River trip Grand Tetons

$58 3-hour "river float" (easy rafting) or $73 for an evening float with supper.  On Snake River, starting in Jackson Hole, within the Grand Teton National Park.

Dude Ranch

Nevada: Ranch Stays at the Cottonwood Guest Ranch ($275/day per person – all inclusive)
April through October (Flexible Dates) in Wells, NV (Northeast) 
"Ranch activities include: horseback riding, Cattle Roundups, trap-shooting, arena games, roping, Bird watching, hiking, camping, rock-hunting, ATV trips, hot tub, relaxing,—And more!"

Nevada: I like the sound of Seven Mile Canyon Ranch ($170 pp per day, plus activities) in Virgina City, which looks like a really nice town.  But their website doesn't seem to work.

Wyoming: The cheapest week-long dude ranch experience I've found is at the CM Ranch in Dubois, WY.  Two adults and a baby about $3700 all inclusive.  I looked at 30 dude ranches in Wyoming, they are all very similarly priced and none accept shorter-than-4-night stays in the summer.

Colorado: About 30 dude ranches are listed here, I haven't looked at any but assume they are similarly priced to the ones in Wyoming.

Heart Lake and Mount Sheridan

In The Rough Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton the hike from Heart Lake to Mount Sheridan is considered a fantastic first choice for an overnight trip into Yellowstone's backcountry (p 155).

Kepler Cascades to Lone Star Geyser

In The Rough Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton on p. 78 there is a map over West Thumb. It should be a nice two day walk to go from Kepler Cascades to the camp site after Lone Star Geyser and back again. It was also recommended in the Lonely Planet guide which had much fewer suggestions for Yellowstone.

Mount Washburn

In The Rough Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton the hike up Mount Washburn is said to be rated by many rangers to be the best for those who only have time for one hike (pp 125). It is a 5 mile roundtrip estimated to take 3-5 hours. It is possible to camp half way to the top to make the trip to the top less strenuous.

Camping in Yellowstone

Reservations for campsites must be made by phone if we want to stay inside the park.  Showers are only available at Canyon and Grant Village campsites!!  $20 and walking distance to good stuff (restaurants, sites, trails).

Otherwise we can stay 6 miles outside the Yellowstone West Entrance at a KOA site that has a pool.  Camping costs about $40.  Or, for under $100 we can stay in a cabin inside the park (shared bathrooms) if booked a few months in advance.  The cheapest are $66.

Reservations for everything should be made about 2 months in advance, or as early as possible if we want a campsite in the park within walking distance of a shower.  Some campsites in the park are first come first serve so even without a reservation we stand a chance, but in July and August they fill up by 8am...