Rushmore to Fishing Bridge - Yellowstone

We went took US-16 out of Custer to I-90 to Livingston MT, then US 89 into Yellowstone. Easy scenic route with an RV.

Depends on how much time you have and what you would like to see and do along the way. If you take I-90, Devils Tower National Monument and the Little Bighorn Battlefield and not far off your route. You could enter Yellowstone through the North Entrance or exit I-90 at Laurel, MT and head South to Cody where there is the Buffalo Bill Center, Old Trail Town and the Nightly Rodeo. A loop of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and Beartooth Highway with a stop in Red Lodge makes a nice day trip from Cody. From Cody it is a pleasant, scenic but sometimes slow drive through the East Entrance to Fishing Bridge.

You could exit I-90 at Buffalo, WY and take US-16 to US-20 which will take you to Thermopolis where there is Hot Springs State Park, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, and the Legend Rock Petroglyph Site. From Thermopolis, WY-120 will take you to Cody.

Or you could stay on US-20 to US-26 to Grand Teton National Park and then enter Yellowstone through the south entrance.

I would detour to West Yellowstone. Fishing Bridge is and overcrowded dump. Funky electric, bad plumbing, crammed in like sardines.

You'll hear an argument that it's in the park and closer to everything. Well it's not. It's only closer to the things close to Fishing bridge.

Mammoth is a much better campground if you want to be in the park. Just lacks electric. Generators okay.

Thanks -- we're coming out of Hill City, SD then stopping at Devils Tower, US 20 to 26 to South Entrance looks like less miles -- It's OK for RV and a truck with travel trailer? We have 5 days in Yellowstone, so hopefully will see as much as possible.

creeper wrote:
I would detour to West Yellowstone. Fishing Bridge is and overcrowded dump. Funky electric, bad plumbing, crammed in like sardines.

You'll hear an argument that it's in the park and closer to everything. Well it's not. It's only closer to the things close to Fishing bridge.

Mammoth is a much better campground if you want to be in the park. Just lacks electric. Generators okay.

no electricity at Mammoth? it sounds like a spartan dump to me. listen to generators running all day? what about W/S? had no issues when I stayed at FB. yes it is crowded. No, I did not go to Yellowstone for the camping experience, I went there to see/enjoy Yellowstone.
bumpy

wooey wrote:
...US 20 to 26 to South Entrance looks like less miles -- It's OK for RV and a truck with travel trailer?...

We have done it and all the other routes I mentioned pulling a 7500# trailer with a 2500 Duramax pickup. There will be some pulls no matter what route you take to Yellowstone. Just driving through the park you may cross the Continental Divide a number of times. In my opinion and experience, the most challenging route is through the Northeast Entrance (which I did not mention in my first post) and would not recommend it for larger RVs to other than those with lots of mountain driving experience.

how about 14 from ranchester through the national forest and Cody. Only a little longer than 16 and maybe more scenic.

We went from Spearfish to Redlodge and camped in a national forest off the beartooth highway right before the switchbacks and spent two nights exploring the area. Backtracked out an came in on the west entrance which was very easy. There is a website that explains all the ways to get to Yellowstone with a rv which is pretty detailed.

evanrem wrote:
We went from Spearfish to Redlodge and camped in a national forest off the beartooth highway right before the switchbacks and spent two nights exploring the area. Backtracked out an came in on the west entrance which was very easy. There is a website that explains all the ways to get to Yellowstone with a rv which is pretty detailed.

This is one of several websites that describes the various entrances to Yellowstone and the routes to access them. From Red Lodge it is not necessary to go all the way to the South entrance. MT-308 and MT-72/WY-120 will take you South to Cody without crossing any major mountain passes. From Cody to the East Entrance and Fishing Bridge does go over a pass, but it is nothing like the Beartooth and in my recollection no more difficult than some of the other passes in the park.

The straight route from Devils Tower is US16 all the way. US16 is the easiest way OVER the Big Horn Mtns. Cody to the West Entrance is a long steady climb, but no difficult curves. There's a modest drop from there to Fishing Bridge.

If you go through one of the other entrances you still have to climb to the Fishing Bridge level. It's just more spread out. For example Mammoth Hot Springs is substantially lower.