Anonymous_Motorcyclist says:
Five thumbs straight up for Y'stone AND the Bear tooth. Great article. Makes me want to mount up & head out right now. My Son and I rode this same route thru Jelly stone & over the Bear Tooth.
It's everything you said it was. We too came in thru West Yellowstone. Made the run in August.
Here are a couple of things we've learned about this ride after doing it 6 times now. (Did I mention that we kind of like this run?)
Places you need to know about:
1. WARM SPRINGS CAMPGROUND:
If you are coming in from the South or West,
a great place to spend your last night before entering Yellowstone is Warm Springs Campground. It is just below the Id/Mt border off highway 20. (The main road into Y,stone from the South.) Find the town of ASHTON on hwy 20...Look about 8 miles East on the map, (or just ask anybody). Warm Springs is a beautiful, small, friendly, campground, on a beautiful stream. It's about 60 miles South of Y,stone. In the morning, just ask how to get to Mesa Falls. That is a great road that will take you right to West Y,stone.
2. TOWER FALLS CAMPGROUND:
Just about everyday, all Summer, the Park campgrounds are full. On a bike. Not to worry. Just look on your Y,stone map for Tower Falls. It is small campground. Hardly any body knows about it. Mostly because you cant get a big trailer or motor home into it. There is a grocery store at the Tower Falls overlook. Right across the street (look closely), there is a small Blacktop road that goes up a steep hill. Don't worry, it's easy-- just kind of steep. You go up about a 1/4 mile & TA-Da-- there it is
In all the years we've been going thru Y,stone park, it has NEVER FAILED US. Even when there are no camp spots left, they will always find a place for us. Fantastic Campground Hosts. ALWAYS!
P.S.--It's only 110 miles from Warm Springs to Tower Falls campground. So, go to tower Falls fairly early and then putt thru the park.
3. THE BEAR TOOTH HIGHWAY:
If you are going to Yellowstone, just automatically include The Bear tooth. If you go home with out riding the Tooth, all your riding buddies will smirk at you when ever they see you coming. While you are at it, you might as well include the famous Chief Joseph Highway too.
4. RED LODGE:
After you ride the Tooth, it's still a ways into town. As you head in towards town, their is a big sweeping right curve followed by a large left hand curve. In the right hand curve, look to your right. There's an old red boxcar that is a drive-in. STOP THERE. The food is awesome, AND, there's shady places to sit right by the river. When you are ready to ride back over the Bear tooth, (You are going to ride back over aren't you??) It truly is a completely different road going the other way. After you hit the bottom of the Tooth, coming over from Red Lodge, watch for the first road to your left. Right at the base of the Bear tooth.
5. CHIEF JOSEPH HIGHWAY:
This is the only Appropriate road for a biker to ride if you are going to Cody Wyoming. If you are going into Y,stone park, it is a great detour on the way. Beautiful blacktop in great condition, Fantastic scenery to go with the Tooth scenery that you just finished. Very light traffic. It's only about 60 miles long. It's just a pleasant ride through fine scenery for most of the way. After the Tooth your brain needs a break. The last 10 miles are a little more interesting. Looking for a place to camp for the night?
6. DEAD INDIAN:
The Dead Indian Campground is right at the base of THE VERY BEST PART OF THE CHIEF JOSEPH.
Once again, it's a very small campground on both sides of a creek. BE SURE to check out BOTH SIDES of the creek. We were there in the middle of August. Busiest time of year. Only 1 other camper, they left about 2 hours after we set up camp. AND. ONCE AGAIN the campground host was FANTASTIC. A lady from Georgia. INCREDIBLE.
From where the campground is, you can look up the mountainside & see the road 6 t
Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 9:10 AM
felon says:
Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 9:10 AM
oooldguy says:
Five thumbs straight up. My Son and I rode this same route thru Jellystone & over the Bear Tooth.
It's everything you said it was. We too came in thru West Yellowstone. Made the run in August.
Here are a couple pf things we've learned about this ride after doing it 6 times now. (Did I mention that we kind of like this run?)
Places you need to know about:
Warm Springs Id.
Fri Jan 11, 2013 at 9:09 AM