Visiting National Parks on a Bike

[From MARS]

was a colossal waste of time for me, and most likely something I will try to avoid in the future.

On the way to "The Rally", I made it to three of them; Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. All I saw was asphalt, cars, and some of the wildlife on the side of the road. Pulling into, and out of, the scenic overlooks was so scary that I quit stopping at them. Most of the good views were on curves, but I was too busy watching for cars coming at me, rocks that had succumbed to gravity's pull, and looking thru the curve to checkout the view. In Yellowstone, tourist would stop in the road and take pictures of buffalo pawing the ground next to the pavement. I was trapped behind them in several cases with nothing but the riding gear to protect me if the shaggy "beast" decided he was tired of being harassed.

Next time I go visiting our national heritage, it'll be on four wheels.

Tom

[RTRandy]

You really need a lot of patience riding Yellowstone. I don't think the speed limit is over
45 in most of the park plus they allow large size RV's and buses which can really make the going congested and slow. I'm surprised about difficulty pulling over to stop. And yes people stop when a big animal shows up like a moose or a bear, but isn't that expected?


One of the big pluses for riding Glacier National Park ( and trust me you want to ride Glacier National Park) is they have a size limit for vehicles so the flow is generally much better . Nothing terrible about Yellowstone, but Glacier beats them all hands down.

Pulling over is nothing. How bout this guy sitting in the freakin road just to take a picture? It's just part of the whole scene.

[RTRandy]

And yes there are animals that run out in front of you in Yellowstone. But where else can you get that up close?

[GrafikFeat]

And yes there are animals that run out in front of you in Yellowstone. But where else can you get that up close?

Washington.
I was behind a group of Elk running down highway 410 outside of Greenwater.
They suddenly stopped and the young "Spike" male started to charge me... :jawdrop
He was obviously in rut...
I was on a /5 at the time and literally picked it up and spun around and took off...
It was like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park... "Objects appear smaller"... Only real!

[tommcgee]

was a colossal waste of time for me, and most likely something I will try to avoid in the future.

Get up and out early, Tom. You can find solitude in every National Park in the first three or even four hours after dawn -- even in the middle of July and August. I guarantee it! :D Be on the bike a half hour before the sun comes up and nobody will be clogging those scenic vistas.

[shoeman]

I have ridden all three of the mentioned parks on my bike and thorougly enjoyed it as superior to being on four wheels. I guess its perspective.

[From MARS]

Get up and out early, Tom. You can find solitude in every National Park in the first three or even four hours after dawn -- even in the middle of July and August. I guarantee it! :D Be on the bike a half hour before the sun comes up and nobody will be clogging those scenic vistas.

You're right.

I arrived in RMNP at 3pm on a Sunday. Dumb move! Now, Grand Teton was early morning since I had camped 20mi away, and it was better. But, by the time I was at Yellowstone, things had gotten crazy again. YMMV.

Tom

[tommcgee]

You're right.

I arrived in RMNP at 3pm on a Sunday. Dumb move! Now, Grand Teton was early morning since I had camped 20mi away, and it was better. But, by the time I was at Yellowstone, things had gotten crazy again. YMMV.

I visit Acadia NP on the coast of Maine several times every year. In June, sunrise is just after 4:00 AM. You can find a crowd on the top of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sun come up if the coast isn't socked in, but the rest of the park is desolate for a good 4 hours. My kind of place.

The same is usually true in the evening. People will gather at sunset vista areas, but not elsewhere. I always try to arrange my days to avoid crowded areas and crowded times, but I like early morning best. Always have.

[eaganj346]

These unknown BMW riders that I saw on Going to the Sun road in Glacier inspired me to get back into riding.
July 9, 2006, going east.
Thanks guys,
John

[Montana]

I agree with the original comments. We need to point out to everyone that coming to the National Parks is just a complete waste of time and effort.

There, that should get them off our roads and out of our way!

[From MARS]

I agree with the original comments. We need to point out to everyone that coming to the National Parks is just a complete waste of time and effort.

There, that should get them off our roads and out of our way!

Jeez! You had to go and tip them off! Now everyone will think everybody else will stay away, and they'll be the only one there. How are we ever going to get empty roads if you keep that up?:bolt

Tom

[glurkus]

"Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded" - Yogi Berra

Having been to Yellow Stone several times, The best time of day to travel through the park is before 10:00 AM. The best time of year is early June (but sometimes there is snow) or after Labor Day. Went one year during the second week of September, it was beautiful weather, and it was like we had the Park to ourselves.
Glacier NP is not nearly as crowded, and "Going to the Sun Road" is an absolute must of things to do at least once in your lifetime.

[ljjohns]

This thread has been useful in helping me to think through some things about riding. What I have to say here is not my last word on the issues, but only what I think I've learned so far.

I'm 63, and this is the first summer where I've been free to travel and ride: until last year, I was fully if not over-committed as both a college professor and a senior Army Reserve officer deeply engaging in training, mobilizing, supporting and demobilizing reservists for Iraq (and attending their funerals).

