2019 Trip from KY to Yellowstone/Tetons

Taking into account the girls needing burn energy after driving long days and shortening the days somewhat as well as all of us being on same sleep schedule, i have updated the itinerary:

With u getting another day off here?s my updated itinerary:

7/17 - leave home at 3am arrive KC KOA 2pm

7/18 - KC KOA to Kennebec, SD KOA 8am to 6pm

7/19 - Kennebec KOA to Rapid City driving through Badlands and Wall Drug on way 8am to 2pm. Tour Mt Rushmore after setting up camp

7/20 - rapid city to Hardin, MT via Gillette, WY 9am to 3pm. Go to Little Bighorn battlefield in afternoon

7/21 - Hardin, MT to West Yellowstone KOA 9am to 3pm

7/26 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons in afternoon

7/27 - Jackson to Cody 7am to 3pm. Tour museum and beartooth highway in 2 days

7/29 - Cody to Ft Collins KOA 6am to 2pm. Drive through RMNP.

7/30 - FT Collins KOA to Topeka KOA 8am to 6pm

7/31 - Topeka KOA to home 8am to 6pm

Is there any particular reason for so many KOA's?  Nothing against KOA, but it is sort of the Holiday Inn Express of commercial RV campgrounds.

When you say "see the Beartooths" what exactly do you mean?  If you are considering driving the Beartooth highway from Red Lodge into Wyoming with a trailer - think again.  That is a very beautiful drive, but not in a motorhome and not towing.  The grades are too steep and the switchbacks are too tight.  It would be a white-knuckle experience.  Plus it would add hours to your itinerary.  You'll see plenty of mountains on your trip.

kportra said:

When you say "see the Beartooths" what exactly do you mean?  If you are considering driving the Beartooth highway from Red Lodge into Wyoming with a trailer - think again.  That is a very beautiful drive, but not in a motorhome and not towing.  The grades are too steep and the switchbacks are too tight.  It would be a white-knuckle experience.  Plus it would add hours to your itinerary.  You'll see plenty of mountains on your trip.

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We will be doing 2 nights in Cody. On our first morning, we will drive the truck only and leave the camper at campsite.

Isaac-1 said:

Is there any particular reason for so many KOA's?  Nothing against KOA, but it is sort of the Holiday Inn Express of commercial RV campgrounds.

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Only chose KOA's because KOA corporate seems to expect a certain standard to be maintained at individual locations (kinda like Holiday Inn does).  Girls will want to swim after long drives cooped up in the truck, and pools at KOA's are more likely to be nice.  I have no doubt there are many amazing rv parks out there but for some reason we tend to get duds more often than not.  On a trip of a lifetime, I didn't want to risk it.

That latest schedule still looks so tight, to me, that I don't think you'll see a lot in some places, I think you're still being optimistic on travel times, and there's no provision for the unexpected, which often happens (at least to us). For instance:
7/26 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons in afternoon

You won't see much. If all you intend to do is drive to the lake and view a little scenery, then you might be OK, but two full days will just scratch the surface, let alone four or five hours in the afternoon (if you get that long).

Granted that you'll have several days for Yellowstone, which may work OK for you.

7/27 - Jackson to Cody 7am to 3pm. Tour museum and beartooth highway in 2 days
I'm not sure you can make it that quickly since the speed limit for much of the trip will vary from 45 mph down to 25 mph, so you'll not see very much of the museum or else you'll not drive the Beartooth, which will likely take most of the day -- remember, it's slow going and you'll be lucky to average 35-40 mph, less on Beartooth itself.

If you like country music, especially the more western variety, Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue is very much worth seeing, a nice dinner and a great show at the museum in the evening. There are several other attractions in Cody that, to me, are worth seeing, too.

7/29 - Cody to Ft Collins KOA 6am to 2pm. Drive through RMNP.
If you get into the KOA and settled in camp by 2PM, you'll have time to get to the RMNP entrance and spend an hour or two (it's not a 30 minute drive) in the park before heading back to Ft. Collins. RMNP is huge, though not as large as Yellowstone of course. I'd suggest eliminating this side trip, save it for the future, and allocate that time to seeing other things.

Perhaps I'm a tad pessimistic on the time element (and I didn't comment on some other areas I think are too tight), but I think you're trying to fit too many things in. You might also keep in mind that traffic can be a problem, not counting any bison jams or bear jams (traffic and or animal slowing you to a crawl). But I wish you well, and hope it works out better for you than I'd anticipate, and that you don't get as worn out as I suspect you will on that schedule. Luck...

I agree, it looks like you are driving all these miles to get to places as if they are check points on some rally circuit, and no time scheduled to see the places once you get there.

