When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
We went there for the first time this year after Sturgis. Beautiful country.
As others have mentioned, 2 Days really isn't enough. Some of my personal recommendations:
- as mentioned before, Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass from Cody to Red Lodge is a MUST DO
- obviously you'll want to spend a few days exploring Yellowstone. ( old faithful, etc.) I don't think 2 days is nearly enough. I suggest at least 3-4 DAYS minimum.
- I recommend devoting one day to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Well worth it IMHO
- we went to a rodeo in Cody and really enjoyed it. During the summer, they have a rodeo every night in Cody.
- if you like a good home cooked breakfast, try Granny's in Cody. Steak, eggs, hash browns.... delicious
- as with Yellowstone, a lot of scenic pull off sites along the road in the Shoshone National Park worth seeing.
Enjoy. You really can't go wrong in that part of the country.
Beartooth pass.
Another view from Beartooth pass
Check out some of Rocky's other threads for a lot more info and a lot of beautiful pictures.
Good information so far. I have camped at Canyon CG a couple of years in August following Sturgis. It would be 30 degrees in the morning. It is a two hour ride to get to the figure 8 from Cody. But it is a beautiful ride though. West YS is a lot closer. Two plus days would be good for the park IMO. Go soak in the river and hot springs near the Gardner Entrance. Beautiful place.
I spend 2 years in and out of the hospital and almost went under in 12 and 13 and a few years recovering. My whole family went on a trip to Yellowstone when i was up to moving around and this is the reason I am getting my FLHTK. I have been dreaming about going back up there on 2 wheels since seeing all the bikes on those mountain roads.
You get a new outlook on things and one of my first major trips will be wandering thru those mountains.
Thanks for the information and pictures.
Depends on how adventurous you are. I could spend 2-3 weeks there exploring instead of the 4 days with bearable traffic. If this is likely to be the one and only time you go there, I would suggest 4 days minimum, but I was based out of Jackson Hole and it was a 90 mile ride between JH and Yellowstone. So much to explore in Yellowstone. And if you are in the area, highly recommend spending time in Jackson Hole / Tetons if you havent already. Watch out for the bears if you do any hiking or walking any paths. They are not kidding when they recommend carrying bear spray and making noise as you go along. Buddy ran into a grizzly around Jenny lake and we came across a black bear riding a gravel side road at the north Yellowstone loop - you can see this road on a map of the park. Luckily it was more interested in eating berries than any of the tourists
Prismatic spring
Dont remember what this was called
Probably one of the best pictures I have taken. This was at the top of the Jackson Hole tram looking north at the Tetons - elevation was 10,500ft or something like that
In 2016 we took the grand kids to Yellowstone and stayed in Emigrant, about 40 minutes from the north gate. That extra 80 - 90 minute drive everyday made for long days.
In 2018 two friends and I took the bikes to Yellowstone and stayed in Gardiner, right across the street from the north gate. We really liked being right there.
The traffic is a lot less in the early morning hours and the critters are more active. Yellowstone is huge and you will spend a lot of time just driving to get to the different areas that you want to see.
We stayed in Cody back in 2006, again as someone else stated, you will spend a lot of time driving before you ever get to Yellowstone. In 2008 we stayed in Jackson, we would not do that again, it is just too far to drive to be able to spend as much of the day as you can in Yellowstone.
We have never stayed in West Yellowstone or with in the park. Myself, the ideal plan would be staying in the park. Spend one night at the lake lodge then spend the next day going through the park and ending up at a lodge in another part of the park. Less back tracking that way.
What ever you decide for accomodations, you will still enjoy Yellowstone, it is HUGE!!
I was in Yellowstone for a week with friends way back in late August of 1993. We camped most of the time and had a blast, also did an overnight hike and camped in the middle of nowhere. The only drawback was the 15 degree temps. Did I say we were there in the last week of August??? But we were in a cage and not on bikes at the time
We loved it and I do want to go back with my wife and grandkids. If I do I would stay in the park. Also when we went the traffic wasn't bad at all, not sure if it is due to the timing of the trip or because it was so long ago.
I was there this past summer while riding in the Iron Butt rally in June of this year, Old Faithful was a bonus. I entered from the east as I was coming from Dubois and exited out the west gate. I was there at 6:30 am and just missed it so had to wait until 8am. On the way out the west entrance the traffic getting in was horrible, so if staying outside the park I agree, go in early.
On this trip it was 27 degrees at 6:30 am. The other advice I would give is expect any kind of weather. A friend of mine got snowed in on the Bear Tooth Pass. He passed the gates to the pass while it was open but a snow storm came in while he was riding. When he turned around the gates were closed and there was too much snow for him to go around them so he was trapped.
This was my view of what I believe are the Tetons as I was entering the park before sunrise. Even though I was on a clock I just had to stop
Cody gets my vote for which side of the park to stay on. It's a longer drive but you can go in the northeast gate, guaranteed to see bison, hit the Top of the World store before going in and Beartooth Pass.
Drive out once to W. Yellowstone for some quality ice cream and shops.
It's always gonna be a little crowded in the summertime. There is no way I would spend less than three days in the park itself.
Keep in mind that in June snow in the higher elevations is not uncommon.
We were in Yellowstone in early July, 2010 and one of the Park Rangers told us that they had 4" of snow just a few days earlier.
Regardless of the time of year that you go, take your leathers and rain gear....you won't regret it!
On my last visit to Yellowstone and riding Beartooth in 2018, I read a week later that BT was closed for a day due to snow. Second week of August.
Also camping inside the park at Canyon CG, the traffic will wake me at about 330 to 400 in the morning. I was like WTH. They are headed out to get to the best photo ops for the animals, etc.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
