Estes Park / Yellowstone / Grand Teton Trip

[wvu_lsu2009]

Hello!

We are taking our first long trip in our new Class A in September to Estes Park, CO, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. We have a couple places booked to stay already however wasted to reach out for advice on must sees and dos and most importantly any advice on what not to do. Leaving from northern Arkansas with bold printed "Novice RVers" stamped on our foreheads. 🙂

Thanks!
Claire Reed

[Ivylog]

Joined 8/5, Hello 8/7, and a week later do we have another one and gone? Claire, once you get out of the hospital, please answer this question, do you pull a car behind your Class A.

[mama_sylvia]

> Be ready for short overnight freeze warnings anytime after labor day

Actually, be ready any time of the year when you get up into the mountains!

[John_S_]

If you are going to be int he area the 21st of Aug you better have reservations. That is the eclipse and everything is booked solid. I did not see one campground this past week that had any room around Yellowstone or the tetons.

[Viewfinder]

What a great trip to take. Be ready for short overnight freeze warnings anytime after labor day. Not to worry, just be aware....enjoy.

jim

[mama_sylvia]

> You can do this with Google Maps as well.

You can but it's trickier IMNSHO. You have to download ALL the maps you need ahead of time, and it's not straightforward like Maps.ME. Maybe you are better at this than I am (which wouldn't be hard) but I always have problems figuring out what to download and making sure I downloaded it successfully. With Maps.ME, you download one map and you have the whole state. I prefer Google where I have data coverage but Maps.ME where I don't.

[Busskipper]

wvu_lsu2009 wrote:
Hello!

...............

"Novice RVers" stamped on our foreheads. 🙂

Thanks!
Claire Reed

Claire - ?

[Bill_Satellite]

Plan for no cell coverage oftener than you want. I was steered to a program called Maps.ME that is designed to work with no data coverage, you download the state maps ahead of time and it works off GPS.

You can do this with Google Maps as well. I have put my Garmin away and I am now looking at buying a small tablet to use with Google Maps while in the RV as it is much better than any stand-alone GPS.

[FunTwoDrv]

^x2

Gary

[Busskipper]

wvu_lsu2009 wrote:
Hello!

We are taking our first long trip in our new Class A in September to Estes Park, CO, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. We have a couple places booked to stay already however wasted to reach out for advice on must sees and dos and most importantly any advice on what not to do. Leaving from northern Arkansas with bold printed "Novice RVers" stamped on our foreheads. 🙂

Thanks!
Claire Reed

First off - Welcome -

Second - we need a little more info -

Toad?

How Long?

What do you Like/Enjoy? -Hikes - Photo - Water - Mountains - State Parks - Looking just to do National Parks - all of the aforementioned?

Really hard to give solid advice without more info.

But if I were to begin planning a trip like this, I'd think about heading into Southern Colorado and sliding up through the Middle of the Mountains.

Possible stops;

Great Sand Dunes

Brown Canyon National Monument - New

Salida/Buena Vista/Collegiates/Twin Lakes/Rt 82/Independence Pass

Leadville/Quincy's/Turquoise Lake/Camp Hale

Then either back side of RMNP - Grand Lake - or through the Tunnel on I-70 to Peak to Peak/Golden Gate Canyon State Park/Nederland/Lyons/Estes Park

Then to Alpine - through Jackson into the Tetons - and on to Yellowstone - then Being sure to Drive the Beartooth in the Toad (If you have one)

Then out through Cody - Lot's to see and do there - on down to Thermopolis and Wind River Canyon and Shoshoni - and on Home

Well now you have some food for thought - give us a little more info and we can be more specific.

Hope this Helps,

[Snomas]

We have been to Yellowstone and area at least a dozen times over the years and prefer to stay out of the park at either the west entrance or the south entrance and then travel in the park w/ our Toad. Gives us more flexibility.

[mama_sylvia]

The road Bill Satellite describes is the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway and I completely agree on how gorgeous it is. I always try to send visitors to the state that way. The tunnels look scary but it is a U.S. highway and sized for semis so you won't have any problem in your Class A. (The first timee I drove my then-Class-C through it, I called the state highway patrol first to make sure the tunnels had enough clearance!)

Another gorgeous spot more-or-less on your route is the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. Twisty turny and some fairly steep bits but I've been over it in both a Class C and an underpowered Class A. There was still snow up there when we went over on July 4. The "hobo" hot pool/springs in Saratoga are free and VERY hot - I can't do the pool.

The road from I-25 to Estes is another U.S. highway and I strongly urge you to plan to drive it in full daylight. First, because it is gorgeous and second, because there are some VERY twisty turny bits and you want all the visibility you can get. Daylight gets blocked by the mountains earlier than you would expect.

I've done Yellowstone in a MH with no toad. There was one road I chickened out of driving in the class C but there is so much to see that it's not like we suffered from missing that one area. Old Faithful is completely accessible to motorhomes - tons of parking.

If you stop in Jackson, expect to spend 3x the amount of money for anything. Too many rich people there.

Plan for no cell coverage oftener than you want. I was steered to a program called Maps.ME that is designed to work with no data coverage, you download the state maps ahead of time and it works off GPS. Works pretty well in my car, I haven't tried it in a MH yet but planning to have it handy for the eclipse (to hunt for alternate routes if the traffic is as bad as expected).

[Mortimer_Brewst]

You should find this article to be helpful. It describes the various routes in and out of the park and recommends some places to stay.

[RLS7201]

Another tourist trap that many miss is Virginia City,MT. Take the narrow gauge RR from Virginia City to Nevada City,MT. Nevada City has one of the largest collections of self player instruments in the country. Touring the old time town is a hoot. Allow 1 day. Approx. 87 miles NW of West Yellowstone,MT.
When we travel to Yellowstone, we stay at Henry's Lake State Park, ID. Good rates. Great view. 15 miles west of the west gate.

A big X2 on what Bill.Satellite suggests. Been there done that.

Richard

[Bill_Satellite]

Many folks miss Cody, WY while in, or on their way to, Yellowstone. The museum there is not to be missed and needs at least 1 full day but 2 days is better. Thermopolis is also a fun stop but the drive leading up to Thermopois on 26/120 is one of the greatest drives I have ever taken. We had no idea there was such spectacular scenery and we were completely blown away. We stayed at an RV park with there own hot spring and really enjoyed our overnight stay. So, 25 N to Casper, 26 to Thermopolis, and 120 up to Cody. It's then 14W into Yellowstone's West Entrance.