Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks have been sitting at the top of our family’s bucket list for years, and after finally spending 6 unforgettable days exploring them, I can confidently say they lived up to every expectation.

From getting stuck in a bison traffic jam in Lamar Valley, hiking beneath the towering peaks of Grand Teton, and watching Old Faithful erupt, every day brought a new adventure. But as magical as these parks are, they’re also two of the most intimidating destinations to plan.

bison traffic jam lamar valley yellowstone and grand teton national park — Bison traffic jam in Lamar Valley

The parks are enormous. Lodging books months in advance. There are dozens of “must-see” attractions scattered across hundreds of square miles, and it’s nearly impossible to see everything in one trip.

When I first started planning, I found myself jumping between blogs, maps, and YouTube videos trying to piece together an itinerary that actually made sense for a family with small kids.

Which is exactly why I created this guide.

Instead of simply sharing where we went, this guide is designed to help you confidently plan your own trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks.

jenny lake with kids — Jenny Lake boat dock

I’ll walk you through our complete 6-day itinerary, share the experiences that were actually worth it, answer the questions I had before we visited, and provide detailed guides on everything – from where to stay and the best family-friendly hikes to wildlife viewing and travel tips.

If you’re dreaming about visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks with kids, this guide is the perfect place to start.

Why Visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Together?

If you’re traveling all the way to Wyoming and Montana, I highly recommend combining Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks into one trip.

Although they offer completely different experiences, the parks are located right next to each other, making them incredibly easy to visit during the same trip.

Yellowstone is famous for its geothermal wonders, colorful hot springs, erupting geysers, waterfalls, and incredible wildlife. It’s one of the most unique landscapes on Earth, and no matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing quite prepares you for seeing it in person. I can’t even count how many times I told my kids, “can you believe this is real?!”.

Grand Teton, on the other hand, feels peaceful and adventurous in an entirely different way. Mountains tower over crystal-clear lakes, trails wind through alpine forests, and we found some of the most magical wildlife encounters I’ve ever experienced here.

Together, the two parks create the perfect balance.

If you have five to seven days, I think visiting both parks is absolutely the best way to experience this incredible corner of the country.

Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks at a Glance

Before we jump into the itinerary, here’s a quick overview to help you start planning.

📍 Location

Yellowstone National Park spans 2.2 million acres in northeastern Wyoming, while Grand Teton National Park spans 310,000 acres and sits immediately south of Yellowstone.

📅 Best Time to Visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

Late May through September offers the best weather and full access to the parks. We visited in early July and loved having all of the roads, visitor centers, and activities open, although this is also the busiest season.

If you’re hoping to avoid crowds, consider visiting in late May or September when temperatures are still comfortable but visitation is lower thanks to kids being back in school.

⏰ How Many Days Do You Need?

I recommend spending at least six days if you want to explore both parks without feeling rushed.

Here’s how we divided our time:

This gave us plenty of time to experience the highlights while still allowing for slower afternoons, wildlife viewing, and a few spontaneous adventures.

🎟️ Entrance Fees

Both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks charge an entrance fee to access the parks. A vehicle pass costs $35 and covers everyone within that vehicle for 7 days.

If you are a non-U.S. resident, there is a $100 per-person surcharge added to your entrance fee.

I highly recommend you purchase an America the Beautiful Pass if you plan on visiting three or more national park sites within a year. The cost of this pass is $80 for U.S. residents, or $250 for non-residents.

👉 Tip: Keep your park pass easily accessible—you’ll use it frequently!

🚗 Do You Need a Car?

Absolutely.

Unlike many national parks, there is very little public transportation or shuttles available, and you’ll spend a significant amount of time driving between attractions.

👧 Junior Ranger Program

If you’re traveling with kids, don’t miss the Junior Ranger program available at both parks!

Our kids love earning a new badge every time we visit a national park, and it’s one of the best ways to keep them engaged while learning about the park and how to explore and take care of it.

Plan to stop at any of the visitor’s centers early in your trip to pick up your activity booklets and complete them as you explore the park, then stop back by any of the visitor’s center to get your free badge.

🦬 Wildlife

One of the biggest reasons families visit Yellowstone is the opportunity to see wildlife in its natural habitat.

During your visit, you may spot:

Bison
Elk
Pronghorn
Moose
Black bears
Grizzly bears
Wolves
Coyotes
Bald eagles
Osprey
Bighorn sheep

I’ll share exactly where we had the best wildlife viewing later in this guide, along with additional tips in our dedicated Yellowstone Wildlife Guide.

