Yellowstone

emster86 · November 2014

Hey, has anyone ever been to yellowstone national park? Just looking for some hints/tips. We are fairly sure this is where we want to go for the honeymoon. I'd like to rent a cabin or something along that line for more privacy.

redheadbride15 · November 2014

Awww, I love Yellowstone! My fiancee took me there about 2 years ago and we had a blast! The rest is history in the making...

Are you guys active? I HIGHLY recommend hiking off the main roads as much as possible to get away from the crowds. Every part of the park is beautiful but I have a few favorites (Slough Creek, Washburn Range, Gardner River all have great trails off-the-beaten path). And if you're even more adventurous you can do backcountry camping. But many of the trails are relatively easy so even if you're not super-hikers you can still find very doable things. I'd recommend getting a trail map and guide (there are loads of good ones out there).

For best animal sightings get up at dawn and drive around! You're pretty much guaranteed tons of bison, moose, elk, and black bears. Bring a good set of binoculars.

Most of the major lodges have cabins for rent. They're simple but cute and a bit cheaper than paying for a hotel room.

emster86 · November 2014

@redheadbride15 awww thanks for the info. We do like hiking. I'm more of a stroller.. he's more energetic. I'll have to look up your trails! We really want to see a lot of animals. He loves bears (his favorite) and wolves (his second favorite) so hopefully we get to experience that! We're ok with a simple cabin. That's what we like!

CMGragain · November 2014

Simple cabin = no heat, no toilet, group showers and toilets. No soundproofing. You have more privacy in a hotel. The park hotels are old. Expect the level of comfort circa 1920. I suggest the Lake Yellowstone Lodge. It features fine dining, a pianist at dinner, beautiful views of the lake, and modern facilities (rooms with private baths). Next choice would be the historic Old Faithful Inn, but it is tourist Grand Central in the daytime. You should visit this, and I recommend eating in the dining room.
Everything is very expensive. The best deal in lodging is the Mammoth Springs Hotel. It feels like a college dormitory, but at night the buffalo come charging down from the hills to escape from wolves and wander around. They have great evening programs! Lots of wildlife here.

What time of year are you going? Most of the park is closed due to weather except in summer. Hotels book up a year in advance. If your FI is into guns, you must spend a day at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY, just east of the park. They have the world's largest gun collection on display.

redheadbride15 · November 2014

We stayed in a cabin in Canyon and it had a private bath (toilet, sink, shower). It's true that it may not have been heated, but that isn't a problem if you're traveling in the summer. And yes, you will get less than you'd expect for the price you paid almost anywhere in the park (but it's worth it!). Detailed information on all the lodges in the park is available at http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/

G2SoccerTaz · November 2014

We went to Yellowstone for our honeymoon. We stayed at a ranch between Cody and the east gate. The name was Bill Cody Ranch. We loved it. They served breakfast and dinner if you were interested. There was no minimum nights to stay. It was cheaper than staying in the Park and it was cheaper than staying in Cody. We spent about a week there. The Ranch had horseback excursions that you could book. We had a blast riding horses up the mountain. If you go during the summer, Cody has rodeos every night. The 4th of July parade was like three hours long. The Bill Cody museum in Cody is expensive but it is worth it. We spent three hours there.

novella1186 · November 2014

We went to Yellowstone this summer and it was beautiful! If you have time, take the northeast exit out of the park into Montana. The road is super scenic and winds up into the Rockies. It was amazing!

CMGragain! I would rather stay at the lodge than in the cabins, because all the cabins we came across were extremely close together in big clusters so there wasn't much privacy or romance at all, and those little areas were very crowded.

klk111415 · November 2014

If you have extra time, go to Grand Teton. A friend of mine went to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton for her honeymoon and said she really loved Grand Teton. I haven't been yet but it's on our list of places we want to visit!

WinstonsGirl · November 2014

We've been. Book everything well in advance. We were looking to get a camping spot the day of, and we left Cody super early but it took forever to get anywhere. We did find a spot about 1km outside of the south gate. We drove most of the park, stopping at lots of different places and spent 2 days there. I think we covered the bare minimum.

Oh, and don't forget that it's higher altitude, so nights are much colder there than outside of the park. We made an emergency Wal-mart stop the night before going for sweats and fleece for around the campfire at night (though I know you said you're not camping).

emster86 · November 2014

Thanks for the info on the cabins.. group showers are definitely not my thing lol

I believe we would be going in May so it might still be a bit chill. I'm hoping things are open then?

I'll have to look into some of the places you guys have listed. Thanks again SO much!

CMGragain · November 2014

Many of the roads will be closed in May. In late May I saw 6 ft. snow drifts up on the roadside.

emster86 · November 2014

Yikes! We may have to put it off until June..... lol

Yellowstone

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