advice needed for uk first timer

Hi,

Already read a lot of the forums on this subject and a lot of help they have been.My wife and i are flying to Denver in Mid June this year.we are touring for 14 days and hope to see ynp.gtnp.little big horn and mount rushmore.Is this feasible first of all.

i would not like to travel anymore than 150-200 miles in any one day.Questions i would like to ask.

Any sort of itinary would be nice,and would it be safer to pre-book accomodation before we leave or pick something up the way round.From what i have read the need for wet weather gear is more important than shorts and t shirt.There%26#39;s probably a lot more i will need to know,but i dont want to outstay my welcome

Many thanks in advance.Happy Holidays

David Chalke

advice needed for uk first timer

The places you propose to see are certainly doable in a 14-day time frame.

Here is a website that will be helpful to you with your planning. It has sample itineraries and lots of other very helpful information. The Johnsons have put a lot of work into this and it%26#39;s awesome:

www.alandsuejohnson.com/yellowstone_home.htm

You definitely need to make reservations for accommodations as soon as you have an itinerary in place. For the Natl. Park accommodations, you will do best by calling Xanterra directly, as they handle all the in-park reservations and have more up-to-date availability than is shown on their website.

When your plans are more set, please come back with any further questions.

Good Luck!

advice needed for uk first timer

Welcome to TA and the forum!

Yes, you could make that circle in 14 days - however, with your criteria of number of miles to drive in any single day, I figure you would have 11 travel days driving 2 to 3 1/2 hours per day. That doesn%26#39;t leave you much time for actually seeing the areas you will be visiting. Yes, you will have the remainder of the day from your drive, but unfortunately your criteria will have you stopping in some places where there isn%26#39;t much to see or do.

Here%26#39;s how I mapped it out: Denver to Douglas, WY to Rapid City/Black Hills to Buffalo, WY to Little Big Horn Battlefield, MT to Cody, WY to West Yellowstone, MT to Jackson, WY to Riverton, WY to Rawlins, WY to Cheyenne, WY to Denver, CO.

You certainly need to pre-book accomodations for Yellowstone (I put West Yellowstone in as a destination, because I%26#39;m assuming accomdations in Yellowstone are completely booked for the end of June (West Yellowstone is NOT in Yellowstone NP, but to the west). I certainly wouldn%26#39;t drive up to the Black Hills hoping I%26#39;d find a vacancy. Some of the towns aren%26#39;t very big, such as Buffalo, Douglas and Riverton and it%26#39;s a long ways to the next town.

Wet weather gear really wouldn%26#39;t be needed in mid-June -- showers are generally rare and short-lived in this part of the country. What you will need are layers of clothing -- mornings and evenings can be very brisk, but it generally warms up during the day with lots of sunshine. It won%26#39;t be tropical, but if I were going mid-to-end of June, I%26#39;d be taking shorts and t-shirts.

Hello and welcome,

We did that trip last June also. We started in Denver, went to Cheyenne, then did Black Hills. In Black Hills we did Custer state park, Badlands, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We then left the Black Hills and drove to Deadwood, Sundance, Devil%26#39;s Tower and on to Battle of Little Bighorn. From there we went to YNP and the GT.(we had been in YNP and GT also in 2007) If you like out of the park then stay in West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. We then travelled to Cody to see museums and rodeo then down Wind River Canyon to Casper and back to Cheyenne and Denver. I would make reservations soon for in the park reservations if you want them or in the area towns. I would spend at least 2-3 days in Black Hills, 4 days in YNP and 2 in GT. If you would like hotel or restaurant recommendations just let us know. Enjoy your trip planning.

In Cheyenne we stayed very cheaply at the Days Inn near the interstate. In Black Hills we stayed in Keystone at K Bar S Lodge. In Yellowstone we like Old Faithful and Lake Yellowstone in the park. Call Xanterra and don%26#39;t depend on their website. For out of the park accomodations we like West Yellowstone BW Desert Inn and Holiday Inn. Eat at Running Bear Pancake House for the best pancakes. In Jackson Hole we love the pricey Wyoming Inn. Eat at the Gunbarrel restaurant. In Cody we like the Cody Cowboy Village. The Wyoming Beef and Chop house is a good place to eat also. Hope this helps and if you have more questions just ask.

Curious why the 150-200 mile limit? Basically this would be a large loop tour of Wyoming with some bits just outside. But that%26#39;s a lot of miles. Some of the intermediate stops that would be required are not all that interesting. A lot of time would be spent sitting in hotels/motels. Stretching the limit up to 300 miles in a day (5 average driving hours) and breaking this up with a lunch/touring stop would ';buy'; quality time at the real destinations.

With the freeway system Denver to the Black Hills is a pretty easy drive...even for the two-lane bits up through Lusk and Newcastle. We did most of the reverse (Hot Springs, SD to Cheyenne, WY) easily in a morning...in driving rain and wind on June 7, 2007.

