Mt Rushmore Yellowstone in the fall

[jjrbus]

My departure keeps getting pushed back hopefully will be making a Sept trip to S Dakota and Yellowstone to Seattle, if I ever get out of Florida.  I'm reading a bit and reservations at Yellowstone are going to be hard to get in Sept and they report that gas stations are seasonal.  Wonderful, whens season?  So with a little tiny gas tank am I going to have gas issues on the way to, in and leaving Yellowstone?

Any tour tips from Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone?    May or may not take interstates, will see what happens.    Jim

[WME]

Here ya go      Yellowstone....https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm

                      Mt Rushmore....https://www.nps.gov/moru/planyourvisit/hours.htm 

Unless your a "been there, got the t-shirt type tourist" plan on 2-3 days at Yellowstone. Do the upper loop 1 day and the west side of the lower loop the 2nd. From the lower loop you go to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole.

Mt. Rushmore is 1-2 days. (Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Wind Caves Park). If you travel I-90 then you can do Badlands, and Wall Drug on the way to Mt Rushmore. Wall Drug is pure tourist trap but fun, Badlands is mother nature at her worse.

[jjrbus]

3 hours ago, WME said:

Here ya go      Yellowstone....https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm

                      Mt Rushmore....https://www.nps.gov/moru/planyourvisit/hours.htm 

Unless your a "been there, got the t-shirt type tourist" plan on 2-3 days at Yellowstone. Do the upper loop 1 day and the west side of the lower loop the 2nd. From the lower loop you go to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole.

Mt. Rushmore is 1-2 days. (Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Wind Caves Park). If you travel I-90 then you can do Badlands, and Wall Drug on the way to Mt Rushmore. Wall Drug is pure tourist trap but fun, Badlands is mother nature at her worse.

Last time, some 20 years ago I spent 4 days at Yellowstone, it was not enough, but due to reservations I had to leave. 

After many web searches that is the first info with gas station's actural closing dates, instead of open during season! 

I do not have an exact arrival date at YP, the one camp ground that has open places may be full, is it possible to just park some where for the night?     Jim

[WME]

Madison Campground is open until the middle of OCT, I've made reservations a day in advance AFTER Labor day. Mammoth is open year round.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

Use the East gate and you can spend the night at the Cody Wal-Mart 

[linda s]

So can ya still buy drinks at drive through's in Wyoming? Just remember stooping in Cody and getting a glass of wine and being asked if I wanted it to go. While I was waiting, cars came by the window and ordered. So strange

Linda S

[WME]

Yep still got drive ups at most liquor stores. Wy finally passed an open container law. Used to be you could drink and drive, but you couldn't drive while intoxicated .

Then we added open carry laws so the cowboy look is legal. WY MUST issue a concealed weapon permit unless you fail the background check, so if you catch a peak of a shoulder holster its cool. The added bonus is that 36 states have reciprocal agreements so I can carry my pistol concealed in my Motor Home

[Totem]

Not in CA, Illinois , DC, NJ or NY you cant...there you are expected to wet yourself and vomit on your attacker in the hopes they are disgusted and leave. Problem is not to do that too much or they might shoot you in disgust.

I read in Minnesota they had a no questions asked cash for guns turn in program; you didnt need to show ID or anything and could turn in any firearm legal or illegal. In exchange you would get a $200 visa gift card. The powers that be there figured it would clean the streets of "illegal guns"

Instead people duck taped galvanized pipes to 2x4s and added a striker and made "home brew" one shot shot guns and turned them in for the money. Still yet other rednecks turned in old rusted pieces of junk they dug up in their farm fields and old broken BB guns; and when polled on what they would do with the money stated that they would be getting a nice concealed carry... LOL

[Bob C]

Trial by 12 or carried by 6.  I bet you know my feelings on some state laws on what I can carry. 

My trip this summer was the first time I didn't have some form of self defense with me.  We went into Canada and spent over an hour at the Canadian border crossing.  The first question the officer asked--Do you have, or have you ever carried guns in the vehicle?  I told him that I have carried firearms but do not have any at this time because I knew that I would be going into Canada.  They tore the blankets and sheets off of the bed, removed everything from the cabinets, went through the refrigerator, opened the hood and used a camera to look under and over the RV.  

They also wanted to know if I had any knives with me.  I had my pocket knife in my pocket and my leatherman on my belt.  They freaked out when I told them that there was a hunting knife in the consul, and 3 or 4 kitchen knives in the back.  

I must have looked some kind of red neck, hillbilly, terrorist to them.  I admit to this being an accurate self description of my personality.

My wife told me that she was glad that I kept my mouth shut and did make some smart remark to them before leaving.  I think they would have tore the siding off of the RV if I had said what I was thinking.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Bob C

[jjrbus]

On 8/29/2016 at 8:59 PM, WME said:

Madison Campground is open until the middle of OCT, I've made reservations a day in advance AFTER Labor day. Mammoth is open year round.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

Use the East gate and you can spend the night at the Cody Wal-Mart 

I went to Mt Rushmore and have the T shirt, tomorrow Wind Cave and then start the meander to Yellowstone. Been trying to plan a route and itinerary.  You think the east entrance through Cody is a good route with a V6 automatic?

Right now Grant and Fishing Bridge have the only openings and not many, Madison is sold out.    Jim

[WME]

What route are you planning on taking?

[jjrbus]

1 hour ago, WME said:

What route are you planning on taking?

Still up in the air on route. NW entrance looks like an easy drive, East through Cody seems the shortest.    I am leaning towards East, If you think east is ok for V6 auto, I will go that way. Jim

[WME]

East gate should be easy with a V-6. Also its the shortest way to fishing bridge. Get to Cody late and camp at W-mart,next day go to Buffalo Bill Museum, takes most of the day. Then boggie to the park through the east gate.

[Bob C]

3 years ago I drove my 22Re auto into Yellowstone through Cody into the east entrance.  We did not have any problems.  We may have been slow but like most hills, I just downshifted, reved the engine up and snailed along.  On long steep hills, I usually end up in first gear doing 30 mph.  Even doing that, the engine does not get hot.