Posted by Bill C. on August 19, 1997 at 20:24:36:
In Reply to: First Trip Itinerary posted by Susan Liles on August 19, 1997 at 07:01:25:
: We are planning our first trip to Yellowstone the week of September 1-8 and
: are trying to plan our daily schedule. We want to see as much of the Park
: as possible, with wildlife being our priority, along with some day hikes.
: We are flying into Cody Sept. 1 and will spend the night there. On Tuesday A.M.,
: we plan to drive into the park and have reservations at Canyon Tuesday night.
: That's all we have planned so far. I had thought about staying the 3rd night
: in Gardiner, MT. Does it make sense to stay at a different place each night?
: From reading your trip reports, it sounds like Lamar Valley is a really good place
: for wildlife spotting. How much time should we allow for exploring this area?
: Maybe the 4th and 5th nights we'll head for the West Yellowstone side. Is this
: schedule too ambitious? Also, since the nightly ranger programs will have ended
: by then, do you think it is worthwhile to pay for one of the personalized tours?
: Any suggestions you have for 7-day itinerary is welcomed!
:
: I have really enjoyed reading all of the information provided on the Total Yellowstone
: Page, especially the trip reports! As you can I am really excited.
: Thanks,
: Susan
Dear Susan,
I stayed in Cody the night before entering the Park on my
recent stay. There is road work on the East entrance road and
outside the park going to the East Gate. The road outside the Park
is in pretty rough shape. Also, the East gate didn't open until
9AM, but I don't know if the schedule will be different in September.
The Lamar Valley is a great wildlife spotting area, but the
Hayden Valley is also wonderful. You will be driving through the
Hayden Valley to get to Canyon. During our five day stay, we didn't
drive through Hayden once without seeing herds of Bison and several
elk.
Have a wonderful visit. Yellowstone must be fantastic in the fall.
Bill C.