Yellowstone / Grand Teton Pks April 15th

[lakeside013104]

To those in the know: On our way to Alaska from AZ and will be in the YS / GT park area last two weeks of April 2015. We were wondering if it is too early for campgrounds to be open or too early for seeing the sights? Any info appreciated.

Mods, If this is in the wrong forum, please move at your will.

Lakeside

[2gypsies1]

OP: We totally agree on doing as much as you can if you have your health, finances and desire for adventure as you obviously do.

It will be a awesome trip for you!

[Dog_Folks]

Lakeside: Some of my Canadian acquaintances call home and don't return until their neighbors report that all the snow is gone in the driveway, regardless of date. You might want consider that policy, especially this year.

[lakeside013104]

2gypsies wrote:
Wow! You'll be putting in a lot of miles this year! It seems you left Maine and are now in Arizona, then to Alaska and back to Maine. Talk about seeing the country! Have a good one. Sounds like fun. 🙂

Greetings 2gypsies,

Could NOT send you a PM, so here goes:

Yes you are correct, Maine to FL to AZ to MT to AK and back to Maine. We left ME Oct 31, 2014 and should be back in ME by the end of Sept 2015. Long trip yes, but we currently have our health, the finances, and the desire for this adventure.

Folks watching our home say there is about 5 feet on snow in the driveway. See what we are missing!!!

On a side note, I follow many of your posts and find reading them is informative and interesting. Please keep posting.

Safe travels.

Lakeside

[2gypsies1]

Wow! You'll be putting in a lot of miles this year! It seems you left Maine and are now in Arizona, then to Alaska and back to Maine. Talk about seeing the country! Have a good one. Sounds like fun. 🙂

[lakeside013104]

2gypsies wrote:
Why don't you stop on your return from Alaska?

We will not be headed back from AK until early Sept and must check on S&B in Maine before winter starts there again.

Thank you all for your answers. I will follow thru with recommendations and leave plans flexible.

Lakeside

[rexlion]

I'm wondering if your start date for a trip to Alaska might be a bit early. After all, Canada and Alaska are farther north than Wyoming. If the Tetons and Yellowstone are too snowy in April, what will it be like in Canada just a couple of weeks later?

[2gypsies1]

Why don't you stop on your return from Alaska?

[kknowlton]

YNP roads will not be open to cars that early in the season, unless our current mild spell continues unabated until then. Even with warmer than usual temperatures, park roads still have several feet of packed-down snow on them, and only snowcoaches and snowmobiles are allowed on them. That is likely to be true until early May. As noted, Mammoth CG may be open, as the road from the park's north entrance to Cooke City, via Mammoth, is kept open all year regardless of snowfall.

[kohldad]

Looking at the planned opening dates and knowing they are behind on snow fall this year, I would plan on it. You will have to come in from the north or west though.

At a minimum, you should be able to explore the Mammoth area. Mammoth is the only campground that will be open. They get so little snow up there, they are actually open year round - weather permitting.

I would have a backup plan to kill the time in case for a late snow, but that shouldn't be hard to do.

[Two_Hands]

I agree that it is usually too early. However,from what I have been reading the grizzlies in Yellowstone have been coming out of hibernation much earlier than usual due to warm and mild weather. So you might be okay, but with the way weather has been this year you cannot be sure of anything.

[4runnerguy]

Road opening dates here. There will be lots of snow in late April. Bring snowshoes if you want to see anything.

[agesilaus]

Yes it is too early. Mid June will probably be the earliest open date