Route and campground recomendation from Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone?

[Ozzir]

Hi everyone. I am new to the whole RV thing. We bought a 37 ft Fleetwood Pace Arrow. We are going down to Mt Rushmore in mid August. We have a campground booked for 2 nights there and then we are off to Yellowstone. We want to go 1/2 way to Yellowstone from Mt Rushmore and was going to stay at the KOA in Sheridan Wy but I have read that it is very noisy. The other option is to travel through Buffalo Wy on the 16 and go west to Worland and then up through Cody and then in to the east entrance of Yellowstone.  I have never been down that way so I am not familiar at all with the roads and which ones are RV friendly. There will be 8 of us travelling ( 4 adults and 4 children ) and we would like to throw up a tent every night outside the RV for the 2 older kids. Just wondering if anybody has any advice as far as which way to travel to get to Yellowstone.  Once we are in Yellowstone the plan is to stay 3 nights at different camp sites.  Showers are a must. My wife is NOT a camper and wants some luxuries..haha. I was thinking the first night at Fishing Bridge, 2nd at Grant and 3rd at either Madison or right in West Yellowstone at Grizzly. We will not have a tow behind so we will have to use the RV to travel everywhere. Also. My father in law is getting elderly and can not walk long distances so we have to plan the vacation around that.

If anybody has any advice I would sure appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Sean

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

One thing jumped out and I will let others address the rest: throwing out a tent!

In many RV parks, that is not an option. Be sure you address that directly with any park you intend to stay with. Also, be prepared to address the number of campers in your group and understand that many parks have a "standard" number of people in an RV, sometimes as few as two, and the rest are optional at extra cost.

I can personally recommend Deer Park in Buffalo, WY having stayed there and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yellowstone reservations are going to be at a premium at this late date. Decide quickly.

Have a great trip! We have been here in the Yellowstone area for three weeks, and will be for another five, and it is ready!

 

[Jim Dick]

Fishing Bridge does not allow tents. It is close to a Grizzly Bear area. Tents are allowed at Bay Bridge, which is not far from Fishing Bridge. That does not mean there are no Grizzly bears at Bay Bridge!!

As Kim mentioned, sites book early and may not be available for your time frame.

Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone is an upscale park and I'm not sure if they allow tents.

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

Sean,

Since it has not been addressed to this point, you are correct about your route and not going through the Big Horns on Hwy 14. I think one of the preferred routes is Hwy 16 through Worland although I have not personally used it. Being new to the RV business, you will want to pace yourself on the big hills and expect to be slowed, especially if you are loaded out with that many people.

The Sheridan KOA, like all parks within close proximity to an Interstate, is going to have its share of road noise; that's inevitable. In the peak seasons, RV parks, especially those that are family oriented, probably cannot be expected to be quiet anyway with kids and pets sharing their excitement.

Having visited YNP with a bad knee that precluded me walking, and then being there with a knee replacement, your dad's infirmities will slow you down but not keep you completely from enjoying the park. Since you are going to be using the motorhome for transportation you will be limited to the number of areas where it can be parked, and you will not be able to slide to the side of the road when they are things to see. A number of the side attraction areas are RV prohibited. Using the YNP web page as a guide may help you determine what you can and cannot get to.

None of this is meant to discourage, but more to help you manage your expectations and meet some of the challenges. It's a great trip and not to be missed.

 

[BruceinFL]

Depending on where you are in the Rushmore area: From Custer 16 to I90 to Buffalo, WY (or most direct route to I90). Stay at Deer Park CG in Buffalo. From Buffalo take 16 west thru Worland and then take 14 from Greybull to Cody. Stay a couple of days in Cody if you can and then in the east entrance to Yellowstone. Been there, done that, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Ozzir]

Thanks for the help.

So I have booked some sites. We are staying at the Crooked Creek Resort close to Hill City on the 15th and 16th. Then on night of the 17th we are booked at Deer Park in Buffalo. We will drive through Cody on the 18th and we are booked at Fishing Bridge on the 18th. We are then going to Grant on the 19th. The reviews for Grant look awesome but Fishing Bridge is really hit and miss with reviews. Now the only thing I am wondering is if we should stay and extra night in Grant or go to Grizzly in West Yellowstone for the last night. After that we are heading north to Helena where we have relatives and will stay there for a few days and then head back to Canada. Now we just have to plan what to do while we are in the parks. Unfortunately its a bit of a whirl wind tour and we will be rushed. If Yellowstone is amazing we could extend our stay a day but after being in the RV with 8 of us for a week I might not be wanting to extend the vacation any longer...hahaha.

If anybody has any recomendations of what to see in the parks please feel free to chime in.

Thanks again.