Looking to take the family to Yellowstone from
Sacramento,CA. Any suggested routes and stops ?
Best campgrounds ?

 

the koa outside the west gate is nice, but expensive and takes awhile to drive into the park. remember the entire park speed limit doesnt exceed 35 mph, takes a long time to get anywhere.

inside the park, we stayed at fishing bridge rv park on the north end of lake yellowstone. not much of a rv park, but it is centrally located and there are many nice features around the lake.

 

I was just looking into Yellowstone myself. I would mostly go for the boating. What is the lake like depth, water temperature, views, sandbars and all that? . Have a 24' cuddy cabin boat need at leats 6' to get up and going, I bet the lake is really deep.

 

we went out 80 then up through jackpot.we stayed at hebgen lake just outside of west yellowstone.nice place and people.the fishing wasn,t too bad either.

 

You may want to rethink your plans. I live about an hour and a half from the Park and they just shut all of the roads down last weekend. We have snow now and they are preparing for Winter. Wait a couple months and take the family in there on snowmobiles. It's a completely different perspective and I like it a lot better. I'm kind of biased though as I live close and have been there at least a thousand times. We go for Sunday drives once in a while to watch the wolves, bears, elk, etc. Winter though is the best in my opinion.

Edit: I just found the season dates. The paper said they closed due to early snow but it was just a partial closing. Novemebr 5th all roads will be closed unless we get some more freak snow. http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Try this trip planner as well. http://www.yellowstonepark.com/planner/

 

Fish camp is a nice campground inside the park. They do have length restrictions, call for more details. Make sure you go to Jackson Hole, Wy. Awesome little town, and while there make sure you do this, http://www.bart5.com/index.htm we had a blast. Then there is water raffling in Cody and the Buffalo Bill museum. We made the trip 2 years ago and were planning a return trip for 2007.

 

Great place to go these are my stomping grounds, Jackson Hole is a little out of the way but you need to go through Island Park. Also try and go north past Yellerstone and drive through Big Sky along the Gallatin. In fact I just got back from there yesterday. But Buckshot is right Jackson is awesome.

 

Should have let me know JD. I'm in Belgrade. You up here for bow season or something?

 

No me and my dad took my grandparent up there from Idaho Falls, they aren't goin to be around much longer and just trying to spend a little time with them.

 

Gotcha, sorry to hear. It is a beautiful drive.

 

Yes it is I wish I was there all the time.

 

We just got back 3 weeks ago and did Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Black hills South Dakota. 22 day trip was simply...AWESOME. The only place in Yellowstone with Elect/water that is open is Fishing bridge. We stayed there 1 night and not happy with it at all. Sorta like staying in a Walmart parking lot surrounded by pines. No view, no campfires, no room to open canopy and just a lousy design loop system that you have to wait for someone to dis-connect before you can get by. Not to mention it was full (by the hundreds)every night since it is the only elect avail, Getting in/out wating in line..was a joke.

We moved to Slough Creek in the NE corner about 90 miles away the next day. Well worth the hastle. Its about 2-3 miles down a gravel dead end road nesteled between 2 mountains with steam side camping and overlooks a meadow. It is primative camping but we loved all 5 nights of it. It is what camping in yellowsonte is suppose to be. Beautiful, quiet, wildlife everywhere. 7.00 a night with max stay of 30 days..no host but has paybox and expect frequent visits from Ranger Dooley... Real nice guy once you break his concrete exterior.

We pulled 29ft TT all over, expect some issues getting in/out, most campground spots suited for 25 ft or less. It was tight but stuffed that trailer in some cool places. Go to Oxbow bend in the Grand Teton Natl park at some point. Breath taking beauty at sunrise/sunset and Moose galore.

Expect snow and plan on delays, but it was worth every single dime. I was ready to sell everything I own and move there for my retirement job.