fanrgs wrote:
legolas wrote:
I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Cleveland OH out west leaving Oh 8-17 to: Glacier(GNP), Little Big Horn(LBH), Mount Rushmore(MtR), Yellowstone / Grand Teton(YGT),Rocky Mountain(RNP), in that order.My plan is: GNP-4 days, LBH-4 days, MtR-6 days, YGT-6 days, RNP-4 days
That's 24 days plus whatever time it takes you to get from OH to the first NP and time between parks, many of which are a long way apart (493 miles from Cody, WY to Estes Park, CO). Leaving on Aug. 17, this means you may get to at least some of these parks in mid-September.
The Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier closes after the second weekend in September, so going there first may be wise. But, because this is a "free year" in the nearby Canadian national parks (Canada's 150th Anniversary), Glacier might be a lot less crowded just after Labor Day.
Yellowstone's altitude is not nearly as high as Rocky Mountain, but both can get snow in early Sept. (it snowed on me during the week after Labor Day while I was working in Yellowstone). In Yellowstone, the roads generally reopen after an early snowfall. However, Trail Ridge Road in RMNP is at 12,000-ft., so reopening after a snow may or may not be possible.
So, if weather conditions are normal this year, I would save the low-elevation Little Bighorn-Black Hills portion of the trip until you are on your way home. A logical route then might be Rocky Mtn., Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, LBH, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, and home.
I agree with the others on the time required at each park. We stayed at an RV park in Hardin, MT for one night and spent a 1/2 day at LBH. We went to Mt. Rushmore after lunch, toured the whole site, ate a picnic dinner, and stayed for the evening program. But don't miss Jewel Cave NM while you are in the Black Hills. I'm a geologist and I was much more impressed with it than with Wind Cave NP. However, driving through buffalo herds at Wind Cave and Custer State Park was exciting!
In Yellowstone, try to camp near Cooke City, MT for a couple of nights and drive US 212 to Red Lodge (no trailer!). That's the Beartooth Highway and it is one of the most spectacular drives in the U.S. You can also do it as a loop from Cody (Cody-Cooke City-Red Lodge-Cody). Well worth a long day's drive if you have the time.
Enjoy your planning!
Thanks for the reminder about cold weather and snow...i get enough of that in Cleveland and don't need that on vacation. We will be revising the trip....
