Yellowstone & GTNP Closed

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

It’s official: the Montana entrances to YSNP open June 1st: https://yellowstoneinsider.com/2020/...o-open-june-1/

I saw...which is good news, but my main question is what will be available to us within the park? I've heard talk about reservations and such??

June 1st is "D Day" for us to decide if we cancel or go...I'm actually leaning more toward canceling at this point, but I think we are just going to just play rock, paper, scissors at this point!

[Bookemdanno]

Well after PMing with LuckyDuck we decided to go for it. I made all of our reservations for overnight stops to and from Yellowstone today. And just for good measure, I went ahead and booked a white water rafting trip while we are there with Louis & Clark on the snake river. They said that they are opening back up next week.

[Flyrotor]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Well after PMing with LuckyDuck we decided to go for it. I made all of our reservations for overnight stops to and from Yellowstone today.

Good for you! I think it's a wise decision to move forward! When is your trip?

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by Flyrotor

Good for you! I think it's a wise decision to move forward! When is your trip?

We leave North TX on June 19.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

We leave North TX on June 19.

You won’t regret it. The park is phenomenal! A million things to see and the scenery is spectacular! And crowds are light.

[jasonmiddlebrooks]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Well after PMing with LuckyDuck we decided to go for it. I made all of our reservations for overnight stops to and from Yellowstone today. And just for good measure, I went ahead and booked a white water rafting trip while we are there with Louis & Clark on the snake river. They said that they are opening back up next week.

Just got back home from a 21 day trip from Atlanta to Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, devil's tower, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Yellowstone, Tetons, Moab, Southern Colorado back to Atlanta. Everything we needed was open. There were plenty of free camping available on BLM land and payed RV spots at private RV joints. Decided to do the trip on May 22nd and left Atlanta on May 24th with no reservations. Everything was just starting to open up in national parks for road travel and hikes. Most of the visitor centers and all campgrounds in the parks were closed. Most of the parks were not even taking money, but I bought an annual pass anyway. State Park campgrounds were starting to open up. Who needs food places open when you can eat in your camper and pack picnic lunches. The trip was absolutely amazing with ZERO crowds to worry about.

Go for it and enjoy it while you can! Many of the local businesses along the way were open which I made a point to stop at and buy a few things.

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by jasonmiddlebrooks

Just got back home from a 21 day trip from Atlanta to Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, devil's tower, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Yellowstone, Tetons, Moab, Southern Colorado back to Atlanta. Everything we needed was open. There were plenty of free camping available on BLM land and payed RV spots at private RV joints. Decided to do the trip on May 22nd and left Atlanta on May 24th with no reservations. Everything was just starting to open up in national parks for road travel and hikes. Most of the visitor centers and all campgrounds in the parks were closed. Most of the parks were not even taking money, but I bought an annual pass anyway. State Park campgrounds were starting to open up. Who needs food places open when you can eat in your camper and pack picnic lunches. The trip was absolutely amazing with ZERO crowds to worry about.

Go for it and enjoy it while you can! Many of the local businesses along the way were open which I made a point to stop at and buy a few things.

Awesome! Thanks for the report. Picking up the 5er Friday after work to load over the weekend. We head out on Monday! The DD’s have been watching YouTube videos constantly about Yellowstone & Teton....so I’d say we’re all a little excited! [emoji4]

[LuckyDuck]

We just returned from a five-state, three-week journey from Northern California to Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon NM, northwest Montana, NE Washington and central Oregon. As Jason said, most everything is open, although Tetons concessions were not. Clearly people are traveling again though. We stayed in Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, which went from 20 to 300+ (full) RVs in a week. YNP and GT we’re not crowded, but I would definitely advise getting an early start each day. Like entering the park by 7 or 8. In addition to fewer traffic backups, the bison, elk and other animals are more likely to be out.

We found most stores, cafes etc to be open. Be sure to take masks— most places “require” them, some more rigid than others. Check state DOT sites for rest stop info — most were open, but not all and they don’t always give warning. Shortened hours and reduced capacity in restaurants or shops also was common.

