Family Trip to Yellowstone (with young kids)

Walking distance from the hotel (.39 miles). Free admission for Science Museum member. This museum has some nice exhibits (including a rescue helicopter) but is mostly for younger kids (3-10 years)

X2370091740405778

Able to use home phone number to get specials.

We could pick up Costco chicken on our way to the hotel and just eat there instead of going out. Needed to check when it closes on a Saturday...hours are different form our Bay Area store.

1.5 miles from hotel (optional)

Drive to Madison Junction and you can check the geyser erupt times at the ranger station there instead of going all the way to Old Faithful. There are also ranger talks every half hour for the kids so a good place to stop.

Then right on Grand loop drive and bear right onto Firehole Canyon Drive .6 miles later. As Firehole Canyon Drive climbs away from the river, look for rhyolite flow to the left. Stop at Firehole falls (1 m) and continue on to look at Firehole Cascade (2 m). There is a swimming area on the river where the waters are 75 degrees because of the hot spring. Don't submerge head or drink the water because of Legionella pneumophilia from the hot spring. Rejoin Grand Loop road and stop at Fountain Paint Pots. Map of drive... http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/interact….

Drive South About 8 miles from Madison Junction, entrance to Fountain Paint Point parking. See all four principal types of hydrothermal discharge: geysers, hot springs, steam vents and mud pots. Paint pot is an area of hot mud tinted by iron oxides. Bubbles of CO2 and HSO3 escape and smell like rotten eggs. http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/tours/fo…. Stroller friendly except for very short stairs at the end.

Parking area off Grand Loop road, 3 miles before Old Faithful.

Take the Old Faithful exit ramp off Grand Loop Road (17 miles from Madison). Check erupt times for Great Fountain Geyser, Riverside Geyser and Grand Geyser. Check for ranger walk schedule. Hike around Old Faithful http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/tours/ol…

Optional 30 minute hike while others are waiting for Old Faithful to erupt.

Park off Grand Loop Road (7 miles from Old Faithful). Highlight is Grand Prismatic Spring - the largest hot spring in the park. It's blue with blue green near the edges and rays of yellow, orange and brown. Colors are caused by pigments of different microorganisms. The lighter the color, the hotter the water. Some color is caused by minerals. If you don't want to go into the trail, you can see the runoff from the spring from the road.

Kids love to operate the self-guided auto audio tour rental units.
Good place to hang out if Peter gets tired.

Don't get confused by the Inn versus the Lodge. The Old Faithful Lodge is just a day use area ...the Inn (first turnoff on the left) is where we want to go.

On the way back from Old Faith, take Firehole Lake Drive. Drive past Firehold Spring, Surprise Pool, and park for Great Fountain Geyser. If timing doesn't work for Monday, we can shoot for Tues or Wed

Get map from Visitor Center then walk to Firehole River bridge (nice photo spot) then continue to trail. Don't miss the Riverside geyser erupting every 6-7 hours. If we're really lucky, we'll pass the Grand Geyser when it's erupting.