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Zephyr

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Zephyr Domestique

Zephyr

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(Can someone please pin this for a few days to get some good replys)

Next year is our 30th wedding anniversary and WofZ and I are hitting the road in June.  She wants to visit a childhood penpal in Colorado, so we are looking at Washington, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, then heading back west through Utah, maybe Arizona, Nevada California then up the Pacific coast to home.

 We are taking our camping gear, canoe and equip, hiking gear and our road bikes.  Camp a few days, a couple hotel nights, back camping...., that sort of thing.  We love day hikes, and paddling and doing some exploring on our bikes.  We are not opposed to wilderness canoe camping as well.  

All we know for sure is we are hitting the Badlands and Yellowstone.   If you know of any local knowledge "must-dos" let me know.  We much prefer a local hiking trail with amazing views to going to see the worlds largest ball of string.   Our actual route is early in the research phase so nothing is off the table.  

Any suggestions would be greatly appe..., apresh....... appreschia......., I woukd like it a lot.

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Parsnip Totin Jack KOM / QOM

Parsnip Totin Jack ★

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Fantastic trip. Wo7 and I celebrate 30 years of mostly wedded bliss next year as well, May 19. We cannot travel serendipitously like y’all as she has bad knee issues and is opposed to camping without central ac, but we will celebrate in our own way.

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Zephyr Domestique

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44 minutes ago, Old#7 said:

Fantastic trip. Wo7 and I celebrate 30 years of mostly wedded bliss next year as well, May 19. We cannot travel serendipitously like y’all as she has bad knee issues and is opposed to camping without central ac, but we will celebrate in our own way.

Oura is actually June 16, so you have almost a full month head start on us

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sheep_herder KOM / QOM

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8 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

Yes.  My wife drove through a few years ago and said it was a place we need to explore 

Just curious, as they are less than a days drive from home.  Lots of places to see in Montana, and the scenery varies greatly from the east to the west. If you are in the badlands, you might be interested in the Devil's Tower in NE Wyoming.

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Razors Edge Flahute

Razors Edge ★

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14 hours ago, Zephyr said:

Next year is our 30th wedding anniversary and WofZ and I are hitting the road in June.  She wants to visit a childhood penpal in Colorado, so we are looking at Washington, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, then heading back west through Utah, maybe Arizona, Nevada California then up the Pacific coast to home.

How many weeks? That's super key - especially when driving long distances between places.

June is the hardcore START of overcrowding in the National Parks since kids are out/getting out of school at that point.  RESERVATIONS - wherever possible - are very key to stress reduction, and a year out is not too soon for many of the "top 10" NPs. 

Getting past those logistical hurdles, the idea you are proposing is FANTASTIC with MANY MANY great options.  :hapydance:  Obviously, the "Gold Stars" are the National Parks, but there are countless National Forests and State Parks as well as cool towns and museums scattered throughout that huge swath of potential USA you are considering.

In the past few years, my wife and I have been alternating international travel with US National Parks (and their surroundings) travel, since the US holds some of the world's most incredible wonders and can be visited easily for us.

So, here are the more recent parks we have hit that fall into your range of states:

Yellowstone & Grand Tetons - utterly unbelievable - with countless things to see and do and where several days will give you enough appreciation but leave you wanting to return. @dennis is your man for that area. Maybe @sheep_herder from the other direction.

Utah's parks - Arches, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef are MONSTERS of AWESOMENESS.  Add in the wonder of Moab, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and state parks like Snow Canyon, and you will be BLOWN AWAY. Easily worthy of ALL your time. It was insane how much fun that area was.

Grand Canyon - yeah, it is spectacular and worth the trip. Navajo National Monument is a great stop along the path between Utah and the Grand Canyon..

Colorado's parks - Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Gunnison, and Great Sand Dunes are gems - and each is very unique.  Likewise, they are surrounded by a TON of other awesome places (towns, hikes, food/drink) due to Colorado's booming outdoor tourism.  I'd put Mesa Verde at the top of the group, but the RMNP is beautiful and the sand dunes are really fun. 

Washington's parks - Olympic, North Cascades, and Mt Rainier are beautiful.  June may be too early to truly enjoy North Cascades or Mt Rainier (we bailed on Rainier when it was still snowing - enough to close roads - in the second week of June).  Olympic was the gem for us with camping above the beach with ocean views a huge bonus.  Hard to over-sell Olympic - especially with the fun of a ferry ride to get there :) (not required, just really fun).