We spent four days at Yellowstone, but not every day in the park. We could have spent double that driving to different parts of the park as it’s huge. It is like a half-dozen parks in one, from green valleys to snowy crags, to moonsscapes. We, too, watched videos and read guidebooks on what to see. But one of the best resources was staff in the park visitor center in West Yellowstone. She was right on the mark in knowing where to see animals, when to avoid crowds, what features are unique etc. so you might hit that first.

Sorry for the long post, but as you can see, the trip is well worth it! Enjoy!

[Flyrotor]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Awesome! Thanks for the report. Picking up the 5er Friday after work to load over the weekend. We head out on Monday! The DD’s have been watching YouTube videos constantly about Yellowstone & Teton....so I’d say we’re all a little excited! [emoji4]

If you haven't done so, you should download the NPS Yellowstone National Park app, NPS also has one for Teton National Park.

There is also a Yellowstone National Park Visitors guide developed by Josephine Martin which has good reviews.

Supposedly these will work off line, as there is very little cellphone reception in the parks.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by Flyrotor

If you haven't done so, you should download the NPS Yellowstone National Park app, NPS also has one for Teton National Park.

There is also a Yellowstone National Park Visitors guide developed by Josephine Martin which has good reviews.

Supposedly these will work off line, as there is very little cellphone reception in the parks.

The Yellowstone app is excellent and yes, save to your device before you lose cell service. It even has a “geyser prediction” section!

[Bookemdanno]

Just wanted to give y’all a follow up. We made to our campground (Redrock RV) in ID yesterday. Going up/down Teton Pass (10% grade) was interesting, as it was the longest grade I’ve towed...but not the steepest. Drove into the town of West Yellowstone yesterday afternoon...it was quite busy with tourists at 4 pm. I can’t imagine how much busier it would be with buses of folks! While speaking to a random stranger (because that’s what I do...drives DW crazy), she told me that the NP is busy, but not like it has been in the past. She told me to go in early, as they’ve seen bears everyday that the did. Today is recovery day...just hanging out at campground...might go back to west Yellowstone later so the DW & DD’s can do their tourist shopping and get that out of the way. Here’s the sunrise from my bedroom window this morning.

[LuckyDuck]

If you didn’t already, definitely visit Museum of the Yellowstone. It is in the historic stone Union Pacific railroad depot downtown. Fascinating history info about the park and town.

[Bookemdanno]

Wow...be prepared for the weather to change at the drop of a hat up here! Woke up this morning to 57 degrees. Had breakfast & lunch at the RV with 71 degrees. Got a hair up my butt, and we went into Yellowstone to “scope” things out. Ended up at the painted pots and got rained on, temp dropped to 60 degrees! I should mention that I had shorts & a t-shirt on and that we were not properly prepared with umbrellas & our jackets since this was a last minute thing. It gets worse...I decided that we should then go see what’s going on at Old Faithful. It wasn’t very faithful, as it was 10 mins late and the previous rain storm decided to follow us upon its eruption. So we are soaked and headed back to the car after viewing something spectacular, when about 45 seconds from the car it starts to hail! We finally get into the car and the temp has dropped to 50 degrees! No wonder I was shivering. Just be prepared for varying weather here...that’s my takeaway from our last minute venture.

[Flyrotor]

Nice! Gotta love Yellowstone! Went there a few years ago in July, one day was upper 80’s and the next day July 7th it was snowing enough to cover the roads! I love that even on hot days it cools down every night for very comfortable sleeping! I wish I was there hanging out with you guys!

[jasonmiddlebrooks]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Going up/down Teton Pass (10% grade) was interesting, as it was the longest grade I’ve towed...but not the steepest

I have not pulled the camper over the Teton Pass but have gotten stuck on top of it with a pregnant wife in a rental car one winter due to avalanches....

Speaking of passes and grades. If you come back east on US 160 through Southern CO over the continental divide, wolf creek pass is a tuff one. I did not realize how long (not really steep, I think about 7 %) it was until I was nearly at the top of it. Almost 11000ft. Probably did not help that I had a full fresh water tank.... Made it about 100 yards shy of the peak and had to pull over to let the truck cool off for 15 minutes. Truck was well over 250 degrees.. I am glad i was going East and not having to go down it headed West! Just be sure to keep a check on the engine temps.

