Planning a loop..TN to YNP
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Topic: Planning a loop..TN to YNP
Posted By: Ten16
Subject: Planning a loop..TN to YNP
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 2:48pm
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We're just starting to plan a trip from TN to Yellowstone this summer and welcome your thoughts and ideas. I need to take a southern path on the way out and northern back. Quick stop in Dallas for a wedding then the trip really begins. If you have any must sees, tips, etc. please share. Time is very flexible for the trip. I'm guessing 6 weeks or so...doesn't really matter. If we find a place we really like, we'll stay a few days. Others may be one-nighters. I'm sure getting reservations in certain campgrounds matter, but I haven't made any yet. Here's some of the spots on my initial list after leaving TX. Santa Fe, Taos, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, SLC/Park City, Tetons, Jackson Hole, YNP, Deadwood, Black Hills, Mt Rushmore, Custer.....you probably get the general idea of the loop. I don't have anything in mind after leaving SD...no plans yet on that piece of the trip. I also thought about skipping AZ/UT and going up thru CO instead, but we've never been to the Grand Canyon, so that's the current plan. Thanks in advance for any input! ------------- Steve 2016 R-Pod 180 2011 F-150 FX4 Supercrew V8 Middle Tennessee |
Replies:
Posted By: ArenaBlanca
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 2:27pm
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I am not a big fan of Santa Fe(too many politicians) nor Taos (narrow streets and lots of tourists). I would recommend Chama, NM (narrow gauge steam train) and then cut over to Mesa Verde NP and on to Moab, Utah (Canyonlands and Arches National parks). It puts you a little out of the way for Bryce Canyon. If you go to Bryce, take the time to go to Zion. I found it awesome. An alternative would be to head toward Gallup after Mesa Verde and then on to the Grand Canyon. If you are into National Parks, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National park are on your way. There is no easy way to get from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to Zion and Bryce without backtracking. If you don't have satellite radio, take CD's to pay. The scenery may repeat itself and radio reception is sometimes spotty. I definitely would try to reach YNP by going through Idaho. I have done the route through Wyoming and while the roads are good services are sparse. I would also recommend the Museum of the West in Cody, WY (via South exit of YNP). It might take 2-3 days to properly see that place. If you do not have sway control, get it before you leave. Winds gusts of 30-40 mph are not uncommon. ------------- Enjoy Life!! |
Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 2:52pm
| Actually it's called Buffalo Bill center of the west, and you would exit out the East gate, or North East gate (via Cooke City Mt) of YNP to get to Cody. (South gate goes into Teton park and Jackson.) Definitely worth planning to see. Also, Cody has a rodeo every night in the summer that you might enjoy. Plus a lot of other attractions. Contact Cody chamber of commerce for more info. |
Posted By: ArenaBlanca
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 3:26pm
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Thanks for the correction. It is a fantastic museum. ------------- Enjoy Life!! |
Posted By: texman
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 3:56pm
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I really like Taos and Santa fe both actually. Food in santa fe and Taos is great and lots of things to see and do. Both have great camping nearby but remote so you can take excursions to town after you fish in a mountain stream if you like. There are several campgrounds to choose from at both locations. do you have the "ultimate campground project app" yet? highly recommend that.
------------- TexMan 2015 182g 2018 Sequoia http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9122&title=texman-182g-mods - TexManMods |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 4:48pm
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I went through Yellowstone years back. Drove back east through the Black Hills and hit Custer State Park. Planned on 3 days at Yellowstone.. Left after 6 days and still wish to go back to see what I missed. You can not spend enough time there if you are into exploring. All did go to Cody on our way in. Great stop! Finding out what was between Yellowstone and the Black Hills made me realize I didn't plan enough time! There is so much more in the area! The area of the Black Hills was great! Custer was just amazing to me! That whole region is something I will return to, take much more time and really explore. We never did make Jackson Hole and will within the next couple years. Did pass through/by The Tetons and should have spent some time there, but Yellowstone was the destination on that trip. Key spot to see Old Faithful is the upper deck at the lodge. Nice lounger chairs, waitress to bring cocktails and a view over the geyser field! Ya, life is good from there! You see folks sitting in chairs near a geyser for what seems to be no reason.. Go talk to them! They're Geyser Sitters! We saw Great Basin go off because I did! Don't be shy!!! There's a whole 'nther group of folks that do nothing but catch geysers. Very cool folks! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 5:03pm
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The 'Needles' in South Dakota simply blew me away! Part of the Black Hills region. I had never seen anything like that before in my life. Being an x-rock climber, I was driven to sit on one. LOL, they'd have to drag my butt up on one now, but back then.. WOW! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 6:39pm
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Great advice old dawg. I concur. Avoid Jackson in the summertime unless you like traffic jams and rude tourists. Early fall or spring is the time to go there. It's nuts, and no other town in Wy sees the same masses of people in the summer. Ten 16, I hope that ain't a police code.  I know what they mean. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk details of Wy trip and our neighboring states. I have a lifetime experience roaming around this part of the world. I live west of Cody. I'm going 10-7 for awhile...
