Mapping out our trip to Yellowstone - help

[Mote]

The wife and I are making plans for our first trip out West next June. The first try at the itinerary is shown below. We plan on making reservations at Yellowstone and Custer. Not sure where to stay in Cody thou. Let me know what you think?

Leave June 13
Saturday – leave home, spend night on road

Sunday – drive to Wall Drug then to Custer State Park, spend night at Custer

Monday – tour Custer state park and mount rushmore, spend night at Custer

Tuesday-drive from Custer State park to Cody Wy, spend night in Cody

Wednesday – look at the sights around Cody, spend night in Cody

Thursday – Drive from Cody to Red Lodge Mt, Beartooth highway and end up at Canyon Campground

Friday – tour Yellowstone, spend night in Canyon

Saturday – tour Yellowstone, spend night in Madison

Sunday – tour Yellowstone, spend night in Madison

Monday – tour Yellowstone, spend night in Grant

Tuesday – tour Yellowstone, spend night in Grant

Wednesday – start trip home

[infogeek]

I may have the opportunity to head out to Yellowstone this summer so this thread is very useful to me. I'll be in a 33' motorhome. I plan to make reservations as appropriate once I get my time frame down.

I won't have a toad. Is it easy to drive around the park in a motorhome? I have no idea what to expect; I've never been out west (well, not the north west).

Thanks.

[DWeikert]

Mote wrote:
For those with truck campers. Since we'll be in yellowstone for 6 or 7 days would you suggest unloading the camper or leaving it on? I would like to be able to leave it on so we'll always have our food, bathroom and other things with everywhere we go. Just wasn't sure about how the parking at trails and attractions would have room to park the truck with the camper on it.

I've been to Yellowstone twice with the camper. Never unloaded the camper and never felt the need to. Just too darn convenient to have everything with you wherever you pull over. Parking was never an issue.

[Flapper]

DWeikert wrote:
Since your main goal is to see Cody and Yellowstone, I would head straight to Red Lodge, then cross the Beartooths on your way to the NE entrance to Yellowstone. Spend as much time as you need in Yellowstone then leave via the East entrance into Cody. IF you have time, you can hit Custer and Wall Drug on the way home.

My $0.02

I would second this. Skipping the Black Hills by going around on I90 will buy you extra time for your main goals. Then come back on 14 to Cody and through the Bighorns.
The Black Hills are worthy of a solid week or two on their own - so you may want to make that next years adventure!
(BTW - by going around you'll pass near Devil's Tower and Custer's last stand - but again, things take lots of time in the West, so regretfully I'd advise skipping them to stay on schedule.)

[H2oSprt]

I've been twice with my truck camper. I have never needed to take it off, in fact we enjoyed finding a new place each night to eat dinner. There are times that parking gets tight, but I think having it with you outweighs the parking issue. At the bigger attractions I usually found rv parking, and at trail heads I normally found parking without much issue.

[Mote]

For those with truck campers. Since we'll be in yellowstone for 6 or 7 days would you suggest unloading the camper or leaving it on? I would like to be able to leave it on so we'll always have our food, bathroom and other things with everywhere we go. Just wasn't sure about how the parking at trails and attractions would have room to park the truck with the camper on it.

[Mote]

DWeikert wrote:
Since your main goal is to see Cody and Yellowstone, I would head straight to Red Lodge, then cross the Beartooths on your way to the NE entrance to Yellowstone. Spend as much time as you need in Yellowstone then leave via the East entrance into Cody. IF you have time, you can hit Custer and Wall Drug on the way home.

My $0.02

That sounds like a pretty good plan.

[macdale4]

You aren't going to have time to do anything. It takes at least two days to go through the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody.
Ponderosa RV is definitely the best place to stay. Wonderful people.
If you are pressed for time, I would concentrate on Yellowstone and go to Custer and the Black hills on a different trip.

[Dave_Pete]

Yellowstone Campgrounds. Madison is very nice. Seemed a little more intimate in ways than some of the others. It is nicely located on the west side and provides great starting location for a north loop tour (Mammoth, NE area, Canyon and back. Then south loop for Old Faithful, lots of geyser basins, Lake, etc.

I was impressed last year at Fishing Bridge campground for a "full hookups" although the spaces are back in and kind of a tight turn, but they did it to provide a great deal more intimacy (view?) than I thought would be possible.

All have their benefits and are described pretty well on the web site depending on what you are after.

