yellowstone in early sept..temps? busy?

[buckeyegal]

Thanks for the campground recommendations. Do they book up quickly?

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by buckeyegal

Thanks for the campground recommendations. Do they book up quickly?

Yes, in peak season, may thru sept.

[bikendan]

yep, we arrived after Labor Day and it still was a busy place. but we were so glad we visited in Sept.
although some of the well-known activities were not available, we were fine with missing them, so that we didn't have to deal with crowds.

Madison and Grant were nearly full all week. we made reservations and were glad we did, otherwise we would have to wait at the entrance to see if any sites were available for the day.
plus being from California, we don't believe in just winging it, when it comes to getting campsites. can't "wing" it in California.

[Canonman]

You are in for a great trip. We always wait for the kiddie-poos to get back to school to travel to parks like Yellow Stone. Here is the best way we've found to reserve sites in the National Parks and Forest Service camp grounds, Federal recreation, camping and tour reservation information - Recreation.gov. We like Grand Teton as much as Y.S.
If your interested in what "not to miss" just ask. We love the place

[ironj]

What sites in the tetons and inside Yellowstone do u recommend?..thats my biggest step yet...we have a fairly long trailer and dont want to be crammed in a site. ..

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[ironj]

Was thinking colter bay and madison or grant inside?

sent from fat fingers with no regard to grammer via a space dish thingy

[Canonman]

Federal recreation, camping and tour reservation information - Recreation.gov Goto recreation .gov site. From there you can enter the campground by name, state dates etc. Once you have the CG up you can see a map of the CG or a list of sites. When you roll over a site it will give you the length etc. Our camper is 24' and yes it can get tight backing into some spots

[ironj]

i think we have settled so far on grant......any feedback on this site? its more in the middle of the park...and it has a table and fire ring....looks to have a lil more elbow room...

can i run my genny in this site?

i could not access it from the link you provided?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by ironj

i think we have settled so far on grant......any feedback on this site? its more in the middle of the park...and it has a table and fire ring....looks to have a lil more elbow room...

can i run my genny in this site?

not sure what map you're looking at but Grant is at the very bottom of the park.
it'll be an all day drive just to get to the north end and back, even if you don't stop much.

yes, you can run the generator but only certain hours. and yes, most of Grant's sites are a good size. some loops are better than others.

[ironj]

so of the parks that are reservable which would u recommend?

now that i look at it when i was referring to the location i meant madison camp........

also all these sites say 40ft or less TOTAL for trailer and vehicle?...my dang trailer is nearly 40ft not including the truck!?

or does that mean if you plan on trying to fit it all in the site connected?confused....40ft total dont leave a whole lot of trailer when your tv is a crew cab f250.....lol

thanks!!

jeremy

[Oakman]

Most of the larger campgrounds in Yellowstone have some sites that can handle the longer rigs. The earlier you make reservations the better your chances are of getting one of those sites. At Madison there is a parking area for tow vehicles that don’t fit in the site with the trailer. You have to remember these campgrounds were developed most people tent camped.

If you’re looking for a centrally located campground within the park Canyon is probably the best. I’m not familiar with Canyon Campground so I can’t give a lot of info about it. Canyon Village is next to the campground there and has restaurants and stores. With the number of sites available at Canyon I would think there would be some that can handle your rig. The only drawback to Canyon is it doesn’t have a dump station. To dump you would have to go to one of the campgrounds that have one. Dump stations are at Fishing Bridge, Bridge Bay, Madison, and Grant Village. Another big plus for Canyon is it has a service station with gas and diesel available.

Regardless of which campground you choose you will still have a lot of driving to do, Yellowstone is HUGE. Don’t get in a rush and do expect to get caught in an animal jam. Don’t try to buffalo a buffalo with your truck or you might end up with damage to your vehicle the way this guy in this video did.

Yellowstone bison rams a minivan.m4v - YouTube

Keep in mind that nature and animals rule in Yellowstone and you’re the outsider. I would love to spend an entire summer in Yellowstone.

[ironj]

ha thanks...ill probably just give em a call tomorrow and make sure....i havent looked at canyon yet....i figured we would do a lot of driving....i carry 72 gals of diesel when full hope i dont need to refill in the 4 days im there...LOL

as far as moving bison, i dont plan on it......actually one of our state parks i frequent (caprock canyon in texas) has a bison herd as well.....they frequently block the entrance road and others.....they are big for sure...could easily tear up a shiny tow vehicle..

but hey this is texas...i once totalled a truck hitting a wild hog.....lil mean nasty things!!

[Canonman]

Oakman has some good advice. Canyon is an excellent choice. We also like Madison and didn't have any problem parking. Once you have your TT parked you can usually put the TV sort of next to it. Madison Junction allows you to be closer to the Geyser basin (Old Faithful) as well as easy access to Norris, Canyon, Mammoth and Grant. The meadow at Madison almost always has an elk herd and fall is a perfect time to watch the interaction of the bulls and cows as they begin the rut. As you can see from the map several loops provide excellent day trip opportunities. Nothing like an early morning walk with all the natural beauty and wildlife right outside the camper. And at least one evening take the portable BBQ to Lake Butte, just past the Fishing Bridge for a sunset dinner. Very beautiful. You really can't go wrong just about anyplace in the park.

