Our family trip from Denver to Yellowstone – a recap (page 3 of 4)

Day 15: This time, we tackle the north side of the canyon (parking half-empty—nice!) with our first viewpoint from Overlook Point. We head down to Red Rock Point (about 1 km, 150 m elevation change). Gorgeous—a beautiful rainbow forms at the base of the waterfall. The climb back up is pretty steep, but it’s definitely worth seeing.

We meet up with Brink of the Lower Falls (just over 2 km for 180 meters of elevation change) via the North Rim Trail, which offers some lovely viewpoints. We spot Upper Falls in the distance—way more impressive from here than from Upper Falls View. From Brink of the Lower Falls, the return trip is also pretty steep. The view is completely different since you end up on a platform overlooking Lower Falls. Worth seeing, but I much preferred the view from Red Rock Point. We probably should’ve done these hikes in the opposite direction to enjoy them more. We take the North Rim Trail back to Grand View. The rest of the trail is closed for construction.

After a break at the Visitor Center, we head toward Yellowstone Lake via Hayden Valley. More stunning landscapes. We watch two bison crossing the Yellowstone River. They swim well despite their size.

Farther on, pelicans are peacefully wading. We turn around at Sulfur Caldron, where a bison doesn’t seem bothered by the smells. We reach Petrified Tree via Dunraven Pass, which we never get tired of.

Short hike to Troot Lake (3 km round trip, easy). It’s charming, and we don’t run into anyone. At the end of the day, we get back in the car to drive Blacktail Plateau Drive—a one-way (west/east) unpaved road open to all vehicles. This area is known for bears. On the main road, a crowd makes us stop, but the bear just left for the woods... We’re alone on this trail, scanning everywhere, but no bears in sight! Pretty disappointed, we head back to the cabin.

For dinner tonight, we eat at the Roosevelt Lodge Dining Room. The food is good, and the prices are very reasonable.

Day 16: We got up before sunrise to try and spot wolves in Lamar Valley. We parked in a lot where several people were scanning the surrounding plains with huge telephoto lenses. No wolves in sight, but a grizzly climbing a hill. It was quite far away. Just as I went to take photos, I realized my camera hadn’t charged overnight—dead battery. Someone kindly offered to let us look through their telephoto lens. Super nice. Another person told us the wolves were somewhere else today. We followed them by car, but still nothing on the horizon. We wouldn’t see any wolves. We figured we’re just not lucky with wildlife this trip.

Back at the cabin, check-out, and off to our next stop, Grand Teton. Already the last day in Yellowstone! A deer was grazing just a few meters from the cabins. Barely had we left when a kid spotted a bear in the underbrush. We were alone, no other cars, so we stopped in the middle of the road—even though it’s not the best idea—to watch it. The cars that arrived after us did the same. We left pretty quickly because it was blocking traffic. The mood in the car lifted!

We arrived at Norris Geyser Basin fairly early. Plenty of free parking spots. We started with Porcelain Basin (a 1.5 km loop on boardwalks, easy). I’ll say it again—it’s stunning! It’s "milky," quite misty in the early morning, and you feel like you’re on another planet.

Part of the loop was closed. We headed to Back Basin but didn’t see Echinus Geyser erupt. The atmosphere was beautiful with steam rising above the green of the river or the blue of the pools. The colors seemed unreal here too. I lagged behind—no big deal, it’s a loop, everyone goes at their own pace, and we’d meet back at the car. Guess who arrived last?

Splitting up the geyser areas by spending several days in the west and north of the park—with its very different landscapes—let us appreciate Norris at its true value. It’s a gorgeous basin, but according to comments, it often disappoints if you visit right after Old Faithful. And I have to admit, the kids were pretty tired of geysers after two days. Sounds crazy, but that’s how they felt!

The day was far from over, and after managing to escape the parking lot (we hadn’t parked near the exit, which cost us 15 minutes of waiting to get out), we took Firehole Canyon Road, a one-way north-south route. Not many people, so it was relaxing. A small waterfall was visible from the road.

Next, we headed to the Fairy Falls parking lot to hike up to the Grand Prismatic overlook, this time under bright sunshine. No comparison! I’ll post a photo with and without sun—no need for words.

The pools along the trail were also beautiful.

We couldn’t resist one last stop at Old Faithful to admire the geyser again. The kids picked up their Junior Ranger badges, and then we hit the road toward Grand Teton.

