West Yellowstone, MT and Tetons: Sep. 25 – 29, 2017

West Yellowstone, MT and Tetons: Sep. 25 – 29, 2017

We had an adventurous drive from Moab to West Yellowstone, in particular, through the Price Canyon Recreation Area in Utah. It was the first time that we had driven the coach through snow showers. The showers only lasted 30 minutes, but it seemed like a long time, as the snow was coming down pretty heavy at times.

We spent the night in the Walmart parking lot in Idaho Falls, SD. It had been a long day and we didn’t want to drive the last part of the trip in the dark.

The following morning we completed our drive to the Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, MT. The park was at about 30% capacity. Even so, we were required to wait until the official check-in time. The staff was very friendly and suggested that we leave the RV out front and stroll into town until check-in time. Grizzly is only a couple of blocks from downtown so we took a walk and explored a few of the local tourist shops and the Yellowstone National Park visitor center.

After checking in we parked in our spot, unhooked the Jeep, and headed into the park. It was my first visit to Yellowstone. Charlie had been there once before, but only for a day trip on a tour bus. Therefore, we were excited to explore the park together.

The week prior to our arrival the area in and around Yellowstone had been hit with a big snowstorm. Many of the roads in Yellowstone were closed during the storm. They had just reopened. During our stay the weather was great. Temps got up in the 50s and 60s and the sun was out, for the most part.

We spent 3 full days in Yellowstone and saw a majority of the park. The only part we missed was Beartooth Highway, in the Northeast region. The park was not very crowded. Even so, we often found ourselves sitting in long lines of cars, waiting for Bison to cross the road or for people to simply stop and observe the wildlife in the fields. I couldn’t imagine visiting the park at the height of the tourist season.

We had originally planned on spending 5 nights in West Yellowstone and then 4 nights in the Tetons. However, as the week progressed the weather predictions for the following week became a little concerning. Freezing rain and snow were headed our way so we decided to shorten our visit in Yellowstone and to take only a day trip to the Tetons. We were disappointed that we did not have time to get out and do some hiking, especially in the beautiful Teton mountain range. However, this gives us a good reason to return.

Since we were no longer staying in the Tetons we decided to head over to Cody, WY. We drove the RV through the park, from West Yellowstone to Cody. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the trip, sitting high in the RV and having a fantastic view of the landscape and animals. I especially loved it as we travelled through the mountain range on the east side of the park. The views were spectacular. I was very surprised by how much of the park has been subjected to forest fires. New trees are starting to grow, but the number of trees burnt by various fires is staggering.

The Grizzly RV Park is very nice and we highly recommend it. The location to town and the west Yellowstone Park entrance is great. Speaking of town, we had dinner one evening at Bullwinkles Saloon & Eatery. I went out on a limb and ordered their Elk Ravioli. It was fantastic!

I hope you enjoy the pictures:

Grand Prismatic Spring:

Gibbon Falls:

Monument Geyser Basin area:

Continental Divide:

Bison

East Entrance area and Sylvan Lake

Elk

Fountain Paint Pot area

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Hayden Valley

Lamar Valley

Mammoth Hot Springs

Northern tip of West Thumb – fire stricken area

Old Faithful

Tower Junction Area

Upper Geyser Basin

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West Thumb Geyser Basin

Tetons

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2 thoughts on “West Yellowstone, MT and Tetons: Sep. 25 – 29, 2017

  1. Beautiful photos, as usual Kelly. The park looks so different with snow and without the summer crowds. Thanks

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