West Yellowstone and Grand Teton

[Judy]

I finally gave up on getting an exchange for this summer to Jackson, Wyoming to see Grand Teton National Park.

Now I have to decide whether to try for a week again next summer, to try to do Grand Teton as a day trip from West Yellowstone (where we have a week at Worldmark), or to plan one or more nights in a rental in the park or in Jackson.

What do you think? How much time do we need to see Grand Teton? Would a day trip be practical? If not, where is the best lodging - timeshare for a week , a rental in Jackson, or a park lodge?

 

[DaveNV]

Judy, I think it depends on what you expect from Grand Tetons park. If you just want to stop along the road and take pictures of the mountains to the west, and maybe a few brief side trips to see the lake or other sites in the park, then a day trip transiting the park would be okay. You could leave West Yellowstone extra early, transit south through Yellowstone Park, then south through the Grand Tetons to Jackson Hole. Leaving JH, you could travel west and pick up the highway heading north, back to West Yellowstone. It'd be a really long day, but it could be done.

But if you want to really sample the area, and enjoy some of what makes Jackson Hole a really cool town in its own right, you need to spend at least another day or two or three. There are lots of hikes inside the park, if you're into that, or shopping and restaurants in town, and whatever You need time to enjoy the experience.

One thing not to be missed is the National Museum of Wildlife Art, just north of Jackson Hole. It's an amazing place with artwork in many forms by famous and not-so-famous western artists. Awesome place. http://www.wildlifeart.org/

Dave

 

[Judy]

The date of a meeting we have to attend was changed, so now we have several days between the time we leave West Yellowstone and when we have to be in Colorado. So we're hoping to spend 2-3 days in Grand Teton. Not enough time for a timeshare week (if we could ever get an exchange ) So it looks like a hotel, motel, b&b, or park lodge in the park or in Jackson. I'm leaning toward staying in the park, but have no idea which lodging to choose. Any suggestions?

 

[DaveNV]

Last time we were in JH we stayed at Snow King Resort. It's basically a ski lodge, adjacent to the big lift they run all year, and it's on the edge of town. Just a few blocks from downtown. The place was nice and comfortable, for a hotel-style room. Decor was western log-bed type furniture. Kind of nice, in a boots-and-spurs kind of way. Room was small, but everything worked nicely, and the bed was comfortable. I'd stay there again. There are bound to be other places as well, but this one worked for us. Don't remember how we found it, or what we paid, but it must have been within the budget, or we'd have stayed elsewhere. (At hotels.com or Expedia, maybe?) I'm told the view from the lift is awesome - but we didn't ride it. http://www.snowking.com/default.aspx

Wish we were going with you! Have fun!

Dave

 

[Laurie]

We'll need 1 nite almost 2 years from now so I printed out pages for a few candidates as well (haven't booked flights I need for a couple weeks from now, as I don't like that part of travel-planning, but it's never too early to lodging-shop!). These 2 in Jackson Hole also look decent and pretty good value, at about $120/nite, they are
www.wagonwheelvillage.com
www.buckraillodge.com

I can't say anything first-hand about them. If you use tripadvisor, they were #8 and #9 out of 44.

There were also some rustic log cabins at Signal Mountain Lodge in the park at about the same price, and some much nicer lakefront retreats at twice the price - their reservation # is 307-543-2831.

 

[Steve]

If you want to stay in Grand Teton National Park, there are several choices.

1) Jenny Lake Lodge. Upscale rustic. Great setting in the woods near Jenny Lake. Extremely expensive...even by Jackson Hole standards. ($500 a night range)

2) Jackson Lake Lodge. This is the big lodge in the park. Lobby and restaurant overlook Jackson Lake from a distance (the willow flats are in between the lodge and the lake). Motel units are in the pines with no lake views. Wonderful outdoor swimming pool.

3) Signal Mountain Lodge. This lodge is located right on the shore of Jackson Lake. Some cabins/units have lake views. Not as big as Jackson Lake Lodge nor as fancy, but great location. Units are about the same quality as Jackson Lake Lodge. Food used to be better than at Jackson Lake, but it was disappointing this year.

4) Flagg Ranch. This facility is located in between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks along the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. Very nice and relatively new cabin/duplex/4 plex units set in the pines. Very nice dining room. This is a bit more isolated than the others...and it's not the best location for really seeing Jackson Hole or the Tetons...but I like it and it is easier to get reservations at when the others are full.

If you choose to stay in the town of Jackson, here are a few suggestions:

1) The Wyoming Inn. Fantastic decor, excellent free breakfasts, really nice place. I have stayed there three times and just love it.

