US 191 in Wyoming

[HookMeUp]

US 191 in Wyoming to West Yellowstone

We are getting ready to embark on a trip to Glacier and part of our route will be taking US 191 north out of Rock Spring, WY through Jackson Hole on our way to West Yellowstone for one of our stop overs. Anyone ever take this route and what is this drive like?

 

[wyosteve]

I've driven that many times. It's a good route with no real mountain passes. 2 lane road all the way with a lot of oil/gas truck traffic from Rock Springs to Pinedale, but good after that. Fairly scenic. Once you get to Hoback Jct. going to Jackson and north to Yellowstone, the traffic is horrendous this time of year. Expect 45 mph pretty much most of the way if traveling during daylight.

 

[HookMeUp]

When we hit Jackson I'm going to catch highway 22, 33 over to US 20 in Idaho. there is current road construction through Yellowstone Park that I would like to avoid.

 

[JR]

I spent every summer on my grand parents ranch on Paradise Road in Boulder. Had some of the best memories of my childhood up there. I hear it's changed so much I wouldn't even recognize it anymore.

 

[richardcoxid]

You didn’t say if you are pulling your 5th wheel or not.

The route you described from Jackson into Idaho (22, 33 to 20) goes over 8429’ Teton Pass between Jackson and Victor, ID. It is 10% grade for about 5 miles each side with a couple of 20-25 mph turns thrown in just for thrills! OK for cars and Pickups but for RVs I wouldn’t do it. Occasionally we see somebody in a RV with smoking brakes going 5 mph and a look of PANIC on their faces!

The other choice would be taking 89 and 26 from Jackson to Ririe, ID joining 20 at Rigby, ID. Beautiful scenery along Palisades Res. but the long way to W. Y’stone, MT.

I think that you should just tighten your belt and go north from Jackson to Y’stone NP, West Thumb, Old Faithfull, Madison Junction to W. Y’stone, MT. You can’t beat the scenery with a side benefit of seeing Old Faithfull.

Whatever time you think that you will need to see Y’stone NP you better double it!

Remember that Y’stone Park itself is about 50 miles E/W and 70 miles N/S (2.2 Mil Acres) and the Grand Loop (figure 8) road is about 140 miles around. With a 45mph speed limit (radar controlled), all the thermal attractions, the Bison think that they own the road and will sometimes back up traffic for 1/4 mile or more and the altitude (Canyon Area is 7918 ft, Old Faithful is 7365 ft and Mammoth Area is ONLY 6239 ft) it will take a full day for each loop. When walking take it easy, carry/drink lots of water as it can be very exhausting, then you will only see the highlights. If your luck is like mine I guarantee that Old Faithful will have gone off just minutes before you arrived and will have to wait about another hour and 10-15 minutes for it to go off again kill time by walking around the upper geyser basin. When you are at Old faithful be sure to go into the Old Faithful Inn and look up when inside. When in the visitor center, Inn, Snowlodge etc they will have a sign displaying approximately when the next eruption will occur (+ or – about 10/15 minutes)

We have lived about 110 miles from the West Y’stone entrance for 50 years and go there a couple of times each summer and I still haven’t seen everything yet.

 

[HookMeUp]

We have been to Yellowstone 2 times spending about 10 days each time we went. It is by far our favorite national park. Unfortunately we will only be spending about 3 days there this time, our main trip is going to Glacier NP. We will be towing the 5th wheel, so we may have to reconsider that route then ... If we decide to go through Yellowstone I would take 287/26 north out of Rawlins going through Dubois, I've taken that route several times.

 

[MMeier]

So those bison on the side of the road do occasionally charge people ?????

 

[HookMeUp]

So those bison on the side of the road do occasionally charge people ?????

Yes they do!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNvTHOrTf_Y

 

[MMeier]

Guess that explains why lots of people were beeping their horns and waving at me to get outta there when I stopped and took a bunch of pics of the bison that were lounging around just north of the 20/191 intersection a few years back .:-laf

 

[Buffalo]

If you are planning to camp at an RV Campground in Jackson Hole I would reconsider staying south of town in Hoback Jct. I was filling up with diesel and the guy using the pump just on the other side of me said that camping was VERY expensive in Jackson Hole but, just across the street from the fuel station, the camping was much cheaper. I stayed there a couple of nights & it was nice & inexpensive. Not too far from Jackson Hole so, I just drove in for the day. The campground is on the West side of the highway just across the street from the fuel station. I don't remember the names of the station or the campground or, I would give them to you. This was quite a few years ago.
Joe F.