As far as route to West Yellowstone, I figured we would make better time taking i-90 through Billings and Bozeman, then turn south on US 191 into West Yellowstone, rather than entering park from the east, especially since we will be coming from Little Bighorn.

We drive from West Yellowstone to Red Lodge via 191 and I 90.. only stopping for gas as we live here. Takes 5 hours on good day, usually dump at Town Pump...

Also, plan on very slow drives in park. I would recommend  staying at various ends... places in park. It is huge and with kiddos you want to do less back track driving... swim at Boiling River, Firehole with kids... also Koa at Cody has pool....

Driving the Beartooth highway is awesome. I would drive to Red Lodge we have pool at koa, and then drive the pass... just some ideas, great trip. Our kids grudgingly went and visited park for 20 years... now taking their kids!
As for Tetons... lots of wildlife... and things to do in Jackson, but a long drive to Jackson... I would camp in center of what you want to see and go from there!

wadecool said:

Taking into account the girls needing burn energy after driving long days and shortening the days somewhat as well as all of us being on same sleep schedule, i have updated the itinerary:

With u getting another day off here?s my updated itinerary:

7/17 - leave home at 3am arrive KC KOA 2pm

7/18 - KC KOA to Kennebec, SD KOA 8am to 6pm

7/19 - Kennebec KOA to Rapid City driving through Badlands and Wall Drug on way 8am to 2pm. Tour Mt Rushmore after setting up camp

7/20 - rapid city to Hardin, MT via Gillette, WY 9am to 3pm. Go to Little Bighorn battlefield in afternoon

7/21 - Hardin, MT to West Yellowstone KOA 9am to 3pm

7/26 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons in afternoon

7/27 - Jackson to Cody 7am to 3pm. Tour museum and beartooth highway in 2 days

7/29 - Cody to Ft Collins KOA 6am to 2pm. Drive through RMNP.

7/30 - FT Collins KOA to Topeka KOA 8am to 6pm

7/31 - Topeka KOA to home 8am to 6pm

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Hi

I think your idea of driving through the Badlands on the way to Rapid City is sensible.  From what I recall the roads through the Badlands are pretty decent for a rig your size.  If you see any of the black tailed prairie dogs, stop and look for burrowing owls which also use the old burrows to live in.  I wouldn't leave much time for Wall Drug if you plan to go there unless you like shopping.

We visited Mount Rushmore and went to the evening show which was quite patriotic.  However, I much preferred the Crazy Horse National Monument, very interesting with a decent museum and information about the statue and the American Indians.

If you get the chance pop into Deadwood, it is a nice town with lots of wild west history.

The Little Bighorn Battlefield is interesting although mostly fields with some graves and the small museum.  Not much parking for big rigs but I assume you are going in your truck.

Here is a post with some info about South Dakota:

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,111188.msg1019896.html#msg1019896

We drove the route via Broadus and the road was decent apart from one stretch with roadworks.  Probably quieter than the Interstate.  That said if you are planning on going via Gilette, I would have thought that your trip would be shorter going from there to Cody and missing out the Battlefield.  I would stay longer in the Tetons and miss that out if it were me.... you will see lots in the museum in Cody which will probably replicate the Bighorn stuff.

If you did that then you could go in the Eastern entrance of Yellowstone and see that side of the park as you drove to West Yellowstone and then you could do a day trip to the Northern end and the Beartooth Highway.  Note that the Chief Joseph Highway is also a lovely drive if you come into the park from that end and you should be OK in your rig as we did it with ours - 54ft total.

If you are up on the Beartooth Highway stop and the top and wander around the rocks and listen for the squeaking of the little Pika's that live there.  On the way down to Red Lodge there are several glacial lakes on the left that are very beautiful.  Nice ice cream shop in Red Lodge and the beer from there is nice!

The Old Trail Town in Cody is quite interesting if you have time.

Here are a few links relating to the Tetons and Yellowstone.  I agree with Seilerbird that the Tetons are spectacular and it is a shame you are not spending longer there.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,112258.msg1013394.html#msg1013394

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,111583.msg1007894.html#msg1007894


Hope this helps!

wadecool said:

Taking into account the girls needing burn energy after driving long days and shortening the days somewhat as well as all of us being on same sleep schedule, i have updated the itinerary:

With u getting another day off here?s my updated itinerary:

7/17 - leave home at 3am arrive KC KOA 2pm

7/18 - KC KOA to Kennebec, SD KOA 8am to 6pm

7/19 - Kennebec KOA to Rapid City driving through Badlands and Wall Drug on way 8am to 2pm. Tour Mt Rushmore after setting up camp

7/20 - rapid city to Hardin, MT via Gillette, WY 9am to 3pm. Go to Little Bighorn battlefield in afternoon

7/21 - Hardin, MT to West Yellowstone KOA 9am to 3pm

7/26 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons in afternoon

7/27 - Jackson to Cody 7am to 3pm. Tour museum and beartooth highway in 2 days

7/29 - Cody to Ft Collins KOA 6am to 2pm. Drive through RMNP.

