planning road trip to Wyoming next summer: tips?

FanOfFanboys

I live in S. Carolina. Thinking about taking a week off and head to Wyoming, see Grand Teton and Yellowstone

30 hour drive. figure with two drivers rotating every 3-4 hours, stopping for gas and to stretch legs, it will take about 34 hours, give or take. go ahead and plan for two days travel each way so can stop for any interesting attractions

9 days off works, give me 5 days to enjoy the park and surrounding area

Have a 4runner so room in back. figure put in mini fridge and extra battery to run it. mini gas grill for cooking while camping. 

would be one other adult plus my son. so would not be crowded

anyone ever done a road trip like this? if so, any tips?

anyone been to grand teton and/or yellowstone? if so, any tips?

is there anywhere else along the way I should def check out?

or instead of those two national parks is there somewhere else you would recommend I road trip to?

I want to do some hiking, camping, see some nice scenery.

fishlessman

i have been in the area but just to fish, you need more days there. everything out there is a drive, the driving is exhausting. or you need to fly

Kayak

^^^^ The best advice - take longer to do it. You need to factor in the recovery from so long a drive. They put the West so darn far away.

My only tips while you're there - don't pet the buffaloes, and stay on the GD boardwalks!

fishlessman

Kayak said:

^^^^ The best advice - take longer to do it. You need to factor in the recovery from so long a drive. They put the West so darn far away.

My only tips while you're there - don't pet the buffaloes, and stay on the GD boardwalks!

they made the west really big too, im betting custer saw indians coming for three days. @fanoffanboys,  i have never seen as many roadside crosses as ive seen driving just outside yellowstone along the madison from drivers falling asleep and running off the road.  theres some intense fishing in the fast pocket water down stream of the three dollar bridge

td66snrf

@fishlessman & @Kayak I agree with you need more time. My wife and I went there on our honeymoon in a rented motor home 31years ago. We drove nearly 300 miles inside Yellowstone and of course that's not nonstop. Another thing to consider is that many of the campgrounds do not allow for what they call     "soft side" camping. No tents or tent trailers due to the grizzlies. And definitely don't try to pet the buffaloes but you'll probably see someone try it. We did. 

SouthGaSmoker

More time....took the family to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons about 3 years ago.  We spent 7 days in the area and it is definitely not enough time.  The drive from Yellowstone to Jackson Hole has astounding views of the Tetons.

FanOfFanboys

allocating 48 hours to drive 30 hours with two adults alternating is not enough time?

I do not want to fly, I want to enjoy the drive and scenery and such as apart of the trip

I know I won't get to see all of it but I figure 5 days I can certainly hit some highlights

No fishing will be done. Going to hike and sight see and just enjoy being outdoors. 

FanOfFanboys

I know I won't see it all. But 5 days is about all I can schedule. I am also going to Hawaii next year so not using all my PTO on one trip. I don't mind making trips again in the future. But I also feel like the son and g/f will be ready to be home after 9 days too. Not trying to go out for weeks or months at a time 

If 5 days is not enough to make the trip worth it then I can look at something else. open to suggestions. I want a 9-day road trip somewhere outdoors

I just can't fathom how after 5 days I won't be tired and ready to leave anyway ha

DoubleEgger

Yellowstone is my favorite place on the planet. I would highly recommend flying into Billings and driving the Beartooth Highway into Lamar Valley on your journey to the park. 

My advice is that the park is big and it takes a long time to travel point to point. Don't try to explore the entire park in a few days. Go with the flow and enjoy the experience. We spent an entire day standing on a bridge watching grizzlies. We saw nine that day. Unforgettable experience. 

FanOfFanboys

DoubleEgger said:

Yellowstone is my favorite place on the planet. I would highly recommend flying into Billings and driving the Beartooth Highway into Lamar Valley on your journey to the park. 

My advice is that the park is big and it takes a long time to travel point to point. Don't try to explore the entire park in a few days. Go with the flow and enjoy the experience. We spent an entire day standing on a bridge watching grizzlies. We saw nine that day. Unforgettable experience. 

oh def not trying to squeeze too much in. just want to get up in morn, hike a little, spend time driving on trails, stopping for pictures and such, then relaxing in the evening

Acn

DoubleEgger said:

Yellowstone is my favorite place on the planet. I would highly recommend flying into Billings and driving the Beartooth Highway into Lamar Valley on your journey to the park. 

My advice is that the park is big and it takes a long time to travel point to point. Don't try to explore the entire park in a few days. Go with the flow and enjoy the experience. We spent an entire day standing on a bridge watching grizzlies. We saw nine that day. Unforgettable experience. 

Did you fly ATL > Billings?  I'll be watching this thread (thanks for posting), the wife and I have started thinking about something similar in the 3-4 years - probably two weeks for Yellowstone/Tetons/Glacier.  I had been planning on flying into Denver (just for convenience of non-stop from BWI on Southwest), but if Billings works better that's definitely something I'll look into.

northGAcock

Ha, My wife and I did it (not the commute) a few years back. I would be happy to meet up with you in Columbia and give you some things to do / think about. We did in in August about 5 years ago..... and had a great time. Let me know if interested. 

