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Pacerized · 04-16-2009, 08:25 AM

Your setup is almost identical to mine. Our airstream is a 25' model with the same narrow body style as your Argosy, and we tow with a Durango. I've never had a problem at any national park campground with this setup and I've seen some huge trailers in these same campgrounds. I've never even felt like we were cramped for space. Since most trailers give their lengths for just the box and don't include the tongue, I think you'd be safe declaring your setup to be under 40'.

Charlie

Airboss · 04-16-2009, 09:11 AM

I visited Yellowstone last summer but was while I was at the International Rally so Bozeman was my CG. I also went to Glacier and stayed at West Glacier KOA. Very nice CG and had dinners too. Try the Trout Dinner!!!! I will say Glacier has views that are out of this world. Going to the sun rd is a MUST! I also climbed Apgar Mt. 4 mile hike and quite a view as well...All of you drive save and happy trails...

brownsmtnlab · 04-16-2009, 11:01 AM

We stayed at the Madison campground in early June 2008....absolutely loved it...they allowed our 31 foot, but they only have a half dozen or so spots that big...I guess we may have been on batteries and propane for those 3 days....We moved to outside the park for an extra day (west Yellowstone) we found that a completely (in a bad way) different experience....tons of mosquitoes and wind not present in the park

maxandgeorgia · 04-16-2009, 12:30 PM

We too have passed over the campgrounds within YP, but we have found several just beyond its boundaries, yet within exploration drive distance. Just off I90, approaching YP from the east, north of Big Timber on the Boulder River is Silver Creek CP, a good central site for access to great drives up the Boulder valley toward the Beartooth range. For you movie fans, The Horse Whisperer was filmed in this valley--incredible scenery! You'll find various small FS camping sites up the B River, but they are primitive, ususally right on the water. The road becomes VERY rough as you drive upriver. Tenting or small campers only! we'd advise. As John wrote above, in Paradise Valley on the Yellowstone River, north of YP and south of LIvingston is Yellowstone's Edge RV Park where we had a delightful stay a couple summers ago and where we will return. About 30 miles west of YP, along the Madison River, is Madison River Campground, clean, good small groc and fishing provisioning store, wonderful laundry/bath house...we've stayed several times and enjoy the site just overlooking the trout stream. You'll find only a few sites (maybe a dozen?) and cottages are available too if you need respite from the road. You can be entertained trout fishing or watching the antics of other fishermen in the swift water from the swing overlooking the water. . Between Teton Park and YP is a huge but pine-shaded campground with equally large restaurant/shop/store/gas facility--/Flag Ranch. We've stayed twice and had good experiences. Some complain about the population, but we've always had large enough sites with decent privacy and it is ideal as a central location for a family wanting to explore both parks. You'll be exploring a grand part of our country--enjoy! ~G

Ketchum · 04-16-2009, 02:57 PM

We stayed at Rocky Mountain Campground in Gardiner, MT last summer. It was a good time. It has free wifi, good hookups and easy in & out sites. The sites are pretty small but they work. They do have some restrictions about sleeping outside of your camper and don't allow tents on the same site (only in the tent sites.)

Have fun!
Bob
Spearfish, SD

2Alaska · 04-18-2009, 12:56 PM

Thanks for all the advice. It makes trying to plan it all out a bit easier.

I love hearing what worked and what didn't. I think we're going to try to get in the park at The Tetons and Yellowstone as much as we can then hit the KOA in West Glacier (that looks great). We're giong to try to make a few reservations and then try some of the 1st come 1st served places to try to fill in some days when we get there. At least we have a rough plan. I hate to plan it out too much but I know we're already pushing it if we want to make reservation in some places.
Thanks again,
~2Alaska

Airboss · 04-18-2009, 01:21 PM

Glad your going to Glacier.. Its well worth the trip and have the Trout Dinner at West Glacier KOA and think of me as you eat it..LOL

joel · 04-18-2009, 01:37 PM

we stayed in the town of west yellowstone at the west gate of the park.Several nice campgrounds there but we stayed at grizzly camp ground.great place with large level areas and full hookups .

At rushmore we stayed at the big pines camp ground in the city of Custer.again a nice campground and 1 mile from one of the gates of Custer state park. Also the greatest attraction in the area is in the town of custer.""" The Purple Pie Shop""" we had never had rhubarb pie till we went there. Home made pie and ice cream.It also has a flintstones bedrock camp ground there.Have fun

Gene · 04-18-2009, 02:12 PM

There's no perfect solution for everyone at Yellowstone. It's a really big place and with summer traffic, it takes a long time to go anywhere. Plus, it's not a place you want to speed through. So, it seems to me it's best to stay inside the Park because it's about the Park and not the campground.

We spent a week there three years ago at the beginning of the season and stayed at Mammoth and at the Lake Hotel (no trailer). We drove all over place, but didn't see everything. We hiked a fair amount too. Even with it still being slow in May, something of a crowd at Old Faithful. Can't imagine what it's like there and at the other hot springs and fumeroles in summer.

A compromise would be to park the trailer at the cheapest campground you can find where there is some security and stay in one or more of the hotels in the park. Some of them are historic and the food can be pretty good at the restaurants (surprisingly, since it's run by Xanterra). It may be too late to get reservations unless they have some last minute openings.

