Headed West

[RedStar]

Hi! New here and trying to figure out a plan for my one year anniversary. The wife and I are headed out west next summer. We're planning on being on the road for 17 days in July. Lots of that time will be spent camping in and around Yellowstone/Jackson Hole/The Badlands/Moab & parts of Colorado.

Any suggestions on places to go? Campsites that are great? Attractions we don't need to miss?

We'll be tent camping probably just over 50% of the time.

Thanks and looking forward to posting here!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Headed West

Welcome to the Campground! Sounds like a great trip is in the planning stages! You have already mentioned some of the greatest places on earth to vacation too and as time allows, not only I but fellow campateers will post up their stories. There are also great resources in the National Park Thread and on back pages of this great forum, so check it out when you have time! July in Yellowstone and the Tetons is wonderful but more crowded. Moab, Utah (Arches National Park) the weather can be very hot!:cool:

[JohnJohn]

Re: Headed West

Arches & Canyonlands in Moab.

As for Colorado, look up Independence Pass if you driving the North route to Moab. If going South, Four Corners is something not to miss.

[JohnJohn]

Re: Headed West

Just saw this photo a few minutes ago. Canyonlands is a must!

http://desktopart.org/var/albums/Lan...Park,_Utah.jpg

[richardvg03]

Re: Headed West

Rocky Mountain National Park!

[RedStar]

Re: Headed West

We're camping a lot, maybe half the time, but we want to break up some of the trip with hotel rooms too. Where's the best place to stay in the Yellowstone area? I know places fill up fast, so the quicker I make reservations the better. Trying to be budget conscious, where's the best place to stay? We should be in the Yellowstone area at least 5-6 days. Is it better to stay in Gardiner and head south each day? Or is it better to stay in Jackson Hole/Driggs/Victor area?

Any ideas would be welcome, and thanks for all the suggestions so far!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Headed West

Redstar, the best place to stay in Yellowstone....is in a tent! For hotel accommodations as far as this forum is concerned, you are on your own.

[RedStar]

Re: Headed West

Redstar, the best place to stay in Yellowstone....is in a tent! For hotel accommodations as far as this forum is concerned, you are on your own.

Um... ok I thought I was asking about campsites. I mentioned hotels, but those are nights we'll be headed out there, as in Columbia, MO or Hastings, NE. I wasn't asking about them for the Yellowstone area. I thought I made that clear in my initial post, sorry if it came off that way.

I was asking about reservations at campsites because several of the websites I've found say they don't take reservations and it's first come first serve. That scares the wife more than it does me so I'm trying to go ahead and figure out where to stay. Places that take reservations.

I mentioned being budget conscious because some of the places we ran across were pretty high considering it's a campsite. Grand Teton Park RV & Cabins have tent sites for $40! Flagg Ranch has tent sites at $35! Where I come from, that's robbery. It's usually $5-$10 at the places around here.

I don't know how far things are in relation to each other because I've never been to the Yellowstone area. Flagg Ranch seems pretty centrally located, but again, it's $35.

We wanted to spend about 2 days in the Teton area and then about 4 days in the Yellowstone area.

Sorry for the confusion.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Headed West

Flag Ranch caters towards the RV crowd, yes they have campsites for tents but it's still 35 clams per night. There are only three campgrounds within Yellowstone that take reservations and those too are only for RVs and usually reservations for them are made at least 6 months ahead of the day that is posted that they will open for their summer season. We have tent camped there many times at both national parks, on the first come first serve basis and have never had a problem. But it does take some advanced planning and knowing where to go to find the best places to camp. The northeast corner of Yellowstone has the best campsites and they are never crowded. They are also the furthest from the major natural attractions but are the best for seeing wildlife. The speed limit in either national park is 45 mph, the two-lane roads are very narrow, winding and crowded. If you come upon a long line of vehicles stopped in the road it is usually because the first vehicle of that line stopped for wildlife on or near the roadways. Animals have the right of way, not people.

If you plan on camping near any of the major attractions during mid-summer, it's best to try to arrive on a Monday morning early 6:00 AM and get in line and wait to see if you can get a campsite. We camped once during mid-summer and it was plenty maddening but we were never turned away. We got a campsite but not one of our own choosing. It was far from perfect but it was a campsite, nonetheless! And yes, expensive! I even wrote our Senators, but nothing has ever been done. The park ranger said it was for "the experience" for tent camping in Yellowstone! It seems that the park service caters to the RVer more than the tenter!

Yes, camping fees are very high in national parks in the west. But that is how it is and we have to live with it. Flag Ranch actually caters to the RV crowd but they do have tent sites(I never have stayed there). Tent camping there takes a lot of advanced planning and preparation. One needs to arrive very early before check-in times and early in the week to a chosen campground headquarters if you plan on going there during the busiest times of the summer(late June, July, early August). Crowds are few in May and early June because of snow hasn't completely melted in many sections of either parks. The crowds are few during the late autumn months also. Also, remember that most of Yellowstone or the Tetons the campgrounds are over 8000 feet in elevation and the nights are very chilly. It is also bear country and enforcement of storing all food items in the provided bear-proof boxes is enforced. If animals get into your food and one complains to a ranger, the person camping is usually cited for not storing away food properly. Like I said, animals have the right of way, not people. These bear-proof boxes are large and hold plenty of food.

When we tent camped there last in the Tetons was at Jenny Lake Campground and it is set-up and maintained as a tent only campground. First come first served. The only tent-only campground in the region! Sure, the price to camp was very high, but well worth the effort and the planning. The scenery and wildlife were awesome!

There are campgrounds outside the parks too, but then most are privately owned and charge higher rates. However, this is only my story, if you care to wait perhaps another campateer will chime in sometime. Every year there is always a question or two on Yellowstone and a few other campateers have been there and their stories are in these pages as well, if you take the time to research these threads. Or if a spirit moves them they may chime in! Camping forums usually move at a snails pace and folks will speak up, it's just that they don't hurry like the mod is suppose too! Good luck! Thanks for being patient during your moderation period.( a person's first 4 to 6 posts are moderated...then you're good to go most of the time)! Thanks too for correcting my mistake! Adios!