jamny
Footballguy
It's so incredible coming down through the mountains in Utah and hitting the flatlands in Nevada. I couldn't stop looking in my rear view mirror as I headed to Vegas,
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National/State Parks Worth Seeing (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter GroveDiesel
- Start date
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Vegas has a couple of cool spots within driving distance for a day trip, if you're going through that neck of the woods.
Red Rock has nice hiking and views. But if you only have time for one trip I highly recommend a drive along 167 which runs on the north side of Lake Mead and takes you to the Valley of Fire state park. Make sure to take a 4WD vehicle with you so you can head off the paved road to explore some of the old strip mine roads along 167. A unique and eerie experience and so worth it. Valley of Fire is very cool, and you'll get to see cave drawings up close.
Also, while you're in Vegas check out the botanical gardens. It's very cool with tons of local flora that you won't see in the Northeast. Giant cacti and the like.
Red Rock has nice hiking and views. But if you only have time for one trip I highly recommend a drive along 167 which runs on the north side of Lake Mead and takes you to the Valley of Fire state park. Make sure to take a 4WD vehicle with you so you can head off the paved road to explore some of the old strip mine roads along 167. A unique and eerie experience and so worth it. Valley of Fire is very cool, and you'll get to see cave drawings up close.
Also, while you're in Vegas check out the botanical gardens. It's very cool with tons of local flora that you won't see in the Northeast. Giant cacti and the like.
![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
Joe Mammy
Footballguy
We love to stay in the turn of the century built lodges within the nat parks. When the park closes everyone is gone except the lodgers. Amazing sunsets, sunrises and celestial shows. Rooms are hard to get so you do have to book well in advance. In the last few years we've stayed at:
1. Crater Lake, OR (no tv or wifi but the stars are amazing as it gets dark, dark, dark)
2. Zion, Utah (beer garden at the lodge after hiking the Narrows)
3. Bryce Canyon, Utah (day telescopes to view the sun and night star shows of the milky way)
4. Mesa Verde, CO (dozens of elk right outside our balcony)
We also stayed 4 nights in Moab and mountain biked Dead Horse, hiked Arches and had an awesome hot air balloon ride over Canyonlands complete with crash landing!
1. Crater Lake, OR (no tv or wifi but the stars are amazing as it gets dark, dark, dark)
2. Zion, Utah (beer garden at the lodge after hiking the Narrows)
3. Bryce Canyon, Utah (day telescopes to view the sun and night star shows of the milky way)
4. Mesa Verde, CO (dozens of elk right outside our balcony)
We also stayed 4 nights in Moab and mountain biked Dead Horse, hiked Arches and had an awesome hot air balloon ride over Canyonlands complete with crash landing!
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Thanks for all the feedback so far guys.
Looks like the Utah parks (Zion, Bryce, Arches) will most likely all be definite (at this point anyway).
I realized that if I start my trip on July 4, 2019 that basically gives me a couple of extra days. So will probably plan the 4th-24th. Air travel somewhere to start definitely seems the way to go even if it means missing out on a few things I'd like my daughter to see (in my head anyway).
I have a decent plan laid out at the moment, but it feels a little tight with some longerish drives. In my head, this is what it looks like:
Day 1: Fly from Philly to Denver and then drive to Pike's Peak area
Day 2: Pike's Peak
Day 3: ~9 hour drive to Arches
Day 4: Arches
Day 5: Arches
Day 6: ~6 hour drive to Bryce Canyon via rte 24 and rte 12
Day 7: Bryce Canyon
Day 8: Bryce Canyon
Day 9: ~4 hour drive to Grand Canyon North Rim
Day 10: Grand Canyon
Day 11: ~3 hour drive to Zion
Day 12: Zion
Day 13: Zion
Day 14: ~11-12 hour drive to Yellowstone
Day 15: Yellowstone
Day 16: Yellowstone
Day 17: Yellowstone
Day 18: ~9-10 hour drive to Denver
Day 19: Fly from Denver to Philly
That also leaves me 2 extra days in there somewhere.
