New owner heading to Yellowstone

My wife and I purchased a 2005 Royale at the Prevost-Stuff show in Tampa. We will be picking it up soon from Parliment. After a few training runs closer to home in Georgia we plan on taking a trip to Yellowstone. We will be towing a Jeep Wrangler. What advice would you give as to campgrounds in/near Yellowstone? Would you camp in one location for the whole duration or move once or twice to different campgrounds? Which ones are best for a Prevost? What is the best strategy for having the best experience in that area? We will have 7-10 days once we get there to spend in and around Yellowstone.

David

David:

You're going to Yellowstone this time of the year? I've been there in July and it snowed. Traveling from Georgia to Wyoming is not a good idea this time of year, especially driving a vehicle you don't have a lot of experience with. You will undoubtably encounter icy roads (black-ice) along the way. Personally, I wouldn't do it!

Campgrounds? I don't know of any in that area that are open in the winter do to freezing water and lack of customers.

David, I agree with Grizz. Make Florida your trip this Winter. That way you will be close to Parliament to get answers to your sheet of questions after your first trip. Tour Yellowstone in the Summer.

David,

Yellowstone normally opens around the end of April/May. They don't clear the snow until around that time. Paulette and I spent three summers there (2008,2009 2010), and when we arrived the first year in May, they had just cleared 2-8 feet of snow from the roads. The shots below were made 10 May 08.

Unless they have just added something new, there are no RV spots in YNP that will accommodate a 45' bus. The park of choice is Yellowstone Grizzly RV Part, just 4 blocks outside the West entrance to the Park. Their # is 406-646-4466. There is another park (Yellowstone Park KOA) that will handle 45' rvs, but they are 6 miles from the West entrance (406-646-7606). It is very convenient to stay at the West entrance and go into the Park on a daily basis. If you have never been there, you will be pleasantly surprised. There is no other spot like it in the U.S.

I'll assume you are excited about the new bus and are planning ahead. That's what I usually do. Take a look at Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone. It's just outside the west entrance to the park. Fairly close to Old Faithful. The only campground in the park with full hookups is Fishing Bridge. It'll certainly take a Prevost, but getting a spot there may be tough. We stayed in West Yellowstone, MT and took day trips through the park. It worked for us.

We went to the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming over Christmas. If you are planning on going during the winter months, make sure that your Webasto heater, or whatever your brand, is in good working order. It will get a workout. A number of years ago, we went to Yellowstone in the winter. The West entrance is the most popular way to the park in the winter, and it is mostly by snow cat or snowmobile. The park is amazing in the winter, just be prepared...

Jackson & Jessica Whitacre
98 Liberty XL-45

I've stayed at Fishing Bridge before in a 40', but unless they've changed, they can't take a 45'. They upgraded the electrical in 2011, but I was told they did not expand the size of the parking spaces. Dick may know something I don't.

First, congrats on your Royale purchase. I looked at that coach and it's awesome. I always liked Royals and Country Coach for their functional simplicity and Royals for their use of natural wood and veneers.

I too have stayed at Grizzly. It's a perfect location for seeing all of Yellowstone. We were there in September and it was beautiful. Apparently my coach has been there in the winter, as Dale's picture shows. If you go now, and I too would recommend you reconsider, you might want to travel across I-10 and then go up to the park. This may keep you from most of the bad roads.

I too recommend a learning trip based around central FL so you can leverage Parliament. You may already know few, if any, have the broad wealth of converter expertise as Rick May at Parliament.

Again, congrats on your new coach.

Sorry Guys,

In my excitement of typing my first post I neglected to mention I was planning the trip for July. As recommended our training runs will be down South around Georgia and Florida. I appreciate the great advice. I will no doubt respond with my experiences of learning the Prevost.

David

David,

Great news on your timing!

Although Yellowstone is a great destination, don't overlook the other great places along your journey.

I'm about 80 miles north of Parliament if I can be of any help.

This a great time of the year to visit Yellowstone ... but probably NOT in a Prevost. I'd been to Yellowstone three or four times in the summer. In 2000 I spent three days in the Park on snowmobiles, driving in every morning from West Yellowstone, MT. One of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. I highly recommend it for everyone.

We went a couple years ago (in the summer) and it was great. We stayed between the East gate and Cody outside the park. I just checked Fishing Bridge and most (but not all) of the 40' sites are already sold out for the summer. If you want to stay inside the park - act quickly!

Enjoy!