Yellowstone

I love Chico Hot Springs. They are about 45 minutes north of Gardiner and the Mammoth area. It's a great place for families and has very inexpensive accommodations all the way up to very fancy ones. They've also got horseback riding, a hotsprings pool, and an awesome old Inn with amazing food. I grew up in MT and it was always a family favorite!

I'm not sure how wilderness-y you are, or how much common sense you have so I'm just going to give you some general info... lol. :)

For attracions, I'm pretty sure you will want to hit Old Faithful. (obviously. lol.) They also have other hot springs that you can check out, very beautiful. Bear world is always worth a visit. You stay in your car, and drive through the exibit where the bears are free-range. They also have a wolf exibit, and petting zoo. Horseback tours are always pretty nice, and a great chance to see some nature. Yellowstone has awesome waterfalls if you know where to look. Also, if you see a bunch of people pulled over, chances are they are looking at something pretty cool-usually a buffalo, moose, or bear. Go ahead and pull over, get some pics. :)

Now for the common sense stuff... DON'T feed the wild animals!!! lol. You would be surprised at how many tourists try to feed the buffalo. They are not giant cows... they are generally fairly docile, but they can become aggressive if they think you are a threat to them or their young, and sometimes even coming too close will set them off. I remember one year someone tried to feed them, set them off, and got their truck flipped. Bears either, if you see any. Again, people do do this. We were driving home and a bunch of people were pulled over... across the street was a black bear (not as mean as a grizzly, but they can definitely do some damage!) One family was OUT of their car, with a freakin' hot dog saying 'here bear, here bear!' ... ok, this is not a dog. It WILL eat your face off. Moose are really mean too. If you see one, keep your distance. They will attack you without any provocation. If you are camping out at all, even if just the day, make sure all food is stored in airtight containers and away from your camp. You are gonna be in Bear Country, so precautions are a must. :)

as for lodging... the Yellowstone Lodge is pretty decent. I haven't stayed anywhere else that wasn't just a random campground... I agree with Andrea C. that Island Park is a great place to stay. :)

As I said... sorry if anything is so common sense you feel insulted that I even mention it... don't take any offense... but you would be surprised what people do. lol.

How great! I happen to live right near Yellowstone! It is such a fun place to go!

On your profile your kids look young... so you need to be SUPER extra careful with them... literally one defiant step of the boardwalk in Yellowstone could be a toddler's last, do to the thin crust! Obviously it is NOT a petting zoo... and the wildlife is dangerous, you need to tell your kids how important it is that they do not approach any animals- big or small! Being from CO, I would assume you already know all that- but make sure to prime your kids on it!

With my toddler we went this summer and visited old faithful, a few other geysers and pools and we went to canyon falls (which my daughter thought was SO COOL!)

There are a lot of awesome attractions in nearby Jackson, WY - my hometown! The Tetons are absolutely awesome... and there is a lot going on in august! If you don't stay in the park, Jackson is a great choice nearby.

We seldom ever have used our daughters harness/backpack because we want her to hold hands and listen to us when we are out and about, but Yellowstone is one of the places I wanted it as "back up"- It is hard in the hot summer to keep them stuck in a stroller the whole time, and having them run around free, even for a second- isn't worth the risk. In Jackson I grew up hearing too many sad stories about kids getting hurt or worse in the park... so have a good time- but be safe! make sure to take plenty of breaks with the kids, and if you can, bring plenty of snacks because the distance between "food" areas can be pretty long, and it is no fun listening to hungry, tired, cryin' tots when you are stuck going 10 miles an hour behind a bison jam, and the next stop is 25 miles away! OH, and bring at least one pair of dry clothes with you in the car for each person- in case you get "geysered" (my whole family was and we had to buy dry clothes from the gift shop- and they didn't sell one single toddler size outfit!)

Have a great time!
-M.

Every time we've gone we've rented HUGE cabins (for my husband's entire family-15 adults & 10 kids), so I can't give you any advice on that. We've always stayed in Island Park though. The only recommendations I have are for attractions & food. In West Yellowstone, I think that the Grizzly Discovery Center is fabulous. We happened to go when it was cloudy & overcast, with thunder rumbling in the distance. The wolves were howling at the thunder, and it was amazing! Also, since it was cooler, the wolves & bears were more active. They also have a time when the kids can be "junior bear handlers" (you have to be 7 I think) and before they let the bears out, they give the kids a bucket of frozen food & tell the kids to hide it under rocks, in fallen logs, etc. After all the kids are safely out, they let the bears out. It is fun to watch the bears search for the food. The kids especially get a kick out of watching a bear get the food they've stashed! I believe it was a bit pricey, but I thought it was worth it. They also have an IMAX theater there & the movies are usually really great too. I would suggest driving around Quake Lake & stopping at the visitor's center. It is neat too. Virginia City, MT is a fun old mining "ghost" town, but it is a little bit of a drive.

As far as in the park, we don't even stop at Old Faithful any more. It is WAY too crowded, and if you've seen it once, it isn't worth the wait & the crowds. Great Fountain Geyser was AMAZING, way better than old faithful. It was much taller, and lasted a lot longer. Also, there were only about 30 people watching it compared to the hundreds or so at Old Faithful. The waterfalls are also a must see for us, even Uncle Tom's Trail that has the 500+ stairs to the bottom of the falls. Two years ago, my daughter (then barely 3) walked the whole thing. I sat at the top though, since I was 37 weeks pregnant, and it was too hot for me. Norris Geyser Basin is a must see too. Mammoth is neat, but quite crowded, but you do get to see lots of elk milling around & munching on grass & leaves. We went to the north entrance last time & saw the Roosevelt Arch. It was neat too. The Lamar Valley is where you can (hopefully) spot some wolves and/or bears roaming aroung.

