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Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
- Thread starter moose97
- Start date
RaceBoarder
Waiting for the Snow to fly...
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Don't feed the bears....
Don't feed the bears....
bostonewe
Short/Round
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Try to get in touch with winger - she worked there, I believe.
Try to get in touch with winger - she worked there, I believe.
P
Priceless
Guest
Ralph Baer
Let's Go 'Tute!
P
Priceless
Guest
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
It's encouraged!
Feeding Baers, however, is fine.
It's encouraged!
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
There's a really cool drive thru zoo between Rushmore and Rapd City. It was pricey, but to have bears and deer walk up to your vehicle was a cool experience.
Set aside an entire day for the Badlands. It's mind-blowing to see it in person. There's areas you can walk into it/on it.
Wall Drug is a complete waste of time-tourist trap (as I thought it would be).
Yellowstone...on the way to Cody WY where we stayed as a base camp for the Yellowstone excursion, we drove through/over the Bighorn Mountains. These are real freaking mountians. Don't take them lightly. Don't ride your brakes on the way down the backside, downshift and let the engine itself slow you down. I didn't fry my brakes, but I was sweating bullets worrying about them. The views on all the switchbacks are just awesome. There's a lot of places to pull over to soak it in/rest the vehicle.
Cell phones don't work in Yellowstone itself, so if your van breaks down
, you have to rely on strangers to help you out. 
That's a story for another time.
There's a really cool drive thru zoo between Rushmore and Rapd City. It was pricey, but to have bears and deer walk up to your vehicle was a cool experience.
Set aside an entire day for the Badlands. It's mind-blowing to see it in person. There's areas you can walk into it/on it.
Wall Drug is a complete waste of time-tourist trap (as I thought it would be).
Yellowstone...on the way to Cody WY where we stayed as a base camp for the Yellowstone excursion, we drove through/over the Bighorn Mountains. These are real freaking mountians. Don't take them lightly. Don't ride your brakes on the way down the backside, downshift and let the engine itself slow you down. I didn't fry my brakes, but I was sweating bullets worrying about them. The views on all the switchbacks are just awesome. There's a lot of places to pull over to soak it in/rest the vehicle.
Cell phones don't work in Yellowstone itself, so if your van breaks down
, you have to rely on strangers to help you out. That's a story for another time.
legal_hit
How far is heaven?
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
I second the idea of trying to get a hold of Winger. She is the board expert.
A couple of things. One, check the dates of the motorcycle rally in Sturgis and make sure you go to Rushmore after it's over. It will be less crowded that way. (not that bikers camp anywhere near Rushmore, but is a very popular day trip while at the rally) Two, make sure to bring some warm clothes. Normally it's fairly hot out there in August, but the year we went we had frost warnings two of the nights. I don't think I wore shorts the entire week I was in South Dakota.
I second the idea of trying to get a hold of Winger. She is the board expert.
Puck Swami
New member
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Mt. Rushmore is great. Lot's of park activities that merit checking out the website. Don't miss the movies in the vistor center and don't miss the sculptor's studio.
Don't bother paying the big bucks to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. You can see most of it from outside the gates.
Deadwood is a cool Old West town that is worth seeing. Don't miss Boot Hill Cemetary.
Mt. Rushmore is great. Lot's of park activities that merit checking out the website. Don't miss the movies in the vistor center and don't miss the sculptor's studio.
Don't bother paying the big bucks to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. You can see most of it from outside the gates.
Deadwood is a cool Old West town that is worth seeing. Don't miss Boot Hill Cemetary.
zamboni crash-test dummy
avoiding 72% of all shopping carts
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
I went there a few years ago on a weekday in spring. I got there right when it opened and with the exception of a photographer I was the only one there looking up at Mt Rushmore. It was an inspiring experience.
Within about 90 minutes the place was packed with busloads of kids so you might want to get there first thing when it opens.
Wall Drug and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site are within an hour or so of Mt Rushmore on westbound 90. A 9 year old would love Wall Drug but probably not MMNHS.