That gets me to a lot of the major things I want to see (and want my daughter to experience). I'm not sure if some of that is too tight and if I should leave more time at some of those places. And I realize that insisting on including Yellowstone and the Rockies is a pretty large time commitment. As much as I love Yellowstone, 2 days of full day driving is a lot. I'm not sure I want to give that one up though.
Thoughts?
Looks like the Utah parks (Zion, Bryce, Arches) will most likely all be definite (at this point anyway).
I realized that if I start my trip on July 4, 2019 that basically gives me a couple of extra days. So will probably plan the 4th-24th. Air travel somewhere to start definitely seems the way to go even if it means missing out on a few things I'd like my daughter to see (in my head anyway).
I have a decent plan laid out at the moment, but it feels a little tight with some longerish drives. In my head, this is what it looks like:
Day 1: Fly from Philly to Denver and then drive to Pike's Peak area
Day 2: Pike's Peak
Day 3: ~9 hour drive to Arches
Day 4: Arches
Day 5: Arches
Day 6: ~6 hour drive to Bryce Canyon via rte 24 and rte 12
Day 7: Bryce Canyon
Day 8: Bryce Canyon
Day 9: ~4 hour drive to Grand Canyon North Rim
Day 10: Grand Canyon
Day 11: ~3 hour drive to Zion
Day 12: Zion
Day 13: Zion
Day 14: ~11-12 hour drive to Yellowstone
Day 15: Yellowstone
Day 16: Yellowstone
Day 17: Yellowstone
Day 18: ~9-10 hour drive to Denver
Day 19: Fly from Denver to Philly
That also leaves me 2 extra days in there somewhere.
That gets me to a lot of the major things I want to see (and want my daughter to experience). I'm not sure if some of that is too tight and if I should leave more time at some of those places. And I realize that insisting on including Yellowstone and the Rockies is a pretty large time commitment. As much as I love Yellowstone, 2 days of full day driving is a lot. I'm not sure I want to give that one up though.
Thoughts?
Sammy3469
Footballguy
I'd give up Pike's Peak...that's 2 days of driving for one day of sightseeing. If you want Yellowstone, I'd fly into SLC and drive there first before the Utah stuff. If you really want mountains, you can also put a day/2 in the Grand Tetons since you can drive through it on the way from Yellowstone (I've never been here in the summer, just the winter, so I don't really know what to do) to Moab.
El Floppo
Footballguy
uh... exactly. amazing trip.
I'd add Canyon de Chelly in AZ as well... but a bit out of the way and not the best for non-mobile types.
El Floppo
Footballguy
since it sounds like you're definitely doing moab area, Goblin Valley is right there and worth a half-hour+ of your time.
dgreen
Footballguy
Suggestions for Arizona? I think the wedding I'm going to will be in the Tucson area. I've marked Saguaro National Park (tallest cactus in the world!) as a place to go. Then there's obviously the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Is Arizona where the old Native American homes are that are built into the side of mountains?
Mad Cow
Welshers and Dawdlers Beware!
Make sure to stop and say hi as you drive along I-15 to your favorite Utah Buckeye.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
I don't want to hog the discussion too much. Hopefully others can chime in with other parks/areas as well.
I've heard Yosemite is amazing. A trip up California through the Pacific NW is definitely on my bucket list.
I've heard numerous times that Glacier is awe inspiring. Alaska and somewhere to see the Northern Lights is definitely on my list as well.
And, despite the expense and loooonggg plane ride, Hawaii is on my list to see the beaches and volcanos.
I've heard Yosemite is amazing. A trip up California through the Pacific NW is definitely on my bucket list.
I've heard numerous times that Glacier is awe inspiring. Alaska and somewhere to see the Northern Lights is definitely on my list as well.