But distances in the American West are great. Miles %26amp; miles of ';miles %26amp; miles';. The biggest issue would be the initial drive up to Black Hills (Rushmore) and later after leaving GTNP. Route back to Denver would be the biggest issue due to wide open spaces. One suggestion....if you like a good soak in mineral hot springs after a day of driving...GTNP to Thermopolis, WY (via Riverton, 200 mi) then down to Saratoga, WY via Rawlins (picnic lunch stop at Independence Rock?) 259 miles, including 30 or so mile side trip to IR. Nice thing here is seeing Wind River Canyon both directions. Saratoga (Saratoga Inn is a mandatory reservations place due to popularity if on a weekend date) to Cheyenne and then to Denver via stunning Snowy Range Byway (WY highway 130). 230 miles total.

So by stretching some of the days just a bit to 230 or 259 miles it really helps maximize the quality of the stops. Not to offend anyone local but Rawlins, WY is not our idea of a destination for spending precious time at. It%26#39;s a nice enough town...just not a lot to do or see there.

Thanks for your thoughts.The only reason i stated 200mls max was because i dont want to be driving all day and miss all there is to see.From what i have read you need to get out of the car and take a walk.Also i am the only driver as my wife does not drive.A question,After flying in to denver and staying the night should i make for the black hills next day because we are bound to be up early ( time difference etc )or would you have a quiet ride to Cheyenne.

Thanks again for your interest.

If you are up early and have stayed in Denver the first night then you can make the Black Hills in one day. If your flight arrives mid day and you get your car then stop in Cheyenne overnight and drive to Black Hills the next day.

GoogleMaps says from Denver 371 miles or just shy of 6 hours via Lusk and Newcastle to Custer. Leaving early you could be in the Black Hills by lunch time. If you stay in Denver night of arrival try to stay on north side if it is a weekday to avoid morning in-bound work traffic. This is one day where a longer drive would be worth it and still allow plenty of sighseeing time for the few things along the way. The area around Lusk is on the edge of the National Grasslands and in mid-June will be lush green. Not out of the question to see real honest-to-gosh cowboys (and girls) moving cattle around. Also a fair number of Pronghorn Antelope should be easy to spot along the roads.

I fully understand the ';one driver'; situation as my wife does not drive due to physical limitations. I draw the line at 800 miles in a day but have been known to stretch to 1,100 in a pinch. No time for sighseeing then. In summer, with long daylight, I figure 400 miles (8 road hours) is about right with stops along the way. We try to pack or buy sandwiches and fruit for picnic lunches at rest areas or attractions. Hard to find a town without a Subway sandwich place to get something to toss in the cooler.

Another thought with Custer Battlefield (Little Bighorn) to avoid some back tracking would be Black Hills to Billings, MT (345 Miles). Mostly freeway so you can go fast between sights (notably Devils Tower and Custer Battlefield). Then Billings to YNP via the very scenic Beartooth Pass. Under 200 miles I think, but a day definitely made for going slower. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beartooth_Highway

Just a curiosity....GoogleMaps will not route via Beartooth Pass, no way - no how, for planning purposes when the pass is currently closed for the season. Even specifying Beartooth Pass as a point along the way....it refuses to calculate a route. I thought that was sort of interesting...as well as limiting.

Many thanks for your thoughts,some very interesting ideas,from everybody.I got so many routes in my head i must know sit down an plan an itinerary.I think i will push on to the black hills because we arrive at 1900hrs saturday night,so sunday should be a quieter day.Again,many thanks and i%26#39;m sure i will be picking your brains again

We%26#39;ve flown into Denver on that BA flight a couple of times and donesome very big loops including Denver - Yellowstone - and all the way down to Zion - back to Denver - in two weeks. We%26#39;ve done a smiliar loop via Badlands but missing Yellowstone also. I%26#39;ll check precise details and post again.

But just some general points about how its easier to do this sort of distance in the US as against the UK. First, much, much less traffic on the roads

makes it far less stressful to drive for a long time. Second, frankly, there aint much to do in some of the smaller towns in the evening, we%26#39;re often in bed by 9pm after having dinner and, what with the time change, this means we are awake and on the road at least by 6pm - you can cover 120 beautiful miles before breakfast! This means circa 300 miles in day is no problem even when taking lots of breaks for walks, coffee, general sight-seeing.

We also tend to do a couple of days of hard driving like that but also make sure that for at least a couple of the stops we stay for two nights - and try and weave in some slightly more %26#39;luxury%26#39; stops so that you can have a swim and stuff to relax from the driving. US motels are absolutely fantastic value - 99% are clean, friendly and with reasonably comfy beds - but try a couple of B%26amp;Bs maybe (v different to the UK) and some lodges or cabins. They%26#39;re great.

Also, avoid Interstates and keep the driving on smaller roads and you wont get the stresss of those huge trucks.

Anyway, hope that gives you a UK perspective on a US driving tour. (And like your wife - I%26#39;m a non-driver so my long-suffering chap does all of the driving and loves it. My only job is to make sure that every time we go we drive on different roads!)

Julie