Yellowstone is one of the most unforgettable family vacations you’ll ever take – but it also can be one of the easiest places to lose your cool when you’ve got kids in the car! Long drives, unpredictable wildlife traffic jams (of course, our kid had an accident just as we were blocked in the road by a bison!), limited food options and spotty cell service can quickly test everyone’s patience.

After visiting Yellowstone with my family, I came away with a handful of hacks that kept us on track, entertained, comfortable, and connected.

• Start your days early. You’re more likely to beat the crowds, have a better chance of seeing wildlife and avoid spending precious vacation time sitting in traffic. We got our 4-year-old up with the sunrise, packed into the car still in his PJs and with a pillow and stuffie in tow. He didn’t love that, but we made it work and the sightseeing made up for it.
• Pack snacks, sandwiches, water and anything else your family might want to consume while spending a lot of time in the car and/or out on hikes. The one place I forgot to bring snacks was to Jenny Lake and on our hike to Inspiration Point. That was hard on all of us!
• Mark the spots in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park that you’d like to prioritize seeing as “Favorites” in the National Parks Service (NPS) app. This will keep your family on track throughout your time in the parks, assist with directions and ensure you experience everything you’d like to in a short amount of time.
• Bathrooms can be few and far between, and we had a couple of close calls while inside Yellowstone National Park! My best advice is to look out for camp sites for those emergency pit stops; we did find some private bathrooms in those areas, but no flushing toilets. Otherwise, count on the Visitor’s Center in Grand Teton, the parking lot at Mud Volcano, any restaurant you do end up stopping at, or convenience stores/gas stations that do exist along the way.
• Let your kids “own” the adventure! Order a wildlife scavenger hunt card, a cheap digital camera, kid binoculars, or a Junior Ranger booklet and encourage them to record the sights they see along the way. It keeps them engaged and included in the full experience.
• Make time for Visitor Center visits. From gift shop shopping to Junior Ranger opportunities, the Visitor Center is a simple stop to help kids learn about their surroundings and feel a part of the National Park community.

For the best 3-day Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary for kids and families, jump over here! Meanwhile, trust that Yellowstone is the perfect place to foster a love for nature within your children – and integrate related hacks that keep them engaged in the trip, comfortable, and, most importantly, happy explorers.