Northern Rockies

[badger]

So my son and I are planning a trip to the northern rockies. We would like to camp at Glacier NP, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. And maybe depending on how things go a side trip up to Banff/Lake Louise.

Originally we were going to do the ride totally on our bikes leaving from Wisconsin. However reality set in and we realized no way would we have time to actually explore (hike/goof around/relax) the areas if we were riding the whole time.

So we have decided to trailer the bikes to Cody or Red Lodge and hopefully park the truck and trailer at a campground while we then hit the parks. Sound like a good plan or not?

Any recommended campgrounds at those parks or in the vicinity? Any cool activities/locations besides the usual (bear tooth, chief joseph, going to the sun)?

Or just advice in general?

[badger]

Trailering your bikes ? ... In the middle of summer ??? :confused:

I agree with you sort of ... I'd rather ride the whole route. But with limited vacation time available and the distances involved we have to make a choice; Either gain some time by trailering out or scale back on the destinations. My son really wants to hit those three parks and on the timetable available we would really only be to do it on a ride-thru ... no time for exploring or having fun.

I really wish I had the time to do the trip on two wheels only :(

[Alan]

have to make a choice; Either gain some time by trailering out or scale back on the destinations.
(

I guess I don't understand why pulling a trailer is faster than riding the bike. My bike is a whole lot faster than a truck pulling a trailer.

Glacier Natl Park has a very nice campground on the west side, I have a review in the campgrounds section.

[gdawg]

i don't know bout this guy, but trailering allows for night driving, and yes i know people do on their bikes, but i don't like to, and this guy may not either. and your butt doesn't get sore in a truck, thus a lot more miles in a day... for me i could drive day and night in comfort and safety... and get where i'm going much quicker, and with a 2nd driver, 24hr driving.... i don't know how far these parks are for these two tho....

i have contemplated throwing mine on the back of my truck to hit the left coast, because after about 3k miles, i just can't ride anymore without pain.

I have also never trailered my bike, or put it on the back of a truck.... but there are some reasons as to why one would want too.... we aren't all iron butters or retired.

[Macjohno]

Ripshod and I rode from Nashville to Seattle and back last August in 2 weeks, we camped outside of Cody, in Yellowstone, in the Cascades, and on Whidbey Island outside Seattle on the Sound; we rode Beartooth, Chief Joseph (passed on the Going to the Sun road, too much snow), rode through 7 different mountain ranges. We didn't make it to Crater Lake, and we stayed in the Lodge at East Glacier rather than camping (again, weather was a consideration). But we also never rode at night. Looking back, I wish we'd had more time to seek out the side trips, and we did have several days on both ends of the trip on the Slab, but as I said, we were coming from Tennessee. If you're in Wisconsin you're a bit closer.
I think planning is everything. It's fun to just saddle up and take off willy-nilly, but if you have goals and time is short, nothing beats serious mapping/scheduling time spent before leaving. My $.02,
MacJohnO

[Indianscout]

I say go for the quality not the quantity. I did Yellowstone about two years ago and wish I would have spent a few more days there. With that in mind I can't help but think the idea of three seperate trips would be the best idea. This would allow you to fully enjoy what each area has to offer without being rushed. I've done the trailer thing but usually come away from the trip feeling like I missed something. Cramming all of that into such short of time would be like watching a movie on fast forward. Yes I seen it but what did I get out of it???

[Mr. Guy]

I trailered my bike for the first time down to Big Bend this year and although it did allow me to get there and back home in one day each way, I felt I had missed out on part of the trip. I probably wont do that again. It just wasn't worth it to me, I'd rather ride.

Guy

[badger]

Hmm ...
Didn't realize I was supposed to justify my trip plans to get input? I guess I should have just lied and said I live in Cody? I suppose I could always wait a few years when my son and I can coordinate schedules once again?

Whatever ... forget I even asked.

