Montana/wyoming for a Family Trip

all the lodges in Yellowstone are full for the last weeks of June till the first weeks of August

We are trying to book a kayak trip that takes you THROUGH the hot springs and then there is a thing that takes a stage coach to a cowboy dinner thing that we want to do.

Yellowstone and tetons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I live in Columbia Falls Montana, which is just a few miles from Glacier National Park. It's fun for the whole family and there's lots of hotels, or you could just lodge in Glacier Park.
http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier.php?gclid...

Several years ago, we did a trip from NM up through CO into southeastern WY, cut across diagonally to the northwest (Tetons), then into Yellowstone and Montana.

Is your family into outdoorsy stuff, scenery, history, gold mining/panning, hot springs, etc?? Things we did:
-overnight in cabin looking up at the Tetons (beautiful!)
-1 day (wansn't enough) in Yellowstone and camping there (we went to a ranger-presentation on bears and it was very interesting)
-one night at the lodge at Chico Hot Springs (southwestern Montana) which was wonderful
-one night in Bozeman, MT and we went to another hot spring (indoor/outdoor pools)
-drove east to the Little Big Horn battlefield (saw a herd of wild horses!)
-quick detour to Devil's Tower (we were late, so didn't pay entrance since they were closing soon)
-one night and full day in Rapid City, SD (gold panning at 2 locations: commercial & private, much preferred the private)
-stopped at Mt.Rushmore and drove by the Crazy Horse site
-drove, by night, through the Dakota badlands (probably would've been impressive in daylight)

Phew! That was about a week trip, total. We could've spent a *month* up there, because everything seemed rushed and we had people expecting us at the other end... (we had started out visiting family in New Mexico, and ended up visiting family in Wisconsin--all of this from our "home base" in Mississippi) It was an unforgettable trip and we'd love to do it again with our daughter!

I'm editing this to make sense...it was jumbled as I first typed...

Mama:

Take a tent with you and camp....are you going to Rapid City or Billings Montana? If you go in Rapid - you can hit Mount Rushmore first...then Custer State Park. Mount Rushmore is fun - there's an exhibit about the carving of the tower, history etc. You walk up and there is a state flag for every state in our union!

Spearfish, South Dakota: There is Spearfish Canyon (Bridal Veil Falls). It's a BEAUTIFUL drive...there's several campgrounds in Spearfish - and the fishin' is good!! After that - I would then head west on Interstate 90, towards Sundance/Moorecroft, Wyoming...then take the exit 185 (Hwy 114) for the Devils Tower..then explore the Black Hills....The Devil's Tower is the First National Monument of the U.S.. If you have seen the movie "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind" that's where the aliens landed...

About the Devil's Tower National Monument - it is in the North East corner of Wyoming. You can walk around the Tower - there are two paved paths, you can climb up to a certain point...and if you are a climber - you can check in at the Ranger Station and climb to the top! Its about the size of a football field up there. It's a great trip!! there is a campground at the base of the Tower (okay, not the base, but there's a National Campground in the park....and a KOA right across the gate to the park...as well as a "trading post" that serves AWESOME ice cream and a ton of stuff...camping supplies, etc.

http://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm

Continental Divide driving tour

Yellowstone

If you want to make the long haul? Jackson Hole - south west corner of Wyoming....a LONG days' drive...

Then there's Glacier National Park...wait is it a National Park? Either way? VERY NICE!!

Contact AAA and ask them to map out a drive for you - they will give you lodging as well as other things to do....

If you take Amtrak all the way to Whitefish, MT you're very close to Canada and Glacier Nat'l Park. Snow sometimes still in July! If you go down the south west side of GNP, there are dude ranches, rafting, fishing in the rivers, hiking. lots of websites for the towns and regions. East side of GNP is less crowded-St. Mary's. It is a huge state (and I'm from Texas so plan to drive, but rest & have fun) We go now every summer for weeks of clean air. Spend several days in Yellowstone bc it is unique -why rush thru it?Take a guided tour of the melting pots. the Tetons are breathtaking: see Jenny;s lake & have lunch, stay. Start booking NOW for those popular spots & hope you get lucky. Enjoy & steer clear of the buffalo. Seriously, sometimes they just start walking down the middle of the road in YNP and people either don't move or try to take their picture. Dangerous.

If you are going to S.D. to see Mt. Rushmore we loved Cave of the Winds.

I'm gonna tell you. We did something like this. There is a lot of nothing out there. Plan your trip well or you will be doing a lot of driving looking at the same ole. Not saying it wasn't a great trip and we saw great stuff, but it's limited.

Kids will enjoy Prairie Dogs and Antelope!

Any of the lodges in the park. Stay clear of the Izaak Walton Inn. Was once a fabulous place. It was owned by a lovely couple. They sold to a corporate big wig. He bought several properties. He has not kept anything up. Employees not helpful. We had stayed there several times years ago. It was awesome. Especially since we are rail fans. Last year was a nightmare. Read reviews on the lodges. There is one in particular that I thought was great. Will get back to you with the name of it.

Glacier Park Lodge. Amazing. Red Bus Jammer tour is a great tour if you do not feel like driving over Going to the Sun Road.

Hi, it's been a while since I've been to both states but my recommendations are for Wyoming...Grand Tetons! Also, Yellowstone is a must, including Yellowstone Falls! The Tetons also have a scenic cable car ride too! The lodge at Yellowstone is a must-see, not sure if they offer accommodations b/c we were just there during the day but take a couple of days or more at least to see everything there....so many mud pits, geysers, hiking trails & other sites to see, and don't forget to see Old Faithful! A side note...some of the 'hot pots' and hot water pits are located along Yellowstone's hiking trails and some of the "mud volcanoes" you have to drive down the road to see. A park map can easily help you, if not, you can always ask a park ranger. We stayed in a campground in the park so I'm sure a quick search online can direct you to accommodations.

Also in Wyoming...Devil's Tower (from the Close Encounter's movie). Very cool to see that! I'm sure there are other spots that I've missed so hopefully, other posters can help fill in the other sites!

For Montana...Glacier National Park & McDonald Lodge, at the top of the Going to the Sun Highway which is a narrow, scenic drive along side the mountains. There's also several lakes on the way to be seen too, including Lake McDonald which also offers lodging. Glacier Nat'l Park is about 13 miles from Canada so if you can, you can always hop up there too.

If you can, try to hop on over to South Dakota & see Mt. Rushmore & there is also Rushmore Cave & as someone else mentioned, Cave of the Winds. There are also a number of Dude Ranches (we stayed at Rafter Bar J) & some other tourist spots too! Sorry I can't remember them all right now but other posters can help. You can also just go to a general search online "things to do" or "tourist attractions" in whatever spot your going to visit. You can also request free brochures from that state's tourist bureau. Hope this helps! Have fun!