And, despite the expense and loooonggg plane ride, Hawaii is on my list to see the beaches and volcanos.
jamny
Footballguy
When you pass Phoenix, head northwest on Rt 60 and take 89 through Prescott, which is a nice town to stop to eat, before going to Sedona.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Black Box
Footballguy
Seems like you can save yourself the time and expense by just hitting a NJ beach. They're all the same, right?
dgreen
Footballguy
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Well, they charge you to go on the beach in NJ, so if I'm paying to go on the beach, might as well just fly to Hawaii to do it.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Great app. Although, "moderate" seems to cover a pretty wide range of trails, which I found out after almost killing my wife by taking her on a "moderate" hike in the Poconos.
flapgreen
Footballguy
Depends on the time of year but my kids love it. If I was alone or just me and my wife, then we would go somewhere less crowded. Still beautiful
Dickies
Footballguy
No offense, but why spend so much time driving to Pike's Peak and Yellowstone when you've already done them? I know the rest of the family hasn't, but you might get more out of your trip exploring Utah. With Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, and I've heard Dinosaur National Monument is really cool too.
If you had to keep one of them, Yellowstone makes more sense geographically than Pikes Peak. Either fly into LV and work your way north, or start in SLC and hit Yellowstone and work your way back down.
NFL2DF
Footballguy
Agree with Sammy and Dickies (about skipping Pike's Peak/CO)
Fly to SLC, which is 4-5 hr drive to Jackson, WY.
You can spend 4-7 days around Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP/Jackson, and if time Pinedale, WY/Wind River Range. It is about 8 hr drive from this part of WY to Moab/Arches for the rest of your itinerary.
At the other end of your trip, Zion NP to SLC is about 5 hours, this gives you the option for RT airfare and return car rental at pickup location.
You also may want to consider doing this route counterclockwise, starting in Zion and finishing in Yellowstone, allowing max time for the snow to melt up there in WY.
Pro-tip: do some research on Wind River Range. It isn't a NP so it flies under the radar compared to Glacier, Yosemite, Jackson/Tetons, and the Colorado NPs, but pound for pound it is one of the most incredible place in North America. Granite peaks, alpine lakes, and wildflowers as far as you can see. Fishing, hiking, rock climbing, camping, wildlife are all outstanding. NOLS is headquartered in Lander, WY on the south end of the range.
Fly to SLC, which is 4-5 hr drive to Jackson, WY.
You can spend 4-7 days around Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP/Jackson, and if time Pinedale, WY/Wind River Range. It is about 8 hr drive from this part of WY to Moab/Arches for the rest of your itinerary.
At the other end of your trip, Zion NP to SLC is about 5 hours, this gives you the option for RT airfare and return car rental at pickup location.
You also may want to consider doing this route counterclockwise, starting in Zion and finishing in Yellowstone, allowing max time for the snow to melt up there in WY.
Pro-tip: do some research on Wind River Range. It isn't a NP so it flies under the radar compared to Glacier, Yosemite, Jackson/Tetons, and the Colorado NPs, but pound for pound it is one of the most incredible place in North America. Granite peaks, alpine lakes, and wildflowers as far as you can see. Fishing, hiking, rock climbing, camping, wildlife are all outstanding. NOLS is headquartered in Lander, WY on the south end of the range.
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NFL2DF
Footballguy
Some other spots around the AZ/UT border that would be awesome to check out it not too far out of the way:
Secret Canyon (near Page, AZ)
The Wave (Kanab, UT/AZ border)
Antelope Canyon (near Page, AZ)
Havasu Falls (west end of Grand Canyon)
Buckskin Gulch (west of Page, AZ)
Permits can be a huge PITA for some of these. Havasu Falls permits open up in Feb and are gone very fast. For the Wave they have a lottery in Kanab each morning, 200 people show up for a chance to win one of the 10 permits.
Secret Canyon (near Page, AZ)
The Wave (Kanab, UT/AZ border)
Antelope Canyon (near Page, AZ)
Havasu Falls (west end of Grand Canyon)
Buckskin Gulch (west of Page, AZ)
Permits can be a huge PITA for some of these. Havasu Falls permits open up in Feb and are gone very fast. For the Wave they have a lottery in Kanab each morning, 200 people show up for a chance to win one of the 10 permits.
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GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Yeah, I think Pike's Peak is probably going to get chopped and SLC will be the start of the trip.
I still think Yellowstone will stick even though I've been there before since it is so unique and different than the rest of the parks on my list.
