What I learned from my trip to Yellowstone National Park with the Carful of Kids

The carful of kids left Central Texas to explore the Rocky Mountains; we stopped by the Black Hills of South Dakota and Glacier National Park. We headed across the Canadian Border to wander through Banff and Jasper national parks with a stop to explore a glacier. The last leg of our trip, we spent about a week taking the Grand Tour of Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone was the first national park in the world when it was created in 1872; an idea that other countries would adopt to protect the special places in their country. Yellowstone, a name derived from the descriptive French and Native American name for the area, has the highest concentration of geysers in the world and half of the world's geothermal features. All thanks to the Yellowstone Caldera, an active supervolcano.

My 12-year-old daughter loved the pools of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is my favorite national park in North America for so many reasons. You should make every attempt to visit and experience the wonder and majestic beauty for yourself. It is a must outdoor enthusiasts.

For your First Trip to Yellowstone

I delayed the trek up to Yellowstone so my eight-year-old would be old enough to remember the trip. This trip is best for school-age kids. Yellowstone requires a fair amount of walking and the sights are more interesting to older kids.

My eight-year-old son enjoyed looking for animals, like this bison.

For your first trip to Yellowstone with your family, I suggest the Grand Tour, the circular tour that the first visitors took over 100 years ago. You can map your own Grand Tour starting from any of the five different entrances--though the West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole Entrances are the most crowded.

I suggest that you spend at least four days in Yellowstone National Park. There is so much ground to cover and each area is unique. If you are visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone in the same trip, I found you can see the majority of Grand Teton in one day.

The carful of kids played games on the mezzanine of the Old Faithful Inn.

On your first trip, stay in several different locations. My first trip to YNP, we camped in the Canyon Campground and drove from there. I have to say, that was too much driving. Stay inside the boundaries of YNP; the park is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. You will spend a lot of your time getting into and out of the park if you stay outside of YNP.

On my first trip to Yellowstone NP we didn't plan ahead and make reservations. MAKE RESERVATIONS as soon as you decide to visit YNP. To get a room in the Old Faithful Inn during the high season (July and August) will require reservations more than six months in advance.

The two nights at the Old Faithful Inn were a highlight for everyone. 

When the carful of kids decided to visit Yellowstone, it was January. I started researching and reserving rooms and found the majority of rooms were booked already. Remember, you can reserve lodging in YNP 13 months in advance. I checked for cancellations religiously through the website and was able to reserve the places I wanted.

I will tell you the brutal truth, the older I get, the less I like to tent camp. In Yellowstone, I found the camping crowded and cramped. Showers were not included. Depending on the fire danger, you might not be able cook outside with a flame. The RV sites are also very limited.

The Best Areas in Yellowstone for Kids

No trip to Yellowstone is complete without visiting Old Faithful Inn and Old Faithful Geyser that erupts every 35 to 120 minutes with a certain amount of predictability. The geyser basin is great for kids and should be explored; spend at least a day in this area, more time if you have it.

Some rooms don't have attached bathrooms but this is one of the Tub Rooms.

I reserved two nights in the original section of Old Faithful Inn, it might be one of my favorite hotels ever. There are cabins in the Old Faithful area as well.

I really liked the Roosevelt Lodge, up at the Tower-Roosevelt Junction in the Northeast corner of YNP. The cabins are great for families and the Old West Cookout should not be missed. Reservations area must for this excursion.

The kids loved the stove in the cabin at Roosevelt Lodge.

Mammoth Hot Springs is a great area for families since the kids enjoyed climbing the terraces to see the travertine towers. The elk in this area will grab your kids attention too. The Mammoth Hot Springs Cabins are a great choice for families, like all the cabins in Yellowstone NP.

Animals of Yellowstone

The animal viewing in Yellowstone is better than any of the other national parks that I have visited. It is really hard not to see animals, they are everywhere. For the best opportunity to see bears or wolves spend some time in Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley at dusk or dawn.

Bison and Elk are fairly easy to see in Yellowstone National Park.

Getting to Yellowstone

Most visitors drive up through the southern entrance at Jackson Hole, I did the first time. This time we drove south into the park from Bozeman after picking up Dad at the airport.

If you are flying in and renting a car, I recommend Bozeman. It is less expensive to fly and stay overnight in Bozeman instead of Jackson, Wyoming. The shopping is plentiful with all the grocery stores and outdoor outfitters located within a few miles of each other. You will not find touristy attractions in Bozeman however.

The Antler Arches of Jackson Hole, Wyoming are a great photo op.

