2015 summer trip Yellowstone.

[wildwolfproducts]

Need some help from people that has been there done that. Plans are around 3 weeks for the trip. First stop is Mt Rushmore and Crazy horse. Was going to do these at the end of the trip. But Sturgus week would hit if we do that. So turn the trip around and finish at the Cheyenne Frontier Days July 25th.
Cheyenne, WY 82001-7505
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4610...001&ei=t-qoUtXbJsyBqQGK34GwAw&ved=0CC0QwwUwAA

I think 3 weeks will not be enough for this trip. Anyone else think the same? There will be 4 of us, taking friends of ours with us. There retired and were not yet. Wife has 4 more years. So the reason for the 3 weeks.
Will need info on good campground that will allow us to get our Key Largo into.

Pete

 

[Nabo]

Pete - we did that trip 5 years ago. We took 2 1/2 days (one day being 14 hours driving) to drive to the Black Hills of SD and stayed for about 4 days doing things like Crazy Horse, Keystone, Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Devil's Tower, and Ellis Air Force Base. Don't forget to go to the BadLands and Walls Drug. We based out of Hill City using Rafter J Bar Campground. Then we took Hwy 16 over Powder River Pass across to Cody WY and stayed at Ponderosa Campground. We based there going to Shoshone National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Tetons. There is a lot to do in Cody also from Cody Museum, going on a wild horse tour and taking Chief Joseph hwy (great scenic views). We were in this area for 5 days before heading down to Cheyenne, WY. Sorry but can't remember the campground name (something like AB or ABC Campground). We were there before rodeo season but touring the town was pretty neat. Then 2 1/2 days back to TN. Great Trip and ready to do it again.

 

[gschaaf]

Hi Pete
Glad to here you are making the trip to see our beautiful country. My wife and I went for 3 months this past summer and I didn't think that was long enough. If you want PM me I can give you a little insight on some of the area.

 

[TandT]

X2 on Rafter J Bar RV Park in Hill City, S.D. and Nabo's itinerary.

We did almost the same exact things including Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, Cody and Yellowstone after the Gillette 2012 Rally.
Trace

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997

 

[jimtoo]

We did that a few years back,,,the one thing I must say... Do Not Miss the night time ceremony/show at Mt. Rushmore. It is awesome. Take your time, try not to rush. Look and visit everything.

Jim M

 

[olcoon]

If you go to the Cody Museum in Cody, if you like museums, plan for 2 days to come close to seeing everything. Ask them and they'll give you a free pass for the 2nd day. Also every night they have a rodeo there, not professional by any means, but it's cheap & entertaining, sit at the back of the arena, I think they call it the old crow section, or something like that. Also they have a "village" there that is a museum type of thing. We didn't go to it, but from what I understand we should have. The drive from Cody to Yellowstone is at least 1 hr, and when you get to Yellowstone it's big and you'll spend a lot of time driving from one place to another. There are a couple of campgrounds you'll pass on the way there that may be an option, one of them is supposed to be the closest to Yellowstone & is a PA park, but there aren't very many sites there, so a reservation would be a plus.

 

[Nabo]

We didn't stay in Yellowstone because it was hard finding a site big enough for a 40' 5th wheel in early May. If I remember correctly, only Fishing Bridge campground had a section that had full hook-ups but wasn't open when we were there in early May (snow was about 6-8 feet high at this cg with only one loop open, h20 & electricity only). The north cg was open but it didn't have any hook-ups. We didn't try the west gate because we were heading to Cheyenne to finish up our trip and wanted to stay on the east side of YNP. Yes it's 50 miles to the east gate of Yellowstone but we opted to do a daily drive focusing on certain section of the park. Got to see about 75% of park because a lot of it wasn't opened yet or roads closed due to snow.

 

[jimtoo]

Like olcoon said, the Cody, Wy museum is a must see also. Get the 2 day pass,, you will need it. It is actually 6 museums in one and if you like guns... Oh.. you will go ape,, that area alone is almost an all day visit. And also the other one he mentioned.. it is like an outdoor museum.. old houses moved in and furnished with all the original type furniture and all the implements. A really good half day there.

Jim M

 

[rjr6150]

Pete
Agree with the others. As to the Rafter when you call ask for the Island Loop large sites. As to Cheyenne Frontier Days if you don't have your reservations already most likely out of luck staying in Cheyenne.
May want to consider Ft. Collins south of Cheyenne about 40 miles. Any other questions on the Cheyenne area PM me we can discuss.

 

[jdfishing]

Good idea to avoid the entire Sturgis area during the M/C rally. Everything is booked solid, including campgrounds. We stayed at Hart Ranch CG just south of Rapid City. One of the best we've been in. It is private and they take RPI and Coast to Coast. As for Cheyenne's Frontier Days, we found spot in Laramie at the KOA. Good luck.

 

[Gizzy]

Last summer we stopped at 1880 Town in Murdo,SD on I90 east of Rapid City. We expected it to be a typical area tourist trap but turned out to be very interesting. Even had a show in the Long Branch Saloon. Don't think you would be disappointed if you have the time to stop.

 

[JohnD]

Re: 2015 summer trip Yellowstone and South Dakota . . .

Can't talk about Yellowstone as we haven't been there yet, but this past summer we did do the South Dakota trip that you described . . . and it was the week before Sturgis!

I booked a reservation at the Big Pine's Campground in Custer, SD about three months before we went up there and we spent eight nights there!

http://www.bigpinecampground.com/index.html

12 miles from Crazy Horse and a little further from Mt. Rushmoore, Custer State Park and more!

Great place . . . Angie & Ron will hook you up with a great camp site!

He'll even guide you into your site with his quad-runner . . .