Our last stop of the day was Lewis Falls. It’s not an exceptional waterfall, but it’s right by the road. On the other side, the view of the plain with the Lewis River was pretty nice.

At the border of the two parks, a grizzly was strolling calmly just a few meters from the road. Amazing. It even looked at us for the photo. We were really spoiled. Turns out, we saw more wildlife without even looking for it than by going to the "famous" spots!

We arrived at Colter Bay Village. We’d planned to go kayaking, but we would’ve needed to arrive before 4:00 PM since it closes at 6:00 PM and rentals are for a minimum of 2 hours. Maybe tomorrow. After stopping by the Visitor Center, I tried to rally the troops for Lakeshore Trail—a 4 km easy hike—but no luck. We just relaxed by Jackson Lake for a bit instead. We checked into our "tent cabin" for the night. Cheap for the location (90 €), but honestly, not great.

Wow, you guys saw bears! How lucky! I love your photos of Grand Prismatic—you can really see the difference. We often say it, but the weather really does change everything. Looking forward to the rest of your updates.

Hi Françoise,

Yes, we were lucky with the bears... and it's not over yet.

We spent 7 days in Yellowstone and don’t regret it at all. It allowed us to visit the most popular spots outside of peak hours and explore at our own pace, without having to rush from one site to another. It also helped us deal with the weather, which was kind to us—just one mixed day out of six with glorious sunshine. Even so, we didn’t manage to do everything we’d planned!

As for accommodation, it’s not as expensive as you’d think to stay inside the park by booking a cabin without private facilities (the shared bathrooms were always nearby and clean). The exception is Canyon Village, where prices are much higher. And what a joy it was to have some sites almost to ourselves.

More to come soon, Have a great Sunday,

Day 17: Early start at Signal Mountain. A ranger, stationed at the bottom, warns us about bears and reminds us of safety rules. Halfway up, a car is stopped in the opposite direction to watch a bear. There’s no one behind us, so we make a quick stop. The ranger’s car pulls up behind us, and we drive off. Missed photos, no big deal—the day’s off to a great start!

The two viewpoints offer a lovely view of the park. On the way down, we don’t run into the bear again (too bad), but we do see the ranger talking into his walkie-talkie while gesturing—two cars are parked on the side of the road with no one inside.

Short on time, we had to choose between Jenny Lake and Taggart Lake. We went with the latter, which seemed wilder, doing the loop to Bradley Lake (about 9 km, challenging). Not long after setting off, we hear a waterfall in the distance. Then a weasel plays in the foliage. We found this hike, rated as moderate, pretty tiring—there’s quite a bit of climbing. It was the toughest hike we did. But it’s worth it—these two lakes are stunning. Plus, we didn’t run into many people, even though the parking lot was full. Taggart Lake: Bradley Lake:

Back at Colter Bay for some kayaking. Nice, relaxing time. The kids had more fun than on the hikes!

Time’s flying, and our lodging for the night is still far away. We head south on Highway 191, stopping—because I insisted—at Mormon Row. It’s not the best time of day; the sun’s in our eyes. We don’t have time to visit Menors Ferry Historic District.

One of the regrets of this trip: we should’ve planned two nights here to enjoy it more. Even if it’s not the most exotic park, it’s still a beautiful one that, for us, deserved a deeper visit.

Our lodging is in Afton—another two hours of driving! Quick drive through Jackson Hole. Why did we book so far away? Partly because we didn’t think we’d spend so much time in the park, hotels in Jackson Hole are crazy expensive, and we had a long drive the next day. Nice road, though—this area has lots of ranches.

We arrive very late at Colter’s Lodge, which doesn’t look like much from the outside but is gorgeous inside. We have our best meal of the trip at the hotel’s restaurant, which luckily stays open late. We stand out in our grubby T-shirts and shorts after a day in Grand Teton, surrounded by locals in cowboy gear. No one bats an eye—everyone’s friendly, asking where we’re from. Many have never traveled.

Huge room with super comfy beds, 114 € without breakfast. No elevator to the rooms, but the receptionist offered to help.

Hi Laurence,

Funny, we just posted about our day at Grand Teton almost at the same time. This park is often seen as "similar to the ones we have back home." Maybe that’s true for those who live in the mountains, but not for us city dwellers. Like you, I should’ve planned one more night there to enjoy it even more. Happy holidays! See you soon, Françoise.

