yellowstone, grand tetons, rushmore trip advice

I know all you experienced travelers out there can help me...
Bob and I are taking our first extended trip in our 560 to Colorado, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore. We would like your advice of campgrounds to stay in. We are not extreme hikers but enjoy a good walk. Want to see Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, beautiful scenery, etc. Where should we stay? I noticed that no electric is available in Yellowstone. How long will battery last in camper? Would like sites with a little privacy. Noticed that there are total length limits on some of the campgrounds. Our overall length will be 31 ft (car and 560). Should we stay inside or outside the park? We are going to be in the area after Labor day. Plan on spending Labor Day in Grand Junction with my sister with a possible day trip to Dinosaur Park. Help!

 

Yellowstone we stayed inTower Falls campground and loved it. The sites are not very private but it is quiet and the campground host is great. Fills early, real early like be there by 7:00 am or earlier. Probably not an issue after Labor Day but check to be sure. Not all sites will work for a camper but most will. About an hour from Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Near Hayden and Lamar Valley which are nice for wildlife. We also stayed in bridge Bay which is massive.

We stayed in Colter Bay in Tetons and was not impressed. I would stay in one run by the Park Service rather than Grand Teton Lodge Co.

We use our solar panels so the electricity was not an issue.

 

Thanks for the input. No solar panels . Worried about electric use.

 

you could buy some solar panels

 

Solar panels were in the future. Don't think I could get them in time now. How does everyone else charge their battery without solar and does anyone know how long the battery will last before charge is needed?

 

Solar panels are great option when parked and where weather permits. Also a great alternative when generators are prohibited. In places where you can run a generator, they are versatile and allows you to charge battery, run lights, fan and AC all at once. A generator we purchased is the Smarter Tools IQ2000. It has a Yamaha engine and whisper quite. Of course if you are driving everyday from campsite to campsite, your tow vehicle should be charging your battery.

Hope this helps.

 

Ok so I read all the solar panel posts and have done it. Ordered the solar panel and longer cord. Should arrive Thursday. We had the solar hookup and controller installed with the build. Hope everything works ok.
Would you recommend a cable lock to secure it when we are gone from the site?

 

We free camp often and use our solar panels regularly. If we are heading away from the trailer, we have just moved them closer to the teardrop. We will "block" them with our chairs too. We haven't yet locked them up anyway. So we might not be drawing from direct sunlight at those times, but we are still getting some charge.

 

We bought a long cable and lock, but my panel was in the $500 range, so I didn't want it to walk away.

Now I feel the same way about my new Yeti cooler....

 

My recollection - if the panel includes a "controller" then you can't run the panel through the Campinn controller. Pretty easy to "disconnect" the Campinn controller, however, if I recall correctly.

 

We did a Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip a couple of years ago. I did campground reviews in the section below, but you can see things in more detail here:https://havekidwillteardrop.wordpre...y-yellowstone-and-grand-teton-national-parks/

Have a great trip!

 

I was able to find the folding 100 w reology solar panel without a controller as a kit on Amazon. I did talk to Cary before ordering and he said I didn't need the controller because we got the solar option on the TD when we ordered it. Should arrive on Thursday. We will check it out this weekend and see how it works. Also bought a 20 ft cable so we could move it around some.

Thanks Sarah for the tip about your trip to Yellowstone. I have read your blog in the past and it was very informative. Look forward to your views on Yellowstone. Oh, after reading about your hikes with your son, your recommendation that kids learn to carry their own water, we bought backpacks for our grandkids with the water reservoir. It was a big hit but the whistle attachment got old fast! We kept telling them it was for if they got lost, THEN they could use them so we could find them. After a while, we told them maybe we would let them get lost, just kidding .

I have also been following Becky's blog, interstellar orchard, while she has been working in Yellowstone this summer. Her hikes, pictures, and insights are just wonderful.

 

The solar panels we plan to order are 120 watt panels fro, Zamp Solar and cost about $627. We definitely plan to lock them up with secure cable when we are out and about from the web site. Hate to lock things up, but unfortunately it's the world in which we live nowadays.

 

This is a wonderful area, so much diversity in one place.

