Kaderabek
GOLD Star
Planning family trip out west
- Thread starter alf
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Someone had a sense of humor on the beartooth highway, coming from the Cody side, as soon as you cross the Montana border, the speed limit is 70mphI highly recommend you don't pay attention to it, you'll see why if you go.
Also, couple more miles down, a sign reads: Slide area Stay on roadway. That got another chuckle from me and the wife.
One of the most awsome roads I've driven, HIGHLY recommended.
I agree, the Beartooth Pass is an unreal drive, 12,000 ft, IIRC. Top of the world Ma!
I also enjoyed Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands.
I'll have to go south from Yellowstone next time.
I'm not sure what is wrong with the 70mph speed limit when you come into Montana on the Beartooth. It seems reasonable to me for the straight aways. I've driven that pass literally hundreds of times. We lived in the shadow of the Beartooths for many years. It is best from Red Lodge to Cooke City. It is still spectacular the other direction. In June there will be plenty of snow left. There are a couple of spots on the MT side of the pass where you can get a few turns in skiing if you are up for a high altitude hike. I have a video of me skiing on that pass on the 4th of July somewhere. In June, you might be able to catch the baby mountain goats on the Eastern slope. Please don't forget to use a low gear.
The Cody Museum is awesome, they only display 1/3 of their pieces at a time so you can go back over and over and over and never be bored. One time I some how managed to get a downstairs tour. Drawers and drawers of guns that aren't displayed. That was pretty cool.
Traffic will be bad in June. Pretty much from Red Lodge through the south side of Jackson Hole only plan on a 35 mph average. Mostly 25-45 speed zones, traffic, and turns. Just some advice as many folks think they can do 60 miles in an hour and you can't usually do that in June.
The Cody Museum is awesome, they only display 1/3 of their pieces at a time so you can go back over and over and over and never be bored. One time I some how managed to get a downstairs tour. Drawers and drawers of guns that aren't displayed. That was pretty cool.
Traffic will be bad in June. Pretty much from Red Lodge through the south side of Jackson Hole only plan on a 35 mph average. Mostly 25-45 speed zones, traffic, and turns. Just some advice as many folks think they can do 60 miles in an hour and you can't usually do that in June.
My cousin and I drove the Beertooth hwy in 1992 in Grampa's 1957 Willy's. Last time I went through there was perhaps 1996? Needless to say, that area is a "must see", I look forward to seeing it more than Yellowstone. Awesome fishing up there in some of the lakes and streams.
Take the 100 with good tents (or the pop-up if you must). Stay in Grizzly RV Park - West Yellowstone - $25 a night (tent) - showers - morning coffee - (its where I stay) walking distance into town - Wolf pack micro brew is really good but kids not allowed. Google Montana Saphires. And last time I went I "discovered" Grand Teton and thought it was better than Yellowstone (and I love Yellowstone). Enjoy your trip and if you are into 4 Wheeling, Moab and southern Utah is a must visit.
Coolerman
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Another thing to be aware of if pop-up or tent camping: You CANNOT leave any food in either one! Bears and other creatures will destroy them trying to get to the food. Some campsites have shared bear proof lock boxes you can leave your food in or you can take it with you. (Still not a good idea if you take you vehicle to remote trail heads)
I have taken my pop-up out west on several trips including Yellowstone and while it beats a tent hands down at the end of a long hard day of hiking, the hassle of towing it out there, dragging it up the mountains (I only have a 6 cylinder Xterra), setting it up, tearing it down and towing it home makes it less appealing. If you can rent, borrow or buy a hard side camper it will eliminate a lot of the hassle.
700 miles a day is easy. On one trip out to Montana we did a 1019 mile day! Our advantage was NO KIDS!!!
Enjoy your trip!
I have taken my pop-up out west on several trips including Yellowstone and while it beats a tent hands down at the end of a long hard day of hiking, the hassle of towing it out there, dragging it up the mountains (I only have a 6 cylinder Xterra), setting it up, tearing it down and towing it home makes it less appealing. If you can rent, borrow or buy a hard side camper it will eliminate a lot of the hassle.
700 miles a day is easy. On one trip out to Montana we did a 1019 mile day! Our advantage was NO KIDS!!!
Enjoy your trip!
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IMO and like most others #2 is your best bet.
Use the trip as an excuse to build a 'MOG. Don't miss the Tetons.
Don't leave your food anywhere other than the metal box provided at the campsites. We were staying in the Tetons when a black bear tore into some knuckleheads station wagon and ate very very well while we all watched from a distance.
I've made this trip twice from the ATL to the Yellowstone area. The first was Atlanta to Glacier NP (By far the best NP in the US) which was 36 hours of just driving time. And then we did a loop from Atlanta to Boezman, MT over to Sun Valley, ID down to Park City, UT east to Crested Butte, CO then back to Atlanta.