PM me if interested.

DoubleEgger

Acn said:

DoubleEgger said:

Yellowstone is my favorite place on the planet. I would highly recommend flying into Billings and driving the Beartooth Highway into Lamar Valley on your journey to the park. 

My advice is that the park is big and it takes a long time to travel point to point. Don't try to explore the entire park in a few days. Go with the flow and enjoy the experience. We spent an entire day standing on a bridge watching grizzlies. We saw nine that day. Unforgettable experience. 

Did you fly ATL > Billings?  I'll be watching this thread (thanks for posting), the wife and I have started thinking about something similar in the 3-4 years - probably two weeks for Yellowstone/Tetons/Glacier.  I had been planning on flying into Denver (just for convenience of non-stop from BWI on Southwest), but if Billings works better that's definitely something I'll look into.

Yes, Billings if you want to take the Bear Tooth Highway. Otherwise, fly into Bozeman and it's a couple hours drive. There are some seasonal flights directly into West Yellowstone but they are pricey. It's too far of a drive from Denver. It's over six hours from SLC 

GaBGE

@FanOfFanboys it's funny you made this post as I am on day 12 of the same trip. I live in NE Georgia, took us 2 days of driving 12+ hours each day to get to Bad Lands/Rushmore. We left there and went to Glacier, then headed down to Yellowstone for 3 days on the West entrance camping in Montana about 20 miles outside the park.(some great fishing here, b/t Ennis, Mt. and West entrance) When we went out of the NE entrance we went to Cody, Wy. where we spent 2 nights. Did some trout fishing and took the kids to the rodeo. Went in or out every entrance except the north entrance. From Cody went in the East entrance and exited the South, and went through Tetons to Jackson Hole and am currently in Steamboat Springs, Co. I am driving to Denver tomorrow where I will fly back to Atlanta. My wife and I along with our kids rode with my in laws and they are staying out here for a few more days/weeks. It is definitely a good trip, just not sure 5 days will be long enough. Will be glad to answer any specific questions for you. 

cookingdude555

Don't speed on I-80

thetrim

Get some hotels along the way.  A good or even decent nights sleep does wonders.  

thetrim

Foghorn

You can definitely have fun on the trip you describe. But it's easy to see how many here would see it as a long run for a relatively short slide. I've never been to Yellowstone in the summer - only in the winter - and it was spectacular.  It is a spectacular area.  We were told that in the summer time, 99% of the people stay within 100 feet of the roadway so you don't have to get far off the road to enjoy some wilderness solitude.  

With that said, have you been to the Appalachians - or Acadia/Bar Harbor?  Or the White Mountains of New Hampshire?  Or Lake George in New York? Or Cape Cod?  Or Arkansas (Mammoth Spring, Hot Springs, Buffalo River)?

Botch

If you hit the places you've mentioned, hit Teton first, its "plain" after seeing Yellowstone.  If you can swing it, I'd skip Teton and hit Glacier instead (I love the Canadian side, Waterton; you have time to get passports but it'll stretch your 5 days a bit much).  
I drive a lot to different places, you do see some neat things but crossing the Great Plains (I grew up in Sioux Falls) can be a challenge.  Have fun!  
Oh yeah, if you can swing past Devil's Tower going in/coming out, I think is worth it; nothing like it on the planet besides that mound of mashed potatoes in that movie!

Acn

Foghorn said:

You can definitely have fun on the trip you describe. But it's easy to see how many here would see it as a long run for a relatively short slide. I've never been to Yellowstone in the summer - only in the winter - and it was spectacular.  It is a spectacular area.  We were told that in the summer time, 99% of the people stay within 100 feet of the roadway so you don't have to get far off the road to enjoy some wilderness solitude.  

With that said, have you been to the Appalachians - or Acadia/Bar Harbor?  Or the White Mountains of New Hampshire?  Or Lake George in New York? Or Cape Cod?  Or Arkansas (Mammoth Spring, Hot Springs, Buffalo River)?

If you want to go to Maine and get away from things, go to Baxter State Park, and not Acadia.  Hike Mt Khatadin and the Gulf Hagas Trail - add in some time in the Hundred Mile Woods if you're feeling adventurous.

Kayak

The only way I'd do it is on a motorcycle, with my future wife on the back, and camping gear strapped all over it. Soaked in three days of rain, sunburned crossing Kansas, and blown all over the roads. We'd camp between the two parks, worried about bears, ride through a herd of buffalo with a lightning storm behind them, and still get married afterwards. The honeymoon was six weeks on a bike.

But that was 20+ years ago, and I like my comforts now! 

Who am I kidding? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Who cares how much it hurts, do it!

FanOfFanboys

great info everyone, really appreciate it

have a lot to think about

YukonRon

Two weeks off to do this trip. I have done it from Kentucky. It was amazing. Follow the L and C trail for the Northwest passage. The highway parallels, or at least used to, the Yellowstone river. Very cool to get out and see and learn. Great trip, one of my favorite road trips of all time.

northGAcock

YukonRon said:

Follow the L and C trail for the Northwest passage.

You know that trail is named after one of my relatives don't you?