need some help with trip planning to yellow stone

[blownf150]

The wife and I are thinking of heading to yellowstone. What I need to know we are planning a drive. What should we see and is there tent camping. I have heard there is none. And do we need to go to yellow stone or colorado and see the mtns. We would like to do some fishing. Possibly a little offroading nothing serious I have that at home. Just maby some things that alot of people don't get to see without 4 wheeldrive. We are also thinking of driving over to cali since we would be on that side of the us. More than likley we would plan on a round trip of two to three weeks if we can try to see it all. Am i pushing this to hard or is it doable to see it all in that amount of time. We are completly aware of the outdoors so a night in the backcounty is ok with us. If it is somthing we need to do I know alot of you guys are out that way. So just thought i would ask. The only bad thing is we would be leving in the morning kind of a spur of the moment trip. Thanks

 

[kwlr3]

Two summers ago our family did just the trip you are planning. You didn't indicate your start point, we left Key West FL and went to Taos, NM, Mesa Verde, Silverton, Telluride, Ouray (all via 4x4 trails), Northern Utah, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Custer State Park SD and then home. Verdict: we were gone a month and it wasn't enough time.. Doing it all over, I could spend three weeks in Colorado alone. Pick up the book "Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" by Charles A. Wells. All that you want to do is available in CO.

My thoughts on Yellowstone: This is a controversial opinion but we where disappointed. Sure the geysers are a life list must see. But, understand this, Yellowstone was laid out at a time when eating in your car was a new fine dining experience for Americans. The park is designed so that every 'attraction" is just a short walk from your car. There is no offroading in the park, even back packing is a secondary activity to "car touring". You can tent camp and there are some epic backpacking destinations in the park but if this a family vacation, stay at the Old Faithful Lodge and you can see the entire thing in two days. Warning: the traffic jams can be MIND NUMBING!!! Imagine being stuck for four hours behind some fat F*@%S from Kentucky in an RV stopped in the middle of the road to take a picture of a buffalo crapping in the field.

If your on this Forum, then likely your LR3 is another member of the family. IMO, three places come to mind when I think of landscapes made for Land Rovers. Start with Colorado west of I-25 and south of I-70. Head over to Utah South of I-70 and east of I-15, and finish it with Death Valley. Unlike Yellowstone, you need a 4x4 to see the really good stuff. Canyon Lands and Death Valley have minimal paved roads, challenging but do-able off-roading and epic scenery. The only drawback is it can be really really hot in summer. Me, I put on a jacket when the temps drop into the 70's so the heat doesn't bother me.

With all that said, I would say stay your whole three weeks in CO

 

[blownf150]

Sorry we would be leaving from south east tennessee. I think we might do just as you said and stay in CO. A buddy of mine was telling me about that same book and is going to bring it to me tommorow. So it will make for some good reading while on the trip and may help us out with the trails thanks

 

[zdas04]

You know that beautiful picture called "Yellowstone in Winter", it has a buffalo in a field of snow with geyser's all around? Well I took one I called "Yellowstone in Summer", it is through a bug-splattered windshield of the back of an RV that has a collection of bicyles and lawn chairs barely tied down. That is the whole trip. I visited the park in the early 80's and it was great. I went back in 2001 and it was hell. We "camped" in a designated camping area near Mammoth Hot Springs that was a converted parking lot--we had trouble driving tent stakes into the asphault. There are some nicer camping spots but they tend to fill up a year in advance. Hotel's are the same (Old Faithful Inn can fill up 2 years in advance, it pretty expensive, and has bathrooms down the hall). Off-roading is strictly verboten.

Take the advice above. You could easily spend 3 weeks in the square formed by I-25, I-70, I-15, and the southern state line of Colorado and Utah. The stuff around Moab and the 4-wheel drive trails around Silverton are a destination for LR3 drivers. Yellowstone without a time machine is a waste of time. Trying to see any of California on the same trip means that your entire vacation is spent between destinations. California is 3 weeks on its own.

David

 

[roverman]

Yeah, I'd save Yellowstone for the winter. It's totally beautiful and waaaay less crowded.

 

[Boaz]

Ditto on the Colorado comments. Mecca for Land Rovers...

 

[blownf150]

Ok we are heading to CO in the morning. We are going to spend our whole time there.
We will definitly check out yellowstone in the winter. I saw some of the pics and looks beutiful. thanks for the advice though

 

[kwlr3]

Enjoy your trip. bring us back some pictures