Mountain retreat for a week or so

[an_asker]

Buddies are taking a trip to one of these sites (I won't mention which one as someone from the group might be here lol), and I am locked out of it (unlike "Nouvou Riche" who posted earlier today, my budget doesn't allow me to join them)

The options I am looking at, in no particular order:

- Banff National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Tetons National Park
- Colorado Rockies

Yes, I can probably do a whole lot of research online, but I was hoping that you could help me a bit by sharing your own experiences.

Specifically, my questions include (and are not limited to):

- could you please help me compare and contrast the above and/or suggest others in the area that are more bang for the buck

- for each of these, what would be a good time to visit ... if we are looking for 60 degrees plus weather during the daytime and generally good weather without rain (and hopefully sunlight as a bonus)

- would any of these be low on the bear fear category? While I would love to see bears, I am sh*t scared of getting anywhere close to one. And would any of the "good time to visit" (previous question) also include "low bear threat" or will they more or less hand in hand?

- what would be a good amount to budget for budget accommodation, and for which of these would it be absolutely a deal breaker to go budget rather than high price in park accommodation?

Hope I can get a general feel based on the answers, so I can then look at figuring out when, and where we go. Then I can deep dive on research for that particular place.

Thanks a lot in advance!

[mkbkxepq]

Banff, Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are all in Grizzly Bear territory. The Colorado Rockies are not.

That being said, I have hiked in all of those areas (and in Alaska) and have never seen a Griz. The closest I've ever come to a bear was a black bear in a dumster right off the strip in Gatlinburg, TN.

Take normal bear precautions and you'll be fine. Make noise, hike in large groups, carry bear spray.

[Random Poster]

Best time to visit any of your proposed locations, in my view, is mid/late September and early October.

Warm days, cool nights, kids are in school so there are fewer overall tourists around, chance of snow is minimal (but not non-existent), trees are changing colors, and so on.

[livesoft]

I was just in RMNP in September. We had a bear within 25 feet of our tents in a backcountry site. I have not been to Banff, but in all the others I was within 50 yards of a bear or bears in their native habitat (i.e. not in a cage).

Are you afraid of moose? All moose were even closer than the bears I saw. Photos available upon request.

Best time to visit any of your proposed locations, in my view, is mid/late September and early October.

While I completely agree with the above, one has to check whether the concessions and restaurants would still be open if that's your thing. The places will be open, but one may need to be self-sufficient. That time is perfect for the newly wed and the nearly dead.

[mhc]

I look out my bedroom window every morning and see the Colorado Rockies. I have been to all on your list except Banff.

Yellowstone is the most amazing place on the earth.

Based on your list of requirements, the Colorado Rockies is the best choice. Since you did not say you needed to be in a National Park, then you have the whole state to choose from; otherwise choose Estes Park to be by RMNP.

Bears are a non-issue. Seriously, they are a non-issue.

Middle of June through October is a good time to visit if you are not interested in snow.

It does not really rain in Colorado. In the summer every afternoon from 2:00-5:00 pm there is a chance of some rain. It is not every day and it isn't much. Where I live on the Front Range, we get 15" of precipitation a year, which includes 60" of snow. Not much rain.

The YMCA of the Rockies may be a good budget option. There are two locations. Both locations are great. Google them.

More info is needed to give better recommendations.
1. you, you + spouse, you + family ?
2. what do you like to do? hike, raft, fish, drink beer, ...
3. flying or driving from where?
4. how long of a vacation?

[Random Musings]

All great places to visit. Would avoid in July/August as visitation is extremely high during these times. Even the shoulder months (where temperatures are still nice) are far busier compared to years past.

Saying that, I think Yellowstone/Grand Teton NP has the best bang for the buck due to their proximity and differences. I would spend a minimum of seven days there if you have never visited before. But all those options are really good, I like them all.

I've only seen two grizzlies, just outside of Yellowstone Park. Most of the black bears I have seen were at the Smokies, Shenandoah and other parts of the Appalachian Mountain range. Seen moose around the Grand Tetons, they are big and can be mean. Seen tons of bison, but like any wild animal you have to pay attention to your surroundings. Frankly, I would be far more concerned about the risks involved with driving and people than wild animals.

RM

[snackdog]

I don’t understand. You are locked out but you are going?? Or trying to see if they chose a BH- endorsed time and place?