[dutch]

This is a great thread on Yellowstone information, we are heading there in Sept too, we are looking also what is the best place to stay inside or outside the park, if we stay outside is there a long line to get back in the park in the mornings, are there more that one opening to that park? or should we stay inside and what would be the best place to stay with a 38ft MH with a toad? The DW whats full hookup. we will also be going to Mt Rushmore any information where to stay in that area? Since this is the first time we are going out west we do not want to miss anything and we might not be back in the area, any information on where to stay and what is a must to see would be greatly appreciated. we are hopeing to do this in two and half weeks leaving from Pittsburgh if anybody has gone that way from here any suggesting on route. I know this is a long thread but this is a great place to ask questions and i would like to Thank every one in advance.

[Canonman]

Originally Posted by dutch

This is a great thread on Yellowstone information, we are heading there in Sept too, we are looking also what is the best place to stay inside or outside the park, if we stay outside is there a long line to get back in the park in the mornings, are there more that one opening to that park? or should we stay inside and what would be the best place to stay with a 38ft MH with a toad? The DW whats full hookup. we will also be going to Mt Rushmore any information where to stay in that area? Since this is the first time we are going out west we do not want to miss anything and we might not be back in the area, any information on where to stay and what is a must to see would be greatly appreciated. we are hopeing to do this in two and half weeks leaving from Pittsburgh if anybody has gone that way from here any suggesting on route. I know this is a long thread but this is a great place to ask questions and i would like to Thank every one in advance.

Can't be much help with Mt Rushmore, (still on the bucket list). You might take a look at motoring through Yellowstone from the East entrance to West Yellowstone (West Park Entrance) West YS has some really nice RV Parks for big rigs and the park entrance is practically on the end of Main Street. Early risers won't have any problems with lines. If you wait until after a "leisurely" breakfast there might be a 5 or 10 min wait. IMHO West is probably the best access for a base camp to the rest of the park. Just because you're nearly there and the pass is included with your YS park pass, travel down to Grand Teton NP Really pretty there with lots of wildlife. Not to be missed for 1/2 day drive. Good RV parks around there too!

[ironj]

Originally Posted by dutch

This is a great thread on Yellowstone information, we are heading there in Sept too, we are looking also what is the best place to stay inside or outside the park, if we stay outside is there a long line to get back in the park in the mornings, are there more that one opening to that park? or should we stay inside and what would be the best place to stay with a 38ft MH with a toad? The DW whats full hookup. we will also be going to Mt Rushmore any information where to stay in that area? Since this is the first time we are going out west we do not want to miss anything and we might not be back in the area, any information on where to stay and what is a must to see would be greatly appreciated. we are hopeing to do this in two and half weeks leaving from Pittsburgh if anybody has gone that way from here any suggesting on route. I know this is a long thread but this is a great place to ask questions and i would like to Thank every one in advance.

We are coming from the south (texas)...we are gonna do rushmore too!!......2-3 days in tetons, 3-4 days in yellowstone and then maybe one at rushmore...!..will be the longest trip we have taken with the trailer.....1300 miles each way..hopefully we can find some interesting things along the way!..

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[acadianbob]

Yellowstone is busy in September. You'll want reservations for camping. The bigger your rig, the more you need reservations.

We stayed an Canyon Village because it is more centrally located. Lot's of driving and traffic in Yellowstone!

September will be cool and it could snow. You'll want electricity if you can get it. Remember that generators are not allowed at most of their campgrounds.

[Oakman]

Great photos again Canonman.

@dutch: The three campgrounds in the Mt. Rushmore area that I would recommend are Rafter J, Horse Thief, and the KOA, in that order of preference.

@ironj: Don’t shorten the number of days at the Tetons and Yellowstone but I would plan on two days in the Rushmore area. Be sure to take a drive into Custer State Park and drive the loop road for some great animal viewing.

Here’s another Yellowstone heads up. Chances are there will be major road construction somewhere within the park. Be sure to check out the NPS Yellowstone website for road construction information and plan accordingly. It can cause quite a delay in some areas during times when the park is crowded.

Road construction in the Yellowstone area usually isn't just re-paving, it reconstruction like this.

[ironj]

Originally Posted by acadianbob

Yellowstone is busy in September. You'll want reservations for camping. The bigger your rig, the more you need reservations.

We stayed an Canyon Village because it is more centrally located. Lot's of driving and traffic in Yellowstone!

September will be cool and it could snow. You'll want electricity if you can get it. Remember that generators are not allowed at most of their campgrounds.

which cg that xanterra runs do not allow at least some genny use in designated spots besides fishing bridge? as far as i was told there are time restrictions (8am-8pm) and of course db limits.....but for most of the rv parks i inquired about allowed genny usage....

i think i was told the db limit was like 70......i think that is a little bit generous....even my loud champion genny is no where near that...

[bikendan]

ironj, we stayed in Madison and had a long drive-thru site but our HTT is only 24' long.
i don't remember seeing a combo as long as yours there.
you'll need to call them directly or park your truck somewhere else.