Planning Yellowstone/Teton Trip (from Iowa)

[IA-Outdoors]

We're beginning our plans for next year and we've settled on YNP and possibly Teton NP. Right now thinking 5 days in YNP and 2 days in TNP. Does that sounds about right?

Regarding YNP, looks like Fishing Bridge is the only in-park option at YNP with full hook-ups but curious if there are others adjacent to the park that folks would recommend. We're thinking we'd stay in one campground while at YNP but should we consider splitting time from east/west side of the park? I know some of this also depends on attractions we plan to visit so any input there is appreciate as well.

As far as Teton NP goes, haven't thought that far ahead but I'll have the same concerns (where to camp, attractions).

I know this is a broad post but, again, we are just getting started so if there are resources on YNP or TNP you recommend I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance!

[Kaz]

IA-Outdoors wrote:
We're beginning our plans for next year and we've settled on YNP and possibly Teton NP. Right now thinking 5 days in YNP and 2 days in TNP. Does that sounds about right?

Regarding YNP, looks like Fishing Bridge is the only in-park option at YNP with full hook-ups but curious if there are others adjacent to the park that folks would recommend. We're thinking we'd stay in one campground while at YNP but should we consider splitting time from east/west side of the park? I know some of this also depends on attractions we plan to visit so any input there is appreciate as well.

As far as Teton NP goes, haven't thought that far ahead but I'll have the same concerns (where to camp, attractions).

I know this is a broad post but, again, we are just getting started so if there are resources on YNP or TNP you recommend I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance!

We just came back from a trip that included those stops. You'll love it.

As to Yellowstone, if it's your first time, 5 days is probably about right. I recommend giving yourself a little longer than the typical drive-by time in each area. I forget the statistic, but something like only 5% of visitors go more than 1 mile away from a road, which means if you get out and walk for an hour or so, you'll be surprised how much of the park you can have to yourself, even during peak season. You'll want a day to see the Geyser Basin area, a day in Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and a day in the northwest corner (although Mammoth Hot Springs ceased flowing in 1998 (I think) so I find the area less interesting than it used to be). I'd add several portions of days for ranger talks and guided hikes (plan them out from the visitor newspaper). And I'd add a day for the Lamar Valley; it's not as popular but we found the area to be completely interesting. If you like hiking (especially long hikes) or fishing, you'll quickly fill up the time.

As to the Fishing Bridge campground, be careful. As you can see from the reviews (see here: http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/wyoming/yellowstone-national-park/fishing-bridge-campground-nps...), there are two areas of that campground and one (unfortunately the one we stayed in) is without a doubt the worst National Park campground I've ever stayed at. Crowded, unlevel, weirdly configured, and a combination of dust and mud so severe that I found the campground to be uninhabitable. Some people say that staying at Fishing Bridge, despite its shortcomings, is worth it because Yellowstone is so big. I'm not so sure. Just do your homework first.

Our little blog posting about Yellowstone is here, if you're interested: http://skiprd.com/?p=952.

As to Grand Tetons, if you are at all into hiking and exploring, I suggest two days is not nearly enough. We spent five days there and wished we had more. There are multiple day-long hikes, and by the time you add the ranger talks guided hikes, you can see how quickly you can fill up a week. And I especially recommend doing a ranger-guided walk at the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve. And again, add fishing to the mix and you're definitely booked.

We stayed at the Colter Bay (the RV park area) and I highly recommend it. Centrally located, great campground, and full hook-ups. Just make your reservations well in advance.

Here's our travelogue: http://skiprd.com/?p=961.

Have a great time. We're already planning another trip back.
Skip

[NCWriter]

Fishing Bridge worked out great for us. It was quite cold at night and we could use our electric space heater.

An early start every day is a good idea to avoid crowds, and we saved time by being inside the park.

For our first trip to YNP, we took advantage of two guided bus tours that left directly from Fishing Bridge. We also drove independently to see other places that interested us.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

We stayed at Bridge Bay. When I have the opportunity to go again, I'll stay at Bridge Bay or Fishing Bridge. I don't care if the campground is a parking lot because the YNP is at my fingertips. I was out at sun up and in minutes at a photo op for wildlife. I could double back and pick up family round 0800 and still beat most folks on to the roads. Ditto at evening for easy wildlife watching. Watch for a grizzly and back at camp in fifteen minutes. Both campgrounds are reasonably centrally located so you can take either loop. Plan your daily route carefully but no matter what you do, there is a lot of driving. You just have to accept that.

[Army11Bravo]

We were in Yellowstone last summer for our 4th trip in 10 years. It was our first trip to the Tetons. We love both parks and spent 2 days in YNP at Madison, 3 days in the Tetons at Colter Bay and then 2 days in Fishing Bridge.

Camping inside the parks has the advantage of time. When we have camped in West Yellowstone, it took an extra 30-45 minutes just to get into the inner roads to start our day and tacked on 30-45 minutes to get home to our campsite at night. We prefer to be in the action inside the parks.

Madison is a wonderful non-hook-up campground with many pull-thru sites and a wooded feel. It is right on the Madison River and elk are abundant. The amphitheater provides a great place for the nightly ranger-led presentations. We loved Madison and highly recommend it.

Fishing Bridge has hook-ups, but it's a parking lot. The sites are so close, you may not be able to extend your awning. It's fine to sleep at night, but don't plan to spend any time outside at your site because you are so close to your neighbors. The laundry facilities and showers are a plus at Fishing Bridge and there is a convenient RV service and parts store next to the campground.

Our biggest regret was we didn't spend more time in the Tetons and Jackson, Wyoming. Three days wasn't enough. The Colter Bay full hook-up campground was nice and provided a little more space than Fishing Bridge. They also have a good laundry facility and showers. The restaurants are nice and there is Wi-Fi in the area.