Here's my suggetions:
1. Make sure you go one way and go back another.
2. Unless you enjoy the scenery of 75 through Georgia it's pretty boring until you're in the west half of SD or past the front range. Not being negative, I've been in 46 of the lower 48 and understand there's beautiful place ain all of them. However I-70 through Missouri is not one of them!
3. If you've never been to the high plains you'll get a kick out of SD. Plus I love Badlands NP. Got to stop at Wall Drug and make sure you get of the interstate at some point.
4. Black Hills are nice and a side trip to Deadwood would be fun for the family.
5. Speaking of Deadwood, if you're into history make sure you stop at the welcome centers and check out the Fort locations in the state, especially if you come back through Kansas.
6. I'd pick Devil's Tower in Wyoming over Mt. Rushmore.
7. Ditto on Cody Wyoming, but you can skip most over the other Wyoming towns.
8. Eastern Montana and the Cities such as Billings and Butte are worth skipping.
9. Boezman is great. Natural History exhibits at Montana St. are cool. IIRC the dude who found all the T-Rex bones teached there and brought most back.
10. If you fish. DO NOT miss the Yellowstone, Gallatain, and Madison Rivers! Think rainbow trout target practice...point and cast.
11. West Yellowstone is a cool funky little tourist town in the winter without the tourists, with them in the summer it can be a nightmare. Think of an RV convention getting gas all at the same time.
12. Don't miss the rest of Yellowstone just to see Ol' Faithful. The East half of the park is something to behold.
13. If you're going to Yellowstone you can't miss driving to Teton. I've never seen mountains that scream mountains like Teton.
14. Stop in Jackson Hole.
15. Once you pass JH it will get kind of boring though southern Wyoming. You could keep south into Colorado or head east through Wyoming. The first is longer but will be more interesting.
16. If you go through Colorado try and see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Trust me.
17. Going on the state route that runs through Gunnison rather than I-70 is a cool way to go. You miss Vail, Breck, etc. but get to see some parts of the Rockies most don't.
18. Once you hit I-25 you can head south to NM and go back through TX to GA or head back up to Denver to go back though Kansas.
Just remember the Western states are big! Think Chattanooga to Valdosta everywhere you go. Be picky, don't get bogged down with every vista. There's mountains that are barely named that would be Georgia's best natural wonder. I moved to Phoenix 2 years ago and every corner of this state is amazing!
Hope that helps.
Here's my suggetions:
1. Make sure you go one way and go back another.
2. Unless you enjoy the scenery of 75 through Georgia it's pretty boring until you're in the west half of SD or past the front range. Not being negative, I've been in 46 of the lower 48 and understand there's beautiful place ain all of them. However I-70 through Missouri is not one of them!
3. If you've never been to the high plains you'll get a kick out of SD. Plus I love Badlands NP. Got to stop at Wall Drug and make sure you get of the interstate at some point.
4. Black Hills are nice and a side trip to Deadwood would be fun for the family.
5. Speaking of Deadwood, if you're into history make sure you stop at the welcome centers and check out the Fort locations in the state, especially if you come back through Kansas.
6. I'd pick Devil's Tower in Wyoming over Mt. Rushmore.
7. Ditto on Cody Wyoming, but you can skip most over the other Wyoming towns.
8. Eastern Montana and the Cities such as Billings and Butte are worth skipping.
9. Boezman is great. Natural History exhibits at Montana St. are cool. IIRC the dude who found all the T-Rex bones teached there and brought most back.
10. If you fish. DO NOT miss the Yellowstone, Gallatain, and Madison Rivers! Think rainbow trout target practice...point and cast.
11. West Yellowstone is a cool funky little tourist town in the winter without the tourists, with them in the summer it can be a nightmare. Think of an RV convention getting gas all at the same time.
12. Don't miss the rest of Yellowstone just to see Ol' Faithful. The East half of the park is something to behold.
13. If you're going to Yellowstone you can't miss driving to Teton. I've never seen mountains that scream mountains like Teton.
14. Stop in Jackson Hole.
15. Once you pass JH it will get kind of boring though southern Wyoming. You could keep south into Colorado or head east through Wyoming. The first is longer but will be more interesting.
16. If you go through Colorado try and see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Trust me.
17. Going on the state route that runs through Gunnison rather than I-70 is a cool way to go. You miss Vail, Breck, etc. but get to see some parts of the Rockies most don't.
18. Once you hit I-25 you can head south to NM and go back through TX to GA or head back up to Denver to go back though Kansas.
Just remember the Western states are big! Think Chattanooga to Valdosta everywhere you go. Be picky, don't get bogged down with every vista. There's mountains that are barely named that would be Georgia's best natural wonder. I moved to Phoenix 2 years ago and every corner of this state is amazing!
Hope that helps.