Out west trip questions

This is one time I don't recommend Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone for a 40' with 4 slides. The 40' isn't a problem. We always find a site. The 4 slides are what will be a problem. The only one for you in Yellowstone will be Mammoth which is no reservations but we always seem to find a spot there with our 40' (2 slides). However, you'd be just fine there with 4 slides if you stay outside the park nearby the previous night and pull into Mammoth early morning when folks are leaving. The sites are large there.

Having 4 slides and trying to stay in the national parks will not be easy because you have to postition those slides between trees and other obstacles. Both of our slides are on the same side so we have an easier time. I think it would be easier for you if you stay nearby, just outside the parks, in private campgrounds. Have a good trip. It's a favorite time of ours for those national parks.

Plan on private RV parks which is not going to be a major problem as you can drive into the parks and not miss anything. The US Forest Service and National Park campground will be very restrictive but often the BLM campgrounds are in more open areas where space is not at such a premium.

The challenge is in breaking up the trip to minimize the amount of driving you do on any one day. You should have a fairly straight shot up through Kansas and South Dakota and into Montana and the east side of Glacier NP. From there the decision becomes whether to come south through Idaho or head west into Washington. It depends upon what you want to see.

Check the temperatures in the high desert areas in the southwest as there is a steep decline going into November. I would hesitate to be planning to travel east late in the year when snow or ice storms could hit.

Areas like Glacier and Yellowstone are not at all crowded in early July and would make for warmer weather at the end of your trip heading back east.

Ken, within YNP, I think you will find that the Fishing Bridge campground on the East side is the only place where you can get full hookups. We've seen many full-sized Class A rigs there so I think you will be okay there.

Even September in Yellowstone has been "discovered" and you may have some difficulty finding campsites, especially those large enough for your rig. I'd suggest an alternative for that park: Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. Hookups (remember, most NPS sites do not have them), clean & neat, and only a few blocks from the west gate of Yellowstone. We've used it as a base for visiting the park several times and have enjoyed it. Not as atmospheric as being inside the park, but many conveniences - and space for big rigs - that are lacking in park CGs. I strongly suggest reservations for anything in/around Yellowstone for August & September.

Here's an old post of one of our more recent visits to a National Park in New Mexico as well as a State Park (even a BLM Campground). Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't area of New Mexico -A Trip Report 2012.

Los Alamos is a very neat small city in itself. Free bus system with very neat buses. Very pretty setting up in the high country. Somewhat of a gated community as well. We only drove through & stopped at a SuperMarket. A nice town. http://www.visit.losalamos.com/
http://www.losalamosnm.us/transit/Pages/default.aspx

Oh, yes, in most of the western states, even in the hot southwest states, normally one does not to run the A/C at night to cool off. It usually cools down greatly at night out this way. Higher elevations & low humidity are factors. Therefore, one does need to have electrical hookups as one does back east.

In parks like Yellowstone & the Tetons, it is even less likely to need them. Maybe to keep warm would be nice at time however. Ha!

The last 2 visits to Yellowstone was in July (2010) & Aug (2009). We stayed at Mammoth CG in 2009 & Grant CG in 2010. We have been 4 times all together & never had a reservation. Madison, Canyon, Bridge Bay as well as Grant & Mammoth CGs all should be places to consider. However, you would have to check the park web site to make sure about the 40' rig. Mammoth has some site which would work. There were really large rigs there.

South entrance via the Tetons is the easiest route into as is the North entrance by Mammoth. West entrance would be easy enough, but take a lot more driving to get around to it. East entrances one will have to do some climbing.

Here's an older post with info from our past trips, etc. DesertHawk's Recommendations for Yellowstone Area.

"West Entrance - Adjacent to the town of West Yellowstone, MT, the West Entrance is open to wheeled vehicles from late April through early November, and to tracked-oversnow vehicles from mid December to mid March."

"North Entrance - Near the gateway community of Gardiner, MT, the North Entrance is the only park entrance open to wheeled vehicles all year. "
Opening & Closing Dates of Facilities

What I have on Sights & Sites between ABQ & Yellowstone (plus many others such as Black Hills/Rushmore). Santa Fe has some neat Must See & is on the way from Cody or Moran. IMHO.

I'd not want to do the drive from Cody into the Park more than once. It's a long drive & once in the park slow. It is closer to get to Moran by about 10 miles as well. Still a good drive from the Tetons into Yellowstone proper. Might not be too much difference between the drives in distance, but more mountain to cross via Cody.

Cody is a neat town. Might consider checking out the Thermopolis, WY area as well. Should be on your way to Cody via Casper. Pretty easy route from Casper to Cody by the way.

PS: New Mexico schools & I believe most if not all the states you mentioned schools will be starting in mid-August as well.

n4hwl wrote:
Anyway I thought that the parks and campgrounds would not be as busy after school started in August.

Just be aware that most schools out here don't begin until after Labor Day. August is still a busy camping season right up to and including Labor Day weekend.

Sturgis 2014 is Aug 4th-10th, so first 2 weeks of August as a disaster in the Sturgis area. I would rethink the timing or route. We have spent a lot of time traveling out West in 40 foot MH and not had many problems finding a spot.

Harley-dave is right about Sturgis. While the prices on Custer SP will not go up, there will be no sites available either. Other sites in the area for several miles around will go up in price considerably. Unless you want to specifically be in or around the Black Hills during the Rally, it might be a good idea to route yourself to another part of the country after then (or perhaps early, but things get busy as early as a couple of weeks prior to the Rally) The Hills are much prettier in the spring before the prairies dry out later in the summer - for whatever it might be worth to you.

If you are heading to Mount Rushmore will you also stop by the crazy horse monument? It is close by and looks like it would be worth your time. I was at Mount Rushmore in March of last year and did not go to see crazy horse. I wish I would have. The weather that day was not the best cold, windy, rainy. That does not mean every day would be like that in March though! There is a walking tour I would like to go back and take, it was not offered at the time I was there. The viewing platform is quite a ways away. Oh, you can see it all just fine! I just liked the looks of the walking tour. I was travelling for work, so was in a car and I do not know what any of the campgrounds etc. were like. Sorry! Take your camera, it is an awesome sight!!

n4hwl wrote:
I will be leaving Tennessee and heading out west sometime this year. I plan on being gone 2 months or so. I am wide open for suggestions on routes and times. I know this leaves things wide open but can not decide when. I am thinking about heading up toward the mount rushmore/ yellowstone area in August and roam around up there and then by late sept or into October loop south through the southwest for a while before coming back to Tennessee be November 1st. I have heard that I will not be able to get into some of the National Park Campgrounds with my 40ft 4slide Phaeton. Is this true. I guess I will have to find other campgrounds near those parks. Anyway I thought that the parks and campgrounds would not be as busy after school started in August. I am wide open for suggestions on routes and times of the year to hit certain areas.

Thanks
Ken

Go all the way to Ore. and do the coast. You will like it.