The language on the websites appears they strictly enforce the size limits of their campsites. If you are in doubt about the size of your rig fitting, make your reservations over the phone. I did that to make sure we fit and wouldn't be turned around when we showed up. It was an easy process and they answered our questions.

Have a great trip!

[2gypsies1]

In our opinion the best places for touring those parks are in the parks themselves. Each national parks has a terrific web site. Explore it thoroughly for information on camping, things to do, road information, etc.

If you need hookups then Fishing Bridge is the place - up to 40' RV length. The truck will be parked next to your travel trailer.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

For Grand Teton, Colter Bay RV is the place. If you're retired and have more time, I'd suggest adding more time to Grand Teton. Both parks are completely different in looks and if you like gorgeous hikes - short or long - Grand Teton is the place. If you happen to bring bikes, Grand Teton has a great paved easy trail along the highway with the mountains constantly in view.

https://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm

Don't try to tour both parks from one place. It's too much driving and you probably wouldn't want to do it more than a day. Move from park to park.

Have fun planning!

[kknowlton]

Ditto GeoBoy's advice. IMO, Colter Bay RV Park is by far the best non-NFS/NPS CG in the Tetons. Grizzly is a lovely park, quite convenient to Yellowstone's west gate. Both have FHUs and can accommodate a larger rig.

Grizzly will be fine for a base camp for Yellowstone. There isn't much on the east side, nothing except Fishing Bridge has hookups anyway. If you don't need hookups, then Bridge Bay might work for you; some of the sites can fit your rig (though many cannot). Yes, there's a lot of driving, but there always is from any location in the park, and better (IMO) than constantly changing campsites.

5 days for YNP and 2 days for GTNP is good. A 4-and-3 mix is good as well, but will give you a noticeably shorter time in YNP to see things.

[evanrem]

Just did a17 day trip from WI to Yellowstone and Tetons. We stayed at rainbow point national forest for 5 days in west Yellowstone. Fishing bridge is a great location but the campground is a parking lot and I do not regret skipping it after seeing it. It took us 30 minutes to get from the campground to the grand loop. If I were to go back I might try to get one of the other campgrounds in the park that are first come first serve and have reservations someplace else as a back up. I also might spend a few days on the north side an move down to the center for a few more. By the end of the trip I was sick of driving around the park and was looking forward to leaving. I might have felt diffrent if we were not driving so much. We spent three days at the Tetons and I could of used one more. We spent a day at sitting bull in the bighorns which was a great spot and drove through wind river which was cool and just happened to be on the way. Also hit the badlands on the way home which is a must stop if you have time. Also on the way out there we camped at Parkside in red lodge and did the bear tooth highway (did not pull the camper through it). Also worth it. We had a 34 foot tt And some of the spots were tight but we were not the only ones. The one thing I would skip is the corn plalace, Koa there was a crummy and the corn palace was lame. Another stop worth mentioning was deadwood we stayed a full day there. One last thing colter bay in the Tetons is the place to stay. The rv park has full hookups.

[GeoBoy]

Stay at Grizzly RV in the town of West Yellowstone, it is very easy to go east, north and south from the campground. Don't waste a half a day moving from one campground to another within the park. Stay at Coulter Bay for the Tetons NP, very centrally located and try to stay at least 3 days there, it is beautiful.

[dodge_guy]

BB_TX wrote:

IA-Outdoors wrote:
I should have noted that we have a 33ft travel trailer so apparently the only campground at YNP with full-hook up won't work since they don't take anything longer than 30ft (truck and camper)

If you look at the reservation site for Fishing Bridge, they have RV sites for 30', 35', and 40' length. Click on the pull down. That is for RV length not including truck. Make your reservations well in advance, especially if you want one of the larger sites.

Yes. I booked a 40ft site back in May for next July. And I booked Colter Bay RV Park in August for late July. You can book up to 11 months in advance at the Tetons.

Still working on where to stay in CO.

[Bumpyroad]

when I went to Yellowstone I stayed at Fishing bridge. didn't want to have to stay outside and drive in every day. did the north loop one day, south loop the other, and a day for misc. those showers at FB were the strongest/best I have ever taken.
bumpy

[BB_TX]

IA-Outdoors wrote:
I should have noted that we have a 33ft travel trailer so apparently the only campground at YNP with full-hook up won't work since they don't take anything longer than 30ft (truck and camper)

If you look at the reservation site for Fishing Bridge, they have RV sites for 30', 35', and 40' length. Click on the pull down. That is for RV length not including truck. Make your reservations well in advance, especially if you want one of the larger sites.

[bukhrn]

When are you going, & do you really need full hookups? Madison is a nice Campground, but no hookups, there is a VERY nice little CG on the West Side, just north of West Yellowstone, called Bakers Hole, some sites have electric, there is a water fill, but no showers or dump station,both are available in town. If you absolutely must have full hookups, most people swear by Grizzly RV Park in W. Yellowstone.
IF you are going to stay at one CG, be prepared to do some serious driving, Yellowstone is huge.
Your time is subjective 5 days + 2 days, yes that will work, but you will probably wish you had more time, our first time, we spent 9 days in Yellowstone and a day trip down to the Tetons, last year we spent 10 days in Yellowstone and 4 days in the Tetons at Gros Ventre CG, D loop has electric.

[nma33]

We are heading to Yellowstone Next August, 36' MH and a 40'er, We are staying at Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone, It's within several blocks to the Western Yellowstone entrance. I think we are staying 7 days in Yellowstone.

[IA-Outdoors]

I should have noted that we have a 33ft travel trailer so apparently the only campground at YNP with full-hook up won't work since they don't take anything longer than 30ft (truck and camper)