Advice needed-Boston to Yellowstone-any reccomendations?

[declikely]

Hi everyone
So this summer (July) myself, my wife, and my 2 year old daughter (am I crazy?) are planning a
drive from Boston to Yellowstone. Has anyone done this (or comparable) drive?
I'd love to hear any recommended routes/stops etc...
A few details: We have three or so weeks to do the full journey there and back, we plan on car camping along the way (occasionally taking advantage of the the 'comforts' of random cheapo motels) ideally we'll spend 5 days at least in Yellowstone.
I look forward to any/all advice and recommendations. Thanks for your help

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Crazy ? No, not at all, you have enough time to have a safe and enjoyable journey and not to mention we all love road trips around here ! ;-)

Is there any specifics you would like to ask about other than your sanity ? Lol ! At this point I would recommend having a look at a good map of the US and see what appeals to you on the way out and on the way back, selecting a different route for each to cover "new ground." I 90 would take you near to Badlands NP, Mt Rushmore, Custer state park and the Black hills to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and if you so wished you could head towards Rocky mountain NP and Colorado on the return journey to mention but a few, but there are many options so have a look around the RTA pages.

One thing I would consider as urgent is getting a campground [s] booked for Yellowstone and other popular places as they can book out quickly and might have done so already.

[Mass Tim]

I did this trip from Central Massachusetts to Yellowstone back in 1997, though admittedly not with a 2 year old. Route was I-90 to US-20 in Rockford, IL, then from there west into Iowa, Nebraska, and then hooked up with I-90 back in South Dakota. Good memories of camping overlooking the Missouri River, visiting Mount Rushmore, and the view from Custer. Our trip was two full weeks and felt a bit rushed looking back, though we did get to spend a few days exploring Yellowstone as we were camped fairly close to the entrance. Three weeks is much better

Finding camping along the way wasn't a problem back then, and I'm sure you'd have an easier time of it today. US-20 has expanded to more lanes than it had back then, at least in Iowa. I would recommend sticking with I-90 at least past Chicago, from there the two lanes open up significantly and can be a viable alternative to the Interstate.

[glc]

By "car camping" I hope you mean tent camping in a campground........

[Harry Kline]

I was also thrown by the "car camping" reference. To me that means finding a parking place and reclining the seats. I'm not a camper myself, so I can't help with that, but I can contribute some to the sights along the way.
I don't think the 2 year old will be a burden, but keep in mind that the adolescent brain doesn't really store memories until around the age of 5, so plan sightseeing for the adults and exercse activities for the child.

I agree with everything said so far. I traveled I-90 last year from Sioux Falls to Seattle, and I also used it over to Yellowstone several years ago. We left I-90 at Buffalo, WY and took Rte 16/14 into the east entrance. It was scenic and there was a nice little park in Ten Sleep where we had a picnic lunch. You might consider that route, or cut off at Sheridan and take Rte 14, The Greybull Highway, all the way to Yellowstone. I-90 is kind of boring going up into Montana unless you want to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield at Garryowen.

Since you have three weeks, consider going south to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole after Yellowstone. Then you can go south to I-80 for the return trip with more new scenery.

I use Google Earth to pre-plan and zoom in on the maps looking for the blue squares that indicate photos. Someone thought it was interesting enough for pictures, so it probably is worth looking at them for ideas. And don't limit yourself to the interstate highways. Parallel roads and short detours yield some good sights.

[glc]

I would personally take the Beartooth Highway to get into Yellowstone. That's US-212, accessible by taking I-90 to Laurel (just west of Billings).

[declikely]

thanks to all for the excellent feedback....and yes by 'car camping' I mean stopping and setting up tent

[nataliejo]

The route through the Badlands and Mt Rushmore, is my favorite, and the Beartooth entrance into the park is absolutely amazing. I came in through the Cody entrance and stayed at a little cabin near the entrance and really enjoyed that. I used to work in Yellowstone, and I highly recommend Old Faithful at night, seeing the Morning Glory Pool at Biscuit Basin (?), and getting up early to drive and see wildlife. If you'd like a nice easy hike with the little one, Mystic Falls near Old Faithful is really pretty and very easy. The traffic in the park is a little ridiculous, and camping in/near the park requires reservations far in advance. The Old Faithful Inn is pretty amazing, would be a nice splurge to stay for the night or just relax in the afternoon on the deck. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is gorgeous, and it glows- literally, due to some kind of mineral. If you can watch the sunset behind the Tetons in Jackson Hole, maybe go to Jenny Lake, that would be really nice. Have a great trip!