Help w/visiting Rushmore,Yellowstone and Tetons?

We were in Yellowstone in May.We spent 4 days in the park staying at Madison Campground.Not everything was open but it was till a great trip. Weather was nice, no traffic jams or large crowds. We saw a mother grizzly with 3 cubs. They came right down to our van and walked past my window.We had buffalos do the same. We ate dinner at the Inn at Old Faithful.The food was good and the prices weren't bad.Even if you don't eat there, check out the inside. It's the largest log structure in the world. We visited the Black Hills about 18 years ago. We stayed at Rafter J Ranch campground. Very nice. If we had to do it again, we would stay in Custer State Park. The wildlife loop is a great drive as is Iron Mtn Highway.Make sure you stop at the visitor centers and watch the films on the park.We did visit Wall and the Badlands. We also liked Bear Country USA and the Cosmos.

John & Christine wrote:
We're planning a trip for next July to Mount Rushmore for a day and a half then to Yellowstone and Teton for 7 days. I know were gonna hit traffific. We have accommodations taken care of but need suggestions on what to see and what to avoid.

On our list is Rushmore for a few hours during the day, then Wall drug. Then check out Devils tower. That night back to Rushmore.

Yellowstone and Teton were wide open for suggestions.

Any help greatly appreciated!-Christine

John & Christine,

Could you give us all a little more info - How many in your group? - Ages? - Milford, DE? - Two weeks = 14 days or 17 if you plan it right, which can make a big difference in what you can see and do. - IMHO the order of your travel might make a big difference in the enjoyment you have. (we always try to make out trips loops, so as to see different things going and coming) Also we try to make the trip as much fun as the destination, yes it is possible. - Again IMHO the Fly Over States are just that - and need to really plan the drive through - Do you plan on using the Tent as the primary sleeping facility on the rest of the trip?

Give this group more info and the answers and Advice will be more tailored to fit your needs.


Best of luck,

Yes, Yellowstone is crowded, and there are a lot of foreign tourists who are less familiar with our wildlife, rules and language than they perhaps should be. However, it's still a marvelous place. What you want to spend your time seeing will depend on your interests, or you could focus on different things different days - spend a day at Old Faithful area, walk the boardwalks & try to catch an eruption of some of the other geysers there; spend another day in Lamar or Hayden Valley watching wildlife; take picnics for lunch and find a spot (there are a lot of picnic areas). Make sure to visit the visitor centers - each "area" (where lodging, food, etc. are offered) has one, and each one focuses on different aspects of Yellowstone. If you want to see the quieter side of Yellowstone, visit Lake area and/or Grant Village, and be sure to walk around West Thumb. The parking lot is a pain but the thermal area is IMO the prettiest in the park.

For when you want to buy an inexpensive meal in the park (relatively speaking :) ), check out the deli in Lake Hotel, the cafeterias in Lake Lodge or Canyon, and the larger "General Stores"often have burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream (and the ice cream is especially good!) Dinner in Lake Hotel & Old Faithful Inn will require advance reservations, and are expensive, but the food is quite good (trust me, it didn't used to be, some 40+ years ago - I know from serving it back then. :) )

tragusa3 wrote:
We just did all of these areas this past summer.

Surprises (even though we read it on this forum):

-Yellowstone is far down on our list of favorite parks.
-Things are farther apart than you can imagine.
-Badlands is AWESOME! Get out and do a few of the short hikes. I may have names wrong, but "windows" and "doors" were short and great.
-The Black Hills falls high on our list of favorite parks, even compared to the big boys. We were there 6 days and didn't want to leave.
-Devil's Tower can be passed by IMHO. Great stop if you have time, but may not be worth sacrificing in other places.

