Need Advice on Yellowstone National Park

[JudyJB]

I am beginning to sketch out my travels after April. Plans are to spend a month in Ontario, and then heading west across the north shore of Lake Superior. Then I will probably dip down into the U.S. in Minnesota or North Dakota. After spending some time in the Black Hills and around there, my goal is to make it to Yellowstone National Park.

I have not been to Yellowstone for over 30 years. I know the national park is huge with several campgrounds spread over the park. None have hookups, but that is fine as long as I have access to water and dump stations. I know also that there are no shuttles, as there are in a lot of other national parks. I do not have a toad, so will have to pick up and drive from place to place, so I'd like to find campgrounds that are not too far away from things to see.

Thinking that maybe I will be there in late August for a couple of weeks. So, here are my questions:

1) What have your experiences been camping in Yellowstone? Can you recommend any specific campgrounds as being close to sights?
2) I am thinking of selecting three campgrounds and making reservations for 4-5 days in each. Is that too much? Normally, I do not sightsee on every day, so like an extra day someplace here and there.
3) Have those of you who have been there recently had any Verizon cell phone coverage at all? I need to be online an hour or two each day for work, so I might have to drive somewhere every couple of days to get at least a minimal signal.
4) I am guessing temperatures will be cool, so I will not need AC. Is this right for late August?

Thanks

[chalet05]

Fishing Bridge on the east side is a full hookup campground for hard side rigs only due to bears.

I like to camp at Madison on the west side - you can branch out from there to West Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Mammoth and even across to Canyon on day trips. Fishing Bridge and Madison are the only two I have stayed at. In the Tetons, I spent a night at Colter Bay.

I think if you look at a map, you can judge where would be good on the east side to stay and be within manageable distance in the park. I actually camped in Cody, Wyoming, one time and drove into Yellowstone for just a day. If you have the time, Chief Joseph Hwy and the Bighorn Hwy are well worth a drive for scenery and maybe some wildlife.

For cell service and other information, here is the link to the park's Spring 2012 newspaper
http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/yell_spring12.pdf

Hope this helps some. Yellowstone is one of my favorite places.

[pattyk]

I stayed in a small RV park in West Yellowstone and rented a car to get around. It worked out really well for me. I don't tow either and didn't want to take the MH all around the park.

[BirdbyBird]

Verizon was spotty....I didn't have any when I stayed at Fisher. Which explain how Nan and I got separated till the next day. Fisher bridge is also over $50 per night... I drove through a couple of the no hook up cg and they looked just fine. When we were in West Yellowstone I think I saw several tour van and some brochures regarding day trips.

[snowball]

I'm originally from Jackson WY unless I decide I have to workkamp for the summer I will be in ID not overly far from
Yellowstone...and would be glad to help in anyway that I can
that said I would suggest looking into West Yellowstone for part of the time and take some of the trips into the park
or to rent a car for some of your touring the park has a very low speed limit very strictly enforced
to really see the park it will take days yes you can drive through in a very short time but you won't see as much as you can
one year we tried to see more of the park than what we had done before took a hike up to Mystic Falls so very pretty and I was able
to do it
When you leave Yellowstone there is a lot to see in Grand Teton National Park and I would offer to show you some of it
looking forward to a mini gtg somewhere in that area
sheila

[JudyJB]

I was thinking of five days in each of the following: Fishing Bridge, Grant, and Madison Campgrounds, for a total of 15 days in the park. Because I am retired and have lots of time, I don't feel the need to sightsee every day. Some days I just read, spend time online on my class, and watch TV if it is available.

I am thinking of coming in through Cody and leave through the Tetons, although I really want to head west into Idaho. The two states I have never been in are Montana and Idaho, so maybe I want to head that way on my way to getting to California to see my kids.

So right now I am just plotting out roughly how long I will spend getting to various places. I suspect I really need to make my Yellowstone reservations early, however.

Need ot spend some time doing more research. Since I have 4G service this week, it would be a good time to do this.

Thanks. I'd appreciate any suggestions at all.

[JudyJB]

Sheila, where are you work camping in Idaho? Any suggestions for places to go and stay there?

That is one state I am totally unfamiliar with. It would be nice to have a mini-gtg

[BirdbyBird]

When I read your post last night I wanted to remind you that if you come south out of Canada and head over towards the eastern side of South Dakota there is a a possibility of a neat parking place in someone's driveway for a night or two before you head west towards the badlands. You have to like good food, know the secret handshake and like Boston Terriers.....

[dpf]

When I read your post last night I wanted to remind you that if you come south out of Canada and head over towards the eastern side of South Dakota there is a a possibility of a neat parking place in someone's driveway for a night or two before you head west towards the badlands. You have to like good food, know the secret handshake and like Boston Terriers.....

Hmmm..I do believe I resemble this post!

Yes, Camp Cihak is usually open. Manager is off-site M-F for nine hours a day due to an ugly four letter work called WORK. Amenities also include: free water and electricity, laundry facilities and long showers or baths which are often enjoyed by road weary travelers who have been taking Navy showers for extended periods of time! Attitude Adjustment sessions are often held on the east patio from 5pm-????.

[mitch5252]

Yes, Camp Cihak is usually open. Manager is off-site M-F for nine hours a day due to an ugly four letter work called WORK. Amenities also include: free water and electricity, laundry facilities and long showers or baths which are often enjoyed by road weary travelers who have been taking Navy showers for extended periods of time! Attitude Adjustment sessions are often held on the east patio from 5pm-????.

Where do we sign up???

[Redwahine]

Yes, Camp Cihak is usually open. Manager is off-site M-F for nine hours a day due to an ugly four letter work called WORK. Amenities also include: free water and electricity, laundry facilities and long showers or baths which are often enjoyed by road weary travelers who have been taking Navy showers for extended periods of time! Attitude Adjustment sessions are often held on the east patio from 5pm-????.

Where do we sign up???

Ditto

[BirdbyBird]

Step one, find South Dakota on a map.

Step two, follow the Sharon rule...any drive within 500 miles from where you were planning on going anyway, is close enough....(that was her famous quote for driving to the Nashville GTG, if I remember right....)

Step three, PM ahead...or you may never find the house.....

[JudyJB]

Sounds like a mini-GTG! Or a slightly bigger one! Will definitely keep that driveway in mind. I think I qualify in all three areas. I have forgotten what a real shower is like, although I do like what I call my dribble shower.

Now the tricky part is deciding if I want to concentrate more on North Dakota or South Dakota. I have been to South Dakota more, but it has been a long time ago.

I tell my friends that the planning is 1/3 the fun of going anywhere. Another 1/3 is the actual trip, and the final 1/3 is all the memories and the photos after the trip! I haven't done any serious planning for such a long trip for quite a while, so this will be fun.

[snowball]

Sheila, where are you work camping in Idaho? Any suggestions for places to go and stay there?

That is one state I am totally unfamiliar with. It would be nice to have a mini-gtg

Judy when dh and I work kamped it was in an area about 25 miles south of West Yellowstone named Island Park, at a national forest campground
named Upper Coffee Pot it is a must that you get reservations unless it is after Labor day weekend and even then it can get full especially
on the weekends...it is a really pretty area but right now unless I get on the ball won't be working this summer ...and look forward to meeting anyone
that might come through the general area of Yellowstone and or Teton national Parks
sheila