Yellowstone/Grand Tetons/South Dakota (Rushmore/Badlands) Trip Help!

[chattadisser]

Yes, I actually told my husband I think we need to plan on using paper maps instead of using the maps on our phones. I’m not planning on getting much cell service in these areas, which honestly might be a welcome change.

We did this drive from Denver to Rapid City a few years ago. It is beautiful but you will definitely have some areas where there is no cell service at all but it's not a lot of the drive. I knew this going in but I don't think my kids believed me - yes there are people who have no cell service where they live. If you opt for the satellite radio on the rental car, you will still have that so there will be some creature comforts.

 

[EACarlson]

Thank you for all the tips!

I hope you have a great trip! Please report back. Where are you staying in Rapid City?

We are staying at the Grandstay Residential Suites. We booked back in August so we got a rate of $150/nt for a two bedroom suite. https://www.grandstayhospitality.com/find-a-hotel/locations/rapid-city/overview

Yes, I actually told my husband I think we need to plan on using paper maps instead of using the maps on our phones. I’m not planning on getting much cell service in these areas, which honestly might be a welcome change.

We are planning to use our standalone GPS for this reason. Just about everywhere on the interstate will have coverage but I'm not expecting much once we get off I-90. I will also download most of the maps onto my phone for offline use before we go.

 

[bcla]

We are staying at the Grandstay Residential Suites. We booked back in August so we got a rate of $150/nt for a two bedroom suite. https://www.grandstayhospitality.com/find-a-hotel/locations/rapid-city/overview

We are planning to use our standalone GPS for this reason. Just about everywhere on the interstate will have coverage but I'm not expecting much once we get off I-90. I will also download most of the maps onto my phone for offline use before we go.

Turn by turn directions can be pretty weird without internet access. I was in British Columbia where I used Google Maps on my iPhone for turn by turn directions. I wasn't sure if I had Canadian access as part of my cellular plan so I didn't enable cellular data. Found out later that I did have access as part of my cellular plan, but I did without it. I would load all the directions for my destination via Wi-Fi internet. I'd even look for a McDonald's and park outside it where I could connect. However, the turn by turn voice direction went away as soon as my internet access was lost. It would tell me where to turn on the display. If I ever made the wrong turn, it would then stop giving directions until I managed to get back on the preplanned path.

 

[JimMIA]

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Turn by turn directions can be pretty weird without internet access. I was in British Columbia where I used Google Maps on my iPhone for turn by turn directions. I wasn't sure if I had Canadian access as part of my cellular plan so I didn't enable cellular data. Found out later that I did have access as part of my cellular plan, but I did without it. I would load all the directions for my destination via Wi-Fi internet. I'd even look for a McDonald's and park outside it where I could connect. However, the turn by turn voice direction went away as soon as my internet access was lost. It would tell me where to turn on the display. If I ever made the wrong turn, it would then stop giving directions until I managed to get back on the preplanned path.

Yeah. I am always more concerned about coming up on a crash scene and not being able to call 9-1-1. We're all very used to using phone GPS, but in reality we won't really get very lost following road signs. And if we do get lost, we'll figure it out.

 

[GamGam]

Passing through Cody WY make time for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. https://centerofthewest.org/
When we went, we 'skipped' Mt. Rushmore (it looks like it looks) in favor of taking a forested route to Custer SP that revealed several views of Rushmore, including framed as we came out of a tunnel. And no crowds. Rapid City has a (Norwegian) Stave Church that might be of interest if the boys like vikings. Definitely reserve at Yellowstone now.

 

[GamGam]

Yes, I noticed on the website that there is still no TV or A/C and wifi can be spotty. Makes me a little nervous, but I think our days will be busy enough that we'll more than likely come back to the room and head to bed pretty quickly. I'm not too worried about A/C. I think it might get cool enough in the evenings.

We went in May and woke up to snow one morning.

 

[bcla]

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Yeah. I am always more concerned about coming up on a crash scene and not being able to call 9-1-1. We're all very used to using phone GPS, but in reality we won't really get very lost following road signs. And if we do get lost, we'll figure it out.

I've turned on my phone in countries that weren't part of my included service. As long as I didn't answer the phone or make outbound texts, I wouldn't be charged those crazy out of plan rates. Not sure if calling an emergency number would have resulted in additional charges.

I was mostly using the big maps that were provided by hotels. They weren't terribly detailed, but were good enough to get an idea based on the being on a major thoroughfare. The place I had the most difficulty was in the Victoria, BC area. I was just wandering around, but then if I noticed a Tim Horton's or McDonald's, I could just stop there and then connect to Wi-Fi. Another thing with that was that if I had access to Wi-Fi I could write down the turn by turn directions and maybe draw a crude map.

