Yellowstone Exit to Cody, Opinions Please
May 21st, 2007, 02:14 PM
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Yellowstone Exit to Cody, Opinions Please
I値l be staying in the Canyon Area the last week of June. I壇 like your opinions on which route to take to Cody. Should I take the Northeast route through Lamar Valley and the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway or the East entrance road (U.S. 14/16/20) through the Wapiti Valley and up over Sylvan Pass. I知 aware of the construction issues at the East entrance. I値l be heading out on a Friday morning at 6:00AM. And I知 looking for relaxed, gorgeous goodbye to our time in the park; dazzle me with beauty and wildlife!
Thanks for your thoughts...
Thanks for your thoughts...
May 21st, 2007, 03:17 PM
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The drive from the northeast entrance on the Beartooth Highway is one of the most spectacular drives in the country. Definitely go that way. Do a search for Beartooth on this board and you will find a lot of info.
May 21st, 2007, 06:51 PM
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Of the two, the Beartooth or Chief Joseph take the BT.... by far the better of the two. If you are leaving at 6AM you should spend a little time in the Lamar Valley in early morning at one of the pull-offs and look for wild life. If the BT is your choice --- In Red Lodge cut over to Belfry on MT-308 and south on MT/WY-72 to Cody. Save the Chief Joseph for a later trip.
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/06jul/03.htm
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/06jul/03.htm
May 22nd, 2007, 04:11 AM
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OK, RedRock, I plugged that route into my AAA internet maps and it only adds an hour to the drive. I do have the time and have read a ton of posts here that lead me to believe that's the way to go.
My only concern would be the rental car; with the cost of gasoline and a one-way rental, I choose the Toyota Corolla or similar from Hertz. Do you think I'll be OK with that?
My only concern would be the rental car; with the cost of gasoline and a one-way rental, I choose the Toyota Corolla or similar from Hertz. Do you think I'll be OK with that?
May 22nd, 2007, 05:05 AM
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Sorry can't help with a place to eat in Red Lodge. Drive time for the BT will be about 4 hours. I do not take much stock in the routing guides and their drive times when it comes to the mountain roads in that part of the country. With stops, traffic and road construction they are for the most part worthless as far as I am concerned. I don't think you will have a problem with your choice of rental car. What's a few extra bucks for the car/gas when you have come that far.... If the FL in your name = Florida make sure to take some warm clothing, it can get cold in the high country. We are also in FL and the difference will be noticeable.
May 22nd, 2007, 05:54 AM
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Yes, great, I thought 4 or so hours also. Thanks for putting my mind at rest about the car. Being, as you've guessed from FL, I have zero experience driving mountain roads. I'm assuming I'll be pulling over a lot to let others pass. Although hopefully, traffic won't be too bad in the early morning.
We are in Sarasota and have a wonderful adventure store here, we've been able to get all of our gear and warmer clothing there.
We are in Sarasota and have a wonderful adventure store here, we've been able to get all of our gear and warmer clothing there.
May 22nd, 2007, 08:52 AM
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With zero experience with mountain driving allow another hour or so. The roads are narrow, crooked and not forgiving, there are drop offs. Do not feel intimidated if someone comes up behind you. When the road allows just pull over and let them pass. You may even come up behind slow moving RVs. Most of the drivers in that part of the country are courteous. Watch out if you see a Florida plate.
May 22nd, 2007, 02:47 PM
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I've driven mountain roads in several states and in Canada and I've driven city streets. The city streets scare me way more. drive a speed you are comfortable with and it someone wants to pass, give them room to do so when it is safe for you.
May 22nd, 2007, 02:58 PM
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FLmom-- You and your DD will have no problems. Just pay attention to your driving. There are ample pull offs and places to park for looking around. Driving the BT and in the YS area is much safer than driving in Florida, that you can take my word for...
May 22nd, 2007, 03:21 PM
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FLmom.
We rented a Toyota Corolla from Enterprise in Salt Lake City last September and averaged 30 MPG. during our drive to Yellowstone and Cody.
