Yellowstone Trip Advice

[jengelkirk]

My husband and I are planning our first long RV trip to Yellowstone in our Monty for September of next year! We live in Central Texas (just north of Austin) and have looked at various routes with map programs and our GPS. We are looking at staying at Fishing Bridge Campground. Yellowstone will be our first looooong trip. We plan to stay 6 nights.

Do you all have any advice regarding routes to Yellowstone from central Texas, number of miles per day to travel, campgrounds to stay at along the way (we think we will need 5 days at @ 300-350 miles/day), other campgrounds in or at Yellowstone? Is about 300 miles a day a good relaxing speed. How is Fishing Bridge - we heard it is kinda of close? Will we be able to get our 38' Monty in and out easily? Any advice/help will be appreciated!

[stiles watson]

We winter in Texas near Centerville off I45. We started our trek by going to Branson, MO. We approached Yellowstone from Nebraska and coming into Wyoming at Cheyenne, then north to Casper and Cody. Actually we stayed at Wapiti, west of Cody. There are two Campgrounds at Wapiti, Green Creek Inn and Yellowstone CG.

We could not get into Fishing Bridge. If you want there, you will have to make reservations well in advance. They ask you the size of your rig and if they don't have space for it, you can't get in. They had room for us for one day only, so we passed.

We mostly used Good Sam parks. Passport America parks were out of our way and we avoid KOA if possible. We stayed at Green Creek and got a weekly rate (pay for 6 and get the 7th free).

In Cheyenne, we stayed at AB Campground and at Casper, at Fort Caspar. Both were OK for one night stays. We weren't looking for amenities, just over night.

Getting to Cheyenne from Texas, I would consider going by way of Amarillo, Dalhart, then west to Raton Pass, then north on I 25 through Colorado to Cheyenne. I have traveled that path, but not while RVing. I definitely do not recommend any of the roads east of I 25 for pulling an RV.

I think 300-350 miles per day is ok. Personally, I like 250-300 and once in awhile, a 150 mile day is helpful for catching up on cleaning and washing. 300-350 is a 7-8 hour day of travel at 58-62 MPH. Driving faster is harder on your rig and eats fuel unnecessarily.

If you want to stay at Fishing Bridge, I would start now. Have a great trip, we did.

[HamRad]

Stiles has given you some very good information. The fhu sites in Fishing Bridge are a bit close together but very doable. But you certainly should make your reservations NOW as he indicated.

I also agree with him on the number of miles per day. We normally shoot for 250 to 300 too. With our physical conditions/limitations that is about all we can take.

Enjoy your trip.

Dennis

[DnDatGrdJct]

Another possible route goes to the west.

Go North to I-40 and continue to Gallop,NM then turn North on US 491 (old US 666) through Cortez, CO, to Monticello, UT, and then continue North on US 191 connecting with I 70 North of Moab, UT, then again in US 191/US6 to Spanish Fork, UT, and pick up I-15. At Idaho Falls, ID, take US 20 to West Yellowstone and enter there.

We have traveled these roads several times in the past two years in a 36 ft motorhome/tow car and most recently with our 34 ft Montana. We found the roads to be good with no hard grades, numerous campgrounds and good fueling points. Would advise getting reservations at campgrounds.

At Cortez you are very close to Mesa Verde which is well worth the time to explore (at least two days). There is also much to see at Moab with Arches and Canyonlands Natl Parks.

Entering Yellowstone from West Yellowstone is easy but when you get to the Yellowstone gate be lined up straight because the entrance is narrow.

I would advise getting reservations at Fishing Bridge as soon as they start to take them for next year (shortly after the first of the year). The sites at Fishing Bridge are close but have good angles to back into. They are not all long so it is important to let them know the length of your RV. We have seen 40 ft motorhomes in the sites.

We have been to yellowstone at least 5 times and stay several days each time and always find it delightful. You can get snow in September, in 2000 we got there about the 15th and there was an 8 inch snow a few days later that convinced us to leave before it arrived. Many of the park concessions can close after mid September.

Hope you have a good trip and enjoy the park as much as we do!

[padredw]

My experience is along the lines which Stiles has suggested: Amarillo, Raton Pass, I-25 North. I would only add this detail based on our last trip to Yellowstone. We took US 287 north from Rawlings through Dubois and over Togwotee Pass into the Teton basin. We enjoyed a nice little RV park at Dubois (which I can't find on current listings so I guess it is no longer available). We then entered Yellowstone from the south, pulling our Montana 2955 and were able to visit several of the features of the park even with the RV in tow. We pulled on through the park to West Yellowstone and stayed out at Island Park, Idaho.

Parks along the way: Overnight RV Park in Amarillo, Cedar Rail at the top of Raton Pass, Rocking A in Vernon, Texas if you go that route or Ole Town Cotton Gin at Goodlet, Texas. We have also stayed at the Corral RV park in Dalhart and the KOA at Clayton, NM. Cedar Rail at the top of the pass is a favorite of ours.

Of course, we depart from the I-25 route to go through Buena Vista, CO where our daughter lives. There we have stayed at KOA out at Johnson Village, Chalk Creek (used to be Brown's) at Nathrop, and most recently at Arrowhead Point RV resort north of Buena Vista.

[exav8tr]

We just finished the trip this year and we went up the western side, Salt Lake, Idaho Falls and stayed at Valley View RV Park in Island Park, which is 14 miles from the West entrance of the park. It wasn't much on amenities, then we were gone everyday and just needed a place to sleep basically. Cost: $20.00/night, This was the Passport America price. We found that this was a good place to base as we wanted to see the Grand Tetons and some areas on the west side of the park. We drove in and around Fishing Bridge park and considered it too small for us. I'm sure it could be done, but as fulltimers we enjoy our space and there certainly wasn't much there.....

We departed the park through the East entrance and was rewarded with a beauty that I hadn't seen and that was the Shoshone National Forest. Don't hesitate to use the east entrance as it was a great ride. If weather is iffy, it could be rough.

I usually try to keep under 200 miles a day but that is just my preference. I like to arrive with plenty of daylight left to enjoy the park if possible...My lifestyle, as a fulltimer, is somewhat different than most, in that we are never in a hurry to get anywhere, sometimes the smallest towns can provide the greatest luxury....Read: Peace and tranquility...

I'm sure you will enjoy your trip, no matter where you stay as YNP is truly magnificent, However, I did get tired of the bison blocking the road for us. While there be sure to watch closely for people in front of you spotting wildlife and pulling off the road sharply for pictures. I even did it a few times myself.......I think that is part of the total experience....

Oh! BTW there is a park in West Yellowstone, the city, called Grizzlie RV Park. Very nice park but was $58.00 night. Very close to west entrance but out of our price range....

Have a great time......

[mlh]

I've been to Yellowstone 7 times.
My favroite camp in Septerber is Madison. You can walk down on the Madison River about dusk dark and see the Elk show. There should bee 2 or 3 large bull elk putting on quite a show. If you stay at Fishing Bridge plan to go up trere for the show. Take your camera!
You will enjoy it, if the wolves havent ate all the elk up by then.
There have been less elk every time I have been to Yellowstone, but the wolves are fat.

[scattershot]

I'd skip Fishing Bridge. Last time we were there, our neighbor had to ask us to pull in our slide so he could unhook. Best bet IMO is Grizzly Campground in West Yellowstone, MT. Superb CG, right outside the west entrance to the park.

The park is HUGE, so allow enough time to see it all. You'll love it!