I'd been a casual motorcyclist since the early 80's; when I took my last USAR assignment, I treated myself to a K11LT thinking that I'd have some great riding opportunities in the Northwest. As a matter of fact, however, I had, in those five years, only three substantial rides--a three day ride around Washington and Vancouver Island; a five day ride around Washington and Idaho; and a six-day ride (on my retirement present to myself, the K12LT) from Seattle to El Paso.

But my Northwest riding friends who had travelled with me to El Paso proposed a five day ride through Tetons, Yellowstone, Beartooth and Glacier, I was excited, as I had never been there except through the magic of the Viewmaster I had as a child. And so we made our plans, rallying in Dillon MT and proceeding on the planned route.

There were some magical moments, trivial as they may seem: watching Old Faithful from a couple of hundred feet away; looking at the Rockies from the top of Beartooth; gazing around from the visitor's center at Logan Pass. But I was riding two-up and the majority of those five days was focused on the center line, the group ahead of me, and my relationship with the bike. Only when we were stopped could I look around and savor the moment, but then we were off again.

We'd trailered the bike to Dillon, and looking back, I remember how enjoyable the views were from the driver's seat in the truck as we drove from Canon City to Leadville or across the mountains into Pocatello; I had no such experiences gripping the handlebars. After the ride, I again had countless moments of visual enjoyment as we travelled through Moab (which I'd ridden last summer on the way home) and the countryside from Farmington to Albuquerque, moments I wouldn't have had on the bike. Driving the truck is boring; riding the bike is demanding and satisfying; nonetheless, once-in-a-lifetime vistas are constrained when I'm riding; there I have to focus on the ride.

And so we're going to work on doing things differently: we'll continue to tow and ride, but when we ride the stopping will be more vital than the riding. The haul may be long, but the routes ridden will be relatively short. We'll try this out this fall in the Big Bend, maybe making several trips of the sort I envision; we can do the same in Arizona (the nice thing about 12 month riding seasons in the Southwest).

I'm glad we made this ride and would follow the route again, but with a totally different set of expectations....

[john1691]

Certainly we have all heard the phrase "it's the ride, not the destination", but you all have some good points, indicating the stops are (almost) as important as the ride. Sometimes I need to be "in the Zone" while riding, concentrating on the perfect line for the upcoming curve. Managing throttle and brake for proper entry and exit, feeling the bike respond to minimal throttle adjustments. I feel a sense of oneness with machine and everything seems good. Then there are times when the water/coffee breaks are more memorable, as you meet someone new who wandered over to look at that funny looking motorcycle, or the "old timer" who offers you a cup of coffee and some tales of glory from his yesteryear. A smile and wave from that rider on the "other" brand bike as he heads who knows where down the highway.

Ride when and where you want to. Trailer it there or ride it the whole way, but enjoy every mile! :bikes

[GrafikFeat]

I'm glad we made this ride ... with a totally different set of expectations....

I start my "rides" w/ one set of expectations... The start and the finish.
Everything in between happens.
As the old saying goes: Just because I'm wandering it doesn't mean I'm lost.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/2619006163/" title="Dry_Roads by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2619006163_d3e138aa8b.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Dry_Roads" /></a>

[Sanders]

Wow! That is a stunning photo! Wish I had taken it. It'd be framed and hanging...
Thanks for sharing that beauty

Sanders

I start my "rides" w/ one set of expectations... The start and the finish.
Everything in between happens.
As the old saying goes: Just because I'm wandering it doesn't mean I'm lost.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/2619006163/" title="Dry_Roads by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2619006163_d3e138aa8b.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Dry_Roads" /></a>

[FatChance]

Be on the bike a half hour before the sun comes up and nobody will be clogging those scenic vistas.
Nobody but you and the hundreds of deer that like that exact time of day to run across the road right in front of you... :deal

[tommcgee]

Nobody but you and the hundreds of deer that like that exact time of day to run across the road right in front of you... :deal

Given the choice of people or deer, I'll take the deer.

[Motor31]

I found that Yellowstone was best done after the main tourist season had ended. After school starts the families thin out dramatically. I also found out that Bison do not like motorcycle noises during the rut season in September. :uhoh

[treed]

We did Yellowstone a few years ago. We specifically went just prior to most schools getting out (early June). We had the place much of the time to ourselves. We were never crowded or held up by traffic. If you go during peak times you have to expect the crowds.

[FatChance]

Given the choice of people or deer, I'll take the deer.

Your choice. The people are slower and and you have to wait for them as you said. The deer jump out right in front of you from strategically hidden positions. I know more people who have hit deer in the mountains than cars, though it is probably different back there in the congested eastern cities.

[lkchris]

Next time I go visiting our national heritage, it'll be on four wheels.

Cheaper, too, as they won't recognize me on my bike and my wife behind me on hers as one family.

Plus, the fuel economy of a car versus two bikes is better.

