Yellowstone Estes Park Northern Grand Canyon early October

We are planning a road trip encompassing Yellowstone and other areas in early October this year. Really looking for ideas and advice about what is great to see and Feasible over about a week driving. Appreciate the assistance.

Actually, doing some more research---looking to drive from Omaha to Estes Park, CO and then head up to Jackson, WY to see the Grand Tetons and then head over to Yellowstone and then to the Little Big Horn National Park/Battlefield and then to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. We frequently will go to Mount Rushmore and surrounding areas and then probably head back to Nebraska.

We are not into hiking or rafting our fishing...really want to drive and see the sites with maybe some brief excursions at view points. This year more than others seem better for that sort of trip anyway. Also, hope to avoid alot of families and children with School supposedly being open by then.
Do NOT want to camp and will be looking for hotels along the way (like to plan ahead with those, also).
Hope that early October will be before the snow flies (at least heavily) in most places.

A couple years ago my wife and I completed a Road Trip around the Great Lakes, visiting numerous lighthouses, the Soo Locks, Shipwreck Museum and finished up on the North Shore in Minnesota around Duluth. Wonderful trip and we received some great advice from this forum!

Any advice or recommendations on additional sites/ideas appreciated greatly!

Have planned to purchase National Parks Pass and this year one needs to schedule dates/times of arrival with the pandemic.

Welcome back!

Where are you leaving from and where are you returning to? Is a week 5, 7, or 9 days?

Let's see - 2 days to drive from Omaha to Yellowstone, 1 day to drive from Yellowstone to Estes Park, 1 day to drive from Estes Park to Omaha.

That's 4 days of driving without seeing anything but the road.

Say again your plan for this week of sightseeing?

Plan to leave from Omaha, NE and spend about 8 days, from a Friday though the following Saturday (home late Saturday evening)?

If by Estes Park you mean visiting Rocky Mountain National Park - for now you must have a reservation for a time slot to enter the park unless you get thru the gate before 0600.

This is better than when the park was just plain closed earlier in the year.

Hi.

Is there anything in particular you want a little help with ? I think you have created a nice loop trip but you won't be wanting to add anything to it as you have already got about 5 days of driving. If the Trail ridge road across RMNP is open I would certainly recommend driving it on leaving Estes park and depending on how you break your time up, just outside Estes drive along the Bear lake road and stop at a couple of lakes along the way. You will want at least 2 days just to drive through Yellowstone and catch a couple of the highlights and if you head out towards Red lodge you will get to drive another great road if it's open(?) thge Beartooth highway.

Before you leave or do any further planning, you may want to note these two links:

Yellowstone Operating Hours & Seasons. This covers the campgrounds, lodging, food service, museums and visitor centers, within the park. There are a lot of things that are closed by the end of September.

Park Roads in Yellowstone. The idea of Beartooth is wonderful unless you plan to get there after October 13th - its closure date. Bear in mind (no pun intended) that weather can close it at ANY time, in which you would have to divert to another gate. Also note the road construction areas.


Donna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Before you leave or do any further planning, you may want to note these two links:

Yellowstone Operating Hours & Seasons. This covers the campgrounds, lodging, food service, museums and visitor centers, within the park. There are a lot of things that are closed by the end of September.

Park Roads in Yellowstone. The idea of Beartooth is wonderful unless you plan to get there after October 13th - its closure date. Bear in mind (no pun intended) that weather can close it at ANY time, in which you would have to divert to another gate. Also note the road construction areas.


Donna

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Thanks for the information...decided to forgo Estes Park and focus on Grand Tetons and Yellowstone for the first ...looking forward to seeing the parks and getting away!!

Have a great trip and please drop by and share your experience (and photos?) with us.

My wife and I had an absolutely wonderful experience! Thanks to everyone for the advice!
Planning our next Fall Trip---looking to Tennessee and Georgia for possibilities...will post again when a little more defined.

Good to see you back and great that you had such a good time ! If you want to share some highlights and memories briefly then please do here, or you could do a report in the Roadtrip field reports section.

Dave.