Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

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Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

July 22, 2015, 08:43:04 am

We've taken our new-to-us 1997 U-320 on several camping outings, and have become a little more comfortable with actually using it for its' intended purpose. I finally just now booked a KOA near the west entrance of Yellowstone, and plan to spend a week at Yellowstone from 8/17 through 8/24. We'll have 3 adults, our fur kids, and will be towing a HHR.

I live in Southeast Texas a little south of Nacogdoches, so the drive to Yellowstone is at least 1700 miles or more depending on route. It's easy to let Google tell me where to go, but I'm looking for more informed suggestions. I'm budgeting 4 days driving each way, as I think 400 to 500 mile days should be fairly easy. I've done and enjoyed several 1500 BBG's on my motorcycle, but that's a whole 'nuther story. This Foretravel is amazingly comfortable, and I think it is in great shape mechanically. I wish I could have done the recent New Mexico trip with several of you and gleaned more knowledge, but it didn't work out. I guess this will be my first solo flight.

So, my plans are pretty fluid right now, and I'd like to hear your suggestions about how to get to and from Yellowstone, what we must see on the journey, and what we should do while there. I'll appreciate any and all suggestions.

Thanks,
Glen Kenney

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #1 – July 22, 2015, 09:01:10 am

Come back through Cody and Mount Rushmore. Spend a week in Hill city area if you can so much to see and do.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #2 – July 22, 2015, 09:07:46 am

Cody is a great town,lived there for 14 years. Be sure and make some time for the museum,lots of things to do.. Have fun.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #3 – July 22, 2015, 10:41:23 am

Personally, being retired and having the time, I consider four full days of driving too much like work. I would take longer, generally keeping the miles under 250 a day, with a mix of travel and non-travel days. Take time to smell the roses and explore in your HHR.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #4 – July 22, 2015, 10:50:09 am

If you are staying at the KOA in West Yellowstone I would see about changing the Grizzly RV park. It is much nicer and closer to the park too. Stayed at both campgrounds.

Have fun and do not forget the Tetons coming or going.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #5 – July 22, 2015, 10:55:45 am

The Madison campground in the park is a lovely place to stay. Cover as much of Yellowstone as you possibly can. It's all amazing. If you come into the park form the south entrance, you get to go through places like Jackson Hole, which is worth a day by itself, and the Tetons. There are plenty of Yellowstone guidebooks that might help you preplan, but really, it's all worth seeing.
I'd have to check a map... coming up that way from Texas, you go through some beautiful country. If Canyon de Chelly in Arizona isn't too far out of the way, I'd try real hard to see it on the way. And Monument Valley. Must see if at all possible.
If you go out the southeast entrance to go to Cody, make sure your jake brake/retarder or whatnot is working well. Our coach has none of this, so I just made certain the service brakes were in top shape before we left. it's a loooong 7%....but nothing a downshift or two couldn't make reasonable.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #6 – July 22, 2015, 11:03:56 am

X2 on Grizzly

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #7 – July 22, 2015, 11:31:34 am

Been to Yellowstone 4 times. 1st time in the 80's in a rented GMC MH, 3 times from Austin in the FT. We like to stop at state parks in TX and other states. Caprock Canyon has some bison now. Palo Duro has the musical and dinner, but CG was full this month on the return. One can do show and dinner or either or just camp. We stayed at a small private CG in Post, TX that was so informal that I didn't get a receipt and don't remember the name. $20 with 50 amp and water/sewer. On the highway and downtown. Most of the CO State parks needed reservations this year.

You may need reservations in Yellowstone or Rocky Mtn. The campgrounds in Yellowstone operated by the park service are first come first serve. The others are operated by Xanterra and can be reserved. Bridge Bay and Madison are dry camping and are centerally located. Fishing Bridge with full hookups is almost always booked. This year my son's family thought that the park was too crowded, especially near the geysers. Restaurants have long lines, but we enjoyed the cafeteria at the Lake Lodge. Most of the bison herds are in the Lamar valley.

Teton (Colter Bay) usually has sites for dry camping if you get there before mid afternoon. There are even a few spots in the dry camp with electric and a concrete pad, for $28 extra. Xanterra operates a large full hookup campground at Colter Bay. Both areas have a lot of trees.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #8 – July 22, 2015, 12:09:16 pm

Tom has it right! Smell the roses cause this is a GREAT trip you have planned. I made a Google map with a suggested route over 1301 miles and 31 hours of driving time. Below is the map with a route up to West Yellowstone. The route could be modified to end up in Jackson, WY and then up through Grand Teton NP to Yellowstone.

Here is a draft for you: Google Maps

We travel to Yellowstone at least every other year with a winter trip a few months ago. Jackson is a good place to enter with Grand Teton NP on the outskirts of town. Gros Ventre ("Grow Vahnt") is minutes away, very large and does not usually fill until late in the day. The Roosevelt highway to Yellowstone is spectacular with the climb up into Yellowstone. Artist Point/Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone/ Hayden Valley are all close together. I could easily spend a week here at the campground here. Campsites are $22/night or $11 with senior/access pass. Mammoth Campground in the NW corner is open all year and has good pull through sites. Mammoth Village has a lot going on and is a 10 minute walk from any campsite. Gardiner, MT is only a few minutes away with groceries, etc.

