Huge Mountain Trip Possible or Not??

[reubenray]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

So now its a Tiny Mountain Trip? .

Sorry - I have a hard time just planning for 6 o'clock Dinner at 5:30. .

Some of us are planners, and some just go with the Flow. .

For us it will be a huge trip. Our longest trip has been about 6 weeks. This one will be twice as long in the amount of nights. But it will be about three times as far in miles.

I tried to not reserve a spot one time and I got burned. I had to drive another 2 hours to get a campground.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by reubenray

For us it will be a huge trip. Our longest trip has been about 6 weeks. This one will be twice as long in the amount of nights. But it will be about three times as far in miles.

I tried to not reserve a spot one time and I got burned. I had to drive another 2 hours to get a campground.

Understand - We make reservations for the Family Reunion every summer but that's it for me.

Wal*Mart has a spot for me and the Generator has always started - In my 8-10 trips to Colorado over the years we have stayed at the Same Wally Mart more than once, so I guess that might qualify as having a reservation - - A long time ago we drove into Yellowstone and the Ranger asked me where we had a reservation - I said "What" this place is Bigger than the State of Delaware - you mean you don't have room! - his reply NO! campsites - BUT - if you are good with your generator I'll put you over by this stream by the Horse stables - Best place Ever......

10 days later we left - Oh those were the days..........

So I understand - that's why they have reservations. .

JMHO

Side Note there is more than enough to do at Glacier to fill a couple of weeks even before Going to the Sun Road opens - who knows you might just get Lucky - no way I'd not Try it .

Best of Luck,

[reubenray]

Here is another preliminary list of my stops and the amount of nights at each one. It will take about two weeks to get to the South Rim of the GC going across Texas and visisting family in Arizona.

1) Trailer Village - South Rim GC - 4 nights
2) Kaibab CamperVillage - North Rim GC - 3 nights
3) Zion River Resort - Zion NP - 4 nights
4) Cannonville/Bryce KOA - Bryce NP - 3 nights
5) Richfield KOA - 1 night -
6) Wonderland RV Park - Torrey, Utah - 3 nights
7) Portal RV Resort - Moab, Utah - 4 nights
8) Jordanville SP - Heber City, Utah - 3 nights
9) Rendezvous Beach Bear SP - Garden City, Utah - 3 nights
10) Colter Bay Village RV - GTNP - 3 nights
11) Grizzly RV - YNP - 5 nights
12) Grandview Campground - Hardin, MT - 3 nights
13) Devils Tower KOA - Devil Tower - 3 nights
14) Rafter J Bar Ranch - Hill City, SD - 3 nights

It will take a little over three weeks to get back home cutting across Colorado, Kansas and visiting family in Arkansas. This adds up to about 5 weeks of getting there and back. I was thinking I would need to start making reservations in the fall of this year. My tentative start date would be the middle of April. This would put me at YNP the first week of June.

If I decide to put Glacier NP back in would 3 nights at the West KOA and East KOA be enough? I would also have to add an overnight stop or two to get from YNP and back down to the Black Hills area.

[Betr2Trvl]

Originally Posted by reubenray

Here is another preliminary list of my stops and the amount of nights at each one. It will take about two weeks to get to the South Rim of the GC going across Texas and visisting family in Arizona.

1) Trailer Village - South Rim GC - 4 nights
2) Kaibab CamperVillage - North Rim GC - 3 nights
3) Zion River Resort - Zion NP - 4 nights
4) Cannonville/Bryce KOA - Bryce NP - 3 nights
5) Richfield KOA - 1 night -
6) Wonderland RV Park - Torrey, Utah - 3 nights
7) Portal RV Resort - Moab, Utah - 4 nights
8) Jordanville SP - Heber City, Utah - 3 nights
9) Rendezvous Beach Bear SP - Garden City, Utah - 3 nights
10) Colter Bay Village RV - GTNP - 3 nights
11) Grizzly RV - YNP - 5 nights
12) Grandview Campground - Hardin, MT - 3 nights
13) Devils Tower KOA - Devil Tower - 3 nights
14) Rafter J Bar Ranch - Hill City, SD - 3 nights

It will take a little over three weeks to get back home cutting across Colorado, Kansas and visiting family in Arkansas. This adds up to about 5 weeks of getting there and back. I was thinking I would need to start making reservations in the fall of this year. My tentative start date would be the middle of April. This would put me at YNP the first week of June.

If I decide to put Glacier NP back in would 3 nights at the West KOA and East KOA be enough? I would also have to add an overnight stop or two to get from YNP and back down to the Black Hills area.

You could get caught up slicing and dicing this agenda forever, and everyone will think one place needs more / less time than another, or someplace you are missing. I’ll keep my suggestion simple, and my guess most that have traveled in the area would agree with this one:

I’d take a night at Devils Tower and move it to Rafter Bar J. A full day at DT will give you pretty much all there is to see, and you’ll greatly appreciate an extra day in the Rushmore / Custer area.

Just one more thought at the moment; you need to have some “down” days built in. This schedule looks like you are running a “vacation sprint” which is great for a 2 week trip, but not for 3 months.