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Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 6:47pm
Yeah I'm almost in the same boat, but there are probably some concessioners there that offer free rappels where you don't have to climb up.....
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Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 7:06pm
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Yellowstone is incredible. Highly recommended. Go before schools are out for the summer or after they are back in session in early fall. We were there again last June in the second week and the park was as busy as downtown Chicago at rush hour. We camped in the Tetons and it was beautiful. We faced long lines into all the geothermal elements at Yellowstone and resolved to visit again at n off season time. I don't know much about New Mexico but all the other suggestions so far are spot on.
------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 7:08pm
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I like Santa Fe but it's been a hundred years since I"ve been to Taos. We were in the area a year and a hallf ago and decided to go up to head up to Colorado from Santa Fe through Abiquiu, home of Georgia O'Keefe, instead of Taos. There is an amazing state park at Abiquiu Lake that I can highly recommend! If you get there, be sure to see Plaza Bianca. It's not far off the main road but leave the pod at the campground when you go. Mesa Verde is a must see at some point in your life. Four Corners is fun. There is so much in that general area! Monument Valley, if you have time, Vermillion Cliffs, Lee's Ferry (especially if you've ever read any Zane Grey). Depending on how you come and go to Zion, be aware that trailers are not permitted on Route 9. Yellowstone and probably all of the campgrounds in and around other national parks may already be full through weeks past Labor Day. Check for reservations as soon as you can for any places you really want to stay. In New Mexico and Colorado we mostly stayed in national forests or BLM land. We were there in September and didn't have any issues with not being able to find a spot. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: mford4
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 9:33pm
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We went to Yellow Stone and the Teton Mountains last year. One thing we did that made our trip special was to download the "Yellowstone GyPsy Guide Tour" on our phone. There is no cell service within the park, but this system is designed to work even without the cell service. It broadcoast through our car speakers too. It was like having our own personal guide in the car. It would ping and announce what is ahead to see, where to turn, what would be there, and talked about history about the park throughout our adventure. We both agreed it made our trip so much more enjoyable...there is a minor fee to have the App, but spend the money to get the one for both Yellowstone and the Teton Mountains...I promise you won't regret it. The "tour guide" even had a sense of humor when describing different areas of the park, and the history we learned from tree forestation, to early inhabitents were well worth it...and with this we never felt lost for it guided us through the whole park system. ------------- Marlene & David Adventure is our game! |
Posted By: Ten16
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 8:02am
HA! No not a police code. No problems of the domestic type. 6-8 weeks together in a POD...we'll see how that goes! ------------- Steve 2016 R-Pod 180 2011 F-150 FX4 Supercrew V8 Middle Tennessee |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 8:06am
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Sounds like a great trip! We went out to the grand canyon back in 2013, it is totally amazing, beyond description, you wont be disappointed. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: mford4
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 8:18am
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I read your post again and picked up camp site openings...we were camping with a pop up last year and just wandered our way out west...no plans...no reservations...even around Yellowstone and the Tetons. Never had a problem finding a place to stay. We did stay on the South entrance to the parks which was great because we woke up to the sight of the Teton's every morning. It was breath taking every day we stayed and explored! We are in the process of purchasing a used RPod and hopefully by the end of April we will have it in our hands and we look forward to a summer of travel doing much the same...wandering and exploring! ------------- Marlene & David Adventure is our game! |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 7:37pm
What time of year were you there? We got to Gardiner late in the day in mid-September. We were tent camping and couldn't find any place at all, in the park or outside of it. There was one motel room in town, best we could tell, and they wanted over $300 for that. We ended up sneaking into a campground and sleeping in the car. I'm pretty sure we weren't the only ones. We did find a campsite in YNP early the next morning, but we almost came to blows with someone who said they had the site before we did. We found another site that might have been the last one available. We didn't really nearly come to blows but there were some loud words spoken. I usually don't care for reservations and do very well without them. I'm just saying there are times when they are necessary or very nearly so. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: mford4
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2018 at 10:18pm
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We were in the Yellowstone National Park area in late August. The park was full, so no camping in there at all, but just outside the park we found two campsites available for our 3 day stay. Then we headed down to the Jackson Hole area and had no trouble there either. I think we were lucky because a lot of kids had just started back at school when we went...maybe that explains our luck. ------------- Marlene & David Adventure is our game! |
Posted By: Woody.1
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 2:42pm
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If you hit Santa Fe then shoot up north to Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. Silverton and Ouray have some beautiful scenery. Up to Ridgeway, then over Dallas divide into Telluride, then over Lizard Head Pass down into Dolores and over to Mesa Verde in Cortez. Head over to Moab and if you want to do any off grid camping go into Canyonlands north of Moab, Newspaper Rock area. Plenty of off grid camping. All above areas have plenty on off grid camping or RV camping. The above could be a nice multi-day trip to enjoy it. We live in the four corners area so I’m familiar with this area. Feel free to pm me if you want more details.
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Posted By: Woody.1
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 2:51pm
And if you’re a Forrest Grump fan he stopped running at mm 13 going into Monument Valley out of Mexican Hat...
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