National Parks Trip: Fly and Rent or Drive 4Runner Cross Country

[RnrVA]

Welcome any and all advice!

I have an upcoming trip where I will be exploring Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Trying to decide whether to fly into Denver and just rent a car (fairly affordable at the moment given COVID) or to drive my 4runner from Virginia for the trip.

Would be nice to have my vehicle that I could pre-stock with all the equipment we'd need (will be camping mostly) and basically the reason I wanted this car. BUT that is a lot of time on the road and depreciation on the car just to get out there. Decisions decisions..

 

[thennen]

Personally, I like to drive, so that would be my choice. There are things to see everywhere, so don't try to make the Rockies your goal and all the rest just a painful drive. South Dakota is a beautiful state, and there's a lot to enjoy, including the plains. The western side of the state has the Badlands and Black Hills. Gorgeous. Then you have Wyoming and Montana, and Colorado. You would miss all of that from the plane.

We've traveled from Ohio to Yellowstone/Glacier maybe 10 times, and we look for small, out-of-the-way roads to drive, versus just interstate.

Also, a personal opinion: you bought your 4Runner for this stuff. Don't let fear of a TINY amount of possible depreciation ruin your enjoyment of it. Life is about adventure, not depreciation of cars. You'll remember all the places you went in your 4Runner. You won't so much cherish past flights and rentals.

Enjoy, bro!

If you have enough time, Glacier is worth a trip. But not worth rushing to fit it in - you need time to explore. Just a thought.

 

[RnrVA]

Thanks! That is all good advice - hard not to want to take it and make memories in the car. Was just thinking of the miles in between as something to breeze through but with a little research can definitely make that enjoyable as well. Hope I can leave early enough with work to drive there ��

 

[itr1275]

Don't worry about the miles. If you have the time I would drive it. Time is something that you can ever get back.

Cars from Denver during the summer are cheap. They are God aweful expensive in the winter because of skiing. Even this year will be busy, Colorado is not shut down. Its the Florida of the west.

There is no off roading in the parks, car camping at best. So don't count on wheeling there. However, there is a ton of adventure along the way. Its the freedom to go where you want without a schedule. We did a trip from the SJ CA to Olympia WA last year. 8 days with no schedule or specific destination.

Also you don't have to get on the COVID plane.

Best of luck and stay safe.

 

[swampdodo]

If you have the resources and time...Drive baby drive.

This is a big beautiful country...enjoy it while you can. One of the best things I've done in my life is take a cross country drive in my 4Runner.

And remember, it is not necessarily the destination, it is the journey...

 

[Oldmanb777]

If you have the time, drive. But you need lots of time. You can spend a lifetime just in one part of what you want to see, and not see it all.
And do you want to spend all your time driving? It can easily take a long full day to get from Yellowstone to Rocky Mountain National park. And that's if you miss EVERYTHING along the way. And there is much to see along the way. Most people miss out by just racing through. Places like Sinks Canyon,Ice Slough, the Mountain man museum in Pinedale, Devils Gate.
The museum in Baggs is pretty neat. I could go on all day, but the point is, do you really have the time to enjoy the trip?

 

[RnrVA]

I completely agree - time is the hardest part. Think we have 8-9 days to see the three parks. As currently scheduled we’ve built in some buffer time to see stuff on the road between parks. Think we have enough time for what we are trying to accomplish which is mainly just to be outdoors experience new parks with lots of hiking and fly fishing. If I am still working remotely or can take more time then I will definitely be driving out there.

 

[Toffees]

Welcome any and all advice!

I have an upcoming trip where I will be exploring Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Trying to decide whether to fly into Denver and just rent a car (fairly affordable at the moment given COVID) or to drive my 4runner from Virginia for the trip.

Would be nice to have my vehicle that I could pre-stock with all the equipment we'd need (will be camping mostly) and basically the reason I wanted this car. BUT that is a lot of time on the road and depreciation on the car just to get out there. Decisions decisions..

Well this is really difficult to answer without more details or certain assumptions. I love road trips, but how many days do you want to stay in the car? Do you have any time restraints--driving VA to CO adds at least 4 days* to your trip. Is it just you? Is it you and +1 and you're both willing to drive a lot? (When I travel these days it's with 4 kids, so that adds some stress.)

The miles/depreciation are the least of your worries, and why you bought this rig in the first place. If it were me and my wife, and if my parents were willing to spend the better part of 2 weeks with our kids, and if work would let me go for that long... well I'd take the time to do it all by land. But that's a lot to consider.

*actually 2 days, counting for flying

 

[itr1275]

The time difference between flying and driving has been reduced with the TSA security, airport delays and general mayhem.

I can drive from San Jose CA to LA taking my time in about 5 hrs with stops. Approx 300 miles.

Flying is 4 hrs + change.

Airport lead time 1.5hrs
Fight 1 hr.
Destination baggage pickup .5 hrs
Pick up rental car .5 hrs
Airport to destination .75 hr.
​

So for the extra 45 mins it's a lot less hassle and uncertainty with no schedule. Oh and most importantly I can bring a water bottle with liquid in it.

 

[MissouriBreaks]

If you only have 8-9 days, I suggest you do either Yellowstone/Teton NP or Rocky Mountain NP and not both. When I go to Yellowstone, I typically spend 7 days just driving around Yellowstone/Teton National Parks. There is just too much to see in Yellowstone to do it in a day or two.