And remember, you can always go back if you feel you missed something along the way, you are and you will, because there is a lot more to see along your route from both a “time where you are going” and “places you are not”. I think I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but we’ll be going through the western mountain states for the 3rd time in 4 years this summer.......

Regards

[reubenray]

Originally Posted by Betr2Trvl

You could get caught up slicing and dicing this agenda forever, and everyone will think one place needs more / less time than another, or someplace you are missing. I’ll keep my suggestion simple, and my guess most that have traveled in the area would agree with this one:

I’d take a night at Devils Tower and move it to Rafter Bar J. A full day at DT will give you pretty much all there is to see, and you’ll greatly appreciate an extra day in the Rushmore / Custer area.

Just one more thought at the moment; you need to have some “down” days built in. This schedule looks like you are running a “vacation sprint” which is great for a 2 week trip, but not for 3 months.

And remember, you can always go back if you feel you missed something along the way, you are and you will, because there is a lot more to see along your route from both a “time where you are going” and “places you are not”. I think I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but we’ll be going through the western mountain states for the 3rd time in 4 years this summer.......

Regards

The two state parks for a total of 6 nights between Moab and GTNP is planned for downtime which will include a lot of resting, drinking and smoking food. I figured this would be a good halfway point. After we leave Rafter J most of the stops heading home will be downtime also except when visiting my brother. He always plans work for me to help him with. Of the entire trip there are only a few just overnight stops.

I will remove one night from Devil's Tower and put it at Rafter J as per your suggestion.

[CIDE]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

...

Sorry - I have a hard time just planning for 6 o'clock Dinner at 5:30. .

Some of us are planners, and some just go with the Flow. .

Brother from a different Mother.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Betr2Trvl

I’d take a night at Devils Tower and move it to Rafter Bar J. A full day at DT will give you pretty much all there is to see, and you’ll greatly appreciate an extra day in the Rushmore / Custer area.

This was my thought, also.

Your trip sounds great!

[reubenray]

I contacted Grizzly RV at West Yellowstone and they said I would need to make my reservation in October/2019 for a June/2020 stay. I like to make my main reservations first. What other stops would I need to make early reservations at?

[stang37]

I took a similar trip based on your stops. I called each stop and asked when I could make reservations and they were all different. Some said call back after the 1st of the year, some ask to leave a message and they would call back. We started our trip in May 2017. Rafter J & Devils tower was November, Grizzle & Glacier was December,

[Retired FF]

You will be exhausted prior to starting the engine, somehow it will work. Glacier is beautiful, but if it doesn’t work this time, use it for initiating your Alberta Icefields Parkway adventure next year. Glacier/Waterton also serves as an excellent jumping off point for your Alaskan journey. During our adventures, the most fantastic stops occur through serendipity discussing possibilities with fellow travelers over cup of coffee in the morning, assisting someone at fuel stop, sharing a tour trip through a National park. I would be a nervous wreck thinking I needed to be somewhere 2 days beyond today. Twenty minutes travel through Cloudcroft NM from 87 degree morning at Carlsbad Caverns required two hours of exhausting white knuckling driving over 8,500 ft peak during blizzard conditions. Go forward thanking God for every day you wake up breathing, then enjoy whatever is offered.

Be prepared to the best of your ability, then disasters just become mere incidents for resolution.
Wishing you the best during your adventures.

[reubenray]

I am fine tuning my main stops and below are the days at each of the main stops. I built in an extra day for chilling at some stops. There are also several overnight stop between some of the main stops.

1) Grand Canyon - South Rim - Trailer Village - 5 nights
2) Page & Lake Powell - Wahreap RV - 3 nights
3) Zion NP - Zion River RV Resort - 5 nights
4) Bryce NP - Kodachrome SP - 4 nights
5) Capital Reef NP - Wonderland RV - 3 nights
6) Moab, AZ - Portal RV - 5 nights
7) GTNP - Colter Bay Village - 5 nights
8) YSNP - Grizzly RV - 7 nights
9) Devils Tower - Devils Tower KOA - 3 nights
10) Mt. Rushmore + - Rafter J Bar Ranch - 5 nights

[twogypsies]

By golly, I think you've finally got it!!!! Sounds like a good trip! You had better do a trip report for us.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by GaryKD

Hi reubenray,
There are no drop off on any of the trails. There are plenty of trails so you have choices. Best to stop at the Visitors Center and ask the rangers. They have books about trails in Glacier NP, with details of each trail. The KOA is about 1 to 2 miles from the visitors center.

FYI off topic: In north central Wyoming on ALT US 14 (NOT The other US 14) there is the Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. It is only a mile from the ranger station to the Landmark. I mention this because of what you said about your wife. Do not go here. Most of the trail has a steep drop off on 1 side. The drop off is about 500'. The landmark is at 10K' above sea level. This means the trail is above the tree line and clearly visible all the way down.

Small detail but could confuse folks, fixed it for 'ya.

Charles

[reubenray]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

By golly, I think you've finally got it!!!! Sounds like a good trip! You had better do a trip report for us.

It will be our longest trip at 93 days. We leave around the middle of April and get back home around the middle of July.