Gene

2Alaska · 04-19-2009, 06:25 PM

Thanks again. I made the reservations for West Glacier (I'll be sure to have the Trout dinner, Airboss)

. I'm going to look into the Big Pines in SD next. A few places there were already booked up. Thanks, Joel!

We were considering the whole tent and occasional hotel thing when we were first planning the trip but with 4 kids, and 2 adults, for 3 and a half weeks (plus the cost of having to board 2 dogs) the trailer just seems to make a lot more sense financially. But this will be our longest trip yet. It's looking good though and now we won't miss the dogs so we're all really happy. Thanks to everyone for the information, it's been a great help.
~2Alaska

HiHoAgRV · 04-19-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacerized

. Since most trailers give their lengths for just the box and don't include the tongue, I think you'd be safe declaring your setup to be under 40'.

Charlie

Last year we thought we would use this method to get our 29' in and claim it was only 26'...the folks at registration have caught on to our little trick, the question asked now isn't "how long is your trailer", it's "how long is your rig, front bumper of the truck to the back bumper of the trailer"

They did slot us into a spot at Bridge Bay that was exactly as long as out rig, saving the longer ones for the monster 5ers...

2Alaska · 04-20-2009, 05:05 AM

I saw that posted too. I went out to measure and I'm about 42 feet. But we don't need hook-ups so I'm thinking we could stay at some of the other campgrounds and we may be OK. ??
Is the under 40 ft rule fairly new? It seems that most if not all of you have trailers as long or longer than mine. Are your tow vehicles that much shorter than mine? Or does it just matter which campground you go to?
~2Alaska

Ahab · 04-24-2009, 09:56 AM

Thank you folks for the many ideas. My DW and two poodles will head out in late May to revisit that part of the country. We have three weeks, hope we can see most of it.

wolverine · 04-24-2009, 11:37 PM

Would appreciate your posting photos as well as some of the don't miss points on your trip. Thanks!

Airboss · 04-26-2009, 10:50 PM

Yes we love photos.. Drive safe and enjoy!!!

Torii · 04-27-2009, 12:39 AM

We have reservations in August for Madison Campground inside Yellowstone. Cant wait!

FYI - here is a list of sites in the park that allow generators...

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisi...ellowstone.htm

kstewart23 · 05-26-2015, 07:33 PM

I noticed this thread and the recommendations are great, but it was in 2009, we are heading to Yellowstone and Grand Teton this summer, thoughts on RV parks? I was looking at some of the private parks vs the RV parks under the National Park umbrella as they are about 20 dollars more per night.

Is Yellowstone's Edge RV Park still great? Is it close enough to Yellowstone and Grand Teton to visit those places daily? (35 miles to Yellowstone doesn't seem like much, but I have no how that road is, hwy, 35 mph speed limit etc)

We will be there two weeks, two dogs, teenage daughter, need full hookups and is our first time there. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks
KS

Gene · 05-28-2015, 04:18 PM

I doubt you will get full hookups inside the Park. You should be able to find out on the Park Service website for Yellowstone or RV Park Reviews: RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks

I can understand wanting to stay inside the Park, but maybe you can split your time between the commercial campgrounds outside the Park and the ones inside. When we tent camped at Yellowstone (more than 20 years ago) the tent campgrounds had nice bathrooms.

Travel at Yellowstone can be very slow, especially in summer. Bear jams, moose jams, buffalo jams, wolf jams and gawkers can bring you to a stop often. It is a very big place with lots to see. We've been their twice (once for a week) and we didn't see everything, but we came real close.

I don't think admission to the Park is for more than a week (again, check website) and the price keeps going up. Check to see if a yearly pass will cost less especially if you want to go to other parks or monuments during the year (or wait until you're 62 and get a senior pass).

It takes some thinking to figure out how to do it plus reservations.

I hope the giant Yellowstone dormant volcano doesn't erupt while you are there (or any time while we are alive because it will be a mess here too). Yellowstone Lake is the center of the caldera that is there from the last supervolcano eruption 640,000 years ago. More likely to happen in another half million years.

Gene

n2916s · 05-28-2015, 05:52 PM

Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone has full hookups but it is basically a parking lot with trees -- no fire rings, no picnic tables. It is centrally located.

There are several nice RV campgrounds in West Yellowstone, Grizzly is one of them.

Effective 1 June, admission to the park for a week is $30 and it no longer covers admission to Grand Teton. A combined admission for YNP and Grand Teton is $50. So the annual pass for all national parks at $80 starts looking pretty good.

Mike

megandrudy · 05-29-2015, 06:07 PM

We also stayed at Fishing Bridge 2 years ago. Same reviews as above.....parking lot, tight spaces, no trees to speak of......BUT it was centrally located to all major sightseeing spots. Hint.....go to Old Faithful EARLY in the am.....we got there as soon as it opened and after seeing the blast, went into the lodge for breakfast. In just the time it took us to get seated, eat, and pay our bill, the park was noticeably more crowded.....by the time we left, around 11:30 ish, the place was PACKED. The old adage is true here....the early bird gets..... a better view!