yellowstone 2011 questions

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jim and di

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Joined
Aug 9, 2009
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Location
Sun Citu, Hilton Head, SC
My daughter and I have decided to make a summer trip from Boston to the west. We will make a stop in Minnesota to visit a few campgrounds I visited as a boy. Head to the Black Hills and work our way to Yellowstone. Expect to get there in late July. Jim and Bill you are there how far in advance do I need to make reservations I have a Moho, she a TT. Is it best for a week visit to stay in the park or outside and drive in lots of unknown for me to sort out.
What sort of questions do I need to ask for planning a week in Yellowstone?
Jim
 
Hi Jim,

I assume you mean July 2011. :) I would suggest you make reservations now. The campgrounds within the park are almost always full. In West Yellowstone there is the Grizzly rv resort. It's a nice campground but probably pricey. Most of them will be. :) There are a few others as well. Grizzly is right in West Yellowstone so it's easy to get to the town. It's a 30 mile drive from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful. Bill will know more about the campgrounds within the park and what they are like.

Yellowstone is a huge place, over 2 million acres. You will do a lot of driving to see most of it. To see it all you will have to hike it as well. Can't do it in a week. :)

What do you want to do while here? You have the geyser basins near Old Faithful as well as West Thumb and Norris. The Travertine Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are not to be missed. The animals are spread out all over the park. Bison are usually easy to find as well as Elk but the Wolves and Bears can be hard to spot. The drive over Mount Washburn is fantastic and usually a bear can be spotted. Bison, Elk, and Bear jams are common. Plan on extra time to get to locations as you most likely will be slowed down by a jam.

I'm sure Bill will jump in with a lot of good advice.
 
We like to stay outside the park, at either West Yellowstone or up by Gardner (North Entrance). Nice pars in both places.  You are going to do a lot of driving to see Yellowstone anyway, so staying in the park is not a big advantage and the outside parks are larger and nicer.

We like Yellowstone Grizzly  in West Yellowstone, and either Yellowstone's Edge CG or Yellowstone River CG outside the North Entrance. All fine places.
 
Jim and Gary,
This trip has my head spinning, over the 4th of July I mentioned to my oldest daughter I was going to Cass Lake, Mn to a camp ground my bother and I camped and fished at. Katie jumped all over the idea and before the camp fire died she had ?Diane and I and her three kids going to several places and Yellowstone. We are now looking at 6 weeks on the road.
enough background, I have asked the three kids to do some research and list the things they want to see in Yellowstone.

We will make reservations soon, does the outside the park campground fill a year ahead also? Thanks for giving me a starting place, so much to see we may stay two weeks, not sure if its better to move around or squat and drive.
Jim
 
Jim,

I found out that the only campground within the park that takes reservations is Fishing Bridge. BTW, there's no fishing allowed at Fishing Bridge. ;D It's a spawning area for cutthroat Trout. I'm sure Grizzly will fill quite rapidly early in the year.

Your plan sounds similar to ours in 2001 when we thought we were planning a one week trip to Belfast with the Nathans, who used to be on the forum. They live in England. Turned into a 6 week tour of the U.K., France, Spain, Andorra, and Switzerland!! ;D ;D

You certainly will be able to see more in two weeks but it will leave you wanting more! :) You won't have a lot of options for moving around. As Gary mentioned, you could stay in Gardiner but I don't know what the campgrounds are like. Gardiner is much closer to Bozeman, MT. We've taken a couple of trips that way and it isn't hard to do in a day. For us it is the same mileage as from West Yellowstone. You'll also have a better chance to see wildlife by traveling to the area and coming back. The biggest thing that way is Mammoth Hot Springs which you may want to do a couple of times if you like photography. 
 
I've always wanted to go to Yellowstone and was thinking next year also. Sounds like the north side in Gardner would be the place to stay. From what I've heard and read not planning on driving the motorhome in the park.  I will rent a car from Enterprise for a couple of weeks or however long we stay there so sounds like June or July is good.  Are there fishing places there?  Should be on 2 million acres, wow, I had no idea it was that big. 
 
I have spent the summers of the last 8 years visiting Yellowstone and nearby environment. Dealing with the last first, I would recommend that you take a day and do the Beartooth Highway just outside the North Entrance of Yellowstone; arguably the most beautiful highway in US. Car only is recommended or if tough a motorcycle. Also, give consideration to a couple of days at Cody to see the really sophisticated western museums and then enter Yellowstone from East Or come from South through Tetons.

