Summer family trip from NC to Yellowstone NP and back

This is my first time posting but have used this forum for a few years. We are planning our cross country trip from the Piedmont of NC to Yellowstone. I've done a lot of research and planning but would love feedback from more experienced travelers. We purchased our first travel trailer this past spring and intend on getting all we can from it. My husband and I are both educators which affords us the summers off. Our 2 kids are in elementary school.
We plan on being on the road for about 4 weeks, taking our time to enjoy our country. The tentative itinerary is as follows:
Leave NC to Lexington, KY to camp at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground (our kids love horses)
-Leave Kentucky and head to St. Louis West Koa (2 days to explore area and enjoy campground)
-St. Louis to camp at Wilson Island State Park (possible 2 days so that we may visit Henry Doorly Zoo) Along the way we may stop to see Walt Disney's childhood home.
-Wilson Island State Park to Badlands NP area (possibly stay at Mystery Mountain Resort)
-Badlands NP to Cody, WY (no lodging yet)
-Cody to Grant Village Campground (5days)

After this we MAY head to Miami for family gathering so...
We want to head towards Colorado and stay at Estes Park Center (can't make reservations until April😕)
My hubby would like to visit Houston TX.

We want good family friendly lodging and attractions. I am at a loss at this point, any recommendations?

Thanks!

Welcome to RTA! Aha, another teacher on-board! :-)

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St. Louis to camp at Wilson Island State Park (possible 2 days so that we may visit Henry Doorly Zoo) Along the way we may stop to see Walt Disney's childhood home.

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The museum at Marceline is wonderful. Allow at least a couple of hours there and another hour to drive out to Walt's Barn. Now, that said....

It's about 450 miles from St Louis to Wilson Island. Towing a trailer, that's about a 9 hour drive right there. You're going to have to hit the Walt Disney Museum at just the right day of the week and time. You can check online, but it's only open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sundays 1 pm to 4 pm, and it's closed on Mondays -- those were its' 2014 posted hours. There is a terrific ice cream shoppe in Marceline - I think it's called Yumeez - they make their own ice cream.

Nearby, there is the General John J Pershing State Historic Site, and also near Laclede is Pershing State Park -- with camping facilities. You could stay overnight there without trying to push on to get to Wilson Island.

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We want good family friendly lodging and attractions.

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Do you have a Good Sam directory? That will be a nice start for places with hookups, for your RV. If you're not so fussy about having hookups every night, Rand McNally maps/atlases have state parks noted as a "leaf", and a green triangle indicates that they have a campground available. Most of the time, the Good Sam parks are often cheaper than KOA's - and I say that as the daughter of a former KOA owner! You don't have to be a member of Good Sam to use their directories, just to ask for a discount (which can sometimes cost you more, some have told me, though we never experienced that treatment).

We always carried Good Sam/Camping World Emergency Road Service. It helped us if we needed a tow, as many AAA plans won't haul your trailer if you have trouble with your tow vehicle, or they'll only take it 7 miles.

As for family friendly attractions, you can't beat the national parks. Sign the kids up for the Junior Ranger program at the parks - it gives them a new appreciation for the parks *and* (don't tell them this on summer vacation) it's educational! If either of your elementary school children are in 4th grade, get the annual pass....free. (It's normally $80.)

Another thought - if either of your children are fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, your route could take you close to DeSmet, SD, the true "little house on the prairie". Or close to Mansfield, MO, where the Little House books were written. I've been to Mansfield -- wonderful place -- and DeSmet is on my list for our next trip through SD.


Donna (elementary school teacher)

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Judging from the pace you've set for yourselves on the way west, and the types of places you're planning on staying an visiting, here are some suggestions for the Yellowstone to Miami leg, with campground and {possible sites to see}.

Seminoe State Park (WY) {Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum}
John Martin Reservoir State park (CO) {Bent's Old Fort, Koshare Indian Museum and Kiva, Big Timbers Museum}
Copper Breaks State Park (TX) {Cadillac Ranch}
Fort Parker State Park (TX)
Houston
Fontainebleau State Park (LA) {New Orleans, Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge}
Ochlockonee River State Park (FL) {St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge}
Hontoon Island State Park or Blue Spring State Park (FL) {Kennedy Space Center}

You can, of course, alter how far you travel each day, where you send the night, and what you see during your time on the road, but there are certainly opportunities to continue your trip in much the same vein as you have laid out from NC to Yellowstone.

