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In brief: I am a French student doing a master's degree in CA. This is my second and last year here.
Before going back to France, I want to do this trip. Any suggestions (weather, places, warnings)? I am doing it by myself.
(snip)
What do you think of this schedule?
in a word, this schedule is nearly impossible.
Even in fair weather months, you're looking at spending most of each day to reach your various destinations without any time to "stop and see" the attractions there.
Bear in mind that this is still the middle of the winter in Yellowstone. Much of the attractions are closed for the season and access on the roads is pretty slow/limited. As it is, two days there in fair weather months is barely enough time to "drive by" most of the attractions without actually seeing them. 5-6 days in YNP is, IMO, a minimal time to "see" the "highlights" of the park. Look up the YNP facilities schedules on their website and check out the opening dates for the season for lodging and some of the attractions. You are way too early in the year to really access YNP. (by the way, bears hibernate in the winter months … you'll not see them this time of the year)
Given your middle/end of March time frame, winter storms can and do show up which make for some difficult driving conditions and/or road closures throughout the Rocky Mountain West. This is not low altitude California out here with a temperate climate. We're in the middle of WINTER here and will be for a couple more months. March and April are two of the main months for moisture (ie, snow and rain) in the region.
Allow me, if I may, to put your proposed trip in perspective: If I told you that I was flying into Paris next Saturday and planned on spending 6 days driving to Mulhouse, Strasbourg, then down to Antibes and back to Paris in those 6 days, would you think this a reasonable trip? How about if I did this using the railway system and/or flew to the various destinations? Do you think I'd have time to really "check out" the attractions in these places? such a trip would be comparable to what you're proposing for your YNP trip … and that's if the weather/road conditions are favorable.
May I suggest that you spend your time in California's temperate climate for the week and return back to visit the USA destinations when you have the time and better weather opportunities to do so?
2. Both Pocatello and Idaho Falls are about the same places to stay.
3. Yellowstone:
The only access to most of Yellowstone in winter is via a snowcoach for which you buy a ticket, or via a snowmobile which you would rent, and travel as part of a guided group. The snowcoaches and snowmobiles operate out of several locations but I would like to suggest that you go to West Yellowstone. In that way, you can then travel to Big Sky which is a short distance away from West Yellowstone.
However, your schedule is too late in the season for snowcoaches and snowmobiles. The roads will be closed to both by the end of today (March 15). The snow begins to melt and then the roads must be plowed for car traffic, so the snow vehicles are prohibited. So you will not be able to enter Yellowstone except via car on the road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City. So you will only be able to see a very small part of Yellowstone by vehicle on your schedule. And you will have to drive back from Cooke CIty to Mammoth because the road east from Cooke City towards Bozeman is closed at this time of year.
There may be some access to Yellowstone at your proposed time via cross country skiing but I do not have any information on that.
4. MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
Do you want to see cities and towns or more rural areas and snow?
Are you renting a car from Salt Lake City, or flying from each place to the next? Flying would be expensive.
Even in fair weather months, you're looking at spending most of each day to reach your various destinations without any time to "stop and see" the attractions there.
Bear in mind that this is still the middle of the winter in Yellowstone. Much of the attractions are closed for the season and access on the roads is pretty slow/limited. As it is, two days there in fair weather months is barely enough time to "drive by" most of the attractions without actually seeing them. 5-6 days in YNP is, IMO, a minimal time to "see" the "highlights" of the park. Look up the YNP facilities schedules on their website and check out the opening dates for the season for lodging and some of the attractions. You are way too early in the year to really access YNP. (by the way, bears hibernate in the winter months … you'll not see them this time of the year)
Given your middle/end of March time frame, winter storms can and do show up which make for some difficult driving conditions and/or road closures throughout the Rocky Mountain West. This is not low altitude California out here with a temperate climate. We're in the middle of WINTER here and will be for a couple more months. March and April are two of the main months for moisture (ie, snow and rain) in the region.
Allow me, if I may, to put your proposed trip in perspective: If I told you that I was flying into Paris next Saturday and planned on spending 6 days driving to Mulhouse, Strasbourg, then down to Antibes and back to Paris in those 6 days, would you think this a reasonable trip? How about if I did this using the railway system and/or flew to the various destinations? Do you think I'd have time to really "check out" the attractions in these places? such a trip would be comparable to what you're proposing for your YNP trip … and that's if the weather/road conditions are favorable.
May I suggest that you spend your time in California's temperate climate for the week and return back to visit the USA destinations when you have the time and better weather opportunities to do so?
Oh, no
I am driving. I will fly from LA to Salt Lake City.
Driving from Salt Lake to Pocatello or Idaho Falls should be a problem?
Maybe your point is more about WYOMING Yellowstone. I really wanna see it
I saw the forecast, do you mean some roads may REALLY be closed? I went to almost all the places in Ca. I wanna see something different!