 

[disny_luvr]

We went in May and woke up to snow one morning.

I saw it snowed yesterday in Yellowstone! That just seems so crazy to me.

 

[bcla]

I saw it snowed yesterday in Yellowstone! That just seems so crazy to me.

Not really. It’s at high altitude where sudden snowfall isn’t unusual. Last time I visited there was snowfall in June a few days before we arrived.

Yosemite gets that kind of snowfall. Many go big wall climbing in October because it’s cooler and requires bringing less water. One year a sudden snowstorm hit and several climbers had to be evacuated. One climbing couple from Japan died from hypothermia before they could be rescued. They didn’t bring winter clothing because it would have added climbing weight.

 

[EACarlson]

Turn by turn directions can be pretty weird without internet access. I was in British Columbia where I used Google Maps on my iPhone for turn by turn directions. I wasn't sure if I had Canadian access as part of my cellular plan so I didn't enable cellular data. Found out later that I did have access as part of my cellular plan, but I did without it. I would load all the directions for my destination via Wi-Fi internet. I'd even look for a McDonald's and park outside it where I could connect. However, the turn by turn voice direction went away as soon as my internet access was lost. It would tell me where to turn on the display. If I ever made the wrong turn, it would then stop giving directions until I managed to get back on the preplanned path.

Which is why we are using a standalone GPS device, no data service required.

 

[jsmith]

Anyone that ever went to the rodeo in Cody, is it a must do?

I grew up there. The Stampede, over the 4th weekend is a must do. The night rodeo is cool if you have never been to a rodeo. IF you have, its all local cowboys trying to make a name for themselves and is pretty much a tourist attraction. Personally , if you are not there over the 4th i would skip the rodeo unless your kids are just super exceited about going and make time instead for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West which is a world class art, firearms, natural history, and history of the west museum all rolled into one.

 

[JimMIA]

I saw it snowed yesterday in Yellowstone! That just seems so crazy to me.

Last time we were at Mt. Rushmore, we came via Glacier/Waterton Lakes, Little Bighorn, and Devil's Tower. It was July 5-6 and we met some people who got snow in Yellowstone on July 4th!

 

[Simba's Mom]

We've been to all those places you mentioned-Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, and Custer SP. Places we stayed and enjoyed-Lake Yellowstone Cabins, Mammoth Cabins (yellowstone), Signal Mountain Lodge (GT), Jackson Lake Lodge (patio cottage, mountain view cottage), and our absolute fave-Custer State Park's Blue Bell Lodge cabins.
I can't imagine doing it all in one trip-we went to GT and Yellowstone 4 times, and Custer State Park and Badlands another time. We've flown into Bozeman, MT; Jackson Hole: and Salt Lake City for Yellowstone and the GT. Can't beat Jackson Hole for the view. Flew into Rapid City for South Dakota.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I saw it snowed yesterday in Yellowstone! That just seems so crazy to me.

One year, we drove to Yellowstone for Memorial Day weekend. The road on the NE corner of the park still was closed because of snow (had not been plowed yet) and Lake Yellowstone was still frozen over, but started to break up by the time we left. There was snow all over the place.

We had friends go to Yellowstone over July 4th one year and there was a blizzard on the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge.

If you ever go to Glacier National Park, they usually don't finish plowing the Going to the Sun Road (that goes to Logan Pass) until sometime in June. Sometimes not until July.

 

[bcla]

We've been to all those places you mentioned-Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, and Custer SP. Places we stayed and enjoyed-Lake Yellowstone Cabins, Mammoth Cabins (yellowstone), Signal Mountain Lodge (GT), Jackson Lake Lodge (patio cottage, mountain view cottage), and our absolute fave-Custer State Park's Blue Bell Lodge cabins.
I can't imagine doing it all in one trip-we went to GT and Yellowstone 4 times, and Custer State Park and Badlands another time. We've flown into Bozeman, MT; Jackson Hole: and Salt Lake City for Yellowstone and the GT. Can't beat Jackson Hole for the view. Flew into Rapid City for South Dakota.

Never been to Colter Bay Village? We stayed at the cabins, they were really nice and incredibly cheap - at least they were 15 years ago. They had traditional stacked log cabins with included bathrooms. I've stayed in a lot of budget cabins, and many looked like hastily built emergency housing that managed to stay around for 30 years. I heard somewhere that most of their cabins used to be located in Moran and were eventually relocated to Colter Bay when it was built.

