Yellowstone, 12 days too long? Or ...

[AA2015]

..
Little background first,

So my girlfriend and I visited some family in Utah for a wedding last year and decided to take a mini camping trip to Yellowstone for a very short time 2 days 1 night. We absolutely fell in love with the park and parts of Idaho we drove through and decided to take 2 weeks vacation this year. We will be going in late August early September to revisit Yellowstone.


My question is ; we are going to have 12 actual days to camp, I wanted to know if any of you have some suggestions of any other places that would be a good trip addition since we are out there. Or is 12 days in Yellowstone a good trip on its own.
I want to do some hiking , fishing, check out the popular sights and hopefully see most the wildlife Yellowstone has to offer. But not really sure if it might be a little too long.


we will be staying in Utah for a couple days prior and I'm allowing 2 days travel back home to SoCal . I do not want to make that long 20 hour drive in on shot like last year. It was a complete freaking nightmare!

Any input appreciated guys, trying to make some early plans for the trip so we can have a smooth vacation.

[jeffyhog]

Yellowstone is my absolute favorite place. I would have no trouble camping there for 12 nights and finding things to do. I have said in the past that I would enjoy spending a month there.
If you want to see some other sights in the area, I would highly recommend visiting Cody, WY. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the best museum I have ever been to and they have an incredible firearms museum as part of the center. The ticket is good for two days, and it's easy to spend two days there. Cody also holds a rodeo every night and its a lot of fun.

I would also recommend heading south and visiting the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. It's a tourist town, but a very cool place. Go to the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse for dinner.

Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong up there. Some incredibly beautiful country!

[local_nobody]

seconding running down to grant tetons NP. also suggest a detour to see Mesa Falls on your way out to yellowstone as well.

[ElDub1950]

Since you've already spent a couple of days in jellystone, go to Glacier National Park. Much nicer. Not as crowded. Only a little further.

[Bainter1212]

As others have noted, one could easily spend 12 days in the region and have plenty to do, especially if you are willing to drive.
If you are a fisherman, there are endless opportunities in the parks and surrounding areas.

[AA2015]

As others have noted, one could easily spend 12 days in the region and have plenty to do, especially if you are willing to drive.
If you are a fisherman, there are endless opportunities in the parks and surrounding areas.

Oh ya I plan on doing some fishing up there!! I haven't been trout fishing for quite some time but that is one of the things I'm looking forward to most, But I've never fly fished in my life :0. I was just planning on some rooster tails cast master panther martins and hopefully having a good time.

Or you all thinks fly fishing would be the way to go? I guess I have a few months to practice haha

[glockman19]

Yellowstone is my absolute favorite place. I would have no trouble camping there for 12 nights and finding things to do. I have said in the past that I would enjoy spending a month there.
If you want to see some other sights in the area, I would highly recommend visiting Cody, WY. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the best museum I have ever been to and they have an incredible firearms museum as part of the center. The ticket is good for two days, and it's easy to spend two days there. Cody also holds a rodeo every night and its a lot of fun.

I would also recommend heading south and visiting the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. It's a tourist town, but a very cool place. Go to the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse for dinner.

Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong up there. Some incredibly beautiful country!

This sounds about right. Visit surrounding areas. And IF you go to Jackson Hole, stop by my friend's restaurant the Rendezvous Bistro.

[AA2015]

If you want to see some other sights in the area, I would highly recommend visiting Cody, WY. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the best museum I have ever been to and they have an incredible firearms museum as part of the center. The ticket is good for two days, and it's easy to spend two days there. Cody also holds a rodeo every night and its a lot of fun.

I would also recommend heading south and visiting the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. It's a tourist town, but a very cool place. Go to the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse for dinner.

Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong up there. Some incredibly beautiful country!

Thanks for the suggestions , that sounds like it would be a nice day trip to Cody and check out that museum, i have no problem driving around to check out the sights and interesting places. So I'm going to put that into our schedule.

As for the grand Tetons I wanted to go so badly last year but we had used the west entrance , so maybe this time around I'll spend a couple nights in the Tetons , I'm just so damn excited for this trip I want to research now and make the most of it.

[jeffyhog]

I would recommend you spend a night in Cody if you go out there. Depending where you are camping in Yellowstone, it takes more time to get through the park than you realize, as much of it is 25 mph. And you'll have traffic jams as people stop to look at the buffalo, or let them cross the road. It's at least a 2 hour drive from the east Yellowstone entrance to Cody.

[ucsdryder]

Tagged

[Hugga Nugga]

Since you've already spent a couple of days in jellystone, go to Glacier National Park. Much nicer. Not as crowded. Only a little further.

6 hour drive if you don't stop to see anything

[Hugga Nugga]

Oh ya I plan on doing some fishing up there!! I haven't been trout fishing for quite some time but that is one of the things I'm looking forward to most, But I've never fly fished in my life :0. I was just planning on some rooster tails cast master panther martins and hopefully having a good time.

Or you all thinks fly fishing would be the way to go? I guess I have a few months to practice haha

If you are really wanting to have a positive experience, get a guide and spend the money for the day. You show up with no gear and you go fish...and you will catch fish. go online and book it now.

[Hugga Nugga]

Go out the Cooke city gate and go explore the Beartooth pass towards Red Lodge. If you are camping in designated campgrounds, be aware that some are hard sided only (no tents). The Soda Butte campground outside of Cooke City used to be all camping and it has since been designated "hard sided" camping due to a Grizzly attacking and killing some people in their sleep.

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/gazoutdoors/report-on-soda-butte-bear-attacks-released/article_0ac61d84-a971-11df-a684-001cc4c002e0.html

[AA2015]

If you are really wanting to have a positive experience, get a guide and spend the money for the day. You show up with no gear and you go fish...and you will catch fish. go online and book it now.

I was looking online at guides for Yellowstone lake, I was considering doing a guided trip on the lake cause it is just a massive lake. But I'm going to take some gear of my own and do some fishing in different places in and out of Yellowstone .
Have you eaten the lake trout:0?? I wonder if they are good eating.

[AA2015]

Go out the Cooke city gate and go explore the Beartooth pass towards Red Lodge. If you are camping in designated campgrounds, be aware that some are hard sided only (no tents). The Soda Butte campground outside of Cooke City used to be all camping and it has since been designated "hard sided" camping due to a Grizzly attacking and killing some people in their sleep.

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyle...cc4c002e0.html

That's crazy!
With a lot of stories I've heard or hearing of people talking I was considering taking a firearm for a little woods protection. I just purchased a s&w 629 that I was considering taking, I was gonna start applying for my Utah and Arizona non resident ccw.
Do you guys think it's necessary to carry a firearm for those what if situation arises? I know my gf is not too excited about sleeping in a tent for 10-12 days haha, especially after reading articles like that ^^^^