Huge Mountain Trip Possible or Not??

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by reubenray

I reduced the nights at GC and added Grand Teton. RVTW has me taking I-15 from Salt Lake City to Hwy 30 to Hwy 34 to Hwy 89 over to Hwy 191. Is this route OK for a 40' motorhome plus toad?

The corner area where Utah, Idaho, Wyoming meet can be confusing because 30 runs in and out of those states but I think you mean from Salt Lake City taking I-15 into Idaho to McCammon, ID then east on 30 to Soda Springs then northeast on 34 to 89 at Freedom, WY then north to Jackson, WY and on to Teton Nat'l Park. Yes, it's just fine with your 40'. Around Lava Hot Springs on 30 you will have Fish Creek Pass and you will have a descent of 5-6% for 2 miles. It's 4 lanes. It's easy.

There are so many ways to route yourself. If you're going to Moab/Canyonlands and then to Jackson, we've taken various secondary highways just because we dislike interstates. One way is from Moab take I-70 west a short distance to Green River and take 6/191 to Price, UT and to Provo. (Here you can pick up I-15 if planning to go your planned route). However, you can also go up to Heber City (a couple of RV parks) and continue toward Jordanelle State Park (we've stayed there). If you need a day or two of down time from here you can easily do a day trip into Salt Lake City or to Park City for some siteseeing of the winter Olympic town. All a pretty area. Then work you way on to I-15. You'll miss the traffic of Salt Lake City this way. We've also taken at that area after Jordanelle I-80 to Evanston and then picked up another secondary road north to Jackson. Lots of ways to go.

Our way of travel was more by looking at a paper map and deciding what we wanted to see along the way rather than using a mapping program that gives you a direct route which is usually interstate, if available.

I hope you have the Mountain Directory for Truckers and RVers. It will answer a lot of your concerns. Even though a road may be mentioned in that directory it doesn't mean you should avoid the road. It's just giving you a heads up on what to expect. 5,6 & 7% ups and downs shouldn't be an issue with your RV. Even though we drove those kinds of highways all the time over and over to our favorite places, we always re-read the directory to refresh ourselves. That's where you'll find the beauty of our country!!

[reubenray]

Thanks again Two Gypsies

After my previous post I took SLC out of RVTW and it rerouted the route similar to what you mentioned. I added an overnight stop about halfway around Coalville. RVTW has me taking Hwy 16 to Hwy 89 on up to the Jackson area where it connects to US Hwy 191. Another route was to take US Hwy 189/191 from I-80. This route will take me longer, but I need to check out the road conditions and which one may have something to see more than the other route.

I had planned on getting the Mountain Directory prior to this trip. Would you recommend the hard copy or web copy?

Edit: I changed my stop after Moab to Jordandale SP instead of Coalville. This would be a good spot to recharge/relax for few nights.

[twogypsies]

16 to 89 is a good route and again, another pretty drive.


We use the hard copy of the Mountain Directory. To us, it's easy to flip from page to page and gives a nice big map with markers for the reading portion. I've never seen the online version so I can't compare. Do you need internet to use it? That would be a disadvantage to us.

[reubenray]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

16 to 89 is a good route and again, another pretty drive.


We use the hard copy of the Mountain Directory. To us, it's easy to flip from page to page and gives a nice big map with markers for the reading portion. I've never seen the online version so I can't compare. Do you need internet to use it? That would be a disadvantage to us.

Thanks again!

Being the distance from Jordanelle SP to Colter Bay is longer than I want to drive in a day I plan on stopping for a few nights at Rendezvous Bear Lake State Park.

[DGundy]

Originally Posted by reubenray

Being the biggest expense is the miles of getting to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and North from South Alabama I am thinking about doing it all in a huge trip instead if this is possible. I have been working on planning the following locations in two trips, but I am thinking why not take a huge one instead. I would like to avoid the hot summer plus the crowds if possible. I also would like to avoid any chance of snow and freezing temperatures. My initial thought was to leave in April and start at the Southern end and the Dakotas last before heading back home.

1) Tucson area to see wife's kinfolk
2) Grand Canyon - both North and South
3) Utah National Parks (Zion, Bryce, etc.)
4) Grand Teton National Park
5) Yellowstone National Park
6) Glacier National Park
7) North and South Dakota (Devils Mountain, Mt. Rushmore, etc.)

