Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Vacation to YellowStone

This ^ is good advice. The best time by far to visit Mt. Rushmore is for the lighting ceremony. In fact, that is the only time we go anymore.

Custer State Park is not to be missed. Needles highway, Wildlife loop, Badger Hole etc. Buffalo, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats. The resorts and camping and the dining and the hiking and the whole experience is first class. Mammoth Site in Hot Springs is good, esp for boys. The national caves, both Jewel Cave NM and Wind Cave NP, are spectacular. Badlands NP is good too, a plus for the Badlands is that its relatively easy to get up close and personal with bighorn sheep there.

The only things between Black Hills and Billings are Devils Tower and Little Bighorn Battlefield. If those are important to you then by all means, there are no wrong answers here. I myself would drive by Devils Tower and wave, get off the interstate at Buffalo or Sheridan and go over the Bighorns and into Cody before ranging up into Montana. There are things to see in Montana as well.

Three places I'd stop:

The Alpine Inn in Hill City, SD
King's Saddlery in Sheridan, WY
Poet's Table near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park

Have fun!

Depends a bit on when and how you go. I would not want to pull a trailer through the worst heat of summer, and some passes in the mountains would be difficult and downright scary. For the most part, its tailor made for pulling a trailer, I'd say.

Thanks wytex. I hate following a schedule, I like to stay in one place as long as I’m having fun, and not move on till I’m ready.

Figure that’s more doable f I pull our hotel behind us

Thus first run gonna allow 4-6 weeks. Have wanted to do this with my bride for a long time now

Can anybody tell me about the Wort Hotel and Silver Dollar Bar in Jackson Hole?

I made a similar, shorter version of your trip in 2001 or 02 with some friends, but we never made it down to Colorado as we only had a week and we drove from Mississippi. Almost three full days in YNP was great, but we rushed through and definitely could have stayed longer. We were young and energetic, so we hiked to dozens of the overlooks and color pools, etc., and every one of them was worth it. I don't recall the traffic being that bad, but apparently it has gotten worse in recent years as I've read numerous complaints.
We drove through Teton National Park on the way out, and I really wished we could have spent more time there as the views were spectacular and I know there was a lot we missed. We played in the snow in July, which was a big deal for MS kids.
Crazy horse was kind of a let down after seeing Rushmore, but the arrowheads and artifacts at the visitor center were great. Visitor center is free and next time out, I'll just stop there and not pay to walk up to the monument.

Tagging for future reference. Headed there in a year when wifey retires.

Here is the camping information for Yellowstone N.P. and Grand Teton N.P.

Yellowstone

Grand Teton

If you can plan a visit for around the time school starts, you may have better luck. The campgrounds usually fill up pretty quickly during peak season. Mid-September has the elk rut and fall colors going on.

Also, take the time to watch the video at Crazy Horse. It's basically a bio of the man that started the monument. The work that old coot put in to get it where it is today is unbelievable!

B n C Buck: Be sure and take a detour into the Beartooth Mountains, Beartooth Plateau area via Beartooth Highway - fantastic viewing and even 1/2 mile hikes are rewarding.
Before that be sure and stop and do the Custer Battlefield - the new center there is very well done and worth the effort.
Then when in Jackson Hole be sure and do breakfasts at "Bubba's" and for lunch be sure and hit "Bubba's" and for dinner "Bubba's" is by far the best value in town!
When doing breakfast at "Bubba's" be sure and order "The Workers Special" - its not on the menu and you need to ask for it.
Enjoy your touring!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hatari: I have never been to a "Silver Dollar Bar" in Jackson Hole, Wyoming but I (and Willie Nelson!) have been to the "Million Dollar Bar" in Jackson Hole, Wyoming!
Great place - look it up on Google the pictures of it are amazing yet don't do the place justice.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yep "Million Dollar Cowboy Bar."
Jackson is a cool little town,kinda touristy though,
Grand Tetons are spectacular.
As mentioned Buffalo Bill's Museum in Cody
Spend as much time as possible in YNP,we went in 4 different days,(never seen a grizz),I've been out 3x and have never seen one,it was hard getting the family up ,fed and out the door early enough,
All and all,my 3 boys 21,16,13 at the time said it was the best vacation they have ever had,(would've liked to cut down the driving) was the only complaint.
You will enjoy any or all that you can fit in,

Thanks Cheyenne

Granite Hot Springs outside Jackson....certainly off the beaten path.

McPhails Burgers for a casual dinner in Jackson.

Fabulous trip. Took 3 of our 6 kids from central NY to Chicago for architecture tour on to Mall of America and Corn Palace then of course Devils Tour(KOA showed Close Encounters every night) Crazy Horse then Mount Rushmore on 4th of July. Forgot Cody Wyoming and the Custer Museum ( We were there the day Bill Ruger died- the curator discussed with me the concern about the large Ruger display - would the family leave it there or withdraw it? ) Not sure what happened this is a don't miss place, On to Yellowstone - toured that for a week - sooo much to see. then started home thru Missouri and Kentucky, etc, took us 6 weeks to do it all in our Class C RV but trip of a lifetime for the kids. Wife and I plan to redo it next year in the Fall by ourselves.

Excellent!

Just booked 3 nights in Jackson and 5 in Cooke City for Sept.!

50 miles west of Cody is the East gate to the Park. There is a campground there called the Pahaska Teepee. Look for an old two story log cabin that was Buffalo Bill’s hunting camp/cabin. Lots of early pictures on the walls of hunting in the park with famous people like Rosevelt.

Should stay overnight in West Yellowstone and see the bears and hear the wolves howl in the morning. IMAX theater there could be showing a film on Yellowstone.

Have fun

I grew up 2 hours from YNP, and went almost every year, some years more than once. First, it never gets old, and there's still stuff in it I've yet to see. The suggestions of things to see that you've got are all good. There's a lot to do w/in 2 hours of the park to the south and west. Mesa Falls is great, and there's some lesser known falls in the area that are great as well. Yes, a float on the Snake is great too. If you fish...well that would require a whole other thread. I'll add that it's a bit of a side trip, but Craters of the Moon NM is another amazing place in its own unique way. It's about 4.5 hours from the west gate, however. Two more things, one going through right now with flowers just starting and new born animals (bison calves are the most seen) is neat, and second you haven't fully experienced it until you've been there in the winter. Enjoy!