[an_asker]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Trying to answer everyone right here. Hopefully, I can cover all questions.

I don’t understand. You are locked out but you are going?? Or trying to see if they chose a BH- endorsed time and place?

I am locked out of that group - way out of my league. Doesn't mean I cannot plan out something on my own which is similar and/or different

Who? Well, that depends. DS is in undergrad school doing internship and DD will be heading to college in the fall. So, anytime after say August, it will be either just me or me and my wife.

Where from? Central Florida area. Will need to fly in to a closer airport then rent a car.

What do you like to do? Mainly sightseeing and hiking (away from wildlife).

How many days? I would think that a week minimum is what I am thinking. Nice thing is both DW and I can WFA (Work From Anywhere), so if it just the two of us, we could spend more time there and go outside in the afternoons/evenings. Kids might not want to stay out that long (but if we pick RMNP, looks like kids can tag along).

I cannot believe bears are a non-issue. Still sh*t scared!

Moose we've seen a couple - at midnight w/ reasonably bright daylight in early July - on Alaska Highway (somewhere between Fairbanks to Talkeetna). We were in a car, so Mama and kiddo Moose didn't worry us - or vice versa (they are used to the traffic I guess because they stayed on the road even after we stopped, then slowly walked away).

[WoodSpinner]

OP,

Well I have been to all of these parks several times and would happily spend time in any of them again.

Agree that Sep/Oct are great months to visit, but May can also be pretty amazing. All of them get weather!! I have been snowed on in July in just about all of these parks as well.

As for BEARS, the biggest problem are (IMHO) are the Bear Jams and insane tourists who spot a bear and act incredibly stupid trying to get pictures. I doubt you will have any issues if you are out for day hikes. Just ask the rangers about recent reports, rent some, bear spray (more for your piece of mind), and make some noise while hiking.

Many of us head to these areas for the wildlife but there is some amazing scenery.

Might consider flying into Boszman MT and spending a week in Yellowstone (it’s a HUGE park) and I would try for 2-3 different hotels — you may be a bit limited on accommodations in the park depending on when you go.

Alternatively, rent a cabin near Jackson, West Yellowstone, Gardner of Cody and explore—a bit more driving but doable.

WoodSpinner

[chiliagon]

A grizzly bear and I once surprised each other in Jasper. I was jogging. Came within 10 yards of it. He scratched his claws on the bark of a tree really loudly as a way of telling me to get away from his area. I ran (which you’re not supposed to do). I am fine. He didn’t chase me. I was alone and not making noise. If you’re in a group and make noise, you should be fine. 3 people is better than 2. Statistically, the odds of being attacked are very, very low. But there are grizzly bears in all of the places you are considering, except for Colorado. When people say bears are nothing to worry about, they are, statistically speaking, saying something reasonable. But when you have a close encounter, it does change your view of the need for precautions. Taking precautions is worthwhile. The visceral fear of that experience of mine is something that I had never felt before and have never felt since. It was absolutely terrifying, and I could not get my heart rate down for hours after. This was 24 years ago.

My cousin from Jackson Hole once had a friend who was jogging with his dog. The dog was ahead by a bit. The dog stopped in the middle of the trail. He looked ahead. There was a mountain lion standing there. It stopped too. He had bear spray and pulled it out. He was so scared he accidentally sprayed the bear spray into his own eyes instead of forward at the mountain lion. Nevertheless, the bear spray being shot scared the mountain lion away. His walk home was pretty unpleasant and involved a lot of stumbling and zig zags. But he and his dog made it. Lesson: Bear spray does scare dangerous animals away, but don’t spray it in your own eyes.

[Colorado Guy]

Banff, Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are all in Grizzly Bear territory. The Colorado Rockies are not.

That being said, I have hiked in all of those areas (and in Alaska) and have never seen a Griz. The closest I've ever come to a bear was a black bear in a dumster right off the strip in Gatlinburg, TN.

Take normal bear precautions and you'll be fine. Make noise, hike in large groups, carry bear spray.

Feeling a little left out, am posting the following link regarding grizzly bears and Colorado.
https://www.glacier-national-park-trave ... orado.html


Seriously, would be much more worried about encountering moose and/or elk (during annual rut) in wilderness areas. Have been chased by bull elk back into my garage before!

