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I was hoping to get a little input from some of you who live out West ... I live in central Texas and would like to take my wife and 7 year old daughter on a Rocky Mountain vacation this spring/summer. To be honest, my wife is not really all that "outdoorsy", I don't think that she'll want to backpack or even camp on this first trip. I'm hoping to change that a little once she's introduced to the beauty of the mountains. (Maybe I'll even get her to move West in a few years once I retire.) Right now, I'm considering staying in Jackson or Cody and visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park. Ideally, we would be able to see some beautiful scenery and hopefully a little wildlife too. Small crowds and decent weather would be a big plus too. Any better ideas for a 1 week vacation? Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We are flexible on dates -- and location.
Yellowstone in the summer is crowded. It is cool but can be mobs of people.
You might think about Steamboat Springs CO in the summer. Lots to do for wife and kids, shopping, hot springs, rafting, tubing, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, good restaurants,ride the gondola up the mountain, go over to Rocky Mountain National Park for wildlife and incredible views above timberline.
Check out Ramshorn Ranch.
It's run by a family of teachers that own a nice ranch in the high country north of Dubois, WY.
They all have their own cabin and spend the summer there. They have a few guest cabins to pay the taxes. They're a bit rustic, but very nice (the cabins) and the folks that run it are as good as midwestern people get. Hot showers, nice kitchens, pot belly stove, running water, electricity, indoor sewer - you get the feeling of being in the mountains with all the comforts of home. There's incredible views from the cabins which are somewhere around 8K feet.
Dubois with its restaurants and history/shopping are 15 minutes from the driveway which is 15 minutes from the cabins.
There's great fishing in the Du Noir creek and Wind river.
Grand Teton Ntl park is minutes away and is one of the most beautiful things you'll ever see. Yellow Stone is driveable distance, but a little ways.
This is the perfect destination to take a family to transition to RV or tent camping.
check out Crested Butte, CO
It wouldn't be a bad drive for you from central Texas. We're just a small town of 1,600 people at the end of the road in a beautiful glacial valley surrounded by wilderness and national forest. Some of the best wildflowers in the US and best scenery. Plenty of stuff to do here and it doesn't feel touristy or crowded like some of the other ski towns in CO. Black canyon national park is a short drive and also wine country is a short and scenic drive over kebler pass if the wife is a wine fan.
Like fishing? We also have some of the best fly fishing and lake fishing in Blue Mesa reservoir/Taylor reservoir in the state. If here for only a week it's hard to see and do everything and once you visit once you'll want to keep coming back.
The end of June would be a perfect time, June is usually our dry month (The monsoons kick in right around the 4th of July) and there won't be as many tourists as July/August brings. Highs in the mid 70s.
+2 Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, there are nice places to stay just outside the park entrance near Estes Park, Just one thing the places to stay near the park can book up early. Personally I would wait until July 4th or later to go by then the antlers on the elk are nearly full grown. I was there once around Labor Day and the elk were doing a lot of bugling.
Jackson is a great area to start so is other small towns like Wilson, Teeton Village, Moose, Alpine, Hoback. Jackson is a nice artsy town with quite a bit for a woman to do. I find it too yuppie for my liking....Patagonia overload. From all these towns your only 5-35 minutes to Teeton NP and Yellowstone is just a few minutes up from Teeton. Western Wyoming is a special place and you can't go wrong no mater how you do it. If you want to see the outdoors, I wouldn't stay in the same place for more than one or two nights. I would start in Jackson then stay in Yellowstone, Gardner MT, Cody, Dubois and back to Jackson. I'll post a few pics off the area.
I would do the last week of May/1st week of June or mid Sept is great also.
On your journey, pass through Tensleep Canyon which is in the Bighorns between Buffalo and Tensleep in WY. If you have a good day weather wise, your wife may rethink her aversion to camping when you stop and hike Cloud Peak.
In my opinion, the key to turning your wife into a camper is to ensure that she sleeps well. If car camping, you can just use an intex air mattress and extra blankets without spending a bunch of cash.
If you're going to pack in and camp remotely, carry a larger, thicker, heavier pad for her and fun snacks for the seven year old. Bring some cyalume glow sticks for the seven year old too.
Do it right and it'll be the most rewarding haul of what most of us would consider "unnecessary weight" in your life.
I'd also recommend a book. The Roadside Geology of Wyoming. It explains the geological formations that you drive through. Wyoming has signs in a lot of the road cuts, labelling the various formations.
You will score some major Dad points if you help the seven year old find a few fossils, even if they're just brachiopods.
www.wildskies.com
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I have done many of the above in CO and WY both awesome places cant go wrong with any .
The Wind River Canyon. You would have to see it to believe it......you swear the water is flowing uphill the whole way through the canyon.
Agree on Estes Park.
You can be in Boulder in 40 minutes, Denver 50 minutes, Golden 50 minutes (Take a tour of the Coors Brewery).
I have been all over out west and by far Colorado is the prettiest, most magestic place Ive seen.
But as confucious says "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder"
If you make it to Este and have time to go to Denver at the Rockies game look up Sandbrew here on bowsite at the Sandlot Brewery!!!
