Staying Outside Yellowstone?

[SDRS]

So, we've last minute change of plans and I'm trying to plan a trip to Yellowstone in July. I can get a night here and there IN the park.

Is it worth even going if we have to mostly stay somewhere outside of the park? If so, recommendations for places outside the park?

I KNOW it's advisable to book very very early, I KNOW it's better to stay in the park. But a major surgery is changing our plans.

[GeoBoy]

Kentucky_Joe wrote:
We stayed at Grizzley, in West Yellowstone twice and loved it. You are a couple minutes from the entrance.We never waited to go in the entrance, but we tried to head out each morning by 9:00. We did 1/4 of each loop each day. You are going to be driving, no matter which location you stay at. We didn't care for the campgrounds in the park. We like full hookup since we were there for seven nights. Seeing the animals and causing backups was part of the enjoyment. Try to relax and enjoy each adventure.

X2.

[doc_brown]

I have stayed at all 4 entrances, never in the park. Lots of d.riving but thats because it's a big park. I prefer the north entrance.

[Us_out_West]

Our choice was NOT to stay in the Park.
Red Rock RV Park...20 min.South of the West Yellowstone entrance.

Look here...

Yellowstone.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Yellowstone Valley Inn between Cody and east Yellowstone. 35 min. drive to entrance. If you need full hookups, be sure to let them know when you call for reservations.

[Kentucky_Joe]

We stayed at Grizzley, in West Yellowstone twice and loved it. You are a couple minutes from the entrance.We never waited to go in the entrance, but we tried to head out each morning by 9:00. We did 1/4 of each loop each day. You are going to be driving, no matter which location you stay at. We didn't care for the campgrounds in the park. We like full hookup since we were there for seven nights. Seeing the animals and causing backups was part of the enjoyment. Try to relax and enjoy each adventure.

[coolmom42]

Ivylog wrote:
Bakers Hole USFS CG couple miles N of W Yellowstone...no reservations so never had a problem getting in before 11AM. Thirty sites with electric (out of 100) so even if you do not get one the first day you can on the second. Beats all of the CGs in W Y.

Not a traffic problem if you go in early.

Ditto. And some nice big sites.

[Ivylog]

Bakers Hole USFS CG couple miles N of W Yellowstone...no reservations so never had a problem getting in before 11AM. Thirty sites with electric (out of 100) so even if you do not get one the first day you can on the second. Beats all of the CGs in W Y.

Not a traffic problem if you go in early.

[Jayco-noslide]

We like staying in the Park but no hook-ups except Fishing Bridge. There are a number of national forest campgrounds between Cody and the Park which I would like but probably no hook-ups. Yes it would still be worth going because it is such a fabulous place. Unbeatable for wildlife viewing. Also 2 RV parks in Gardiner and a couple of really big ones in Grand Teton NP which don 't fill up. A great Park in itself and not so far from YNP. Good Luck.

[Ed_C]

We go almost every year and only stay in West Yellowstone. Every day in the park the drive has something new.

[evanrem]

We based camped at rainbow springs for 5 days and it worked out for us but if I was to do it again I would stay at a few different places in each location of the park I wanted to explore. By the end of the five days I had enough driving and was looking forward to someplace new. Grizzles RV is a nice park also which is not far from the gate.

[Bumpyroad]

bikendan wrote:
We spent almost 2 weeks there.
We would never stay outside the park.
The traffic getting in from West Yellowstone was bad.

We don't need hookups so we had lots of choices in the park.

yep, followed that highway om google earth and it didn't look like something I would like to do every day.
bumpy

[bikendan]

We spent almost 2 weeks there.
We would never stay outside the park.
The traffic getting in from West Yellowstone was bad.

We don't need hookups so we had lots of choices in the park.

[George_H]

We liked West Yellowstone, but we are seniors with pass for national parks. Otherwise daily entry fees may be a consideration.

[Two_Jayhawks]

What would be wrong with staying in West Yellowstone? Maybe Grizzlies? Heck it's like walking distance to a park entrance. But if you want to take in all that YNP has to offer you are going to have to do some driving regardless of where you camp.

[dodge_guy]

Everyone says West Yellowstone, but to drive from there to just about anywhere else other than Old Faithfull would be a lot of driving. I would still go, but try and find a place as close as possible If you cant get 2 consecutive nights in the park.

I made our reservations for Fishing Bridge back in May of 2016. yes, that far in advance. we`ll be there at the end of July.