I still think Yellowstone will stick even though I've been there before since it is so unique and different than the rest of the parks on my list.
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FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
If Yellowstone is a must then it seems like your choices are either to head north and do Glacier/Banff or head south and do the Utah parks and maybe Grand Canyon.
I live in SLC and was just down in Sedona yesterday. The drive back from Sedona to SLC was just incredible scenery the whole way. Also went right past Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Powell, Page, and Kanab which are all incredible spots to spend some time, and that's not counting a detour to Moab which seems like a must.
Everyone should see Southern Utah in their lifetime.
Either way if you are doing Yellowstone make sure to spend a day at the Tetons which are basically attached to it and are probably the most visually majestic mountains in the US.
I live in SLC and was just down in Sedona yesterday. The drive back from Sedona to SLC was just incredible scenery the whole way. Also went right past Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Powell, Page, and Kanab which are all incredible spots to spend some time, and that's not counting a detour to Moab which seems like a must.
Everyone should see Southern Utah in their lifetime.
Either way if you are doing Yellowstone make sure to spend a day at the Tetons which are basically attached to it and are probably the most visually majestic mountains in the US.
dgreen
Footballguy
Permits to do what?Some other spots around the AZ/UT border that would be awesome to check out it not too far out of the way:
Secret Canyon (near Page, AZ)
The Wave (Kanab, UT/AZ border)
Antelope Canyon (near Page, AZ)
Havasu Falls (west end of Grand Canyon)
Buckskin Gulch (west of Page, AZ)
Permits can be a huge PITA for some of these. Havasu Falls permits open up in Feb and are gone very fast. For the Wave they have a lottery in Kanab each morning, 200 people show up for a chance to win one of the 10 permits.
boots11234
Footballguy
This is a great thread!! Getting lots of ideas of where to go camping next year thanks!! One thing you absolutely must do, absolutely MUST DO, is when you are out West find out (web) where a certified dark sky is. This is a place where there is no light to obstruct the night sky. Surprisingly there are not too many places left. Then go there at night with the family, park and look at the stars. My kids were blown away at how many and bright they were! Show them the Milky Way and watch shooting stars!!
This actually was one of the highlights of our last trip to Utah. Kids didn't want to go but now they still bring it up.
This actually was one of the highlights of our last trip to Utah. Kids didn't want to go but now they still bring it up.
cincredfan
Footballguy
I would fly in and out of 2 separate airports.
I would love to do something similar as well but Yosemite and Yellowstone are the 2 main that I want to see.
I would love to do something similar as well but Yosemite and Yellowstone are the 2 main that I want to see.
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
Certified dark sky just means that the area meets the IDA's specifications for keeping the area as dark as possible (IE street/house lights that are covered on top and point down, etc). I live just outside of a massive metropolitan area and there is a certified dark sky area 15 miles from here that obviously has significantly worse star visibility than many of the places that have been listed here.
Either way, a majority of the places listed here are incredible dark sky spots. Bortle class blue or better. Here is a good site for dark skies: http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html
And yes I 100% agree with you that going out and watching the skies in a dark sky area (new moon!) is a must. If we are talking about spots like Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone, etc these are all already pretty great dark sky areas.
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NFL2DF
Footballguy
Havasu Falls requires permit to camp. I think it is about a 10 mile hike to get down to the falls so most people camp for a night or two. It is on the Havasupai reservation on the west end of the Grand Canyon, not the central part of the canyon where the NP is located. At the NP you can day hike into the canyon with no permit, but to camp overnight you are required to get a permit or reservations at Phantom Ranch.
The Wave gives out 20 permits a day to simply hike to the spot. 10 go online and 10 go in the walk up lottery in Kanab each morning. While the process is frustrating I imagine it makes the experience that much better, no crowds. You'll notice in most of the pics there is nobody else around. Compare that to pics from Angel's Landing or Half Dome, some of those lines look like the line to the men's room at a football game
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Brony
Footballguy
Just vacationed in Colorado this summer and flew in/out of Colorado Springs due to prices (rental car was half that of Denver). I don't blame you for prioritizing west of the Rockies, but if prices force you into flying in/out of Denver or Colorado Springs, it's not a bad place to be. Gorgeous drive heading west and it's not all mountain switchbacks down by Colo Springs.