[Mr. Guy]

Sorry Badger,

I don't think anyone asked you to justify your plans, but you did ask for input. If the input your getting isn't useful to you, just ignore it. No one will mind if you do. I hope you understand that most here would rather ride than trailer and that's the advice your likely to get, but it doesn't mean you have to also. I doubt you'll get anyone saying you have to ride, just that they prefer to. If you want to trailer up, then by all means, go for it. It's your trip, do it your way. But when you ask for input, your going to get it.

Take care, Guy

[DILLIGAF61]

So my son and I are planning a trip to the northern rockies. We would like to camp at Glacier NP, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. And maybe depending on how things go a side trip up to Banff/Lake Louise.

Originally we were going to do the ride totally on our bikes leaving from Wisconsin. However reality set in and we realized no way would we have time to actually explore (hike/goof around/relax) the areas if we were riding the whole time.

So we have decided to trailer the bikes to Cody or Red Lodge and hopefully park the truck and trailer at a campground while we then hit the parks. Sound like a good plan or not?

Any recommended campgrounds at those parks or in the vicinity? Any cool activities/locations besides the usual (bear tooth, chief joseph, going to the sun)?

Or just advice in general?
KOA in Red Lodge is a nice place I won't chime in about a trailer but here's my experience

Day 1 leave Red Lodge head for Chief Joseph Hwy (a must see/do) down into Yellowstone Park across north side of park and check out the Mammoth Hot Springs then up to Bozeman for the evening

Day 2 leave Bozeman head back down into park Down the west side of the Park check out Old Faithful get the pics and tee shirt ride over to Yellowstone lake say ooohh ahhh ride up to Sylvan pass watch it snow on the bikes (2nd week of Aug.) ride down gravel road (rock slide a few weeks earlier still had work crews on it) into Cody Wy temp 83 and breezy check out Rodeo then head up to Red Lodge for the nite


my point here is I spent 2 days at Yellowstone and didn't even see half the park I wouldn't try hitting so many major parks in one short trip you'll miss a lot of cool things

[Indianscout]

KOA in Red Lodge is a nice place I won't chime in about a trailer but here's my experience

Day 1 leave Red Lodge head for Chief Joseph Hwy (a must see/do) down into Yellowstone Park across north side of park and check out the Mammoth Hot Springs then up to Bozeman for the evening

Day 2 leave Bozeman head back down into park Down the west side of the Park check out Old Faithful get the pics and tee shirt ride over to Yellowstone lake say ooohh ahhh ride up to Sylvan pass watch it snow on the bikes (2nd week of Aug.) ride down gravel road (rock slide a few weeks earlier still had work crews on it) into Cody Wy temp 83 and breezy check out Rodeo then head up to Red Lodge for the nite


my point here is I spent 2 days at Yellowstone and didn't even see half the park I wouldn't try hitting so many major parks in one short trip you'll miss a lot of cool things



Are you sure you didn't ride with us on the same trip DILLIGAF61???? That was the same route we did and I agree with you. Chief Josephs pass is a must but be careful of the frost in the shadows of the road during the morning hours (early September). Note; it is best to drive down Sulvans Pass (heading east) than it is to drive up it (heading west). Ether way I highly recomend it!


I agree with the others and it is your ride to do the way you want to do it. Our opinions are just that and are not ment to badger you into doing something your not willing to do. How ever you do this trip I wish you the best.

[TinyL]

I say go for it the way you want to do it. There is no really bad rides in these parks. The most important part is that you and your son are riding together and that means in the truck or on the bikes. Ride what you have time to and forget about what you may miss. If you have a great time but miss a couple vistas and twisties this will just help motivate you and your son to make further plans in the future.....Take it slow and enjoy what you do see. You might want to call the parks info lines and see if they have any major road construction project going on and avoid what you can. Might also ask them for suggested routes. The park rangers are extremely helpful and really like to chat.

You can now change your member name to "Badgered"

TinyL

[Clamper]

We've stayed at the Ponderosa RV park in Cody. They have tent, those little cabins, and RV spaces. Check with them about parking your truck and trailer there, or just down the street is a Wal-Mart, look where the RV's are parked and maybe leave truck and trailer there.

