Teton - Yellowstone - Glacier

[sanjuan]

We are new to RVing (5th wheel) and looking for suggestions on Park Campgounds and private campgrounds at Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier. We note that in Yellowstone that Fishing Bridge is the only campground with full hookups, but some comments suggest it is very tight with RV with slides.
San Juan

[DSL417]

Grizzly in West Yellowstone, or Fishing Bridge in the park (but get you reservations NOW).

NPS campground in Tetons (again, get those reservations NOW).

[MrsChilerick]

Fishing Bridge is very tight, based on our drive thru in our toad last time we were there. We suggest Yellowstone Grizzly in a West Yellowstone.

[twogypsies]

Here's the official yellowstone web site with pictures of Fishing Bridge. To us, we've seen tighter private parks. Fishing Bridge is in a very convenient location. You'll be out touring all day anyway and tired when you return. You're not going to spend much time in the campground.

Fishing Bridge RV Park | Yellowstone National Park Lodges, Wyoming

The dry campgrounds in the park are our favorites - Madison, Bridge Bay or Mammoth.

For the Tetons, Colter RV is the one to stay for full hookups. Again, our preference are the dry campgrounds. Gros Ventre is our favorite and there's also Colter Bay campground - right next to the above-mentioned RV park.

For Glacier we stay at Apgar campground in the park.

Each of the national parks have wonderful web sites with lots of good information on campgrounds, roads, what to do, etc. Check them out. Have a great trip!

[richardcoxid]

YNP is about 45 miles E/W and about 65 miles N/S (2.2 mil. Acres total). The figure 8 loop road inside the park is about 140 miles around. The lower loop is 96 miles and the upper loop is 70 miles around and yes, it is bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Whatever time that you think you will need to see YNP you better double it, or to say it another way is that you will see one half as much in the allotted time. The Bison think that they own the road (they do!) and will slow down the traffic to walking speed or less for 1/4 mile or more, the thermal attractions also tie up traffic and with a 4-5 month long summer tourist season that coincides with a 4-5 month long road construction season and a 45 mph radar controlled speed limit it will take about a full day to see each loop and then you will only see the main attractions. In addition to the occasional construction delays they will also sometimes close whole sections of road (for uninterrupted night construction) between 10 PM and 8 AM in the morning, if you are running late and get caught at night in the wrong area it CAN be a LONG way around to your CG! I don't mean to scare you but to inform you of reality. (The entrance stations will have current construction information or go on line.)

Then there is the elevation- YNP ranges from a low at Mammoth- 6239 ft, Old Faithful- 7365 ft, up to 7734 ft at Canyon and Grant to 7784 ft at Fishing Bridge. Drink plenty of liquids and pace yourself when walking. And again I don't mean to scare you but rather to inform you, after all there is normally 3.5 million visitors annually.

I recommend that you get up EARLY, leave the CG and be back by 4 or 5 PM and be sitting in your recliner drinking a cool one when your neighbor drags himself back to the CG at 7-10 PM. Remember that from mid June to mid July in YNP the sun doesn't set until shortly before 10 PM.

If your luck is like mine Old Faithful will have just erupted when you get there and you will have a hour and 10-20 minutes wait for the next one. Tour the O/F geyser basin while waiting for the next eruption. Old Faithful INN is a must see (meals are "OK" also)

We have lived about 110 miles (4739' elevation) from W. Yellowstone, MT for 51 years, go there 3-4 times a summer (normally before Memorial Day and after Labor Day) and haven't seen it all of it yet and at 80 years young pace myself when walking/hiking.

When in the Jackson area I highly recommend seeing the Bar J Chuckwagon dinner show! If you go, MAKE RESERVATIONS and BE THERE EARLY TO PICK UP YOUR MEAL TICKETS/SEATING ASSIGNMENTS! They seat you by when you show up to get your tickets NOT by your reservation number. Tim, their fiddle player has won the "Idaho state old time fiddle contest 7 times and the US open fiddle contest twice". We day trip it there 2-4 times every summer to see them! Disclaimer- We have no financial or other interest in the Bar J only that it will be the best $ value for your money for your trip! Check out their website.

Bar J Chuckwagon

[drittal]

Great advice richardcoxid. Also be sure of when you are going all the roads and campgrounds are open. Last May we took in what we could of both glacier and yellowstone, unfortunately some of the roads in Yellowstone were still closed, and Going to the Sun was closed past Lake McDonald. Personally I'd stay in West Yellowstone and somewhere around West Glacier/Lake McD. The eastern side of glacier is/can be a rough neighborhood.