If you like to get out and walk, the west rim trail of Yellowstone's Canyon (viewing both upper and lower falls) is wonderful. If it's hot, and it can be at that time of year, make sure to not over-exert, just take your time with rest stops in a shaded area. Take a very small fanny pack, but a couple bottles of water. Just beautiful.

Cody is cool, but the main attraction is the Buffalo Bill Museum and you could spend a week there if you like detail. One day will get a general overlay and some detail, but plan at least two if you really like to learn some history and like details. The Cody Stampede (rodeo) - never been there, but I hear if you haven't been to a rodeo and want the experience it's worthwhile. The downtown gunfight is worth seeing if you've never seen it (corny, but fun) and it's right next to the Irma Hotel which is a must see walk through if not overnight for a soak in a claw foot and beer and dinner.

Incidentally the Cody Walmart allows overnight parking.

Last fall we did Cody, Beartooth (to Red Lodge and back), then into Yellowstone Fishing Bridge then Grant. Didn't really like Grant.

We've been to Yellowstone and Grand Teton many many times. Grand Teton is actually our park; and you are welcome anytime, just have to pay regular fees, but other than that you have our blessing and authorization. 🙂

[DWeikert]

Since your main goal is to see Cody and Yellowstone, I would head straight to Red Lodge, then cross the Beartooths on your way to the NE entrance to Yellowstone. Spend as much time as you need in Yellowstone then leave via the East entrance into Cody. IF you have time, you can hit Custer and Wall Drug on the way home.

My $0.02

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

outdoorlovers wrote:
Don't forget the Grand Tetons. Right next door to Yellowstone.

I agree. And while there (assuming one enjoys wildlife) - the National Wildlife Art Museum at Jackson Hole is a must-see!

[rr2254545]

Mote wrote:
Thanks for all the feedback. I wish we could take more time on the trip but my wife has limited vacation days.
The main goal of this trip is to see Cody and Yellowstone. Should we skip trying to see Custer this time ? If we were to choose two campgrounds at Yellowstone to stay at for a total of six nights what two should we pick? I would like to be able to make reservations this time as it's our first trip out that way.
thanks again

Better plan, suggest Fishing Bridge and Grizzly in West Yellowstone. We have been to Yellowstone twice in the last 12 months.

[Mote]

Thanks for all the feedback. I wish we could take more time on the trip but my wife has limited vacation days.
The main goal of this trip is to see Cody and Yellowstone. Should we skip trying to see Custer this time ? If we were to choose two campgrounds at Yellowstone to stay at for a total of six nights what two should we pick? I would like to be able to make reservations this time as it's our first trip out that way.
thanks again

[Bob__B]

When I go on a camping trip, I personally don't like to make reservations.......but that is just me. I like to have a general idea where I want to go and then be driven by my interest along the way....kind of a magical mystery tour.
I think your trip, however, is going be during peak vacation season, and next year will probably be a heavy season for Yellowstone because gas prices are relatively low.
Maybe make reservations for a couple of days in the middle of your planned time to be there, and then you will have more flexibility if you want to hang out somewhere else longer.
I have been to Yellowstone 3 times in the last 35 years, and each trip I have approached it differently. The first time, when I was younger, I pretty much drove straight thru because....there were just too many people there too suit me. I saw a little sign south of Yellowstone in the Tetons indicating a hot springs and campground.....drove back in there and ended up just pulling my popup camper up next to a stream and hiking around in the Tetons for a week.....one of the best vacations I ever took.....The Tetons are beautiful mountains.
I did make reservations for 2 nights one other time, and had to cut short some other things I was interested in.
I have more fun remaining flexible......other people have more fun on a schedule......The drive across South Dakota has a million tourist traps, 5 million billboards.....1/2 of them are for Wall Drug. I remember seeing one billboard saying ....Stop here for a life changing experience.....I kept right on going...The first time I went out there, I refused to stop at any of the tourist traps. When I went back later with family I was out voted and had to experience a few.....Of course if you go to Wall Drug, you will be able to see the infamous jackalope.

[Murphsmom]

Cody really deserves more than an overnight. It can take two days just to really see the Buffalo Bill museum (depending on your interests), not to mention other historic and fun sites in town. I know I could spend close to half a day just in the bookstore at the museum.

[kayakin]

Campgrounds fill very early in Yellowstone without a reservation. If you are moving that much, spend the money to reserve to give yourselve a tiny bit of time to relax. That is an aggressive shedule.