Entering Yellowstone - CycleBlaze

Bicycle Travel Forum

Entering Yellowstone

Keith Adams

For those who have entered Yellowstone prior to this year's floods, is there an expectation that bikes must wait in line with all other vehicles, or can you line jump?

For anyone who has done it THIS year after the floods, and when access is limited, what was your experience?  Did you wait in line?  What was the line like?

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Henry DaltonTo Keith Adams

Since you're going to the same entrance booth as car drivers, showing the same pass or paying the same fee, I think you should wait in the same line with them.

In my experience riding in Yellowstone and other national parks, most tourists don't get on the road until 9 or 10 a.m., so if you can go early in the morning, you shouldn't have a problem with lines.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Jeff LeeTo Keith Adams

I'd be very, very surprised if you were allowed to "line jump". The National Park Service hardly caters to cyclists - quite the opposite, in fact. They obviously give preference in virtually every case to the drivers of motorized vehicles.

The last time I rode through Yellowstone, in 2019 (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/noflats/day-seventeen-west-yellowstone-montana-to-cody-wyoming/), I rode into the park from West Yellowstone without stopping and paying at all. 

I did it at dawn, and no one one was working at the gate.

Even at that early hour, traffic picked up quickly. It really is no fun riding in Yellowstone. I'll never do it again. I think it, and the other super-popular National Parks, are best avoided on a bicycle, but I recognized that mine is probably a minority opinion.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Henry DaltonTo Jeff Lee

Jeff, I don't know whether you or I are in the minority, but I really enjoyed riding in Yellowstone. The scenery, the wildlife, the bubbling stinky geothermal stuff, are all fantastic, and for me, that outweighed the stress of shoulderless busy highways. I've found that there and in other national parks, the drivers are paying attention (not looking at their phones), not in a big hurry, and therefor pass bicycles safely. But I've been commuting by bike in city traffic for over 40 years, so I'm used to cars whizzing by a couple feet from my elbow; it's easy to see how that would ruin it for a lot of people.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo Jeff Lee

I am booked for three days at a West Yellowstone hotel, and plan to do my touristy things from there using commercial services.  During the time I'll be riding in the park it'll be  basically in "transit" mode.  

My original plan called for an overnight at Canyon Village campground but that became inoperable on 13 June.  I'm currently booked for a night of camping at Grant Village CG and another at Bridge Bay CG before exiting via the East portal and continuing into Wyoming. 

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
John EganTo Keith Adams

Keith - 

Canyon and Madison campgrounds have reopened. West Yellowstone is a nutzo tourist trap. I think you would enjoy the park far more is you did a leasurely ride thru via Madison, Canyon, then Bridge Bay.  (All with hiker/biker campsites) I know Jeff didn't enjoy it, but I have ridden every mile of pavement and some dirt where it's legit in the park. Many times. The key is to ride early. (Jeff starts early, but like to ride a lot of miles.) Keep the mileage low. Finish by 9 or 10. You can also ride in the evening hours because all of the campgrounds have hiker/biker campsites. Not sure why youa are "booked" at a campsite. But since you are, you may want to keep a full campsite. The nice thing about the hiker/biker campsite is you meet other cyclists.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo John Egan

Thanks John.

I have a hotel in West Yellowstone simply for the virtues of a bed and the opportunity to spend a couple nights in it.  Oh, and also easy access to a laundry machine.

Being me, I like the certainty of a guaranteed place to pitch my tent which is why I reserved sites in the park.  If the north side campgrounds are open now I may still take that side, and cancel the Grant reservation.  I was and am still going to Bridge Bay so I'll hang onto that reservation.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
John EganTo Keith Adams

Canyon is the best cyclist camping in the park.
The hiker/biker sites are both on and off the loop.
(If you are comfortable camping away from folks.)
Plus there are shower and laundry facilities.
(They used to give cyclists a free shower token - may not anymore.)

Plus, there is agreat visitors center with programs.
Store, cafe, and dining room.
But the biggie is the incredible scenery and short hikes along the rim.
You can get away from the crowds in a few hundred yards.
Also, early morning and evening viewing is quieter.

If you head east from West Yellowstone to Canyon - 
be sure to take one-way Virginia Cascades Road just east of Norris.
Both the main road and the old road are uphill,
but the old road has much less traffic and very low speeds.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo John Egan

Thanks John.  I may simply cancel my Grant Village reservation and head for Canyon, which was my original plan anyhow.  I'll have to look at the map to understand the road situation.

Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago
John PickettTo Keith Adams

we stayed at Grant Village. Some of the campsites were full of tree roots, others were fine. We had access to showers ($4 plus $1 for a towel). And a short ride to the Lake House restaurant. The ravioli was amazing.

Traffic near Old Faithful was heavy but we survived. Traffic  between Madison and OF was bad but only in comparison to miles of light traffic south of Yellowstone.

We arrived at the south entrance at 10 or 11 and didn’t wait at all. The ranger at the booth was very friendly.



Reply    Link    Flag
1 year ago