Seeking round trip advice from Minneapolis to Yellowstone

[schutzter]

Would love advice! Planning an RV adventure (class A), with our family of 4: Mom, Dad, 2 boys ages 12 and 14. We are going July 23-Aug 3. Planning on Custer, (and all of the sights there), Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. I have reserved spots for us at Fort Welikit in Custer and tentative plans to stay at EITHER Grand Teton Lodge Company's RV park OR Virginian Lodge RV park. Stuck on where to stay on way home, and how to maximize our time in each spot. Would love to set expectations for travel in an RV, (both on way to and from Minneapolis as well as sight seeing in the RV). Opinions welcome on which RV campground to choose and also where to stay on way back to the Twin Cities, (a halfway point b/t Jackson and Minneapolis-potentially avoiding Black Hills area)... Thank you!

[MinnCamper]

zb39 wrote:
You guys must be retired............

2gypsies wrote:
I don't know if you've traveled west or not but once you get off interstates you don't make good time.

Minneapolis to Custer via I-90 is approximately 650 miles = 1-1/2 days of driving

Custer to Yellowstone via Cody is approximately 500 miles = 2 days of driving and this is pushing it.

Jackson to Minneapolis via Casper/Rapid City/Sioux Falls is approx. 1100 miles = 3-4 days of driving.

That's 7 days of just driving back and forth. You have 12 days to do it and tour leaving you only 5 days of touring.

I'd recommend skipping Custer and heading straight to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and use your 5 days there. You can always do Custer another trip.

If you want full hookups try to get a site in Fishing Bridge RV in Yellowstone for 3 nights and Colter Bay RV in Grand Teton for 2 nights. Don't stay in the town of Jackson at the Virginian. It's too far to day trip into the Tetons and the Tetons is a lot more scenic and pleasant.

Ha ha - I was thinking the same thing. We only take 1 day to drive from just north of Minneapolis to Custer. We leave early in the morning and it takes about 10 hours. Depending on how much driving you want to do each this will vary for everyone. And, while I think it's nice to stop off and see things on the way we usually drive straight to our destination. Of course, we have a limited time and if there is something on the way to a destination I'll plan that for a future trip.

The only other advice I have for you is if you will be in the Black Hills the week before or after Sturgis be prepared for long lines and lots of traffic. Alot of people show up early or stay late. You'll also want to make sure you have reservations.

[270wsmhunter]

2gypsies wrote:
I don't know if you've traveled west or not but once you get off interstates you don't make good time.

Minneapolis to Custer via I-90 is approximately 650 miles = 1-1/2 days of driving

Custer to Yellowstone via Cody is approximately 500 miles = 2 days of driving and this is pushing it.

Jackson to Minneapolis via Casper/Rapid City/Sioux Falls is approx. 1100 miles = 3-4 days of driving.

That's 7 days of just driving back and forth. You have 12 days to do it and tour leaving you only 5 days of touring.

I'd recommend skipping Custer and heading straight to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and use your 5 days there. You can always do Custer another trip.

If you want full hookups try to get a site in Fishing Bridge RV in Yellowstone for 3 nights and Colter Bay RV in Grand Teton for 2 nights. Don't stay in the town of Jackson at the Virginian. It's too far to day trip into the Tetons and the Tetons is a lot more scenic and pleasant.

I think one day to Custer and yet another day to drive to Cody is quite sufficient time wise and is not draining. That's what it took us from west central MN, 2 hrs NW of MSP.

We love the Black Hills and usually spend 2-3 days there each summer. I would spend a couple days in Cody, lots to see and do there. We only spent one night but plan to go back. I liked Yellowstone but it was so busy and everyone was in such a hurry around there that the 3 days we spent there is enough for me for many years to come.

[Flapper]

RV travel is usually slower than by car - you'll find yourself going about 60-65 on the Interstates, at most. I'd suggest:

Leave Mpls a 9am, get to Badlands NP between 5-6 pm. (Park campground, or a pretty nice KOA very nearby)
Badlands to Custer - (after a morning in the Badlands, lunch at Wall Drug) - another 3-4+ hrs, depending on traffic.
Leave Custer 8am, arrive Jackson area 6-7pm.

Split your Yellowstone portion into two areas - south side (Jackson or Park CG if possible) then up to Grizzly in W. Yellowstone.

+2 on pulling a car, you do not want to be dealing with where to put a Class A while sightseeing in the park.

As noted, the northern route back through N. Dakota can be a change of pace, If you can budget 3 full days, stopping at the Little Bighorn is well worth the extra drive. Or Roosevelt Park in ND is a variation on the SD badlands, and worth an hour or two drive through. Note that in WY, SD and ND in non-tourist areas, campgrounds are a bit sparse.