AZBuck

Hello fellow educator, thank you for your suggestions! Yes, we already have the "All Kids in the Park" and have the pass. That was such a great plus especially with getting the camper�� Coming from he east coast we are not used to the high elevations and don't have a gauge on how long the trip can take. We are Good Sam members as well and I do have the directory as well as AAA. We love the parks and we camp in those places.

AZBuck,
A huge "THANK YOU" for all of the campgrounds and attractions. I will research those places. I will post more as I plan the eastbound trip.

What would be the best rv-travel trailer route from Cody WY to Grant Village Campground? What would be the estimated travel time?

There's really only one logical way to get from Cody to Grant Village - that's using US-14 from Cody directly into the east entrance of Yellowstone, then continue around Yellowstone Lake until you get to GV.

It's about a 100 mile drive, and I'd give yourself about 3 hours, factoring the tow, terrain, traffic, and potential wildlife.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

There's really only one logical way to get from Cody to Grant Village - that's using US-14 from Cody directly into the east entrance of Yellowstone, then continue around Yellowstone Lake until you get to GV.

It's about a 100 mile drive, and I'd give yourself about 3 hours, factoring the tow, terrain, traffic, and potential wildlife.

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Would this route be steep and narrow? A little nervous towing travel trailer. First time towing this far with high elevations.

What is your tow vehicle? What size trailer? It shouldn't be a problem if you've matched the trailer to the tow vehicle well. If you are pulling more weight than your tow vehicle is supposed to pull, though, then there would be a problem.


Donna

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

What is your tow vehicle? What size trailer? It shouldn't be a problem if you've matched the trailer to the tow vehicle well. If you are pulling more weight than your tow vehicle is supposed to pull, though, then there would be a problem.


Donna

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Thanks for the reassurance, we have a Chevy Silverado 1500, 5.3 liter v8 engine, tow package. And 4 wheel drive. The trailer is 4700 lbs.

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Originally Posted by KMabry

Would this route be steep and narrow? A little nervous towing travel trailer. First time towing this far with high elevations.

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It might pay you to take the trailer out a few times before you go on this long trip. Take it to some of the elevated areas and over some of the old US highways, and back roads. You'll have a much more enjoyable holiday if you have confidence in how the vehicle and the trailor handle together - over a variety of terrain.

Lifey

Great idea, Lifey! Appreciate the fun suggestion.

A "shake down cruise" or two would also be helpful to ensure that you have it packed with all the essentials, and correctly. It's such a pain to get into a campsite 35 miles from the nearest discount store, to find out that you "need" a certain item. Take one weekend and go close to home, close to a discount store. Take another weekend, go a little further. Then take it into the Appalachians and see how it tows.



Donna

Henry Doorly(so?) Zoo is the BEST zoo I've ever been. Also, If you like baseball I suggest you check out the new college baseball stadium. I don't know if they'll let you in but maybe it's worth a look.
Estes Park is beautiful! I'm a bit of a city boy from a rough area. I was blessed to be able to get out unscathed and see things this country has to offer. I went to the Zoo a couple of times. Once the College World Series was going on. That was a nightmare because back then the Zoo was next to the stadium. I went back when it wasn't crowded and had a lovely time.
I used to live in Rapid City and used to go to Denver for entertainment and happened to stumble on Estes Park. I couldn't believe how beautiful it is. I even bought an Estes Park t-shirt!
FYI be careful in Omaha. Don't go off the beaten path and STAY AWAY FROM AMES AVENUE!! There are gangs there and I unknowingly wore the wrong colors and it could've cost me harm. Besides that ENJOY YOUR TRIP!!!

We just completed a road trip from Chicago to Yellowstone. Although it is a shorter distance, we did purely enjoy camping at Cedar Pass campgrounds in Badlands. Hike the Notch and Door trails; both awesome and doable. We did see a snoozing rattle snake on the nature trail there.
Eat a Pizza Ranch in/around Rapid City for great chicken!(we stopped at the one in Spearfish at exit 14 off US 90)
Ellsworth (free) museum outside Rapid City definitely worth the hour or so exhibits (in the AC!)
We didn't camp at yellowstone (some family not into that but stayed at Shoshone ranch just outside East entrance. Lovely. Gas up at Pehaska outside East gate to save 20 cents off in-park gas prices.

