southern bc-yellowstone-utah

[glc]

You are really underestimating things - it can take hours just to get through Yellowstone, never mind stopping and seeing anything. This is due to traffic, low speed limits, and wildlife in the road. It's a HUGE park and the roads are a lot longer than you may think.

[Lifemagician]

My reaction was the same as glc's. It took more than four hours from the north east entrance to the western entrance, via Mammoth Hot Springs, last time I was there. It is most unlikely you will see a great deal, let alone stop to take photos, and still get to your evening's destination at a reasonable time, on your present plan.

Lifey

[bctraveler]

I see that Yellowstone has soooo much to see... my plan was maybe stay in Butte but was looking and if could get to Bozeman or Livingstone that is an extra 1.5-2 hrs saved for next day.... from there Mammoth Hot springs area( 2 hrs spend in this area)...do part of the loop to Norris Juntion-Yellowstone falls artist point,etc(2hrs spend in this area)...Tower Junction..Cooke City-(hwy 296) to Cody ( this should be 4 hrs driving )
Then from Cody-Grant Village- Old faithful(backtrack to grant village) Jackson-Rock Springs( I have looked into Snake River KOA) in case this is too much of a day ( they are 15 min S of Jackson) this day makes 7 hrs driving and sightseeing 2 hrs... 670 kms seems doable with sight seeing- we really want to see the geysers mainly( we live in the Canadian Rockies so as much as we will love seeing the mountain scenery... I don't think we will be quite as in awe of it.. as somebody that doesn't live in mountains.
Does this still seem crazy?

[Lifemagician]

... if like on one of my visits, you come to an area where cars are parked illegaly, all over the road, because the little parking area was full? Would you, as I did, get out to see what all the commotion is about, or just push on regardless to meet your time schedule. If the latter, you would have missed one of the greatest wonders I saw, a new born Moose calf, suckling, while the caring new mother kept looking and licking her newborn lovingly. It was a good hour later, before we all got moving again, cameras bulging with the unbelievable memories.

Such wonders of Yellowstone you cannot factor into an itenary. These are the wonders upon which you stumble. Furthermore, what are you going to do when you get to Old Faithful, and the geyser does not go off for another 45 mins (or more)? Nature is not on your schedule. You need to make your itenary flexible enough so that you can adjust to the many wonders of nature as can be seen in Yellowstone. And many other National Parks.

Lifey

[bctraveler]

The main area that this trip is focused on is the Utah area.... all the rest is just an added bonus on the way there... I was trying to find interesting things to see on the drive there.. that is why we added Yellowstone/Grand Tenton... I know we wont see alot but anything we do see will be much appreciated! We have grandchildren that I would love to take to yellowstone in maybe a few years... so we can always come back to that area! On a road trip that we did a few years ago... we did a loop thru California/Nevada/Utah... Utah was not researched much as we had never been there.. we did an unplanned drive thru Monument Valley/Moab on our way home instead of taking the interstate as we had planned. We were amazed and loved it! That is why this trip... to go back to see all the things we missed! And I think I am quite flexible... if we like something we will stop and check it out... it is not about the destination as much as the journey... a key thing in the success of a great road trip.... if we plan to stay 3 days someplace and see it all in 2 and are ready to move on.. we will. Thanks for your advice! :)

[bctraveler]

I think I am removing Zion NP from the itinerary... there is so much to see there that I don't think 1 day will do it justice, and I also want to do Page area one time and some other sites in area that would make a great trip! So I will add that extra day to the area from Boulder-Bryce canyon (looks like alot of interesting things to see) and 1 day for Bryce Canyon. I am also taking your advice and going from Cody-Jackson(stay there) and then head onto Fruita Co next day(spend nite there) and then continue to Moab area.

[bctraveler]