Just got back from this same trip 2 weeks ago. Totally agree with Yellowstone, although certainly a beautiful park, we were underwhelmed - to many inconsiderate people made for stressful driving and for visiting the sites. Couldn't imagine visiting there during the summer season. Fishing Bridge RV Park gets a lot of negative reviews but we lucked out and got a wonderful spot in Section "A". We found the town of West Yellowstone nothing but a tourist "rip-off". With over 3 million visitors a year they don't need to be so greedy. We drove up to Earthquake Lake, just west of YS and enjoyed that.

We also really enjoyed Mt Rushmore and The Badlands, we'll definitely go back and spend more time in that area. Enjoyed 2 nights in the little town of Sundance, Wy. Drove up to Devil's Tower, which we're glad we saw - but you only need about a hour
there.

Overall we had a great trip - the American West is simply awesome.

(All of the above is just our opinion of course and not meant to start anything or dissuade one's plans.)

Off topic a bit but its dismaying to see the poor condition of some of the major roads in our country. Why in the hell can't our government make infrastructure repair a higher priority!!!

We just did all of these areas this past summer.

Surprises (even though we read it on this forum):

-Yellowstone is far down on our list of favorite parks.
-Things are farther apart than you can imagine.
-Badlands is AWESOME! Get out and do a few of the short hikes. I may have names wrong, but "windows" and "doors" were short and great.
-The Black Hills falls high on our list of favorite parks, even compared to the big boys. We were there 6 days and didn't want to leave.
-Devil's Tower can be passed by IMHO. Great stop if you have time, but may not be worth sacrificing in other places.

Custer State Park is an absolutely amazing place. IMHO the place should be a National Park. Do yourself a favor and make sure to schedule a day to visit. They have a captive herd of Bison that periodically envelops cars on the roads, horseback rides, etc. And - Make sure to bring treats (apples) for the Donkeys - AKA The Begging Burros (Look for Youtube videos). They stand in the middle of the road looking like a gang of Old West stagecoach robbers.

Great info!!!!

We will be traveling in an jeep so we can pretty much go anywear. It's well outfitted and even has a tent on the roof. Long travel days are no problem for us and we usually find ourselves well off the beaten path.

Thanks again everyone for the great info.

ppine, not to pick a fight, but how is Grand Teton harder to travel around than Yellowstone? There are tons of hiking trails, there are turnoffs to almost all the views, and there nowhere near the congestion of Yellowstone. Don't get me wrong, I really like Yellowstone, but I love Grand Teton. I believe that the scenery is much more magnificent in Grand Teton but it does lack features like those found in Yellowstone. Each park has its own beauty in my opinion.

So Dak is under rated.
I have been going to Yellowstone since the 1950s. Get out and walk. Visit the geysers and keep an eye out for wildlife. Drive some dirt roads and get out and walk. Get away from the people and you will see the real Yellowstone. I like to go out to Lamar Valley and pack a dinner and stay until dark. It is the American Seringhetti.

Teton is tougher park to visit. Great scenery but harder to travel around in. Many people like Jackson, but to me it is too crowded.

We just returned from that area. Didn't make Yellowstone due to having to return home for Hurricane Matthew but did visit Wall Drug (tourist tape IMHO, $36 for two burgers, drinks and onion rings), Mt Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Badlands NP and Black Hills NF which were all great.

If your equipment can handle twelve miles of dirt road and your camping style doesn't require amenities, Sage Creek CG in Badlands NP is awesome and free. You just pick a spot around a loop and set up; no designated sites.
Buffalo roaming right through your campsite. Lots of other wildlife as well and just amazing terrain throughout the Park. Most mornings we had one or more of these as breakfast guests


We also spent a few days at Horsethief Lake CG in Black Hills NF (not to be confused with the commercial Horsethief Lake RV Park) and used it as a base for exploring the Mt Rushmore area. Its only a few miles from the National Monument, Custer SP and the drives mentioned by other posters. Highly recommended; View from the back of our site


As mentioned, Devil's Tower is a bit of a drive but well worth it or you can camp at the federal CG there. We had a great view of the Tower from our campsite

Hope you enjoy your time in the area as much as we did.