2. Both Pocatello and Idaho Falls are about the same places to stay.
3. Yellowstone:
The only access to most of Yellowstone in winter is via a snowcoach for which you buy a ticket, or via a snowmobile which you would rent, and travel as part of a guided group. The snowcoaches and snowmobiles operate out of several locations but I would like to suggest that you go to West Yellowstone. In that way, you can then travel to Big Sky which is a short distance away from West Yellowstone.
However, your schedule is too late in the season for snowcoaches and snowmobiles. The roads will be closed to both by the end of today (March 15). The snow begins to melt and then the roads must be plowed for car traffic, so the snow vehicles are prohibited. So you will not be able to enter Yellowstone except via car on the road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City. So you will only be able to see a very small part of Yellowstone by vehicle on your schedule. And you will have to drive back from Cooke CIty to Mammoth because the road east from Cooke City towards Bozeman is closed at this time of year.
There may be some access to Yellowstone at your proposed time via cross country skiing but I do not have any information on that.
4. MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
Do you want to see cities and towns or more rural areas and snow?
Are you renting a car from Salt Lake City, or flying from each place to the next? Flying would be expensive.
I wanna see cities and towns, and some rural areas. Some snow won't hurt. But from the comments, I get to see that it may be snowing and I've never driven in snowy roads before!
I am flying to Salt Lake City, and then driving to all the palaces I mentioned.
Go SLC to ID Falls, then Bozeman where you can get to the north Yellowstone entrance in about an hour. Then Bozeman again and up to Big Sky (or stop by Big Sky on the way up from ID Falls).
Hate to break it to you, but you're not going to see any bears this time of year. Moose, Elk, Bald Eagle, Stoats, Coyote are all maybe. 30 years living in WY and MT, I've seen wild bears twice.
Generally, Yellowstone won't really open until mid-April. Some roads will open before then, others later than that, but as has already been stated, Yellowstone won't be open mid-to-late March, not EVER.
However, Jackson Hole/Grand Teton National Park will likely have its main roads open. I don't think they ever close, except temporarily due to snow storms. The town of Jackson is the most popular town in the GTNP/Yellowstone area. AFAIK, Jackson Hole Ski Resort (Teton Village) will be open through March, and between Jackson, Teton Village and a few of the resorts north of Jackson, you'll have a good selection of excellent hotels and fine eateries and bars. You won't see bears, but it's likely you'll see elk and moose... I think. (I live in eastern Wyoming and don't often visit western Wyoming in the winter. When I did, years ago, it was normally for skiing, but that's been 2-3 decades ago.)
I believe you'll be able to drive from the town of Jackson up to Jackson Lake Lodge without problems, and, weather permitting, you'll see some of the prettiest mountain vistas in the U.S. on that trip. I think that's also where you'd be most likely to see elk and moose. It's not a long drive, maybe an hour each way.
Others on here more familiar with that area in the winter could tell you more about it, if you think you might want to visit that area.
I am driving. I will fly from LA to Salt Lake City.
Driving from Salt Lake to Pocatello or Idaho Falls should be a problem?
It may be a problem at this time of the year. It's WINTER here, NOW.
Again, allow me to put this trip segment into perspective: The altitude of this area of the USA is comparable to many ski resorts in France, such as Chamonix, Alpe D'Huez, Val d'Isere, Saint Veran. Le Foret Blanche, Aussois … just to name a few. This is SKI COUNTRY altitudes in WINTER. SNOW IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
You may even find snow in the Salt Lake City area itself. Just a few miles out of town, as the elevation rises to the Book Cliffs area East of town, it's a famous snow belt area with numerous SKI RESORTS. One of their claims to fame is that you can be on the slopes, skiing, 30 minutes after leaving the Salt Lake City airport. It's that close from city to ski slopes. This is "high season" for those areas, some of their best skiing of the year will take place now.
Can the roads be relatively clear up to Idaho? Yes. Can they be snowpacked and/or icy? YES. Can they be closed due to inclement conditions from time to time? YES.
Maybe your point is more about WYOMING Yellowstone. I really wanna see it
as we've been trying to point out to you, access to Yellowstone is very limited this time of the year, to one entrance on the North side. Interior access in the park is essentially closed down for the season.
You won't see Bears at this time of the year because they're HIBERNATING. Do you understand what that means? the Bears seek caves/shelter for the Winter months, they go in there and essentially go into a long sleep in their den. They live off of stored fat and don't come out.
Please look at a map of Yellowstone. Most of it is in Wyoming. The reason 3 of the 4 YNP access roads are closed is because of the normal heavy snowfall that builds up at this time of the year. It's called WINTER, and it is usually so intense that it's functionally impossible to keep the roads open even with the best snowplows working every day. Please, take a look at the YNP website. It lists the closures for this time of the year. Most of it is CLOSED for the Season.
