Yellowstone and Grand Teton from Denver

First, the OP is not towing anything--they are renting a short, 25' Class C motorhome. So, going up that Beartooth Highway grade or going down US 14 in the Bighorns in a coach with no toad should not be a problem, especially since they have rented similar RVs in the past. Alt 14 may be a little more difficult but should also be doable for them as long as they use the gears and not just the brakes to hold their speed.

Second, Trail Ridge Road in RMNP should also present no problems for a 25' coach. My pickup is nearly that long and has been on it numerous times. Admittedly at 12,000' they won't have a lot of power, but then the speed limit is fairly slow anyway. So, I wouldn't expect them to have major problems with it unless the road is still closed by snow. But they should know ahead of time if it is closed and can go a different route leaving Denver and take Trail Ridge later in the summer on their way back to Denver.

For the OP: Just to whet your appetite while you're absorbing and to help in planning your Cody/Yellowstone visit, the Website for the well-worth-the-time Buffalo Bill museums in Cody is HERE.

Incidentally, I'm a retired geological engineer and volunteer as a tour guide at Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison, CO. In June I will be in western Colorado and Alaska for some time, but if I am here and you would like a personal tour, PM me when you know your schedule. Take a look HERE to see what we offer.

Enjoy your planning!

We've towed over the Bighorns, but there are two routes to the top of Burgess Junction and one is recommended over the other - 14 through Shell Canyon is better than Alt 14 to Lovell.

Most people do not advise towing through the Bighorns and entering via the northeast entrance to Yellowstone NP. I liked the ride but would not think about pulling my 5er through there. I will not pull it over the top of Rocky Mtn. Park either. I've pulled over the million dollar highway and a lot of Utah and southern Colorado but not the 2 areas above.

MIke and Sue wrote:

We're from UK and planning to pick up a Cruise America C25 RV from Denver in late May for a 4 or 5 week tour to include Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

We've used an RV in USA before and generally like to keep our options open and not book campgrounds in advance and have tended to seek out National/State Park campgrounds.

We enjoy birdwatching and may try to take in some of the area near Salt Lake City too.

Any suggestions/comments would be welcome.

For the end of May this route should work well and allow a bit of Bird Watching in the many Forest/Rivers along the way.

Coming out of Denver, heading west on I-70, jump off on Exit 265 Rt 58 go straight it will turn into Rt 6 getting you right into the Mountains - Rt 6 through 6 tunnels and rejoining I-70 at Idaho Springs -Truly a Special/Beautiful Drive!

Now on I-70 you will take that to Rt 91 (Yes you will have to go through the Eisenhower tunnel)- Exit 195 to Rt 91 - You will take Rt 91 to Leadville, Highest incorporated Town in America at 10,000' - Quincy's - Turquoise Lake - just a neat little town, with a lot of old Mining History.

From there heading South on Rt 24 through Buena Vista - K's - Collegiate Peaks - Arkansas River - Rafting - Dirt Roads - then When Rt 24 turns Left to the Springs you go on Rt 285 south to Poncha Springs there you will Take Rt 50 through Gunnison (option here to go to Crested Butte - Gunnison Lake - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - or even a side trip to Lake City.

Now Rt 50 will take you west to Montrose where you will take Rt 550 to Ridgway - Big Choice here! - I suggest you spend the night and go to Ouray, the Alps of Colorado, then back and over to Telluride - Trout Lake - possibly Dunton - Rico - but this is starting to be a Colorado Trip not a Yellowstone trip.

Couple of Options from Ridgway - up through Aspen to Glenwood Springs - catching Maroon Bells, one of the most Photographed spots in all of Colorado - Glenwood has the Over Under I-70 just east of town with the Hot Springs Pool - You will take Rt 133 which will take you past Redstone and Marble, both which have even more History in their stories.

From Glenwood Springs on to Vernal, UT and Dinosaur National Monument - stay in the park at Split Rock CG on the Green River - Now we will head to Flaming Gorge, just to get to the top of the Gorge and look down on the lake - then to Alpine, WY on the way into Jackson and the Tetons - The Lake - the Rocks - the Hikes - Just to lay back and look at the SKY - OMG.

Now on to Yellowstone - the whole figure eight - many spots to stay with out reservations so just be sure to go out towards the Beartooth - Chief Joseph Hwy - Red Lodge to Cody - then to Thermopolis on through - Wind River Canyon, possibly staying on the River before you get into Shoshoni.

Bounce around to Craig, CO - to Steamboat - Steamboat Lake SP - Yampa SP - Stagecoach SP -

Now on to Grand Lake - which will allow you to Do Trail Ridge over to Estes then Down to Rt 7 Peak to Peak - On down Rt 72 to Rt 6 on into Golden to return the Rental RV.

Yes I understand you only have 5-6 weeks but even if you just drive through these spots, you will have some memory of them. That sure beats not even at least seeing them.

While I have done this trip a number of times it is a Big Chunk of America - you will not really be able to do much more than just see most of this and you will be putting a lot of Miles on the RV BUT - you will see a lot - almost every mile will expose you to Spaces and Places only few Americans have seen. Take your time - Bring a Really Good Camera! Lot's of Memory - take three pictures when you think one will do - You'll need good hiking Boots - Fleece and Rain Gear - even if you just drive through the locations I've mentioned you will still be able to enjoy your time in the Rockies.

While this might seem to be a lot it's doable and Beautiful.

Best of Luck - hope this contributes to what you are looking to see and Do.

Thank you.
You've given us SO MUCH to think about.
Really grateful - it will take us a bit of time to absorb it all.

