Aahhyes68
Birmingham, MI
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Hello everyone !
I hope I'm not too late to plan a trip to Yellowstone (from MI) for this Summer but I just haven't had time to do the research. Dang, life sure gets in the way of vacations sometimes . We have a family of 5 and the kids are 9,11 & 13. We want to do this this year while we can. I will be pulling a 40' 5th wheel. We have 21 days start to finish for va-ca.. I could really use some help/suggestions/ideas.
*I'm thinking loop around Chi-town to I-90W and head towards the Badlands/Black Hills/Rushmore/Crazy Horse/etc... This is 1200 miles/3 days travel.
How many days do I need in that area ? Where should we stay ? Stops along the way ? 3 days ? (Days 1-6 done.)
*From there, I want to continue west to Yellowstone NP. I'm figuring +/- 600 miles/2 days. (Days 7-8 done.)
I know Yellowstone is huge so I would like to do 7 days here. I guess what to do there will be a seperate post. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (Days 9-15 done.)
From here we need to head home, I'm looking at 1750 miles. I thought I would head I-94E towards Little Missouri Natn'l Grasslands area, through Bismark, Fargo, Minneaplois and home. (Days 16-21 Done).
Please tell me what you guys think. Am I on the right track ?
Again... Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve B. & Family
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kedanie
Albuquerque, NM
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Well, for starters, if you don't already have reservations for your stay at Yellowstone, do it now!!!!! Figure out when you will be there and plan everything around that time frame.
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Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
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Search this Forum for Yellowstone. I think 7 days in the Park is too much unless you like to hike ALOT. We did it in three; possibly four. 1st day take the North Loop guided tour, second day visit places you didn't see enough of the first day. 3rd day take the South Loop guided tour. 4th day revisit what you didn't get enough of the 3rd day.
Others will probably suggest putting on several hundred miles driving around the Park on your own. We figured you drove 1000 miles to get there try leaving the driving to someone else. Of course the guided tours cost money but you get so much more out of them than trying to read a guide book as you drive around.
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Parrothead Mike
SW Michigan
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You might want to split the time between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. They are so close. We spent 7 days in that area last July, but it was 5 days at Gros Ventre campground at the south end of the Tetons and the other 2 at Coulter Bay, the north end of the Tetons. From Coulter Bay we traveled up into Yellowstone. We preferred the Tetons and the hiking trails, rafting trips, and Jackson Hole. For our tastes Yellowstone was way too crowded, plus too much driving from site to site.
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Water-Bug
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Forget Yellowstone and go to Glacier National Park and the Grand Tetons. US-2 from the UP to Glacier is a two lane but a nicer trip than the inter-states.
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ArcticDodge
Sammamish, WA
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DO Yellowstone! It's amazing. Teton and Glacier are great too but there is only one Yellowstone!
Get those Yellowstone reservations in now. I'd suggest Fishing Bridge for it's central location and full hook ups. It's not perfect but practical. You'll spend the majority of the day away from camp exploring. Make reservations for the horseback ride cookout near Tower. Xanterra will help you with reservations.
Cody, Devils Tower, and Rushmore would be on my list of stops to or from.
The kids would like the alpine slide or whitewater rafting in Jackson Hole.
* This post was
edited 02/02/12 08:34pm by ArcticDodge *
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bigjettech
Bartlett,Il
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Water-Bug wrote:Forget Yellowstone and go to Glacier National Park and the Grand Tetons. US-2 from the UP to Glacier is a two lane but a nicer trip than the inter-states.
What are you smoking ?
I'm not saying Glacier is any less beautiful but to say forget Yellowstone you loose a lot of respect from me. I've only been there once and can't wait to back again.
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Kentucky_Joe
Fort Thomas, KY USA
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Sent you a PM
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bigjettech
Bartlett,Il
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Aahhyes68 wrote:Hello everyone !
I hope I'm not too late to plan a trip to Yellowstone (from MI) for this Summer but I just haven't had time to do the research. Dang, life sure gets in the way of vacations sometimes . We have a family of 5 and the kids are 9,11 & 13. We want to do this this year while we can. I will be pulling a 40' 5th wheel. We have 21 days start to finish for va-ca.. I could really use some help/suggestions/ideas.
*I'm thinking loop around Chi-town to I-90W and head towards the Badlands/Black Hills/Rushmore/Crazy Horse/etc... This is 1200 miles/3 days travel.
How many days do I need in that area ? Where should we stay ? Stops along the way ? 3 days ? (Days 1-6 done.)
*From there, I want to continue west to Yellowstone NP. I'm figuring +/- 600 miles/2 days. (Days 7-8 done.)
I know Yellowstone is huge so I would like to do 7 days here. I guess what to do there will be a seperate post. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (Days 9-15 done.)
From here we need to head home, I'm looking at 1750 miles. I thought I would head I-94E towards Little Missouri Natn'l Grasslands area, through Bismark, Fargo, Minneaplois and home. (Days 16-21 Done).
Please tell me what you guys think. Am I on the right track ?
Again... Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve B. & Family
As someone else suggested get your Yellowstone reservations done soon. We spent 8 days there several years ago and for a first time visit 7-8 days is the minimum I would suggest. We saw all the main attractions but we were on the move from the time we got up untill it was dark. Madison was my favorite campground.With your 40' rig you will be limited on which campgrounds you can fit in, I would call to make your reservations. I drove from Chicago all the way to the Badlands first day, longer than I wanted to drive but time constraints forced it. You might be able to get it down to 2 from Mich. As far as other places, Badlands can be done in 1 day, there is also a minuteman missle site for tours in that area and require advance reservations. The Badlands KOA is a very nice campground. Mt Rushmore,lots to do around there. Devils Tower can be a couple hour stop see.
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dahkota
Washington, DC
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Definitely stop at the badlands - I don't know your kids but most seemed to love scrambling around on the rocks.
Try Custer state park - beautiful early morning/early evening animal watching. Its also an easy trip to Rushmore.
We went to Yellowstone last year at the end of June. We had reservations for four days and only stayed three. It was so overwhelmingly crowded we couldn't turn around without running into someone. Whatever the distances between areas to visit, it will take about three times longer to drive there unless you are out very early in the morning or in the early evening. Of course, that is the best time to see animals anyway. There is a definite advantage to staying in the park.
Don't miss Teddy Roosevelt National Park in ND. Quiet, uncrowded, has a little bit of all those other places combined. Probably my favorite place of the whole trip.
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