We did a road trip years ago in July and hit Yosemite, Sequoia, King's Canyon, and Joshua Tree. We camped along in each park. Sequoia was my favorite. You can't go wrong with any of the hikes. July was a good time for the first 3 parks, but gets too hot for Joshua Tree, so we had to do our hikes before 11am.
Post by curlygirlygirl on May 21, 2014 0:21:14 GMT -5
I've lived in California my entire life and last summer was the first time that my husband and I experienced Yosemite. We planned a road trip starting in Yosemite, then traveled north to Lake Tahoe and were planning on heading over to San Francisco after that... but loved Yosemite so much and wanted more time that we cancelled our SF reservations and headed back to Yosemite. We now have an annual pass and I'm really hoping to make it up there again soon to see some waterfall action.
I'll admit that I'm not a camper - we stay in a hotel instead, but I never plan far enough ahead for trips so we stay in a hotel outside the parks and drive in. Oakhurst and Mariposa are easily accessible to Yosemite.
Last summer we hiked 70 miles between being in Yosemite and Tahoe - loved every minute of it!
Please let me know if you have any Yosemite questions.
Do you like camping? We camped at Denali. The park has just one 90 mile road and you have to ride a bus in and out. We stayed at Wonder Lake, the campsite at basically the end of the road. Then each day we'd ride the bus part-way out of the park, stop when we saw somewhere that looked cool, and go hiking. There are no trails, so you can just go whereever you want. It's amazing. After hiking, we'd catch a bus going back to our campsite. You can do Denali just one day, in and out, but camping like this allowed us to see so much more of it. We even got a super clear view of the mountains one morning at sunrise.
We have a goal to go to all the national parks in our lifetime. But we haven't even been to the one in the state where we live. I tell my husband all the time how stupid that is, but I guess because it's so close it doesn't feel as special... I don't know. We need to just do it!
curlygirlygirl, what hotel did you stay in for Yosemite access? We are usually campers, but our DD is still young and doesn't STTN, so I don't want to disturb other campers.
Do you like camping? We camped at Denali. The park has just one 90 mile road and you have to ride a bus in and out. We stayed at Wonder Lake, the campsite at basically the end of the road. Then each day we'd ride the bus part-way out of the park, stop when we saw somewhere that looked cool, and go hiking. There are no trails, so you can just go whereever you want. It's amazing. After hiking, we'd catch a bus going back to our campsite. You can do Denali just one day, in and out, but camping like this allowed us to see so much more of it. We even got a super clear view of the mountains one morning at sunrise.
We have a goal to go to all the national parks in our lifetime. But we haven't even been to the one in the state where we live. I tell my husband all the time how stupid that is, but I guess because it's so close it doesn't feel as special... I don't know. We need to just do it!
Wow, that sounds incredible! I'd love to camp but have never done it. I might do Denali the way you guys did...but I have to ask, were you worried about the bears at night?? I feel like I wouldn't sleep because I'd be so worried about the bears :/
I spent most of my vacations growing up in national parks. The ones I can think of off of the top of my head include: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, Acadia, Yosemite, Rocky Mountains, Smokies (so many times--I love it there), Everglades, Badlands, Mammoth Cave, and the Virgin Islands (St John).
My best advice is to book early, take advantage of shuttle services, get to hikes early (like at sunrise) for optimal parking and minimal trail companions, and to be aware of chains restrictions in some areas.
I like to go places with waterfalls, and peak waterfall season is usually May-June (depending on how high up you go).
Do you have any specific questions about the parks?
Post by peppermint on May 21, 2014 17:02:14 GMT -5
lolo thanks so much for the advice! i guess i don't have specific questions yet...just trying to get a feel for what other people have done and what parks i can combine into one trip. asking on a forum like this for a more general idea of this is MUCH easier than individually researching the parks on tripadvisor. now that i've gotten a better idea of what to do and what others have done it will make it easier to focus on planning (the fun part!)
thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences and suggestions! i'll be sure to report back when i start my adventures. (hot)
In terms of itineraries, we did a 2-3 week road trip through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, and up into the Canadian NPs (Bampf, Jasper, etc). We also hit the Badlands en route on that trip.
Most of the others we've done as single-park destinations, although often combining with area activities. It's easy to spend a while in most of these places. For me, I would want at least 3 days in the vast majority of locations, so that I could hike out and see a few different areas. I need more time if there are lots of waterfalls, because they are one of my most favorite things.
Post by sunnydaze31 on May 21, 2014 21:50:44 GMT -5
I'm also trying to visit as many parks as possible. Make sure you buy a "Passport to the National Parks" book at a park gift store! Each park or sometimes each visitor center within large parks has an ink-stamp with the name of the park and the date so you can record when you visited. I've had my "passport" for 9 years now and have almost filled up the pages for the southwestern park stamps, but just got my first stamp last month for the mid-Atlantic parks.
