Cold time of the year ,,,,,,but I like the head waters,,,,,,,160 will know,,, why,,,,…..
Little drive west….l.

OK so what's the best time of year. Wife talked to the daughter about switching it up and Grand Canyon trip to be sure sure to weather and she didn't want to do that so Would May 23 through June 5th be OK ? If not it will have to weight tell end of July beginning of August. Fair is taking up Junes 7 days off.

Having been there once qualifies me as a Trapperman expert. I would think you would be fine with those dates. Just depends but we went the first two weeks of June 2021 and were fine. Mitchell SD was 100. In Yellowstone we camped=tent. Most nights down to around 40. Days were upper 70's but did get to lower 80's. Just depends on the weather pattern at the time. Did briefly snow one morning which was fun. Didn't stick. Advantage is crowds will be smaller and they never were bad for us. Even when we were winding up our day in the afternoon there was still parking to be found. I believe end of July/Aug would be pretty busy.

End of May into June would be great, well before the big tourist season.
Venture down into Southern Wyo too, the Snowy Range is pretty to visit.

I'm afraid I won't want to come back. But wife is not fond of snow and cold so likey won't be able to ever move

bring fishing poles

Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, Nebraska.
It’s just south of the black hills. By far the best fur trade museum I’ve visited…and I’ve been to quite a few.

You’re definitely coming to Yellowstone at the right time. No congestion, and the guests that stay at our place regularly see multiple bears per day if that’s something you’re wanting to see. Look at our website for info on things to do around here, littletrailcreekcabins.com.

I thought Mt. Rushmore was very underwhelming. But wish we had more time to do Crazy Horse vs just "driving by". We dipped off the highway in Wyoming on our way back east in the black hills, drove down and around through Custer, up to Mt. Rushmore, and then back out to the highway.

I took my daughters for the road trip that is pretty much listed out above back in 2009. Left WI, Badlands, Black Hills, Defvils Tower, Yellowstone, Tetons, cut back 287 I think and went to RMNP, then visited friends / family in Colorado and went camping /4wheel'n for a few more days.

We did the last week of June & 1st week of July. There was plenty of snow that year and the girls had a blast with snowball fights. Couple passes would ice up and night from the melting snow. We camped at Yellowstone and we had a few COLD nights. Nothing that good sleeping bags and a few extra blankets couldn't handle. When my wife got up to hit a restroom in the middle of the night, I thought ZZI would never hear the end about winter camping. AWESOME road trip. We did about 4500 miles and one of the best family trips for us ever

o and my daughter wants to take the young dog along to keep up with his training .

Another vote for the end of May early June trip, you'll get in before the big rush of mindless tourists. We used to go to the Park a lot but it lost it's appeal to me when they shoved wolves on us. It's still a place worth seeing though, very neat features. If you're in to rock hounding there's a lot of trails outside the Park that are on National Forest and you can find the same rocks, petrfied wood and stuff as in the Park, used to do a lot of horn hunting there back when there were thousands of elk, that was a sight to see. But again still a very worth while place to see

The last few weeks of July and first few in August you will see a high amount of motorcycle traffic in the Black Hills. Because of Sturgis week being the first full week of August. They won't bother you, it will just be busy.

I know nothing of black hills, Yellowstone area, but you mentioned the Grand Canyon, if you can go, amazing sights, go through the east entrance otherwise you'll wait on a long line....

thanks guys the wife just finished reading the thread and making notes.

If in the area, don't pass up Little Big Horn National Park. I came away thinking Custer and his bunch got what they deserved.

Anytime in April is early. Mid May on. After Memorial Day the Black Hills get pretty busy.

Skip the man made tourist traps, IE Wall Drug, Bear Park or the lizard place in Rapid.

Badlands, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Wind and Jewell Cave Parks so much to do in the hills. Personally I prefer Devils Tower.

well Looks like plans have changes some. Wife got plans lined out and thanks to imput from you what found out we were wanting to go to early in the year. Moved the dates out a month but after she did the planning she keep running into Her obligations the weekend we would get back as well as the day before we left. business obligations that book aus a year in advance. at first she figured we would make it work but reality set in and it would be to much and to tight on time.

So the option are to move it out tell August 15 through the 28th. And that will also be not being at. a festival we have worked every year the last 7 years and may loose the spot. But it's not been as profitable the last few years as years past so that's an option.

But if we do that now how is the weather and crowds questions come back up.

The next option it go back to the early dates of April 25- May 8th and go to the grand canyon instead . I'm assuming weather won't be an issue there at that time. Yet I would have ro fing other things to do because I don't see spend more than a few days looking at a hole in the ground and geology but I may very well be wrong. So to find out what other things to go see in that general direction in the time frame I have to work with.

Decisions decisions.

I'd st I suggest you get a hold of each state's tourist offices and request travel information of events before you set your travel dates in stone .
As a Montanan I could spend a entire summer just going to see things in Montana that I haven't seen already and I've seen a lot .
Whatever you decide to do have fun and bring some good binoculars and plenty of SD cards for your camera then don't loose them ha ha and Stay Safe and enjoy yourselves !

Have fun.I love seeing the diffrent countrysides.