Overland NC-Yellowstone

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NCmachoTaco

NCmachoTaco

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Hi everyone. I am planning a trip practically across the US and I wish I had found this page earlier. End of September through the beginning of October I am going from Wilmington NC to Yellowstone as the final destination going on and off the TransAmericaTrail and trying to have the best trip in the process. I have a capable overland rig (2008 Toyota Tacoma w/ OME suspension, front/rear lockers, bumpers, the works). The only thing is with all of my off road experiences I have never made a trip for this duration or this far to places unknown. I am open to suggestions for important gear I may have overlooked that are must haves and places to stop/see on the way there and back. This is a 2 week trip that will cover nearly 5000 miles. I need you all's experience to help my trip be a success. Thank you all in advance and I am excited to become a member of this community.

-Will aka NCmachoTaco
 
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Doug C

Doug C

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Jasper, Georgia, USA
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Sounds like a fantastic trip. Went to Yellowstone a few years ago. We spent 3 days exploring the park. Tons of wildlife viewing. If you're into photographing wildlife you may want to bring a decent telephoto lens with you. I didn't and regretted it. I know there are a couple of sites that you can rent them from. Grand Teton National Park is next door to Yellowstone and worth a visit. You can also stop in Jackson Hole, WY which is just south of Grand Teton. Pretty cool little town. Depending on your route you may want to include Badlands National Park in South Dakota. There is also Wind Cave National park in South Dakota which is next to Custer State Park. Custer had tons of Bison roaming around. Cell service can be spotty so you may want a back up way to communicate or be able to look up stuff. I made a trip to Arizona this past spring I still used a newer Garmin GPS which I found very helpful. I just had your basic camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, stove, table, cooler, etc.) and was fine. I bought food and ice as needed. I did bring a tire repair kit and compressor with me along with a small jump starter battery pack. As far as finding camping sites I used https://freecampsites.net/ . The campsites are free or low cost. Some have vault toilets some are dispersed camping. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.
 
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ASNOBODY

ASNOBODY

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Snacks. Lots of snacks. :P

Be prepared for a lot of tourists in the popular areas of the park (Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful etc…). Like stated above, if you're going to be that close you might as well check out the Tetons and Jackson Hole area. Very worth while. Everywhere around Yellowstone makes for great photos and experiences.

Side note: If you happen to be travelling through more than a couple National Parks I would highly recommend buying an America the Beautiful (National Parks pass). It's only $80, but this year alone it saved me over $300 in park entrance fees and much more over the last several years. You can also share it with someone else as there are two signature spots on each card.
 
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Doug C

Doug C

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Jasper, Georgia, USA
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Doug
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Camara
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ASNOBODY said:
Snacks. Lots of snacks. :P

Be prepared for a lot of tourists in the popular areas of the park (Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful etc…). Like stated above, if you're going to be that close you might as well check out the Tetons and Jackson Hole area. Very worth while. Everywhere around Yellowstone makes for great photos and experiences.

Side note: If you happen to be travelling through more than a couple National Parks I would highly recommend buying an America the Beautiful (National Parks pass). It's only $80, but this year alone it saved me over $300 in park entrance fees and much more over the last several years. You can also share it with someone else as there are two signature spots on each card.
Click to expand...
That's a good call with the pass depending on how many parks you visit and their entrance fees.
 
Vthodges

Vthodges

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We did a trip from Va to Yellowstone last year we did not however drive the TransAmericaTrail. We went through the badlands, Custer State Park, Devils tower , Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and the Tetons. While Yellowstone is the biggest draw my favorite far and away was the Tetons. Less people more hiking.

Lots of interesting drives mostly paved but awesome scenery. Needles highway , beartooth highway , bighorn national forest for a few.
 
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