2) The Rusty Parrot. Small, upscale lodge within easy walking distance of all of the shops and restaurants, town square, etc. Very expensive.

3) Best Western Lodge at Jackson Hole. Great indoor/outdoor swimming pool. Carved bears and other critters all over the property. Extra large rooms. This place is a big hit with children and great for families. Staff is only so-so.

4) Buckrail Lodge. If you want to "sleep cheap" (relatively speaking as nothing in Jackson Hole is cheap) this is a good choice. Small rustic lodge with some charm.

Unlike the previous poster, I cannot recommend the Snow King Resort. While it has a good location, I have found this property to be run down and tired. It was built in the 1970s and is in dire need of major remodeling. Very overpriced for what you get...both in terms of comfort and service.

If you choose to stay at Teton Village, the hands down best choice is the Four Seasons Resort. Gorgeous rooms located right at the foot of the Teton Range. There is a fireplace in every room. Wonderful (although narrow) outdoor swimming pool overlooking the mountains. Great spa. Mandatory valet parking is a bit of a hassle, but the valets are very friendly and prompt. Very expensive during peak summer season.

Of course, there are lots of other places to stay as well. I've visited Jackson Hole dozens of times and stayed in over 20 properties in the area. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Steve

 

[jlwquilter]

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Steve

Hi Steve. I appreciate this info as well as I am planning a family trip to YNP (looks like Island Park Village will be the TS) with an added on 2 day side trip to the Grand Tetons for June-ish 2009. I used your lodgings list above to try to get some general price ranges but it didn't work - too far out. And changing dates to 2008 just told me they had no availability :>( I think it was Best Western that had a price of around $259 a night for 2008 - it was the only one I got any info out of.

So, can you give us a very general range of prices for the "family friendly" (ie: budget minded) lodging? All we want is clean and reasonably well located to see stuff. The "sleep cheap" type option is fine with us...how cheap is it?

Thanks!

 

[Laurie]

I gave a link to Buckrail Lodge above (original info probably from a previous post from Steve), as well as a price... I think Steve and Dave are helping several of us plan our trips!

 

[Steve]

The Buckrail Lodge is about $100 per night. If you follow the link in Laurie's post, the website gives you the range of rates. You'll have to call them to get something more specific.

There is a Motel 6 in Jackson Hole and it is about the same price. I have stayed there, and it's just a standard Motel 6. Nothing special and certainly nothing fancy. Tiny rooms with no decor. It has a swimming pool whereas the Buckrail Lodge does not. All in all, I much prefer the Buckrail Lodge.

Still another place which is quite fun...if a bit more expensive (around $150 per night)...is Cowboy Village. As the name suggests, it is a village of individual log cabins. It's quite fun to have your own little cabin...and they are clean and relatively new/modern (if somewhat on the small side). If you're looking for a "Western" experience, this is a good choice.

http://www.townsquareinns.com/cowboy-village/

Steve

 

[jlwquilter]

I gave a link to Buckrail Lodge above (original info probably from a previous post from Steve), as well as a price... I think Steve and Dave are helping several of us plan our trips! [/QUOTE

I am so sorry - I completely missed those links and the Wagon Wheel Village looks perfect for our group! Thanks for finding it!!!!

Steve - have you happened to stay there or at least checked it out?

Yes, it does look like several of us are planning the trip. It's so great to be able to get so much on-the-ground info here!

 

[Steve]

I haven't stayed at the Wagon Wheel Village, but my parents and my sister and her family have. It wasn't their favorite, but I can't remember why they didn't like it. I can say, however, that the exterior looks a lot nicer on the website than it does in person. It's probably fine as long as you don't have unreasonable expectations.

Steve

 

[eal]

We have stayed in Jackson several times on the way from Big Sky to Park City and we have found that the Best Western seems to be the best value for the dollar.

http://www.lodgeatjh.com/

 

[chellej]

Two we have stayed in & found very nice & reasonable are Parkway Inn

http://www.parkwayinn.com/index.html

and the 49er Inn
http://www.townsquareinns.com/

 

[Judy]

We made reservations for two nights at Signal Mountain Lodge. Way over budget, but where we want to be. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and information.

 

[Steve]

We made reservations for two nights at Signal Mountain Lodge. Way over budget, but where we want to be. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and information.

Hi Judy,

That's a good choice. I think Signal Mountain Lodge has the best location in the park. It definitely has the best views. Be sure to drive to the top of Signal Mountain. At the top is a short trail which leads to a spectacular panorama of the Teton Range. Tremendous spot for pictures. Have fun!

Steve