[MH2]

- Banff National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Tetons National Park
- Colorado Rockies

These are all good options.

If you're on the east cost, strongly consider options in France, Italy, or Austria as well. Round trip flights from JFK to Milan for a one week stay in Como, for instance, are only a about 200-250 USD more per person than a round trip ticket to Denver. You may even spend as much or more on domestic flight if you have to take a connection to a regional airport.

AirBNB costs will be much cheaper as well, not to mention that you can get away with not having to rent a car if you stick to rail.

[sixtyforty]

I've been hiking/mtn climbing in all those areas except Glacier National Park and have never seen a bear. They are all beautiful areas. No wrong choice, really. I will say that flying into Jackson Hole the Tetons are immediately accessible. Very convenient. I spend a lot of time in the Colorado Rockies, but have to say Banff National Park (Mt Temple etc), is stunning. Like I said, no wrong choice.

I would not worry about bears and plan your trip based what you really want to see or do. If you plan on tent camping in the back country just make sure you follow all the bear safety rules.

[mhc]

Since you will be flying, Denver is the biggest airport for the options you listed. Check airfare to the various places. I suspect the best deals will be Denver. Once you are in Colorado, you have several choices on what to do.

1. Estes Park/RMNP
2. Colorado Springs
3. Tour the state
4. different mountain town like Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, ...

It all really depends on what you want to do. There are so many great options in Colorado. Some of our favorites are:
1. RMNP
2. Ouray (and million dollar highway)
3. Mesa Verde
4. Glenwood Springs
5. Colorado Springs

Everything west of I-25 is pretty amazing.

[Ladeedaw]

I've been to all of those and although the Colorado Rockies are easier to get to, in my opinion, they are a tier down from the other destinations on your list. They are still stunning, just not quite like the others for me.

You really can't go wrong. Banff seemed less crowded in the summer to me. If crowds matter and you can pull it off, try late August or early September. Salt Lake City is half day's drive to Teton/Yellowstone. Kalispell is decent to fly into for Glacier. Calgary is an easy drive to Banff.

I've seen 15-20 bears in the wild. Only 1 grizzly. I understand the fear. But don't let it drive your decision. Every bear I've seen was not interested in coming closer to me. Most bolted as soon as they saw me.

We usually stay in the pretty budget places. They are a little harder to come by in peak season, but I've never regretted staying budget in these areas. Since you're doing a mountain vacation, you probably won't spend a lot of time in your room anyway.

[oxothuk]

One downside of RMNP is that they have a timed-entry system during the summer months. This means you need reservations to enter the park, which you have to obtain months in advance. Or you can take your chances on snagging a next day reservation, a few of much become available at 5PM each day.

This was originally justified "because Covid", but seems to have become permanent.

[Sgnoweht]

If you choose Yellowstone fly into billings or bozeman. The park is huge and only has a 35mph speed limit. You'll be in the car enough already!
Easy enough to combo teton/Yellowstone due to proximity. Be prepared for crowds. Crowded roads, parking lots, restaurants and hotels. Easy enough to leave 95% of them behind if you're willing to hike at least two miles.
Bears aren't a problem in most of the front country. If spending time in the backcountry definitely be prepared. As mentioned , hike in groups, make noise, be bear aware and carry bear spray. It is the true wilderness and they are wild, bears, moose, bison and elk... you don't need to be scared but you do need to respect mother nature.
For in accommodations you'll need to plan way ahead. Things book fast. In park accommodations will be expensive and pretty simple. You may not have internet access.
Glacier is using a permit system for popular areas now. Be aware you can't just show up and have full access. Glacier and Yellowstone are very different. Both are spectacular , but some people are disappointed by Yellowstone. My guess is those people never left sight of their car.

[White Coat Investor]

Buddies are taking a trip to one of these sites (I won't mention which one as someone from the group might be here lol), and I am locked out of it (unlike "Nouvou Riche" who posted earlier today, my budget doesn't allow me to join them)

The options I am looking at, in no particular order:

- Banff National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Tetons National Park
- Colorado Rockies

Yes, I can probably do a whole lot of research online, but I was hoping that you could help me a bit by sharing your own experiences.

