Yellowstone trip- is Cody worth the detour?

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by bayougal

This will be our first MAJOR trip; planning 2-3 months out west. We are definitely going to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP’s. I’ve read a bit about Cody and not wanting to miss something, am thinking of adding that between the two NPs.

We are staying near YS west entrance for 4 days. I had planned on heading to Grand Teton right after Yellowstone. If we add Cody, well that seems to really add on a lot of travel. Going from Cody to Grand Teton is about five hours. Can I get any suggestions from those whom have done this trip in the past?

Disclaimer: we are going to Yellowstone after Washington state, so we will likely approach from I90 (haven’t mapped out exact route yet). Arrival in YS is May 27th.

Thanks oh wise travelers...I’m sure I will have many more questions.

Easiest way to solve this is to drive on Past and Come in from Cody? - JMHO

Spend a few days in Cody Catch the Beartooth and Chief Joseph Highways along with Wind River Canyon and give yourself the real tour of that side of the Park - Drive through YNP to do West Yellowstone then on down to the Tetons out through Jackson. Over to Flaming Gorge and Dino before enjoying Colorado or the next Month.

FYI there is a Wal*Mart in Cody to resupply from.....we always get everything there

Something like this - https://binged.it/2CK8BAa

Hope this helps,

[powderman]

While on the east side, I suggest going to Thermopolis for a dip in the thermal hot spring. Also in that area is the dinosaur dig but I don't recall the name of it. They built a building over the excavation site. The Buffalo Bill state park has some spots with electric but they are by reservation only. Lots of primitive sites also if you can go without electric.

[MSHappyCampers]

We stayed in Cody 5 days and still didn't see everything.

To answer your question, it depends on how much you like museums! The Buffalo Bill Cody Museum is so huge, with all the different sections, that you could spend a week and not see everything!

[jimcumminsw]

We stayed at Yellowstone Valley Inn with full hook-ups. Had the Shoshone River less than 30 feet from our trailer. The inn/campground is midway between the east entrance of Yellowstone and the town of Cody WY. and is on highway 14. See attached link.https://www.yellowstonevalleyinn.com/

We were there for seven nights and was not enough time to see and do every thing for us.

What I liked about the campground was it was quite at night and was easy in and out for me to the road. With a nice restaurant at the inn, if you do not want to cook for the night.

We did do the rodeo one night which is not far from the campground and the Cody museum. Also drove the Bear Tooth highway (do not take your camper with you) and went to the Japanese interment camp on the north side of Cody on ALT highway 14 in Powell WY. Will worth the time.

[mlh2013]

We loved the Bear Tooth Hwy....only in toad for me

[chunker]

We did the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways by motorcycle and were great rides. Stayed a few days first in Jackson and frankly neither of us liked Jackson. But we easily rode through the GT and southern end of the park. Cody with the stated museums, Old Town, and the sites is worth it. We stayed in a park in town, next to the Dairy Queen a few blocks from the Buffalo Bill Museum. The DQ always smelled good. Had an end site, easy loading of the bike in the toy-hauler.

[ernest917]

We loved Cody and especially enjoyed the museum.... We stayed just outside town at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir SP which was great.....

[MapleKing]

Cody is definitely worth the stop. Like Busskipper said, since you're coming from the east, just enter Yellowstone that way with a stop at Cody before entering. That way you have no back tracking in direction since you'd really have to go out of your way to go to Cody from Yellowstone to go back to the Tetons.

[Tetonchief]

Originally Posted by bayougal

Thanks all- think we will go to Cody! That way we can also go back into YS if we didn’t get enough. Can y’all give me a suggestion for a nice, reasonable campground? 40ft Redwood 5er, no generator.

if you have a toad, keep your campsite in YNP and drive over for a day or two and stay in motel. The loop drive from YNP to Cody and back with Chief Joseph Hwy and at least a drive up the Bear Tooth Hwy is among most beautiful in all USA. Great food in Cody as well. Famous steak house us a former Bordello and historic site.

[ernest917]

As I said earlier - Buffalo Bill SP..... great CG and very reasonable prices..... short drive into Cody and easy drive back into YNP thru East gate.....

We loved it there..... stayed 4 days.....

[bayougal]

Originally Posted by BarryG20

While there is not much there for me personally (and that totally depends on what you like) the museum is excellent and I will go back there next time I am up that way as we went through it fairly quickly and would like to spend more time there.
What about going to Cody first then cut across the park to the west entrance for your 4 days there?

Thanks, I believe that is exactly what I will do!

[bayougal]

Originally Posted by micpib1

We added Cody to our Yellowstone Trip and we loved our time there. The gun collection at the Museum was amazing and my wife now thinks my little collection is insignificant. (haha). We enjoyed our dinner at Bubba's BBQ so much we went back several times. The Plains Indian Pow Wow was being held on the Museum Grounds when we were there. We went and we were amazed. I thought we were just going to a show, it was so much more, but the Pow Wow is a story in itself. We stayed at the Ponderosa RV Park, it was near anything we wanted to see. One of our days there, my wife went "window shopping" while I went out and checked out the outlying area. I am not sure how she spent so much money just looking in windows. At the Ponderosa, they had a Mountain Man Presentation. I enjoyed learning about the history of the people and the area, the Grandkids were a little bored, but ice cream made it all better. We stayed in two different RV Parks near the West Entrance, Grizzly was by far the better of the two. Being right next to the Wolf Sanctuary was quite entertaining for the Grandkids, nothing like a good ol Wolf Howl just before they go to sleep. I could go on, but it only makes me want to get back there sooner and please provide a trip report. JH

Thank you for the info! Unfortunately we will be there right before the start of the rodeo and gunfight startup. But I'm sure there are other things to keep us busy, like the museum. I've already checked the calendar and there's not much going on the week before Memorial Day.
We already have reservations at Grizzly. So ready to get this trip started!

[SoonToBeFT]

We loved Cody immensely and would go back. Museum as stated can take a lot of time to go through. We did the "old town" for a good couple hours and found the write ups/history quite interesting. We really enjoyed the Cowboy Dinner almost next door to the Rodeo, which we also enjoyed.

FWIW: The Walmart there is very very accommodating to RVers O/N, just in case.

[TonyDi]

We stayed at the Ponderosa CG. Very nice, modern, very well run and it’s in walking distance to the town.