Tips on a trip to Yellowstone/Grand Canyon

[TammyV]

We are thinking about taking a long trip in mid-June to visit Yellowstone, head to Northeast Kansas, then back through the Grand Canyon/Bryce area. Does anyone have any tips, places to stay, ways to avoid the crowd but still see the amazing sights? Thanks!

[Dave Fish]

Yellowstone in June should not be too crowded. The heavy season begins around July 1. Be prepared for cool weather. We were there Memorial Day many yesrs ago and had snow. We have always stayed in West Yellowstone, last time in the KOA. We also enjoyed Jackson Hole.

[Ms. Gayle]

I stayed in Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, MT this past September while visiting Yellowstone and would highly recommend it. I stayed five nights and was able to see most of Yellowstone. If you had the time I would recommend one more night perhaps.

I also visited Grand Teton NP and stayed in the Colter Bay Village RV Park in the national park. I would recommend that RV park. My visit to that park was not as enjoyable as the smoke from nearby wildfires was significant and covered most of the views. I will say that park had great flat bike trails that ran right along the roads that would be great for biking. Many people were taking advantage of them while I was there.

I did go into Jackson Hole a few times to shop and eat and it is a nice town.

In October last year I stayed in Grand Canyon Trailer Village RV Park for three nights. It was fine. I will say that I visited six national parks on my trip and the Grand Canyon was my least favorite. I personally believe that a couple of nights is plenty unless you are going to hike down into the canyon.

I also visited Bryce Canyon and stayed at Ruby's Inn RV Park. I was there in late October and it was really the end of the season so many of the stores/restaurants were not open. I would recommend the RV Park and visiting Bryce Canyon.

I also visited Zion and Capitol Reef parks. If you have time I would highly recommend Capitol Reef. I really enjoyed it.

[Darwin Maring]

Gritzzly is first class.
Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park and Cabins

[Carol H]

On my trip through Yellowstone a couple of summers ago I stayed for a few days at Grand Teton National Elk Refuge at Gros Ventra Campsite. Only a few miles outside of Jackson Hole - so not a long ways to go to treat yourself to a dinner out & to do a little shopping ;-)

Gros Ventra was by far the nicest camping experience I had in the places I stayed in the Yellowstone/Teton area - the camping in the various Yellowstone campgrounds I stayed was wall to wall while the Gros Ventra was more rustic and spaced out camping with lots of trees & not full in the middle of July. Had not been there 5 minutes and a herd of Antelope came walking passed my campsite and the little guys spent a good deal of time entertaining us with their play. One morning I got up to find a moose sleeping beside the trailer. Awesome. Not saying that spending a few nights in Yellowstone shouldnt also be done just expect the camping experience to be a little more.... humm lets just say busy & urbanish

[Reid Larsen]

I have to concur that you will enjoy Gros Ventre campground outside of Jackson and that in Yellowstone the camping is crowded ( an understatement). Quite like West Yellowstone. Quite close to Bryce canyon is a state campground called Red Canyon. Good showers, mostly large sites and less expensive than Bryce, not to mention less crowded. We try to stay near but not in nat'l parks because of the costs and crowds.

[Reid Larsen]

I have to add that while in the Bryce Canyon Capital Reef area try and spend a day or two enjoying state highway 12 between Escalente and Boulder. Recommend Calf Creek Falls and be sure you stop at the Koffee Kiva along the way.

[Raz]

We tend to prefer public campgrounds without hookups. We've done two trips to Yellowstone, both in June. We stayed one night in Yellowstone near Lake Village I think. A bad experience all round. The rest at Colter Bay campground in Grand Teton. Note this is the campground not RV park. While Colter Bay was an hour south of the Yellowstone South Entrance, it was much nicer. Lots of vacancies, quiet, and well run.

In Utah many public campgrounds do not have water so fill your tank, jugs ect.

If you are headed to the Arches and Moab take Rt 128 along the Colorado river. Lots of BLM campgrounds right on the river.

Going to Bryce from Capitol Reef National Park take Rt 12. Very nice ride. Just before Bryce is Kodachrome State Park. A good place to spend a night.

At the Grand Canyon we stayed at Jacob lake. Reservations only at the park. Have a wonderful time. Raz

[Carol H]

Should have mentioned that a the Grand Teton National Elk Refuge at Gros Ventra Campsite the best sites for wildlife viewing from your campsite are the tent sites that back onto a open space - no hook ups.

[Greg A]

One of the best trips there is. The area you are going to cover is immense and you could spend the rest of your life covering between Montana and Arizona and just scratch the surface. We have been to most of the campgrounds and areas that have been suggested and they are good ideas to consider. In Yellowstone, I would definitely recommend you stay inside the park at one of the many campgrounds. The distances to drive around the park are long so you don't want to add to the driving if you don't have to. Glacier is a must see if ur in that area, but June might be a tad early. Whitefish and Kalispell I never miss when I'm that way.
I would make my reservations ASAP for all the parks you plan to visit as they are assigned by the time you make the reservation and you may find some could be already full for June. We stayed in Grants Village in Yellowstone and had a good experience. We stay in Trailer Village in the Grand Canyon quite a bit as that is local for us and we enjoy the Canyon trips immensely. Moab is awesome, especially if you enjoy dirt biking. Also good raft trips for any level there. Bryce is incredible and Zion is a fantastic destination. Page for the slot Canyons, Lake Powell, Sunset Crater, etc.

[Mike Magee]

Going to eastern Kansas? Interesting choice. Not for the views, I take it...

You might consider reversing your path, so you head south early (cooler weather) and head to Yellowstone late in the trip (to let it warm up). Utah gets really hot in summer, and the earlier in June you go there the better you'll like it. Whereas I recall getting snowed on in the Tetons June 12 one year.

I second the motion to stay at Red Canyon near Bryce. Some nice hikes, not too long or strenuous, very close to the CG. The Arches Trail is my favorite; got some great photos along there.

If I go to Grand Canyon or Bryce again, I will definitely take a horse or mule ride into the canyon. The views and perspective change drastically below the lip, I think. My GC trip was to the south rim,. but next time I want to spend some days boondocking along the north rim just west of the NP property, in the NF. Looks like a nice area to walk around in. I like evergreeens and spots away from the crowds.

I hope you don't feel the need to make reservations and can take it at a leisurely pace that you determine day by day. There are plenty of national forest campgrounds and such that tend to not fill so early nor so regularly as the big popular CGs.

[TammyV]

Thanks so much for all of the tips everyone! Mike, I was wondering about switching the direction for the reasons you said. Thanks for the input. As for Kansas, I have family there :-). We really appreciate the tips from Dave and everyone on where to stay and what to do since we are novices with trailer travel. That for the water tip P.Raz and the suggestions for places to stay and things not to miss. Thanks for the coffee tip (we are from the NW :-)) Reid and the drives to take. Thanks for the tip on Grizzly Gayle and Darwin! Carole, your description of the wildlife is great and we look forward to staying at the places Greg and everyone has suggested. My husband loves to take pictures and we also like to hike so are looking forward to that. So excited!