Specifically, my questions include (and are not limited to):

- could you please help me compare and contrast the above and/or suggest others in the area that are more bang for the buck

- for each of these, what would be a good time to visit ... if we are looking for 60 degrees plus weather during the daytime and generally good weather without rain (and hopefully sunlight as a bonus)

- would any of these be low on the bear fear category? While I would love to see bears, I am sh*t scared of getting anywhere close to one. And would any of the "good time to visit" (previous question) also include "low bear threat" or will they more or less hand in hand?

- what would be a good amount to budget for budget accommodation, and for which of these would it be absolutely a deal breaker to go budget rather than high price in park accommodation?

Hope I can get a general feel based on the answers, so I can then look at figuring out when, and where we go. Then I can deep dive on research for that particular place.

Thanks a lot in advance!

I've been to all of these. Banff is head and shoulders above the rest. Not even close. Fewer bears in Colorado Rockies than all the others. They're all best in August. Pricing is going to be pretty similar, but the Canadian dollar is still relatively weak. But it's also further to go.

[White Coat Investor]

I've been hiking/mtn climbing in all those areas except Glacier National Park and have never seen a bear. They are all beautiful areas. No wrong choice, really. I will say that flying into Jackson Hole the Tetons are immediately accessible. Very convenient. I spend a lot of time in the Colorado Rockies, but have to say Banff National Park (Mt Temple etc), is stunning. Like I said, no wrong choice.

I would not worry about bears and plan your trip based what you really want to see or do. If you plan on tent camping in the back country just make sure you follow all the bear safety rules.

I've seen bears in Banff, Tetons, and Yellowstone. Only spent a day in Glacier though. Had a friend mauled on a trail run in Tetons. I've been within 30 feet of bears twice in the Tetons myself. Black ones luckily.

I've run into a lot more in Alaska than any of those places. People routinely get mauled while out hiking/jogging in the town I grew up in. We had a book on the bookshelf growing up called Alaska Bear Tales. They were mostly local stories. You're right to be scared of bears. But most people who visit National Parks don't get anywhere near where the bears are. They hang out in hordes of people and with cars and buses. Bears aren't interested in being in those places.

Here is how to think about bears:

Black bears: Want nothing to do with you. Even if you surprise them they'll run. Fight back if attacked and you might even win!
Brown bears: Don't want anything to do with you, but will attack you if you surprise them. Play dead and they may get bored before you die.
Polar bears: By the time you see them, they've been stalking you for a while. They're planning to eat you. Fight back and hope someone comes very quickly with a gun.

[Gadget]

I've been to all of those places and love all for different reasons. They're all very personal preference depending on what you want to do, how much you mind driving around, and budget.

As far as bears go, we love searching for and viewing bears on vacation. If you have children, they are like their own little hiking bell that the bears will hear from miles away and stay away from you. We've also carried bear spray on hikes for peace of mind more than anything.

Also, bears near the major hiking spots and roads in any national park are pretty tame and used to bears. They treat humans and cars like scenery, especially in Yellowstone/Tetons/Smokies. Usually there are park rangers near all these bears when there are lots of humans viewing them, and I am pretty sure park rangers have trackers on a lot of them. I think they grow up seeing lots of humans and just learn to stay away. Ones that don't are killed by park rangers, so it's kind of a survival of the fittest for all bears near people to not engage them. The only scary thing is if you're hiking and see a baby bear and don't see the mother so you don't know which way to slowly walk away to.

That said, if you're the type of person who goes on remote hikes in these places, bears are a lot less tame. It's a visible difference in how they react to humans; they are way more scared than the tame bears you see close to roads in national parks, and are likely less predictable but more likely to run away before you even see them. Places in Alaska and Banff are so wide open and fewer tourists on the outskirts that if you see a bear there, they may rarely see a person and their actions will be more unpredictable. I'd recommend having hiking bells and bear spray in those scenarios. Even though usually they will see/hear you first and just walk away.

A polar bear is the only type of bear I've never seen in the wild, and don't want to. Unlike all the other types, they'll just attack and eat you.

[terran]

Don't worry about the bears, just make sure you can run faster than at least one of the people you're traveling with. But seriously, since you're from Florida, I was more scared of the gators when I visited the Everglades than I've ever been of bears. I guess it's just that what you're used to and seems more familiar is less scary.