I took my family to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in late July. It was crowded in a few places but locals gave us a few tips to avoid traffic and it worked like a charm. I was the only outdoorsman in the group but everyone followed me on numerous jaunts and they all said it was the best vacation ever. We stayed in Big Sky and Jackson but took the time to log miles and visit Gardiner, Livingston, Bozeman, West Yellowstone. I managed to get two days of fly fishing on the Gallatin River while the others visited Big Sky Village. You will have a ball. PM me for a few travel tips.
+3 on the Estes Park area. Nothing wrong with Yellowstone, but plan on at least another full day of driving to get there and back each way. Your wife will like Estes, most women do. Lots of shops to go through to keep her happy. Beautiful scenic drive up the Big Thompson to get there. Lots of easy hiking trails for her up by Bear Lake in the RMNP. Take a day trip and drive up over the top on Trail Ridge Rd. to Grand Lake and back. Should see some big bull elk up there on the way. Maybe some moose too down by G. Lake. Starve yourself first, but hit Smokin Dave's BBQ in Estes. Get there early.
I live in Colorado and I would pick Jackson, Cody, and Dubois over Estes Park, Crested Butte, and Steamboat any time.
One of the best family trips we had out west was a trip to South Dakota. Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and more. Fantastic scenery, wildlife on a horseback ride within the state park. My two daughters absolutely loved it. Wonderful family memories. Be sure to put this on your list of family trips.
Got a lot of love for Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park, but man it is crowded/traffic and a tourist trap. At least you'll be able to get away from the crowds on hikes in rocky mtn national park and you're pretty much guaranteed to see elk in the park or near town as well. Estes is kind of like the gatlinburg of the rockies.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Best fun town in the west
High Country - you don't say how long you are going to be on vacation nor how you are travelling. From my experience both of those impact how far I would be willing to go. Just ask my wife and kids and they will tell you I could spend two weeks in a car driving constantly just to see the most scenery I can - guilty as charged!
It has taken me a while to slow down and go for quality over quantity. If you are driving I would opt for areas in Colorado for the first trip. There are many awesome areas as others have pointed out and it is closer to you than Wyoming. Not knocking Wyoming because it is one of my favorite states too. We went to Yellowstone two years ago in July and it was so crowded we didn't enjoy it.
You could do a great circle route in Colorado and experience solitude, beauty and some 'civilization' mixed in. We love the Colorado Springs/Manitou area. From there I would go north to Estes Park and back south through the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park. Don't miss beautiful Grand Lake just south of the Park. From Grand Lake you can then decide what other things you would like to see. We love the old mining areas and beauty of Silverton and Ouray. Going south to Durango is another great place to visit.
Have fun and don't forget to do things for the wife and daughter too. My wife liked Estes Park and my kids liked the North Pole theme park near Colorado Springs; a theme park in the mountains, what more could a kid want. While there the tram to the top of Pikes Peak is great but I most enjoyed driving to the top!
After you get home from your vacation go back to this thread and let us know where you went, what you did and how everyone liked it. Dwayne
Durango, Colorado: beautiful mountains within easy drive, Ride the narrow gauge railroad to Silverton, Rent a jeep in Silverton and check out pass roads/gold/silver mines, Hot Springs in Ouray, Mesa Verde, fun summer stuff to do at the ski resort, and shopping for the wife.
Made the Wyoming trip with family several times, much like you mentioned. My wife doesn't mind camping as long as she can shower. We KOA it. They have camping cabins. You don't need to worry about rain, and they still have a moderate camping experience. (IE they have showers!)
I have stayed in KOA's in Red Lodge, West Yellowstone and Hoback Junction (Just south of Jackson).
Yellowstone has people, but most folks barely get out of their vehicle. If you have a traffic jam, look for animals. It could be a buffalo, or it could be a gopher. There are so many people who think it is a zoo. Sad.
If you go to Jackson, ride the gondola to the peak at Teton Village. You need to see the park in town also. (It is the one with sheds at all four corners)
Plenty of other places in the area.
We have done Black Hills also.
I love Yellowstone, but be to the park at sunup and out by noon before the tour buses are rolling in. Also a must is a float trip down the snake river along the Tetons in the evening. Beautiful and lots of wildlife.
Glacier National Park is a peice of heaven. North west Montana but if you have the time it would be worth seeing. Have fun!!!!
Thank you for all of the replies. I'm still planning the trip but leaning toward flying into Salt Lake City and then driving to Dubois. We will probably stay in that general area for a week or so. Ramshorn Ranch is exactly what I was looking for! Maybe we'll spend a night or two in the Irma up in Cody as well. Floating the Snake River sounds great too. My daughter will love to see the mustangs up by Cody It's gonna be great -- thank you again for all of your ideas and help! What are the chances that we will see bison or sheep or grizzlies? Thank you again, you guys have been great!
Go to Yellowstone and you will see all the Bison you could ever want to see....up close. I have seen big grizzly bears in Yellowstone and in between Yellowstone and Cody. When ever you see a big line of traffic stopped on a two lane road it means some kind of elk, bear, or bison is close by.
