[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Chat Page Version 1.60 ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Granite Head (69.163.85.128) on 18:23:02 01/07/17
In Reply to: Yellowstone/jackson hole posted by Amy Carter
Just be aware, campgrounds fill up early, June is a busy time. But it's also optimal for wildlife-watching and BABY ANIMALS!! And most years, great weather.
Yellowstone's west side is excellent for geyser-gazing, though there's beautiful scenery, plenty of good hiking, and always the chance of seeing wildlife, including bears, as well.
Having said that, if you've pitched your tent in West Yellowstone, you can certainly explore all areas of the park, such as the Canyon area, and the Northern Range (northeast quadrant), where this photo of the pronghorn doe and one of her two fawns was taken last June, as well as Hayden Valley and the Lake, from there, it's just that your drive-time will be longer.
I don't recommend staying just south of Yellowstone because drive-times to the things you are most likely to want to see are much longer and in my opinion, mostly less interesting, than other parts of Yellowstone and surrounds.
West Yellowstone to Jackson, via Yellowstone, is probably a 3-4 hour drive, assuming you obey the speed limits (don't even think of speeding!) and don't get stuck in any giant animal-jams - worse things could happen than having to wait for a big herd of bison to get out of the way - and don't stop every 300 yards to take photos of everything like I do. In other words, it's not at all too far to do in less than half a day, but best done when you're not in a big rush.
I don't camp so I can't be much help in that regard but I would not encourage you to stay at Flagg Ranch/Yellowstone Headwaters because it's really far from the major sights in Yellowstone and not all that convenient to the Tetons either. The distance isn't great on the map, but the isolation is.
We can help you prioritize your time if you'll share what your interests are: hiking (short and flat, long and hilly?), geology and geothermal features, wildlife-watching, scenery, historic sites, photography?
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Chat Page Version 1.60 ] [ FAQ ]