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Yellowstone National Park


hayleycowan

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We are coming back to our RV in Bakersfield from Australia next April and want to head to Yellowstone. Would love any advice or tips on what to do, where to stay etc. We have a 40ft Alfa with a Jeep toad. We have 6 months travelling time and will continue to the east coast after Yellowstone.

 

Mark & Hayley :D

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One thing we can recommend is a smartphone app called Just Ahead. You load all the information so it does not need to be online to use it. It is $19.95 a park.

 

As you drive along, the guide tells you of approaching features and history of the park. This starts a few miles from the entrance of the park. Using the phones GPS, Just Ahead knows where you are and paces according to your progress.

 

This was the third time we were in Yellowstone and with Just Ahead, we learned and found so much more.

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We are coming back to our RV in Bakersfield from Australia next April and want to head to Yellowstone. Would love any advice or tips on what to do, where to stay etc. We have a 40ft Alfa with a Jeep toad. We have 6 months travelling time and will continue to the east coast after Yellowstone.

 

Mark & Hayley :D

April is way to early for Yellowstone. Most roads don't open until mid May. You can go in the north entrance and stay a Mammoth Hot Springs CG, but the snow keeps you away from the vast majority of the park.

 

I would suggest starting now to see about making reservations for Madison CG inside the park. No hookups, but for big rigs (and small rigs as well) it is a very nice scenic CG centrally located, easy and relatively quick access to the geyser basin (about a 20 minute drive). If you must have hookups then Fishing Bridge CG is a good option.

 

I would also plan on arriving as soon as the park opens for access to Madison CG. This time period will have the fewest visitors and least crowded conditions. You should be able to drive the roads in the park to the attractions at close to the speed limit instead of constant stop and go traffic.

 

You do have the possibility of snow, but usually by mid May it will melt off the roads in 12-24 hours.

 

If you haven't visited Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah, then I would suggest going directly from Bakersfield to Zion and the the other parks while you are waiting for Yellowstone to open. An excellent place to be for early May, to wait and visit for the last several days before Yellowstone opens, is Grand Teton NP

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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The others already said it. Roads won't be open in April yet, but if you can take your time getting to Yellowstone they should be open by May depending on how much snow we get this winter. It will be a good time of year to visit though...more opportunity to see wildlife without all the people, emptyish roads etc.

 

Going east from Yellowstone, Cody is worth stopping in to see the museum (prepare for a whole day there) and then Hwy 16 over the Bighorns is the best route for a Class A. 14 is gorgeous but steep, narrow and curvy...there have be numerous semis losing it on that road.

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One thing we can recommend is a smartphone app called Just Ahead. You load all the information so it does not need to be online to use it. It is $19.95 a park.

 

As you drive along, the guide tells you of approaching features and history of the park. This starts a few miles from the entrance of the park. Using the phones GPS, Just Ahead knows where you are and paces according to your progress.

 

This was the third time we were in Yellowstone and with Just Ahead, we learned and found so much more.

 

We used a similar app series called GyPSy Guide. We bought Yellowstone for around $5 and liked it, then saw we could have bought a combo app that included Grand Teton NP for less money than buying separately.

 

Anyone staying a month or more might want to consider Valley View RV Park and Laundromat in Island Park, ID. Last summer we paid $500/mo. FHU w 50 amp included. Nothing fancy, nice owners, large sites and quiet. It was about 15 miles from West gate though. For us it was worth the extra miles to get to the park.

 

Jim

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We started full timing on December 1st 2014

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We are coming back to our RV in Bakersfield from Australia next April and want to head to Yellowstone. Would love any advice or tips on what to do, where to stay etc. We have a 40ft Alfa with a Jeep toad. We have 6 months travelling time and will continue to the east coast after Yellowstone.

 

Mark & Hayley :D

Assuming you will return to the west coast area to leave your RV in the fall, consider going directly to the east coast and stop by Yellowstone in Sept. or Oct.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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Plan to stay at least 50% of your time in Yellowstone at Fishing Bridge RV park, the only place in the with full hook ups. Opens May 6 th NB Book AS SOON AS YOU CAN

 

Mammoth campground is the only to stay open year round. It has big pull throughs.

 

We liked the ranger led hikes. The volcano one was led by a professor of volcanology from a top university who volunteers as a ranger in summer.

FT since September 2007

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I work in Yellowstone and cannot stress enough to make reservations as soon as possible, like yesterday! The park is crazy busy and I encounter people almost daily who are looking for a camping spot. It breaks my heart when I have to explain that all the campgrounds are full and they MUST leave the park for the night.

 

Booking for the first to middle of May is good advice. Things are thawing out and the park is waking up from its winter nap. Great time to be there but DO prepare yourselves for cold and snowy conditions. I started mid-April two seasons ago at Old Faithful. I had to have the maintenance people dig out my spot with a Bobcat before we could park. It was a great time to be there tho!

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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One thing we can recommend is a smartphone app called Just Ahead. You load all the information so it does not need to be online to use it. It is $19.95 a park.

 

As you drive along, the guide tells you of approaching features and history of the park. This starts a few miles from the entrance of the park. Using the phones GPS, Just Ahead knows where you are and paces according to your progress.

 

This was the third time we were in Yellowstone and with Just Ahead, we learned and found so much more.

That's a really great idea!

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  • 4 months later...
On 11/4/2016 at 9:54 PM, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

One thing we can recommend is a smartphone app called Just Ahead. You load all the information so it does not need to be online to use it. It is $19.95 a park.

 

As you drive along, the guide tells you of approaching features and history of the park. This starts a few miles from the entrance of the park. Using the phones GPS, Just Ahead knows where you are and paces according to your progress.

 

This was the third time we were in Yellowstone and with Just Ahead, we learned and found so much more.

Thank you all so much for your tips and advice, yes it will be the 3rd week in May before we arrive at Yellowstone and have successfully booked accom in bridge bay, madison and canyon village, very excited !  Thanks again for all the messages...  Mark and Hayley :)

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