And, they are awesome . . . I needed a ladder to get on the roof of our trailer to fix the TV antenna wire, and they let me use one of theirs!

Anyway . . . this was a great place to be a base point!

Grocery stores . . . restaurants . . . gas stations . . . Shopko (love that store) . . . tourists stuff . . . and right there close by!

We did Custer State Park . . . Crazy Horse . . . Mt. Rushmoore . . . Deadwood . . . Sturgis . . . Devil's Tower (Close Encounters Of The Third Kind) . . . Jewel Cave . . . Flintstone's Park . . . Wall Drug (bought a hat, tee shirts and had lunch there) . . . Badlands . . . and much more from there!

Here are a couple of shots . . . (more photos tomorrow, I promise) . . .

 

[cookie]

Re: 2015 summer trip Yellowstone and South Dakota . . .

You may also want to consider seeing the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
It's kind of interesting.

Peace
Dave

 

[wdk450]

Re: 2015 summer trip Yellowstone and South Dakota . . .

I did that trip pretty much in reverse for the 2012 Heartland National Rally in Gillette, Wyoming. All I can say is be ready for the Powder River Pass Wyoming Highway 16 transit. It is probably the longest, steepest grade I have pulled the Bighorn over. I overheated my automatic transmission in a 10 mile construction escorted 10% grade up going East, and smoked my brakes (even with an exhaust brake) going East on the downside. Coming back going West (after transmission and brake repairs in Gillette) I got myself prepared leaving Buffalo, Wy. and turned off the air conditioner, opened all the windows, turned on the heater (for extra engine cooling), and manually downshifted as the climb started. Wyoming highway 14 is reportedly worse. You might consider going around the Bighorn mountains by diverting on I-90 North 150 miles to Billings, Montana or South 100 miles to Casper, Wyoming.
Since I was coming to Yellowstone from the West, I stayed in the West Yellowstone, Montana area 2 weeks before the Gillette rally. There are loads of private RV parks there, and a USFS campground at Bakers Hole 2 miles North of West Yellowstone (where I stayed). The Yellowstone park entrance is at the city limit, about 5 blocks from the center of town. From the West entrance it is 14 miles East along the Madison river to the main park loop. West Yellowstone MT. has stores, restaurants, hotels, museums, etc. that I did not see near any of the other entrances that I visited during my trip.

 

[JohnD]

Re: 2015 summer trip Yellowstone and South Dakota . . .

I did that trip pretty much in reverse for the 2012 Heartland National Rally in Gillette, Wyoming. All I can say is be ready for the Powder River Pass Wyoming Highway 16 transit. It is probably the longest, steepest grade I have pulled the Bighorn over. I overheated my automatic transmission in a 10 mile construction escorted 10% grade up going East, and smoked my brakes (even with an exhaust brake) going East on the downside. Coming back going West (after transmission and brake repairs in Gillette) I got myself prepared leaving Buffalo, Wy. and turned off the air conditioner, opened all the windows, turned on the heater (for extra engine cooling), and manually downshifted as the climb started. Wyoming highway 14 is reportedly worse. You might consider going around the Bighorn mountains by diverting on I-90 North 150 miles to Billings, Montana or South 100 miles to Casper, Wyoming.

Mountain pulling is rough on trucks!

Being in Colorado, I do pull in the mountains a lot.

There are places we would like to go, but don't since I know the limits of my current truck (plan on upgrading in the next year or so).

Anyone who has never hauled their RV in the mountains should be prepared for the unexpected!

And plan extra time for their travels.

The only breakdown I've had when pulling in the mountains was about 4 1/2 years ago when my catalytic converter died (clogged) while coming back to Denver from a Memorial Day Weekend camp out in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

We had to leave our trailer in Eagle, Colorado and limp back to Glenwood Springs, where we spent two nights in a motel while we had the truck fixed.

However, as it turned out, the two unplanned vacation days turned out to be a very fun adventure in itself!

Despite the $1500 repair and motel bill . . .

Here are a couple of shots from that trip (with our old 1978 Coachman Cadet 24) . . .

 

[piet10]

I second the recommendation for the Big Pine campground in Custer. We used that as our base camp for a week last summer. It is close to everything. And Angie and Ron are fabulous campground operators.

Al

 

[JohnD]

Got one South Dakota photo ready . . . more later!

 

[JohnD]

I second the recommendation for the Big Pine campground in Custer. We used that as our base camp for a week last summer. It is close to everything. And Angie and Ron are fabulous campground operators.

Al

Yes . . . they were great!

We will stay there again next time we go up there in a year or two.

We were there July 27th through August 3rd . . . we left the day before the Sturgis rally started!

When did you stay there?

 

[gasman]

Pete, be sure to spend a few days in Cody. The Ponderosa campground is a great campground and is 3 blocks from the museum. Cody is 53 miles from the east enterance to the park. You could explore the east side of the park from there and then pull through to West Yellowstone. We like the Grizzly RV park there. Be sure to spend a day in Grand Teton NP. Terry Bison Ranch is a great choice in Cheyenne. It is about 8 or 9 miles south of Cheyenne. While in West Yellowstone, you might want to venture north a few miles and check out the Hebgen Lake area. This is where the 1959 earthquake was centered. The area has been left much the same as it was after the quake. There is a visitors center that is very interesting. You will indeed encounter many mountain passes but remember, it is not a race. Take the time to enjoy the trip. I'm sure you will find the area a "come back to" place. Happy trails.

 

[Gizzy]

If you have the time, suggest staying in Cody,WY and driving up to Red Lodge, MT and drive the Beartooth Hwy (WITHOUT COACH). It is a stunning drive you will not forget. A great one day trip!