Phx, Bryce canyon UT, to Idaho then West/Yellowstone

[ostbob]

First major RV trip and looking for suggested stops, RV campgrounds and major road warnings like steep grades or very narrow curvy roads. Will be driving a 29" foot Forest River with a TOAD. Would prefer CG's with good wifi.

After Yellowstone will be heading to Jackson Hole WY., then up to Mount Rushmore. Custers national park. Ect. any suggestions on parks and roads to stay away from?

After Yellowstone will be heading to Jackson Hole WY., then up to Mount Rushmore. Custers national park. Ect. any suggestions on parks and roads to stay away from?
Planning on driving about 5 hours each day. Can we do it with out making reservations if we travel in May or will the parks be full by then? Hate to have to push it to make a reservation date if we don't have to.

Thank You

[rbq]

Crowds will be sparse in May. Be prepared for possible snow or cold weather in Yellowstone in May. If you're going to Yellowstone from Utah the best route is 1-15 to Idaho Falls then over to West Yellowstone. About 5+ hours from Salt Lake. Then to get to Jackson you will just go out the south entrance of Yellowstone. Or you could do the opposite & go to Jackson first & then go out the east entrance to Cody Wyoming. Number of different ways to get there from Utah.

[CHICKDOE]

kinda did part of that trip last year. if you are going to zion we stayed in a nice rv park in hurricane, UT. for Bryce we absolutely loved the scenary at the ruby's in rv park in Bryce canyon city. only thing is to get there you go through 2 low tunnels in red canyon. we made it but we stopped traffic and drove down the middle of the tunnel (highest point). at west Yellowstone the we stayed at grizzly rv park. a bit pricey but very nice. we stayed at an rv park in provo that was ok. I can't remember the name of it but it was to the west of I-15 towards the salt lake and it was neat a small airport.

[ostbob]

Originally Posted by rbq

Crowds will be sparse in May. Be prepared for possible snow or cold weather in Yellowstone in May. If you're going to Yellowstone from Utah the best route is 1-15 to Idaho Falls then over to West Yellowstone. About 5+ hours from Salt Lake. Then to get to Jackson you will just go out the south entrance of Yellowstone. Or you could do the opposite & go to Jackson first & then go out the east entrance to Cody Wyoming. Number of different ways to get there from Utah.

Is that road through Yellowstone OK for a Large RV with a TOAD?

and thanks for the info

[tstanger]

If you can stop at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Much quieter than the South Rim. Just gorgeous!! Cocktails at sunset, on the patio, overlooking the canyon. BYOB or hit up the bar.

Another good stopover, Lone Rock Primitive Campground outside of Page, AZ. On the beach of Lake Powell.

Grand Staircase Escalante is a great place to hike. I would advise getting a guide. Grand Staircase Discovery Tours - Home . I hiked with Chris. It was AWESOME!!!!

Stayed at the Richfield, UT KOA off 70. It was nice.

[reddiver]

The campground in Provo is by Utah Lake, a fresh (sort of) water lake. The Salt Lake is farther north west of SLC.

[bpadamson]

Originally Posted by ostbob

Is that road through Yellowstone OK for a Large RV with a TOAD?

and thanks for the info

Don't know how long your RV is but we did fine with a 32' fifth behind our pickup. If you want to be in Yellowstone in May, it won't be the roads; but the snow on the roads that may give you fits. You may run into some issues; however their website gives open/closed roads and weather reports.

[Telstar]

We've been to Yellowstone many times and always stay at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Resort which is one mile from the west entrance. in the Bryce/Zion area our go to place is Zion River Resort in Virgin. We never traveling the 15 from our home in SOCAL that's our first stop.

[ostbob]

Outstanding information, thank you very much! I'm going to research each and everyone of the suggested CG's.

[lbrjet]

There is a great KOA with easy access in SLC. Across the street from the train down to the temple. Was interesting.

No problems with the roads in Yellowstone, except maybe snow.

There is a Custer State Park and Badlands NP, not sure which one you were talking about.


