Yellowstone Trip --- Sanity Check

[Groover]

I am planning a trip to Yellowstone (and maybe a day or so in the Tetons) arriving around June 22nd and moving on to Glaciers around June 29th were we could spend another week. These dates were chosen mostly to accomodate the kids school/band schedules and partly to beat the crowds. We will be traveling in my 34ft Palazzo and don't plan to take a toad. I would like to do several day hikes up to 5 or 6 miles. We will have some small dogs with us that (I presume) will have to stay in the RV while we are hiking in the national parks. I have never been to either park before. I would rather boondock close to the attactions than have a fancy campground 20 miles away but we will have to find a laundry machine a couple of times.

My questions:
1) Will the parks be thawed enough to be enjoyable by then?
2) Can I get to the places I want to go with a 34' motorhome?
3) Do you have any highly recommended stops?
4) Any places to avoid?
5) Is there anything special that I need reservations for?
6) Are there any recommeded places between St. Louis and these parks where I should stop overnight or several hours to break up the trip and refresh a little bit?

Any guidance is appreciated.

[kknowlton]

I definitely recommend staying in West Yellowstone and renting a car (or van/minivan) for your time there. Reserve ahead, both for CGs and rental vehicles, as demand could be high, even in mid-June. Hard to tell at this point whether there will be snow in Yellowstone - at least anything on the roads or parking areas (there probably will be in the highest locations) but most of the roads should be clear by the time you get there.

Note that you cannot drive a MH across Going to the Sun Road in Glacier, due to vehicle size restrictions. There is a variety of CGs on both west & east sides of the park, and there are shuttles to various points for hiking or visiting lodges, plus the Red Bus tour (which needs to be reserved ahead of time) - roundtrip should be somewhere around $70-80/person for the tour.

If you have dogs, you can't take them on the red buses that I know of, and it is NOT recommended (and in many cases not allowed) to take them on trails with you in either park. You will be needing to leave them in the camper. For that reason, you will need a CG with hookups, which rules out the NPS CGs. For Yellowstone, I recommend Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone; there are several other choices there as well which are decent. Check rvparkreviews for other suggestions for Yellowstone & Glacier areas.

[et2]

We've been there. Expect anything for weather, they have a short "warm" season and it gets cold at night. As far as not having the toad. I wouldn't want tot be trying to see everything driving a 34' MH and try to negotiate parking it. There will be things you might not see because of it, and you will regret it. Renting a van when you get there would make it way more enjoyable.

Having 7 people running around inside your MH trying to see all the wildlife along the road could get someone hurt, and maybe illegal if not wearing a seatbelt. Some roads are very winding and some very steep with huge drop offs on the sides in Yellowstone. If you think about glancing to look at scenery while "touring" in the MH it could get you in a accident driving a large rig.

[2gypsies1]

I highly recommend exploring the following official sites for the two parks for campground information:

Yellowstone

Grand Teton

For hiking we really enjoy the Tetons better. You should really plan on staying in both the parks as they're both completely different.

We stay in the parks' no reservation campgrounds - Gros Ventre or Colter Bay for the Tetons (each has 300 non-reservable sites with water fill and dump stations but dry camping) and we like Mammoth for Yellowstone. There's also Fishing Bridge if you want hookups in Yellowstone or Colter Bay RV park (right next door to the non-hookup, non-reservation Colter Bay campground) if you want hookups in the Tetons. Madison is nice for reservations but no hookups. Then we don't have to be on schedule. There are plenty of other campgrounds in the parks that accept reservations.

If coming from the south through the Tetons first, stop just before entering the town of Jackson for major grocery stores - Smith's on the left and Albertson's on the right. That's your last change for decent-size groceries except for tiny, overprices camp stores or in West Yellowstone which has 2 mom & pop small stores.

Your parking within the parks will indeed be tight but it's doable - we've seen others doing it. It wouldn't be our way of going though. We tow a car. Even renting a dolly for your Taurus might be worthwhile.

For Glacier, stay at Apgar c.g. in the park and you can easily walk to the free shuttle bus for your trip up Going to the Sun Hwy with many hiking opportunities along the way. Just get off wherever you want and hop back on the next bus.

Have a great trip. It's a hard one to do with limited vacation time but you just do what you can. We've all been in the same boat.

If you main goal is visiting the 3 national parks, don't waste time beforehand stopping at other places to tour. Finish those 3 parks and on your return home, if you still have time, then you can check out other places. I would bet you won't have time. Those 3 are large and time-consuming!

[poloace]

Sounds like you will be there same time we will.
We will be at the Tetons 6/16 - 6/23. Then Yellowstone 6/23 to the 6/28, then Glacier.