Make sure to have a good pair of binoculars with you! We loved this pair with auto focus – perfect for both kids and adults!

📵 Cell Service

Don’t count on having reliable cell service.

Many areas throughout both parks have little to no reception, so I highly recommend downloading Google Maps as well as the offline maps on the National Park Services app before your trip.

I also highly recommend grabbing a paper map for each park when you enter – we were glad to have it when our cell service was limited!

🌤️ Weather

Even during the middle of summer, mornings and evenings can be surprisingly chilly.

Dress in layers, pack a rain jacket, and don’t be surprised if you’re wearing a sweatshirt at sunrise and shorts by the afternoon. Mountain weather changes quickly, and it’s always better to be prepared.

Also note that if you are staying inside the park at the NPS lodging, many of the rooms and cabins do not have A/C. Don’t panic! The nights are cool enough that you be more than comfortable with a window or two open.

🎧 Guide Along App

I highly recommend purchasing the Guide Along app before your visit! I purchased this combo tour before our visit and it felt like we had a personal tour guide taking us through the park.

Pro tip: Make sure to download before you enter the park, as you won’t have service once you get there!

Before You Go: Tips That Will Make Your Trip So Much Easier

Planning a Yellowstone vacation can feel overwhelming, but a little preparation goes a long way.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to book your lodging as early as possible. We stayed inside both national parks, and I truly believe it made our experience so much more enjoyable.

Instead of spending our morning and evening driving in and out of the parks each day, or waiting hours at the entrance behind a line of cars, we were able to wake up already in the middle of the park and get an early start before the crowds arrived.

Another thing that surprised us was just how long it takes to get around. Even though destinations may look close together on the map, wildlife sightings, road construction, and scenic overlooks often add much more time than you think.

bison traffic jam — Bison traffic jam in Lamar Valley

Resist the temptation to overfill your itinerary. Some of our favorite memories came from unexpected wildlife sightings or stopping at an overlook we hadn’t planned on visiting.

Finally, remember that these parks aren’t places to rush through. Yes, you’ll want to see Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, but don’t overlook the spots that are off the beaten path. This is the best way to escape the crowds of people and see the true beauty of Yellowstone & Grand Tetons.

Some of our favorite memories from the trip were taking an afternoon dip in String Lake, getting stuck in a bison traffic jam in Lamar Valley, and simply enjoying our picnic dinner with views of the Teton mountain range.

Our 6-Day Yellowstone & Grand Teton Itinerary

Now that you know the basics, let’s dive into the exact itinerary we followed. This route allowed us to experience Yellowstone’s famous geothermal features, spend several days exploring the beauty of Grand Teton National Park, and still leave plenty of room for wildlife viewing, hiking, and some unplanned adventures along the way.

Day 1

Morning Arrival –– Mammoth Hot Springs Visitor’s Center –– North Loop –– Old West Dinner Cookout at Roosevelt Corral

Day 2

Lamar Valley for wildlife viewing –– Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone –– Hayden Valley –– West Thumb Geyser Basin

Day 3

Jenny Lake –– String Lake –– Mormon Row –– Jackson Lake Lakeshore Trail

Day 4

Snake River Float –– Teton Village Gondola –– Boat rental on Jackson Lake –– Signal Mountain –– Oxbow Bend at sunset

Day 5

Old Faithful –– Grand Prismatic Spring –– Upper Geyser Basin Trail

Day 6

Mammoth Hot Spring –– Departure

Read my full detailed Yellowstone + Grand Tetons Itinerary here.

Where to Stay in Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park

Choosing where to stay feels like a huge decision when planning your Yellowstone & Grand Tetons vacation.

Because both Yellowstone and Grand Teton are so large, staying inside the parks (or just outside one of the entrances) can save you hours of driving over the course of your trip. If your budget allows, I highly recommend splitting your stay between Yellowstone and Grand Teton rather than staying in one location the entire time.

For our trip, we stayed at three different areas, which allowed us to maximize our time in each area of the parks.

Roosevelt Lodge is the perfect base for exploring Yellowstone’s Northern Range and gave us easy access to either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley for early morning wildlife viewing.

We then spent three nights at Colter Bay Village in Grand Teton National Park. This ended up being one of our favorite places we stayed. The lakeside setting was beautiful, and being able to wake up surrounded by the Tetons each morning made exploring the park incredibly convenient.

colter bay cabins grand teton national park with kids — Colter Bay Cabins

The location is very family friendly, with the marina, multiple restaurants, a grocery store, visitor’s center and gas station all right here. We loved walking from our cabin to grab ice cream after a long day of adventuring before heading to bed.