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[camaraderie]

You've got good advice from folks above so I'll try not to repeat much!
From Yellowstone the road south to Jackson hole is just fine as are the roads on the "loop" in Yellowstone. We stayed at the Fishing Bridge campground in Yellowstone near the lake and loved that area...of course anything in Yellowstone requires early as possible booking but there are several nice campgrounds outside of the west entrance including 2 KOA's (the northernmost is one of our favorites) with all ameneties. Going down to Jackson Hole you'll want to spend some time at Grand Teton...not to be missed. Their campground is GREAT and you can take a boat ride across the lake to short hikes and waterfalls. The scenery is spectacular. In Jackson Hole the Virginian RV park is wonderful and right next to the free bus which will take you all over town...and the library with a great paperback book bag deal is right across the street.
You'll love Bryce...I concur on the Ruby's recommendation.
Custer State Park is a must see...BOTH LOOPS...wildlife and scenic. We stayed outside the town of Custer in Beaver Lake campground...which is lovely...but don't let them put you all the way down the hill...get up close to the office area. Excellent park. While you're seeing Custer and Rushmore...consider a stop a Spearfish and Deadwood which are both interesting. Sturgis is nearby if you're a bike rider and wan to visit Mecca!
Have fun!!

[CedarCreekWoody]

I would suggest Jackson first, then work north. West Yellowstone gives great park access, lots of campgrounds. Gardiner MT is also nice. If you are going to the Custer battleground it is in MT, not at Custer state Park in WY. A good exit from Yellowstone is north through Gardiner, on up to the interstate hwy, then west to the battleground. From there go on SE down into WY and on to Rushmore. We were there last fall.
Spend some time at the battleground, drive it out. The versions you see in the movies are NOT what happened. Did you know Custer was not scalped because the Indians didn't recognize him? He got a haircut before the battle. Or that his death was most likely a suicide? Very interesting history throughout this entire area.

[Vardo Gypsy]

Jackson and Yellowstone is my old stomping grounds for 30 years. When traveling through Utah, there is a nice camp ground about 5 miles East of Nephi up a canyon called Big Mountain Camp Ground. It use to be a KOA and has a swimming pool. Next stop would be about 6 hours up I-15 at the KOA in Idaho Falls. I would then go North on State Hwy. 20 90 miles to Sawtelle Mountain Camp Ground in Island Park Idaho. It is very nice, in the pine trees, Hot tub, swimming pool and you can have fires. This is only 25 minutes from West Yellowstone and 1/2 the price of the crowded KOA camp grounds at West Yellowstone. There is a lot to see in the Island Park Area. You can take day trips from there to old ghost towns and drive many scenic routes from this location. I would then drive through Yellowstone and go out the South entrance and camp at the Head Waters Camp Ground at Flags Ranch. They have full hook ups with large camp spots. Lots of trees. It is still about 1 hour to Jackson, but you will not find anything better near Jackson. There is a camp ground at Colter Bay, right on Jackson Lake and it looks straight across the lake to the Tetons. An amazing sight, with the scenery you can see why. I would then go back out the North entrance at Gardner MT and follow the Yellowstone river to Livingston and go East on I-80. This will take you through Billings and on to the Little Big Horn. Have Fun!!

[Jakieboy]

If you can get a reservation at Colter Bay RV Park it is the best location in the area, right in Grand Teton NP at the shores of Lake Jackson. It is usually fully booked up to a year in advance. Good RV parks in the town of Jackson would be alternatives. We agree that Zion River RV is one of the best near Zion NP. At Salt Lake City, we likie Pony Express RV on the northwest corner of the I-215 by-pass. Mountain View RV in the town of Sundance, WY is great, easy access, and near Sturgis and Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, etc.

[ostbob]

Wow, so much information its a good thing I started planning early. It's looking more and more like there's no way to beat the crowds and stay out of the snow and hit all the places we want to go in one trip. It also looks like we might want to stay in some of them longer than the one or two days we were planning with the exception of Yellowstone which we planned on staying for a week or so.

No way we can make reservations this far in advance especially on our first major trip, would hate to be rushed to make a reservation deadline or do most people make more than one reservation and then cancel if their plans change?

[peaceparson]

We're headed to Yellowstone, too, but in June. Just planned our stay--at Rainbow Point near Bozeman Montana. We will be leaving from NE Indiana, to Lincoln NE, then Estes Park, CO for daughter's wedding, and on to Yellowstone. The Gallatin Forest campgrounds seemed to be very quiet and are not far from the park entrance. We chose the west side because of the major sights we want to see in only a few days. And, when we leave, we will continue through Montana into the Dakotas to visit family before heading back to Indiana. The wife is quite nervous about the roads, but we plan to stay on the major highways and not take short-cuts that might get us into trouble. There are bound to be steep grades through the mountains, but are taking steps to lighten our load to a minimum, and get both car and trailer into top shape before setting out. We'll be on I-80 and !91 most of the time. Anyone know of specific problems we might encounter? We pull a FR PUP with our '07 Pacifica.

[CedarCreekWoody]

It sounds like you have a good plan. Roads should all be good by then. Some great sites to see!