Anonymous wrote:FYI, I love Yellowstone but wouldn't recommend it if you have young kids or dogs. Too many boiling hot pools with inadequate fencing.

I disagree; just be aware and hold on to your kids. We went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP last summer with our son who turned 3 on the trip, and it was great. These two parks alone could easily eat up the time you are talking about. Such vastness and variety, really. Have fun!

Loved the Tetons, also Black Hills on the way which has Mount Rushmore. My friend whose parents live in Whitefish MT always has the most amazing family pics. The drive east from Mount Rushmore, excepting Chicago, was absolutely boring, soy, corn and green forests and fields, you can hardly tell Iowa, Illinois, the lower bits of Minnesota and Wisconsin and Indiana apart. I'd fly into Denver and use the time you save to check out more of the Western mountains. Flooding has wrecked the Estes Park area roads, though.

It would help to know if your plan to camp...are hikers...b

we went to Grant Tetons in early July and there was still a bit of snow on some trails and some trails that were closed due to avalange risks. It was also the summer after a winter of record snowfall, not maybe not typical. It was fun though to watch our son play in snow while wearing shorts in July

Grand tetons is absolutely beautiful One of our favorite activites. other htan hiking, was renting bikes at Moose Junction and riding along the bike trail; great way to really take things in.

If you have time to drive out, I would definitely go through the Badlands and the Black Hills on the way to Yellowstone. Badlands National Park in SD, and Devil's Tower are amazing, and the drive west over the Bighorn Mountains is beautiful. If you are interested in the history of the West, the Custer Battlefield is worth a visit, as well.

I also suggest a visit to the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum in Cody. Beautiful collection of native artifacts and art, as well as western art.

I am drooling at the mention of Montana and Wyoming. You can fly into Jackson Hole, rent a car and do all the national parks and also the little known parks. We went in July and Glacier is absolutely beautiful.

We went with our 20 month old and we had him in a back pack carrier on many of the trails. The PP is right though that you have to keep tight hold on kids if you have runners.

One thing is that as beautiful as that part of the country is, it feels like endless driving. Driving there, I quickly realized why Montana is called big sky country. You are driving on a road and see the horizon and think once you get there, you will make a turn or see some people (or cows) but then you get there and all you can see the horizon at some distance.

It is so much fun you should go if you have any interest in outdoorsy stuff.

Are awesome - that is all

FYI, I love Yellowstone but wouldn't recommend it if you have young kids or dogs. Too many boiling hot pools with inadequate fencing.

Are you an outdoors person? If so, I would highly recommend flying into Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and spending 5 days each in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Parks. Best to visit from late May to very early September.

If you appreciate nature and wildlife at all, they are places you should definitely visit in your lifetime. The scenery is incredible (Old Faithful is the LEAST interesting thing there, IMHO), wildlife such as bison, elk, coyotes and moose may walk right by your car, you can go whitewater rafting, paddle a canoe, go horseback riding, take pictures, attend a number of informative and interesting ranger-led programs, sit and stare at the beauty and meditate, and if you hike 10 minutes on a trail, you will escape the hoardes of people that hop of their tour bus, take a photo and drive down the road to the next stop.

If you have young kids, the National Park Service has a great program that makes kids "junior rangers" if they go on a family friendly talk/walk and answer a simple question at the end.

If you have older children (think surly teens), Yellowstone/Wyoming may not be the best trip for them. We heard/witnessed several family outbursts: "I don't want to see anymore stupid rocks, damn it."

The town of Jackson Hole has some nice restaurants and if you run out of things to do (doubtful), you could drive out to Cody, Wyoming, and see the Buffalo Bill historical center, which has a lovely art museum and fantastic collection of Indian artefacts. There is also a very nice wildlife museum outside Jackson Hole.

We have been to the area twice and really loved it. That said, it's not everyone's cup of tea. My sister, for instance, would have hated it. Her idea of a vacation is sitting on the beach doing nothing. No judgement, just different personalities.

We flew in to Denver and then went on a trip to many National Parks in the area - Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Teddy Roosevelt, Badlands, Wind Cave and Rocky Mountain. I particularly loved Yellowstone, TR and Badlands. We were going to go up to Glacier but the road was not fully opened up their due to snow. This was late June.

I'd highly recommend going whitewater rafting. You can go on the Snake River in WY or the Flathead in MT.

Also a hot air balloon ride in Jackson Hole.

Grand Teton Natl Park is also amazing. I wish I could remember which hikes we did.

Went in July and there was still melting snow in some parts of Glacier, but the Going to the Sun road had just opened. I think by mid-July you're definitely safe, until late August, maybe longer? It will be high season, but if you don't want snow, that is when you'd have to go to Glacier. Yellowstone has a longer season and it is very doable to combine the trip in 10 days, would it be possible for you to fly in one way and out the other? Yellowstone is a figure 8 so it works to go down to Jackson Hole and then back up again and onto Glacier - it is a long ride, but beautiful. Come up with a plan and then book lodging early.

Been to Maine and he really wants to go there. I realize its a lot of driving but we have the luxury of time. I just want to be sure we go when the weather is nice and take no chances of snow!

Well Yellowstone, Helena, Glacier Natl Park is nice, Flathead lake... but that's a lot of driving. Round-trip is 3 days of driving, solid (like, 72 hours). I am from the west and those places are where I vacationed for the first 1/2 of my life and I miss them dearly but not enough to drive there. Good luck!

How about coast of maine? Nova scotia? Isle royal natl. park? All very long drives, but closer than WY / MT and gorgeous places.

Husband wants to go.....he was there many many years ago and still talks about it. We are thinking of driving and turning it into a 10 day trip. Up until what month is it good to go? Jackson Hole is one place he wants to visit, any other suggestions?