Hi Françoise,

We live right near the Alps, and yet we really enjoyed this park. It’s much less exotic than others, true, but it’s very beautiful with lots of hiking opportunities.

I’m loving your travel journal—your photos are gorgeous!

Happy holidays to everyone,

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year!

Day 18: A long drive planned today to Vernal (280 miles). We didn’t leave super early—the beds were just too comfy! The landscapes kept changing: mostly farmland and ranches at first, then some rocks in a pretty arid setting. We barely saw any cars and our last antelopes, plus some wading birds (herons?). We stopped in a village where a rodeo was getting ready, but it hadn’t started yet, and we couldn’t afford the delay. Too bad—we only had time to admire the horses.

We approached Flaming Gorge from the west side. We turned onto the Sheep Creek Loop and came across a herd of bighorn sheep. A really scenic road winding through red rocks. We stopped at the Red Canyon Visitor Center, which offered great views of the canyon. We decided to push on to the dam—what’s a few more miles at this point? Well, we could’ve skipped it.

We arrived late in the day at the Vernal KOA, where we’re staying in a cabin. No neighbors—we’re the only cabin occupied. Fun fact: it’s the first time our cabin has had a fridge.

A transitional day that won’t go down in the history books, even if Flaming Gorge had some nice viewpoints.

Day 19: Our day was supposed to be dedicated to the Utah side of Dinosaur NM. We arrive for the opening of the Visitor Center and then decide to walk to the Quarry Exhibit Hall via the Fossil Discovery Trail (2 km, easy). The sun is already beating down hard on this shadeless path. It’s certainly an interesting walk with a ranger, but I have to admit we didn’t see much despite the explanatory signs. Plus, the horizon is hazy (pollution, wildfires?). And the walk is better done in the other direction to be downhill!

Visit to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. It’s definitely worth seeing. The concentration of fossilized skeletons (over 1,500 bones on the wall) is really surprising. You can touch some of them, there are several explanatory panels, and we stayed for quite a while.



After returning to the VC by shuttle, we had planned to do the "Desert Voice Trail" walk. The crushing heat makes us give up, and we head straight down Cub Creek Road toward Josie Morris Cabin, with several stops along the way, including to see the petroglyphs near the road.

A peaceful picnic in the shade in front of the cabin. It’s really nice, and we’re alone. We decide to follow the trails leading to canyons and start with the Hog Canyon Trail (2.5 km round trip, easy). We come across a snake slithering away at full speed. It’s way too hot—we finish the walk red as tomatoes. It’s not even that long, but we feel like we’ve drunk a ton. Back to the car, luckily in the shade, and no one wants to do the second walk, even though it’s shorter.



We leave the park much earlier than planned. The temperature hits 42°C, and the kids want to go back to the campsite to swim. I know full well that if we go back to the campsite, we won’t have the energy to drive 2 hours round trip to see Fantasy Canyon.

So let’s go right away, even if it’s not the best time. We first follow the Green River along Red Wash Road—a pretty drive before joining the main road. We don’t see a single car for over 45 minutes! It’s really in the middle of nowhere. The GPS has us leave the road pretty quickly, and we’re on dirt tracks (very drivable) going up and down hills in a desert landscape full of oil fields. We obediently follow the GPS, hoping it’ll take us to the right place!

To our great surprise, we come across about twenty horses. But what are they doing here? In a place like this? They’re skittish and move away as soon as the car stops. Wild horses? Well, that’ll make up for our missed meet-up with the ones in Bighorn Canyon! We’ll see more on the way back when we reach the road.

We also come across a dead cow drying stiff in the sun. It’s macabre. This isn’t the time to break down!

We finally see a sign for Fantasy Canyon. It’s still pretty far, and we’ll see on the way back that we didn’t take the shortest route. A car is parked there—it belongs to two young French guys who are leaving. We visit the site in over 40°C heat. The shapes are quite surprising, but the site is small. It’s not the right time for colors, though—we knew that. Everything is beige/gray, and it’s just too hot. Not pleasant at all.

Another car arrives—more French people! We chat for a bit and then head back to Vernal.

This time, we follow the signs (not the GPS) and are surprised to reach the road so quickly. Summary of this visit: a lot of driving for a pretty small site, but it’s out of the ordinary. I think you really need to go at sunset to get the beautiful colors. We didn’t appreciate it as much as we should have—it’s too bad. We could’ve (or some of us could’ve) skipped it.