Good Luck

[badger]

Thanks for the recommendations guys ... it is appreciated.

I didn't intend to turn this into a trailering discussion, i was just looking for ideas for the trip. Sorry for blowing up :o

[DILLIGAF61]

Are you sure you didn't ride with us on the same trip DILLIGAF61???? That was the same route we did and I agree with you. Chief Josephs pass is a must but be careful of the frost in the shadows of the road during the morning hours (early September). Note; it is best to drive down Sulvans Pass (heading east) than it is to drive up it (heading west). Ether way I highly recomend it!


I agree with the others and it is your ride to do the way you want to do it. Our opinions are just that and are not ment to badger you into doing something your not willing to do. How ever you do this trip I wish you the best.

that trip was in '05 started in Oh. up into Mi. for the family reunion then across the Mackinaw and the UP down into Wi ,Mn, and S.D. to sturgis for 4 days 3 nites then into Wy and Mt (Red Lodge) for a 2 day 3 nite Yellowstone trip then headed back to Oh. 25 days on the road
great trip going to do it again but it will be 1 day in Sturgis then a week around Yellowstone and Grand Teton N.P.

[Mr. Guy]

Thanks for the recommendations guys ... it is appreciated.

I didn't intend to turn this into a trailering discussion, i was just looking for ideas for the trip. Sorry for blowing up :o


Hey, no problem. Just expect quite a bit of thread drift here and ignore us when we're annoying and everything will be OK. Can't wait to hear about your trip, however you pull it off. Oh, and lots a pics please.

Guy

[Dusty Boots]

I'd suggest making two separate trips.
One for Glacier NP and the Canadian Rockies(easy two weeks there and then making Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, another, separate trip.

I thought that I left a review on the camp site I'm about to recommend, but upon checking, I see that I didn't. :dizzy1:

I will highly recommend Newton Creek Nat Forest Campground. (http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/rockymtn/shoscmp.htm#newton creek)

It's location (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=44.453741,-109.759276&daddr=&geocode=FW1PpgId1DR1-Q&hl=en&mra=mr&sll=44.194021,-108.767395&sspn=1.146105,1.994019&ie=UTF8&ll=44.370987,-109.775391&spn=2.28531,3.988037&z=8) makes it an ideal base camp, only 15 minutes east of the East Gate and approx 40 minutes into Cody. Not a very big campground(one hand pump for water and a couple of clean vault toilets) it sits along the bank of the North Fork Shoshone River, in a bit of a canyon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boots/3668491224/sizes/o/in/set-72157620571076170/). Each campsite has a metal bear box to store your food and such in, along with a table and fire ring. I would advise you to try and arrive by mid afternoon, as these campgrounds do fill up. Cost was $15/night
Pay showers are available in Yellowstone, at the Fishing Bridge campground.

There are at least three big, worthwhile loops you can ride in the area.

We entered the Grand Tetons, via Jackson and saw most of the Tetons, on the way up through to our exit point of the East Gate, for the day.

The next day, we left camp early and did a giant figure 8 loop (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3667663885_6aa9540164_o.jpg) of Yellowstone, seeing pretty well all of the main attractions.

The next day, we did the Bighorns loop (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3667663953_6f17ed3095_o.jpg), riding east to Cody, then following 14A to Burgess Junction and then back towards Cody, along 14. A great place to stop for lunch/gas and a very cold one, is the Bear Lodge Resort (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boots/3668508816/sizes/o/in/set-72157620571076170), just before Burgess Junction, on your left, if you do the loop clockwise(advisable)

Then there is the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2557/3667709325_3698616e6a_o.jpg) and the Beartooth Pass loop (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/3667714777_7822736e60_o.jpg).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/3667712895_91faba265b_o.jpg

Food/supplies/gas/motorcycle dealers/night life available in Cody, as is a Rodeo and the Wild Bill Cody Museum.

Some food/supplies and gas are available at the Fishing Bridge campground complex, in the park.

Dusty