AboutSue Mecham Expertise Hello! I have all the necessary brochures for booking vacations in Yellowstone National Park and have been there MANY, MANY times!
Expert: Sue Mecham Date: 6/10/2008 Subject: Yellowstone
Question Hi. I am going to Billings for work end of June. I want to drive from Billings to maybe Cooke city on a Wed night. Spend the day at Yellowstone on Thurs and then fly home Friday morning. I know its quick, but its all the time I have. How far is Billings to Cooke City? Where should I fly out of? Bozeman? Jackson Hole?
Answer For airports to use, it would be ideal to fly INTO Billings and then fly home from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. You already have a rental car, so you would not have to backtrack.
From Billings to Red Lodge is about 120 miles, half of that interstate. From Red Lodge to Cooke City is where the fun begins. It's only about 40 miles, but plan on a couple of hours, especially if you want to watch for mountain goats on BearTooth Pass.
Leave Billings on I-90 going west and take exit 434 to Red Lodge and Cooke city.
You'll need to make reservations quickly for both Wednesday and Thursday. If you stay Wednesday at Cooke City, it give you all day to go through the park, down through Grand Teton park and then to a motel in Jackson. If you have a lot of time, go through the park via Mammoth, Madison and Old Faithful. If you need to get going, go through Dunraven pass, Canyon, Lake and West Thumb.
The important priority would be to make sure you can fly into BIL and out of JAC, and motel availability for Wed and Thur night.
Bring your own cold drinks and a picnic lunch in Yellowstone - it can be expensive and there are lots of picnic areas to "stop and smell the pine trees"....
Let me know if I can help with any part of your trip!
Sue
