We're planning a trip to Moscow, Idaho this August and, assuming we can get in, plan to spend some time at Yellowstone on the way home to Ohio. Any thoughts on must-see attractions along the way or great camping spots? I've ridden my bicycle across Iowa a couple of times, and we've pretty well checked out states between here and there, so our interest is mostly between Iowa and Yellowstone.

Thanks!
Parker

I have enjoyed our trips from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore and I think seeing it at night, being there for the lowering of the flag, and in the daylight is a moving and educational experience.It speaks of persistence and determination when governments are tempted to cut costs and not funding the building of lasting legacies.

Funny, Mount Rushmore is the one thing I thought about, and I doubted that it would live up to the hype and countless showings in everyone's vacation slide shows when I was a kid. For the reasons you mentioned, we may have to have a look.

Thanks.
Parker

I've been to Rushmore several times and find it just breathtaking. While in that area go see Crazy Horse it's just west of Rushmore. It's in the process of being sculpted. I saw it when it was just a thought in ones mind. Then a number of years later I was there and you could actually see a vague outline and push a plunger to blow a section of the mountain. Now from pictures I seen taken in recent years it's actually coming together.

Then there' also Devils Tower, northwest of Rushmore just inside Wyoming off I 90. Some how I've always missed it.

Due north of Rushmore in ND is Teddy Roosevelt NP. I've never been there just heard about it and it's on my list of places to go.

If you're going to Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, you might as well go to Devil's tower as well. DT is 100 miles or so Northwest of Mt. Rushmore.15 or 20 miles North of I90. If you're up to it you can climb to the base of the tower , through the rubble field. Those boulders are very large...and you can get some great pictures. Russell PS. of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" fame.

sorry about this answer ... but when I saw the title of the post all I could think of was: "Drive a lot"

If you are in southern Minnesota and need an overnight camping spot, stop in Blue Earth Minnesota. The County fairgrounds is just across the street from the Wal-Mart, and has FREE 48 hour camping - if you like, the FREE camping includes full hook-ups! There is a very nice shower building for those who need it as well.

Be sure to take a walk around the fairgrounds, visit the Jolly Green Giant statue over near the highway, and stock up on groceries at the supermarket downtown.

Other things to see between Yellowstone and Ohio include Chicago and all it has to offer, the House on the Rock and the free Merrimac ferry in Wisconsin, The scenic bluff country of southeastern Minnesota / northeastern Iowa, the three-states meeting point of Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota, the Mitchell Corn Palace, Wall Drug, the South Dakota Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument, Devils Tower and more!

There is TONS of stuff out there to see, some of it unadvertised. Hit the road. Get off the freeway at least 2 or 3 hours per day and enjoy the journey!

-- Dan Meyer

Rushmore is neat, Teddy Roosevelt was very neat as well as is Devil's Tower. Might be hard to work in see both Roosevelt & Tower....so far apart and Roosevelt would be taking you away from Yellowstone. I believe Little Bighorn Battlefield Nat'l Monument, MT will be on the way to Yellowstone as well. http://www.nps.gov/libi/

Drop down from Little Bighorn to Ranchester, WY then go west to Cody, then on to Yellowstone.

In Cody try to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center with Five Museums Under One Roof. http://www.bbhc.org/museums/index.cfm
These 4 were really great:
Buffalo Bill Museum
Whitney Gallery of Western Art
Plains Indian Museum
Cody Firearms Museum

North of Cody is the town of Powell which has a free campground at Homesteaders Park. The park was clean, safe and friendly. Dump services are free. Watch out for the lawn sprinklers, they will also water the parking area (soaking your unit).
http://www.freecampgrounds.com/detail.aspx?id=822

US 14A after the split off of US 14 from Ranchchester heading down hill to Lovell, pulling a 1983 20' Komfort Lite Travel Trailer with a '83 Ford F250 4 speed manual with granny gear. I had to hold granny in gear and ask my wife to manually apply the trailer brakes now and then. They had a sign warning of the steep down grade, I should have taken the fork to Shell/Greybull. Most of the route was neat, all very pretty execpt for the 14 miles with 10% grade and sharp curves which I am sure was also pretty but I was to occupied to really notice the scenery.
http://www.rockymountainroads.com/us-014alt_wy.html


If you need a campground in Bismarck or Mandan, North Dakota and if you can get into General Sibley Park my son said it was really nice, but was filled up when they were there. http://www.bisparks.org/Facilities/sibley.asp

They stayed at a small place in Mandan. In 2008. Colonial Motel & Campgrounds 4631 Memorial Hwy, Mandan - (701) 663-9824 We had passed by it in 2007. It is in an commerical area, not very resort like from the entrance off Memorial Hwy, however later on we rode by the back side on a bike path and it looked good. As it turned out it had water, electric and sewer hookup for $19. The bike path leads accross the river and by the zoo and a nice park.