Yellowstone, the best of the bunch! - Take advantage of the ranger programs and museums -- they're different throughout the park.
- Consider doing the Cowboy Cookout.
- The park is larger than you expect; do not enter without a full tank of gas. Yes, they sell gas inside the park, but it's so expensive.
- Drive defensively. People act like idiots behind the wheel and just STOP when they see wildlife by the side of the road.
- I've been twice, both times in summer, and traffic is HEAVY -- as in, 30 minute wait to get through the entrance gate. It may be better in late summer, but don't expect to zip around hither and yon.
- Be bear-aware. Yes, a bear can easily rip the door off your car to get to your food. Consider a bear-proof food container, or plan to buy your meals in the park. Each area of the park has a cafeteria and a diner (located at the back of their stores).
- Pack for all types of weather. We were in Yellowstone in early July, and I was forced to buy everyone a $50 sweatshirt because the temp dropped in to the 50s.
- Cody, WY is within driving distance from the eastern side of Yellowstone, and the rodeo is a lot of fun. The museum in Cody is also worth a trip.
- On the western side of Yellowstone is the town of West Yellowstone. Also worth a trip. Visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (I might not have that name right). My favorite exhibit: The trash cans that've been savaged by bears. Yeah, you'll come away with a solid respect for bears.
- Similar warning: Buffalo roam free in Yellowstone. You may find yourself too near one accidentally -- walk away quickly and quietly. Every year several people are killed by buffalo, and it's usually because they got too close to these wild animals /tried to take pictures.

Grand Tetons:
- Wonderful, perhaps the most beautiful place I've ever seen.
- A bit more expensive and less populated than Yellowstone.
- Nasty little flying bugs were horrible in the lake area; don't neglect your bug spray.
- The single best hike in these parks is the hike to the top of the mountain by Jenny Lake. Take the ferry across the lake (small fee) and go all the way to the top. No bathrooms, no food service, so go prepared. Allot at least 1/2 a day. The view from the top is nothing short of breathtaking. The big granite slab at the top is a great place to enjoy a bag lunch. One of my favorite family photos ever was taken at a waterfall 2/3 of the way up.
- Consider doing the Snake River float trip. First thing in the morning or last thing in the evening is best, assuming you want to see wildlife.
- Again, ranger programs.
- Grand Tetons is within driving distance of Jackson Hole, very expensive tourist town, but nice places to eat.

There's a campground in between these two "sister parks", but I can't remember its name. When you pay for entrance into one park, you're allowed to enter the other park as well for one week.

I don't know how long you plan to be in the area, but Yellowstone and Grand Tetons could EASILY fill 1-2 weeks of travel. Personally, I'd consider making those two a trip, then plan to hit the South Dakota area on a separate journey.

Mt. Rushmore:
- When I visited as a teen, I was mesmerized by the grandeur of this place. When I returned in my 40s, it failed to elicit the same response.
- Consider going in the evening for the fireworks show.
- Entrance is free, parking is not.
- While you're in this area, you can also see the Crazy Horse Monument; it's also visible from the road. I haven't been "into" that monument.
- While you're in the area, you should visit Custer State Park in South Dakota. It rivals Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Yes, really. Definitely take the Buffalo Safari -- expensive but worth it. So informative.
- The town of Custer is barely worth visiting. No good restaurants.
- If memory serves, two cave-related national parks are in this area. Wind Tunnel and Jewel Cave? I know I enjoyed them both.

 

Theresa and everyone else,
Thank you for all your advice. Bob and I just returned from our 17 day vacation to Grand Junction, Dinosaur Monument, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Devils Tower, Mt Rushmore, and Custer State Park. The trip was Wonderful! The 560 was a trooper in all weather, didn't even feel her behind the Cherokee! We both had to return to work right away, so I haven't had a chance to post the adventure, plan to do it this weekend.
Visited many of the places suggested. Parks were busy but not excessively although we stayed at Grant Village and glad we had reservations as it was full every night. Also stay at Coulter Mountain and Signal Mountain.
Custer State Park in South Dakota is phenomenal. We were at Blue Bell campground. Would strongly recommend it to everyone.
Never did use the solar panels as signal mountain had electric and so did Custer state park. Ran on battery the other days just fine.
Well, will try to post the rest this weekend with pictures if I can figure that out. Sorry we couldn't attend CICO this year, but there's always next year. Have fun everyone and be safe.
Gina