7/30 - FT Collins KOA to Topeka KOA 8am to 6pm

7/31 - Topeka KOA to home 8am to 6pm

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It would be fantastic if you would come back in August after completing your trip and share your experiences, good and bad. 

I do understand from your statements that you and family have several reasons for the tight schedule and interest in seeing "everything" on one trip.  I really do hope it all works out for all of you in the end.  You have planned a very, very, very ambitious trip. 

Sometimes people need to do whistlestop trips. I think it just whets your appetite to return and spend longer.

The main thing is to drive safely, particularly when in scenic areas as it is easy to take your eyes off the road and end up in a ditch (saw an RV like this in the Tetons last year) or worse. And of course to enjoy every moment!

jackiemac said:

Sometimes people need to do whistlestop trips. I think it just whets your appetite to return and spend longer.

The main thing is to drive safely, particularly when in scenic areas as it is easy to take your eyes off the road and end up in a ditch (saw an RV like this in the Tetons last year) or worse. And of course to enjoy every moment!

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In a perfect world the vacation would be much longer but wife and I are still working and vacation time is a factor.  I will definitely be making a list of things to see when we become full timer way down the road.

This trip seems to be constantly evolving so I'll post the latest version of the itinerary. The best favor you can do is rip it apart because it helps me plan...

Latest thoughts:

We decided we want 2 nights in Cody and 2 nights in Tetons so something had to go, and it would up being Little Bighorn Battlefield.

We knew we wanted to see Cody and Jackson/Tetons along with Yellowstone so it made more sense to stop in Cody first and end in Jackson rather than circle around Yellowstone in previous plan.

Only destination i haven't decided on a landing spot is the Tetons. Only options for full hookups I see are the Virginian and Fireside Resort, both of which seem like glorified parking lots based on many reviews. Gros Ventre campground sounds awesome but the idea of first come/first serve make the planner in me nervous, and the idea of dry camping makes my wife nervous. As an Eagle Scout who spent many, many nights "roughing it", I'm good with 2 nights without hookups, but my wife and 2 12 yr olds might have issues with the nighttime temps and being limited to the water in fresh tank (42gal). Can someone ease my fears here or present me with an option I've missed?

Changes are in bold.

7/17 - leave home at 3am arrive KC KOA 2pm

7/18 - KC KOA to Kennebec, SD KOA 8am to 6pm

7/19 - Kennebec KOA to Rapid City driving through Badlands and Wall Drug on way 8am to 2pm. Tour Mt Rushmore after setting up camp

7/20 - rapid city to Cody, WY via Gillette, WY 9am to 5pm. 2 nights in Cody, seeing Museum and driving Beartooth Highway.

7/22 - Cody, WY to West Yellowstone KOA 9am to 3pm

7/27 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons and Jackson.

7/29 - Jackson to Denver East KOA in Strasburg 5am to 4pm. Route from Jackson will be south to I-70 eastbound at Silverthorne, CO.

7/30 - Strasburg, CO KOA to KC East KOA 3am-2pm

7/31 - KC KOA to home 8am to 6pm

I can't help much here on where to stay around Grand Tetons, when we were there in the summer of 2017, just before the big solar eclipse, we opted to spend a couple of nights in Dubois at the long horn RV ranch (nice river front commercial rv park), driving across the pass to Grand Tetons two days in a row, before heading into Yellowstone, out through Cody, then to Thermopolis.  Longhorn RV ranch was a nice stop for a couple of nights, gave us a chance to get caught up on laundry, before heading into Yellowstone, etc, but is at the edge of how far I would want to drive to get to Grand Tetons.

This brings me to the next point, why I-70 and Denver?  This seems to take you out of the way?  Having driven both I-70 from Rifle to eastern Colorado, as well as I-80 from Rawlins to eastern Nebraska in the last few years, I would tend to pick I-80. Note I have also driven the route from Rawlins through Saratoga to Steamboat Springs CO in the last 3 years, it is an ok drive though most of the scenic stuff is off the sides of this route, plus it is not nearly as nice as what you will have seen in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons a coupe of days earlier.