I would avoid towing trailer in Miami area unless you plan to camp outside and leave trailer at camp site.

Estes Park is beautiful! I remember seeing prairie dogs as a kid when my family visited for a few days. My family and I actually took a horse back trip trough some pretty amazing and breath taking sites. Enjoy!

Yellowstone! So fun! So much to see and do. Here are a few of our favorites:

Grand Prismatic Spring. For the best views and to really see its colors take the Fairy Falls Trail about a mile-ish. You will be able to see the spring off to right. Climb up the hillside for a spectacular view. The only thing is this is not a good option when it's cold. When the warm spring air hits the cold air it creates a lot of steam cutting doe on visibility significantly. But if you get a sunny day it's worth it!

Norris Geyser Basin has lots to see and can easily take a couple hours. But it's a great way too see hot springs and geysers.

Old Faithful. If it's raining head to the Old Faithful Inn, grab a hot beverage, sit on the deck, and watch it from a distance under the overhang. Morning Glory pool is also a good one in this area. It has lost some of its color, but is still very pretty.

Mammoth Hot Springs. Park at the lower lot and walk up to Minerva Terrace. That's the highlight of this area. There's not a lot of water in the terrace anymore, but I still found it to be quite beautiful.

Yellowstone Grand Canyon. One of the park's prettiest features! Lower Falls is the bigger of the two falls. Twice the height of Niagra! Inspiration Point and Artist Point have great photo ops and views. Grand view Point and Lookout Point are also stops that are worth it in scenic views of the canyon. Take the 0.75 mile trail to Brink of the Lower Falls to stand right where the Yellowstone River tumbles over the rocky edge. The power and roar of the water is insane! We also loved Uncle Tom's Trail. It's a workout, 500feet down on a staircase of 328 stairs. Not good if anyone has a fear of heights or has heart problems. I think you are close to 8,000 feet in elevation which definitely takes a toll.

Lamar Valley is just intensely pretty in a different way. Lots of bison and fields for days.

We did the cowboy cookout in Roosevelt Country and felt it was worth the expense. The food was good (don't expect five star), but the experience is what made it special. We got lucky and had a moose visit behind the porta-potties (which have soap and sinks outside).

I bought Lonely Planet Yellowstone and Grand Tetons guidebook and it has been our go-to resource for all of our trips there.

You mentioned not being used to mountains. I think your Chevy will tow your travel trailer fine. Our Toyota 4Runner (it's a V8) can tow our trailer which is about 4,200 or 4,500 pounds. This summer will be our first trip to Yellowstone with our new trailer, but we've done a lot of other passes a-OK. And Chevys were built for towing much more so than Toyotas👍🏻. The biggest things to be cautious about in the higher elevations are sunblock (even on cloudy days), staying hydrated (everything dries out so much faster), and prepared for weather. In Yellowstone we've had snow and hail in June and massive thunderstorms and rain in August. It can also get very very cold, even in summer. In every campground there is a small room with a sink attached to the bathrooms. This is for dish washing. Bring dishwashing gloves! The water is so cold your hands it actually begins to hurt. The gloves are a decent barrier so you're not so uncomfortable. I also have a broom, dustpan, and swiffer mop stored inside.

For your trailer...congratulations! So many fun family memories coming your way! We've learned it's good to have a tool box with a basic set of tools for the trailer. We also keep a power drill, duct tape, and work gloves for setting up. You never know what kind of weird situation you may end up in so good to be prepared lol! I also have a broom, dustpan, and swiffer mop stored inside. So much dirt gets inside the trailer, especially with kids.

Have a great time and enjoy your new trailer!

Hi YTourte.

It is great to see you share your detailed knowledge of the area. But if you read the thread closely, and see the dates, you will see that this trip was summer 2016.

Lifey

Not only an old thread, but Uncle Tom's Trail was under rehabilitation for awhile. I'm not sure what its status is at this point (in case anyone else comes across this thread) so be sure to check the Yellowstone website and then again with a ranger before setting out on ANY trail, especially one where you use one trail to connect with another.

That was great information, YTourte!


Donna

Feeling a bit silly lol! Definitely a tired mommy moment with the date.

Thanks for the heads up with Uncle Tom's Trail, Donna! We will be at the park this June and were hoping to do the hike again (weather pending). I will have to do some research prior to our departure to see if it is open.