For that reason, you might prefer Jackson, Wyoming, it has plenty of souvenir shopping and the antler arches at the Jackson Hole Town Square is a photo op that should not be missed.

Basic Information 

Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $80 to gain entry into the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic. There can be a wait to get into the park at the entrances.

Up Next: Headed Home.

There's a Secret Room down a Small Hall of the Old Faithful Inn

It's 3 a.m. and I'm on vacation with the carful of kids in Yellowstone National Park after road tripping from Central Texas to Jasper National Park and back--why am I up? I went hiking, didn't hit the caffeine too hard, yet I'm wide awake.

Like a lot of Moms out there, I'm up in the middle of the night even on vacation--I think it's a holdover from the early morning feedings. Maybe legions of Moms wake up in the middle of the night to be in solidarity with the Moms still working the baby night shift.

So I'm up with nothing to do when my mind begins to wander, I think of all the cool stuff I saw during the day, then I remember the sign for a Tub Room. I turn over and hatch a plan to sneak out of the room and investigate without waking anyone up.

With the help of my phone, I gather my toiletry bag and tiptoe out of the room into the slumbering quiet of the Old Faithful Inn. As I quietly make my way across the mezzanine and down the hall opposite of my room, the floor boards squeak in the 100 year-old log building.

I walk down the tiny, dark hall to the door and turn it, hoping for a release. Too my disappointment, it's locked. As I lumber back to my room to sneak back into my bed and wait for sleep to find me again and can't help but wonder, why would it be locked?

Then it dawns on me. I sigh, smile and fall back asleep for another hour.

I am the first one up the second time around, I gather my bag and head to the door with more determination. I am going to get into the tub room--sure, it might be a room for housekeeping but I'm hopeful for a little hot-water nirvana.

I walk down the tiny, dark hall that seems to be still sleeping and turn the doorknob of the tub room. This time the door moves inward but the room is still as dark as a starless night. I fumble around, feeling for the light switch and with a flick, I illuminate a hidden treasure of the Old Faithful Inn--a clawfoot tub!

Tucked away, down a hall in the Old Faithful Inn is a tub room.

As a lover of anything vintage, I adore this moment made just for me. I find the Do Not Disturb sign, hang it from the knob and lock the door.

I look around my secret escape--it's still kinda early and no one is in the other tub room. I will have to soak away the road tripping funk fast--the world is starting to wake up.

As you know, I have been driving my carful of kids hard and fast to the top of North America and I miss my morning bath ritual in my clawfoot tub at home. It relaxes me and then it recharges me.

I turn on the hot water knob of the chrome British Telephone faucet and gather the Old Faithful Inn Signature Bath Products that are in all the OFI bathrooms. I lay my fluffy, white towel on the table next to the tub.

I slip into the hot water and close my eyes and breath. The next few minutes float away in a hot water and bubble-induced haze.

With a clang of the door across the hall, I awaken refreshed and ready to explore. Time to move on and let others enjoy a soak.

Now I will let you in on a little secret, there is no special key to get into the tub room. If it is open, it is yours. And if I was camping in the campground nearby, I would have a hard time not sneaking in for a wee, little soak.

Just bring your own towel, they are not provided in the tub rooms.

Up Next: Moving on to the Lake District of Yellowstone with another stay in a historic property.

Know before you go: Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry to the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic.

I reserved an Old House Room with a shared bath for a reasonable $ 115 a night--yes there isn't a bathroom in this room but the facilities are amazing and right down the hall. A sink with a mirror and vanity is located in the room so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.

There are no televisions or radios in the OFI rooms but there are outlets to plug in your phone, though service is spotty throughout Yellowstone NP.

The lodging reservations within the National Park System is available 13 months in advance so you have to be persistent to get rooms in the more popular locations within Yellowstone NP. I was and got all the properties I wanted--MAKE RESERVATIONS months in advance, even for camping, if you are visiting Yellowstone NP during the high season.

Geyser Gawking in Yellowstone National Park

A Rainbow that Ends at the Old Faithful Geyser!

The carful of kids are in Yellowstone National Park for a week, after road tripping our way from Central Texas to Jasper National Park and back. As luck or persistant planning would have it, I got two consecutive nights in the Old House section of the Old Faithful Inn.

You need to do this. As a collector of genuine experiences, this is a great one. Staying at the Old Faithful Inn will be one of the memories your family will recall for a lifetime.

The carful of kids enjoy game night at the Old Faithful Inn

Watching the Old Faithful Geyser from the balcony, listening to the fiddler play from the mezzanine, eating in the OFI Dining Room are all part of the experience. The most important of all is spending time as a family, unplugged from our screens but dialed into each other.