(spend nite in missoula/butte/bozeman) butte has motel 6, etc (motel 1 nite) or try for bozeman
day 1-butte/bozeman-yellowstone (tour part of yellowstone) from livingstone-cody- arrive late (sleep here)
day 2- tour cody (sleep here)
day 3-cody-yellowstone loop to old faithful/grand tenton-jackson (sleep here)
check out elk reserve at jackson(sleep here)
day 4- jackson-287 kms>rock springs-114 kms>dutch john (flaming gorge)-280kms>fruita co 682kms total (sleep here?)
day 5- fruita-moab (via scenic 128 via cisco)>145kms
stay in dead horse sp 3 nites (sleep here)
day 6-tour canyonlands in the sky np (near to dead horse sp) (sleep here)
day 7-pothash rd (native pictographs)-jet boat tour of colorado river? (sleep here)
day 8-9-moab-monticello-mesa verde np (2 nites)
day 8- tour needles np ( newspaper rock) pictographs on way to mesa verde np-hole in rock (sleep here)
day 9- tour mesa verde- (sleep here)
day 10-11-12-mesa verde-hovenweep nm-blanding-natural bridges nm-hanksville-torrey (drive day) (3 nites)
day 10-travel from mesa verde-hovenweep nm-bluff
(quick detour to check out old town of bluff)-natural bridges nm-hanksville-torrey (sleep here) arrive later
day 11-tour capital reef np-fruita (sleep here)
day 12-tour boulder/anasazi nm/burr trail (sleep here)
day 13-14-torrey-bryce canyon (2 nites)
day 13- sightsee from boulder to bryce canyon (sleep here)
day 14- sightsee bryce canyon (sleep here)
day 15-bryce canyon >35kms>panguitch>beaver>359kms> ely nv>
sightsee along way leeman caves in great basin np, migill drugstore museum, cave lake
day 16-ely nv>via wendover-montello- 93-30-15>604kms>pocotella id>409kms>butte mt>194kms>missoula mt long drive day! Or go ½ way and stay someplace

[bctraveler]

Well trip is booked this time- Think I have it all planned-Tent camping is all booked. I know the Yellowstone/Grand Tenton is a drive thru- but can always come back- the focus is on the Utah area-everything else is just extra icing on the cake! The nights that we are staying in motel is so we can arrive later and have a longer driving day with hopefully some sightseeing. Thanks for input from this site!

Aug 28,2013- leave BC for Butte or Bozeman Mt- stay in motel
Aug 29-30Butte-Cody via Yellowstone(sightsee-Gardiner-Norris-Tower Junction-Cooke City)
tent camp at Ponderosa campground in town of Cody(Booked 2 nites)
Aug 30-Tour Cody
Aug 31-Cody-Yellowstone(East Entrance-Fishing Bridge-West Thumb-Old Faithful)-Grand Tentons-Jackson-Rock Springs- stay in motel
Sept 1-Rock Springs Wy- Fruita Col. via Vernal-Rangley sightsee Colorado National Monument
(Booked 1 night at James Robb State Park)
Sept2-3-4 Fruita-Cisco(scenic byway)-Dead Horse State booked 3 nites
TOUR CANYONLANDS IN THE SKY NP-Potash Rd-swim Mills Creek Rd-Dead horse State park-Needles if time or maybe back into Arches
Sept 5-6 Moab-Mesa Verde- Booked 2 nites Morefield campground in park
Tour Mesa Verde and area
Sept 6-7-8-MESA VERDE-HOVENWEEP NM-BLANDING-NATURAL BRIDGES NM-HANKSVILLE-TORREY (DRIVE DAY)
(Booked 3 NITES AT THOUSAND LAKE CAMPGROUND IN TORREY)
TOUR CAPITAL REEF NP-FRUITA
IF GO TO GOBLIN SP CHECK OUT Little Wild Horse Canyon FOR EASY SLOT CANYON????
TOUR BOULDER/ANASAZI NM/BURR TRAIL
Sept 9-Torrey-Bryce Canyon(Booked 1 nite Sunset Campground in park) Tour Bryce Canyon
Sept 10-Bryce Canyon-Kodachrome SP-Booked 1 nite- Tour Park-Willis Creek Slot Canyon????
Sept 11-Kodachrome Sp-CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT-Cathedral Gorge Sp-WARD CHARCOAL OVENS-Ely NV-Spend nite in motel
Sept 12-13 Ely NV-BC ( Either via Missoula/Kalispell Montana or Twin Falls/Boise/Coure de Laine Washington)
Any suggestions for interesting sights along either route? Stop and spend nights in motel

[AZBuck]

I assume that this is the same trip you were planning last year, no?

One quick side trip suggestion for southeastern Utah: Goosenecks State Park is just a short drive up UT-261/UT-316 from US-191 just north of Medicine Hat.

AZBuck

[bctraveler]

Yes, it is! But with a few changes and all the wrinkles figured out I hope. Thought I would share the campgrounds, etc that are booked and some other interesting details that I have found to see along the way.We were going from Cortez-Hovenweep NM-Blanding-Natural Bridge NM-Hite-Hanskville-Torrey.... Is that not a good road from Cortez-near Blanding? I have seen the Goosenecks SP while researching and thought that would be for another trip if we ever go to Monument Valley or into that area.

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about the same trip in the same thread.