# Road to Yellowstone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227 "2010-05-21T06:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/1 "2010-05-21T06:15:43Z")
What is the terrain like from Boise to Yellowstone staying to major highways? Is it mountainous in places? The forecast for high elevations doesn’t sound good, so I don’t want to chance it if it’s going to be dicey. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/2 "2010-05-21T13:34:11Z")
In the absence of someone who knows what they’re talking about… Google Maps [terrain view](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=boise,+id+to+yellowstone+national+park&sll=38.750003,-77.164427&sspn=0.008903,0.022724&ie=UTF8&ll=44.690135,-110.916595&spn=0.519392,1.454315&t=p&z=10) doesn’t show it as all that bad. Though the last bit looks like it’s getting into some hilly country. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/3 "2010-05-21T13:37:02Z")
Oh, and by “hilly” I mean full-on mountainous. You could zoom in and take a look via street view to see what some of the bits are like. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/4 "2010-05-21T14:08:13Z")
It’s been 20 years but I’ve made the drive from Idaho Falls to Jackson, and then up to Yellowstone through the Tetons. Route 26 to 31 to 22 according to Mapquest. I don’t recall it scoring as high on the Yikes-meter as many other drives in the Rockies (and one heart-pounder on Maui). You might be asking about Route 20 which goes north from Idaho Falls directly to Yellowstone. I have not been on that road. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/5 "2010-05-21T14:48:39Z")
Alternatively you could just call DOT like most people do, instead of relying on people on a message board to do your legwork for you. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/6 "2010-05-21T15:17:18Z")
As I remember, the route to West Yellowstone doesn’t involve a lot of “mountain driving”. But remember, most of the Yellowstone Plateau is above 7,000 feet. On the park roads, Dunraven Pass is at almost 9,000 ft (it opens today). I’ve been snowed on in the summertime a couple of times. Looking at the forecast, the weather in the park doesn’t look too great. [Link to NPS Yellowstone current conditions](http://www.nps.gov/yell/conditions.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/7 "2010-05-21T20:04:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Alternatively you could just call DOT like most people do, instead of relying on people on a message board to do your legwork for you. I’m sure the DOT people are paid to just sit by the phones waiting to advise tourists…as opposed to a paid board to which I subscribe? Also, from past experience on similar excursions, I have not found the local DOT webpages too helpful…whatever info they do provide is geared for one who knows the area. ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/8 "2010-05-21T20:48:53Z")
I live in Idaho Falls. The road from Boise to here is interstate. From here to West is another two hours and is limited access for about half that. From there you start to see some hills and forests. The pass from Idaho to Montana is typically the worst stretch but should be no problem this late in the season. Inside the park they keep a good eye on the weather and will let the visitors know if there is a problem looming. Personally, I wouldn’t worry about it. A spring snow in Yellowstong is beautifull. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/9 "2010-05-21T21:31:13Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I’m sure the DOT people are paid to just sit by the phones waiting to advise tourists…as opposed to a paid board to which I subscribe? Also, from past experience on similar excursions, I have not found the local DOT webpages too helpful…whatever info they do provide is geared for one who knows the area. Yes, there are DOT people and Park Service people paid specifically to do that. Apparently you’d rather rely on someone’s anecdotal information from a trip from five years ago? Whatever makes you feel safest, I guess. I’ve been to Yellowstone many times, but am not about to advise someone making a trip at this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/10 "2010-05-21T21:53:24Z")
Last year, we made the trip from Seattle to Baltimore, by way of Yellowstone… in an RV. The eastern entrance to Yellowstone had just opened up the week before. As I recall, the worst mountains we experienced were actually in Yellowstone. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/11 "2010-05-22T00:06:59Z")
Another idea, after you look at the Google Terrain view, is to look at the Google Street View on the rough-looking sections. You’ll be able to judge for yourself what the roads and curves will look like. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/12 "2010-05-22T00:31:43Z")
I came to this thread expecting a newly-discovered Bob Hope / Bing Crosby Hope movie. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/13 "2010-05-22T02:56:02Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I came to this thread expecting a newly-discovered Bob Hope / Bing Crosby Hope movie. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-to-yellowstone/540227/14 "2010-05-22T17:13:59Z")
You do realize the Yellowstone SuperVolcano will erupt while you’re there, don’t you?