Yellowstone? RV or Car

[PKozlowski]

and a couple of other things to consider.

If you camp you get the smell of the campfire, the fresh air and trees

oh and the rangers coming by to tell you there is a bear walking around

near camp. That was actually really neat.



vs the hotel where you have a hotel room.



Just another two cents from me.

 

[JCasper]

I am waiting for my wife to tell me what week we can go. I talked with the reservations department today and they had camping spots available in August still.



I will reserve something in the next couple of days and like said above, cancel if it happens I can't go.



Like I said above, renting the trailer would be about $800. That isn't any more expensive then a motel and would IMO be a more desirable way to go.



Thanks for everyones advice. Keep it coming.



Joe

 

[AlFischer]

GO FOR IT! Yellowstone 'Rocks'

We did Yellowstone last July. Trip came up with no advance warning. Just for laughs I called the park reservation number and they had plenty of spaces open due to the cancelations by the folks that couldn't afford $3/gal gas for their $300k motorhomes. Made reservation for 3 nights one week in advance! Stayed at the RV park at Fishing Bridge. $38/night. Slide outs can be a problem. Yes, close to your neighbor but pleasant. Clean restrooms and showers. No problems whatsoever. Good central location. The RV park filled up every night but there were some spaces available every day.



Had dinner at the lodge on the lake near Fishing Bridge. Best trout I have EVER had. Excellent service. Worth the money. I wasn't about to cook the night we arrived as it had been a looong day of driving.



Travel in the Park was quite civil. VERY few inconsiderate drivers other than bozos with BIG trailers/MHs that couldn't/wouldn'y pull in far enough to a parking spot without blocking half the road. (my reference point is California driving and once we left Cal the driving actually became became pleasant)



Traffic delays due to resident Bison herd on the road (they OWN it, don't question THEIR authority!)

 

[JCasper]

Alright, So I am booked at Bridge Bay on 8/12 for 5 nights.



I can cancel up to 48 hours ahead so I figured it would be best to book it, just like some others advised.



The only other campground with availability was Fishing Bridge at $38 a night. Some of you said it was a little more like parking lot so I went ahead and went without hookups.



Now I need to figure out what I am doing for a trailer and other things to see along the way.



But for now I have to go outside and get some yard work done.

 

[Grizzly]

I still think you should buy your own 5er.

 

[JCasper]

I still think you should buy your own 5er.

Trust me, I really want to. But to get a decent used 5er it will be 8-10K. I just bought my wife a new Honda Odyssey in January and need to get it paid for first. I hate payments.



Next year hopefully I will buy one.

 

[JThiessen]

Glad to hear you got something.

I would retain those reservations, tour the South end of the park, then see if you can get into one of the more Northern/centrally located "frist come first served" campgrounds - will save you a lot of drive time if you plan to see the north end of the park. Doing the north loop definitly takes some time.

The North-East Corner (Lamar Valley) is one of the prettiest areas IMHO, and last time we were there, its where we were able to see a couple Griz and lots of Black bears, and one wolf (through spotting scope) - I grew up around there, been to the park about a jillion times, and this was the first time I had the opportunity to see bears! There are several dirt roads that you can take - take every one if can (Blacktail plateau drive), and the drive up to Mt. Washburn is incredible.

 

[JCasper]

Glad to hear you got something.

I would retain those reservations, tour the South end of the park, then see if you can get into one of the more Northern/centrally located "frist come first served" campgrounds - will save you a lot of drive time if you plan to see the north end of the park. Doing the north loop definitly takes some time.

The North-East Corner (Lamar Valley) is one of the prettiest areas IMHO, and last time we were there, its where we were able to see a couple Griz and lots of Black bears, and one wolf (through spotting scope) - I grew up around there, been to the park about a jillion times, and this was the first time I had the opportunity to see bears! There are several dirt roads that you can take - take every one if can (Blacktail plateau drive), and the drive up to Mt. Washburn is incredible.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, they told me once I am there I can cancel the remaining days if I want to leave early.

 

[tandersen]

My take on this discussion is this. We stayed at Fishing Bridge for the full hookups. We did not spend much time in the campground because there are so many things to see and do. I think if you are going there for a camping experience you could the same thing in just about any national forest. Fishing Bridge is close to the center of the park so you can go any direction and be fairly close. You might want to check and see where the road construction is because the road could be closed.

Also if you don't feel like cooking, which we didn't a lot of times, the cafeteria at Lake Lodge is good or there is a very nice restaraunt at Lake Hotel. We even walked there sometimes. It's about 2 miles one way.

 

[mymtnhauler]

I am very surprised that no one from Montana has replied!! So here is my suggestion, start at Red Lodge Montana, go over Beartooth Pass to Cook City which is the north entrance to the park, ( as we like to call it ). You will love this part of the trip. . Since I am so close to the park we just take day trips, I don't know were to camp in the park!!!! If you have any ?????? PM me I will try to get you on the right path.