[rocketman]

Cheaper, too, as they won't recognize me on my bike and my wife behind me on hers as one family.

Plus, the fuel economy of a car versus two bikes is better.

Dang dude, you need to get rid of those bikes! Pronto! :stick

I'll gladly take the airhead off your hands...

RM

[tommcgee]

Your choice. The people are slower and and you have to wait for them as you said. The deer jump out right in front of you from strategically hidden positions. I know more people who have hit deer in the mountains than cars, though it is probably different back there in the congested eastern cities.

Oh we've got plenty of deer and moose in New England. I still trust the animals more than the people. Besides, I don't move very fast in any National Park. :D

[rocketman]

Your choice. The people are slower and and you have to wait for them as you said. The deer jump out right in front of you from strategically hidden positions. I know more people who have hit deer in the mountains than cars, though it is probably different back there in the congested eastern cities.


We have tons of deer in the mountains (not so much in the cities, thou) on the eastern seaboard, but I've never seen one in a car. You must have really talented deer out your way, I'd love to see a picture of that! Ha Ha!

RM

[mrich12000]

Nice photo's:bikes

[DocZ]

Get off your bike and take a walk. In Yellowstone where I have fished extensively inside and around the perimeter of the park (and hunted once about 20 miles outside the east side near Pahaska) you will find that the average visitor does not move more than 100 yards off the road.

You won't be on your bike, but you will be away from the lumpenprole. And that is always a good thing!

My fav walk - head north on US 191 from W. Yellowstone, MT. The road leaves, re-enters then leaves the park again. Up there, the Gallatin River exits the park. Walk up the trail - good bike parking the last time I was there. DON"t waste time trying to fish the fast water - unless you want to snag a few whitefish...after about 1.5 miles of fairly easy uphill, you will achieve - paradise.

If I had time, I could list a hundred more similar examples.

Dude, the park roads are CROWDED and most of them are, well you know...:nyah

[DocZ]

And another thing....every park and national monument with a visitors center sells Geological roadmap guides. Get 'em! Go check out the wonder of this country! Really neat stuff is way away from traffic AND you can stay on your bike. Really!!

What this country needs is about 20 new national parks, too. Population growth alone dictates this.

[Colt03]

I have been to Yellowstone twice- Both times in January snowmobiling- That is the way to see the park. No RV's just snow and buffalo with a few elk thrown in.

YMMV

[GrafikFeat]

I have been to Yellowstone twice- Both times in January snowmobiling- That is the way to see the park. No RV's just snow and buffalo with a few elk thrown in.

YMMV

Snowmobiles... (http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Wyoming/orv.cfm) The JetSki of the snow bank... Nothing like enjoying all that pristine beauty w/ the "buzzing of angry bees in a coffee can" droning in the background.

I'm sure the Buffalo and a few Elk love it too...

Try Snowshoes. (http://www.yellowstonepark.com/MoreToKnow/ShowNewsDetails.aspx?newsid=137)

[PGlaves]

I have been to and through many National Parks. Some trips are hasty, hurried affairs, and National Parks are a pain to be in. For example, I visited Yellowstone NP while riding in both the 1999 and 2003 Iron Butt Rallies. In '99 Old Faithful was a bonus location. In '03 Cooke City, MT was a bonus location on the way back to Missoula, MT. In both cases Yellowstone was the place to go through, but these were not National Parks visits in any common use of the term.

But last year we spent 2 days in Glacier, a couple of days in Zion, and visited several of the other Utah National Parks. Grand Tetons too. In these cases we were there to enjoy the parks - and did.

Yes - the motorhomes and Buicks limit your travel speed, as does the typical 45 mph speed limit. So what! These are special places. If your riding style means you always have to be fast and first then don't go there; you won't like it. But if your style allows such things as unique scenery, stopping, hiking, taking pictures, etc. then plan to do that, and follow the plan.

My absolute favorite National Park story, and Iron Butt Rally story happened in 2003 in Yellowstone while riding from the Northeast Gate (Cooke City) to the north gate (Mammoth Hot Springs). Voni and I were riding together about 9:00 p.m. We came, first, upon every human with a camera from within 40 miles, parked hither and yon with cameras and tripods at the ready to photograph what turned out to be a fairly ho-hum sunset. But then we came upon a Bison clog. Cars stopped beside the road, on the road, blocking both lanes, the center, and the ditches. The Bison herd was beside, on, and across the road. We were stuck.

Suddenly I looked left to see an ambulance had pulled up beside us. The driver gave a "follow me" signal and promptly turned on his lights and siren. The cars spread out like the parting of the seas and we followed the ambulance through. As soon as we were past the clog I saw the driver's hand come out the window and he gave the "go around" wave. We passed him as he cut the lights and siren and pulled over to the right. We rode on, unobstructed.

To this day I don't know what this was about. Felt sorry for two motorcyclists? Was following the rally and guessed (from the appearance of our bikes and us) that we were in the IBR?. Thought the Bison were dangerous to us? I'll probably never know but it sure was helpful at the time.