winter vacation yellowstone
Planning a vacation & need some info about Wyoming/Yellowstone?
My hubby & I are planning a week-long vacation to Wyoming next fall/winter, probably late Oct or Nov. We are torn between the Cody/Yellowstone area & Jackson Hole/Teton area. We want to stay in a cabin, something not too secluded, but I don’t want to have other cabins anywhere in sight. Also, what are some good local restaurants in either area? We are mainly interested in seeing wildlife and natural landscapes. We’re from Alabama so we definitely hope to see snow. What do y’all suggest?
Choose Yellowstone. You should plan your trip to include staying in the park. The park has plenty of cabins but most will be closed in October and November. The Old Faithful Inn is definately worth staying at but depends on when you are going. It closes mid-October.
The crowds in Yellowstone are very small that time of year as most “tourist” things such as visitors center, gift shops, campgrounds close by mid-October.
The park closes first weekend in November and re-opens mid-December for the winter season. If you are looking for wildlife and natural features then you should plan on mid-September to mid-October. The bears should be pretty active and the elk will be in the rut. Once the snow starts to fly travel becomes difficult in the park. If you are looking for a truly snowy, wintery trip, you should go in December-March. Cody is at least an hour outside of Yellowstone. It’s a nice little town but if there is any snow it will make getting into the park very difficult.
I would recommend also staying in West Yellowstone. It is right at the border with the Park and has nice places to stay and eat. Be sure to check out Beartooth BBQ and Rocky Mtn Pete’s Pizza and Pasta. Follow some of the links to check out area accomodations. Also check out Island Park.
Jackson Hole is a nice place to visit for a day but very expensive. It is about 1 – 1 1/2 hours from Yellowstone so you could spend a day in the Tetons while staying in Yellowstone. You might be lucky enough to see moose but more likely to see elk and bison. If you are a hiker or climber, then stay in the Tetons. The mountains and lakes are gorgeous but nothing can compare to the thermal features in Yellowstone.
Have a great trip and good luck!
Bill’s Island Retreat in Island Park Idaho -Yellowstone Lodging Vacation Home
