YellowStone 2021?

Pete Kildow · April 5, 2020

Starting to process of planning a YellowStone trip next year. Where is the best spot or spots to stay with a HDT and 41ft 5th wheel? Plan is to have a jeep behind the 5th wheel. AS I'm not sure about getting around in the park with the Kenworth?

Also may go from there to the West Coast and the Red woods. Any help there would help also. Would be running I84 to Hwy 20 over through Burns and down hwy 395. Love that drive on 20 and 395. Used to run it 2 or 3 times per month coming from Klamath falls back east each week

Chad Heiser · April 5, 2020

We really like Buffalo Crossing RV park in West Yellowstone. It is right outside the West gate entrance to the park. We had our HDT, 5er and Jeep when we stayed there and no issues with room. We used the Jeep to tour the park like you are planning. I would stay there again. You an walk to most of the town of West Yellowstone from the RV park too.

Pete Kildow · April 5, 2020

Chad thanks, that's the one I was looking at. But was not sure, on how tough it made seeing all the park from. We plan on spending 7 to 10 days around there. We would come in from the north side. As we also plan on going to Cody for a few days also.

Again Thanks and enjoying the planning stages now.

Pete

Edited April 5, 2020 by Pete Kildow

rickeieio · April 5, 2020

Last time we were there, (2012), we stayed 4 days at Longhorn Ranch RV in Dubois, WY, then 4 days it Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone,and finally 4 days at Yellowstone's Edge in Livingston, MT.

Dubois is a bit of a drive to the Tetons, but we had a our motorcycles, so that was a bonus. I advise allowing at least a day or two for the Tetons.

Grizzly was nice, but a little tight. Off site truck parking, but only a short walk away.

Yellowstone's Edge is about 10-12 miles north of the north entrance to Yellowstone. Small park on the banks of the Yellowstone River, a few miles south of Livingston. Nice folks running it, very helpful.

SuiteSuccess · April 5, 2020

2 hours ago, Pete Kildow said:

Chad thanks, that's the one I was looking at. But was not sure, on how tough it made seeing all the park from. We plan on spending 7 to 10 days around there. We would come in from the north side. As we also plan on going to Cody for a few days also.

Again Thanks and enjoying the planning stages now.

Pete

We stayed in Cody last year at Ponderosa Campground. Neat town especially the museum. Be sure and let them know how big your rig is because sites are adequate but barely. Also the East entrance to Yellowstone is a drive but beautiful. Be sure and come back from one of your trips along the Chief Joseph scenic highway. Spectacular but we ended up doing part of it in thick fog and wouldn’t want to do that again. Lots of deer on the road in the fog.

rickeieio · April 5, 2020

Take Suite's advice on the Chief Joseph. I'll add that the drive over Bear Tooth Pass to Red Lodge is breath taking as well. When we stayed near Livingston, we entered the park at Gardiner, proceeded to Roosevelt Junction and east through Lamar Valley, out to the Bear Tooth to Red Lodge, to Columbus and back to Livingston. A wonderful 300 mile day on the bikes.

Twotoes · April 5, 2020

If you intend to explore Yellowstone in your Jeep and you may want to stay in Cody and enter from the east rather than stay in the west which is more crowded. Lots to do in Cody as well. Buffalo Bill Cody Museum is fantastic. From there you can also take your Jeep on Chief Joseph Hwy, and the Bear Tooth Pass.

RayJay · April 5, 2020

Also, while in Yellowstone, watch for any signs that point down a road and say no Buses or RVs. You will usually find something interesting that is a lot less crowded since tour buses don't go there.

richardbetsey · April 6, 2020

We have stayed at Valley View RV Park in Island Park, Idaho. It is a great park with plenty of room for larger trailers & HDT vehicles.

Thew park is about 20 minutes from the West Yellow Park entrance. The website is: https://valleyviewrv.com/

RickW · April 10, 2020

You will definitely want to explore using the Jeep and not the truck. You will be able to get around just fine with the truck but finding parking for the truck can be difficult most of the time. Also the park rules state that when parking you must be completely out of the travel lane. So as long as all 4 wheels are over the white line the park rangers will not force you to move on. All the others who park straddling the white line get upset when they are asked to move on. So the Jeep is far easier to park on uneven ground vs the truck.

