Yellowstone plan decided need expert advice

We spent ten days there some time back. Stayed at a park in Gardiner and did day trips. Pretty much covered the entire park, including a trip to the Beartooth.


GM

We absolutely adore the animals on the Northern Tier (from Mammoth to Tower to NE entrance). Then on special days we take the Beartooth which is really outside YNP but a great scenic drive.

On the Northern Tier on any day during the spring, summer or fall, you can see bears, hawks' nests, ospreys' nest, coyotes, wolves, elk, owls and all sorts of other interesting critters and animals. Catching them on their home turf is a blast, and usually just as close as the drive on a road.

Amazing how fast Yellowstone CGs fill up! Tried to get into Bridge Bay, 40' site, a couple days ago for the end of July. Even called & spoke to a very talkative & sympathetic person. Not a hope for Bridge Bay.

She did get us into Fishing Bridge. Don't like the place from what I have read about it or seen on Google Earth. Oh well. The CG is not the destination. The park is. Next stop will be Tetons. No decision on Colter Bay or Gros Ventre yet but either must be better than Fishing Bridge.

I just have a broad statement, not really any advice..., but If I get to go back I will stay in the northern part of the park for half the time and day trip to the sites, and the southern part for the other half, the park is just so dang big you can do a lot of driving going back and forth to the CG, and I will do it before or after the schools are in session, although I do love watching kids explore and have fun in our N.P's it's a little more enjoyable for us when it is less crowded.

Thanks all this gives me a good choice on what to do to help my trip.

2gypsies that was a great link thanks

With your RV you might consider Mammoth, Madison and Fishing Bridge or Bridge Bay but not Grant.

The far southern part of the park around Grant isn't geared for a lot of siteseeing although there are some nice hiking trails but you could always drive down from the Fishing Bridge area to do those as a day trip.

Your selection of things to see is very doable for the time you're planning in the park and moving from area to area.

Here's a map of showing where the campgrounds are positioned:

Yellowstone Campground Map

If you move south past Grant into Grand Teton Nat'l Park and the Colter Bay area (RV park and also a 300 site campground next door) then you could also do the southern part of Yellowstone (around Grant) from there.

Very advisable not to skip Grand Teton Nat'l Park! It's a beauty and altogether different from Yellowstone. Have a great trip!!

Other places can include Fishing Bridge as there are usually very large Cutthroat trout visible below the bridge. LeHardy rapids just downstream a few miles is the actual outlet of Yellowstone Lake. It's especially worth seeing later in the year when the cutthroat are trying to get back to the lake.

Also, don't miss "Artists paint pots", it's beautiful and a very easy hike. If you like more strenuous hikes, there is a trail from Tower Junction that will take you down to the Yellowstone River. We've seen river otters there a couple of times.

83trekker wrote:
Ok I know there are a ton of YS posts, but here I am leaning more towards your opinion of what I have selected and what I want to see and the amount of days I am picking.
Please let me know of who has been there before if my timings is good and good choice of campgrounds. Any and all advice and comments will be welcomed. Thanks

Things I want to see are
Old Faithful Geyser/Upper Basin
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Hayden Valley
Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone Lake
Norris Geyser Basin
Lamar Valley
Tower Fall
Lower Geyser Basin
Firehole river cascades
Firehole Falls
West Thumb Geyser Basin

Any other cool little things to see not on my list?

Coming from North Entrance
Stay at Madison Camprground 3 days
Stay at Grant Village Campground 3 days
Stay at Canyon Village Campground 3 day

Staying in my 27.5 ft 5th wheel pulled by my shortbox ext cab 2500HD.

You're ambitious, I'll give you that. :p We were there for 10 days and saw almost everything on your list. We stayed in West Yellowstone and drove in to see everything from Norris, south. We moved to Bridge Bay for everything from Fishing Bridge, north. That way we didn't have to move too much, but we got to see the main things we were interested in. We are not hikers, due to mobility issues, but we did stop and walk on the boardwalks near the thermals. I'd say this is probably how 90% of the visitors sees YNP. Also, if you can get reservations for the Chuck Wagon Dinner in Roosevelt, you won't regret it.

Just be flexible in your plans. There will be animal jams, lots of RVs, slow traffic, busy boardwalks. Nobody gets anywhere fast. And don't forget to add in extra time for possible illness. None of us wants to get sick on the road, but we have experienced it several times and have learned to always add an extra day or two in the event that someone can't travel due to illness. It really helps us not get bent out of shape when the "schedule" is ruined. :W

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