Thanks, man. That makes me feel better about it all. Two to three days was all we really thought we'd spend in the actual park itself. And you're right, with grandparents I won't be going on massive hiking trips. So maybe 2-3 days to drive there. 3 days in the park. And 2-3 days back. Once we get to the park itself, will it be easy to get around? Obviously I won't have a car.
Yea, its easy to get around. There is only one road so it isn't like you have to parallel park or anything. Its a massive wide open park. Off hand, one of the park entrances is much more mountainy than the others. Off hand, it is the NE entrance. You may want to avoid that one. The north entrance has some tight turns but if you are driving from Houston, that is irrelevant. You'd prob come in the east and exit the south or something. Neither of those, off hand, are too treacherous. Relatively flat or easy grades IIRC.
That's good to know. I was actually asking about once I park the RV, was it easy to get around and see things. Am I going to have to hike 5 miles to nearest store/restaurant, etc?
You drive in Yellowstone. As I mentioned, if you basically drive all day you will barely make it through the park. For example, to go from the canyon to old faithful is prob a 1 or 2 hour drive. All the major areas of interest have parking lots or wide pullouts. Furthermore, there are very few places in the park to get food and nowhere to get gas. You should gas up before you enter the park and bring all the food/drinks you need with you.
Ah, ok. That's good to know. Looking on their website they make it seem like their are restaurants and corner stores, etc. So I should expect to be driving the RV throughout the park and then reparking. Thanks.
There are a handfuls of places to eat. For example, old faithful has a hotel and restaurant and other stuff. But I think it would take hours to even get to it. You could drive hours without seeing a business. Unless you plan carefully, it will be much more relaxing if you just bring what you need ...esp since you'll have a freakin RV anyway. So it should be easy to pack food and then just stop somewhere along the way as you discover some amazing vista to overlook while you eat.
I grew up in Billings, MT and have been to Yellowstone many times. To answer your questions 1. I don't believe you would need a license for an RV....however driving an RV in some parts of the park would be difficult. Its all 2 lane driving and some of the passes into (and in) the park are rather high with switchbacks. You could of course avoid these areas but you better know the park real well. Ask the rangers upon entrance or better yet do your research up front. Also, depending upon RV size, not all campgrounds in Yellowstone necessarily allow RV's (or at least larger ones). Lastly understand that camping space is at a PREMIUM. If you DO find a spot....KEEP IT! By mid-morning its nearly impossible to find one if you don't have one. If you don't, its first come first served and you might find yourself wasting half a day driving outside the park to find another spot (or end up paying at a KOA somewhere like West Yellowstone.) Trust me. If you find a spot to camp in Yellowstone...keep it. By the way, many of the Yellowstone campsites DO allow reservations but be prepared also to pay $25-$45/day. 2. Pulling a car would be a fantastic idea if you can afford it. Makes the above not matter. Someone said you can see Yellowstone in a day. Yes, technically thats true BUT.... while it's not a huge area its not small either. Seeing the park in one day...you won't really see it. Imagine trying to see Washington DC or New York in 1 day. You might regret not planning more time. 3. Houston to Yellowstone in an RV, I would plan 3 long (450-500 mile days) just to get there. 4. Easier and probably cheaper sure. Certainly cuts the travel time to and from the park by 2 days each way...meaning 4 extra days at your destination so... Just a suggestion. If you decide to go either by RV or fly, you might try making your "main camp" Jackson Hole. Its a fantastic little town with lots of fun things to do in the summer, is only about 45 minutes south of Yellowstone AND the trip from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone takes you through Grand Teton National Park which is one of the most spectacular drives you will ever take. Ditto to West Yellowstone. It's very similar to Jackson Hole and is RIGHT outside the park's northwest entrance. Another suggestion. There are some beautiful old rustic (but well kept) hotels at Lake Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Canyon Village and Mammoth Hot Springs. They do not have any modern amenities (TV, Computer hookups) but are VERY comfortable and recommended. Be prepared for CROWDS. Its crazy how many folks visit Yellowstone. And it takes time to move around the park. This is why I recommend more time to see the park AND squatting a camp site once you find it otherwise it can be frustrating dealing with traffic (yes unbelievably) among other things. Lots of great information http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/index.htm
Dagger has good info. I have been twice in October but I have heard it is very busy in the summer. As I first mentioned, there are roads that would be tough to navigate in an RV such as the north and NE entrances. Sounds like if you don't bring a car, you should plan to stay at a camp outside the park (get a reservation) plan your route. But I think its doable and sounds like fun.
We have a place in Montana, and I've been to Yellowstone several times. It's a great park, and I highly recommend seeing it. Also, I think an RV trip could make for some great family bonding time. That being said, I most definitely would not recommend combining a high season Yellowstone trip with a first time RV experience--especially one where time is at a premium. Actually, I don't think I'd recommend that to an experienced RV'r. Yellowstone does get busy, and you do have to drive quite a bit to see that park. Dagger's advice about using Jackson Hole as a base camp is sound--at least for the South End of the park. It's a bit of a haul to get into the park in the mornings from Jackson Hole, but it's a beautiful drive, and there's also plenty to do around Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons as well. We've used that city as a base camp for the South side of the park and then rented a house in Montana just north of Gardiner as a base camp for the North side of the park. If you want to save on air fare, Salt Lake City is a Southwest destination, and it's only (if memory serves) about three or four hours drive from Jackson Hole. You'll see some beautiful country..........that's for sure. I drove from Kellogg Idaho this morning to Bigfork, Mt.......and then onto Calgary (along the south side of Glacier National Park) this evening, and as a Houston boy, I'm still amazed how beautiful it is up here. Take lots of pictures.......you'll have memories of a life time in Yellowstone. If you have access to a camera with a long lens, bring it..........you WILL see lots of wild life.