If your schedule allows, I suggest visiting the most popular parks in the shoulder season. My experience at Arches was that the road and the main trails turn into madhouses with hordes of people descending upon them in May and June. I'll gladly trade chilly weather for more peace and quiet.
Do you like camping? We camped at Denali. The park has just one 90 mile road and you have to ride a bus in and out. We stayed at Wonder Lake, the campsite at basically the end of the road. Then each day we'd ride the bus part-way out of the park, stop when we saw somewhere that looked cool, and go hiking. There are no trails, so you can just go whereever you want. It's amazing. After hiking, we'd catch a bus going back to our campsite. You can do Denali just one day, in and out, but camping like this allowed us to see so much more of it. We even got a super clear view of the mountains one morning at sunrise.
We have a goal to go to all the national parks in our lifetime. But we haven't even been to the one in the state where we live. I tell my husband all the time how stupid that is, but I guess because it's so close it doesn't feel as special... I don't know. We need to just do it!
Wow, that sounds incredible! I'd love to camp but have never done it. I might do Denali the way you guys did...but I have to ask, were you worried about the bears at night?? I feel like I wouldn't sleep because I'd be so worried about the bears :/
We camped at Denali and I wasn't worried about the bears. The thing you need to be afraid of there are the moose. If you have the chance, also go to Kodiak Island. That was my favorite part of my Alaska trip. We spent 4 days just hanging out with the Kodiak bears. So awesome!
I'm also trying to visit as many parks as possible. Make sure you buy a "Passport to the National Parks" book at a park gift store! Each park or sometimes each visitor center within large parks has an ink-stamp with the name of the park and the date so you can record when you visited. I've had my "passport" for 9 years now and have almost filled up the pages for the southwestern park stamps, but just got my first stamp last month for the mid-Atlantic parks.
If your schedule allows, I suggest visiting the most popular parks in the shoulder season. My experience at Arches was that the road and the main trails turn into madhouses with hordes of people descending upon them in May and June. I'll gladly trade chilly weather for more peace and quiet.
Do you like camping? We camped at Denali. The park has just one 90 mile road and you have to ride a bus in and out. We stayed at Wonder Lake, the campsite at basically the end of the road. Then each day we'd ride the bus part-way out of the park, stop when we saw somewhere that looked cool, and go hiking. There are no trails, so you can just go whereever you want. It's amazing. After hiking, we'd catch a bus going back to our campsite. You can do Denali just one day, in and out, but camping like this allowed us to see so much more of it. We even got a super clear view of the mountains one morning at sunrise.
We have a goal to go to all the national parks in our lifetime. But we haven't even been to the one in the state where we live. I tell my husband all the time how stupid that is, but I guess because it's so close it doesn't feel as special... I don't know. We need to just do it!
Wow, that sounds incredible! I'd love to camp but have never done it. I might do Denali the way you guys did...but I have to ask, were you worried about the bears at night?? I feel like I wouldn't sleep because I'd be so worried about the bears :/
They have a closet sized building for all the campers to lock up their food rather than keeping it in the tents. there are bears in the area, but as long as you aren't doing anything dumb, it's really not something to worry about.
I spent most of my vacations growing up in national parks. The ones I can think of off of the top of my head include: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, Acadia, Yosemite, Rocky Mountains, Smokies (so many times--I love it there), Everglades, Badlands, Mammoth Cave, and the Virgin Islands (St John).
My best advice is to book early, take advantage of shuttle services, get to hikes early (like at sunrise) for optimal parking and minimal trail companions, and to be aware of chains restrictions in some areas.
I like to go places with waterfalls, and peak waterfall season is usually May-June (depending on how high up you go).
Do you have any specific questions about the parks?
I don't want to threadjack too badly, but just a quick question.
We are headed to the Smokies in July, and I'm so excited! I've done a fair amount of research so far, but are there any absolute must-dos in your opinion?
I spent most of my vacations growing up in national parks. The ones I can think of off of the top of my head include: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, Acadia, Yosemite, Rocky Mountains, Smokies (so many times--I love it there), Everglades, Badlands, Mammoth Cave, and the Virgin Islands (St John).
My best advice is to book early, take advantage of shuttle services, get to hikes early (like at sunrise) for optimal parking and minimal trail companions, and to be aware of chains restrictions in some areas.
I like to go places with waterfalls, and peak waterfall season is usually May-June (depending on how high up you go).
Do you have any specific questions about the parks?
I don't want to threadjack too badly, but just a quick question.
We are headed to the Smokies in July, and I'm so excited! I've done a fair amount of research so far, but are there any absolute must-dos in your opinion?
I'm sure your research has turned this up, but Cade's Cove is an absolute must. It is truly incredible. Get there early. Otherwise it does tend to become what my husband affectionately calls 'a traffic jam in nature.' Early birds will get to see the mist lift up off of the valley and see all the animals before they scatter back into the forest. In addition to driving the loop, make sure you stop and hop out at the cabins, churches, etc that interest you. It is so fascinating and beautiful. The acoustics in some of the churches is nice, if you like to sing.
