Been to Yellowstone?

[dennis b]

I'm planning a Yellowstone trip next summer, probably in mid June.
How much time would be needed to relax and see all there is to see/
anyone travel Hy. 14 from I-90 to park?

Any suggestions/comments are welcome! I don't like bad surprise while traveling.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by dennis b

I'm planning a Yellowstone trip next summer, probably in mid June.
How much time would be needed to relax and see all there is to see/
anyone travel Hy. 14 from I-90 to park?

Any suggestions/comments are welcome! I don't like bad surprise while traveling.

Been a few years, but we came in to the NP on hwy14 off of I90. There are many campgrounds in the park. Visit their website and they have all the details and updated info about the CG's. Most NP CG's don't have hookups. That may have changed at Yellowstone but the website will answer. We stayed at a CG on the W side of Yellowstone lake, very nice and close to fishing off the bank at Lake Yellowstone. Had bison in the CG day and nite. Kind of scary walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night and have one of them standing between the popup and the TV. Also had a grizzlie walk thru the CG one afternoon. The park is many faceted and huge. Something like 100 miles around the loop road. This is not a been there done that kind of park. If you fish, suggest a charter out on the lake for cutthroats. The sites for the most part are well known and all worth the stop. Can spend half day or more at Ol Faithful site. We were there for a week with elementary age kids. Kids loved it. I got a warning from the rangers for leaving a cooler [empty] outside overnite. Next am all I had was a warning and instruction on how to retreive the cooler. Preventing Bear problems is a real priority.

PS: Be prepared for stop and go [lots of stops] for people taking pics of Bison and other wildlife while driving around the loop road. In my opinion if you,ve seen a dozen bison, you've seen enough. Anyway the rangers try to keep traffic moving, but when we were there a single Bison 200 yards out from the road would tie traffic to a stop. A Grizzlie and you realize why you want to keep your gas tank full and a cooler of drinks in the car.

If you tire of Yellowstone, drive south to the Tetons NP. Totally different park, with CG's at the edge of a big valley with BIG mountains to the West. Some hikes thru the valley and an Elk reserve to see. Many hikes that take you up into the mountains. You don't need to be a marathoner but you need to be in shape. Skiing in Teton valley in the winter is tops. Good bars and restaurants in the village. Allow 3 or more days for the Teton area, more if you like hiking.

[Oscar Mike]

We're going to Yellowstone Fishing Bridge CG in August 2015 for 5-days followed by 7 days at Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Tetons NP. I was advised to allow more time for the Grand Tetons.

[Jagiven]

We stayed in Fishing Bridge CG with our HTT last year. Nice campground, there was only two or three sites big enough that could handle our HTT. It is a little remote, so if you want to go anywhere there is a good drive ahead of you. We had planned 5 days but after three my DW said she had enough of the wildlife traffic jams of crazy people doing crazy things to take a photo of a wild animal. I think it took about three days to see everything, but we never really stopped and just relaxed for a day. I think if you stay near the center of the park you will have more opportunities to sit back and relax. Staying at Fishing Bridge, we had at least an hour drive to and from wherever we were headed off to.

I did not think the website was all that great. I called the park a few times during the winter and asked lots of questions, about different campgrounds, fuel issues, sewage dumping and so forth. The main RV reservable campsites reminded me of some of the KOAs I have been to. You are parked right on top of each other and there is no room for a camp fire or a picnic table. I saw spots where you could not open your awning. If you are planning to stay at a none reservable campsite you need to be to the CG before 10 am to get a site, depending on the CG you may need to be there even earlier!

As for hwy 14. I think we took hwy 16 as it is the easier method over the pass. I have heard that Hwy 14 is one heak of a haul up and over the pass..

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by dennis b

I'm planning a Yellowstone trip next summer, probably in mid June.
How much time would be needed to relax and see all there is to see/
anyone travel Hy. 14 from I-90 to park?