Sure I-70 going through from the mountains is a slightly more scenic drive than Rawlins to Cheyenne on I-80, though not by much.  In general I find I-80 an easier drive unless you catch strong cross winds, plus it is 100 miles shorter driving distance, the up and downhill grade is easier, and you don't have to deal with crossing through Denver. Either way eastern Colorado or Nebraska is going to be relatively boring, there is a lot of nothing in eastern Colorado, Nebraska is much the same, though it does seem to have more / bigger small towns.

We stayed a month in the Tetons last July/August and had no temperature issues. We topped up batteries with generators for a couple of hours.

If you are at Gros Ventre for 10am you should get a spot.... especially mid week.

"7/29 - Jackson to Denver East KOA in Strasburg 5am to 4pm. Route from Jackson will be south to I-70 eastbound at Silverthorne, CO."

I'm not sure you've allowed enough time for this route. That's long haul with some pretty slow roads over some of the route. And I think Isaac has it right that, unless there is something specific you want to see in Denver (Strasburg is most of an hour east of Denver) then I-80 to, maybe I-35, is a better route. Or I-80 to Molene/Davenport then I-64 to Indianapolis. But even to Denver, I-80 to  I-25, then south is a quicker, easier drive.

Still whatever you want is fine, but I think you'll need more time for your planned route.

Isaac-1 said:

I can't help much here on where to stay around Grand Tetons, when we were there in the summer of 2017, just before the big solar eclipse, we opted to spend a couple of nights in Dubois at the long horn RV ranch (nice river front commercial rv park), driving across the pass to Grand Tetons two days in a row, before heading into Yellowstone, out through Cody, then to Thermopolis.  Longhorn RV ranch was a nice stop for a couple of nights, gave us a chance to get caught up on laundry, before heading into Yellowstone, etc, but is at the edge of how far I would want to drive to get to Grand Tetons.

This brings me to the next point, why I-70 and Denver?  This seems to take you out of the way?  Having driven both I-70 from Rifle to eastern Colorado, as well as I-80 from Rawlins to eastern Nebraska in the last few years, I would tend to pick I-80. Note I have also driven the route from Rawlins through Saratoga to Steamboat Springs CO in the last 3 years, it is an ok drive though most of the scenic stuff is off the sides of this route, plus it is not nearly as nice as what you will have seen in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons a coupe of days earlier.

Sure I-70 going through from the mountains is a slightly more scenic drive than Rawlins to Cheyenne on I-80, though not by much.  In general I find I-80 an easier drive unless you catch strong cross winds, plus it is 100 miles shorter driving distance, the up and downhill grade is easier, and you don't have to deal with crossing through Denver. Either way eastern Colorado or Nebraska is going to be relatively boring, there is a lot of nothing in eastern Colorado, Nebraska is much the same, though it does seem to have more / bigger small towns.

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I have to either take I-80 across Nebraska or I-70 across Kansas, both boring I know.  I was thinking if we shot down to I-70, we could cross the Rockies and experience the Eisenhower tunnel.  But if you guys think my timeline is gonna be severely affected by getting on I-70 west of Denver, then I need to adjust.  Ultimately, i have 3 days and 2 nights to get 1600 miles, so efficiency needs to rule the day here.

My guess is that the I-70 route would add about 3 to 4 hours vs I-80

wadecool said:

This trip seems to be constantly evolving so I'll post the latest version of the itinerary. The best favor you can do is rip it apart because it helps me plan...

Latest thoughts:............................Only destination i haven't decided on a landing spot is the Tetons. Only options for full hookups I see are the Virginian and Fireside Resort, both of which seem like glorified parking lots based on many reviews. Gros Ventre campground sounds awesome but the idea of first come/first serve make the planner in me nervous, and the idea of dry camping makes my wife nervous. As an Eagle Scout who spent many, many nights "roughing it", I'm good with 2 nights without hookups, but my wife and 2 12 yr olds might have issues with the nighttime temps and being limited to the water in fresh tank (42gal). Can someone ease my fears here or present me with an option I've missed?..................

7/27 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons and Jackson.......................

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Gros Ventre may be iffy for finding an open spot arriving at 1pm on a Saturday. 

About dry camping.......
Dry camping is no big problem, you just have to plan to conserve and practice a little bit.

2-3 nights and you have a generator to charge your batteries (assuming your batteries are in very good condition) you won't have a problem with 42 gallons of fresh water and your holding tanks.  You won't take long showers and it is best if you just do a wash cloth and sink instead of a shower. 

Just don't make this trip the first time you dry camp in the RV.  You have 6 months before the trip.  If you can stay in the RV where it is parked, then just go there and spend a couple nights w/o hookups to practice.  Or take the RV to an RV Park and spend 2-3 nights not hooked up.  This way you can just dump before you take the RV back to where you store it.

.....just enjoy your trip