Yellowstone

[dirtnap]

I am taking my wife and 3 kids out there on July 17-25.  We rented a 30 ft RV and are driving.  Anybody ever been?

Any must see attractions in the general area or things to avoid?

We are gonna hit Mt. Rushmore on the way out.

I have done very minimal planning.

[captpete]

Make sure you go through the Badlands on your way there/way home...assuming you are coming from the east. The wife and I think the Badlands are more impressive than Mount Rushmore.

Devil's Tower in Wyoming is another pretty cool stop.

Spearfish Canyon was Ok, but I wouldn't need to go through there again when we make another trip out there.

We thought Dead Wood was more of tourist trap with lots of gambling.

[VA Gobble Addict]

Mt. Rushmore is smaller than you think, it's pretty cool though. There were mountain goats hanging around within an arms length when I went. Spearfish canyon is pretty scenic with plenty of trout streams and picnic areas. Crazy horse is pretty awesome even though it's not finished. Devils tower is definitely worth checking out. You'll see plenty of wildlife out there, no matter what time of day it is.

[WisTurk]

I really liked Custer State Park when I was in the black hills this spring.  Cool place to get up close and personal with some wild bison and antelope.

[Old Gobbler]

Someone mentioned badlands .....it is a MUST .... Pass through there fore sure , it may get hot in the summer , but worth the trip -  even better is the black hills area , that's utterly incredible , you can hit up both as you pass through

I was warned by the locals not to venture out during the sturgus bike rally , they said it's very crowded in that area around that time frame , so make sure your not near that area come August

[dirtnap]

Thanks for the replies.  I have hunted the Black Hills and seen Custer State Park.  We will be passing through there.  I haven't seen the badlands.  I will check that out.

We are coming from the east.  The east side of SC.

I will look into Devil's Tower. 

Any specifics on Yellowstone itself?

[captpete]

Yellowstone is actually pretty big. You can spend a good part of the day just driving from one end to the other. The speed limit is 25-30mph. You almost need to pick an area for the day and stick to it. We went the first week of June so the temps were nice(no idea what temps will be in mid July) and it wasn't as crowded...kids were just getting out school. We did quite a bit of hiking while we were there. There are a lot of short little trails/loops to hike(3/4 to 2 miles long) and a lot of longer trails. We hiked back to Fairy Falls(I think that it is what it is called). It was an easy walk, but I think it was about a 1.5 - 2 mile trip one way. We went on farther down the trail. We saw some beautiful pools & small geysers, gorgeous scenery and quite a bit of wildlife. Those were back in there a ways....maybe another 3 miles one way. That part of the trail was a little more difficult...not a lot of up & down, but you were walking through more of swamp/bog area for part of it. The trail was also narrower back in there.

[owlhoot]

I really like the Tetons , but it has been along time. long time lol

[Happy hooker]

 :one.of my favorite subjects a Yellowstone trip is magic,,so magic I considered once taking a job in the summer at the park for minimum wage.
Yes go through the badlands and black hills,,stay at one of the campgrounds in the badlands basin and don't be surprised if there is a buffalo outside your door in mourning,,they are fun and most easy going  but watch the tail,,if you see it go up they are either going to charge or discharge!!! Also the coyote s at night put on a concert.

Stop off at Custers battlefield,,,and TAKE the tour!!! I stopped here for the hell of it never cared about Custer figured he got what he deserved,. But after I toured the battlefield and listened to the excellent park rangers tell the story about what happened here and there and all the misconception s over time I was so fascinated that when I got back home I took out every Custer book at my library I could get.

In Yellowstone if you plan to move to different campsites get to them early.

At night the outside theater s in the park have talks by the rangers about different subjects  even if the topic sounds dull it isn't this is a great way to spend the evening.

If your looking to hop outside the park the Cody firearms museum is incredible this is . Not a roadside type attraction but a full fledged state of the art museum and it's unbelievable with its arms,art and history about the west.

West Yellowstone has got some very cool shops for souvenirs and the fly fishing shops are cool to go into your family and you will have fun here,,leave the credit card in the RV or ouch!!!

Trout,trout,trout, fishing heaven,,,if your looking for a true experience take the not to bad hike on the clearly marked trail back to slough creek. Great fishing and scenery in July you can wade wet no waders  but check the regulations about lures and tackle they are very protective of the fishery.

Don't be surprised if you buy a . Cowboy hat.
Don't be surprised if you buy cowboy boots.
Don't be surprised if you call back home and say where staying longer.

[Ishi]

 I've been to Yellowstone twice. Wonderful place to vacation. Must see list.
Artists Point upper and lower falls
All the mud pots and geysers. Maps of the park are everywhere they are a must.
The best place is Lamars valley with all the wildlife you you can spend days there.
Of course you must visit Old Faithful.
The Tetons is all so a great visit.
As said Cody is a sweet town. Rodeos every night. While in Cody eat at the Irma Motel it has awesome food. When you leave Cody to go to Yellowstone drive the Chief Joesph highway I thing its highway 16. Also if you have time drive Beartooth pass. Its by the north east entrance. Have fun

[Ishi]

I read your post again. I wouldn't take that 30 ft RV over Beartooth Pass its bad enough in a car let alone a RV. One thing we learned while there is when you see a bunch of car stop they have spotted wildlife.