Road trip! NM to Yellowstone

avengermike wrote:
hey guys planning a trip from Albuquerque,NM to Yellowstone and want to see if any one had any pointers. I'm also considering stopping in Grand Teton national forest for a couple of days then up to Yellowstone. would be pulling a 40' 5er with my 2015 F350 6.7l w/heavy tow package.

This would be something I'd look at.

Make everyday an Adventure.

Best of Luck,

This past summer we did most of this route with a 45' MH. I'd go Moab, SLC, Pocatello to West Yellowstone. We stayed at Grizzly there. Fishing bridge may be a possibility in the park, but you're pretty big. Then drive through Yellowstone to the Tetons. We stayed at Colter Bay.

You don't want to take the pass from Jackson to Victor with your 5er.

If you go to the Tetons first take 191 off 80 to 189 to Jackson. That bypasses SLC.

Large trailers don't fit that well in the old national parks. If you can't find a reservation in the Park, consider an RV park in W Yellowstone or Cooke City.

Personnally, I prefer US 191 all the way from I-40 to Yellowstone. Takes you to Canyon de Chelly NM, Canyonlands NP, Moab, Arches NP, Vernal-Dinosaur NM, Flaming Gorge, Pinedale, Jackson, Grand Teton NP, Colter Bay's great campground, and the South Entrance to Yellowstone. Much more scenic than anywhere along I-15 and avoids SLC as well. You see the real West--desert, mesas, plateau, multiple mountain ranges, alpine forest, and the Colorado, Green, Snake, and Yellowstone Rivers--on that highway, not the "Interstate West."

And, if you haven't been there before, don't miss the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY. Plan on a whole day just for that as it has multiple museums.

^^191 is an excellent route for big rigs and sights^^

Thank you all for the response to my question. We have reservation at a place off the west entrance. My 5er and truck length has limited me on places to stay. The teton idea wasn't planned when I made when we started to plan trip. So might have to dry camp around that good info on 191 wanted to make sure 5er would fit.

Most definitely.... do not pass up Grand Teton Nat'l Park. Your 5th wheel would fit in either Colter Bay or Gros Ventre (our favorite) campgrounds in the park. Both are dry camping and neither takes reservations but they each have 300 sites and we've never had a problem getting a site.

Since you're in West Yellowstone, plan on leaving early morning before the crowds start forming and drive through the park and out the southern exit into Grand Teton. Liklihood of seeing more critters when leaving early and also you want to get to the Teton campgrounds as early as you can.

Each park is completely different in looks and things to do. Grand Teton has the best trails of all abilities. Enjoy! Also scour their web sites for lots of good information on things to do, road information, camping information and special 'alerts'.

https://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/index.htm

Colter Bay in Grand Teton NP has two campgrounds--one is dry camping and the other (RV Park) has FHU, pull-thru sites with NO length restriction. Not cheap ($59/night with the Federal Senior Pass), but it has tree-shaded sites with picnic tables and paved roads.

Plus Colter Bay is right on Jackson Lake with terrific views of the Tetons at dawn. You can even rent a canoe and paddle around the forested eastern shore of the big lake.