Roads in and around Yellowstone

[kijii]

We will be traveling from California to Yellowstone this Sept. 2014 with our travel trailer. We will be staying 6 nights at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone and then 7 nights at Coulter Bay to visit the Grand Tetons. So what is the best route to travel from West Yellowstone to Coulter Bay?
Then, what is the best and easiest route from Coulter Bay to Burley Idaho?
I have been reading that Hwy 22 out of Jackson Wyoming over Teton Pass is not a good route due to steep uphill and downhill grades.

Help!!

[WA7NDD]

There are two ways out of Jackson. The pass is steep up and steep down and steep curves. People drive it every day. Been over it many times in a car. It is a little shorter but not worth the the strain on your RV.

Take the canyon out to Alpine turn right, the road will take you right to Idaho Falls. It is a little curvy but a very beautiful drive through the mountains only one straight line grade on wide four lane highway to deal with. When in Idaho Falls get on I-15 to Pocatello, about 60 miles. Just before Pocatello, stay to the right and take I-86 which becomes I-84, same road easy to see turn off. Next stop Burley. This is the easiest route to take with no strain or pain. Distance to Idaho Falls from either the Canyon or the Teton Pass in not a big deal a few miles.

[2gypsies1]

From West Yellowstone go south through the south entrance of Yellowstone Park (start out early morning to avoid any critter jams). Stop at Colter Bay. That's 87 miles.

From Colter Bay continue south on 89 to Jackson and on to Alpine. Pick up Hwy 26 at Alpine which will take you to Idaho Falls. Pick up I-15 to Pocatello and I-86 to Burley for a total of 271 miles from Colter Bay.

If you take the steep pass from Wilson to Victor on Hwy 22 and pick up Hwy 26 as above, you will have driven 253 miles, saving only 18 miles!

Hwy 26 from Alpine is the better driving route with an RV.

[WA7NDD]

We live close and were in Coulter Bay last September. They were upset because the water level was very low. If you are in Yellowstone, when done head for Jackson from the park though the (I think its the south entrance) not sure I just drive. Coulter Bay is on the way to Jackson. You will cross the Continental Divide three times 6 to 8 thousand feet two lane roads in very good shape with lots of pull outs. Our Class C had no trouble with the V-10.
There are two places to camp. The camp ground allows no RV longer then 25 feet. If longer you must go to the other camp ground, a mater of turning right or left. It has hookups and a hefty 50 plus dollars a night.

[More_To_See]

The few miles you would save by taking 22 west out of Jackson (Hole) over Teton Pass would not be worth the wear and tear on you vehicle. It's a tough climb. Go south on 189 and pick up 26 west over to Idaho Falls and on to Burley.

That said, we crossed the pass a while back with our rig but that's running with a gear splitter unit - and we don't travel around hauling a toad, so that extra load didn't exist for us. And I remember that one of the switchback curves was tight enough that we had to back off the throttle and lose speed - which you sure don't want to do much of pulling a tough grade.

[enblethen]

US 191 from West Yellowstone to Coulter bay.
US 191, then US 26/189 to US 26. Pick up I15 to I 86 into Burley
WY 22 can be a hard pull in some rigs. US 26 is a little farther but easier.

[jalichty]

Actually, you can get to Burley from Jackson and you don't have to climb over Teton Pass. Just go to Alpine Junction, Past Palisades Reservoir and then around to Idaho. Kind of a pretty trip, but a little longer than over Teton Pass. You don't have to go back to West Yellowstone. Please take my word for it, we live in Lander, Wyoming and travel to Nampa, passing Burley on the way, two or three times a year. In fact, we plan on taking our FW that way, probably later this spring when we go to Nampa, down to Yosemite, over to Palm Springs, up to Mesquite and then home. Hope to spend a couple of weeks, or more, on this trip.

[wintersun]

Easy as there is only Hwy 287/89/191. From Coulter Bay to Burley is also limited to Hwy 22 to Hwy 26 and I-15 to I-86. Only real option to avoid Hwy 22 out of Jackson is to go back to West Yellowstone and then head south on Hwy 20.

The Tejon Pass on Hwy 22 west does have 10% grades for several miles on each side of the pass. Roughly 3 miles past the pass the grades are in the 6-7% range and continue for another 4 miles. It may be nerve wracking but it is doable if you keep your speed down using the engine braking as much as possible and keep your speed at 25 MPH for the 8 mile section which will take "only" 20 minutes.