Yellowstone National Park Outing

July 1st - 6th, 2004

Last year we chose to go to Yellowstone National Park for a family vacation, and we had a great time. We are planning on going again this year, and wanted to invite a lot of friends and family. This page is to provide all of the information that we found about where to stay and what to do! It will also outline our plans for this trip ... join us!

We'll probably be heading up the evening of July 1st (Thursday) to beat the crowds on Friday. It's an easy drive and if we leave earlier this year we could even be there before midnight! We'll end up staying through the 5th (since we have that as a holiday) and plan to be home that evening ... or maybe on the 6th.

Some of the details:

We are going to stay just outside of West Yellowstone, Montana. This is a cool little town located at the West Entrance to Yellowstone. There are restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, etc.
Since we have a trailer, we'll be staying at the KOA Kampground that is located just outside of town. The KOA has trailer sites, tent sites, and also has KOA Kabins! They also have a lot of activities for the kids including an indoor pool! You can check out the rates and activities here! (I almost forgot ... in the KOA I was able to pick up 802.11b wireless, so Internet Access is possible.)
From the KOA, you are only 5-10 minutes out of town, and 10-15 from the park entrance. Day trips to any part of the park are easy from here.
Oh yeah ... Fireworks! Last year we were surprised to find that Montana has some really cool fireworks laws. Pretty much everything is legal! On top of that, just up the road from the KOA (~2 miles) is where Black Cat has a sales location ... Shining Mountain Fireworks ... and a huge open field where you can light what you bought. We bought a bunch of "Aerials" which are the large "shells" that launch from a tube and produce the various beautiful displays like the ones above.
Plan for hot days and cool nights ... the weather can vary drastically. Plan on bringing clothes and shoes for hiking. There are a wide range of trails and boardwalks from beginner to advanced. You might also want to bring a hat or umbrella as the sun can be very hot during the day. Bring water bottles and daypacks for food and supplies. Bring cameras, video cameras, etc.

What to do:

Contact us and tell us you are interested!
Check out the sites and see where you want to stay!

Last updated: February 23, 2004