While it is not to be missed, skip exiting the Park through the North via the Bearskin Highway - not a road to take a class A with a toad on! And if you leave via the East, take Rt 16 through the Bighorns. Both it and 14 are pretty slow and scenic, but 16 is a bit easier and faster with an RV. 14 could cause a fair amount of white knuckles! (And banish all thoughts of RT 14A!!!)

[schutzter]

2016 Sturgis Rally: 8/08-8/14

[zb39]

You guys must be retired............

2gypsies wrote:
I don't know if you've traveled west or not but once you get off interstates you don't make good time.

Minneapolis to Custer via I-90 is approximately 650 miles = 1-1/2 days of driving

Custer to Yellowstone via Cody is approximately 500 miles = 2 days of driving and this is pushing it.

Jackson to Minneapolis via Casper/Rapid City/Sioux Falls is approx. 1100 miles = 3-4 days of driving.

That's 7 days of just driving back and forth. You have 12 days to do it and tour leaving you only 5 days of touring.

I'd recommend skipping Custer and heading straight to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and use your 5 days there. You can always do Custer another trip.

If you want full hookups try to get a site in Fishing Bridge RV in Yellowstone for 3 nights and Colter Bay RV in Grand Teton for 2 nights. Don't stay in the town of Jackson at the Virginian. It's too far to day trip into the Tetons and the Tetons is a lot more scenic and pleasant.

[schutzter]

I've only done this road trip in a car, never RV. Is this why you've added extra time for driving? Thank you for your input-we're looking at adding more time to our trip!

[2gypsies1]

I don't know if you've traveled west or not but once you get off interstates you don't make good time.

Minneapolis to Custer via I-90 is approximately 650 miles = 1-1/2 days of driving

Custer to Yellowstone via Cody is approximately 500 miles = 2 days of driving and this is pushing it.

Jackson to Minneapolis via Casper/Rapid City/Sioux Falls is approx. 1100 miles = 3-4 days of driving.

That's 7 days of just driving back and forth. You have 12 days to do it and tour leaving you only 5 days of touring.

I'd recommend skipping Custer and heading straight to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and use your 5 days there. You can always do Custer another trip.

If you want full hookups try to get a site in Fishing Bridge RV in Yellowstone for 3 nights and Colter Bay RV in Grand Teton for 2 nights. Don't stay in the town of Jackson at the Virginian. It's too far to day trip into the Tetons and the Tetons is a lot more scenic and pleasant.

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[Dick_B]

There is nothing in Jackson Hole (the area). Jackson is the town. There is a fish hatchery north of the town.
Hiking the Grand Tetons will be memorable. Yellowstone is worth at least three days. Get the book Tracking the Spirit of Yellowstone. Watch the series on TV. Keep searching this Forum.

[schutzter]

Thank you all! When I spoke with the reservation specialist at Welikit, she told me Sturgis started the second w/e of Aug...we don't have a lot of flexibility on timing as our oldest will be starting high school the second week of Aug, but appreciate the heads-up!

[twotoes]

I work at Custer State Park. The time you have listed for your trip is right during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and it is one of the busiest times in the Black Hills. Mt. Rushmore, Crazyhorse, Custer State Park will all be very busy. You may want to consider arriving the 2nd week of Aug to avoid all the crowds, especially if you don't like motorcycles, the roads will be packed with them late July and then first week of Aug.

[cekkk]

We stayed at Colter Bay about three years ago and would recommend it. The drive into Yellowstone is about a half an hour if I recall correctly, and not too much farther to Old Faithful and the new lodge, which was under construction when we were there. But the area of Colter Bay is very nice itself. Plenty to see. Enjoy yourselves.

[CloudDriver]

July 23rd to August 3rd is a total of 12 days for this trip. IMO not enough time. Do you really have to get back on Wednesday vs. the second Sunday so you will have a full 2 weeks? A few additional days would greatly enhance the experience and reduce the "have to get there" pressures.

The best choice of the two RV parks you listed for Grand Teton is Colter Bay RV. The Virginian is in the town of Jackson with no views of the mountains. It appears that you want hookups and the only FHU campground inside Yellowstone is Fishing Bridge. Likely too late to reserve a site for this year, but you might get a cancellation. There are a number of private RV parks in West Yellowstone, with Grizzly RV the most recommended. Hopefully you are towing a car or plan to rent one when you get there as parking an RV at pullouts in Grand Teton and Yellowstone will be very difficult.

For a different route on the way home, consider leaving Yellowstone via the North entrance and pick up I90 at Livingston, MT. You can then use I94 across ND to Minneapolis. Along the way you will pass Pompeys Pillar, where Capt. William Clark of the Lewis & Clark expedition carved his name into the rock. This is the only remaining physical evidence of their trip. Easy off - easy on from I94. Just south of Bismark, ND is Fort Abraham Lincoln. This is the last post of General George Armstrong Custer before the battle of the Little Bighorn. There is a campground there with electric and water.