We left last March from MA and headed South, stopping by 5 Star Tuning and then on to Huntsvillle, AL (Redstone Army Arssenal) to visit my son. Left there and went to see if Elvis was still alive and then on to Hot Springs. Making this short, we spent 7 days at Davis Montham AFB waiting for the snow to melt in the Northern Parks such as Glacier, Bryce and the Grand Canyon. Snow still covered some of the roads for Crater Lake and we ran into snow going into Bryce. This was April. It snowed when we visited Grand Canyon the first day and the second day I was in shirt sleeves. Check each National Park's website to know the conditions of the roads.

[vanessa s]

I am in the process of heading your way. I left Pahrump NV 31 Jan and have made it as far as Roswell NM (visiting the relatives from far far away!). There was a week of RV Bootcamp and RV Driving school in AZ. I am spending 2 to 3 nights at each place. I have a 9 mo old collie and at each stop look for the local dog park plus seeing local sites. I plan to be in Athens GA by the end of the month. Be on the east coast for a month. Attending the FMCA convention in Perry GA and the RVillage Rally in northern FL before heading back west and to Great Falls MT by 1 May.

An important thing to remember when heading to Montana/Wyoming is that "winter" can hit at any time. The only month it didn't snow while I lived there for 20 years was July. Our first year there we had a blizzard on Memorial Day with about 16 inches of snow. Our first trip to Yellowstone was cut short when we woke up on 6 June to snow at Mammoth Hot Springs that had closed the interior of the park. Glacier National Parks "Going to the Sun Highway" has been know to not open until around the 4th of July and close in August.

In other words take some warm clothes. I always felt sorry for the people from the south who brought nothing but shorts and tshirts on their vacations to MT.

Make reservations for the places you really want to stay in and leave lots of time in between to catch things that come up. If you get to Montana before your reservations at Glacier check out Phillipsburg and do some "mining" for sapphires, then drive through the Bitterroot mountains.

Have fun.

[MajorOz]

From looking at the responses..........I guess I am in a minority. The idea of an itinerary scares me plum to death.


We wander, smell the roses, and then sleep.


Get up the next day and do the same.


Never been able to sit in a multi-hundred unit CG for weeks on end, getting orgasmic over shuffleboard.


Avoid the weather, adjust when you need to..........but ENJOY.


Way too many folks need one'a'these: https://tinyurl.com/yyyuam4t

(and NEVER go to Yellowstone between Memorial Day and Labor Day.....you will terminate from frustration)

[W3GAC]

I agree with those suggesting you slow down a smell the roses. We just finished our (first?) big loop and initially packed the locations shoulder to shoulder. We seemed to be looking at our watches more than the scenery! End of day discussion was more about ‘the schedule’ more than the beauty we just saw. If you can’t do the big loop in the time slot you have, highly suggest you just stop and store it and fly/ drive tow/ pull vehicle home (via a different route. In that vehicle w/ two drivers you can drive 12 hrs a day... although we rarely did more than 8 hrs but with taking in sites along the way.
Visiting Yellowstone/ Tetons is great in early September (kids are back in school). But be aware YS closes mid-September.
Of course ever Year is different, but be aware of fire season in Norther CA and OR, SD areas.... we could hardly see Crater Lake but had a scary view of the flames coming over it’s not so far away opposite rim!
Whatever you decide to do, hope you enjoy it as much as we did/ are still doing.

[Drenski]

We went from Utah to Glacier a few years back. If you get sick and you're on the East side of Glacier and you feel you need to go to a clinic, if you're not a native American, you have to pass through Browning and go to Cut Bank. Just an FYI we found out while there. Only if it's an emergency will they see you there. This was according to the locals.

[Lmacy]

Originally Posted by reubenray

Being the biggest expense is the miles of getting to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and North from South Alabama I am thinking about doing it all in a huge trip instead if this is possible. I have been working on planning the following locations in two trips, but I am thinking why not take a huge one instead. I would like to avoid the hot summer plus the crowds if possible. I also would like to avoid any chance of snow and freezing temperatures. My initial thought was to leave in April and start at the Southern end and the Dakotas last before heading back home.

1) Tucson area to see wife's kinfolk
2) Grand Canyon - both North and South
3) Utah National Parks (Zion, Bryce, etc.)
4) Grand Teton National Park
5) Yellowstone National Park
6) Glacier National Park
7) North and South Dakota (Devils Mountain, Mt. Rushmore, etc.)

Devil’s TOWER is in Wyoming, not the Dakotas. As are Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Albeit on opposite sides of the state. We just went from Philly to Everglades to NOLA to Carlsbad Cavern to Saguaro in about 7 weeks. We still have the Petrified Forest (it’s freezing there right now) and points east before returning to Philly in April. I would avoid Wyoming and the Dakota’s until at least June. Yellowstone in June and August can see snow. Glacier is even further north.

