Yellowstone NP/Tetans info

[fudgie]

Been putting off Yellowstone NP and Grand Tetans for 3 yrs. Now its time to do it. 

Any info is needed.

How long does it takes (I like to see the sights if I can stop and look, not much for walking)
Lodging-cheap if poss
Things to see or do
Is it poss to hit both parks in one day, at a casual roll, or is 2 needed?

I'm thinking I'll be coming from the Cody WY side early in the morning.
Doing this on my annual Sturgis trip. Hoping to do the parks first then do the rally. If not enough time is allowed I'll do Sturgis 1st then the parks as I head home. But I'll miss my camp friends if I do. 
My plan is to leave Ind Sat July 26th and roll into Cody Tue 29th. Do the park and roll into Sturgis Fri or Sat. Hows that?

[Popeye]

Fudgie,

If I was going to do that again, I would head from Cody up to Red Lodge and ride the Beartooth Highway.  That will take you to Cooke City and the North entrance of Yellowstone.  

http://beartoothhighway.com/

Cody is a cool town, used to have a Gun fight in the streets every night.

Been so long, don't remember the hotels we stayed at but they were all mom and pop places.

Jackson Hole is a cool town at the south end of Yellowstone.

Will be a great trip. Enjoy.

Popeye

[MP]

If you come back thru MT, be sure to stop in at my place.  I am just a little off US 12 in SW ND.  Lots of room in our house!

MP

[Pete]

At least a day in Yellowstone,
And a short day in Jackson Hole - Tetons

[fudgie]

Fudgie,

If I was going to do that again, I would head from Cody up to Red Lodge and ride the Beartooth Highway.  That will take you to Cooke City and the North entrance of Yellowstone.  

http://beartoothhighway.com/

Cody is a cool town, used to have a Gun fight in the streets every night.

Been so long, don't remember the hotels we stayed at but they were all mom and pop places.

Jackson Hole is a cool town at the south end of Yellowstone.

Will be a great trip. Enjoy.

Popeye

Yup did that last yr.  Still do the shoot outs in the streets to. I spent the night in Cody after Sturgis.

[fudgie]

If you come back thru MT, be sure to stop in at my place.  I am just a little off US 12 in SW ND.  Lots of room in our house!

MP

I was hoping to meet up with you last rally. I lost cell sig outta Miles City. Spent the night in Baker MT and and had b-fast in Hettinger ND. Never got signal till I got back into SD. 

[donaldcc]

  My buddy and I stayed at Grand Teton Motel in Jackson, rode through Grand Tetons and southern half of Yellowstone and over to Cody.  From there to Sturgis for a couple of days to rally then back to Cody for night.  Then Beartooth into North entrance of Yellowstone and spent that day seeing northern half and out west side for the evening.  from there headed to Glacier.

  Two days and you have time to stop walk around and see some of the sights.  Traffic is very slow in Yellowstone in summer so better to have an extra day.

[Valkorado]

Went last year, wish I'd had more time.  Learned the hard way you really can't do both parks in a day.  You could spend at least a weekend at Yellowstone alone.  Good riding, just watch for the tourist drivers they are lost and it is obvious.  If you have a chance try to come through Flaming Gorge either coming or going, it an awesome canyon.

http://www.flaminggorgecountry.com/

[flamingobabe #44]

take a day for Yellowstone and one for Tetons....a must is Beartooth pass...Cooke city.....enjoy

[CajunRider]

take a day for Yellowstone and one for Tetons....a must is Beartooth pass...Cooke city.....enjoy

+1 on what she said!!  I did almost the same thing last year (2 days in Yellowstone for me and the wife).  Worth every second!!

Beartooth pass is beyond awesome... I went over in June last year.  The lake near the top was still almost frozen over.  Check to make sure the pass is open... it's closed a good portion of the year due to snow, and this year has been a doozie...

[IamGCW]

We are planning on doing that this June/July on the way North.  The guy I am traveling with had a Suzuki Intruder.  He still watches their forums and there is a meet/rally in Cody around then.  

From Yellow stone we will head to Kalispell, Mt and points north.