I went there a few years ago on a weekday in spring. I got there right when it opened and with the exception of a photographer I was the only one there looking up at Mt Rushmore. It was an inspiring experience.
Within about 90 minutes the place was packed with busloads of kids so you might want to get there first thing when it opens.
Wall Drug and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site are within an hour or so of Mt Rushmore on westbound 90. A 9 year old would love Wall Drug but probably not MMNHS.
Siouxfaninseattle
Fighting Sioux Fan Forever
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Make reservations for Yellowstone NOW, if you still can, even if you are camping. Expect it to be cold - the first time we went, it got down to 28 degrees on June 30th. Check out Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Old Faithful is mandatory. Ask the rangers where there have been grizzly sightings. The Tetons are just south of the park. Go there if you can. We hiked about a mile from the lodge that we stayed at to a lily pad covered lake and watched a mama moose and her baby play in the water for an hour.
Make reservations for Yellowstone NOW, if you still can, even if you are camping. Expect it to be cold - the first time we went, it got down to 28 degrees on June 30th. Check out Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Old Faithful is mandatory. Ask the rangers where there have been grizzly sightings. The Tetons are just south of the park. Go there if you can. We hiked about a mile from the lodge that we stayed at to a lily pad covered lake and watched a mama moose
and her baby play in the water for an hour.
XYZ
Smoking in the selection room.
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
What type of camping are you looking to do? I only ask because it could run the gamut of pay site with an electrical hookup to "hardcore" backcountry camping (and I know people who do that with kids younger than nine). Either way, I've been all over that park as well as the Tetons multiple times and I've been to places not many people go along with all the more visited locales. As I've got about 1000 ideas...I'll hold off with any suggestions until I know exactly what style of stuff you're in to
What type of camping are you looking to do? I only ask because it could run the gamut of pay site with an electrical hookup to "hardcore" backcountry camping (and I know people who do that with kids younger than nine). Either way, I've been all over that park as well as the Tetons multiple times and I've been to places not many people go along with all the more visited locales. As I've got about 1000 ideas...I'll hold off with any suggestions until I know exactly what style of stuff you're in to
XYZ
Smoking in the selection room.
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Lamar Valley is almost the sure winner here...especially in August. It also offers a stab at seeing wolves but that's less likely. It's the most ecologically fertile part of Yellowstone and as such has the most prey, and therefore the largest concentration of apex predators.
(Aside: I think it was on the Discovery Channel a year or so ago, but there was a two hour program that followed the wolf packs and the ongoing battle for territory that covered about the span of a decade. Bottom line is the strongest pack holds the Lamar Valley year in year out, though it's often a different pack every few years. Fascinating show)
Advice: Don't walk a few miles into the valley and camp anywhere unless you want a grizzly sniffing around outside your tent. Yeah, that was interesting.
Us: "So with a backcountry permit we can go anywhere we want"
Ranger: "Well, it isn't recommended"
Us: "But we are allowed to go anywhere we want?"
Ranger: "Technically, but it isn't recommended"
Yeah, we did anyway.
Lamar Valley is almost the sure winner here...especially in August. It also offers a stab at seeing wolves but that's less likely. It's the most ecologically fertile part of Yellowstone and as such has the most prey, and therefore the largest concentration of apex predators.
(Aside: I think it was on the Discovery Channel a year or so ago, but there was a two hour program that followed the wolf packs and the ongoing battle for territory that covered about the span of a decade. Bottom line is the strongest pack holds the Lamar Valley year in year out, though it's often a different pack every few years. Fascinating show)
Advice: Don't walk a few miles into the valley and camp anywhere unless you want a grizzly sniffing around outside your tent. Yeah, that was interesting.
Us: "So with a backcountry permit we can go anywhere we want"
Ranger: "Well, it isn't recommended"
Us: "But we are allowed to go anywhere we want?"
Ranger: "Technically, but it isn't recommended"
Yeah, we did anyway.
Last edited:
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
I remember going to Deadwood before the Casino Invasion (word of mouth on that one). Has it changed that much? Or is it still kinda cool?