Have fun and take your time to see what you can. The

[bmttinman]

Originally Posted by reubenray

Being the biggest expense is the miles of getting to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and North from South Alabama I am thinking about doing it all in a huge trip instead if this is possible. I have been working on planning the following locations in two trips, but I am thinking why not take a huge one instead. I would like to avoid the hot summer plus the crowds if possible. I also would like to avoid any chance of snow and freezing temperatures. My initial thought was to leave in April and start at the Southern end and the Dakotas last before heading back home.

1) Tucson area to see wife's kinfolk
2) Grand Canyon - both North and South
3) Utah National Parks (Zion, Bryce, etc.)
4) Grand Teton National Park
5) Yellowstone National Park
6) Glacier National Park
7) North and South Dakota (Devils Mountain, Mt. Rushmore, etc.)

I travel in the Utah area and Grand Canyon area most of the year. North AZ can be easily traveled thru out the year. Monument Valley, Grand Canyon , Lake Powell Bryce Canyon, Zion I have found that April thru May and September thru October are the best for missing lot of tourist. Remember that Memorial weekend in Tombstone is the national finals for the Gunfighters. You will also find the temperatures in Tucson to be quite nice from October to June. You just have to fight all the snow bunnies. Northern Arizona, Utah and Nevada for all the state parks and national parks that you were talking about you will find that September to the 1st of November you will miss a lot of the tourist however the Japanese and Asians preferred to come this time of year. Another good time is from April to the 1st of June. Study the area maps and you can find that their are a lot of routes that can be done becombine into the most enjoyable time. Zion park does have rv travel restrictions going through the tunnels.

[CMore]

Great feedback, eh?
GC South Rim is a village with lots of touristy things and an awesome experience. The North Rim (open usually mid-May) is a different demographic--you'll see a LOT more flannel shirts and hiking boots, but less people.

We spent 10 days at one site in South Dakota, thinking the Badlands NP would be fun to explore. However, we were BLOWN AWAY by the Black Hills. Not enough electrons in this computer to do it justice. 10 days wasn't enough for us. North & South Units of the Theodore Roosevelt NP were incredibly serene and fun to hike ALL BY OURSELVES.

Enjoy,
Dale
2012 Tiffin Allegro RED

[PeterFTH]

Beware Yellowstone National Park - there is only one road that circles the park and the animals are in charge. If a Bison or Buffalo opts to sit down inthe road, the traffic won't move until it does. Also, everyone who goes there ignores the turnouts and stops in the middle of (the only) road to take pictures of squirrels, chipmunks, and who knows what else. One guy tried to get a selfie with his infant son and a Bison eating by the roadside. These are wild animals - they can hurt or kill you. Anyway, the one road thing is why I'll never go back. Imagine sitting in the rain on a motorcycle for an hour because a vindictive animal who's ancestors were shot by our ancestors for "sport" apparently have memories of this and want to get even. Then there are the fires ......

[john72]

Originally Posted by bmttinman

I travel in the Utah area and Grand Canyon area most of the year. North AZ can be easily traveled thru out the year. Monument Valley, Grand Canyon , Lake Powell Bryce Canyon, Zion I have found that April thru May and September thru October are the best for missing lot of tourist. Remember that Memorial weekend in Tombstone is the national finals for the Gunfighters. You will also find the temperatures in Tucson to be quite nice from October to June. You just have to fight all the snow bunnies. Northern Arizona, Utah and Nevada for all the state parks and national parks that you were talking about you will find that September to the 1st of November you will miss a lot of the tourist however the Japanese and Asians preferred to come this time of year. Another good time is from April to the 1st of June. Study the area maps and you can find that their are a lot of routes that can be done becombine into the most enjoyable time. Zion park does have rv travel restrictions going through the tunnels.

Your basic destinations are all memorable. One time I went into the south entrance of Yellowstone from Grand Teton and the road had just opened Memorial Day. This year (2019) the only campground inside Yellowstone with hookups and can take over 35-foot is closed for renovations. It should be open next year (2020). If you want to stay there make reservations as as you can because it fills up fast with big rigs. Just outside of Yellowstone there are big rig campgrounds in West Yellowstone to the west and Madison to the north. I recommend reservations as soon as possible. I will repeat the others comments about Glacier. The Going to the Sun road may not open until late June and may close around Labor Day because of snow. Between, and including, July 4 and Labor Day campgrounds around Glacier are full so make reservations as soon as you can.