West Yellowstone is also good but if leaving the coach there, it means spending hours driving each day to the attractions and back as many points of interest are a LONG ways away over roads that are slow going with lots of people stopped for photos. This park is BIG. Lamar Valley for wolf sightings is at least two hours each way from W.Yellowstone. Koda howled at 5 of his brothers there this last winter.

Diesel throughout the park. Be prepared for very cold to very hot weather. It snow on us with lows in the teens about three years ago. The year of the big fire, it was almost 100 every day. Yellowstone gets snow each month of the year but fortunately not every year. At minus 5 last winter with snow, there was one RV in Mammoth Campground when we drove through.

If going through Idaho Falls, don't miss Smitty's for breakfast. Smitty's Pancake & Steak House - Idaho Falls - Smitty's Pancake & Steak...

Buy or if a member, get the AAA Indian Country Map. Great for planning and then using the internet for more detailed info.

PM or call for any questions/tips for your trip.

Pierce

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #9 – July 22, 2015, 03:00:26 pm

Following Pierce's route, you could encounter some oilfield traffic (big trucks, tankers, rigs being moved, etc) on the leg between Big Spring and Carlsbad. No big deal - might slow you down for a while. After you are headed north out of Carlsbad (past Artesia) you should be clear of most of it. Going slow on those Oil Patch highways will allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery! (I'm being sarcastic...)

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #10 – July 22, 2015, 03:14:56 pm

We just spent 2 weeks in West Yellowstone staying at a great 3-yr old Buffalo Crossing RV park, which ended up being the closest campground to the park entrance. And no trees to block our satellite TV antenna.
We arrived and left from the west, without driving our motorhome through the Park, which ended up being a good idea as there are few places to park a large vehicle, closed roads and LOTS of traffic. We did drive our Jeep into the park almost every day.
Yellowstone National Park is very large park with lots to see. We did find West Yellowstone entrance to be central to major sections of the park, although it requires a drive from town to the park's north-south main road, no matter where one is headed.
Grizzly RV park is very popular, but has many trees in most parts of the park. Most have never been to Buffalo Crossing as it is smaller, very new, and since the owner also owns the adjoining IMAX movie theater, campers get $5 movie tickets.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #11 – July 22, 2015, 04:59:17 pm

For the Canyon area of the park, I recommend the Canyon Campground. It does fill up rapidly in the morning if you don't have reservations. 40 foot limit. The fee without senior/access pass (honored here) is $27 but includes two showers per day. Laundry facilities close by. It's not the prettiest of campgrounds but does let you explore not only the Canyon area but the many hot springs, mud pots, etc. The store and restaurant are also near. But the biggest draw is the wildlife viewing in Hayden Valley in late afternoon until too dark to see. We would set up our telescope in one of the many pull out spots late afternoon as this is the time many other animals can be spotted. I used an camera adapter to a Celestron 4" with just OK results. Looking through a neighbor's high end spotting scope, I could see instantly why top end scopes are great if you can afford them. Takes at least $1000 and some go to $2000. Good site if price is not a consideration: Bearman's Spotting Scopes And Binoculars--What I Like And Why

On the other hand, going to a sporting shop like Cabela's lets you try different brands and then can buy one there or internet shop. Some of the very large and inexpensive binoculars don't have any collimation adjustment so when you look at one star, you see two next to each other and can't be fixed.

Good $230 choice in the states is the Leupold SX-1 Ventana

If you have time, you can direct order from China. I have been doing this for years without a glitch. Example site: Spotting Scope - Shop Cheap Spotting Scope from China Spotting Scope... Most offer free shipping and have excellent email communiction. With any spotting scope, you will need a tripod. Rule of thumb is the heavier the better.

So, the advantage to Canyon Campground is being able to view the animals until dark and then get back to the campground to shower, eat, relax with only a short drive. Hayden Valley images: hayden valley image - Google Search

Old Faithful is not a long drive from West Yellowstone. Lunch in the old hotel is one of the highlights of the park. Make sure to have a camera with you. old faithful lodge dining image - Google Search

Photos from 2010 with a Florida U300 just ahead of us: Browser no longer supported

Pierce

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #12 – July 22, 2015, 07:11:09 pm

Flaming Gorge Reservoir might make a nice place to stop over. It is in the corner basically of CO, UT, and WY.

It is beautiful, particularly if you can get there during the aspen change.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #13 – July 22, 2015, 07:21:18 pm

A drive over Beartooth Pass and into Redlodge, MT. is a wonderful drive if you have the time. One way is to partially follow Chief Joseph's Highway - Cook City east 212 to 296 (Chief Josephs Highway) then North on 120 to 308 west into Red Lodge. Then 212 south over Beartooth Pass. and back to Cook City. We have done it by Car and Skooter. Folks are usually skiing this time of year at Bear Tooth.

