Help on 2 week west vacation

[TTNewbees]

We are planning a 2 week vacation late June 2012 and starting to make reservations and looking for some experienced help. Leaving from Illinois and looking for any camping recommendations in the badlands and grand Tetons/Jackson hole area.

Any recommendations or experiences in these areas?

Looks like we will stay 4 nights at fishing bridge in yellowstone.

[f1100turbo]

altho I cant help you on your camping trip where are you in illinois ?

[TTNewbees]

An hour Northwest of Chicago, Algonquin.

[essness]

Originally Posted by TTNewbees

An hour Northwest of Chicago, Algonquin.

Not terribly far from me We did not camp but, took a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons 2 years ago. If we were to go back and camp, we would stay down in Tetons and drive up to Yellowstone for our day trips. Tetons was a lot quieter, less traffic, and just generally more relaxing. Good luck with the trip! It's a beutiful area.

[OffPavement]

South of Wall, SD is a really nice boondocking spot... Free RV Camping - Wall, South Dakota Public National Grasslands.

I'd drive by Mt Rushmore. Crazy Horse monument is a work in progress... don't expect to see a lot more than you see from the highway entrance.

The commercial campground at Devil's tower is pretty nice, and the campground inside the monument has nice views.

Grand Teton National Park has the Gros Ventre campground on the south end of the park. We've never seen this campground full. No hookups but dump and fresh water station. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are in bear country. There are length restrictions in some of the National Park campgrounds... not so for Gros Ventre campground. (Pronounced Grow Vaunt)

National Forest campgrounds are available all over the west. Speaking of National Forests, did you know that Nebraska has a National Forest? Click here for more info... Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands- Home/

When we travel, we prefered state park campgrounds to RV parks whenever possible. Private parks are pretty convenient, but some of them really pack folks in tight and their rates are plenty high. Public state and federal campgrounds may offer power and water, and dump facilities a short distance from your campsite. For example in the Denver CO area... Chatfield Home Page | Colorado State Parks

Don't forget state and federal recreation areas... lots of possibilities.

Bureau of Land Management might have the type of camping you are looking for if you are into remote locations. Many BLM sites are really remote, while others in the Colorado mountains are close to tourist areas... BLM Colorado | Recreation | Camping

Across Nebraska on just about any highway other than the I-80, town parks offer free or donation camping with power and water, and a dump station nearby too... RV Camping - Cambridge, Nebraska is just one example.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota is off the beaten path a bit, but a great place to avoid crowds and see some fantastic badlands most folks never go to... http://www.nps.gov/thro/

This web site has information and links to most public and private campgrounds where ever you might travel... www.rv-camping.org

The time you plan to travel is ahead of peak season in Wyoming. You will likely see snow in Yellowstone along the road at the least, and some roads may still be closed. There are a lot of twisting mountain roads into and out of Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

That should keep you busy researching for a day or so...

[bikendan]

we stayed at Colter Bay CG, after a week at Yellowstone.
i hate to disagree with a fellow member but using the Tetons as a base for visiting Yellowstone is not a good idea, unless you only want to see the south end of the park.
YNP is huge and takes a long time just to drive short distances.
after driving from Grant Village in the south end, to Colter Bay in GTNP, we were so glad that we stayed in YNP, instead of trying to drive from the Tetons.
wasn't that long of a distance but you end up driving a long time, due to speed limits, traffic and road work.

[essness]

I guess we view the drive as part of the overall expirience. We enjoyed both parks but found the Tetons to be a more laid back area with less traffic.
So, I guess it really depends on what your looking for

[oldprof1]

Stayed in the campground behind the Virginian Lodge last summer in "down town" Jackson Hole. I think it was a Good Sam's park but it puts you 10 minutes to all attractions, white water rafting, bar 5 T ranch dinner show etc. We had a great time! I would rate the campground at a 7-8 out of 10.