Additionally, if you only have a limited time, I suggest flying in, as it would be too much driving from the east coast to do it in a limited time frame. You could fly into several different places close to Yellowstone, depending on cost/funds. Salt Lake City, Jackson, WY, Bozeman, MT.

 

[zcruiser]

Welcome any and all advice!

I have an upcoming trip where I will be exploring Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Trying to decide whether to fly into Denver and just rent a car (fairly affordable at the moment given COVID) or to drive my 4runner from Virginia for the trip.

Would be nice to have my vehicle that I could pre-stock with all the equipment we'd need (will be camping mostly) and basically the reason I wanted this car. BUT that is a lot of time on the road and depreciation on the car just to get out there. Decisions decisions..

Also look into flying into Omaha and driving west. May get a better rate than Denver. Plus you get to see the Badlands.

 

[Burt]

Drive the 4Runner. Gotta be crazy hopping on plane now. Check into camping and park access prior to trip. May be best to postpone until next summer.

 

[thennen]

Yeah, since you mentioned you have 8-9 days, I agree that you need more time for this trip. I like to use at least two weeks, better three. As MissouriBreaks said, you can spend a week in Yellowstone and not see everything.

 

[RnrVA]

Yeah, since you mentioned you have 8-9 days, I agree that you need more time for this trip. I like to use at least two weeks, better three. As MissouriBreaks said, you can spend a week in Yellowstone and not see everything.

I agree would love more time but with my job never going to get more than this - would rather get out there with more limited time than not at all. Will make sure it’s a great experience regardless. The 8-9 days is once we are actually in CO / WY region. If we drove it would be added on either side given I could take work calls from the rode / switch off driving when needed. All depends on if still working remote, not going to sacrifice days in the parks to drive if I can’t take the extra days.

 

[RnrVA]

Drive the 4Runner. Gotta be crazy hopping on plane now. Check into camping and park access prior to trip. May be best to postpone until next summer.

Will definitely continue to monitor. Looks alright at the moment but we never know what’s going to happen with potential reclosures, etc.

 

[thennen]

I agree would love more time but with my job never going to get more than this - would rather get out there with more limited time than not at all. Will make sure it’s a great experience regardless. The 8-9 days is once we are actually in CO / WY region. If we drove it would be added on either side given I could take work calls from the rode / switch off driving when needed. All depends on if still working remote, not going to sacrifice days in the parks to drive if I can’t take the extra days.

Well, hopefully you can someday get into a situation where you can take bigger chunks of time. We can hope, eh?

 

[Sp00ner]

As a bit of veteran of those parks, I'll echo the sentiment that 8-9 days including travel isn't enough time for those 3. RMNP is a haul from Yellowstone/Grand Teton. I would definitely leave RMNP off the list and focus on the other two. Even just those two are a challenge to fit into a 8-9 day week with travel.

I would 100% drive the 4Runner if possible. There might not be trails you can drive in the parks, but there are outside, and it just 'fits'. Hell, the entire reason I bought this instead of a crossover/SUV that does 90% of the things better than a 4Runner is to take it to that part of the country.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

As a bit of veteran of those parks, I'll echo the sentiment that 8-9 days including travel isn't enough time for those 3. RMNP is a haul from Yellowstone/Grand Teton. I would definitely leave RMNP off the list and focus on the other two. Even just those two are a challenge to fit into a 8-9 day week with travel.

I would 100% drive the 4Runner if possible. There might not be trails you can drive in the parks, but there are outside, and it just 'fits'. Hell, the entire reason I bought this instead of a crossover/SUV that does 90% of the things better than a 4Runner is to take it to that part of the country.

Personally disagree. The drive from the Grand Lake side of RMNP up to Yellowstone is absolutely beautiful. Take 125 through Jackson County, Saratoga WY, Lander, Dubois, then Jackson WY. You'll get to see a lot - North Park, Wind River, Bridger-Teton on 26. A few ghost towns. Good food in Lander.

Stay the night in Grand Lake or somewhere that side of the park and you can make the drive in less than a day the next morning. You'll be able to roll in to the Tetons and set up camp well before sunset.

 

[thennen]

Personally disagree. The drive from the Grand Lake side of RMNP up to Yellowstone is absolutely beautiful. Take 125 through Jackson County, Saratoga WY, Lander, Dubois, then Jackson WY. You'll get to see a lot - North Park, Wind River, Bridger-Teton on 26. A few ghost towns. Good food in Lander.

Stay the night in Grand Lake or somewhere that side of the park and you can make the drive in less than a day the next morning. You'll be able to roll in to the Tetons and set up camp well before sunset.

OP has a 1700-mile drive just to get to RMNP. 2100 miles to Yellowstone. I think the point here is that he will only have time for a meaningful visit in one of them.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

OP has a 1700-mile drive just to get to RMNP. 2100 miles to Yellowstone. I think the point here is that he will only have time for a meaningful visit in one of them.

8-9 Days once he's in the Rockies is plenty of time to see it all. 1 Day in RMNP, 1 Day to Yellowstone, 6-7 days in Yellowstone. And yes, it's going to be a lot of driving but you're going to go through a lot of beautiful country that most people don't ever see.