For hikes, I really enjoy the Chimney Tops. It's a pretty steep grade but the hike itself is not long, and the views from the top are gorgeous. Abrams Falls and Rainbow Falls are other relatively short hikes that have nice waterfalls. I probably prefer Rainbow Falls of the two, although you can combine Abrams and Cade's Cove. But the trail to Rainbow Falls is a bit of an adventure--narrow spots that give a bit of a thrill. If you want a more strenuous hike, Ramsey Cascade's is pretty cool. You will be climbing over boulders toward the top of the trail.
The Sinks is also pretty darn cool--just off the road but an impressive amount of water descending very quickly. Also off the main road are the big must sees of Clingman's Dome and Newfound Gap. Those are no-brainers.
Finally, if you cross over into North Carolina, there's a falls outside the park called Mingo Falls that is a real stunner. It's basically right off the parking lot--maybe 100 yards back--and it well worth the drive through the park.
As a child, I spent a lot of time just enjoying the river at Elkmont campground. Going swimming in that kind of fresh water is amazing, and would be great in July! Even if you aren't camping, find a stream, scout for any wildlife, and have a swim. Delightful.
Any other questions? I LOVE it there and hope you have a fabulous time!
lolo Thanks for all the tips! We definitely have Cades Cove on our list, as well as Cligman's Dome, Newfound Gap, Roaring Fork, and we wanted to take a day trip to drive part of the BRP. Right now, I'm trying to flesh out some hikes we want to do, so I'll definitely look into the ones you mentioned.
Fellow National Park addict from the Midwest here! My biggest and best piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time at each park. I always regret rushing from place to place. I know how hard it is to figure out how to group things, so here are some of the recent trips we have done recently:
1. 10 day drive from midwest to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons via Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and Devil's Tower. This was a lot of car time at the end, but we loved a lot of South Dakota.
2. Flew into Vegas. Drive up to Zion, Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Grand Canyon, then back to Vegas. I think it was 9 days total. DH got sick on this trip so we did not deal with the heat well. We really want to redo the Grand Canyon.
3. Flew into Seattle. Drive around Olympic to Mt. St. Helen's, Mt. Rainier, Anacortes for whale watching and back to Seattle. 9 days. This was the trip we really tried to do too much. Loved it all, but felt very rushed.
4. Flew into Great Falls and spent 10 days in and around Glacier. Loved every bit of it and are debating going back again this year because we easily could have spent another 10 days there.
We camp for 75% or the nights we are gone, usually staying in a hotel the first and last nights and maybe one night in the middle. Our absolute favorite time to go is last week of August through the end of September. We have found most of the parks to still be fully functional but the crowds drop sharply as people prepare for back to school. Love it!
And we just got back from the Smokies yesterday so I'll second all the above recommendations.
1. 10 day drive from midwest to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons via Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and Devil's Tower. This was a lot of car time at the end, but we loved a lot of South Dakota.
How much time did you spend at the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore & Devil's Tower? H and I leave soon for a 15 day trip flying from Detroit to Kalispell, MT. Renting a car to drive 1 way back to Detroit. Spending 3 days camping in Glacier, 4 in Yellowstone & 3 in the Tetons, which gives us 5 days to drive from the Tetons to home. I know we could spend multiple days at each place but is there any place that you felt you could do in a few hours or short day trip?
1. 10 day drive from midwest to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons via Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and Devil's Tower. This was a lot of car time at the end, but we loved a lot of South Dakota.
How much time did you spend at the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore & Devil's Tower? H and I leave soon for a 15 day trip flying from Detroit to Kalispell, MT. Renting a car to drive 1 way back to Detroit. Spending 3 days camping in Glacier, 4 in Yellowstone & 3 in the Tetons, which gives us 5 days to drive from the Tetons to home. I know we could spend multiple days at each place but is there any place that you felt you could do in a few hours or short day trip?
Honestly, not much. Both Devil's Tower and Mt. Rushmore can be done in a couple hours. The Badlands kind of parallels I-90 so you can do a quick drive through if you want. I think you would be better off spending more time in Glacier or Yellowstone.
What I would do - leave the Tetons early morning (with the time change we are normally up at dawn), spend a couple hours at Devil's Tower in the afternoon and make it to Rapid City late. Do Rushmore at dawn before the crowds hit. If you are interested in Crazy Horse or Custer State Park, you can spend the day in the Black Hills. Or head to the Badlands and Wall Drug and spend the night in Mitchell, SD for the Corn Palace. Then I would make the final day a push from Mitchell. That should give you at least one more full day in Glacier, which I would highly recommend! Just my two cents.
Post by kellycampsite on Jul 18, 2014 6:53:04 GMT -5
Depending on how much time you have on your hand, you might want to hit 3 or 4 of the sites you mentioned.. This is the perfect time of the year to go camping and hiking and appreciating the natural wonders of parks. Each one of them has its own individual appeal and transaction. I loved the splendor of the Grand Canyon though.