[millikeg]

Here's an excellent write up on Yellowstone, etc. written by another forum member. We went for the first time last September and this was very helpful. We stayed at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone and rented a car which was dropped off to us at the campground.

Enjoy the trip!

Clicky

[klm]

6+ people in a mh is a lot!!! Please check and double check your weight - between people and stuff it adds up real quick. I am wondering if you could travel caravan style - mh and another vehicle (that would serve as toad) following. Yes, double fuel costs - but might be worth a thought. Rental costs in tourist areas are often sky high and you would need to put gas in that too.

Yellowstone is probably the most rv friendly park, especially since you'll be there early. There is a bus tour offered ($$$$$) at Yellowstone. The Grand Tetons are beautiful and you should spend some time there. There is no public shuttle that I'm aware of. You will have major issues at Glacier, you will not be able to travel Going to the Sun Road at all - but the Red Bus Jammer Tour is an option.

I don't think scrambling to get a toad set up at this point is feasible for you. Take your time and do that right at a later time.

[Groover]

klm wrote:
OP, do you have a toad? If so, I'm curious as to why you aren't taking it. It will be much easier to tour/park a toad - but most is mh doable. I did Yellowstone in a 30' mh - no toad - and another time - parked the mh and toured in the toad. Prefer having car.

I don't have one set up yet. I am expecting to have 6 or more people along and finding a toad for that many is a challenge. I could trailer my Taurus but I would have to get a tow dolly or trailer. I will consider that. I thought that I had seen comments here before that people have done just fine with rigs this size and was hoping to get away without dragging anything behind me. The possibility that this would be a mistake is why I am soliciting advice from people who have been there and done that.

I really have my heart set on a 2015 F150 SCREW 4wd for a toad but I obviously cannot do that before this trip.

[polly_sue]

We had 6" of snow in West Yellowstone on June 7th. Some of the park roads were closed for part of the day, but it was mostly gone by noon. By Father's Day, there was still 75' of snow where avalanches had run on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier, but that was a very good snow year, as I guess was this year. You'd be happier in a car for touring the parks, but it's doable.

[klm]

OP, do you have a toad? If so, I'm curious as to why you aren't taking it. It will be much easier to tour/park a toad - but most is mh doable. I did Yellowstone in a 30' mh - no toad - and another time - parked the mh and toured in the toad. Prefer having car.

[bsinmich]

The snow may not be gone in Yellowstone. We were there one year on Father's day and our pictures on that day were all in a blizzard. The Beartooth Pass was also closed due to snow drifts. We would not do either without a toad. Parking a 33' RV is not easy at some of the good sites.

[Dick_B]

Be sure to search this Forum for the parks you will visit. Lots of information already including my suggestions for taking the bus/van tours of Yellowstone and Glacier.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
explains what campgrounds are in Teton National Park and whether you need reservations and size limit. If you arrive during the week you may get a site without hookups. They do have laundry facilities. We stayed at Riverton RV Park in Riverton WY and drove into Teton. You can rent a car at the Riverton airport.
Ditto on renting a car at Yellowstone. We saw many RV's in traffic backups burning their fuel going nowhere.
There is a KOA in Cheyenne Wyoming. We also liked the town of Douglas WY (home of the Jackalope). Outside of town 10 miles west is the Ayers Natural Bridge. Sorry no pets allowed in the park even inside the RV since they have lots of rabbits in the area.

[idaho556]

1 yes ,the snow will all be gone by then in Yellowstone to enjoy , you will have crowds at the tourist spot , like old faithful,mammoth hot springs,and so on .

2 You could do with motor home, If it was me I would try move from one side to the other side .
Like came at fishing bridge , then on Madison campground, then onto Mammoth, possible canyon.
Our favorites or Madison and mammoth .you can make reservation at Madison, mammoth is first come first serve.note Yellowstone is big that why camp on the east because you're coming from the east then move to Madison then to Mammoth then up to glacier.

3. If you're never been there everything will be good just take your time and enjoy.

4 leave early in the morning to to avoid the crowds and arrive early back at the campsite to enjoy the evening

5. You will need reservations for Madison, and fishing bridge, Mammoth because first-come first-served

6 can't help you with this one

[olly72]

I am going to Glacier right now as I am a Red Bus Driver. Hopefully the Going To The Sun Road will be open by the time you get there. A lot of the higher hiking trails may still be closed because of snow and ice on the path. I'm predacious but if you and your family will like to know what they are looking at on the road the Red Bus is the way to go. The top of the bus rolls open giving all a spectacular view and when stopped you can stand up to take pictures and take in these spectacular views. The bus will stop many times at available pull offs and you can exit the bus.
The west side of glacier has many campgrounds but I don't know of any place to boondock. There are campgrounds for RV's inside the park.