First Long Trip-So Cal to Yellowstone & Zion

[Ginar695]

Hi! We just upgraded from a pull behind to a fifth wheel and are finally planning our first long trip for next summer. We're pulling a 40 foot WolfPack325 Pack13 with our 3500 Chevy Silverado. We'll be leaving from the San Diego area heading to Zion for just a few days and then to Yellowstone. We hope to take a total of two weeks for our trip. We have to leave in the summer because we have a 13 year old. Looking for best time between June and August to visit and best routes and campsite recommendations please. We usually just do trips no longer than about 2 hours to the desert and the beach so we're pretty excited to finally take a long trip this time. Thanks in advance for all your recommendations! So glad we found this group!

[Capt Kidd]

Plan ahead as things get crowded in the summer. Make reservations. Relax and have fun!

[sailski]

Originally Posted by Ginar695

Hi! We just upgraded from a pull behind to a fifth wheel and are finally planning our first long trip for next summer. We're pulling a 40 foot WolfPack325 Pack13 with our 3500 Chevy Silverado. We'll be leaving from the San Diego area heading to Zion for just a few days and then to Yellowstone. We hope to take a total of two weeks for our trip. We have to leave in the summer because we have a 13 year old. Looking for best time between June and August to visit and best routes and campsite recommendations please. We usually just do trips no longer than about 2 hours to the desert and the beach so we're pretty excited to finally take a long trip this time. Thanks in advance for all your recommendations! So glad we found this group!

I would recommend doing either since there is a lot to see and do in both parks and other nearby to see as well. Zion and Utah are hot in the summer so you might rule them out in July and August but there you can also visit Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyon Lands, Arches and more without 2 days drive to Yellowstone. However, the temps around Yellowstone are more comfortable in the summer and you are in a very large park that is right next to Grand Teton NP and near lots of other places.

[spock123]

A good campground to stay at is Fishing Bridge inside Yellowstone but it’s closed next year. In West Yellowstone MT is Grizzly RV campground, a great campground

[jdebevec]

We weren't able to stay at Fishing Bridge, so we stayed at Colter Bay in Grand Teton NP. Then we took day trips into Yellowstone... lots of extra driving every day, but Colter Bay was very nice. Easy to walk to the lodge which had a store, laundry, etc. and a short walk to the lake for unbelievable views.
Fishing Bridge would have been much closer and saved a lot of driving but it was booked several months in advance. You just don't appreciate the long distances in between places in Yellowstone until you're hungry or have to go to the bathroom, every parking lot is jammed, and traffic is at a standstill because someone saw a gopher cross the road. So we picked just one area to visit each day and didn't try to plan too much.