Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Jackson, worth an only 3 day trip? (Cody: camping, restaurant)

[PeachyMJ]

We are flying into SLC on Sept 11 and will have 3 1/2 days to do YNP, GT, and Custer. Hope we can get it all in. But, may have to make another trip.

[WyoNewk]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

We are flying into SLC on Sept 11 and will have 3 1/2 days to do YNP, GT, and Custer. Hope we can get it all in. But, may have to make another trip.

If you mean Custer State Park, I'd suggest you skip it all together this trip. It's a day-long drive from Yellowstone to Custer, and Custer State Park doesn't have much that you won't find in Yellowstone/GTNP anyway.

I'd STRONGLY recommend that you save Custer for another trip. Just fly to the Rapid City airport and go from there to Custer, Rushmore and all of the Black Hills... the NEXT time.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

We are flying into SLC on Sept 11 and will have 3 1/2 days to do YNP, GT, and Custer. Hope we can get it all in. But, may have to make another trip.

Where will you return from ? SLC?

The WE is critical in this Rapid trek. You need to be moving at all times.

I suggest a separate trip to SD, and enjoying more of WY, ID, UT this trip. You can pass thru Bearlake Via Logan, UT. Nice views, especially eastbound coming down into Bearlake (Garden City, UT). (BTW, this is not the fastest way to Tetons. Really nice aspen colors, but you are likely too early, still a very nice and scenic route)


To do the whole trip you would need to drive at night between YNP and Custer. Then you would miss the scenic Big Horn Mtns and Devil's Tower. (but not much else, tho those are each worth seeing)

There is plenty to see in SD to make it worth a separate trip. It is very hard to SEE the best of these regions when in a hurry. Animals, lighting, weather, health are all issues that are not necessarily 'on-your-schedule'. I.E., one hiccup and you are hosed.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

We are flying into SLC on Sept 11 and will have 3 1/2 days to do YNP, GT, and Custer. Hope we can get it all in. But, may have to make another trip.

You're kidding, right?

Is this an "iron butt" motorcycle tour you're planning?

Just to do the driving involved will require most of the daylight time you have, let alone stopping to see wildlife and enjoy the outdoors and scenery.

Doesn't anybody plan vacations to relax, unwind, see and enjoy stuff anymore?

Doesn't anybody plan time to spend on meals and relaxing? Doesn't anybody fish, or spend time with a camera getting pix of wildlife or scenery in the best light? Hike to more remote sites than what is within the first 100 yards from the parking lot? Explore the forest trails? Take a few hours for a horseback tour through the trails? (We even did that in England ... much better than National Trust tourist traps, we looked for "Pony Trekking" signs at the local estates and got to ride through the places that 90% of the tourists never see. In many cases, we saw stuff that was equal or better than the Nat'l Trust site, and a lot of times were guided by the property owner with local knowledge of the history, the flowers, the vegetation, the livestock, etc. No, I haven't seen the Tower, or many of the other big draw attractions ... but I did get to tour a lot of old mining site and equipment and explore the maritime history of the area ... which are topics of interest to me. But it all takes time, so we plan on going back for at least another 4 -5 trips of 2-3 weeks duration each.)

Or is the goal simply to have "bragging rights" that "we saw" ______ feature and got a picture of us there before blazing back to the car to put more miles on to the next _____ feature?

IMO, you're looking at three different trips to the region, at a minimum. And that's from the perspective of a regional local who can access any of these places within a couple of hours from the time I leave home, so most of my vacation time window is spent on-site.

[adelashk]

Or is the goal simply to have "bragging rights" that "we saw" ______ feature and got a picture of us there before blazing back to the car to put more miles on to the next _____ feature?

Pretty much. No just kidding, I think it is hard to gauge how many days to spend in an area if you have never been there. In case of PeachyMJ, CSP AND YNP is an overkill. I went to CSP/Mt. Rushmore area couple of weeks ago for 3 days and that was hardly enough, next time I go there I know exactly where to go and what activities I would like to do.

[PeachyMJ]

I'm thinking Battle of Little Big Horn is where I meant to say instead of Custer State Park. We will be going to the Dakota's on another trip, probably next Spring. Our goal is to visit all the states and we are closing in. The we, is my husband and I.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

I'm thinking Battle of Little Big Horn is where I meant to say instead of Custer State Park. We will be going to the Dakota's on another trip, probably next Spring. Our goal is to visit all the states and we are closing in. The we, is my husband and I.

The Custer Battle Field is by Crow Agency Montana. You had better plan a minimum of 3-4 hours there. Not a lot of places to get lunch or anything. So Ranchester, Sheridan area is the place to go eat. It's either that or Billings Mt.

If you leave the park and come over on 14 you'll drop right into Ranchester. Great restaurant/steak house in Ranchester. Then head West on I-90 and you'll be there in 40 minutes.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

I'm thinking Battle of Little Big Horn is where I meant to say instead of Custer State Park. .... Our goal is to visit all the states and we are closing in. ...

This is too far out of your way for this trip (at least 3.5 hrs to get there from central Yellowstone) and deserves some time as other stuff in that area does.

If touching MT is important, you can do it in a couple minutes from NW entrance to YNP (Gardiner, MT).

You can also touch MT while doing the Dakota's. Chimney Rock (NE WY) is pretty close to MT, but not nearly as close as Gardiner. There is a nice canyon beyond Gardiner that is very indicative of lots of western MT,(broad canyons and medium sized rivers (minus the trees enjoyed west of Missoula)) but of course, MT has some very special spots of its own.

I would suggest looping through MT in a few different spots, it is very diverse geologically. (NW, SO, East) as you work toward your 'all 50' goal.

ND you might want to go to Theo Roosevelt National Park. It is a really nice spot for ND. Maybe you can fit this in EnchantedHighway.net -- Enchanted Highway in Regent, North Dakota

Or when doing Black Hills / Badlands
The official website for Carhenge

If in WA danielklennert

Try to take the time for some 'unique' enjoyment. Shop and Eat at the local spots, and strike up conversations with locals at every opportunity. You will be enriched. America's Byways®: National Scenic Byways Online

Enjoy NW WY on this trip, as there is plenty to see and do, Be cautious of too much time spent in Jackson, as it is not very representative of WY. (crowds of non-local people, costs, activity, and entertainment offered). Afton (on your way through the Star Valley will be closer to WY 'Reality')

[Ravekid]

Originally Posted by PeachyMJ

I'm thinking Battle of Little Big Horn is where I meant to say instead of Custer State Park. We will be going to the Dakota's on another trip, probably next Spring. Our goal is to visit all the states and we are closing in. The we, is my husband and I.

Battle of Little Big Horn if far, far away from Yellowstone. What we did was leave Rapid City around 8:30-9AMish. We drove to Devil's Tower and did the one mile trail at the base of the tower (a very easy hike/walk). Then we got back on the interstate (our destination was Billings for an overnight stay) and ate lunch in Wyoming before finally arriving at the Little Big Horn Battlefield. Then we went onto Billings. This was basically an all day drive, I would say we arrived in Billings around 5:30PM to 6:30PM, can't remember. I know we went out for pizza and it was somewhat later in the evening.

Something that is somewhat closer (I think) would be the Bighorn Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. I didn't get to visit this on my trip out there, but it is in N. Wyoming.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Ravekid

Something that is somewhat closer (I think) would be the Bighorn Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. I didn't get to visit this on my trip out there, but it is in N. Wyoming.

Wyoming Medicine Wheel is 60+ miles West of Sheridan on 14A. Or East of Powell.