In West Yellowstone, Ernie's Deli is a fabulous place to get a "box lunch" to take into the park. Their sandwiches are huge (my husband & I usually share) & delicious. Arrowleaf is fabulous for ice cream too.

We usually go to Yellowstone every 3 years. We love everything about it except for the crazy amount of people & the stupidity of people. Make sure and bring lots of treats & snacks & to eat while in the park. Sometimes it is REALLY slow going on the roads. Also, bring extra water bottles and your patience!

Have tons of fun & make lots of memories!
Shellie

Lets not forget the tragedy of the people who were hurt camping their last summer! The animals weren't getting enough food and a bear mama attacked a campground. It is an awful story. She had three bear cubs who were malnourished, the cubs are currently at Zoo Montana unless they close next month.

Be very careful with the animals they are not friendly. Be very careful where you walk. The pools aren't very warm they are deadly.

Bring a first aid kit. And a cell phone in case you witness an idiot that happens to get hurt by not following the simple but life saving rules!

Have fun!

I grew up 50 miles from Yellowstone's East entrance in Cody and now live in Bozeman MT so we still go several times a year. In August there won't be as much wildlife out and about during the peak of the day since it will be too warm, but is you are early risers you can still see them out in the morning and later in the evening. Of course the Bison are out all day. Like everyone else has said, enjoy the animals from a distance. Be sure to take binoculars, even for your kids (cheap ones are great so they feel like they are being a big kid, but if they drop them you aren't out a ton of money). My son will be 5 soon and he loves to go see the mud pots "burp" and walk through the steam. Really, there is a ton to do in the park for families without breaking the bank. There are several trails away from the thermals that allow you to get out and stretch plus take in some scenery. There is a "children's walk" between Mammoth & Tower junction that my son loves - around each corner is a bit a info on something new and it's almost all on a boardwalk. If you plan to take a stroller, I would avoid the larger ones and the jogging types. They tend to be hard to maneuver in the crowds. We would use either the umbrella stroller or the backpack depending on the terrain we were in. And if you do go on a small hike, as long as you make noise - and with kids when isn't there noise - you shouldn't have to worry about startling any animals. If you have the option, I would pack food for lunches each day as the food in the park can be pricey and if your child is hungry "now" you don't want to have to hunt down a place to eat. We usually pack lunches and stop only for extra drinks or an occasional ice cream.
As far as were to stay, inside the park will be pricey and they tend to fill quickly. If you are willing to drive in each day staying in West Yellowstone, Gardiner or even Cooke City might be better. Several people have already mentioned the Island Park area. I know Gardiner has some great rentals a well - we looked into them when we were heading over for a photography session. And Chico Hot Springs is a bit father away, but t would be a great place for an end of trip stay - and you might even see a celebrity or two!
We are actually heading into the park in a few weeks! Living so close we usually go more in the winter than the summer since it's less crowded and easier to get around. If you want any more info or help planning, send me a message and I would love to help.
Enjoy your trip!

We found a home in Montana just about 5 miles from the west enterance of yellowstone and it was a awesome location. If you want the name and info, I can email it too you privately......will have to search a bit to get it, but I think it is in our records. It was $1500 for the 7 days, but we split it with my in laws. He was a sweet man. It was a wonderful idea he had that people could write in a guest book and gave ideas of what people did and their fav. thing. There was a ranch right near by which we did horse back riding . We did the normal sites all around the park. But also got to see the bear and wolf exhibit and a museum in town prior to the park enterance. I think it will depend what side you stay on to know what "extra" things are available too you.

We went to Yellowstone last August and had a BLAST! We camped at one of the first-come-first-served sites, and while there were a lot of precautions required (ie packing all food in car when not preparing/eating) to keep bears away, we had no problems. We were in one of the northern areas and it was beautiful. If you'd rather not camp, there are some RV sites, as well as cabins in the park that you can rent. I'd recommend staying in the park, since it's so large and you don't want to spend even more time traveling back and forth.

As far as things to do, there are far to many to get in one trip. Definitely see Old Faithful (get there early to get a seat, it gets crowded). We walked some of the hikes. The hot-pots are gorgeous and fascinating, but you have to keep a close eye on kids (for safety, you MUST stay on boardwalks and trails, the hot pots can be more dangerous than bears; we had a 4 year old and a very active 7 and 10 year old, made me nervous, but we did fine). The view point for Yellowstone Falls is also breathtaking, and not too long of a hike.

A couple of things to be prepared for: it's a very large park so plan on lots of travel time, last year there was some construction on the roads (I bet there's more this year), so there were some delays, the campsites can fill up so get there early, prices at gas stations, food, etc in the park are high so plan appropriately.

We often go to Island Park, Idaho, and it is about 30 minutes from West Yellowstone. The Pines at Island Park are really nice cabins, and reasonably priced. The cabins are fairly new, nicely furnished, have fully stocked kitchens, tv/satellite, fireplaces, and hot tubs. We love staying there because of the amenities and we save a bundle by being able to cook all our meals within the cabin rather than eating out. Have fun!

One thing my kids weren't so fond of is the smell. I'm not sure how you can prepare them, but after walking around some of the geysers and mudpots my kids weren't so excited about seeing more "smelly water". Most of the accommodations inside the park get booked up and are kinda expensive. We went in May one time and still had trouble finding reasonable accommodations. So my advice would be to figure out where you want to stay ASAP.