From the web site Gen. Sibley is $20 with water and electric but the setting is much better. Closer to the river. Both have trees. At Colonial the sites are very close together. Sibley they are space out. Sibley has over 100, Colonial maybe 20. It did not fill up while my son was there.
http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navcl...2&ct=result

Fort Lincoln State Park also has a nice campground & neat things to see (It was where Gen. Custer was living before he went on his last ride):
4480 Fort Lincoln Rd
Mandan, ND 58554
(701) 667-6340‎

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navcl...1&ct=result

http://www.fortlincoln.com/

In July of 2007, we stayed at the KOA Bismarck, over priced and dusty. We had passed the Colonial campground but it did not look very inviting from the entrance, but seemed OK from the back. Not a bad price with water, electric and sewer for $19.

3 years ago we decided to go to the Oregon gathering and because neither one of us had been out west before we wanted to check out the Oregon Trail. It wasn't expensive and we had a ball visualizing the same sights that these folks did 140-150 years ago when they were doing 12-20 miles a day and we could be doing 3 1/2 times that in an hour.
You say your doing this on the way back so I would try to pickup Rt 212 Red Lodge Montana entering Yellowstone or get on it to leave. This route has to be the grandest veiw or at least in the top 5 in the USA. We also spent some time in Cody Wy., If your into guns the Cody museum has about 2700 different to veiw. even most of the modern military weapons. On our way home we did the Little Bighorn Battlefield thing where General Custer and his men got killed. Mount Rushmore, Wall Drug, We even arrived in Sturgis at the right time, stopped for gas asked the attendent how mant bikes they were expecting and he said they estimated about 5-600,000, we saw all but 2 of them ha. Plenty to see out there, Have a good trip

Adrian,

What a great report! We're still making plans, so I'll print out your message for our chief trip planner.

Thanks,
Parker

Thanks, Bill! We're really looking forward to it. One of the questions our chief trip planner is asking, is which are the preferred campgrounds in Yellowstone. I suppose it's just a matter of what part of the park we want to see. I understand they don't take reservations in several of them, so this should be a real adventure.

Parker

I would think all of them are good, Fishing Bridge exclude; too much like a parking lot. August is good, not as many people I hear, less need (but I feel this isn't ever a big need for one). We never had one - two trips June & July, perfer not making them, too time controlling, can't stop and smell the roses as they say.

Yes, there are Mucho Vistas to Gander at out there.

Also, Thanks! for the kind words, Adrian, What a great report! Hope some of it can be of help. Travel Safe!

photo taken at Custer State Park on the Wildlife Loop.

Check this link: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.php?showtopic=35822

Custer Bison

I thought we had limited choice at Yellowstone when we stayed there. We were considered a hard-sided camper and sent to the location for the hard-sided campers. So we were our tiny 13 foot trailer among the bulgemobiles.

Of course, I prefer full hookups, so I am not sure if this had something to do with the choice.

CindyL

Yeap, that would have something to do with it as most of the CG's in Yellowstone have no hookups.

From East to West:

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Yerkes Observatory holds the largest refracting telescope in the world.

Milton, Wisconsin, Milton house, a stop on the underground railway to help escaped slaves from The South.

Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, Cave of the Mounds. A series of underground caves.

House on the Rock, a house built on a monolith, utilizing the rock as part of the house.

Prairie du Chein, Villa Louis, Fort Crawford, and Cemetery, the smallest national cemetery. This area dates from and was involved in the Revolutionary War.

Rochester, Minnesota, The Mayo Clinic and museums on the history of medicine.

Mitchell, South Dakota, The Corn Palace. Murals made entirely of corn.

Cactus Flat to Wall, South Dakota, The Badlands. View prickly pear cactus. At Wall, there is Wall Drug an institution in itself.

Rapid City, South Dakota, The Black Hills and Mt Rushmore. Lots to see and do in this area.

Sundance, Wyoming, Devil's Tower, a must see.

Crow Agency, Montana, The Little Bighorn Battlefield.

These are places I have personally visited and can reccommend.

Roger,

What an excellent list! I'll want to check out the telescope for sure!

Thanks,
Parker

Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
Great museum with nice campgrounds on site.

http://www.pioneervillage.org/

It's hard to see it all in one day but consecutive days are free admission to the museum.