3 week trip from Atlanta to Yellowstone

Thank you for the info. We are leaving on July 7th. We are not staying at mt Rushmore but were planing on spending a little time visiting it. We might visit the black hills. We have about a day in that area.

We were in Yellowstone mid May on a trip from Pa.At some point,you will have to get on I-70 and I-80. Here are some campgrounds we stayed at along the routes. We went from I-70 to I-74 to I-72 to Rt 36 across Missouri.Nice 4 lane ,65mph. We stayed at Pershing State Park. $19 a night for electric.Then onto I-29 to I-80. We stayed at Olagalla Recreation area. Nice campground with electric. $23 a night.Then to Longhorn Ranch Motel and RV Park. Private campground with full hookups. $49 per night.We stayed in Madison Campground in Yellowstone. On way back, we detoured to Minden,Nebraska to see the Harold Warp Pioneer Museum. If you like history,old cars,trucks,tractors etc.this place is great. Next night we stayed at Waubonsie State park in Iowa. $16 a night with electric.

Several thoughts:

- I was less than enamored by Rushmore and they gouge you for parking an RV. I don't regret viewing it but wouldn't have even parked if I did it again unless it was a destination with hiking, etc.

- On the up early and back at camp by dinner, I say that depends on your goals. I'm a wildlife guy which means early morning and late evening. I was out at first light for wildlife photos and then we left the camp for whatever section we were going to tour by 0830 or so. Without teens, I'm make that earlier. Roads get clogged by 1000 or so. Rest in the afternoon at some point and then hit wildlife viewing in the vicitinty of your campground.

- on hiking, be mindful of bears and the rules. I'm a hiker and rant about folks who go to the Smokies and never get 100' from their car but things change with Grizzlies.

- There's a good blog with a 3 day itenerary for YNP. I've linked it in one of the other YNP threads. I think 3 days at YNP and 1 at Grand Teton is the minimum. I'd prefer at least four and two to not be run ragged.

How long did this route take you? We are going to Mt Rushmore first or at least on the way.

IMO I would beat feet as fast as possible to Yellowstone, spend 7 days and figure the rest out on the way home. 3 weeks is not long when your travel time to/from is 8 days minimum and your destination (Yellowstone) needs 7+ days to see what there is to see.

If you throw in the Tetons since you are there, you are out of time.

Thank you for the information. My Email is tpadden22@gmail.com

YNP is about 45 miles E/W and about 65 miles N/S (2.2 mil. Acres total). The figure 8 loop road inside the park is about 140 miles around. The lower loop is 96 miles and the upper loop is 70 miles around and yes, it is bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Whatever time that you think you will need to see YNP you better double it, or to say it another way is that you will see one half as much in the allotted time. The Bison think that they own the road (they do!) and will slow down the traffic to walking speed or less for 1/4 mile or more, the thermal attractions also tie up traffic and with a 4-5 month long summer tourist season that coincides with a 4-5 month long road construction season and a 45 mph radar controlled speed limit it will take about a full day to see each loop and then you will only see the main attractions. In addition to the occasional construction delays they will also sometimes close whole sections of road (for uninterrupted night construction) between 10 PM and 8 AM in the morning, if you are running late and get caught at night in the wrong area it CAN be a LONG way around to your CG! I don't mean to scare you but to inform you of reality. (The entrance stations will have current construction information or go on line.)

Then there is the elevation- YNP ranges from a low at Mammoth- 6239 ft to 7784 ft at Fishing Bridge or higher if you go hiking! Drink plenty of liquids and pace yourself when walking. And again I don't mean to scare you but rather to inform you, after all there was 4.1 million visitors in 2015 (record number)

I recommend that you get up EARLY, leave the CG and be back by 4 or 6 PM have dinner and be sitting in your recliner drinking a cool one when your neighbor drags himself back to the CG at 8-10 PM. Remember that from mid June to mid July in YNP the sun doesn't set until shortly before 10 PM.

Clothing- Especially in the early or late season it is not unusual to have a 30 or even the occasional 40 degree temperature change throughout the day. Dress with easily shed layers of clothing. Also dress in bright easily seen clothing. I am sure that we all have been to a sporting event, parade or Disney World etc. and we blink our eyes and our partner/child has disappeared. My DIL was born and raised in HI, you guessed it, every Xmas, b-day or Father's Day I receive a Hawaiian shirt. One of them is black with 4-5 inch dia. bright flowers. Not many of them in Wyoming and in YSNP, that is what I wear. If your partner has on a Violet blouse and a Orange scarf with a Pink hat I guarantee that she will be the only one within 1/2 mile of you with the same colors. It can save a few anxious moments.

Water- Now I will have to contradict myself, at the altitude of YSNP yes, drink lots of water!HOWEVER, be aware that the flush toilet restrooms are are in the major tourist areas- Mammoth, Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Grant Village, Old Faithful etc. The geyser basins and other thermal attractions areas have only pit toilets. I have seen the pit toilet line at the lower Geyser Basin 20 or more feet long. So be smart about drinking your water and use the major tourist area R/Rs before leaving the area!

Sun- At YSNPs altitude the sun is intense (uv) have and apply sun screen, wear that old floppy wide brim sun hat, wear sun glasses!

If your luck is like mine Old Faithful will have just erupted when you get there and you will have a hour and 10-20 minutes wait for the next one. Tour the O/F geyser basin while waiting for the next eruption. Old Faithful INN is a must see (meals are "OK" also)

We have lived about 110 miles (4739' elevation) from W. Yellowstone, MT for 51 years, go there 3-4 times a summer (normally before Memorial Day and after Labor Day) and haven't seen it all of it yet!

When in the Jackson area I highly recommend seeing the Bar J Chuckwagon dinner show! If you go, MAKE RESERVATIONS and BE THERE EARLY TO PICK UP YOUR MEAL TICKETS/SEATING ASSIGNMENTS! They seat you by when you show up to get your tickets NOT by your reservation number. Tim, their fiddle player has won the "Idaho state old time fiddle contest 7 times and the US open fiddle contest twice". We day trip it there 2-4 times every summer to see them! Disclaimer- We have no financial or other interest in the Bar J only that it will be the best $$ value for your money for your trip! Check out their website.

http://www.barjchuckwagon.com

Tpadden wrote:

americanrascal wrote:
Ran from LaGrange, GA to Yellowstone and spent a few days last summer on the way to AK. Went to B-ham then across to South Memphis (Southhaven). Parked for 1 night at EZ Days at Southhaven, MS. Then cut up across Arkansas on to KOA Springfield , MO. Then up to KC and hung a left and went to the KOA in Salina KS, across to Denver then up to Cheyenne KOA. From Cheyenne to Rawlins, then the KOA in Dubois, WY then on into Yellowstone through the Tetons and bottom end of the park. At West Yellowstone we stayed at Yellowstone Grizzly which was fantastic.

Towed our Focus behind our 31 KE Itasca. We poked along but could have done it in 4 days easy- maybe 3 if we'd have pushed. Cutting up through Arkansas and MO added a day but we wanted to see friends along the way. ATL up 24 to St Louis then KC would have been faster but we wanted to goof off.

We found a lot of chip seal road surface (surface treatment road) off interstate in Wyoming. Windshield was hit 3 times on the moho by passing trucks and the last hit finally cracked it good. All in all though it was a fun route.

PM me and I'll email back the wife's blog

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