Mid July: Thru Yellowstone or up and over?

[Boondox]

After exiting the Badlands/Black Hills I'll be doing Chief Joseph and Beartooth. My next stop after that is the Sawtooth Range in south central Idaho. And therein lies the challenge. Passing thru Yellowstone and Grand Teton would have me perfectly positioned to reach the Sawtooth Range and press on into eastern Oregon. Plus I'd get to ride the Beartooth west to east, then turn around and do it east to west on my way to Yellowstone. But am I asking for a traffic congestion nightmare by passing thru those two parks the middle of July? Within the park, are some roads more stop-n-go than others, or is it Winnebago City from one end to the other?

The alternative seems to be 78 from Red Lodge MT up to I-90, slabbing west to I-15, then south to 43 and over to 93(?) and back roads way south to the Sawtooths. I'd have to camp in there somewhere as my dog is limited to about 500 miles a day. If I push him too hard he starts picking up camping gear in the sidecar and pitching it over the side. I don't want to go all the way up to Missoula and take 12 (Lolo) west, as that would put me too far north and that's the way we're coming back after leaving the rally in Salem.

Pete

[eakins]

traversing the NE entrance of Yellowstone and then out the NW or W entrance is not bad with traffic. Most of the traffic is on the south end and around Old Faithful. Don't miss the boiling river hot spring on the NW entrance!

[Boondox]

Originally Posted by eakins

traversing the NE entrance of Yellowstone and then out the NW or W entrance is not bad with traffic. Most of the traffic is on the south end and around Old Faithful. Don't miss the boiling river hot spring on the NW entrance!

Thanks for that. If I enter at the northeast and exit past Grand Teton but avoid all the big tourist draws would I be okay on a Wednesday in mid-July...or is it uninterrupted RVs on 89? To get a straight shot at the Sawtooth Range I really need to get south of the park.

[Dusty Boots]

Here's what I would suggest.

The Route: - http://goo.gl/maps/zbhmi

Once you finish playing on the Beartooth, head down along the Chief Joseph, to Cody. Then head west along Hwy 14/16/20 to Newton Creek Campground for the night. It is 14 miles from the East Gate and the last campground along that stretch that you don't need a hardsided camper because of bears. Cost is $15/night and is a nice little campground.Don't arrive too late or it will be full!.
Get an early jump the next morning, beating the traffic and head down past the Grand Tetons and into Jackson, picking up the road to Teton Pass (22) and head towards Idaho Falls. Once through there, you can make good time on 20, where you'll catch 75 and head up past Ketchum, over Galena Pass and on to the Sawtooths.
I've done this route (in reverse) a few times


Dusty

[JDowns]

Yellowstone will be packed in mid July. And yes there will likely be loads of traffic heading down towards the Tetons unless you happen to ride through at sunrise before people are up.

But you will be okay. Routing around it up to I-90 would take longer than tootling through the park. Plus Yellowstone and the Tetons are amazing places if you've not been.

Best,
John Downs

[DaFoole]

Been through several times in July/August (N/S and E/W) heading somewhere else. The trick is get in and through early...like at sunrise. Little or no traffic....just watch out for the critters.

[Vitruvian Mike]

Ride the park, regardless of traffic. It's magnificent, and you'll see some really interesting stuff. Tourons are tourons everywhere. But missing the park because of them will be a mistake.

vm

[k woo]

You will hava a good ride either way. 78 from Red Lodge to I90 is a good road less traveled, I rode it last August on my way to Hwy 12 across Idaho.

[Boondox]

Thanks, guys. Based on your input I'll leave Cody early (6am) and make a beeline for the east entrance, hook around the lake and south to Jackson before turning west and ending up in Idaho Falls. BaseCamp says 6 hours, and if I double that for traffic and sightseeing we'd still reach our destination before dark.

I've rerouted the homeward leg to include 78 from Columbus to Red Lodge, over the Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Byway to Cody. And from there 14A over to Sheridan, then slab a bit before taking 16/385/18 thru the Black Hills and into Nebraska.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton deserve a trip all to themselves, but that will have to wait for another year. The goal this summer is the PNW.

[carcajou]

Originally Posted by Boondox

After exiting the Badlands/Black Hills I'll be doing Chief Joseph and Beartooth. My next stop after that is the Sawtooth Range in south central Idaho. And therein lies the challenge. Passing thru Yellowstone and Grand Teton would have me perfectly positioned to reach the Sawtooth Range and press on into eastern Oregon. Plus I'd get to ride the Beartooth west to east, then turn around and do it east to west on my way to Yellowstone. But am I asking for a traffic congestion nightmare by passing thru those two parks the middle of July? Within the park, are some roads more stop-n-go than others, or is it Winnebago City from one end to the other?

The alternative seems to be 78 from Red Lodge MT up to I-90, slabbing west to I-15, then south to 43 and over to 93(?) and back roads way south to the Sawtooths. I'd have to camp in there somewhere as my dog is limited to about 500 miles a day. If I push him too hard he starts picking up camping gear in the sidecar and pitching it over the side. I don't want to go all the way up to Missoula and take 12 (Lolo) west, as that would put me too far north and that's the way we're coming back after leaving the rally in Salem.

Pete

Traffic in the Holy Land (Yellowstone) is directly proportional to the time of day. Most park travelers do not get on the roads until after 8am. If you are on the road by 6am, you will have the place to yourself. After 8 pm the roads thin out again. Park guests are so busy looking at the features they will not be looking for you, ride accordingly. Plan to ride the Blacktail Plateau Drive. It is 6 miles of unpaved heaven. Good luck, the park is a very special place.

[Dusty Boots]

Originally Posted by Boondox

Thanks, guys. Based on your input I'll leave Cody early (6am) and make a beeline for the east entrance, hook around the lake and south to Jackson before turning west and ending up in Idaho Falls. BaseCamp says 6 hours, and if I double that for traffic and sightseeing we'd still reach our destination before dark.

I've rerouted the homeward leg to include 78 from Columbus to Red Lodge, over the Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Byway to Cody. And from there 14A over to Sheridan, then slab a bit before taking 16/385/18 thru the Black Hills and into Nebraska.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton deserve a trip all to themselves, but that will have to wait for another year. The goal this summer is the PNW.

There is a free campground in Columbus, on the banks of the Yellowstone River.
MT 78 is a great ride but make sure you have enough gas to get to Red Lodge, from Columbus

There is also a nice Nat Forest campground along 14, just after 14 and 14A reconnect, by Burgess Junction, if you get caught by nightfall coming on.

Hwy 14 out of Sheridan will get you down to Gillette without all that goes with slabs quick enough, except for the odd distraction





Dusty

[Boondox]

Thanks, Ken. I'd seen your posts on MotoCampers.com and plotted both into BaseCamp just in case. I have to be careful of wildlife with Barley. He takes his duties as a gun dog pretty seriously and considers anything with fur or feathers fair game no matter how big it might be. At ten weeks old, when he was little more than a tiny ball of fluff, he made very impressive Cujo sounds as he tried to attack a fully-grown bull moose in our field.

He instantly obeys voice commands, but I need to be completely aware of my surroundings when we're in the woods. He has more heart than brains!

Pete

[Tmaximusv]

Not to derail the thread, but how is the traffic in the same areas in early June? I'm planning a similar trip with a cousin shortly after Memorial Day.