The fact that you "really wanna see it" won't make it not be WINTER here.
I saw the forecast, do you mean some roads may REALLY be closed?
YES. CLOSED. And then, even when they are OPEN to Traffic at this time of the year, it doesn't mean that they're a dry road. WINTERTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS IN SNOW AND SNOWPACK AND ICE are what you'll commonly find.
This region of the USA is a high altitude area, much of it at comparable elevations to the Alps back home for you. Do you expect to find SNOW there at this time of the year? You'll find similar conditions here. In fact, you may typically find COLDER and SNOWIER conditions here in this region in the USA due to the prevailing weather patterns.
Please note that we just went through a major winter storm passage that shut many of the region's roads down, closed to all traffic for a couple of days. Even with warmer temps and clear skies in the days following, there will still be inclement driving conditions present. And it will take very little additional new snow to again cause inclement driving conditions. You mention having no snow driving experience. IMO, this is not the time or place to learn how … especially with the risk of severe inclement winter driving conditions in your proposed travels.
I went to almost all the places in Ca. I wanna see something different!
Then consider coming back to visit this region during the appropriate times of the year, such as Summer or Fall months when it is accessible. Otherwise, please consider visiting other areas of the USA that are warm climate areas at this time of the year. Good luck with your travels.
Can I see SLC, then Pocatello and Idaho Falls, then drive to Jackson Wyoming then (To any place in between) till I reach Bozeman MT?
If the roads are open, that doesn't mean that they're dry weather driving. You may find that the roads are snowpacked and/or icy, even between storm frontal passages. You need to be aware of the weather forecasts and the road condition reports.
This is all the more critical for a driver like yourself in an unfamiliar car who is not an experienced snow road driver. You present a hazard to yourself and others on the road to undertake driving in such conditions. It's not only the slick and slippery road surfaces, but you may find very limited visibility in these driving conditions. It doesn't need to be an active snowstorm for these situations to present, because adjacent vehicles "kick up" snow and slush from their tires.
Driving from SLC to Pocatello is 164 miles.
Pocatello to Idaho Falls around 51 miles.
Idaho Falls to Jackson WY 88 miles.
But from Idaho Falls to Bozeman is about 200 miles.
If roads aren't safe, please tell me how? only because of the snow? / any closure?
May I suggest that you check out topics such as "winter driving in Wyoming" on YouTube? Several folk have posted videos of what these regional roads look like when driving in inclement conditions. Even when the roads are plowed and it's been a few days since the last snowfall, the roads can be treacherous due to the remaining snowpack on the roads and the wind-driven snow adjacent to the road being blown back across it. The many sources of moisture on the road and the cold overnight temperatures can create a lot of "black ice" surfaces on the roadway or on top of snowpack on the roads.
Please also look at a map and note the vast open country between towns in the USA West. Driving through this area is not like driving in France where the distance between towns and services along the route is but a matter of a few miles. This is vast open desolate country without services along the roads. Much of this is due to the public lands here which do not allow towns and villages and cities to be developed. This is not flat lowland country, it's a lot of mountainous territory.
Even for the folk who live here, it is prudent at times to not be out on the road due to the driving conditions. Jackson area workers commute between the Idaho towns and over to Jackson every day, but that's not to say that it's an "easy drive" based upon the distance. It can be quite a challenge to do this from time to time.
For an inexperienced driver with a tight schedule between destinations, you are at risk of driving conditions which exceed your capabilities. While it is possible that you'll not have difficulties during the week you've planned, it's winter here and snowfall will be expected. The odds are that you will encounter inclement driving conditions at some point in your travels at this time of the year. Bear in mind that it's not necessarily a complete inclement driving situation along an entire route, but it only takes a few miles or patches of difficult driving in remote areas spaced along a day's trip to make driving a treacherous proposition for you.
If I were in your situation, I'd fly to SLC and enjoy the attractions there for your week in the area. IF the weather and roads are forecast at the time to be clear for a couple of days, then it may be reasonable to do some driving/sightseeing around the region. But be aware that weather conditions around the region can change very rapidly as storm fronts move through the area and localized conditions can be far more severe than the general area forecast.
PS: the long range weather forecasts for the travel area you're looking at are for seasonally warmer temps and mostly drier conditions, which could be favorable for your planned regional travel. But be aware that the week after could be an entirely different weather pattern and it's too early to forecast that yet. All it takes is one fast moving front from the Pacific NW or Canada area to move into the area and the conditions can change very rapidly. At this point, all you can do is "wait and see" what is likely to present. Good luck with your travels.
Last edited by sunsprit; 03-16-2019 at 04:14 AM..
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