Keep in mind Yellowstone is huge! You will have to break it up. It can not all be seen in a single day or two. The only campground that can accommodate larger rigs inside the park, has full hookups and accepts reservations is Fishing Bridge RV. Fishing Bridge is a good jumping off/starting point for most destinations in the park. Most campgrounds are primitive and first come/first serve basis. Depending on the time of season people start lining up at dawn waiting on a open spot in the campground.

Cody is out the east gate with access also to the NE gate (Silvergate/Cook City MT). Keep in mind that if in Cody you are looking at 1.5~2 hours just to get to Fishing Bridge. So it can make for some very long days with the extra travel if using Cody as a base. Chief Joseph Highway is an amazing drive. Last spring a bridge outside of Cody was damaged in flood waters and restricted to vehicles under 26k GCVW. Not sure on status but something to think about if planning on passing thru with the complete rig. We lost 6 hours last spring as we almost made it to the bridge before learning about the new applied restriction. We had to turn around and go back thru the park to exit.

The West gate (West Yellowstone) and North gate (Gardiner) both have campground that will accommodate larger setups. Both are also just outside the gate unlike Cody, so park access is quicker. West Yellowstone is larger so offers more in ways of campgrounds and logistics. Downside is the West gate gets very congested and time consuming to get thru depending on time of season.

In the Grand Tetons I recommend Colter Bay RV park. Full hookups and they accept reservations. Just be sure to put in the comments your rigs size as they only reserve a space and not a particular site. So if they know how big you truly are, they can make sure they set aside a proper length site. There is a private campground just outside the park in Moran, WY but if the weather turns it can get sloppy in there. Gros Ventre campground does have one loop that offers electric and maybe full hookups but I believe they are still first come/first serve. Only a few spots can accommodate large rigs. There are also a few primitive sites that a large rig will fit in but again first come/first serve.

We did do the Red Woods with the HDT/trailer 10 years ago. We stayed in Crescent City, CA but I do not remember the name of the RV park. Only issue was it was raining the morning we left and the ground was a bit soft/sloppy. But got out with any problems.

Have a great trip!

TreyandSusan · April 10, 2020

Rick and Alicia ( RickW above) are the experts on Yellowstone.

We've stayed at these locations...

West - Valley View RV Park outside of West Yellowstone (Best location for us)

East (Cody) - Buffalo Bill State Park North Shore (dry camp) and Buffalo Bill State Park North Shore (Electricity/Water) Drive to East Entrance is beautiful but time consuming and long distance.

North - Yellowstone's Edge RV Park in Pray, Montana. This also is a pretty good drive to the North Entrance.

There is a remote park (Chief Joseph RV Park) (Painters Outpost) with full hookups on the Chief Joseph Highway but it is not near any city or facility and is a good drive to the North Entrance BUT the north side of the Park and that general area is our favorite part of the park - Extremely Beautiful

From Cody to this Painter's Outpost there is a pass but RickW has done it in the HDT/Fifth Wheel.

Redwoods - Crescent City - Redwood Meadows RV Resort (formerly Hiouchi RV Park) Great Spot and make sure to check out the Grove of Titans on a nearby hike.

Pete Kildow · April 27, 2020

Thanks guys lots of info, and we had planned to spending time in Cody. Plus a week in Sheridan during the rodeo on our way back. Plans are to see Yellowstone. then go up to I84 over to Ontario Or. From there take take 26 and 20 to Burns OR then to Bend OR. Then turn south to Klamath Falls. From K Falls take 97 down to Weed CA. Then work our way over to The Redwoods. But then again may just skip K falls and run west to I-5 and then South to the Redwoods.

For anyone that has never ran from Ontario over to Bend on 20. Its one of my favorite roads. Unless there's a ft of snow, then its not fun. 🎲 But man to run down that river, and the views. I love it. Same as 97 from K-Falls to Weed. That is a great ride also. We used to run to K-Falls then up to and over to Ontario each week.

And SuiteSuccess that road is going on the books also. That's the only reason I'm taking the jeep. Those and the the roads that show no buses and RV's. Fun Fun for sure.