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Bin to YSP half a dozen times in a car Thinking next year to trailer my bike out their as my years are winding down. Maybe see Old faithful one last time. Other then that not sure how to divide my time and how much time I need to spend their to absorb the experience on a MC
If you trailered to Ranchester, then spent the day riding to Cody over 41a And use Cody as your base camp Then you could do the chief Joseph/Beartooth Pass loop as a day run One day for the north loop in the park, one day for the Southloop in the park, a day to run down to Jackson hole and back Theres lots to do in Cody, and I use it now as a base when Im down that way, because its central. I always stay at the western Rose motel. Motorcycle friendly and great people that run it, and you can walk downtown if you wish
From: Marion NC / Lake Norman NC / Panama City Fla
We did Cody in June. That is a great location to hit all the great riding the area has to offer. It rained and snowed when we were there so it made for some interesting riding. Be aware they were rebuilding the bridge near the Fishing Bridge area and the road was a muddy mess, our bikes looked like endeuros after riding through that area.
We home based in West Yellowstone, spent three days in the park, we felt like we could have done a week. We were coming from Sturgis, so we did a night in Cody on the way there, left via the South gate and did a night in Jackson.
perfect thread for my question. I was just road tripping with the family out west and had the opportunity to share the road with bison a few times. Sitting in an SUV...no worries...but if you look closely in the picture in my side mirror, there are some guys on bikes. Yikes....what the heck do you do in that situation?
Wait patiently and no sudden movements. Also keep the bike in gear if you gotta move. We got caught in a big herd in Teddy Roosevelt NP in ND, kind of sketchy for a coupe of seconds, but I don't think they really want anything to do with us. But be careful.
We’ve been to Ystone several times on a m/c. The main roads around the park are like an “8”. The upper loop has most of the geothermal features. We took 1 day to tour the upper, and 1 to tour the lower. If you’ve never been there before I’d suggest the pay for “ring of fire” tour.
Take as much time as you can since there is so much to do and see in and around YNP.
We've been there several times (on bikes) and even doing the same roads, in time things do look differently.
We've stayed in a lodge near the East Gate, once in Cody, and the last time in West Yellowstone and each are different so t all depends on what you like.
If you're into firearms, Cody has a museum that has a heck of a collection that you could easily spend hours drooling over!
On our last trip (2010) we trailered our three bikes to Billings, MT and toured up through GNP and then back downt to YNP. We satyed in West Yellowstone for three nights, using it as a base and did most of the park and a trp ove to Jackson Hole, WY. We left West Yellowstone, crossing back through the park kind of early in the monrning headed east (towards Cody) when we came around a curve and had a "close encounter" (actually a slow face-to-face) with a huge bull standing in he middle of the road! Funny to think about it now but at the time. NOT so funny and my wife and the couple that was with me still remember it fondly and vividly! As my wife says " he was so close you could smell him"! Big, gentle creature, but we were in his "domain".
I have no idea of how lodging may be these days due to the pandemic but back 10 years ago, any thing in (or near) YNP was a bit pricey and you needed to book well in advance unless you just wanted to take a chance of being able to find a room.
You really could easily spend a week in that area and not run out of things to see/places to go, but I think the main stuff is pretty much covered from folks above. Cody is a good basecamp, West Yellowstone is another. If Chief Joseph/Beartooth Highway is part of your plans, Cody is good place to stay for that. @CanadianRocky outlines a pretty good plan. I would say plan on a day for each area you want to visit, and then add a couple of days on to your overall plan just to keep things casual. You don't want to rush through there.
The Yellowstone NP website has some good information on it, and has links to different maps for construction, campsites, weather, etc. and also has a page of different webcams, which include a couple different entrance gates so you can see how crowded it is.
I usually go through that area at least once a year, sometimes 2 or 3. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about YNP, or Jackson/Tetons area.
Lots of good info has been provided. If you stay in Cody, it is a two hour ride to get to the lower loop. Parts of it is a beautiful ride though.
I did see that part of the upper loop on the NE side is closed for construction.
I too ran into a big bull buffalo on the upper loop. I was headed from Canyon to Roosevelt Lodge for breakfast and cam around a curve and he was walking down the middle of the road. He finally moved over a little and I eased by him.
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Yellowstone on a MC