For our final night, we stayed at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, which allowed us to explore Mammoth Hot Springs and stop in the visitor’s center one final time before making the drive back to Bozeman for our flight home.

Of course, these aren’t your only options. Depending on your itinerary and budget, many visitors also choose to stay in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Canyon Village, Jackson, or one of the many campgrounds located throughout the parks.

Best Things to Do in Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park

With so much to see, narrowing down your itinerary can feel overwhelming. While you could easily spend two weeks exploring these parks, there are a handful of experiences that I think are worth prioritizing during your first visit with kids.

In Yellowstone, don’t miss iconic attractions like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Firehole Canyon, and West Thumb Geyser Basin. Driving through Lamar Valley at sunrise is another absolute must, especially if your kids are excited about spotting wildlife.

Grand Prismatic springs Yellowstone National park — Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone

In Grand Teton, some of our favorite experiences included hiking to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, spending the afternoon swimming at String Lake, taking a scenic float down the Snake River and watching for wildlife at Oxbow Bend.

Best Family-Friendly Hikes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

One of the things that surprised us most about this trip was how many incredible hikes are accessible for families. You don’t have to tackle strenuous backcountry trails to experience some of the parks’ most beautiful scenery.

In Yellowstone, many of the best walks are actually along boardwalks that wind through geothermal areas, making them perfect for families with younger kids. Trails like the Upper Geyser Basin, West Thumb Geyser Basin, and the Forces of the Northern Range Trail are short and easy while still showcasing some of Yellowstone’s most unique landscapes.

Hidden Falls trail at Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons — Hidden Falls Trail at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton is home to some of the most epic hiking trails in the state. The hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point is one of the park’s classics, and taking the Jenny Lake ferry helps shorten the distance, making it much more manageable for families. We also loved exploring around String Lake, where several easy trails hug the shoreline, and taking an evening walk along the Jackson Lake Lakeshore Trail.

Whether your hiking with toddlers or teens, both parks offer plenty of options for every age and ability.

Wildlife Watching in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

For many families, seeing wildlife is the highlight of visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. There are very few places in the United States where you have the opportunity to see animals like bison, moose, bears, wolves, elk, and pronghorn roaming freely.

The single best piece of advice I can give is to get an early start and stay out late. This is when the animals are most active, and gives you the best chance at spotting wildlife.

Wildlife in Lamar Valley — Bison & pronghorn herds in Lamar Valley

While getting up early on vacation with kids is tough, we tried to be out the door by 7:30 each morning, and it definitely paid off. Wildlife in the park comes alive in the early hours, plus the crowds are non-existent at this time of day.

Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley seem to be the hot spots in Yellowstone for wildlife. We saw thousands of bison, a herd of pronghorn, several bears, eagles, osprey, elk, deer and more in these spots.

In Grand Teton, our favorite spots were Oxbow Bend and Jenny Lake, but we also saw several bears just roaming alongside the road during our scenic drive. Keep your binoculars close, drive slowly, and don’t be afraid to pull over when you see other cars gathered along the roadside—that’s the best indicator of an animal sighting.

grand teton bears — Momma & baby grizzly bears in Grand Tetons

No matter where you’re exploring, please keep in mind that these are wild animals. Always follow park regulations, keep a safe distance, and never approach wildlife for a photo. Not only is it safer for you, but it also helps protect the animals and preserve these incredible parks for future generations.

Tips I Wish I’d Known

Here are some of the tips I wish I had known before our trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park:

Traffic jams are real. Bison will really just sit on the road and do not care that they are blocking traffic. This can add minutes to hours to your drive time.
There are very few places to eat in the park, so make sure to bring a cooler with breakfast and lunch options, plus lots of snacks.
Bring a good pair of binoculars. I bought some cheap ones for all my kids, but we ended up being so thankful to have one really good pair to share when there was something cool we wanted to see.
Download park maps and trails ahead of time. Cell service is non-existent in the park.
Don’t plan on having Wifi at the lodges either. It’s very spotty and slow, so don’t bank on having access to the internet during your visit to the park.
Pack layers. We wore sweatshirts every morning during our trip, even though the afternoons were in the 90’s.

Continue Planning Your Trip

Now that you have an overview of what to expect, it’s time to start diving into the details. The guides below will help you plan every aspect of your Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park adventure, from choosing the best lodging and family-friendly hikes to finding the perfect wildlife viewing spots and building an itinerary that fits your travel style.

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning for another adventure, these parks have a way of leaving you already dreaming about your next trip before you’ve even made it home.

The Ultimate Family Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks: 6 Day Itinerary + Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Why Visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Together?