Yellowstone National Park

[boachord]

I would like some information on the best route to travel from Baton Rouge, LA to Yellowstone.

I would also invite any information on campgrounds, activities and things you must do while visiting.

I will be traveling in a 42' Beaver. I also am planning on visiting the Teton Mountains.

I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks so much.

[wolfe10]

How much time enroute?

What kind things are of interest?

How are you with mountain driving?

[dickandlois]

Adding to Brett's post, what time of the year?

You can go North through the Tetons to the South Gate of the park. The roads in the park have been going through some major upgrades the last few years and are far better then in the past.

The campgrounds in the in the park are rustic when compared to the ones outside the park.

The Grizzly Bear Campground is in West Yellowstone and one can walk to the shops, stores and restaurants. We often use it as a base camp when in the area. Have also used the KOA in Bozeman Montana. Rt 191 is a gentle long climb to West Yellowstone.

Coming from the South you could use Rt. 287 or Rt.26 to go in the South Gate.

The East Gate is accessed through Cody. Good Rodeo Town if your interested.

Contact the State and ask for Road maps and road conditions / repair work during your trip.

Rich.

[erniee]

Livingston, Mt is just north of the north entrance on I-90. I stay at the fairgrounds there. many campgrounds going south on 89 to Gardner

[elkhartjim]

A must see: drirve the Beartooth Hwy on the east side Yellowstone.

Check out this link. Mark Quasius (RVcruzer.com) has traveled and written some great articles about traveling Yellowstone.

http://www.rvcruzer.com/ystonervroutes.php

[huffypuff]

Expect lots of snow there this time of year, less snow after May.

[boachord]

I am planning on vacationing 10 days. I figure four days of travel time to go and come back, so that leaves me 6 days of exploring.

I will have my wife and daughter(15 years old) and one of her friends tagging along. we would like to do some hiking trails and maybe some horseback riding.

I would like to thank all of you for the information y'all have shared.

[kingfr]

I would think that two days one way from Baton Rouge to Yellowstone or back is not enough, unless you like 900 mile days.

[hermanmullins]

If you are traveling during the summer months, then a nice stop is Canyon, TX to see the canyon and the play Texas in the open air theater. Also a must see is Cody, WY and the Bufalo Bill Museum. Cody to Yellowstone is a great road and wonderful sites.

If I remember correctly there are some Dude Ranches along the way.

Sorry that you only have 10 days, there is so much to see along the way from Red Stick in the Mud, LA to Yellowstone.

Herman

[john_harris]

Did Grand Tetons and Yellowstone last summer. Great trip. Agree with all comments above. You will probably be headed west on I-80 across Wyoming. Head north out of Rawlins on US 287. Don't be intimidated that it is 2 lane. It is very straight, mostly flat and most scenic. It leads right into Moran at the Tetons. Great views as you approach. The Grizzly Bear is very convenient and right in downtown West Yellowstone. Another option is Yellowstone Holiday, about 15 miles north of town. Smaller for sure but a little quieter and on a Lake with nice views.Your travel times look very tight.

[cinhrvs]

Take it slow if entering the park from the south. A little intimidating at times, just take it slow and you are fine. Grizzly is a wonderful campground in West Yellowstone. Be sure to stop at the little shed on the corner in the center of town(West Yellowstone) for huckleberry ice cream. Drive Lamar Valley 1 1/2 hours before sunset. The bison are everywhere. Norris geyser is a must. Be sure to walk down the stairs at the Grand Canyon Waterfalls. Take the time to walk the trail. A few blocks back if you step off the trail you can look off the cliffs and see down the canyon for miles. It is truly spectacular. Just watch your step. Heading toward the north entrance is a popular spot to swim in the river. I spent 11 days there and it was not enough.

[boachord]

Thanks for all the info. I re-calculated the time it takes to travel to Cody,WY. and Frank you are correct, two days will not be enough. I will allow three days travel there and back. We will stay at the Ponderosa Campground for 7 days using it as our base camp. I plan on taking Hwy. 20/26 out of Casper to travel to Cody. I would love any feedback on taking this route ? (Good, Bad ?)

We are planning on 3 to 4 days driving into Yellowstone with our CR-V or taking a Bus Tour out of Cody to Yellowstone in order to see all of the sites in the park. We may do some whitewater rafting in Cody for one day. That give us maybe one are two days to see other things.

Any suggestions?

Also, what about the three days I am allowing for travel time there and back?

[dstansel]

Ponderosa Campground does not accept credit cards-- Cash or personal check. Great place but you need 4 days just to see Cody with Old town / ride the rapids/ rodeo/ Cody Museum/shoot out in front of Irma Hotel. Then move to camp in Yellowstone as the drive takes a full day there and back. tks DAN

[RVerOnTheMove]

Unless you are a professional driver, you are looking to travel nearly 1800 miles in 3 days (and upgrade from 2 days). That's over 12 hours per day of driving if you did not leave the Interstate roads. However, to get to Cody you are going to have to do some back road driving that will add to that time. I highly recommend you rethink your current plans. You either need to add more days to your trip or scale back on your destination. 500 miles per day is a hard drive but certainly one that is doable. That would have you traveling 4 days in each direction and very little time to accomplish "the mission".