Make sure you have a heavy jacket. Last August on a motorcycle trip to that area it was high 30's in Cooke City. The weather can change fast.

[NC25T]

We made this trip back in 09

Tetons - can't recall the camping area, 20-30 minutes down river from town. Nice camping spot on the water just a long drive to get to the Tetons.

Yellowstone - We stayed at west glacier KOA. Nice camping area & would stay there again.

Glacier we did a few nights on each side of the park, can't recall the names of the camping areas but as stated above the west side was much nicer. The east side allowed easier acess to Canada and a few scenic spots.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by sanjuan

We are new to RVing (5th wheel) and looking for suggestions on Park Campgounds and private campgrounds at Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier. We note that in Yellowstone that Fishing Bridge is the only campground with full hookups, but some comments suggest it is very tight with RV with slides.
San Juan

The (IMO) best private CG near Yellowstone is Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone.
Fishing Bridge CG; we had our 40', 3-slide 5er there. Yes it's tight, but you're not there to stay at the RV anyway.
Glacier NP, we stayed on the East side of the park at Saint Mary KOA. Another place to stay is down near Rte 2 at East Glacier motel/CG. Next day we rode the Blackfoot tribe's shuttle bus over the mountain, they are small school bus's and I much preferred it over the unheated, open-top red bus's. The native American Blackfoot tribe driver talked constantly about everything we were seeing and history of the entire area.
I can't remember about Teton, been too many years ago to be relevant anyway.

[sanjuan]

Thanks for all for the helpful suggestions on our Yellowstone - Teton - Glacier trip.
We would welcome any suggestions on stopping places between Yellowstone and Glacier as that trip is about 500 miles.

[NC25T]

If I recall I did the trip in one day and it wasn't to bad. We were at west glacier Koa and went to a camping area on the west side of glacier.... Can't recall the name.

[Chuck47]

Originally Posted by sanjuan

We are new to RVing (5th wheel) and looking for suggestions on Park Campgounds and private campgrounds at Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier. We note that in Yellowstone that Fishing Bridge is the only campground with full hookups, but some comments suggest it is very tight with RV with slides.
San Juan

Some years back we stayed in Red Rock RV park which is a few miles south of the west entrance to Yellowstone (maybe 15mi or so). It had nice spaces with big grassy lawns between them. Since it's been several years, I honestly must say it was nice when we stayed there but I don't know about today. Also there was a nice small park at Henry's lake just north of Red Rock a couple mi. or so. We found that the closer to the park we got, the closer the RVs were jammed together in the parks but that's gonna be normal for a place like Yellowstone.

Near the Tetons, we stayed at a small park in a the little town of Tetonia ID which is west of the natl.park. We were visiting friends in Tetonia so didn't mind the drive to the Tetons, but I'm sure you can find something closer, just mention it as info in case everything is full when you're looking for a spot.

at Glacier our favorite is American RV resort just west of the park (about 4- 5 mi give or take a few inches). Very nice park. We've stayed there 4 times in a 37ft. motor home. Lots of rigs that size and bigger were there each time we've stayed.

[twogypsies]

Depends what side of Glacier you want to be but there are about 10 RV parks at Helena, MT. If you have time, take a tour of the capitol building - very impressive.

Helena, MT Campground Reviews - Best of Helena Camping - RV Park Reviews

If you're driving over toward Missoula, Jim & Mary's RV is good.

[John Jones]

Originally Posted by sanjuan

Thanks for all for the helpful suggestions on our Yellowstone - Teton - Glacier trip.
We would welcome any suggestions on stopping places between Yellowstone and Glacier as that trip is about 500 miles.

We made the trip from the Koa at west yellowstone to Glacier in a day. It wasn't a bad day. It was long but very doable. If your going to the national parks. Get the pass, I got mine at REI, It is good for the year, it will save your money

[farmertom]

This past summer we were there traveling from South Dakota to Yellowstone then down to Tetons. We stayed at a park on Hwy 14 between Cody and East Entrance to Yellowstone. Much to see in Cody Buffalo Bill Center and dam. Highly recommend raptor show at BBC. Many firearm displays also. Drove thru park in toad then in leaving several days later thru west gate down 20. Stayed in Victor, Id. as did not want to cross Teton Pass with motorhome. Jackson Hole kinda glorified tourist trap. Very pretty though. May you enjoy your trip as much as we did!!!