Best month to hit Yellowstone?

[robertbarr]

For years, I've wanted to visit / stay at a few of the Grand Lodges that National Geographic highlighted, and one of the grandest is Old Faithful Inn, with an atrium of 78 feet in height (!). Most of the rooms are already booked through 2014, but I can squeeze in one or two yet.

I'm thinking late July or early September. Anyone been to Yellowstone with a comment on crowds and riding weather? I'm traveling alone, via Land Barge, so no family concerns and super-flexible timetable.

 

[tkent02]

After Labor day the crowds drop off to a more reasonable level. Still way too many people, but it's not as bad. As far as traveling, do it before 10AM before the masses get moving. After that, it's a parking lot.

The nicest time to visit is winter, they have all inclusive snowmobile trips, gear, snowmobile, food, everything. From one well stocked warm cabin to the next each day, it is supposed to be awesome.

 

[Lawn Monkey]

I rode thru Yellowstone in August of 1984 tent camping on the GS750m crowds were minimal and it was cold at night brrrrruuu and a light dusting of snow, was an awesome trip

 

[tkent02]

I bet with the economy so bad for so long it's a lot less crowded than it was several years ago. I have noticed that around here.

 

[Dogma]

We were there in early June this year. Before the families arrived to overcrowd it. I'd like to try the winter tours someday.

The lodge is an amazing building. It's too bad you can't go to the top anymore.

 

[850 Combat]

We rode through in June of '09. Three of my GS's and me on my Concours (sold that thing after that trip). There was ice on some of the higher lakes yet, and we got snowed on a bit. I think we went from outside of Butte to Sheridan that day.

Staying would have been cool.

 

[dpep]

I visited Yellowstone in late July of last year by motorcycle. It was crowded but not enough to distract from my enjoyment. It's a big place and the attractions are out in the open--not something you have to wait in line to get into. There can be a line at the park entrances which would be a concern if you are not staying overnight in the park. You would try to time arrival either very early in the morning as suggested previously or later toward noon after the morning push.

There were a lot of vehicles on the roads, but nothing like a big city rush hour. You are there to take in the sights so biding your time isn't really a hardship. The bison, roaming over the roadways are much more likely to restrict you (as in bringing you to a complete stop and wait) than other vehicles will anyway.

I rode down from Montana on a Saturday with no reservations and had no problem finding a room fairly cheap (under $100) in West Yellowstone just outside the park. I got an available lodging list at the West Yellowstone visitor center and made a couple of calls.

If you want to stay IN the park then yes, you should have that reserved well ahead of time.
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[robertbarr]

I visited Yellowstone in late July of last year by motorcycle. It was crowded but not enough to distract from my enjoyment.

Well, the die is cast, due to the dwindling availability of rooms in Old Faithful Inn -- the big guy. That's one of the primary missions is to spend a night or two there, so it's going to be the 19th and 20th of July. $109 + tax + misc. parasitic charges per night. Not bad!

You would try to time arrival either very early in the morning as suggested previously or later toward noon after the morning push.

Good suggestions. The plan is to travel two days from Chicago and 'land' somewhere outside the park a day in advance. Find another place to stay the 18th, so when I'm up bright and early, I can pounce and get in there & register, and have pretty much an extra day to spend in the park.

I plan to actually leave the bike parked, and spend a day (as much as possible) with the tourists. I want the day tour in those big ugly yellow open-roofed mini-buses that date to the FDR era. The cost of that ride is currently $83! Ouch! After that, maybe venture outward, but I'm also planning to spend half a day on the lodge's porch, reading. Nothing else. Read, watch the crowds, down some iced tea. As if I can afford to do that routinely. As if.

Day 2 might involve the bike.

The bison, roaming over the roadways are much more likely to restrict you (as in bringing you to a complete stop and wait) than other vehicles will anyway.

I've seen video of a biker getting rammed by a bison during a bison-jam. Not at Yellowstone; I think it was Custer, during Sturgis. It was a group of Harleys with loud exhaust, and I'm really hoping it was cause - and - effect.

I rode down from Montana on a Saturday with no reservations and had no problem finding a room fairly cheap (under $100) in West Yellowstone just outside the park. I got an available lodging list at the West Yellowstone visitor center and made a couple of calls.

If you want to stay IN the park then yes, you should have that reserved well ahead of time.
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It's encouraging that you found lodging! I would never trust fate like that anymore.

 

[Charlie G]

Gutstov is susposed to be going this month to Yellowstone. Shoot hom a PM later and ask how it was.

cg

 

[dpep]

The plan is to travel two days from Chicago and 'land' somewhere outside the park a day in advance. Find another place to stay the 18th, so when I'm up bright and early, I can pounce and get in there & register, and have pretty much an extra day to spend in the park.

I assume you will be coming west on I-90. Take a look at your map south southwest of Billings MT and you will see a little place named Red Lodge on Federal Hwy 212. Red Lodge is the eastern terminus for Beartooth Highway (still Hwy 212) which runs to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone after crossing over Beartooth pass. DO NOT miss this road--curvy with hairpins but well constructed and well maintained with jaw dropping scenery. And coming off of the Beartooth to the south is Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, another absolutely stunning ride.

Red Lodge has a lot of lodging, but it stays pretty booked up in season and is $$$. Your best bet may be to spend the night in Billings which has the usual chain hotel/motels along the interstate. From there you could leave early and be in Red Lodge in a little over an hour; gas up and hit the Beartooth.

You could probably do an easy ride of both the highways, ride the eastern side of Yellowstone Park, and still be at Old Faithful Inn by check-in time. Or if you are a day early you could ride through Yellowstone to West Yellowstone on the other side which is the "big city" of the park area. Most of the businesses in the town are lodging facilities. As I said I went there on a Saturday at the peak of the season and got a room without a lot of work. The visitors center keeps a master list of the available rooms in town on that day. If you have a credit card someone will have a place for you to sleep.

I don't think it is possible to declare a 'best' motorcycle road; the contenders for that designation are all different in what they offer. But I have ridden many of those contenders--the Dragon, the Blue Ridge, the Cabot Trail, the Pacific Coast Hwy, the Sea to Sky Hwy in BC, Going to The Sun Road in Glacier Park, etc.--and I would put Beartooth at the top of my list of the ones I want to do again. DO NOT miss this road.
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[Guest]

Lisa and I did Yellowstone on the bike two summers ago, July I believe. Make sure you bring your rain gear. It went from beautiful VERY HOT sun to torrential rain in minutes and late afternoon, early evening riding did make us put an extra layer on. There are crowds that's for sure but it's such a big place it was never 'usually' a bother. Except when they stop on the road to look at something, the traffic does back up a 'wee bit'. There's a great museum in West Yellowstone if you head that way.

 

[Dogma]

On a bike, I think I'd keep my distance from bison. They aren't even slightly afraid of vehicles, and I wouldn't want to accidentally spook one.

One useful lesson I learned at Yellowstone: Spotting wildlife for the non-outdoorsman (or one busy driving) is best done by spotting spotters alongside the road. A car pulled over with a scope on a tripod is an experienced spotter looking at something interesting. Have some quality binoculars handy. The spotters may also offer to let you look through their scope if you ask what they're looking at.

Your bus driver (definitely take a tour, that'll be $83 well spent) will probably be doing this. It's the only way we got to see certain animals in the park. Grizzly, big horn rams, etc. We didn't get to see a moose in Yellowstone, but spotted several near Moose, WY in the Tetons. If you have time, see the Tetons too. Take the lift to the top of Jackson Hole Ski Resort for an amazing view.

You're going to want more than 2 days out there.