My vote is for Jackson. I rented a house in Jackson a couple of years ago for a week in late June. Tourist numbers are way lower in June than July so nothing was crowded. We took a day trip every other day and in between just hung out in Jackson or at the house. We had a deck that overlooked the Elk Refuge and it was just beautiful scenery in every direction. My wife and I took two of her sisters and her mom (yes my mother in law!!) and it is still talked about as the best vacation any of us have ever had. We spent days in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Cody and did a ton of stuff right in Jackson. I found the home, which was absolutely stunning, on Homeawayfromhome.com and the rental was very reasonable. It made a great base to operate out of. I can sit and look at those arches in the town square all day long! Weather was perfect too.
Rent a cabin at Dornans in Moose
A short one day or half day float trip on the Salmon River out of Stanley, Idaho. Hotel room for the wife, numerous places to eat, Sawtooth Mt. scenery ... and the float itself. You can drive the entire trip or fly to Boise and rent a car.
We did Jackson/Yellowstone for 9 days and had a blast. Flew into Jackson, spent 2 days there, rafted down the river saw lots of wildlife, stayed at a ranch outside Jackson, horse back riding.
Then into Yellowstone, Old faithful in for a few days, hiked lots. Yes people, but get 200 yards from the road and you're alone. Recommend the cowboy cookout, horseback ride to a steak cookout, then back, great time.
Swapped ends of Yellowstone for the second half, stayed at Mammoth. More hiking.
Drove back to Jackson, stayed the night and flew home.
Families favorite vacation
Bob beat me to it.
If they have NEVER been to Yellowstone/Jackson I would spend the entire week in those areas.
Your family sounds like mine.
I would do Rusty Parrot in Jackson if you like some pampering - they have great tours, dining and service. Talking 4 stars.
For Yellowstone you have a lot of choices and you can pick and choose what you like.
All I can say is after all these years of visiting the area it NEVER GETS OLD.
You also have to read the book Death in Yellowstone - fascinating read about the park.
Jackson Lake Lodge: The first week of June is when we went and it was awesome. Scenery in every direction. Easy drive to Jackson hole and to the Airport. Jackson hole was a little crowded but it had a lot of cool stuff for the wife to see. We took the Teton and Yellowstone tour which is a little fast pace but worth it. We had a rental car and took our time on some of the other areas that weren't on the tour and even did a few short hikes. We would check out a different place to eat each night but had breakfast in the lodge every morning to enjoy the view. Definitely one I would recommend.
Sounds like you have plans so best of luck.
Just wanted to add that southern Colorado is beautiful in the summer. In the Sangre de Cristo mountains it is around 80 during the day and 50 at night. Couldn't be more perfect! A lot few people than some of the resort areas. Taos NM is very close as well. Just something to consider for your next trip (yes there will be a next trip!).
Have fun.
do it all cody is a awesome western town and a must stop Jackson is nice but its more like east meets west .!
Also chief Joseph Hiway sweet drive ! Beartooth hiway into Cooke city MT this goes right into the Park also this route avoids a lot of tourist .
Your family will LOVE Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. It's a special place.
I'd say Jackson Hole/Yellowstone as the number one priority. That being said, if you want something a little less touristy I highly recommend Crested Butte. The town is cozy with a great Main Street (nice restaurants and shopping) and you are basically in the Maroon Bells wilderness area for plenty of scenery and hiking.
High Country, you've received a lot of good recommendations and I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them. I've been to most of the spots at least once and several of the places multiple times. I've lived in Colorado my whole life but love the Jackson and Yellowstone area as well. Put Glacier Nat'l Park on your bucket list too.
Assuming that you are going to be driving and having raised 3 kids that were all 7 years old at one time, if you decide on Jackson or Cody area, you'll probably need to answer the 'are we there yet" question a lot. You could lay out a route through Colorado and hit spots coming and going rather than a marathon road trip.
If you want to cut down drive time, I would recommend SW Colo around Ouray, Silverton and Telluride. You'd be close enough to hit other spots recommended. One thing for sure, you will be back for more!
I will second the advise about Dubois WY. If you want lots of public land, fabulous fishing, scenery etc, Dubois is your spot. Its great there. Hike into Upper Brooks Lake for great fishing and scenery. Wiggens and wind river have fantastic fishing, world class. Drive up to Cody and get on the Beartooth highway for one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Yellowstone and Jackson hole are like foreign countries now. You will unlikely hear English spoken all day. Lots of crowds and lousy drivers.
Nothing wrong with Jackson. Nothing at all wrong with Crested Butte, and Telluride.
Telluride is beautiful. Pretty as you'll ever see, IMO. The food is reasonable and summer lodging is reasonable as well. Like Crested Butte, there are two towns: the new town and the old mining town, spruced up. Stay in the old mining town, IMO. Good food, too.
I haven't been in Jackson in quite a while, but it's hard to beat. And spending money in Wyoming, where people love you if you wear orange, is good, too.
No bad options.
If you want to see animals, go to Yellowstone, if you want super majestic scenery, head to Glacier Park, Going-to-the-sun highway.