Any suggestions/comments are welcome! I don't like bad surprise while traveling.

Too bad you can't wait till after Labor Day. We went a week after and basically had the Park to ourselves.

[dennis b]

kids are in school!

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by dennis b

kids are in school!

Yeah, I kinda figured that. Anytime is a good time to visit Yellowstone. It is a wondrous place like no other.

[Bassdogs]

Comment was made that everything from Fishing Bridge was at least an hour. Given the size of Yellowstone NP it shouldn't surprise anyone that the popular sites are spread over a large area. there is really no place to stay that will get you close to everything or even most things. The frenzy of visitors to stop and view wildlife is truely annoying and I'm surprised that almost 40 years after our visit, it is still a problem. If you don't have kids, wait until after laborday. They do have a saying out there, "they have 3 seasons, July, August, and Winter. Snow is not a stranger to Yellowstone in Sept and Oct. But the scenery and natural features can be enjoyed in a much more relaxed environment in the Fall. Don't forget about the Teton NP and Jackson Hole [Cowboy bar]>!!

[wwsmith111]

X2 on camping in State and National Parks after Labor Day. I heard about the all day traffic jams into Yosemite so we went in the fall. Almost no one was there!

[bsleep]

Fishing Bridge is centrally located. Only hard-sided campers allowed. Traffic wasn't as bad as we expected in late July

[Big Sky]

We try to visit every year. Each CG has it's own pros & cons. Fishing Bridge is the only CG in the park that has power. If you've seen the map of the park, the roads basically make a large figure 8. If you stay at Canyon CG you'll be on the East side in the middle of that figure 8.

[BlueHaul]

+1 on the Grand Teton NP. We came up from the south and stayed at the Jackson Hole KOA. Tiny CG, but literally right on the Snake River. The town of Jackson Hole was very cool as well. We were invited by a total stranger to stop in for the weekly rodeo, and we had a blast!

[Big Sky]

I lived in Jackson for some time. I really love that park as well. If time is possible, visiting both is a bonus treat.

[Cosmik Debris]

We spent only three nights at Mammath CG last month. Your $25 park entrance fee gets you 7 days. You can't get parking in any city that cheap. CG's have strict generator/noise rules, but we paid $20 a night. Elk strolling thru CG.
We dropped our 5er and explored by truck. Could move to another CG after a few nights to get to other side of the park. There was some major roadwork going on that had us parked for a few minutes.

[rickfriday]

Question about power. What if you do not want a generator? or is it essential when camping in NP's? How long can you get by with batteries? Thanks

[Big Sky]

Originally Posted by rickfriday

Question about power. What if you do not want a generator? or is it essential when camping in NP's? How long can you get by with batteries? Thanks

You have to conserve and understand how much you use. Solar is the alternate answer to not using a generator, however even then it is essential you understand what your daily DC draw is so that you do not overly discharge the battery(s). The discovery of the 12-volt life is a fun adventure.

Read the links below and see if it something you are up for.

Part I: http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

Part II: http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volta.htm

A fun perspective: http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/t...ging-puzzle-2/

[tnmcouple]

If you get a chance check out Cody. There is a rodeo every Saturday night during the summer. They have an old west town. I think it's just a cool little town but I'm bias since my Uncle and Aunt live there. Thermopolis and the hot springs there are something pretty cool also.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by rickfriday

Question about power. What if you do not want a generator? or is it essential when camping in NP's? How long can you get by with batteries? Thanks

Welcome to the forum. You'll find a wealth of good info, answers, and general input in member responses. You can also find a virtual library of knowledge in the archive of previous threads. Just use the search feature and enter key words. Grab the popcorn and drink and settle in for an evening of reading.

[rickfriday]

Wow thanks Big Sky. Thanks for those links on Batteries and charging systems. Got some homework to do. Thanks again!

[ottor]

Yellowstone ....... June ........... Relax ........... Nope. I shoot there several times a year and June is one of the worst for people and traffic. (Photography)