Planning for The Grand Teton/Yellowstone Trip

[RUSSELL5000]

I am in the planning stages for a trip west from Northwestern Pennsylvania in the summer of 2015. Route will be out to South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and back. Idea is to see the Badlands in South Dakota, Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and then return - a little over seven weeks. I have the campground reservations made. I am working my way through many other thoughts now. Some questions for those with more experience than this newby:

(1) I see that there are route "guidebooks": the Next Exit, the Good Sam RV Road Atlas, the Mountain directory, etc. Knowing when the next rest area is (we usually stop and eat lunch at a rest area), where the next station is that one can easily get around in to get fuel, etc., seems invaluable to me. What are others using - what have you found best, what do you recommend?

(2) What are others using for emergency road service - do you use one of the Good Sam offerings, do you use another plan, what have you found is best?

(3) I have blocking, a jack, safety triangles and flares, and 12V air compressor. I have a four foot 3/4" drive breaker bar, extensions, and sockets for lug nuts, as well as a 3/4" drive torque wrench for reinstallation. I have put together a couple of bags of tools should something go wrong with the travel trailer. What other "emergency gear" do you think I should carry?


There will be emergency gear in the travel trailer - hydration packs, water filtration, emergency food, first aid supplies, water, fire starting kit, etc. A emergency satellite beacon will be along (we take it for hiking).

Cell phones will be along. I wonder about a NOAA weather radio.

Would you recommend any other type o emergency gear based on your experience?


Thank you all.

[littlemo]

I agree with other posters. 7-8 days in Yellowstone is plenty (and I also love Yellowstone).
We always stay a Fishing Bridge as it is very centrally located and take one of the 4 areas for that day and drive in toad. Start early as there is much to see.
2 days for Teton is plenty unless you want to do a lot of rafting and hiking.

Make sure while you are in YNP to take Beartooth highway in your toad.

You would probably have time to go to Glacier NP if you cut some time off your Yellowstone time.

[2gypsies1]

Stew47: When we lived in Michigan we took 2-week trips to the West with the family. When you have a 2-week vacation you make the best of it. Yes....you can do the trip to Yellowstone in 3 weeks. No, you won't see it all but you can always return, as we did.

[enblethen]

You do not enough time to do Yellowstone and Glacier. You would be pushing it to visit Yellowstone and Tetons.

[stew47]

Now a trusted friend and camper is telling us glacier park is better. Ugh. If anyone has comments about how to fit glacier in as well please pm me. I don't wanna steal the thread from the OP.

[kknowlton]

Stew47 - I think 3 weeks is do-able if you focus on Yellowstone. I don't recommend spending fewer than 3 full days in the park, 4 if you want to visit next-door Grand Teton NP (which I recommend), but in a 3-week time frame, I think you can manage it. We used to do our YNP/GTNP trips, allowing about 5 days in the parks, in 2 1/2 weeks roundtrip from Chicago area. And we don't marathon-drive either.

[Lauren]

stew47.....that would be pushing it and not much time to see things except thru the windshield.

[john_bet]

stew47 wrote:
Lol I'm subscribing to this so I can get some ideas. Trying to figure out if I can make a Yellowstone trip from ne ohio to yellowstone and back in three weeks.

You should be able to. I think you can get there in 5 days or less depending on how many miles you want to do a day. Way back in the early '80's we did trips from The Black Hills to southern Indiana in 3 days, but it was by car. Now it takes us 4 days from southern Indiana to the Black Hills by RV. Same roads. Enjoy your trip.

[stew47]

Lol I'm subscribing to this so I can get some ideas. Trying to figure out if I can make a Yellowstone trip from ne ohio to yellowstone and back in three weeks.

[john_bet]

ggimlick wrote:
Thanks, maybe I better nail down some dates and get reservations if they take them.

They take them. The park is just inside the gate on the east side. They are expanding it this summer when we were there. Back in the days I was stationed there it was called the school gate. I do have one word of caution. It is about the road leading to the base off of I-90. There is a bad dip in the road that is not marked and at the 45 mph speed limit if you hit just right it will really shock your rig. We did not see it and WOW. Enjoy your trip.

[ggimlick]

Thanks, maybe I better nail down some dates and get reservations if they take them.

[enblethen]

Ellsworth is hard to get space. I have not been able to stay as it has been filled up especially during summer.

[ggimlick]

I'm thinking of staying at the AFB in Rapid City, how is the base RV park?

[john_bet]

We live in southern Indiana now, but lived in Rapid City for 9 years back in the late '70's thru mid '87. We still have family out west so travel there often. Your route is basicly same as ours. In that time including this years 7 week 7,000 mile trip we never made reservation anyplace except in Portland this year and the Air Force bases in Rapid and Cheyenne because of the holidays. On day 5-7 I would also suggest a stop at the aircraft museum at Ellsworth AFB. It is on the base but outside the fence so no passes are needed to see. They have large RV parking spaces. If you have time on your way home stop in Cheyenne at the Union Pacific Railroad museum. We found it very interesting this summer when we stopped there. I also suggest you stop at the Arch over I-80 at Kearney,NE.
In my 48 years of traveling by car and RV I have never had a problem finding fuel or sleeping accommodation by just watching the exit signs as I go down the road. I very,very seldom plan anything but a basic route. Not worth it to me. My planning tool is an atlas map the US roads. But to each his own. I hope you enjoy your trip. It sounds like a lot of fun.

[frizzen]

If you are at Mt. Rushmore, consider the Crazy Horse memorial as well. We missed that one 3 years ago and DW has not let me hear the end of it

[Lauren]

Not faulting him at all. As people on here know, I am a reservations guy and have ours booked in Aug / Sept next year at critical places. I plan and reserve a year ahead of time.

But, as I re-read his original posting, he was not looking for places to stay.