Need Advice - Suggestions for Glacier, Mt Rushmore etc

4runnerguy wrote:

legolas wrote:
I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Cleveland OH out west leaving Oh 8-17 to:
Glacier(GNP), Little Big Horn(LBH), Mount Rushmore(MtR),
Yellowstone / Grand Teton(YGT),Rocky Mountain(RNP), in that order.

My plan is:
GNP-4 days,LBH-4 days, MtR-6 days, YGT-6 days, RNP-4 days

I would appreciate any and all advice and suggestions about any issues those of you who have been to these parks and maybe visited several of them in one trip can offer.

My rig is a 2500 Silverado towing a 30 ft TT. We are not boon dockers and plan on staying in sites that have a minimum of water and electric. Just the wife and I, no dogs -no kids. Are there any better routes than others?

Another vote to limit your time at Little Big Horn and move those days to Glacier and Yellowstone.

Also, CloudDriver makes a good point on revising your route to save a lot of unnecessary driving.

Needing to have hookups really limits your options for staying in the parks. Unless you have a medical reason, you should be able to go several days w/o. A/C really isn't needed in most of these places.

Reserve NOW. You are already going to find that many of the popular CG's are already fully reserved.

Braces wrote:
Did a similar trip 3 years ago and doing a partial repeat and add-ons in Aug-Sept this yr. We don't hike much, but do scope and photo some. So I realize our thoughts may not be the same. From Alabama going out through NoDak and see Roosevelt NP on the way to Glacier NP then up to Banff(Tunnell Mtn. Trailer Park)with day trips from there to Lake Louise, Ice Fields Pkwy,etc. Back down to YNP through Gardiner.Mt then a few days in GTNP then back out through Cody then to Mt Rushmore area then down to RMNP. A little more driving by adding in Banff but we might not make this long trip to this area again. Maybe you could do LBH-1 day or drive thru, Glacier 2 days, Banff and Lake Louise 4 or 5 days, 2 days back down to YNP, YNP for 4-5 days, GTNP 3 days, Cody 2 days, Mt Rushmore 2-3 days(Custer State Park -wildlife loop,Needles district,Badlands Stay Rafter J Bar Ranch @ Hill City), then down to RMNP (Trail Ridge Rd.. Elk Meadows After 3 PM elk will be Bugling aspens will be yellow) Long trip Have fun!!

Busskipper wrote:

legolas wrote:


I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Cleveland OH out west

leaving Oh 8-17 to:
Glacier(GNP),
Little Big Horn(LBH),
Mount Rushmore(MtR),
Yellowstone / Grand Teton(YGT),
Rocky Mountain(RNP),

in that order.

My plan is:
GNP-4 days,
LBH-4 days,
MtR-6 days,
YGT-6 days,
RNP-4 days


I would appreciate any and all advice and suggestions about any issues those of you who have been to these parks and maybe visited several of them in one trip can offer.

My rig is a 2500 Silverado towing a 30 ft TT.

We are not boon dockers and plan on staying in sites that have a minimum of water and electric.

Just the wife and I, no dogs -no kids.

Are there any better routes than others?

First off let me say you have given us a good amount of info, thank You - August 17th departure, late enough to miss most summer travelers - Great time. (But could you start just a little later, just a week? - reward would be September Aspen in Colorado)Aspen Pictures

In order to make the trip a little more route friendly I'd catch Rapid City/Rushmore/Custer/ Badlands on the way out, works better for my map - then Little Big Horn - as you head to Glacier NP - Leaving Glacier NP to YNP and the Tetons - then South through Flaming Gorge - Dinosaur NM - Colorado and the swing out to head back Home. When you look at the Map I've added a small but beautiful Loop through Colorado (if you delayed the trip a week or added a week you will be arriving in Colorado for the last 10 days of September - just as the Aspen begin the magical transformation into Gold.) This loop will take you by Montrose - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - Ouray - the Alps of Colorado - Possibly Lake City/ Silverton 4x4 trails - Gunnison Lake - Salida - Buena Vista/Collegiates/Independence Pass/Maroon Bells - Leadville/Quincy's - Peak to Peak Hwy to Estes.

Map

24 days is a good number + say 7 days of travel to and from the area = 31 days

You will be arriving to most areas after the Big Crowds but will still need to be smart in you locations to allow for Electric and Water, I really can't help you here as we are not into the reservations group and can Boondock for a few days when needed.

Your Rig will be Great, with no issues driving the highways or the mountains - being from the Smokies the roads out west will be a breeze!

Bring good Hiking Boots- Comfortable.

Bring Fleece, Shorts, rain jackets, - just be prepared for everything.

Good flashlights - good camera, your beverage of choice - before heading into a National Park stock up - things tend to be scarce/expensive at the end of the season, and the only thing cheap will be souvenirs, at the NP's

Better Route is on the map - below.

Map

Hope this gives you some info to look over and digest, sounds like a great trip.

Best of Luck,

Edit;
When leaving Colorado I'd suggest you follow Rt 36 avoiding the I's till you get to Hannibal, MO. This will keep you away from the traffic and allow an easy transition back to Cleveland.

Army11Bravo wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
There are no sites in GNP with hookups. You will need to stay at a commercial park.

X2

The campgrounds in the park are nice, but as stated, no hookups at all. The KOA at West Glacier is a great base station to see the whole park. The St. Mary KOA is also decent, and good for the east side of Glacier. If you can devote more than 4 days, you will love it.

Yellowstone's Fishing Bridge is the only full hookup campground and centrally located. Colter Bay is also a good full hookup campground in the Tetons and centrally located.