You may already have this info, but, to help plan your route, you should visit:

http://coloradobirdingtrail.com/
http://dfobirds.org/

DFO is "Denver Field Ornithologists" and, if you would like a local contact name and phone number from that group, please PM me. They have field events most weeks during the year and you may want to join them for one or two while you are in the Denver area.

If US 34 is still closed ("Trail Ridge Road" through Rocky Mountain NP tries to open for Memorial Day weekend), I believe that US 287 through Lander, Wyoming, with a stay at Colter Bay, is the most scenic route from Denver. However, I would modify that route in Colorado and southern Wyoming by leaving US 287 at Fort Collins and taking CO Highway 14 over Cameron Pass to Steamboat Springs or Saratoga, WY. You will cross North Park, which is a major waterfowl area with numerous wildlife refuges. The Colorado State Forest, which you will also pass through on CO 14, has the largest moose population in Colorado and a campground with electrical hookups. Go to ReserveAmerica.com to check campground availability during your time period.

You can pick up US 287 again at Rawlins, WY. From Rawlins to Lander is open grassland and desert, but gives you a good feel for what much of the West is really like. Near Sweetwater Station, the highway crosses the early 19th Century Oregon/California Trail, Pony Express, and Overland Stagecoach routes.

If you are coming back to Denver after your Yellowstone and Grand Teton visit, you might want to return on the route I just proposed instead of going north on it. Instead, you might want to go north on I-25 to Sheridan, WY, then on US 14 to Greybull and Cody. I suggest going west because that is the "downhill" direction on this very steep road through the Bighorn Mountains. Climbing that grade from west to east will cost you a lot more for fuel!

As suggested by others, Cody is well worth a two- or three-day stop. You can spend that long just getting through all the different parts of the Buffalo Bill Museum. When you leave Cody, go northwest on WY 120, MT 72, and MT 308 to Red Lodge, Montana. From there, take US 212 (the Beartooth Highway) to Cooke City, MT, where you will enter Yellowstone NP via the little-used northeast entrance. You will be going uphill on the steep hairpin turns by going this direction, but that is better than downhill in an RV. Just be sure to stop frequently to enjoy the unbelievable scenery along this route.

If you take these routes coming and going, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have when I travel them!

MIke and Sue wrote:
We're from UK and planning to pick up a Cruise America C25 RV from Denver in late May for a 4 or 5 week tour to include Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We've used an RV in USA before and generally like to keep our options open and not book campgrounds in advance and have tended to seek out National/State Park campgrounds.
We enjoy birdwatching and may try to take in some of the area near Salt Lake City too.
Any suggestions/comments would be welcome.

Late May is a good time for birders in the San Luis Valley. There is a surprising amount of wetland area between Saguache, Monte Vista and Alamosa, and driving through there many years ago over Memorial Day weekend I was amazed at the numbers of waterbirds that had stopped there during spring migration. When the snow melts in the mountains all around the valley, a large part of it turns into a marsh, and that brings in the birds. Something to consider anyway.

If you take 25 to 26, through Cheyenne, Riverton, and Dubois, you'll go over the Togwothee pass, which is beautiful with a great campground on the pass, Falls, with a loop with electricity and will fit most any RV. Again, you'll have to check if it's open, but there's a KOA in Dubois too.

This is our favorite route. If you need hook-ups you will need to make reservations at Colter Bay RV Park to visit the Grand Teton National Park. Note that this is NOT the same as Colter Bay Campground which is basically without hook-ups. We have always stayed at Colter Bay RV Park WITH reservations. I highly recommend it. We found it easy to make a day trip into Yellowstone, but I would not want to do that over several days.

If you have not been to Colorado Springs, I agree that would be a nice addition to your trip. You might be able to get reservations for Cheyenne Mountain State Park which is one of the very best in the entire US. Even in May, I would not chance it without reservations.

In Estes Park we always stay at Spruce Lake RV Park. Not an especially attractive RV park, but about as good as anything in Estes Park to visit Rocky Mountain National Park.

Just a few thoughts - late May is still early for the Rockies, so do some touring around Denver before heading to Yellowstone and the Tetons. Even with that said, it may be early for Rocky Mountain National Park, but definitely try. Visit Cripple Creek, Pikes Peak, and Garden of the Gods at least, which are all in the Colorado Springs area. Again for Cripple Creek, it is pretty high in elevation, so it may be out, but a must see and there is a railroad trip you can take from there.

If you take 25 to 26, through Cheyenne, Riverton, and Dubois, you'll go over the Togwothee pass, which is beautiful with a great campground on the pass, Falls, with a loop with electricity and will fit most any RV. Again, you'll have to check if it's open, but there's a KOA in Dubois too.

You could take 25 to 26 to 20 and up through Thermopolis and visit the hot springs. Very interesting area and very geological! Road signs every part of the way indicating Mesozoic era, etc. There's a nice KOA in Graybull, then you can go from there on 14 to Cody and in the back side of Yellowstone. There are many FS campgrounds on 14. Rex Hale CG has some sites with electricity if you need and after you leave Cody there is Buffalo Bill State Park and one of the loops has water and electricity. When we've stayed there we opted out of E and W and stayed in the lower loop because we have solar and plenty of water on board. Then down through the Tetons. Be sure to stop at the Pahaska Teepee Resort and Restaurant. They have great food and Blueberry Saddle Blankets (that's what they call their pancakes)! This is between Cody, WY, and the East Entrance. Knowing the Hwy's and using this as a guide, you can use Google Maps to view the routes and zooming in, CGs will appear, then you can research them. Hope this helps.