The carful of kids explored the area around Old Faithful Geyser yesterday by hiking to Morning Glory Pool and taking a vintage bus tour of Firehole Lake Drive. We're venturing farther by exploring more geysers and trails up to Madison Junction.

Dress in Layers, bonus points if you coordinate your outfits to match Morning Glory Pool!

The carful of kids lace up our hiking boots and head downstairs for breakfast in the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room ( Breakfast hours 6:00 to 10:30 a. m. ) for the breakfast buffet that features all the standard breakfast fare ( $ 13.25 /adults and $ 6.75/ kids ). We are able to get in and out quickly and there isn't a wait to be seated.

The Tour starts with the Doors of the Old Faithful Inn

Up first is the Old Faithful Inn Tour that starts at 9:30 a.m., it's free and you don't have to reserve a spot in advance though the crowd gets larger at the later tours. Tours start in the lobby next to the fireplace at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The Old Faithful Inn was an innovation when it was built over the winter of 1903-1904 with electric lights, steam heat and indoor plumbing under the direction of 29 year-old architect, Robert Reamer. The majority of the materials were sourced within miles of the building site, dragged by a horse team.

Robert Reamer, the OFI architect, hiked throughout the forest looking for trees like this.

As we walk around taking in the details on our tour, I am particularily drawn to the staircases and railings. They are works of art. On the tour, I see a small sign hanging from the ceiling, Tub Room--interesting, need to check that out later.

After the Old Faithful Inn Tour, the carful of kids pack into the SUV for more geyser gawking starting at the Black Sand Basin with Opalescent Pool and Emerald Pool, with names like that I have to investigate; they are across the way from Old Faithful. I am a sucker for blue-green water so I am in love with the pools of Yellowstone.

We can't get enough of the geysers.

After the Black Sand Basin, the carful of kids continue north and stop off at Biscuit Basin to view the Sapphire Pool and Jewel Geyser; both of these are within a short hike of Old Faithful Inn if you would prefer to walk. Continuing north, we pull into Midway Geyser Basin for the largest hot spring in the U.S., Grand Prismatic Spring.

Some of the trash that Park Rangers pick up around the pools and geysers.

Grand Prismatic Spring is a marvel and a must-see with its rainbow colors formed by the microbes in the mineral water. This area is very popular and parking can be a problem, visit early or late in the day.

Grand Prismatic with the carful of kids.

We continue on to the Lower Geyer Basin where we pass the Fountain Paint Pot and meet our first bison. He makes his home next to a steam vent and this area is a favorite with bison, who overwinter here because of the heat.

Now is a good time to remind the kids that bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than an adult. It is best to leave 25 yards in-between you and the bison but when they sit next to the boardwalk that's nearly impossible. Yellowstone Park Rangers are on duty in this area patrolling and monitoring the human-animal interface.

Bison watching visitors.

After bison-watching and geyser-gawking, the carful of kids are ready for lunch. We park at the Madison Junction area where I find the nicest public restrooms in the park and have a picnic. Remember to keep your picnic site manned at all times, chipmunks can ransack your table in a flash.

After lunch, the carful of kids check in at the Junior Ranger Station, the only one in the park and located at Madison Junction, to speak with the Park Rangers about activities that kids will enjoy. The Ranger Station has animal hides for the kids to touch and a bookstore dedicated to Junior Rangers.

My Girl Scout getting her NPS-Girl Scout Patch

This area also hosts Evening Ranger Programs just for Junior Rangers; check the park newspaper for current offerings. This is also where my Girl Scout received her patch for National Park Stewardship after she completed 10 hours of service--there is a similar award for Boy Scouts.

I promised the carful of kids I'd take it easy and enjoy our stay in Yellowstone so we are heading back to the Old Faithful Inn to spend time on the balcony watching the Old Faithful Geyser and playing games. We have a dinner reservation in the dining room a little later but I have an idea.

My husband and I want to have a dinner by ourselves and since the oldest carful of kid is babysitter certified, we give her a room key and some cash and send them to the cafe next to the dining room. It's a nice break when traveling with a carful of kids.

Dinner at Old Faithful Inn

We visited Yellowstone National Park years ago before we were parents and had dinner in the Old Faithful Inn's Dining Room. Well as luck would have it, we were seated at the same table that we ate at 15 years ago. Funny when your past and present intersect unexpectedly.