I stay at Yellowstone Edge - 35 miles North of North Entrance on US Highway 89 in what is called Paradise Valley and it is in fact. The 30 minute drive to Yellowstone is in itself great viewing with, dependent upon time of day and weather, fields full of Elk, Antelope, Mountain Goats, Sheep and speculator mountains as well.  The scenery at YE RV park is great and its location right next to the Yellowstone River makes for relaxing evening. A community gathering around a campfire occurs every night at 7PM. One can see much of this park by going to mtrv.com and then clicking on camera link; the camera is very good (actually has been purposefully downgraded a little to add some privacy) and one can control to see all surrounding area and even the folks around the campfire. One can go to Livingston 20 miles away for some excellent dining and museums. Also, there are a couple of excellent restaurants near the campground. 

Inside park, a 20 year construction project makes for delays but not nearly as bad as tourists who fail to follow orders and block roads or refuse to follow park patrol directions when sighting a bear , bison or Elk or who fail to pull off into byways to allow faster traffic to proceed. So, patience is a great virtue in the heavy tourist months of mid-June to mid-August. In my Yellowstone presentations during winter in East to RV clubs I point out that Yellowstone is a revolving panorama. The time of day, the day of month, the weather and other factors determine what you see. You can not SEE Yellowstone in a day, week, month. As an example, I have never seen in 7 years, Elk or Bison on the land between the North gate and the Arch. I got here early this year (April) and both were on the land in large numbers.  I'm not sure it had to do with earlier visit or the unusual weather we had this year with late snow and cold wet weather. This is one of the nicest years in terms of green fields in mid-August. The summer rains have had a major positive impact. Its also my impression that bear sightings are far more frequent this year; all most becoming commonplace.

           
 
Blueblood,
Thanks I have started a list of must do items, we will then back into the days to stay.
Carolyn, I ordered a book on fishing in Yellowstone, if interesting I will share highlights.
Jim
 
Yes, I would like to know fishing places.  We aren't fancy by any means, just rod and reel and no experts but I still like to do it.

Here is a picture of Sue Anne fishing on our trip and a couple others of us.
 

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hello all,

We just got back tonight from a week in yellowstone. Stayed at grizzly in west yellowstone very nice park with good discounts of all kinds. We did 4 days in park 2 days on each loop every trip had something new to offer. different animals differant geysers and views. it truly is a breath taking place i am very envious of bill and Jim for having so much time to explore that beautiful place. We saw about every animal it has to offer i think except moose....i suggest staggering your entry times it is a different place in the morning as it is at night both amazing just different. old faithful was different both times we saw it go off just amazing..

bill tell Joleen thanks for the chat and great meeting her sorry i missed you and Jim on both trips maybe next time good luck with new visitors center opening...
 
Shpuld be some electric for next season, they had to overhaul an outdated system. 

Bill sorry I missed you, we were this | 20 min | close. 

Patriot, most of the prk is fly fishing only, but there are many areas that allos spin cast, most fish are catch & release.  Lake trout are must kill, take and eat or kill and toss. 

Nice thing about staying in Fishing Bridge is you are at the center and everything is as close as it can get.  I love the Canyon area and it is a short drive.  Yellowstone Edge is nice, but for Old Faithful you are looking at 100 miles each way.  If I wanted to see as much park as possible I would stay inside.  You miss Ranger programs, Old Faithful by starlight, all sorts of stuff. 

Be sure and see Yellowstone by 2011, in 2012 according to the Mayan documentary '2012' we will all blow up. 

 
We stayed at Fishing Bridge, if I recall correctly it is the only one inside the park that had full hookups and would accomodate our motor home.  Definitely agree it is preferable to be inside the park and do day trips consisting of each loop of the figure 8.  We might have stayed longer if we had time, but we had reserved 5 nights and it was perfect.  Make sure you head south out of the park for a day and see the Tetons - breathtaking!  Heading back east to Michigan, we enjoyed driving across the Little Bighorn Moutains. 
 
Another great park about 8 miles outside of West Yellowstone is Lake Hepgen RV Park.  Docks, boats for rent, beautiful scenery, and great people!

We stayed inside the park for a week in 2009, then at West Yellowstone - enjoyed that very much, and finally out at Lake Hepgen.

Ron

 
How come Fishing Bridge CG has no electric? What's the next best CG with full hook up?
 
Fishing Bridge is the only cg in the park with hookups.  The reason there is no elec right now is the system is being replace.  The wiring was old and last year was damaged by a surge, so it is all being replaced.  By next season it will be at about 50% I have heard, but I am not on the list for status updates. 

Being outside, West Y and Gardiner are your best bets.  There are a number of CG's just outside in Gardiner with good access to mammoth and Lamar, West is better for southern areas. 

 
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