Best Way to Tour Yellowstone on Bike?

[Wangta]

Hey all - planning to tour Yellowstone on bike in a couple days and was wondering if any of you have any suggestions on how to best traverse this mother of a park. Tentatively planning on spending 2 or 3 days there. All suggestions are welcome - do's and don'ts, as well as thoughts on what is worth paying for (there are so many tours available) would be welcome.

[rocker59]

Where are you staying?

You do know that it's gonna be REAL crowded this time of year, right?

[enduro0125]

Read this thread.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483974

[acejones]

This is really going to get some folks going: The best way to see a national park, especially one with a lot of vistas to stop at and info boards to read is in a cage. You don't have to mess with taking your helmet and/or jacket off and sometimes the parking opportunities are not great for bikes. I found this to be true last April when a buddy and I trailered to a park area. We decided to recon the area in the truck and it made the trip much more interesting. Some of the places I pulled off for a pic opportunity would have been very difficult on the bike.

[Wangta]

Originally Posted by rocker59

Where are you staying?

You do know that it's gonna be REAL crowded this time of year, right?

Near cody - about 30 miles east of Yellowstone. Yeah, I am aware of the crowds, but not much I can do about that!

[Wangta]

Originally Posted by enduro0125

Read this thread.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483974

Thanks for the thread - this is really helpful. Sounds like part of the day will be stuck behind asshats who stop in the middle of the road. Gripes.

[byways]

For a rare glimpse of old Yellowstone, there are two little-known dirt roads in the park, the only dirt roads in Yellowstone, both relics from bygone times. One is Blacktail Plateau Road (see attached photo), a loop off the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Roosevelt. The other, whose name escapes me, climbs into the hills above Mammoth Hot Springs, and exits at the park entrance near Gardiner. Blacktail is especially worth taking. Both are often closed, however. Hard to know in advance. Always closed after rains. Anyway, a rare way to see a bit of the park.

Also, you are going over Beartooth Pass on the Beartooth Highway, aren't you? One of the most spectacular roads in North America, popular with bikers.

[Eyes Shut]

We were in Yellowstone several years ago, in mid-July. What we found worked the best for avoiding crowds was to get up early, as soon as it got light (about 6 a.m.), and hit the road then. Eat a snack before you get started.

We had many places in Yellowstone essentially to ourselves this way. Most people don't get going until later in the morning, and so by mid-morning the roads and attractions are more crowded.

We also found that by taking a longish hike starting mid-morning to late afternoon was another way to avoid the crowds. Sometimes we would take a picnic lunch and stop at one of the roadside picnic tables for lunch and had the place to ourselves.

The crowds began to thin out around late afternoon/early evening, so that was another good time to hit some of the more popular places.

Another thing -- most people just want to drive to see something; the majority do not walk any of the longer trails. If you take one of the longer trails to see the sights, there will be less people. Also, remember it stays light until about 10 p.m.

[coolhandsteve]

check out the jeep trails just outside Cook City off the bears tooth highway. Had a great time superb views and very few people

[RogueClimber]

Staying in Cody and riding to Yellowstone for a couple of days you will double up the roads a bit (big loop ride hits most of the must sees). We did most of the loop in a day but then stayed in the park. (And I was walking/gimping slowly along trails to the geysers).

I'd add a jaunt down to the Tetons--combined with Yellowstone falls would be a good long day from Cody. (Stay cheap at the american alpine club climbers ranch, make reservations)

[ozart]

We were in yellowstone couple weeks ago, with the truck not bike. About 6 years ago we did in on the bikes. Starting from Cody, head to red lodge montana and come back across beartooth pass. Enter yellowstone from the northeast through cook city. Have lunch at the beartooth cafe. Go down the east side, loop around the bottom back up to the divide road and back out the east side to Cody. Northwest road to mammoth hot springs is under construction and might be closed now. You'll probably want to avoid it anyway.

IMO it's crazy to be at yellowstone and not go across beartooth. The only problem with this is YS might seem kinda hohum afterwards. You might also want to exit the south side and visit the tetons. If you like paying absorbitant prices, spend the night in jackson and eat a few meals.

[Yossarian™]

Don't set your speed expectations very high. Lots of RVs, trailers, etc. that travel slowly, and also lots of cages that hit the brakes hard when they see wildlife 500 yards abeam. So, don't follow too closely!

Last time I camped in YNP there were only two campgrounds that served non-hard-sided campers. I always used the one by the lake. If you can get to the camp office when it opens you can usually get a spot as they are first come first served (or, were, at least.)

[eakins]

yellowstone is rough on a bike. you move at a snails pace.
i do like the ride from the NE entrance (ride in on the chief joseph hiway) to the NW entrance and hot spring soak in the boiling river. it's on the road out to gardiner. hit gardiner for some food and then back in the park & try to find one of those dirt roads. then go back out the NE entrance and ride the chief joseph hiway. call that your yellowstone experience. between traffic & construction it's really not that fun.

another day go back up the chief joseph & then the beartooth to red lodge for lunch. then back track. that will be the best day you've ever had on a motorcycle.

[Happycamper]

+1

Originally Posted by Eyes Shut

We were in Yellowstone several years ago, in mid-July. What we found worked the best for avoiding crowds was to get up early, as soon as it got light (about 6 a.m.), and hit the road then. Eat a snack before you get started.

We had many places in Yellowstone essentially to ourselves this way. Most people don't get going until later in the morning, and so by mid-morning the roads and attractions are more crowded.

We also found that by taking a longish hike starting mid-morning to late afternoon was another way to avoid the crowds. Sometimes we would take a picnic lunch and stop at one of the roadside picnic tables for lunch and had the place to ourselves.

The crowds began to thin out around late afternoon/early evening, so that was another good time to hit some of the more popular places.

Another thing -- most people just want to drive to see something; the majority do not walk any of the longer trails. If you take one of the longer trails to see the sights, there will be less people. Also, remember it stays light until about 10 p.m.

[RandyM]

I agree with the get up early advice. Very few people up and about before 9AM. At 7am there were only a handful of photographers around old faithful.

When I was there (4 years ago) there was a herd of Bison gathering in the evening at either the Sulfur Caldron or Mud Volcano. Apparently they wander in to stay warm (from the hot springs) at night.

If you are into photography, Grand Teton, just south of YNP has a couple nice sunrise photo locations like Snake River overlook, Mormon row, and beaver ponds at the end of Schwabacher Road. Too far for a sunrise photo if you are staying in Cody.