Up Next: Lake Hotel and Yellowstone Lake


Know before you go: If you have a limited time in the Old Faithful area, walk through Old Faithful Inn, witness Old Faithful Geyser and stop by Grand Prismatic Spring. Talk with the Park Rangers about seasonal traffic and road construction to prevent driving delays.

Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry to the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic.

I reserved an Old House Room with a shared bath for a reasonable $ 115 a night--yes there isn't a bathroom in this room but the facilities are amazing and right down the hall. A sink with a mirror and vanity is located in the room so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.

There are no televisions or radios in the OFI rooms but there are outlets to plug in your phone, though service is spotty throughout Yellowstone NP.

The lodging reservations within the National Park System is available 13 months in advance so you have to be persistent to get rooms in the more popular locations within Yellowstone NP. I was and got all the properties I wanted--MAKE RESERVATIONS months in advance, even for camping, if you are visiting Yellowstone NP during the high season.

Old Faithful Inn dinner reservations are recommended for the best times. Breakfast and Lunch are open-seating.

Old Faithful Inn and Geyser with the Carful of Kids

The first trip to Yellowstone National Park for the carful of kids

The carful of kids left Central Texas to explore the Rocky Mountains a while back, so far we've seen the Black Hills of South Dakota and Glacier National Park before heading across the Canadian Border to explore Banff and Jasper National Parks. We're on our way back home but first, we have a week to explore Yellowstone National Park.

The carful of kids spent the night in the Bozeman area after picking up Dad from the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport; this is a great alternative to Jackson, Wyoming. It's less expensive and more assessable than Jackson Hole for lodging, flights and rental cars--it also has all the provisions that you need to buy for a week in Yellowstone.

I recommend at least a week in Yellowstone NP, there's so much to experience in a park that encompasses 3,400 square miles. Yellowstone's world-class geothermal activity, premier animal viewing and unique geological features make this park a must-see destination.

Another new state for the carful of kids, it's a quick drive into Idaho from West Yellowstone. 

Since the carful of kids are collecting states like some people collect stamps, we enter Yellowstone National Park from the West Entrance after taking a side trip into Idaho, 15 miles from the town of West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone has all the services for Yellowstone visitors, though I find it a bit touristy for my taste.

Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry into the majority of national parks and monuments. Seasonal road closures affect most routes except the North and Northeast entrance which are open year-round to vehicles.

Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world when it was created in 1872, an idea that other countries would adopt to protect their special places. Yellowstone, derived from the descriptive French and Native American name for the area, has the highest concentration of geyers in the world and half of the world's geothermal features because of the Yellowstone Caldera, an active supervolcano.

Adventure awaits.

Where to start--no trip to Yellowstone is complete without visiting Old Faithful Inn and the Old Faithful Geyser, that erupts every 35 to 120 minutes with a certain amount of predictability. They're as much a symbol of Yellowstone as the bison; sure, you can visit America's favorite log building but if you can, try to stay in this ultimate log cabin.

On our first visit to Yellowstone NP years ago, I fell in love with Old Faithful Inn and vowed to stay here one day. So it was the first property I reserved and planned the rest of our trip around it. By checking the reservation system at least twice a week for months, I picked up two consecutive days in the original section of the hotel called Old House.

Was that a lot of trouble--Yes. Is it worth it--Absolutely. At that moment when we drive up and I see Old Faithful Inn--standing tall after earthquakes and epic wildfires--I knew my effort was not in vane. I had to share this experience with my kids.

My youngest taking it all in for the first time.

Walking through the pair of red doors into the towering lobby, I experience all the wonder with my kids. It's an amazing log cabin structure that was conceived and built by a relatively unknown 29-year old architect, Robert Reamer, over a hundred years ago. It is awe-inspiring.

The building is such an innovation that it gave rise to a new architectural style, National Park Service Rustic--most of the building materials were harvested within the park or constructed on site during the winter of 1903-1904. This gives Old Faithful Inn its irreplaceable organic feeling that got it named one of the 150 favorite buildings in the US by American Institute of Architects.

I check in for our two-night stay and the Old Faithful Inn staff greets me with the epitome of western hospitality. After leaving our luggage with the bell hop to place in our room when it's ready, the carful of kids head out to explore the area.

Old Faithful Geyser always draws a crowd.

Our first stop is the Old Faithful Geyser for its next scheduled eruption, park rangers are really good at estimating the time, and it's a must. Afterwards the carful of kids walk over to the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center to learn more about what goes on under the surface and to grab the Yellowstone Junior Ranger Booklets, $ 3 each at the bookstore.