I remember going to Deadwood before the Casino Invasion (word of mouth on that one). Has it changed that much? Or is it still kinda cool?
moose97
New member
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Yeah - we actually swithched the order of our vacation based on the Sturgis rally. We were going to go to Rushmore first, but once we saw the Sturgis schedule, we are now doing Yellowstone first...
We were looking at camping at the Canyon campground run by Xanterra. Definatly not looking at backcountry camping. We don't necessarly need electrical hook-up, but it would be nice.
Yeah - we actually swithched the order of our vacation based on the Sturgis rally. We were going to go to Rushmore first, but once we saw the Sturgis schedule, we are now doing Yellowstone first...
What type of camping are you looking to do? I only ask because it could run the gamut of pay site with an electrical hookup to "hardcore" backcountry camping (and I know people who do that with kids younger than nine). Either way, I've been all over that park as well as the Tetons multiple times and I've been to places not many people go along with all the more visited locales. As I've got about 1000 ideas...I'll hold off with any suggestions until I know exactly what style of stuff you're in to
We were looking at camping at the Canyon campground run by Xanterra. Definatly not looking at backcountry camping. We don't necessarly need electrical hook-up, but it would be nice.
MadTownSioux
Fighting Sioux Hockey Fan
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Stop at Devil's Tower, while you're in the area. Pretty cool.
<a href="http://s968.photobucket.com/albums/ae162/MadTownSioux/?action=view¤t=DevilsTower2b.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae162/MadTownSioux/DevilsTower2b.jpg" border="0" alt="Devil's Twer"></a>
Stop at Devil's Tower, while you're in the area. Pretty cool.
<a href="http://s968.photobucket.com/albums/ae162/MadTownSioux/?action=view¤t=DevilsTower2b.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae162/MadTownSioux/DevilsTower2b.jpg" border="0" alt="Devil's Twer"></a>
Farce Poobah
Registered User
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
I rarely disagree with anything Swami says, but I will here. On the Crazy Horse Memorial, going in (and paying the big bucks) gets you access to a nice collection of exhibits about the Plains Indians, mostly Sioux. (But the view of the mountain isn't really better inside.) And its a contribution to the ongoing work at the mountain, which will take at least two more generations to be completed.
I rarely disagree with anything Swami says, but I will here. On the Crazy Horse Memorial, going in (and paying the big bucks) gets you access to a nice collection of exhibits about the Plains Indians, mostly Sioux. (But the view of the mountain isn't really better inside.) And its a contribution to the ongoing work at the mountain, which will take at least two more generations to be completed.
Farce Poobah
Registered User
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
My favorite is the Upper Norris Geyser basin; I could spend a month there and not get bored. Really love the area beyond Old Faithful, because you get to be close to the geysers, and there's always something going on.
If you get a calm clear morning, take advantage of it. Viewing is best in the hour before sunrise, when the steam plumes rise the furthest before dissipating. As the day goes on, it gets less impressive. (It also gets more crowded.) Worth getting up at 5am, and our 9- and 11- year old daughters liked it too.
P.S. also a vote for taking the Beartooth Highway in to the northeast entrance, instead of the East entrance. Simply spectacular, and worth the extra 100 miles.
My favorite is the Upper Norris Geyser basin; I could spend a month there and not get bored. Really love the area beyond Old Faithful, because you get to be close to the geysers, and there's always something going on.
If you get a calm clear morning, take advantage of it. Viewing is best in the hour before sunrise, when the steam plumes rise the furthest before dissipating. As the day goes on, it gets less impressive. (It also gets more crowded.) Worth getting up at 5am, and our 9- and 11- year old daughters liked it too.
P.S. also a vote for taking the Beartooth Highway in to the northeast entrance, instead of the East entrance. Simply spectacular, and worth the extra 100 miles.
moose97
New member
Re: Yellowstone/Mt. Rushmore Advice
Well, just made the reservations, and Canyon was only available for three of the days we wanted, so we switched to Madison. Good that it's close to the hydrothermic areas...
Well, just made the reservations, and Canyon was only available for three of the days we wanted, so we switched to Madison. Good that it's close to the hydrothermic areas...