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glennj3cub · 08-20-2019, 07:46 AM

This may be the wrong place to post? My wife and myself plan to leave SC in Sept and go West for 2 to 3 weeks. Freedom!
Any advice on when to go to Yellowstone, Utah and then down toward the Grand Canyon. Looking for the best route to take in order to see the most !
Got to prepare the old (88) HR class A for this long haul too!

Waiter21 · 08-20-2019, 08:43 AM

I like the southwest. These are some of our usual places we like to stay. Sep will be hot.

Las Vegas - Clark County shooting range
Las Vegas - Lake Meid NPS
Phoenix area - White Tank County park
Phoenix area - Lake Pleasant county park
Gila Bend - Painted Rock NPS
New Mexico - White Sands NPS (no camping but must visit)
Alamogordo NM - Oliver Lee state park
Carrizozo NM - Valley of Fires NPS

Scott 3 · 08-20-2019, 09:10 AM

Add Grand Tetons NP to your itinerary.

Bahamaniac · 08-20-2019, 01:01 PM

Hit Mount Rushmore, crazy horse, Sturgis, Deadwood, Little big Horn, on the way to Yellowstone. Visit south rim of Grand Canyon, forget Vegas and visit Monument valley.

blueridge-fl · 08-21-2019, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennj3cub

This may be the wrong place to post? My wife and myself plan to leave SC in Sept and go West for 2 to 3 weeks. Freedom!
Any advice on when to go to Yellowstone, Utah and then down toward the Grand Canyon. Looking for the best route to take in order to see the most !
Got to prepare the old (88) HR class A for this long haul too!

I advise that you not attempt to cover both Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon in a single 2-3 week trip from SC. It will feel too rushed. Instead, I suggest planning either a southern or northern loop trip. Then doing the other loop on a second trip. A southern loop would include the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, etc. A northern loop would include Yellowstone, the Tetons, Glacier, Mt Rushmore, etc. Since you are starting from SC, the southern loop across Rt 40 might be a good place to start.

We did the southern loop from Fl in Apr/May and it took us 30 days. Even with that, we still want to do it again because we left some places on the table.

An eye opener for me was planning the trip with RV Trip Wizard. Once you account for the travel times and the multitude of places to see, you will be shocked how the days pile up.

PanJH · 08-21-2019, 07:05 AM

I have to agree that 2-3 weeks is not sufficient for a trip like that. We did the 5 Utah NP's ,Monument valley and Yellowstone a couple yrs ago from Florida -- it was over 2 months.

doc · 08-21-2019, 07:33 AM

Several years ago, pre-camper/motorhome days, my son and I decided to take spur of the moment trip and see the Rockies and Yellowstone. This was September and we were in a Ford F-150 with a camper cover on the back. We went through RMNP and wandered around far a few days, ended up tenting along the Snake River and up thru the Tetons and in the South entrance to Yellowstone. Traffic was light and most, if not all the campgrounds had closed. Our plans were to leave the park out the NE entrance over the pass and back to I-90. Our last night in the park the weather sorta went south and it started to snow and sleet. We stayed in Cooke City/Silver Gate in a historic hotel and got the last room available because the guy in line in front of us refused to pay $100 fee for the night. Lucky we got that one. Next morning everything was iced over and Pass was closed. We had to back track and went out thru the N entrance. we made it to I 90 and overnited again in a hotel and again had snow the next AM. Much of the next day driving an interstate covered in snow (Southern boys aren't used to this AT ALL) trying to find clear asphalt so we get back toward home.
So, by all means go, but pay attention to the weather and don't be surprised if it changes in just a few hours from great to not-so-great.

Ivylog · 08-28-2019, 10:11 AM

OP, it’s 2200 miles to Yellowstone and 2000 from the Grand Canyon, so what you are purposing is 5,500+ miles...we are doing much the same from northern GA BUT over 2 months, not 2-3 weeks. Even doing 500+ mile days you’ll use most of a week coming and going plus most of the NPs are 500 miles apart. I would give Mt Rushmore area 2 days then head to Cody (do not use 14A) and then into Yellowstone for 2-3 days. The Tetons for 2 days and the the west side of RMNP (Grand Lake area) for 3 days (1 day of travel). This is probably 14 days and you are 3 days from home SO???

We are currently in Grand Lake and with Labor Day coming up we will stay in the USFS CG until Tuesday and then head to Leadville and then to Taylor Park. You might be able to include this IF you have 3 weeks. You can pretty much forget UT and the Grand Canyon.

GoneToTheDog · 08-28-2019, 03:01 PM

I would agree, it seems like packing too many things and destinations into one trip. Covering that many miles, you will be doing nothing but driving with little time to really enjoy seeing much of anything.
Also....I find it is sometimes helpful to include an extra day or two in the schedule....just for those inevitable little things that seem to "go wrong", usually at inopportune times.

Dutch Star Don · 08-28-2019, 08:14 PM

Yep....You'll spend a week driving out, a week driving back and probably just enough time to see one place. Yellowstone can take a week by itself. Depending on when you actually leave, it may be too late to access Yellowstone due to weather.

Your best bet and most bang would be to go to Utah and see Zion, Arches, Moab and surrounding area.