 

[JCasper]

I am very surprised that no one from Montana has replied!! So here is my suggestion, start at Red Lodge Montana, go over Beartooth Pass to Cook City which is the north entrance to the park, ( as we like to call it ). You will love this part of the trip. . Since I am so close to the park we just take day trips, I don't know were to camp in the park!!!! If you have any ?????? PM me I will try to get you on the right path.

I will read any info you have. We have reservations so that is where we are headed. If we find another place to stay we can cancel any extra days at that particular campground if we find another place we would rather stay. I am hoping to find a different route to take each direction.



Honestly though we have been wanting to go to yellowstone so we made the reservations and now we will start making plans. I will have from a Saturday morning till the following Sunday night. So with 8 days to spend I only need about 2 days each direction for travel time. I could do it in one day, but with little kids I don't want to push it.

 

[bjonesAZ]

This will be a vacation your kids will remember forever. RVing is a better way to go and for me the Dodge Ram is much more comfortable to drive or be in for long distances than any Honda; from experience.



Once your wife tells your FIL that you BOTH decided to rent an RV with 2" hitch; he may change his mind a bit - kinda like the "Greek Wedding" movie.



Lots there to explore inside the park, kind of envious of your vacation trip, but not the crowds. The only time I was inside the park was during the week before Memorial Day weekend and it worked out really well, 'cept some of the back roads and trails were snowed in.



We'll expect lots of pics.



Bob

 

[JCasper]

I will be sure to post some pics. Are the crowds really that bad?



At night, does it cool off quite a bit? I assume with it being at such a high elevation it gets fairly cool.

 

[Grizzly]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Grand Teton National Park. A complete tour of the park is a must. In the Park, on the south entrance, nearest to Jackson, is a campground. I can't think of the name of it, but I highly recommend it and no reservations are needed.

 

[JThiessen]

I will be sure to post some pics. Are the crowds really that bad?



At night, does it cool off quite a bit? I assume with it being at such a high elevation it gets fairly cool.

At times there are quite a few people. The most crowded areas are usually on the south end around Old Faithful (close to where you are staying). I usually only hit the south end for a quick morning jaunt before the crowds get there - and if I can, I skip it.



Night time temps during the summer can get into the 30's - all depends on the particular weather system. Expect hot days, cool nights. I honestly think it feels cooler out here on the coast at night though - humidity levels affect the feel of it quite a bit.

If you are a star gazer take your telescope along - you likely wont get any darker and closer than you will there.



MyMtHauler - well, I am at least a former Montana resident! I'd recommend the Beartooth pass as well, but since he's coming from Ore thats quite a bit out of his way.

 

[bighammer]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Grand Teton National Park. A complete tour of the park is a must. In the Park, on the south entrance, nearest to Jackson, is a campground. I can't think of the name of it, but I highly recommend it and no reservations are needed.

Jenny Lake? I stayed there when I biked (pedal) thru years ago.

We are planning a trip west this year. My wife, son David (9) and I plan to cross Lake Michigan and go thru Wisconsin, (he's excited about a stop at the Dells) South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon & Washington. My brother lives in Vancouver, WA and it's time I went out there. Probably taking the truck with all our camping stuff, biking stuff, etc. Lisa has 2 weeks off at the end of summer, so we'll head out there and see the sights along the way, then she and David will fly home and I'll drive back.

 

[JCasper]

Jenny Lake? I stayed there when I biked (pedal) thru years ago.



We are planning a trip west this year. My wife, son David (9) and I plan to cross Lake Michigan and go thru Wisconsin, (he's excited about a stop at the Dells) South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon & Washington. My brother lives in Vancouver, WA and it's time I went out there. Probably taking the truck with all our camping stuff, biking stuff, etc. Lisa has 2 weeks off at the end of summer, so we'll head out there and see the sights along the way, then she and David will fly home and I'll drive back.

That sounds like a fun trip you are planning this summer.

 

[ddechris]

Perfect timing on this thread. We're planning a trip to Yellowstone too. Probably end of August, early September. I was going to find a good slide-in camper, but were still saving for a house, so we decided to outfit the hi-top cap / shell that came with the truck. I figure at $3/gal fuel, less air resistance will payoff too. By then, the boys will be 9 months and 3 years, so all four of us will be able to sleep on a shelf with storage underneath.



We were also going to take the Northern route on Rt 90. I've heard of the "Dells. " What's there to see?



Keep the "sights to see" and "places to camp" advice coming as I'm sure there are plenty of us taking notes.



Any good trails into the high country to drive? We enjoyed running some of the old mining trails in CO when we toured the San Juan Mountains two years ago.



Thanks,

Dave



Oh, I might be PM' ing some of the experts when it gets closer.

 

[Buffalo]

You could apply the $800 for the rental to the purchase price of your own used RV. That would make the RV just that much more economical.



I stayed at Grants Campground next to Lake Yellowstone. Was a nice CG.



Just to the south of Yellowstone is Grand Teton N. P. The mountains on the west side of the park are the most beautiful I've ever seen. Well worth the side trip, in my opinion.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[Grizzly]

Even more spectacular then Yellowstone is Glacier National Park, IMO. It is a little farther North. We sure liked, "Going to the Sun Tour". Nice NP Campgrounds.