After pickup - head to Glacier and Yellowstone or San Juan Islands and south?

elwoodaz · 08-23-2015, 06:53 PM

Hello all,

We pick up our 19 in a few weeks and will be driving back to AZ with 12 days of camping. Flipping a coin on whether to cut east into Glacier and Yellowstone, or wind our way south through WA, OR and CA?

Any thoughts? I believe the westerly route can afford less planning and more play it by ear.

Thanks
Brad

Rossue · 08-23-2015, 06:59 PM

So many fires right now we've changed our plan to go up to Redding then West & up to So. Oregon. Were in Glacier last May; cannot wait to get back there! Heading to CO via Flagstaff instead then counter-clockwise to Tetons most likely.

C&G in FL · 08-23-2015, 08:14 PM

All I would offer is if you have never been to Glacier or Yellowstone, I would not pass them up. Both are spectacular, even if they require more planning. And I wouldn't bypass the Black Hills, either.

SpokanEscape · 08-23-2015, 08:17 PM

Definitely check where the fires are burning and be aware of air quality issues. Spokane has been renamed "Smokane".

TimTex · 08-23-2015, 09:23 PM

If you decide to go the Yellowstone route and plan to stay in National Park campgrounds, don't forget to check the closing dates. Many of the campgrounds close in September and early October.

GRINGOandTICA · 08-23-2015, 10:39 PM

I'm just gonna place this link here, leave your trailer at a site.

Granite Hot Springs (Jackson, WY): Address, Phone Number, Attraction Reviews - TripAdvisor

fudge_brownie · 08-24-2015, 11:50 AM

Glacier was closed on the east side earlier in the summer , be sure to check the current status. The Tetons are my favorite, especially at that time of year. Coulter Bay CG does close in late Sept so do check current dates.

Rossue · 08-24-2015, 08:45 PM

Hi Paul- when was earlier? Past 6/21?

fudge_brownie · 08-24-2015, 08:57 PM

Mid to Late July. At that time Avalanche CG was open, one could drive to Logan Pass from the west side but not go down the east side. My understanding was that all of the east side facilities were closed and the area evacuated. Waterton Lakes was accessible via 89.

GRINGOandTICA · 08-24-2015, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

Glacier was closed on the east side earlier in the summer , be sure to check the current status. The Tetons are my favorite, especially at that time of year. Coulter Bay CG does close in late Sept so do check current dates.

Glacier is open, just a bit smokey.

elwoodaz · 09-26-2015, 11:54 AM

So we ended up camping our way south:

Moses lake county park, glacier apgar (2 nights), yellowstone madison (3 nights), jordanalle sp utah, kodachrome sp utah (2 nights), jacobs lake us forest cg, home. Wish we had another two weeks to enjoy the trip.

Post labor day trip had little to no haze, great weather squeezed between prior snows and the wet weather from the south.

Thanks all for the tips.

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