Gil

[flcjr]

I live just 100 miles from either the north or west entrance. There is lots of options for lodging if ya want to camp or save a buck a few extra miles out of the park is well worth it. I would be up for even sharing the wind for awhile and give ya the local tour.  send me a pm and we can exchange #s too many options to list. My typing skills aren't that good 

[MP]

If you come back thru MT, be sure to stop in at my place.  I am just a little off US 12 in SW ND.  Lots of room in our house!

MP

I was hoping to meet up with you last rally. I lost cell sig outta Miles City. Spent the night in Baker MT and and had b-fast in Hettinger ND. Never got signal till I got back into SD. 

Well, call sooner!  LOL  Try again.

MP

[..]

Please be ready for the vehicle in front of you - no matter how many wheels - to do an emergency stop cause they saw a squirrel or chipmunk or gopher.

If it'a deer, elk, moose be ready for a traffic jam. If it's a frickin bear hope you have sandwiches cause EVERYONE will stop for the day. There'll be people having a picnic on the side of the road.

Seriously the rider/driver in front of you will emergency stop.

Keep a vehicle between you and any bison. Any bison. I don't care how if they are on the other side of the road.

Cody museum is worth stopping in to.

Riding into Yellowstone from Cooke City

http://www.cookecitychamber.org/cooke_city_montana_businesses_lodging_cabins_and_motels.html

is like having a Disney moment. Trees, trees, trees, trees each side of the road and then the view opens out to a panorama of mountains with an Alpine plain. Beautiful.

[..]

5 years ago the Motel 6 in Jackson Hole was $99 for a siongle.

[flcjr]

5 years ago the Motel 6 in Jackson Hole was $99 for a siongle.

I stayed there last summer was about $130. I know better than to stay in Jackson at peak tourist season but kinda had too. Did have a decent pool. There are better options if ya don't mind a few extra miles. 20-30 is all it takes

[CajunRider]

Keep a vehicle between you and any bison. Any bison. I don't care how if they are on the other side of the road.

VERY GOOD POINT!!!

Sitting on a bike 3 feet away from a baby bison... with momma eying you CLOSELY from 4 feet away... way to close for comfort!!! 

I did NOT mean to get that close!!!  They just decided to walk on over and say "hi" while I was stuck with nowhere to hide.   

The adrenalin starts pumping every time I think about it... (including now).

[sandy]

Fudgie: If you're camping, Grand Teton has a hiker/biker campground for $7 per night. Bathroom but no shower. Showers nearby for $3.75  GO to Colter Bay visitors area.

[..]

If you get caught in roadworks be very careful

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm

It's best to be last on muddy roads cause the vehicles behind you will crowd you. It will also add time to your visit.

I got a plonker in an RV stopped at the exit cause all I could see of his RV in my mirrors was his radiator grill. Told a ranger I was scared for my life. She radioed the exit and the guy was stopped, questioned and the RV searched.

[..]

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/publications.htm

[motomama]

When we did Yellowstone and the Tetons, we stayed in KOAs on most of that trip.  There was a KOA just outside of Jackson Hole and a KOA in Buffalo, WY.  If you check the KOA website, you may find others.  We stayed in plenty of KOAs on that trip, as we went to Sacramento that year and everywhere in between.  You can either pitch a tent at the KOA or get a cabin.  Both are very reasonably priced!

[Davemn]

I worked at Old Faithfull for a summer years ago so I know the park pretty well. You need to decide if you just want to "roll thru" or actually see the park. Sure you can drive thru in a day but you wont see what the park has to offer. If you have time I would enter from the north (early in the day) and stay in the Old Faithfull area and base out of there. 3 nights minimum. They have cabins, hotel rooms and camping in the area but make reservations. So much to see. Old Faithfull area is kinda central so day trips are doable. LOTS of traffic.

[PJR]

We went to Sturgis in 2011. We rode to Cody WY, one day. Did a whirlwind kind of trip through southern Yellowstone into north end of Grand Tetons, then back to Cody. Then back to Sturgis the 3rd day. As stated before, if you want to see Yellowstone, and the Tetons, take about 3 days there.
Awesome trip though!