Spring trip from Seattle to Yellowstone

[glc]

After May 8, the only scheduled road closures will be Craig Pass and Dunraven Pass. You should be able to get out the south entrance and on to Grand Teton.

The closures are numbered 1 and 2 on this map.

[Southwest Dave]

What and where you can get to will be weather dependent in many respects, but once there you can make decisions on the go. If possible you could head south to the Tetons on your day of departure and leave the park via the south. Mormon Row is also a nice little detour to capture that famous scene of the barn with the mountains in the background.

[antonbijl]

Hi all.

Thanks again for all the advice. We've taken it to heart and discussed again and decided against the RV as there are simply too many factors against it, but most prominently the cold. We're going to rent a car in Seattle and will still do the road trip, but hopefully in a bit more comfort, especially w.r.t. sleeping arrangements.

Our plans are taking a bit more shape and we've already booked some accommodation (6-7 May in West Yellowstone, 8-9 May @ Mammoth).

Any suggestions on best routes for the trip? We'll have enough time both ways to take scenic routes and will need at least one overnight stop on the way there and two on the way back.

[Southwest Dave]

Much will depend on what time you get on the road as you won't have a whole lot of free time, but you will have two relaxing days of travel on the way. I would probably look at taking US2 through Okanogan - Wenatchee National Forest and stop over in Coeur d'Alene for the night which would give you a comfortable run to West Yellowstone. On the way home, if you decided to go through the Tetons, [recommended] you could stop in Jackson WY and then Boise with time to visit Craters of the Moon or Shoshone Falls and Snake River canyon on route.