, socks and underwear. A cheap pair of rubber boots comes in handy for much and streams. I don't have all weather floor mats so I replaced mine with thin carpet which got very dirty. Two more things I don't go on a trip without. Duct tape and a roll of toilet paper. Nature calls at the oddest times when your out in the woods:)<br /><br /></p>