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Well, you can camp anywhere in a National Forest for free but you will have no facilities. However you can find some official primitive sites.
As others have said, Yellowstone is bumper to bumper even on a non holiday. It's wretchedly crowded.
If you like history Little Big Horn, in spite of its bland rolling prairie terrain is very dynamic. When I visited there were three presentations by Park Rangers directly on the battlefield and these guys were such skilled speakers that they brought the past right into the present. Nearly half the audience were close to tears by the time they were done. And they did an excellent job of presenting this significant historical event from a variety of perspectives. Very impressive.
The trip from Spearfish. SD through Spearfish Canyon down to Rapid City, SD is beautiful. The SD Badlands are a bizarre and breath-taking experience if you are interested in geology. Take that stretch in the early morning or the heat will be oppressive.
We are interested in geology. I was also thinking of the Missouri Breaks National Monument although not sure where exactly to go to see things. It is large.
In that case, do make plans to go back and see Yellowstone in the spring (May or early June) or the fall (September through early October) should you decide to skip it this time around. Yellowstone's thermal features, along with the other evidence of volcanism that is scattered around throughout the park, are not to be missed!
I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean but no, you can't camp just anywhere.
There are camping resorts all along that way or at least there used to be. They're almost like dude ranches - they'll have showers and horseback rides and stuff like that.
But even there, it can be a little hairy. My supervisor was telling us how he and his friends had to drive straight through once because the first three campgrounds they stopped at were closed because of a bear attack.
I remember the first visit I made to Yellowstone ages ago. We put up our cheap 2 person tent in a campground & then took a walk around for an hour or so. Came back to our car & tent & sat down at the picnic style table there & immediately a man came over from the next campsite & asked "Did you see that?" He looked quite shaken & pointed to his tent which was torn apart, apparently a bear had just gotten done tearing it to pieces in search of food & we missed the whole thing by a matter of minutes.
In a short while the Park Rangers put a bear trap in the space that our neighbor's tent had previously occupied & my girlfriend & I slept in the car that night. It was a Volkswagen so we didn't get much sleep.
Try to avoid Yellowstone on Labor Day Weekend (traffic / lodging / wildlife / services / Viewpoints will be a less than optimal experience) If you are hoping to spend a few days...shift trip a few days. (Later than Labor Day preferred).
Or... Do the 'Stealth visit...' Into the park at 5AM - see all you can before 10 AM (when families arrive). Also OK between 6 PM and 10 pm. I have done many <1 day trips through Yellowstone as a scenic transit route when nearby.
Or... if just passing through, and can later return... do a less traveled route. Such as the NE entrance (Beartooth Highway, (NE is My favorite part of YNP)) and out the NW Entrance (miss Yellowstone Lake / Old Faithful... come back later (in winter is nice).
Or ... also crowded, but very scenic Tetons!!!
Other stuff between MN and SEA... lots
Mitchell Corn Palace,
Wall Drug,
Badlands,
Wind Cave
Black Hills (Needles Parkway)
Devils Tower
Buffalo
Sheridan
Big Horns (I prefer 14 and 14a (Burgess Jct > Lovell)
(Thermopolis / Cody / or Red Lodge / Yellowstone / Tetons)
Virginia City, MT
Bitterroot valley, MT (Hamilton)
then take hwy 12 near Missoula through the ID Clearwater canyon to Lewiston.,
Look to Scenic Byways and Roadside America for unique options.
This might be a bit ambitious for six to seven days but there are lots of these not be missed. If you are going through North Dakota one that should not be missed is Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit for sure, if you have time the North Unit is neat). Also if you go do Badlands should you choose South Dakota, maybe stop at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Agreed that if you go to Yellowstone (whenever that is), definitely include Grand Teton. It’s wonderful and quite different from Yellowstone. Also consider spending at least a day in Jackson, just south of Grand Teton.
absolutely stop at Little Big Horn, the site contains much more than Last Stand Hill and offers a driving tour that can be downloaded or purchased at the Visitor Center which really brings the many components of the battle into focus.
Skip I90 and the SD sites for a later time as they deserve a separate visit and can be easily reached in a day from Minnesota anyway. I94 is actually quicker (unless you're in Southern MN) with the higher speed limits and less traffic. We have made the drive to LBH in a single day from Minneapolis, tho that doesn't leave much time to see anything other than the visitors center and Last Stand Hill. Stay in either Miles City, or backtrack the 60 miles from Billings and see it the second day.
We did the Minnesota to Yellowstone trip a few years ago. We went the 2nd week of Sept after school started and we practically had the run of the place at Yellowstone. The weather was perfect and very little traffic. We stayed in a motel for 2day/nights at West Yellowstone just a few minutes outside the park.
On the way to Yellowstone we stopped at Wall Drug, the Corn Palace, Rapid City/Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, SD Air/Space Museum, Sturgis and it's Motorcycle Museum. After Yellowstone we went to Jackson Hole and the Tetons.
Every stop was well worth the time and effort. All good photo shoots too.
DW and I will be driving from Minnesota to Seattle in late August and wanted to stop and see Yellowstone. I was hoping to rent a cabin but they are full. Unfortunately we will be going through right at the start of Labor Day weekend.
My question: Is it possible to stay outside the park and drive in daily to see stuff? Any recommendations where to stay? We won't be camping. But don't mind cooking our meals.
How much time would you take in the park?
What else do you recommend between MN and WA. I was thinking of Little Big Horn. What else? We like nature, bird-watching in particular. Glacier Park sounds interesting but perhaps a bit out of the way.
We have six-seven days to to the drive.
We just got back and we stayed at an Awesome cabin about 20 miles from the Northeast entrance. had to go through Montana to get there.
Best thing to do in Yellowstone: Hike. get a backpack with some snacks, canteen, bear spray (we never needed it but it is available all over) and choose a trail...any trail from a parking area and start walking ! the best parts are far away from the roads, far away from people and quiet. We could hear Bison chewing their food as they ate grass not 25 feet from us, no one else was around.
Someone who stayed in the park said you get about a 1 Star Hotel equivalent for $300 a night. Did not recommend it no matter how convenient it is
BUT do eat ata restaurant, once if just to get a Bison burger. Delicious. Oh and sample the ice cream in the back of the big store near Old Faithful. Just follow the line. Good ice cream.
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