Hello Laurence, Oh, I’m so glad to hear your thoughts on Fantasy Canyon. It was on our itinerary too, but we skipped it since my husband really didn’t want to drive that much on dirt roads. It’s true that at that time of day, it’s not very pretty, but if we’d gone at sunset, we would’ve had to drive back on that rough road almost in the dark… You got some gorgeous colors at Flaming Gorge! Looking forward to the rest of your updates, Françoise.

Hi there,

I'm finally back to finish my travel journal...

Day 20: Early morning departure from Vernal to cross the Utah section of Dinosaur NM via Harpers Corner Road. We stop at the various viewpoints, but while it's sunny, the sky isn't very blue. At the end of the road, we do the Harpers Corner Trail (2.3 miles round trip, easy). The view is gorgeous, but it's a shame the visibility isn't better with a clearer sky. It still makes for a pretty long round trip.

On the way to Colorado National Monument via the scenic Route 139. Unfortunately, there are wildfires in the area, and we're stopped at one point due to a fire near the road. We see several fire trucks stationed along the way, ready to intervene. We arrive at Colorado NM much later than planned, under a rather cloudy sky. I really loved this park—it's stunning. Maybe we were just craving those red rocks! After stopping at Balanced Rock, we continue with the Canyon Rim Trail and Window Rock Trail. Short and very easy hikes with beautiful viewpoints. We stop at the various viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. The rocks have such beautiful colors. We spot several bighorn sheep along the road.

Night at the Super 8 in Grand Junction—the bench bed was still poor quality.

Day 21: We decided to take a detour to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park—a canyon different from the ones we’ve seen so far. After stopping by the visitor center, where we learned that visibility was reduced due to a major wildfire further west in Colorado, we headed straight to High Point to do the Warner Point Nature Trail (1.5 miles round trip, easy). There too, some really pretty viewpoints and almost no one around. On the way back, we stopped at several viewpoints. It’s a stunning canyon, very deep and quite different from the others because of the color of the rocks.

As usual, we took way longer than planned. We’d planned a stop at Pine Creek in Curecanti to do at least part of the hike, then head back up via Route 92 on the north side to Glenwood Springs, our stop for the night.

No way with the time—it’s almost a 4-hour drive without stops. So we took the shortest route, skirting the park to the west. Just 3 hours of driving! We made a quick stop at the “Coke Ovens” by the roadside in Redstone. More pretty scenery, but the road—with several construction zones—felt *really* long. Plus, with the sunset, lots of deer were crossing, so we had to stay extra alert.

Day’s recap: beautiful canyon, but a *very* long drive and not much hiking in the end. Looking back, we probably should’ve explored Colorado National Monument more with extra hikes and headed straight to Glenwood Springs. Night at Quality Inn & Suites on the River: great, indoor pool, really good breakfast, comfy beds (130 €).

J22: We're at the Hanging Lake parking lot bright and early—it's already pretty full by 7:30 AM. The trail from the parking lot to the start of the hike offers a really nice setting right away.

On the way there On the way back The hike climbs a lot, but it’s manageable if you take it easy. The last section, the steepest part, has stairs installed. Several benches are placed along the shaded trail that follows a river (4.5 km round trip, moderate difficulty).

There are several rocky sections, so make sure you’ve got good shoes and bring plenty of water. That said, on the way down, we saw people hiking up in clogs like Crocs... What a sight when you reach the top! The lake is a beautiful green and totally worth the climb. We push on to the waterfall just above. You can walk behind it.

On the way back to the car, we spot a doe and her fawns following the railroad tracks on the other side of the Colorado River.

After grabbing our things from the hotel, we switch gears completely—our next stop is the outlets in Silverthorne. For once, it’s not me dragging my feet! The outlets are nice, spread out over several areas, with good prices. Our suitcases are full (but the bill is much less!), and we head to the outskirts of Denver, where we’re staying at the Drury Inn and Suites Denver Westminster. It’s a really nice hotel, with a snack offered every day from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (more like 7:30 PM, actually). It’s basically a buffet that easily serves as dinner, even if it’s early. Sodas and popcorn are available for free all day. It’s the most expensive hotel of our trip (outside the parks), but it’s got a great value for money (175 €).

