planning road trip to Wyoming next summer: tips?

[fan of fanboys]

I live in S. Carolina. Thinking about taking a week off and head to Wyoming, see Grand Teton and Yellowstone

30 hour drive. figure with two drivers rotating every 3-4 hours, stopping for gas and to stretch legs, it will take about 34 hours, give or take. go ahead and plan for two days travel each way so can stop for any interesting attractions

9 days off works, give me 5 days to enjoy the park and surrounding area

Have a 3rd gen 4runner so room in back. figure put in mini fridge and extra battery to run it. mini gas grill for cooking while camping.

would be one other adult plus my son. so would not be crowded

anyone ever done a road trip like this? if so, any tips?

anyone been to grand teton and/or yellowstone? if so, any tips?

is there anywhere else along the way I should def check out?

or instead of those two national parks is there somewhere else you would recommend I road trip to?

I want to do some hiking, camping, see some nice scenery.

 

[techno]

I did a trip from Pittsburgh to Yellowstone and back in my 3rd gen 5 years ago and had a great time. We did 6 days getting there, 3 days there and 6 days return, stopping at tons of places and keeping the driving to about 5-6 hours per day.
I highly recommend leaving Yellowstone via the north, on the the Beartooth Hwy towards Billing MT. Probably the best scenic road I've ever driven, it's awesome. Then while your up at that latitude, you can hit Mt Rushmore and the Badlands on your way back.

 

[BettysNephew]

Agree with Techno regarding the loop through SD on return. Rushmore and Badlands are worth the time. Not too sure about camping if you are thinking about in a tent. Some large possibly nasty critters in the area and not even sure it is allowed. Do not remember seeing any tent camps. If you get to GTNP suggest you take the breakfast boat ride on Jenny Lake. Very scenic and a great outdoor breakfast of ample proportions. Sign up when you first arrive as there may be a full boat. Also if senior get the NP lifetime park pass. If not senior buy whatever is available it will save you some money if you have a group and are visiting several NP's. Personally I preferred GT to YNP. Be sure to go through the visitor centers.

 

[atalarico]

Cool! I drove from Denver to GTNP a couple years back to climb the Grand. The thing I noticed pretty much right away when I made it to i-80 was the wind. It was really sucking all of my engine power just to stay at the 75 or 80mph speed limit, let alone much higher. So, be prepared for that sudden gut punch to your MPGs and power.

Pro tip on GTNP wild-life viewing; take a drive through nearby Moose, WY for, you guessed it, moose spotting. The area is pretty lousy with them, but do yourself a favor and just pull over instead of slamming on the brakes and busting the cameras out. The amount of near miss car accidents from rubber necking is a little out of hand out there.

Oh, and take a moonlit drive or dusk drive through the park and you'll see a ton of elk! Also, I'd recommend renting a kayak from one of the outfitters in Jackson and taking a nice little cruise out on the lakes in the park. It was a great downtime activity for us, and it provides some pretty amazing views you won't get from a road.

 

[Unner]

Did a very similar trip to Moab from Alabama this March. 10 days total, 5,000 miles, spent a night in Wyoming also. It's all here in my build thread. Read through it and maybe it'll inspire you.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...d-2001-toyota-4runner-4x4-33.html#post2658201

I'm in SC right now and I'm planning a similar trip to Colorado here in a couple weeks. I highly suggest making a trip like this. It's a great experience.

 

[smallfry]

Don't know if this will help at all:

700 Miles though Wyoming - Expedition Portal

Wyoming, Hole in the Wall - Expedition Portal

Devils Tower Wyoming 3.2.13 - Expedition Portal

Post #5 and 6 Grand Teton National Park
Retracing Old Footsteps and Making New Ones - Expedition Portal

Yellowstone is just too bloody crowded and commercialized.

 

[MeefZah]

Yellowstone is, sadly, over rated. Just too many people. There are a ton of great places in the west that are awe inspiring... and desolate. Go see YS but seek the desolate out, too.

Get a NP pass. $80 for two people, you'll save a ton.

Don't get too locked in to destinations. Leave the trip open ended to allow for random exploration .

Listen to locals when they offer advice. Don't eat at chain restaurants. Get the breakfast special without asking what if is in advance.

Here's a similar trip we did in 2015 that may offer some info and possible destinations. Just be forewarned, our trip caused us to sell all our shit and move out west.

https://meefzah.smugmug.com/Sept-2015-4WD-US-trip

Enjoy the time with your son, and enjoy the greatness of this country.

 

[Wrighter]

GTNP is my happy place. We've made two drives from Austin, 21 hours, with three kids crammed into an Odyssey and we'll be taking the new 4runner next summer.

I recommend Lizard Creek Campground. It's the nothernmost campground, rarely fills up, has large campsites and is closest to Yellowstone (and I prefer GTNP to Yellowstone, hands down). You're only limited by your conditioning. There are plenty of beautiful day hikes that would take your breath away even if you were at sea level. My favorite has been the Taggert-Bradley loop. Six miles to two alpine lakes, about a 500 foot elevation gain overall.

But if you really want to see the park, backpack overnight. We've done Granite Canyon and the Paintbrush Divide loop. There are just things you can see in the backcountry you can't see from the front. You'll need permits, $25, and a bear-proof food canister, free. Both available at ranger stations.

If you don't have backpacking equipment, you can rent it from lowergear.com. They'll ship it to where you're going.

One note: always bring bear spray on a hike. Always.

 

[atchcraft]

We just got back last night from a 2 week, 8 state, road trip to Yellowstone. For us, we tend to avoid any place that allows tour bus parking. So, I have to agree with the others about getting off the beaten path. There is some great dispersed camping in the Bridget Teton NF. From there, we spent a few days checking out GTNF. Once we made it into the park, we kept on driving until we got into MT and spent most of our time in that area. It was awesome! Good luck and have fun!