I found something on it. Claims that the cabins were assorted log cabins that were relocated from different areas around Jackson Hole.

https://tetontales.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/a-walking-history-of-colter-bay-village/​

Colter Bay Village actually represents an eclectic collection of cabins from various sites around Jackson Hole. The cabins at Colter Bay serve as a window into the past, giving guests the chance to experience a bit of history during their stay. Though the cabins have been modified to accommodate plumbing and electrical needs, they have been restored and maintained to reflect as close a representation of their original construction as is possible. Many of the cabins were constructed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, but some date back to the late 1800’s.​

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As tourism in Jackson Hole began to flourish in the early 1900’s, accommodations began to sprout up all over the valley. The result of this influx of tourists was the beginning of dude ranches in Jackson Hole. A typical dude ranch was composed of a central building surrounded by many smaller guest cabins. The largest of these resorts was the Teton Lodges at Moran, located at the site of the old town of Moran below Jackson Lake Dam.​

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As one of the driving forces behind conserving Jackson Hole, John D. Rockefeller Jr. had bought thousands of acres of property with the intent of donating it as part of a national park. When Grand Teton National Park was expanded in 1950 with Rockefeller’s donation of 34,000 acres, it became apparent that guest accommodations in the park were inadequate. With funding from Rockefeller, the park service began to develop new visitor facilities and remove older resorts as they wanted to restore much of the park to its natural state. After the completion of the new Jackson Lake Lodge in 1955, the Colter Bay visitor site went into development. Cabins were transplanted to Colter Bay from the Teton Lodges at Moran, the old Jackson Lake Lodge resort, and the Square G Ranch (located near Jenny Lake) among others. In 1957 the cabins at Colter Bay Village were opened to the public. Over the years many of the other dude ranches and resorts closed or were donated to the park, and Colter Bay Village grew with the addition of the cabins from these various sites.​

 

[disny_luvr]

OP here! I just wanted to post an update.

I got up at 2:00am this morning to book our rooms in the Yellowstone Lodges and I'm so glad I did! Right now, almost all the lodges are sold out for our dates. I booked 2 nights in Canyon Lodge in a deluxe lodge room and two nights at Old Faithful Inn in a standard room in the west wing. I tried for the east wing, but everything was booked, literally minutes after 2:00am. Anyway, now that I have our rooms booked, I've been reading some not very good reviews about the condition of the rooms. So many people reported that rooms were dirty, disgusting, carpets and curtains were filthy, showers never cleaned, etc, etc, etc. This is for rooms in both lodges. Now I'm worried that maybe I made a bad decision and should look at booking something elsewhere. I did find a two queen room for our dates in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and those rooms seem to receive better reviews. I guess I'm asking, anyone stay in any of these lodges before that can share their experiences about rooms? Anyone have any thoughts about the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in comparison to the Old Faithful Inn?

Thanks for any help!

 

[KingLlama]

In 12 days I leave on a similar trip....except that we've extended it way beyond Yellowstone/Glacier (which was the original plan)....

- 19 days
- Eight states
- Fly into/out of Denver
-Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, Vegas, Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and back up through CO

Yes, that many stops in only 19 days mean that we're only getting a taste of each one. But that's kind of the point...we wanted to do it all in one big loop to figure out where we want to really focus our repeat trips.

I've been put in charge of restaurants. Needless to say, I'm leaving the Yellowstone/Glacier days wide open, since options are relatively limited and it's so hard to say where we'll be around mealtime.

But I'm not sure I've ever been more excited for a trip in my life....and that's saying something.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Wow! Colter Bay looks beautiful now. We stayed there in 2007 and it was....adequate. There was a hole in the wall between us and our next door neighbor (duplex cabin) and we easily heard every word they said.
And as far as snow, we made all 3 trips in June and encountered snow each time.

 

[EACarlson]

Thank you for all the tips!

I hope you have a great trip! Please report back. Where are you staying in Rapid City?

I've decided to post somewhat of a daily diary of my trip, the first day is available at https://www.disboards.com/threads/my-family-sd-trip.3840218/

 

[Skippy918]

In 12 days I leave on a similar trip....except that we've extended it way beyond Yellowstone/Glacier (which was the original plan)....

- 19 days
- Eight states
- Fly into/out of Denver
-Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, Vegas, Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and back up through CO

Yes, that many stops in only 19 days mean that we're only getting a taste of each one. But that's kind of the point...we wanted to do it all in one big loop to figure out where we want to really focus our repeat trips.

I've been put in charge of restaurants. Needless to say, I'm leaving the Yellowstone/Glacier days wide open, since options are relatively limited and it's so hard to say where we'll be around mealtime.

But I'm not sure I've ever been more excited for a trip in my life....and that's saying something.

I hope you booked your Zion shuttle tickets. You need reservations now to get into that park. We’re going there this week.