mr._shy Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Hi, We plan to camp in Rocky Mountain NP, Grand Teton NP and Yellow Stone NP from June 19 to 25. My only concern is the wether condition. Is it cold then? What sleeping bag should we carry? Which camping site is good for photography? We have a 3-year old kid with us. Anybody has the experience?Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric friedemann Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 You need also be concerned with whether the roads you plan on traveling will have been plowed by late June; particularly in Rocky Mountain NP. Some of the roads at the highest elevations can still be snowbound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 You might get fresh snowfall at higher elevations but as far as Grand Teton and Yellowstone are concerned I'd expect clear roads and mild weather in the campgrounds. I doubt you'll get any freezing temperatures. <P> What kind of photography are you interested in? I'm a wildlife guy so in Yellowstone NP proximity to Lamar Valley was a priority. Slough Creek campground was ideal for me. It's first-come, first-served but it's rather primitive so it may not be ideal for camping with a three-year-old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walterh Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Mr. Shy - i dont know where you are from, but you may not know that you can easily spent that time in just one of these locations and still only see a fraction of what there is to see. regarding temperatures you will be able to pick "spring"-time according to elevation, especially in the rockies, for the lower altitudes in the tetons it may already be a little late for spring flowers. pick the altitude of the campground according to gear. yes inquire locally about the road conditions in the rockies at high altitude. the kid will just love it. take warnings about bears serious. bring plenty of film (or silicon). cheers walter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott bacon Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 All major roads in Rocky Mountain N.P. will be clear of snow by that time in June. Although, there will still be some snow on the ground at higher elevations and on the north slopes. The park service always makes a grand effort to have Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day weekend. It would be a rare occurance if it is not open by the third week in June. The only road that might not be open at that time would be the Old Fall River Road (dirt). They are doing construction on the road to Bear Lake. Staring in May, it is closed at Sprague Lake. You must take a shuttle bus if you want to go up to Bear Lake. Its worth it. Hike to Dream and Emerald Lakes, but go VERY early to beat the crowds - like 5:00am when the busses start running). Even though day time temps are usually in the 70's, it gets chilly at night in June - possibly 40's or 30's, but most likely not freezing. It is rare, but it does snow in the park in June, so be prepared. The drive-able part of the park is not that big, so camping anywhere inside the park is great. But you should already have reservations. Spots fill up very quickly. There are lots of places to camp in the surrounding area. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus_erne Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 It has been awhile ago, in 1998, but we were there in the 3rd week of June and the roads were just clear of snow.The weather was mostely nice and sunny during the day, but we had frost and snow overnight.As we travelled by motorhome, we stayed in Fishing Bridge RV Park. Very nice, but you can't stay there in a tent, I believe hardsided caravans & RV's are allowed only, because it is bear country...I would bring good insulated matts, dawn sleepingbags and functional, all-season outdoor clothing.As for camping with a 3 year old, I am not sure that I would go for it. I'd rather rent a hut or a room in one of the lodges... Enjoy the trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric friedemann Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Scott, I visited my grandparents in Boulder for 25 years. I always loved the photos in the RMNP visitor center of the plows clearing the Trail Ridge Road with snowbanks up to the windows of the large plow trucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott bacon Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Oh ya, Trail Ridge road is usually open on Memorial Day. But in many places it is almost like driving through a tunnel with 10, 12 or 16 foot walls of snow piled up at the guard rail! Very fun if you've never seen anything like it before. And just to let you know, they are getting fresh snow as I write this. It was even snowing at my house (down in the Denver area) this morning. But it is not sticking to the ground - melting as soon as it hits. By late June though, most, if not all, of the snow at the lower elevations in the park (ie. where the campgrounds are) will be long gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr._shy Posted May 13, 2004 Author Share Posted May 13, 2004 Thank all for your valuable suggestions. I did have reserved the campsite in RMNP (glacier basin) and Yellow Stone (Canyon Village) without any knowledge of the altitude or night temperature. Hopefully that is OK. But the campsite in Grand Teton is first-come-first-serve. We will reach there in late afternoon. I wonder if we can still find one site at that time. Any idea about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott bacon Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 The Grand Teton NP campgrounds are usually full by 11:00am. Luckily there are several National Forest areas nearby with primitive camping. Last summer we camped on NF land east of Antelope Flats. It was very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les_barstow Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Glacier Basin campground is a bit higher than some of the other campgrounds. I would suggest bringing 20-degree bags and a good insulated ground mat or matress; bundle the kid up well. It will probably be in the thirties to low forties in the morning, maybe colder. On the bright side, it's right near the Bear Lake Shuttle stop, so you'll be good to go when you wake up in the morning - just hop on and head up to the lakes! Most of the campgrounds at RMNP have something to offer. At Aspenglen (at the Fall River entrance) and Timber Creek (on the West side of the park), if you camp on the edge of the campground near the meadows, you can often see wildlife in the morning. Moraine Park campground has some decent scenery and is on the Fern Lake shuttle route IIRC. Longs Peak tent campground will be full of hikers - I have no idea how anyone ever gets a spot there :-) Moraine Park and Glacier Basin are busier campsites than the others; Timber Creek is large but its location generally means lower use. With luck you'll be in Grand Teton on the weekdays, and can possibly eke out a spot at a campground. As a previous poster stated, the NF campgrounds might be your best bet, at Antelope Flat or up in Gros Ventre. At Yellowstone you'll want to drive just about everywhere. Which campground is best depends solely on your preferences. When I camped there about the same time of year, we woke up to low forties for temperatures. YMMV. By the way - in Colorado we like to use the phrase "dress in layers". Bring everything from shorts to sweaters. I usually dress with a T-shirt, fleece liner and Goretex shell, and pack a sweater just in case; unneeded layers go into the backpack. It can be cold and windy up above treeline, and storms can come up suddenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_c1 Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Was in Yellowstone and Tetons from mid-June to late June last year. If last year and previous years is an indication, you should have no problem getting in to the main campground in the Tetons if you are there in the morning when folks are pulling out. Yellowstone on the other hand is usually busy. I have always preferred Pebble Creek on the NE side and have always gotten a site that time of the year. I like Peeble Creek because it is close to prime wolf watching and out of the way of the main loops and traffic. You should have a minimal 20 degree bag. The last few years we've been there it was down to freezing most nights. Last year it snowed so heavily on the first day of summer they actually closed part of the park. If you need further, don't hesitate to e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolender Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 The NPS recommends using the Gros Ventre campground if you arrive late, and get a site at a better campground the next morning. Gros Ventre has 360 sites and fills in the evening, if at all. They also have some evening ranger talks in the amphitheater there. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grte/pphtml/camping.html">Grand Teton camping page</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott bacon Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 For those still following this thread... Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is opening today, May 20. Let the tourism onslaught begin. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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