Warning around animal jams, especially a grizzley close to the road. DW and I worked the summers of 2007 and 2008 in Yellowstone. During those two summers, I saw one lady run over by a toad behind a class A. She was so intent on watching the grizzley that she backed up behind the class A inbetween the motor home and the toad. She didn't notice it when the class A started pulling out. The driver of the class A, if he looked in his mirrors, probable never saw her since she was behind the motor home. This was a serious accident that could have been avoided.
On another occasion with a grizzley just off the right side of the road, I came very close to hiting a man. I was going very slow, probably less than 5 mph, when he ran across just barely in front of my bumper. I never saw him until he was directly in front of me.
Don't stop watching the people and cars around you.
John & Evelyn
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 ExtCab 8.1/AL 3.73
Outback 28 FRLS Sydney
Prodigy Brake Control
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2 Trojan T105's
Mid June shouldn't be very crowded based on our trips there. Early in the AM will always be less crowded, so get a good early start and you should be good to go! So much to see and do in the park that you need an early start to get more into your stay!
2007 Jayco 23B
2009 E350 Ford Club Wagon 5.4 w/ tow pkg
Equalizer hitch, Prodigy P3 brake controller
Buddy 125 Scooter-FUN!
1997 Coleman Sunridge- Served us well for 11 years!
Dixiechick wrote: We visited Yellowstone last summer and stayed in West Yellowstone. That entrance, according to our park guide, is the least crowded entrance.
Actually, it is the most crowded. In recent years, it has had around 1,400,000 visitors per year. The next busiest is almost a tie between the South Gate and the North Gate at around 700,000 each, the east entrance gets around 450,000 per year and the northeast about 250,000. We stay at the North entrance every spring and fall and rarely find traffic a problem, save the animal jams. Yellowstone is huge and the attractions are spread out. 1.7 million acres can swallow up a lot of people.
The bison aren't really a big problem, at least we don't think so, you may not even have to stop for any. In their defence I will say the one time we had to stop was one of the most beautiful sights we have seen there. It was snowing moderately and the was the usual winter fog and our snow coach driver stopped so we could see them. They were coming into sight out of the fog, all covered in fresh snow and just meandering slowly past us, fantastic. Just consider it part of the bison coming close to watch the annual gathering of the tourists. I'd just plan on an extra day or two to make sure you don't miss anything.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson
That was early June and the traffic wasn't bad except around Old Faithful.
2008 Itasca Sunova 35J Class A
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Held together via Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar and stopped by US Gear Unified Brake system.
June shouldn't be a problem. Just relax and enjoy whatever nature throws your way. The drive in from West Yellowstone to Madison is beautiful - at least I've always enjoyed it. As has been said, parking at any of the geyser basins can be very crowded after 10 or so. We have been to Yellowstone many times, but I always stop to watch the animals, whether it's otters, deer, elk, buffalo, bear or whatever.
Temporarily afoot, but lookin' to get back into the game
We came thru the East Entrance at 8 and had no line. We spent the night in a National Forest campground near the park so we did not have to leave early. It was just before Labor Day.
Yellowstone is a much bigger park that Yosemite which spreads the people out. The greatest concentration of people I found was around Old Faithful and even that did not pale to the concentration of folks that are in Yosemite Valley at one time during the summer.
We followed our Disneyland plan which was to divide the park up into 4 quadrants, arrive early before the crowds and hit the busiest places during lunch and dinner hours. Do everything off the typical travelers agenda.
Once you drive through Nevada you will be happy to get stuck in a bald eagle traffic jam.
2001 25dbs Tahoe TT, 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax
CManley wrote: Yellowstone is a much bigger park that Yosemite which spreads the people out. The greatest concentration of people I found was around Old Faithful and even that did not pale to the concentration of folks that are in Yosemite Valley at one time during the summer.
We followed our Disneyland plan which was to divide the park up into 4 quadrants, arrive early before the crowds and hit the busiest places during lunch and dinner hours. Do everything off the typical travelers agenda.
Once you drive through Nevada you will be happy to get stuck in a bald eagle traffic jam.
LOL! Thank you for the advice. Sounds like a good idea!