Routes to Yellowstone

I always stay at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. Two blocks from the West gate. They have four levels of parking spots depending on what hookups you want.
I have the NP lifetime pass. Best deal going. Here's the scoop on the National Parks Senior Pass. Best deal in town. $10 lifetime pass if 62 or over, and you can buy it at any NP facility. I bought mine at the Wm. H. Taft Museum in Cincinnati. As you might expect, there was no line. :)
West Yellowstone is a nice town. They have the usual souvenir shops, but they also have restaurants, competitive gas stations and grocery stores. If you choose, stop at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in town. As close as you want to be to either animal.
BTW, if you go thru the West Gate in the morning the line isn't long. Most of the day trippers aren't there yet.

I've been to Yellowstone many, many times, spring, summer and fall. I think my favorite time is early June. The babies are out playing then and crowds don't arrive until late June. Late May is okay, but it's still pretty cool and wet in May, and every week you can put it off the better it gets until the crowds descend.

I've towed 5th wheels over Hwy 12/Lolo a few times. It's a beautiful drive, but it's slow going -- lots and lots of 30-35 mph curves, almost continual. My biggest concern is bicycles on the road. I nearly hit a couple of them the last time -- coming around a curve and there they were, peddling about 5 mph with no shoulder and I was meeting another camper. I slammed on my brakes and was able to get stopped (or slowed to 5-10, but it could have been ugly. The highway gets lots of bicyclists, and there's often very little shoulder for them, so beware if you go that way.

West Yellowstone, MT would be my pick if I wanted to stay outside the Park. It's right AT the west entrance, and the road from there to the main loop is a pleasant drive. If you find the traffic to be heavy going in, leave earlier in the morning. Yellowstone is best seen just after sunrise. Even during the height of tourist season, the roads are empty then. It's also the prettiest time of the day, especially for photographs.

There's no difference. It was a name change.

http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.html

According to the U.S. National Park Service site the Golden Age Passes are no longer sold but will still be honored.

"NOTE: Golden Access and Golden Age Passports are no longer sold. However, these passes will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass."

Apparently the Golden Age Pass and been replaced by a Senior Pass. I wonder what the big difference is. Maybe I won't worry about it for another year until DH is 62. Who knows what may be changed by then? :h

We typically come in from the north (Gardner) and stay in the Mammoth campground (no hookups). The switchbacks there are a little steep but don't last long so they are not a problem. BUT I think that the entry from West Yellowstone is "easier" in that there are more options available there and the road into the park is more gentle. It depends on the experience you are looking for. If you choose the west entrance I recommend leaving I90 at Cardwell and going thru Ennis to West Yellowstone

We took Hwy 89 from Livingston to Gardiner, 34' motorhome with toad, no problem at all. Stayed in a park in LIvingston, took day trips into the park. With a Golden Eagle Pass, no charge, and you can by-pass the line of cars waiting to pay admittance (at least you could when I was there about ten years ago). We spent ten days there, saw all of the park we wanted to see. Magnificent place!
Be aware though that Yellowstone exploders every 600,000 years, and it's been 600,002 years since the last one...

GM

US 89 through Livingston is fine, but once you get to Gardiner, at the north entrance to the park, you have two sets of switchbacks to get to most of the park - one part from Gardiner to Mammoth, the other part from Mammoth to the main level of the Yellowstone plateau. Slow going, lots of tourist traffic - then, unless you camp in Gardiner or at Mammoth (no hookups), you have a long way to go to get to West Yellowstone, with traffic, animal jams, etc. I'd recommend going along the west side of the park to West Yellowstone first. Haven't ever driven 287 so can't offer an opinion there; 191 seemed ok to us (northbound) when towing, but that was late September. As far as US 20 goes, the previous description of it is right on. Good road, lovely scenery once you get north of Ashton.

There has been a lot of snow in the park over this winter, so there could potentially still be some along the roadsides and even in some CGs. Fishing Bridge is the only CG inside the park with hookups, and reservations have been open for quite some time now. If you can get in, it's the best location, but we usually use Grizzly RV Park in West. FHU, laundry, clean & neat, and as someone pointed out, close to the west gate of the park and close to town. The KOA is about 8 miles west of town, and at least in past years has been more expensive than Grizzly.

May - especially after mid-May - is a good time to go. Some of the roads in the park may not be open (Dunraven Pass & Beartooth HWy) but the rest will. It can be chilly, so dress appropriately. Lots of new bison & elk calves around. Your time frame is about right (4-5 days); definitely spend one of them in the Tetons.

In West Yellowstone, check out the Rustic Campground, or the Wagon Wheel Campground. Both are within walking distance (1/4-3/4 mile) to town. Unbelivably clean and wonderful hosts.

US 12 and US 20 are excellent roads for RVers.

Here's the official road opening dates for Yellowstone:

Yellowstone Road Openings

Here's the campground opening dates to give you an idea of what's open in May.

As you can see, Fishing Bridge opens May 9 and it's an ideal spot for touring the park with full hookups. Advisable to make your reservations now but I don't know how crowded it would be in early May.

Yellowstone Campground Opening/Closing Dates

Yellowstone gets a LOT of snow and you'll probably see it in May. I would suggest a good time to go would be around May 15 to June 10. Then the summer crowds begin. Have a great trip!

bigdogger wrote:

Winged One wrote:

jamesu wrote:

3. If we travel I-90 need best route to our camping area (#2 above): (1) US-287 from Cardwell, MT or (2) US-191 from Bozeman or (3) US-89 from Livingston?

I can recommend 287 over 191 (for trailer hauling). Much less traffic and much easier driving. No experience with 89.

US 89 is the easiest of them all. It is also the shortest distance from an interstate, 4 lane, highway (I-90) to a Park entrance (north entrance). I would choose 287 second and 191 third, primarily because 191 feels like a death trap between Big Sky, Montana and Bozeman (statistically one of the most dangerous roads in Montana) and the fact that it has had construction pretty much constantly since the turn of the century (and probably since the turn of the previous century). None of those three approaches have major mountain passes or climbs.

We took 191 from Bozeman to Big Sky Resort with the rig and back out, and I can attest to it being dangerous. Lots of big rigs barreling through there.