Our Yellowstone & Grand Teton Trip with Tracks & Trails
Our Yellowstone & Grand Teton Trip with Tracks & Trails
This June, my family and some of our best friends took off for a Tracks & Trails trip through Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks. With four adults, four kids, two RVs, more luggage than you could count, and itineraries built for fun, we were in for the trip of a lifetime.
No one in my family had RVed or been to these national parks, so I was, frankly, a little intimidated by the unknowns of how exactly it would all go. Fortunately, we had our incredible Adventure Kit and prep emails from the Tracks & Trails team with everything we needed to know about packing, traveling, grocery pick-up, excursions, driving tips, itinerary details, fun movies to watch before our trip, and more.
Still, I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around it all. Questions were dancing through my mind as we packed. “What exactly is grey water?” “What if we run out of generator power, is the whole RV dead?” “Is a dump station as gross as it sounds?” “Do I actually need to worry about bears?” “Is that SNOW in the forecast in June?” (Spoiler—yes, it was. As it turns out though, a night of snow in late June is actually a great thing for mosquitoes and crowds!)
Luckily, I am generally a pre-worrier, and once we arrived in Bozeman and got the most helpful tutorial and demonstrations upon picking up our RV, all my questions were answered and my worries melted away. We all went into full-vacation mode and had an absolute blast. But it gave me the thought that I would like to put together a video from our trip to share in case other people were having trouble visualizing how a Tracks & Trails trip like this might look for their family. I have also included answers to those pesky questions below.
Grey water just refers to all the waste water from your sink and shower. Black water refers to the waste water from your toilet. The RV has gauges to tell you when the holding tanks for these are full. We dumped ours every couple days and it was no big deal.
2. Is a dump station as gross as it sounds?
Good news — no! Every campground we went to had a dump station or hook ups right at the site. It really is as simple as hooking up a pipe that runs from your RV into a pipe in the ground and pulling a couple release valves. There are some helpful little tricks that they will demonstrate for you when you pick up your RV. Yes, it can be mildly smelly, but everything is contained within the connecting pipe or “stinky slinky” (my kids’ favorite new term).
3. What if our batteries run low and we’re at a beautiful, rustic campground with no external electric hookup? Is the whole RV dead?
Also good news — no! The onboard gas-powered generator does double duty: It produces household current for running power-hungry appliances, like the air conditioner and microwave, AND it charges the dedicated “house batteries” that run the fridge, lights, water pump, furnace fan, and more. We just ran the generator for a couple of hours each night to top up the batteries like the RV company showed us, and we were good to go. The RV’s engine also charges the batteries when you’re driving around.
4. Do I actually need to worry about bears?
Yes and no. You’re going to mainly be in highly trafficked areas with lots of other people. Bears really don’t want anything to do with you, they just want to eat and be left alone. Use common sense and follow signage and all should be well. If you’re hiking in grizzly country, follow the basic rules: go with a group, carry bear spray, and make noise.
The moral of the story — don’t worry and have fun! The Tracks & Trails team will answer all your questions before the trip, and the RV rental team will teach you everything hands-on that you’ll need to know so you can hit the road and have the trip of a lifetime.
