Yellowstone suggestions - Page 2

TexasCamper · 01-06-2012, 05:01 PM

So how many days will you have in Yellowstone?

As others mentioned, the only campground with full hookups INSIDE Yellowstone is Fishing Creek. But it has more of a parking lot feel than campground. Some folks have posted that they spent so much time in the park (vs. time spent at campsite) that they didn't care, but I wanted a camping experience. So we stayed at Canyon Village. It is a GREAT campground but NO hookups, not even electricity. There are public rest areas to use and wash dishes, and a dump station at the exit. And by switching to LEDs we survived 5 nights on a single 12V battery.
Norris and Madison campgrounds looked excellent too. But it may be too late for reserving a multi-night stay this summer. Check out this link.
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...ellowstone.htm

Here's another idea: if you want a campground with full hookups, consider Colter Bay in Grand Tetons NP. It is only ~30 minutes from the southern entrance to Yellowstone. And it is a good campground. I would stay there vs. a commercial campground outside of the parks.

Here's a link to Colter Bay RV Park: http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/colter-b...e-rv-park.aspx

My family had a blast at Yellowstone and Grand Tetons last year.

John

**wbmiller3** · 01-06-2012, 07:54 PM

When we went to Yellowstone we had our Coleman pop-up and so were not allowed to camp at Fishing Bridge. We stayed in West Yellowstone at a KOA and it was fine. However, if I did it again now that we have the TM I would stay at one of the off-the-grid campgrounds inside the park.

mbd4kids · 01-06-2012, 08:12 PM

Texas camper, thanks for the good links. We will be there for about a week. I will try to contact the campground you suggested tomorrow, and see what is available. Maybe we can stay in the park without hookups for a couple of days, and the rest with a few comforts. I know the experience would be better inside the park, but 4 teenagers might not cooperate!

TexasCamper · 01-06-2012, 10:25 PM

Having a week in Yellowstone is great because the park is so big. Splitting the time between campgrounds is also good to set up a new "home base" for the next few days of adventure. Did I say the park is big?? If you want to spot grizzlies or wolves, then Lamar Valley in the early AM is the place to be. Mammoth Hot Springs was fairly dry and not as spectacular, but seeing lots of elk in Mammoth was exciting. And there are so many thermal features between Norris down to West Thumb! Then add in a handful of waterfalls and trails... We spent 6 days in Yellowstone and 3 days in Grand Tetons. Got to see all the "typical" spots but kids want to return to explore further.

tgpmd1 · 01-07-2012, 11:40 AM

We drove from D.C. to Yellowstone this past July for a 6 day stay. We overnight parked at Walmarts along the way. We stayed at Fishing Bridge all 6 nights and even though parking is very close to your neighbors, we didn't notice that much since we're gone all day. Having total comforts, especially for the tween was very important. When we get back from sightseeing all day, we want to be able to not worry about water, electricity, etc. We also packed a everyday so we didn't need to worry about finding food. Also, it got pretty cold each morning, so some heat from the electric heater was a treat. It was nice being able to shower right in the TM.

On the way home, we camped for a few days for a family reunion in NE with electric only and having full hook-ups is much more enjoyable. I suggest you purchase a waste tote if you think you may need to dump gray and or black water, especially for a large family. We ordered a week prior to our trip and it got there before we left and so glad we had it!

01-09-2012, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wbmiller3

When we went to Yellowstone we had our Coleman pop-up and so were not allowed to camp at Fishing Bridge. We stayed in West Yellowstone at a KOA and it was fine. However, if I did it again now that we have the TM I would stay at one of the off-the-grid campgrounds inside the park.

While not in Yellowstone, we camped in the Tetons with our Rockwood pop-up. We had to move food, dishes, cooking things, etc. every day to ensure that there would be NO scent in the camper, but it was ok. That said, camping this summer at Colter Bay with the TM was just wonderful! ! ! No moving of things in our daily routine.

01-09-2012, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgpmd1

We drove from D.C. to Yellowstone this past July for a 6 day stay. .

On the way home, we camped for a few days for a family reunion in NE with electric only and having full hook-ups is much more enjoyable. I suggest you purchase a waste tote if you think you may need to dump gray and or black water, especially for a large family. We ordered a week prior to our trip and it got there before we left and so glad we had it!

Where did you store the waste tote during your trip? Our truck is typically full with my stuff as I move from Colorado to WI during the summer. The return trip is the same.... bed full of my stuff returning from WI to Colorado.

01-09-2012, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd4kids

Texas camper, thanks for the good links. We will be there for about a week. I will try to contact the campground you suggested tomorrow, and see what is available. Maybe we can stay in the park without hookups for a couple of days, and the rest with a few comforts. I know the experience would be better inside the park, but 4 teenagers might not cooperate!

Colter Bay is a great option. On the North side of the Teton National Park, with electric, water and sewer hook-ups. We have camped there several times and have our reservations for next summer. While the sites are close, we never felt cramped. The camp site is full of tall pines, not like the typical KOA with only concrete slabs!

tgpmd1 · 01-13-2012, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by namklg

Where did you store the waste tote during your trip? Our truck is typically full with my stuff as I move from Colorado to WI during the summer. The return trip is the same.... bed full of my stuff returning from WI to Colorado.

We have a Yakima rack on our Tahoe. We purchased 78" bars to add extra room. We can hold the waste tote and a rocket box (storage unit). Or we can take our 17' Olde Town canoe, two bikes and a rocket box (storage unit) on a trip. If we are leaving the canoe home, we can take addt'l bikes and the rocket box. You only need about 10" of room to pack a bike on the rack. It's so easy to change the top with the proper accessories for any trip.

Hope that helps.

mbd4kids · 01-13-2012, 01:10 PM

We have reservations at Coulter Bay for a few days, and Fishing Bridge for the other 5. The person who took the reservation at Yellowstone talked me into an extra day there vs the Tetons based on the size of the park. Was seriously considering Norris Basin, but with 6 of us, and 4 of them being 13-20, and thinking the extra water, heat and electric might be worth it. Very disappointed about no fire rings though...