California's parks - just got back from Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks and we are READY TO GO BACK!  Again, these are insanely great parks, and really should be on everyone's bucket list.  The big issue is that you must prepare ahead as these parks - especially Yosemite - are popular and near enough to LA and San Fran that they can fill up early.  We reserved stuff relatively late, and built our itinerary around where we found spots, but you also can roll the dice and try the non-reserveable first come camp sites or go with the National Forest or BLM camping routes as alternatives.  Parking is at a premium in the Yosemite Valley hotspots, and getting there EARLY AM is key.

Anyway, these only touch the surface of the great American parks system, so JUST DO IT!  You can't go wrong, and you will have an AWESOME TIME.

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Kirby Flahute

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In Idaho, I enjoyed McCall.  A low key town on a beautiful lake with some nice hiking at a nearby state park. Sun Valley is great in the non-winter months as well, but you won't be getting a big bargain there.

In South Dakota, I highly recommend Custer State Park.  They have some lodges within the state park, but I assume there is also camping.  Their wildlife drive is amazing and depending on the time of year, you can see herds of bison roaming.  This is also near Mt Rushmore which doesn't take long to see, but the drive in the hills around there are amazing.  Often when you turn a corner on the windy road, you can see the monument from a surprising angle.  It's also not too far from the Devil's Tower that SH mentioned

Glacier National Park is also amazing.  The Many Glacier part is beautiful (and where I saw the most moose roaming) but the west side of the park is amazing too. 

You didn't mention North Dakota for your trip, but you may be driving not too far from Teddy Roosevelt National Park.  The town of Medora is pretty sparse, but the park is an underutilized gem.  A nice place to see interesting canyons and wild horses and bison without the crowds of most national parks..  I strongly preferred this to Badlands National Park.

The popular national parks in Utah are popular for a reason.  They are amazing, but they can be crowded. 

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ChrisL KOM / QOM

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Not sure if your travels will take you into Southern CA but the coastal ranges from Orange County up through LA offer a different look than what you are used to. Chaparral & oaks instead of the usual lush green forests.  Orange County has numerous trail networks along Laguna & Newport Coast which is still mostly undeveloped.  You can launch your kayaks in Newport Harbor and paddle along the mega mansions & yachts of the super rich.

Except traffic & congestion will be rough...

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Dottleshead Flahute

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I got all those places in WA.  I have most places in Idaho, Oregon, and California as well.  But for Z, I'm just going to stick to my state.  If you're making a trip through all those places, then I ignored the Olympics because it's off your beaten path -- unless you plan on taking a ferry over there.  I personally rank that as the second best national park in our state because it's best parts are the northern Hurricane Ridge entrance (Port Angeles) or the western side (the places @dennis mentioned)-- are well off the beaten path.  And quite honestly, the Olympic Peninsula -- outside the national park -- looks like somebody took a giant lawn mower to it. The logging here has been extreme. The trip around hwy 101 for the most part is ugly as hell.  On one side of the highway, you have luscious pristine beauty and on the other you have disgust.  And most the towns you'll be driving through are hideous as well (Forks and Aberdeen come to mind).  OTOH, if you are just looking to hike, the Olympic NP may just be your ticket. There are some great day hikes but like the North Cascades -- backpacking is king there.  But expect to add significant extra hours to your travel time.  Same thing with North Cascade NP.  Most of that is backpacking and I'm not convinced it offers anything greater than Rainier.  In fact, it doesn't.  Mt Rainier offers some of the best day hikes around -- including many, many great overnighters.

The best bang for his buck by far is Mt. Rainier.  By far.  And it can easily be incorporated into driving plans.  And if you have the time to swing into the San Juan Islands -- do it!

That's my recommendation for somebody just traveling through -- wanting to see other states and hike other places as well.  I have lived here 50 years.  Come to Washington and I say visit the San Juan Islands and Mt. Rainier NP.  If you have extra time -- go to the Olympic NP and then North Cascade NP.  Finally, if geology interests you -- it'd be worth your time to go hike Mt. Saint Helens too.  But to see the really interesting stuff, you're going to need passes for St. Helens -- the reason I omitted it because it's not something a traveler passing through is likely to do.  It's just another PITA unless you know your plans up front and schedule and where you are going to be.  But if you're taking a road trip, why destroy it with schedules?  