I would definately recommend the Beartooth Hwy.
We drove back from Cody via the East entrance and the road was torn up with a long delay starting at the park entrance.
We had planned on driving the Beartooth but couldn't due to snow.
We drove a portion of the Chief Joseph from Cody but it wasn.t very impressive.
We rented a Toyota Corolla from Enterprise in Salt Lake City last September and averaged 30 MPG. during our drive to Yellowstone and Cody.
I would definately recommend the Beartooth Hwy.
We drove back from Cody via the East entrance and the road was torn up with a long delay starting at the park entrance.
We had planned on driving the Beartooth but couldn't due to snow.
We drove a portion of the Chief Joseph from Cody but it wasn.t very impressive.
May 24th, 2007, 06:39 AM
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http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm
We have been to the Park many times since the early 80's. They are always working on the roads in the park and the surrounding area. The summer is short and that is the only time they can do so. We all just have to put up with it. For the most it just makes drive time a little longer. The problems arise when they close one of the loops as they did several years ago over Dunraven Pass and Mt Washburn.
We have been to the Park many times since the early 80's. They are always working on the roads in the park and the surrounding area. The summer is short and that is the only time they can do so. We all just have to put up with it. For the most it just makes drive time a little longer. The problems arise when they close one of the loops as they did several years ago over Dunraven Pass and Mt Washburn.
Jun 4th, 2007, 02:16 PM
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Hi FLmom - we are flatlanders (south Louisiana) and just drove the Beartooth this weekend after leaving Yellowstone. There are photos of the road through the Beartooth on the internet. The highway is a series of switchbacks and has plenty of guardrails. There were several motorcycles, small cars, motorhomes, etc., but it was by no means bumper to bumper traffic while we were there. I would not call the drive relaxing but neither is it horrifying. There are plenty of places to pull off. Also on the plus side you will be driving through in the morning - storms usually roll in during the afternoon. The road was very well maintained and clear of snow and ice. In some places on the shoulder of the road the snow was packed higher than our SUV. We stopped to let our kids have a snowball fight near a little lake. We did not see wildlife, other than a couple of beavers, after we left Yellowstone. In summary, it is a very memorable drive but I would not call it relaxing.
Jun 5th, 2007, 08:22 AM
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Hey, Flmom! We are from Louisiana. We went to YNP and did the Cody/Beartooth drive last Sept. We drove the Beartooth and they literally closed the gate behind us. I would redrive it all in a heartbeat. It's very worth it! Take your time and stop a lot. You'll do fine.
We exited the East gate from Canyon, drove to Cody, then took Chief Joseph to Beartooth. We drove the Beartooth to Red Lodge, then doubled back and went back into YNP through the northeast gate. I did all of that driving that day, and I'm definitely a flatlander! LOL When we went out of the east gate, the highest elevations (Sylvan Pass) were iced but the road was open since the road was dirt and gravel - the ice was not a problem. It was really easy going, and to be honest, thrilling for this southern gal.
If you go out/in the East gate, check for gate closing times (if that still applies). It opened/closed at 8 when we were there.
We exited the East gate from Canyon, drove to Cody, then took Chief Joseph to Beartooth. We drove the Beartooth to Red Lodge, then doubled back and went back into YNP through the northeast gate. I did all of that driving that day, and I'm definitely a flatlander! LOL When we went out of the east gate, the highest elevations (Sylvan Pass) were iced but the road was open since the road was dirt and gravel - the ice was not a problem. It was really easy going, and to be honest, thrilling for this southern gal.
If you go out/in the East gate, check for gate closing times (if that still applies). It opened/closed at 8 when we were there.
Jun 18th, 2007, 05:50 PM
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Last week we did the NE Entrance to Chief Joseph Highway and then onto Cody. We thought it was beautiful. There were lots of pull-outs to check the view; not much traffic. If you are going to Cody, it was more scenic than the East Entrance which we did when we left Cody and went back into the park.
