Another invader coming West.

[stevejfarms]

My wife, youngest son, and I are heading to Yellowstone next week. We will be staying in Casper with a friend the night before we arrive in Gardiner. I’m assuming it will be easier to go I25 up to I90 and then down to Gardiner rather than fight traffic going the shorter route through the park. What say you?

 

[antlerradar]

If is was me I would either go over the Big Horns to Cody and take in the fire arms museum or south to Red Lodge and take the Beartooth highway. Better scenery that way. Pray that some of the smoke blows out before you get here. Are you staying in Gardiner? That might change my thinking.

 

[stevejfarms]

Staying in Gardiner

 

[stevejfarms]

Let me add that we‘ll be riding about 800 miles the day before, and am looking for an easier day as my wife won’t handle two days in a row of 10+ hours very well.(health). I figured we’d want to avoid driving through the park that day because of traffic.

 

[BigHornRam]

Intrastate would be faster if that's what you're looking for.

 

[Stocker]

Interstate is faster, but the diversity of landscapes and critters taking 16 from Buffalo to Worland is pretty unbeatable.

 

[Southern Elk]

Don’t expect to see anything with all the smoke. It’s as bad as I’ve seen it. We can’t see the mountains from our house anymore. I’d hate to be vacationing here right now.

 

[wytex]

Avoid I-80, construction on some areas is a real pain between Laramie and say Rawlins.

 

[cedahm]

Don’t expect to see anything with all the smoke. It’s as bad as I’ve seen it. We can’t see the mountains from our house anymore. I’d hate to be vacationing here right now.

We just spent a week in Ennis, drove out through Cody. we couldn’t even see the Madison range from the other side of the river for portions of the last couple days. The drive down the river from the park to Cody was like driving underwater.

mornings were better and some days were worse than others, but be prepared for the smoke.

 

[cedahm]

Avoid I-80, construction on some areas is a real pain between Laramie and say Rawlins.

Can corroborate this. three one-lane sections in that stretch and Eastbound was stop and go for 5 miles before the 287 cutoff in Laramie on Sunday.

 

[Southern Elk]

We just spent a week in Ennis, drove out through Cody. we couldn’t even see the Madison range from the other side of the river for portions of the last couple days. The drive down the river from the park to Cody was like driving underwater.

mornings were better and some days were worse than others, but be prepared for the smoke.

It's worse this week, believe it or not.

 

[OntarioHunter]

My wife, youngest son, and I are heading to Yellowstone next week. We will be staying in Casper with a friend the night before we arrive in Gardiner. I’m assuming it will be easier to go I25 up to I90 and then down to Gardiner rather than fight traffic going the shorter route through the park. What say you?

Good that you have a place to stay. It is nuts up here around Glacier. Some lodging places aren't open because no help is available. There's no housing for seasonal workers. Rent is ridiculous.

 

[Bob-WY]

Animal sightings along 16 from Rt 90 over hte mountain are WAY down during the day, to hot.

 

[Straight Arrow]

My wife, youngest son, and I are heading to Yellowstone next week. We will be staying in Casper with a friend the night before we arrive in Gardiner. I’m assuming it will be easier to go I25 up to I90 and then down to Gardiner rather than fight traffic going the shorter route through the park. What say you?

A trip to Cody, then over the Chief Joseph Highway and Dead Indian Pass to Cooke City then through Yellowstone's Lamar Valley to Mammoth then Gardiner would be my choice. Although traffic in YNP is crowded, the scenery and wildlife is worth the slow driving. There are many pull-over spots to relax and refresh.
The slow traffic in the Park is much more preferable to me than the crazy interstate this time of year ... or really anytime!

 

[Bigjay73]

You really should try and visit Cody with a stop into the museum while there

 

[stevejfarms]

Good that you have a place to stay. It is nuts up here around Glacier. Some lodging places aren't open because no help is available. There's no housing for seasonal workers. Rent is ridiculous.

Had to start looking 3 months ago.

 

[stevejfarms]

You really should try and visit Cody with a stop into the museum while there

I probably will, I’ve been, but would love for my son to see it. We’re staying for a week, just want get there first. Screwy way to do it, but I have sister in Kansas City that we will stop for the first night. Only gonna make 6 hrs. the first day, then to Casper the next to stop and visit with a buddy who moved from here 2 years ago, so probably a solid 12 that day. Just don’t want to put my wife through consecutive 10+ hour days in the car with minimal stops.

 

[antlerradar]

Let me add that we‘ll be riding about 800 miles the day before, and am looking for an easier day as my wife won’t handle two days in a row of 10+ hours very well.(health). I figured we’d want to avoid driving through the park that day because of traffic.

I second Straight Arrow's rout as the best way to go. But if you are going to try to keep it under 10 hours you need to take the interstate.

 

[NR_Hunter]

Not sure this helps, but I spent last week in the park. Monday and Friday had fairly light traffic, not sure if that's coincidence or the normal travel flow. Very cool through the park if you haven't seen it. Like someone stated above, the Lamar Valley is pretty rad.

 

[MTLabrador]

A trip to Cody, then over the Chief Joseph Highway and Dead Indian Pass to Cooke City then through Yellowstone's Lamar Valley to Mammoth then Gardiner would be my choice. Although traffic in YNP is crowded, the scenery and wildlife is worth the slow driving. There are many pull-over spots to relax and refresh.
The slow traffic in the Park is much more preferable to me than the crazy interstate this time of year ... or really anytime!

This is exactly what I would do.