FL to Yellowstone 10 weeks out west what to do?

[FLGup]

We have a family reunion in Alabama at the end of July where we will need our RV.

So, the DW says, let’s leave next month and go back out west. Two years ago we went to Sedona & the Grandcanyon, Bryce, Zion, RMNP. Let’s go to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore.

OK......that’s 10 weeks before we need to be in Alabama! :E. We will have 10 weeks to explore. Cool. Im glad she’s willing to break away that long. She said she wants to be in Yellowstone before the crowds get too thick. I agree. But this is last minute. So we found a full hookup site in Yellowstone West for 5 nights the last week in May (we prefer full hookup). But from there.....where? And how long? We will have 6 weeks or more, after Yellowstone, before we have to drive towards Alabama.

Suggestions?

[Busskipper]

flguppie wrote:
We have a family reunion in Alabama at the end of July where we will need our RV.

So, the DW says, let’s leave next month and go back out west. Two years ago we went to Sedona & the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, RMNP. Let’s go to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore.

OK......that’s 10 weeks before we need to be in Alabama! :E.

We will have 10 weeks to explore. Cool.

I'm glad she’s willing to break away that long.

She said she wants to be in Yellowstone before the crowds get too thick.

I agree. But this is last minute. So we found a full hookup site in Yellowstone West for 5 nights the last week in May (we prefer full hookup).

But from there.....where?

And how long?

We will have 6 weeks or more, after Yellowstone,

before we have to drive towards Alabama.

Suggestions?

This MAP - might just work out for you. +- 1.200 miles to Missouri - 3-4 days stop (B) then across RT 36 another 450 - 500 miles 1-2 days - then up to Custer/Black Hills/Rushmore/ Needles/Emerald Cave.....again a day or two getting you to Custer in say, 8-10 days. Hang out there for 4-5 Days before heading to Cody - YNP - West Yellowstone - Tetons.

Snow will determine what happens next - I'd head Back to Cody to see if I could enjoy the Beartooth - Chief Joseph - Thermopolis - Wind River Canyon - Shoshoni .........before catching Snowy Range and the Northwest section of Colorado.

Bump your way around there - Grand Lake/SteamBoat/SteamBoat Lake SP/StageCoach SP...... for a while then on to Leadville/Twin Lakes/Independence Pass/Maroon Bells/Buena Vista/Cottonwood Pass/Crested Butte.............

The on to the San Juan's - Ouray/Silverton/Telluride/Ridgway/Lake City.........then on to Alabama to REST.

Would that work, or is it too Rapid a pace?

Get back to Us,

Starting this early you will be Boondocking a good bit as often the CG owners are still in Florida 🙂

Best of Luck,

[Ivylog]

I would hate to be a FHU to FHU camper and all the advanced reservations that requires. We will do 2+ months out West this summer without reservations BUT we are fully self contained...7-8 days before needing to resupply.

It could be June before the south entrance of Yellowstone is open so doing the Rushmore area first...OH wait, you already have reservations end of May at W Y. Like I said, being FHU limits us to much. OP, you need to learn how to dry camp by buying a generator and a couple more batteries...5 days at WY costs what $300? I stay at Bakers Hole USFS CG 3 miles north of W Y for $6/night. No, it does not take reservations but not a problem getting in if you arrive before noon.

There are hundreds of USFS CG that do not take reservations...our favorite and not a problem getting in on Monday but near impossible on Friday. 10 weeks of FHU will be $2-3000. My 2 months will be half that.

Looked up my post on 58 days and my CG costs...less than $700 and less than 50 hours of generator time...25 gallons at $3 so another $75.

[hawkhill]

I agree with all the other suggestions, but I would add one more. We loved the Grand Tetons actually in some ways more than Yellowstone. We spent a week there hiking and would live to go back.

If you go to Rapid City, check out Rafter J as a potential campground. Wonderful campground and great hosts. Our old truck acting up there and we ended up staying longer than planned. They went out of their way to accommodate us. If you spend time in South Dakota, you may want to check out the Corn Palace in Mitchell SD. Good for a couple hours.

[Dick_B]

Check out Adventure Caravan's tour of the Great Western Parks to see what they include in their itinerary that takes the entire month of September.

[agesilaus]

OK May is a bit early, especially with the winter that they've been having so expect snow in Yellowstone. Glacier is out that early. So (and we've done this multiple times) Head to South Dakota and the black Hills/Badlands, around there hit: Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, Custer State Park (Bison and Prairie Dogs), The two national caves. Some folks like the Crazy Horse Monuments, others think it's a rip off. There is a great Mineral Museum on the University Campus in Rapid City. Camp in Custer if you can get in otherwise there are many nice commercial CG in the area. We liked the KOA in Scenic SD which is handy for the Badlands but not for the Black Hills.

Going west is Devil's Tower. Then the Little Big Horn Battleground. If you go thru Cody there is a Rodeo and I think the Buffalo Bill museum. Then Yellowstone and Tetons. YNP is at 6000-8000 feet and will be colder. The main CG is closed for renovation so you'll probably be camping outside the park if you can get reservations.

This may not fill 10 weeks considering the weather. I'd take my time on the way out. Have you been to Mammoth Cave?, that's worth several days. Our preferred route is north of St Louis and cross the Mississippi at Keokuk Iowa, then cut across Iowa. There are some old federal forts on the way. We usually cut thru Nebraska and go up into South Dakota into the Sioux Reservation below the Badlands. We generally avoid Interstates as boring.

Going south you'll hit Dinosaur NM, Salt lake City and Colorado National Mon. Then all the towns and parks in southern Colorado. Mesa Verde, The Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Great Sand Dunes to mention only a few plus very spectacular roads.

[Retired_JSO]

Don’t miss Devils Tower, Deadwood, the missile silos near Rapid City, Little Bighorn, Glacier NP. Salt Lake area, and Sandy UT to see Kennecott largest copper mine in the world. Further south to Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak. Then Ride the train out of Durango to Silverton for a trip back into a truly western town.