Basics: Be sure to fill up on gas before heading into remote areas, and as a general rule, try to keep your tank at least half full. While Yellowstone does have several gas stations within the park, they can still be many miles apart, and Glacier National Park has no gas stations inside the park at all. You’ll often be driving through long stretches of wilderness, so it’s much better to have more gas than you think you’ll need.

 

Cell phone service is also very limited throughout Yellowstone and Glacier. Yellowstone has coverage in some developed areas, but service can be unreliable and may become overwhelmed during the busy summer season. Glacier has even less coverage, with reception concentrated around a few developed areas. Download your maps, directions, and anything else you may need before heading into the parks. The National Park Service also recommends downloading its app for offline use. Don’t rely entirely on your phone for navigation. Having an offline map, or even a physical park map, as a backup can be extremely helpful when you’re miles from reliable cell service. Yellowstone itself recommends carrying a detailed map when hiking.

 

It’s also a good idea to carry plenty of water and snacks with you, especially when spending a full day in the parks. Services and food options can be limited, and you may find yourself much farther from a store or restaurant than expected.

 

Keep an eye on the weather and road conditions as well. Mountain weather can change quickly, and roads, parking areas, and attractions can be affected by seasonal conditions.

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Minyan: While both Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Kalispell, Montana, have Chabad centers, a minyan is not guaranteed year-round. During peak travel season, however, you can generally expect larger crowds, with a good chance of having a sizable minyan, and in some cases, multiple minyanim, throughout the day.

That said, it’s always best to plan ahead. Reach out directly to the Chabad rabbis before your trip to confirm minyan times and availability for the specific dates you’ll be in the area.

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Kosher Food:  Chabad of Jackson offers a convenient takeout option. However, at this time, Chabad of Flathead Valley, located in Kalispell, Montana, does not offer takeout.

Basic groceries and essentials can be found at most supermarkets and grocery stores in the area. For everything else, we prepared ahead of time, froze the food, and brought it along with us.

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For Shabbos, we ordered our meals through Greenfeld’s Shabbos on the Go package. They overnighted our order, and everything arrived fresh, well-packaged, and delicious. It was a very convenient option and made preparing for Shabbos while traveling much easier.

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Weather: The weather in the parks is generally cooler than in the surrounding areas because of the higher elevations, with the exception of Yellowstone’s thermal areas. However, don’t let the cooler temperatures fool you; the sun can be surprisingly strong, and temperatures can rise quickly, especially during the summer. There is very little shade in many areas of the parks, so it can get hot very quickly when you’re out in the open.

Because the parks are mountainous, mornings and evenings can be quite chilly, while afternoons can become warm or even very hot. Weather conditions can also change suddenly, as we experienced firsthand. Summers can bring intense heat and sun, while winters bring significant snowfall and much colder temperatures.

The dry mountain air can make the heat feel less intense than humid heat, so you may not realize how much you’re sweating or how quickly you’re becoming dehydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty, and be sure to protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen, a hat, and whatever shade you can find.

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Hotels & Attractions:  We stayed at three different places throughout our trip, mainly because we wanted to have a comfortable home base that was relatively close to the parks we were exploring each day. This worked out well and helped us avoid spending even more time on the road.

 

Grand Teton: Jackson Hole can get quite expensive, especially during the peak summer season. We found a cabin a little outside of Jackson Hole that was more affordable and worked well for our needs. The cabin was located within a small resort/RV park. It was a bit smaller than we had anticipated, but since we were out exploring most of the day, it worked out perfectly fine for us.

 

Yellowstone: We stayed at Blue Buffalo Resort in Island Park, Idaho. Under normal conditions, it’s about a 30–40 minute drive to Yellowstone’s West Entrance. However, because of road repairs during our visit, the drive ended up taking closer to an hour each day to get into the park.

The resort itself was beautiful and very well maintained. Our cabin was a genuine log cabin that was spotless, spacious, and comfortable. The resort also offered complimentary bike and kayak/canoe rentals.

We also enjoyed spending some time on the resort property, and we really appreciated the helpful insider tips and recommendations they provided as part of our stay.

 

Glacier: We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb in Columbia Falls, Montana, about a 20-minute drive from the West Entrance of Glacier National Park. The location was very convenient for exploring the park, and our hosts were exceptionally helpful and informative. They gave us great recommendations and were always available to answer questions, which made our stay even more enjoyable.

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Park Tips: State and national parks typically have relatively small parking lots at the main attractions. During peak season, parking can fill up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon for a better chance of finding a spot. Some national parks also require visitors to use shuttles during the busiest times. Shuttle bus rules, reservation requirements, and operating schedules during peak season can change from year to year. Be sure to check the individual park’s official website for the most up-to-date information before booking your trip, especially if your itinerary depends on using a shuttle or requires advance reservations.

 

The parks are large and generally do a good job handling crowds, but it’s still a good idea to plan ahead. If you’re looking to book an adventure or guided tour—such as hiking, canyoneering, rafting, or other activities—be sure to reserve in advance to get the best selection of dates and times.

If you plan to visit more than two national parks during your trip, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. 

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Another great option for families is the 4th Grade Pass. Fourth graders can receive an America the Beautiful pass at no cost, providing free access to participating federal recreation sites, including national parks. Since our son had just finished 4th grade, we took advantage of this program. We filled out a quick online form and received a confirmation email shortly afterward. We simply printed the confirmation and presented it when we entered the first park, where we were issued the 4th Grade Pass.

One important tip: Make sure your 4th grader is with you when using the pass. Rangers may ask to see the qualifying child before allowing you to enter with the pass.

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Each of these parks is very different, so it’s important to plan your time accordingly. Grand Teton National Park is relatively small and can be covered comfortably in a 2–3 day visit. Yellowstone National Park, on the other hand, is enormous. Once you enter the park, it’s not unusual to drive another hour or more before reaching your destination, and many of the major attractions are quite far from one another. Be sure to factor in plenty of driving time between stops when planning your itinerary.

 

Yellowstone’s geothermal areas also have very little shade, and the summer sun can be surprisingly intense. Even if you’re only planning a short walk, bring plenty of cold water and drinks with you. And while Yellowstone’s geothermal features are incredible and definitely worth seeing, don’t limit your visit to just the geysers and hot springs. The park offers an amazing variety of landscapes, wildlife, mountains, rivers, and waterfalls. We actually found ourselves enjoying the magnificent scenery and views on our final day in the park the most.

 

Glacier National Park requires a little more planning as well. One thing we didn’t realize when creating our itinerary was that not all areas of the park are connected by roads within the park itself. We ended up having to leave the park and drive around to reach another entrance, which cost us valuable time. Do your research ahead of time and make sure you understand how the different areas of the park connect. Glacier’s beauty is truly unmatched, and you don’t want to spend your limited time there sitting in the car when you could be out exploring.

If you’re planning to visit the Many Glacier area, be sure to reserve your shuttle or transportation passes as early as possible, as they can sell out well in advance, sometimes up to a week ahead of time.