My recommendations for biggest bang for your hiking/driving (coming from Canada) in order of 'must sees':

 

1.  Mt. Rainier National Park

2. San Juan Islands

3. Olympic National Park (Hurricane Ridge entrance in the north followed by the western side)

4. North Cascade National Park/Mount Baker

5. Mt. Saint Helens

 

Lots of other honorable mentions like Whidbey Island, Methow Valley, etc... but I suspect you want the big guns.

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Dottleshead Flahute

Dottleshead ★

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2 hours ago, Kirby said:

In Idaho, I enjoyed McCall.  A low key town on a beautiful lake with some nice hiking at a nearby state park. Sun Valley is great in the non-winter months as well, but you won't be getting a big bargain there.

Glacier National Park is also amazing.  The Many Glacier part is beautiful (and where I saw the most moose roaming) but the west side of the park is amazing too. 

The popular national parks in Utah are popular for a reason.  They are amazing, but they can be crowded. 

I agree with everything I just quoted.  My experience says the same.

We are going back to McCall next September.  I've known about it for years and until recently, now my wife does too and it's become one of her favorite places. It's a resort town but it's still off the beaten path and quaint... unlike Ketchum and Sun Valley. Folks in McCall have money but they don't want you to know it -- whereas folks in Sun Valley have money and they want you to know it. And you'll pay for it accordingly.

 

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Dottleshead Flahute

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2 hours ago, Dottie said:

I agree with everything I just quoted you on.  My experience is the same.

We are going back to McCall next September.  I've known about it for years and until recently, now my wife does too and it's become one of her favorite places. It's a resort town but it's still off the beaten path and quaint... unlike Ketchum and Sun Valley. Folks in McCall have money but they don't want you to know it -- whereas folks in Sun Valley have money and they want you to know it. And you'll pay for it accordingly.

 

 

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BR46 KOM / QOM

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1 hour ago, 12string said:

Needles Highway, but not on a bike.  Can't trust the traffic there

I like the drive from Hill City on hwy 385 to Deadwood and then 14a through Spearfish canyon then jump back on the interstate head west to Devils Tower.

If you don't mind riding gravel the Mickelson trail starts in Deadwood and go's south for something like 120 miles through the Black Hills.  

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BR46 KOM / QOM

BR46

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If you ride the Mickelson trail and start in Deadwood at the trail head the first house on your right stop and say hello to my friend Pat. Wo46 and I park our motorhome in their driveway several times when we were in Deadwood. 

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sheep_herder KOM / QOM

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48 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Antelope Canyon in Arizona looks amazing.

https://www.arizona-leisure.com/antelope-canyon.html

I went on two photo workshops back to back, with the first one covering the slot canyons and monument valley and the second one in Arches National Park while staying in Monad.  I enjoyed them both, but the slot canyons and monument valley were my favorite.  We were in Monad the week before Easter at the same time as a 4-wheeler convention, so the places were very crowded.  Hiring a guide is almost a requirement to get good photos in both the slot canyons and monument valley, not sure what one can do on their own.

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Prophet Zacharia KOM / QOM

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4 hours ago, sheep_herder said:

Hiring a guide is almost a requirement 

For Antelope Canyon, it is an absolute requirement as it is on Navajo property.

Visitors must be accompanied by a guide approved and licensed by the Navajo Nation to enter Antelope Canyon. Fees vary by specific guide and a separate entrance fee is charged. Contact one of the approved tour guides. Some tour companies offer photography and specialized custom tours.

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Dottleshead Flahute

Dottleshead ★

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On 9/20/2019 at 9:18 AM, Kirby said:

You might find this article from Outside interesting - good places to camp  near popular national parks

https://www.outsideonline.com/2401934/campgrounds-near-national-parks

That's a good article.  I was going to say if you go to Colorado, go up (or down) to Estes Park. I honestly thought the park was a little less than Rainier NP but the town of Estes Park is -- and, yes even as a married straight guy I say this -- "lovely".

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BR46 KOM / QOM

BR46

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On 9/18/2019 at 3:29 PM, 12string said:

Needles Highway, but not on a bike.  Can't trust the traffic there

It's fun on a motorcycle until a 300ft motorhome comes around a corner in your lane. 

It is entertaining watching the big motorhomes thread the needle. 

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