You can hit the high points of the Tetons in one day but could easily spend a week or more. Lots of beautiful hiking trails and just take some time looking across Jenny Lake, (bring a lunch and spend some time. Also a sunset dinner at Jackson Lake Lodge will be remembered for years to come. Nothing like having dinner and watching the sun dipping below the mountain tops. If you are lucky the sky lights up red and orange while having a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres.

Have a greeat trip.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #14 – July 23, 2015, 10:11:25 am

Quote from: Carol & Scott – July 22, 2015, 07:21:18 pm

A drive over Beartooth Pass and into Redlodge, MT. is a wonderful drive if you have the time. One way is to partially follow Chief Joseph's Highway - Cook City east 212 to 296 (Chief Josephs Highway) then North on 120 to 308 west into Red Lodge. Then 212 south over Beartooth Pass. and back to Cook City. We have done it by Car and Skooter. Folks are usually skiing this time of year at Bear Tooth.

The drive to the top of Beartooth Pass IN A CAR was adventure enough for ME!!!

We are returning from our Austin-Boise trip.
I scheduled 8 driving days up and another 8 rest days.

Abilene. Lubbock, Palo Dura, Dalhart, Cheyenne. Rock Springs, Lava Hot Springs , several Idaho State Parks.
Coming up US30 in WY from Rock Springs (on I80) was delightful.

Dalhart surprised me. Corral RV Park was good enough to make me schedule 2 days going back.

Tom Lang is right, enjoy the drive. I normally plan about 4 hours per day but Mary says she liked the 2 1/2 hr. days MUCH better.
We half jokingly say our ideal travel regimen is "Drive 3 hours, Stay 3 days"
Have a great time

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #15 – July 23, 2015, 10:49:49 am

Glen: Sent a personal message to you this am. You will love this trip. DAN

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #16 – July 27, 2015, 03:15:53 pm

I really appreciate all the helpful information I received here. Dan Stansel, I also greatly appreciated your PM.

After wading through the information and working around the schedules and needs of three different people I developed my trip plan. My wife and her sister would not be happy campers without full hookups, so that narrowed my choices. The Fishing Bridge park was booked for 40' sites, and I finally booked a site at the West Yellowstone KOA from August 17 through August 24.

My SIL has really never been anywhere, so I decided to take a little detour and spend a day at the Grand Canyon. I'll route through Roswell NM on the way so that the ladies may fulfill their lifelong dream of seeing the famous extraterrestials. We'll then make our way northward, and enter from the south side, spending at least one full day in Jackson and the Grand Tetons. After that, we'll work our way through the park over to the West Yellowstone KOA. We'll use the toad for day trips, and see just how much we can experience. We also may find that some of the spots inside the park open up, and if so we may move. Time will tell.

When we leave I'll exit the east side to Cody, then enjoy the sights through the Beartooth Mountains on the way to Mount Rushmore and Sturgis, then turn south and come home through Colorado.

I took your advice and decided to make this a more relaxed vacation rather than my original "turn and burn to Yellowstone" plans. It looks like it will be about 4000 miles and 3 weeks. My only 500 mile days are Day 1 from Home to Post TX, and Day 5 from the Grand Canyon to Provo UT. Most of my long trips have been on my first love, my motorcycle, where I'm happy with long days in the saddle. It'll take a while to get used to a more relaxed RV driving style.

Again, I really appreciate all the helpful tips from this forum. You guys are great.

Glen Kenney

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #17 – July 27, 2015, 06:03:36 pm

Glen: You are going to really enjoy this trip. Since Mt Rushmore and Custer State are towards the end of your trip be sure to take a day to relax and rest. There is so much to see in this area that you need to take some time and not be in a hurry to return home. It is a long way from Texas so enjoy while you are there. I was there for a week and should have stayed two weeks.

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #18 – August 15, 2015, 07:50:21 pm

Glen,
Thanks for the post! We are planning this trip for next year, only from Fla to Yellowstone. A lot of great info here, thanks to all for sharing their experiences!!
Justin

Re: Suggestions for first trip, heading to Yellowstone

Reply #19 – August 15, 2015, 09:38:10 pm

We have found in our limited travels that there are two things that we do not have enough of: Time & Money. There are so many beautiful places to see we often redrive routes and stop in different places - sometimes for a couple of days and some times a month.

Probably too far out of your way but the drive past the Vermilion Cliffs on Rt. 89 is wonderful. Exit east out of the Grand Canyon and head North on US Rt. 89. It will also take you past the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and some beautiful southern Utah country. Much further than heading west Via Vegas and north on 15 to Provo.

For me 500 mile days are doable but not like a 300 mile day. I figure 12/14 hours - including short stops.

Have a great trip. Travel safe.

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