Enjoy the trip!

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by jasonmiddlebrooks

I have not pulled the camper over the Teton Pass but have gotten stuck on top of it with a pregnant wife in a rental car one winter due to avalanches....

Speaking of passes and grades. If you come back east on US 160 through Southern CO over the continental divide, wolf creek pass is a tuff one. I did not realize how long (not really steep, I think about 7 %) it was until I was nearly at the top of it. Almost 11000ft. Probably did not help that I had a full fresh water tank.... Made it about 100 yards shy of the peak and had to pull over to let the truck cool off for 15 minutes. Truck was well over 250 degrees.. I am glad i was going East and not having to go down it headed West! Just be sure to keep a check on the engine temps.

Enjoy the trip!

I was watching the transmission temps...normal for me is 170-174. I saw 188 going up the Teton Pass...once the exhaust brake kicked in on the way down she cooled back down to 174. We’ll be coming back the same way we came, so now that I’ve experienced it, I’m not as worried. We’re going to stay in Loveland, CO (just South of Ft. Collins) on the way back for 2 nights. Any suggestions on things to do/see for the 1 day that we are there...me, I was thinking of a brewery tour...but that’s just me! [emoji56]

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Wow...be prepared for the weather to change at the drop of a hat up here! Woke up this morning to 57 degrees. Had breakfast & lunch at the RV with 71 degrees. Got a hair up my butt, and we went into Yellowstone to “scope” things out. Ended up at the painted pots and got rained on, temp dropped to 60 degrees! I should mention that I had shorts & a t-shirt on and that we were not properly prepared with umbrellas & our jackets since this was a last minute thing. It gets worse...I decided that we should then go see what’s going on at Old Faithful. It wasn’t very faithful, as it was 10 mins late and the previous rain storm decided to follow us upon its eruption. So we are soaked and headed back to the car after viewing something spectacular, when about 45 seconds from the car it starts to hail! We finally get into the car and the temp has dropped to 50 degrees! No wonder I was shivering. Just be prepared for varying weather here...that’s my takeaway from our last minute venture.

How are the mosquitoes? When we were there a couple weeks ago, they were AWFUL. Swarmed us whenever we went outside in the morning or evening. No sitting outside in the evenings. It was down to 36* at night and mid-70s during the day. Welcome to the Rockies!

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

How are the mosquitoes? When we were there a couple weeks ago, they were AWFUL. Swarmed us whenever we went outside in the morning or evening. No sitting outside in the evenings. It was down to 36* at night and mid-70s during the day. Welcome to the Rockies!

The mosquitoes were horrendous yesterday...today...not so much! We brought spray with us and have used it for the last 2 days. Last night, My oldest DD got bit on the forehead...I think it’s the only spot we didn’t spray her. I will say that they seem to be worse as night fall comes.

Tomorrow is an early day...we’ll get up at 5 and try to head into the park by 5:30 (we are 30-40 mins from the west entrance) so we can get to the entrance around 6. We just finished (by “WE”, I mean my wife) packing breakfast bars, lunches, and drinks for the day tomorrow.

We saw moose, a bald eagle, deer, and a couple bison today. We are all very excited!

[jasonmiddlebrooks]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

I was watching the transmission temps...

We’re going to stay in Loveland, CO (just South of Ft. Collins) on the way back for 2 nights. Any suggestions on things to do/see for the 1 day that we are there...me, I was thinking of a brewery tour...but that’s just me! [emoji56]

Wish I would have looked at the transmission temps when I went over Wolf creek pass but I did not. Would have been interesting to see what it was at. I think one thing affecting my engine temps were all the bugs we had picked up after 5k miles on the road. I did use a hose and wash the radiator, AC cooler, and transmission cooler off later that evening.

Got nothing for you in Loveland. Been to many places in CO but nothing nothing north of Boulder. But a brewery tour sounds like a good choice to me!

Cheers!

[TxLoser]

We did Wolf Creek on this last trip. I saw 188 on the trans temp. Normal is 180 for me. That is quite a climb. Really a beautiful area. I’d never been through there.