Just know that keeping to parks with FHU means you will be doing more driving, and with summer traffic & congestion, it will take longer to see the sights.

As for Custer and Mount Rushmore, we thought they were great to visit, but only needed a few hours at each park.

Mark your reservations quickly. Enjoy.

fanrgs wrote:

legolas wrote:
I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Cleveland OH out west leaving Oh 8-17 to: Glacier(GNP), Little Big Horn(LBH), Mount Rushmore(MtR), Yellowstone / Grand Teton(YGT),Rocky Mountain(RNP), in that order.My plan is: GNP-4 days, LBH-4 days, MtR-6 days, YGT-6 days, RNP-4 days

That's 24 days plus whatever time it takes you to get from OH to the first NP and time between parks, many of which are a long way apart (493 miles from Cody, WY to Estes Park, CO). Leaving on Aug. 17, this means you may get to at least some of these parks in mid-September.

The Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier closes after the second weekend in September, so going there first may be wise. But, because this is a "free year" in the nearby Canadian national parks (Canada's 150th Anniversary), Glacier might be a lot less crowded just after Labor Day.

Yellowstone's altitude is not nearly as high as Rocky Mountain, but both can get snow in early Sept. (it snowed on me during the week after Labor Day while I was working in Yellowstone). In Yellowstone, the roads generally reopen after an early snowfall. However, Trail Ridge Road in RMNP is at 12,000-ft., so reopening after a snow may or may not be possible.

So, if weather conditions are normal this year, I would save the low-elevation Little Bighorn-Black Hills portion of the trip until you are on your way home. A logical route then might be Rocky Mtn., Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, LBH, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, and home.

I agree with the others on the time required at each park. We stayed at an RV park in Hardin, MT for one night and spent a 1/2 day at LBH. We went to Mt. Rushmore after lunch, toured the whole site, ate a picnic dinner, and stayed for the evening program. But don't miss Jewel Cave NM while you are in the Black Hills. I'm a geologist and I was much more impressed with it than with Wind Cave NP. However, driving through buffalo herds at Wind Cave and Custer State Park was exciting!

In Yellowstone, try to camp near Cooke City, MT for a couple of nights and drive US 212 to Red Lodge (no trailer!). That's the Beartooth Highway and it is one of the most spectacular drives in the U.S. You can also do it as a loop from Cody (Cody-Cooke City-Red Lodge-Cody). Well worth a long day's drive if you have the time.

Enjoy your planning!

4runnerguy wrote:

legolas wrote:
I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Cleveland OH out west leaving Oh 8-17 to:
Glacier(GNP), Little Big Horn(LBH), Mount Rushmore(MtR),
Yellowstone / Grand Teton(YGT),Rocky Mountain(RNP), in that order.

My plan is:
GNP-4 days,LBH-4 days, MtR-6 days, YGT-6 days, RNP-4 days

I would appreciate any and all advice and suggestions about any issues those of you who have been to these parks and maybe visited several of them in one trip can offer.

My rig is a 2500 Silverado towing a 30 ft TT. We are not boon dockers and plan on staying in sites that have a minimum of water and electric. Just the wife and I, no dogs -no kids. Are there any better routes than others?

Another vote to limit your time at Little Big Horn and move those days to Glacier and Yellowstone.

Also, CloudDriver makes a good point on revising your route to save a lot of unnecessary driving.

Needing to have hookups really limits your options for staying in the parks. Unless you have a medical reason, you should be able to go several days w/o. A/C really isn't needed in most of these places.

Reserve NOW. You are already going to find that many of the popular CG's are already fully reserved.

CloudDriver wrote:
Don't know what route you are considering but the sequence of parks you listed means a lot of extra miles due to backtracking.

My thoughts - Head west on I80 to I29 to I90 and start with the Black Hills (as already mentioned, more in the area than just Mt. Rushmore), then continue on I90 to the Little Bighorn Battlefield then on to Glacier NP. The west side of Glacier will probably be better for you as there are more RV Parks on the side. To get there, take I90 to Missoula then route 93 north. From Glacier back south on 93 to I90 east to Belgrade then route 191 to West Yellowstone. A number of good RV Parks in and near to West Yellowstone with Grizzly RV our favorite. Fishing Bridge is the only RV park with hookups inside Yellowstone, if you can get a reservation there. Leave Yellowstone via the South entrance to Grand Teton NP. Colter Bay RV is the only place inside the Park with full hookups. From Grand Teton take route 191 south through Jackson to Rock Springs then i80 east to either route 287 or I25 south to Rocky Mountain NP.

Agree with others that Little Bighorn is a few hours visit. I would put more days to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I don't think that the Black Hills are worth 6 days but others will likely disagree.

Two Hands wrote:
I agree with ageless. We found the Little Big Horn Monument very interesting, but it was only an half day visit at the most. Same with Mount Rushmore but we were impressed with the after dark ceremony. The KOA in West Glacier was outstanding. But be careful of your route. Your rig is probably too long to go over the Going to the Sun Road.

Fishing Bridge and Colter Bay RV Campground in Yellowstone and Tetons are great but make your reservations now.

agesilaus wrote:
Little Bighorn the Custer site? That deserves 4 hours at most not 4 days. Rushmore is a few hours also, tho there are other things to do in the area: Custer State Park, two National Park Caves, Badlands NP.

The big parks YNP, GNP and RMNP can take as much time as you have to devote to them and you'll still only have scratched the surface. That assumes you are the types to get out of your vehicle and hike/bike around the trails.

You might want to add a stop at Devils Tower which is near the Black Hills/Rushmore area.