1travelbug

Hello all~

I just invested in a really great road atlas and have been trying to work out the ride from Northern New Jersey to Yellowstone Nat'l Park, and thought that perhaps someone else has perhaps made this trip already and could lend a hand in regards to what sidetrips and overnight stops they made along the way.

My DH and I will be travelling by car with our DDs 9 and 7, and we intend to spend about 7 days at the Yellowstone and Grand Teton Nat'l Parks before heading home. That leaves us 7 days for the drive there and back, with 2-3 overnight hotel stays each way.

Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

utahtea

I'll use Trenton, NJ as an example. It's approx. 2200 miles from Trenton to Old Faithful. If you plan on making this in three days that's 733 miles per day for three straight days. Not something I would recommend doing with a 9 & 7 year old. Even if you do this in 4 days you are looking at 550 miles per day for 4 straight days. With eating and pit stops you aren't going to have much time for siteseeing on the way.

Do you have reservations in Yellowstone? What time of the year will you be traveling?

I'm not that familar with the east, but in South Dakota if you take I-90 you will pass Badlands National Park, be very close to Custer State Park and of course Mt. Rushmore. In Wyoming you won't be far from Devils Tower National Monument and in Cody, WY is the Will Bill Hickock Museum.

Your kids will love Yellowstone!

Utahtea

1travelbug

Thanks for your response, Utahtea. I sat up until 1AM last night researching the costs of 3 scenarios...getting there by car, by plane and by rented RV (pop-up). Although by car initially seemed cheapest, once I figured out the time on the road and mileage per day, as yo pointed out it just isn't feasible. We would need 4 or 5 nights to drive out in order to still take in the sights along the way. So, it looks like we'll be flying and then renting a vehicle for the week. I've been hesitant on that decision because I loved the idea of the family roadtrip, but after figuring out that it will cost at least $1200 in gas to get there and back (plus hotels), it seems to make more sense to just fly out. I guess that's why no one else has posted about their roadtrip from NJ to Yellowstone

We're planning our trip for the last week of August in 2009 (yes, I'm wayyyy ahead of myself here but I need to know how much I'm saving for!). I still need to research how crowded the parks will be if we're here over Labor Day weekend, and then back our stay up a few days if necessary.

I'm really looking forward to planning out our trip, and have found some great info in the threads here (I've noticed that you seem to be somewhat of a guru for this neck of the woods!). I should probably thank you in advance for the help you'll no doubt offer over the next year!

Christina

mmouse52

I'm glad to see I am not the only person who plans far ahead for vacations. I already have most of my plans set for my summer 2008 trip to northern california and even have started plans for 2009.
I have been to Yellowstone several times. It is a wonderful place. You are giving your children a great experience. A great way for your children to get excited is get books out of the library and have them help plan what they want to see.
We flew into Rapid City did Mount Rushmore and the badlands then drove to Yellowstone stopped in Cody on the way which is a great town. We flew back to New Jersey which is also home from Bozeman Montana. You could also fly back from Jackson Hole or Billings.On a previous trip we also did the Tetons which is well worth a visit if you can fit it in. If I can help you with any of your plans let me know.

utahtea

I haven't been to Yellowstone in August, so I don't know about the crowds at that time of the year.

Planning for Yellowstone this early is a good idea if you want to get lodging. You will want to make your reservations as soon as possible to make sure you get the locations you want within the park.

If you have questions about Yellowstone, I'd be happy to try and answer them. It's my favorite National Park.

Utahtea

BarryK

When you start looking for flights, keep an eye on Southwest out of BWI. They sometimes have amazing fares. Last, year we saved $1500 on a trip to Denver flying out of BWI rather than PHL or EWR.