Alabama to Yellowstone

odis wrote:
Thank you all. Wx link is really helpful. Looks like waiting till next yr would be better and taking 2 weeks. May would be great , seeing the young wildlife. Only thing is pulling a camper in the snow?( campers only 25' total length )
I need to find some stops on the way to Yellowstone also.
Thanks again.
Jim

Wise choice, we've been to Yellowstone more than a handful of times, it never gets old and it always seems that we didn't have enough time there.

Towing in the snow is not that bad as long as you keep in mind that you are TOWING. We live in the middle of a mountain range, so everywhere we go we are going up and over mountain passes. In the winter I cut the speed back to about 50 MPH and pay attention to how the road is changing. We have one of the worst mountain passes I have ever driven, the Coquihalla Hwy, it's not unsusal for it to be closed due to a dump of snow.

The most exciting trip I had towing in the snow was coming out of Jackson WY on 191 in the pouring rain, missed the turn north to Yellowstone and found myself heading up 26. We were on the Electraglide and towing a popup. By the time I got to where I could turn around there was about 10" of snow on the road.

Agree with what the other responders have said. I've driven from Colorado to Alabama and back many times (family in Tuscaloosa area), and without towing it's a hard 2 day drive (12 hours per day), and towing, it's a good 3 day drive. Adding one more day to get to NW Wyoming adds another day...just of driving. So, plan on 8 days minimum for driving, unless you really want to push and/or swap out drivers.

As far as places to stay and things to see along the way, you'd need to really settle on a route to get there for advice. There will likely be all sorts of suggestions for the best routes, whether to take interstates or secondary/US highways. Figure roughly 1800 miles one way, give or take, depending on which way you go.

In April of this year I began a trek from Southeast Texas to Montana for a workamping position. Highlights for me are: Taos Pueblo, Four Corners, Canyon De Chelley, Virgin River Gorge (I 15 in Arizona), Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. I originally planned the Grand Canyon on the trip, but because of weather I bypassed and spent 3 days in Kingman, Arizona. Any of the above is a definite revisit for me!

I'd a few days for Grand Teton NP also.

Thank you all. Wx link is really helpful. Looks like waiting till next yr would be better and taking 2 weeks. May would be great , seeing the young wildlife. Only thing is pulling a camper in the snow?( campers only 25' total length )
I need to find some stops on the way to Yellowstone also.
Thanks again.
Jim

sunbug wrote:
Many campgrounds that far north close by the end of Sept.

Weather is really problematic at Yellowstone. It's higher than most people realize, 7000-8000 feet and it can snow any day of the year. We have seen heavy snow in July twice over the years. It was gone the next day tho. So the further out you get from the prime summer months the more likely it will be for snow.

Three days there and three days back won't leave you with much time to see YNP if that 10 days is total time. You can push it and make it in two days to.

Many campgrounds that far north close by the end of Sept.

10 days total for the trip? Not enough time, IMO. 10 days in the park? Long, but good, and will allow you plenty of time to absorb the sights, sounds & smells. I’d recommend a minimum of 2 weeks total for the round trip from that distance.

As far as time of year, late May into June is great for seeing baby animals (mostly bison, but also elk & bear and others) but weather is likely to be chilly and can be iffy. If it’s like this year, it will still be spitting snow and small hail at you throughout June, and is likely to be below freezing overnight. July & August have the best weather and the most fellow tourists – definitely the busiest time of year. September weather is usually great, but that month has been “discovered” and is still quite busy, though not at the pace of July & August. Also, after midsummer skies may be hazy due to wildfires throughout the west.

Your choice! No matter, it’s great whenever you can get there. Just be prepared for what you might encounter.

wx changes from year to year.

Yellowstone wx summary

mis September was when we went, kids all back in school and not many other tourist to clog the roads...good luck