Hi Laurence,

I’ve just finished reading your trip report. It’s really enjoyable, and I discovered some places I didn’t know about! You didn’t always have fantastic weather, but it seems like you still soaked in so much beauty despite that!

We’re starting to think we’re just unlucky with wildlife.

Speaking of which, I think some people would’ve been thrilled to spot a bear in Yellowstone or Grand Teton—so running into several must’ve been amazing! 😛

Good evening,

I just realized I hadn’t finished my travel journal! Well, better late than never...

Day 23: Off to our last park—the Rocky Mountains. We take Route 92, which is really scenic, then Route 7. First stop at Lily Lake, which we quickly walk around. It’s pretty, and since we weren’t heading to the Bear Lake area, it was a nice way to take a stroll around a lake. We take Old Fall River Road—a great road in dry weather, accessible to all vehicles. We stop to see Chasm Falls. Meh. The road winds uphill with some lovely viewpoints. Two cars are stopped ahead of us, blocking the way. People are waving us down. We get out, and several elk are calmly resting in a meadow. We watch them for a while, but more and more people arrive, and the first cars are really taking their time, so everyone’s stuck. A few turns later, it’s a group of marmots blocking traffic. They’re huge! We finally reach the top and stop to do the Chapin Creek Trailhead. The trail isn’t long, but it’s steep, and the altitude really hits you. The sky starts to cloud over—too bad for the views. More marmots, not shy at all. We stop at the visitor center, which also has a great view, then head back down the main road, making a few stops at the main viewpoints—but the sky’s gotten pretty overcast. On our way out, near Sheep Lakes, a crowd makes us stop. A bear—really far away and hard to spot, even with the binoculars someone kindly lent us (it took a while to explain where to look!)—was lounging on a rock.

This last day was packed with wildlife encounters. We’re thrilled. Once again, I wish we’d planned more time to explore this park, which we really enjoyed, even if we only saw a little of it. We needed one more day to hike around the Bear Lake area.

Day 24: Our last day already! After a thorough car wash at a professional station for $20—while the kids enjoy the pool one last time—we head into Denver. Our flight leaves in the late afternoon. The streets are nicely decorated for a cycling race arriving the next day. We didn’t see much of it, though—the kids just wanted to go shopping.

In summary, it was a beautiful trip with some real highlights and great encounters, even if the weather wasn’t always perfect. I have a slight feeling we rushed through some places—we might’ve been a bit too ambitious with our itinerary, especially in the second half when the miles started to add up, even though we avoided overly long driving days. Yellowstone was the standout, but we also made some great discoveries, like Badlands NP, a park that really deserves a deeper visit.

And that’s it—this travel journal is finally done!

Happy travels, everyone—make the most of it!

Hi Laurence,

I realized I never finished my travel journal! But it’s never too late...

Thanks for this end to the journal—still packed with amazing wildlife encounters!

Yellowstone was at the top of the list, but we also made some great discoveries, like Badlands NP, a park that really deserves a deep dive.

That’ll be the excuse to go back 😉 What’s the next plan? Thanks again.

Hi Fanny,

Thanks for following my travel journal. We’ll definitely go back! But for this year, we’re heading somewhere completely different: Russia. The itinerary is almost finalized—I’m just fine-tuning the stops. I love this planning phase; it’s like traveling already!

Have a great weekend,

Gorgeous photos! It's true you should visit Mount Rushmore in the morning before the sun shifts (same tip for Moraine Lake in Alberta in the Canadian Rockies!!). Just a small note that doesn’t take away from the quality of your story: it’s helpful to mention the states and when you cross from one to another! Thanks—I’ll keep reading your report.

I just finished reading the whole travel journal! So well written and enjoyable to read!! What camera did you use, please? We’re heading to Colter Bay Village in mid-September, staying in a log cabin—apparently, it’s really poorly soundproofed!! It’ll probably be cooler by then!! I happily revisited several spots we’ve visited on different trips! Ugh, the US virus got us again! The big unknown: the weather in Yellowstone. I was surprised to see pelicans—I thought they only lived in warmer climates!! Thanks in advance for the answers, and once again, great job!

Hi Hugues,

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. The weather is always a wildcard you’ve got to roll with. It’s always good to have a Plan B! But sometimes a landscape can turn out stunning under stormy skies—it gives everything these really special tones. Not exactly fun for a stroll, though! Our camera is a Sony DSC-H400.

Have a great trip in September,