Yellowstone NP also offers a Young Scientist Patch Program, the booklet is $ 5 and you can check out a pack full of equipment needed to conduct experiments. This is an excellent activity if you will be in the Old Faithful Area for a couple of days to finish the program.

Morning Glory Pool, one of my favorite pools in the Upper Geyser Basin.

I grab an Old Faithful Trail Guide to guide us through Upper Geyser Basin; our destination, Morning Glory Pool, a 2.8 mile walk roundtrip from the visitors center. This is great for families as the trail is paved or on wooden boardwalks--you pass the Castle Geyser and Grand Geyser along with many pools.

The Upper Geyser Basin along the Firehole River is a great introduction to the geothermal activity that Yellowstone is renowned. To keep this area for future generations, please follow all signs and stay on the trail.

Outside the Old Faithful General Store where you'll find food and souvenirs.

Nothing like a three-mile hike to get the carful of kids hungry, we stop by the Old Faithful General Store for lunch. This original log structure serves typical family-friendly food along with restrooms and souvenirs. A gas station is next door with ice and groceries too.

So glamorous, the vintage buses of Yellowstone.

The carful of kids feel refreshed after lunch and a Huckleberry Shake; good thing, we have an excursion planned for this afternoon that I reserved before our trip. I booked a tour of Fire Hole Basin on one of the 1937 yellow tour buses.

The Geyser Gazer Tour ( $ 26/ adults and $ 13/ kids 3 to 11) departs from the lobby of the Old Faithful Inn at 4:15 and takes us on an hour and a half long educational tour along Fire Hole Lake Drive. Our tour guide, Steve, is great and riding around in one of the remaining eight restored buses is a hoot--as much attention as the bus gets, you feel like you're riding with a celebrity.

Heading up the stairs to our room at Old Faithful Inn

After our tour, we decide to check out our room on the second floor so up the stairs we go. The details in the Old Faithful Inn make it a special place and even the room numbers were handmade during the recent renovation.

Our cozy room for the next two days, complete with a sink and vanity.

The room is a great place to sleep and change clothes, you won't find any entertainment included and my carful of kids are officially unplugged for our trip through Yellowstone. Data is hard to find and slow, Wi-Fi is scare and overloaded--take your pictures and forget about posting.

Our room is located just off the second floor mezzanine where there is plenty of seating for relaxing or reading. We grab a couple of drinks at the coffee bar and head out on the balcony overlooking Old Faithful, it's about to erupt again.

Watching Old Faithful erupt from the balcony of the Old Faithful Inn.

The second floor balcony is a great area with rows of benches for geyser watching and tables for sipping and socializing. The carful of kids pull out some cards and start playing a game--I won't lie, it's nice when your kids can entertain themselves.

Looking down into the Old Faithful Dining Room, 

After relaxing for a few minutes, it's time for dinner at the Old Faithful Dining Room. The dining room is casual enough that you can wear your hiking boots while enjoying seasonal entrees; they feature a children's menu as well.

I love the OFI china.

The carful of kids enjoy dinner and the waitstaff is efficient and friendly; we finish it off with a trio of seasonal ice creams that the kids inhale. After dinner we head back up to the second-floor mezzanine where a violinist entertains the hotel guests.

During the day, the Old Faithful Inn is quite contested but after dark the crowd dies down. The kids grab their bananagrams for family game night--Yellowstone style, on an historic gaming table.

The carful of kids enjoy sitting on the second-floor mezzanine, playing games.

Before you know it, the violinist is packing up and the guests start to retreat to their rooms. The carful of kids make their way to the bathrooms down the hall before calling it a night. We have another full day exploring the wonders around Old Faithful Inn.

This is the shared bathroom in the Old House of Old Faithful Inn.

Know before you go: I reserved an Old House Room with a shared bath for a reasonable $ 115 a night--yes there isn't a bathroom in this room but the facilities are amazing and right down the hall. A sink with a mirror and vanity is located in the room so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.

There are no televisions or radios in the OFI rooms but there are outlets to plug in your phone, though service is spotty throughout Yellowstone NP.

The reservations for the lodging within the National Park System is available 13 months in advance; during the high season you have to be persistent to get rooms at the more popular locations within Yellowstone NP. I was and got all the properties I wanted--MAKE RESERVATIONS months in advance, even for camping, if you are visiting Yellowstone NP during the high season.

Old Faithful Inn dinner reservations are recommended for the best times. Breakfast and Lunch are open-seating.

Up Next: Another day exploring the Old Faithful Inn Area and Madison Junction.