You know your family better than us, but for our family, having destinations that offered other stuff besides 'just scenery and hiking' is important to keep everyone's energy going.
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
The Wave is amazing but the online lottery is such small odds I don't think it makes sense to plan your route through that area specifically for that if you're planning early. If I recall they run the lottery just 3-4 months in advance of the month you're entering the lottery for so if you're planning the trip a year out I wouldn't necessarily change things for The Wave under the assumption you're going to get a permit because it's extremely unlucky that you'll land one.Havasu Falls requires permit to camp. I think it is about a 10 mile hike to get down to the falls so most people camp for a night or two. It is on the Havasupai reservation on the west end of the Grand Canyon, not the central part of the canyon where the NP is located. At the NP you can day hike into the canyon with no permit, but to camp overnight you are required to get a permit or reservations at Phantom Ranch.
The Wave gives out 20 permits a day to simply hike to the spot. 10 go online and 10 go in the walk up lottery in Kanab each morning. While the process is frustrating I imagine it makes the experience that much better, no crowds. You'll notice in most of the pics there is nobody else around. Compare that to pics from Angel's Landing or Half Dome, some of those lines look like the line to the men's room at a football game
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Do you need to stop/start in the same spot? I've dropped off a rental in a different place from where I rented, and I don't think it's that expensive depending on the rental company (some are better than others). I'd probably look into some kind of fish hook, starting in Yellowstone, south into Utah/Arizona then across to NM and up to CO.
boots11234
Footballguy
We did it at archers and it was kind of spooky because you could barely see your hand in front of you face. My kids, and myself, were truely amazed at the beauty of the night sky. Seeing stars, Milky Way, satalights. Just gets you thinking of just how small you are in the scheme of things.
dgreen
Footballguy
Interesting. Everything I've seen adds almost $1000 in "fees" for a one way rental.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Hmm. I must have gotten lucky when I did it (or was just able to find a car company that didn't mind the car ending up in the different location). In just doing some googling to see if I could re-create, I noticed some rental car companies offer one-way deals out of Arizona in the spring (with the transition from peak to low tourist season). May be relevant.
Dickies
Footballguy
I've done it before and don't recall this. I looked at Alamo, and it's $300/week to rent a minivan at LAX and return it to Seattle. Not sure if other airports affect the prices differently, but it seemed reasonable.
Joe Mammy
Footballguy
We did the Utah mighty 5 two years ago in Sept. Flew into Vegas and then flew home from SLC. Fantastic trip.
Last month we did CO. Flew into Denver from Tampa, took the train to Union Station and rolled our suitcases about 200 yards from the train station to the brand new Kimpton. Easiest bit of cross country travel I've ever done. 3 nites in Denver, Rockies game for $1- yes, $1 if you buy within 2 hours of first pitch and over 55. Great breweries everywhere, weed shops, restaurants galore. Biked the river trails right in the LODO area.
Day 4 took the train back to the airport to pick up the rental car. Drove south down by 4 corners and then stayed in Mesa Verde lodge for 2 nites. Awesome hikes in the caves! Checked out Telluride then wifey dropped me off at the Full Tilt Saloon in Ridgway for NFL opening Sunday while she went hiking. Spent the night in Chipeta Springs Resort and indulged in the legal green in their onsite green friendly TeePee- another first. Next day onto Breckenridge for 2 nights- highlight was the 22 mile bike ride from the Vail Pass to Breck, first half downhill with steep 30mph stretches (make sure your bike has good brakes), second half slight incline with a couple good dips. Onward to RMNP where we drove to the top of the 12K elevation Trail Ridge Road just about the time Hurricane Irma was hitting our house in Hernando, FL- I think we evaced high enough! Nice afternoon in Boulder on the way back to Denver for our last nite by the airport...I'm ready to do it again- great 10 day trip, I loved CO!
Last month we did CO. Flew into Denver from Tampa, took the train to Union Station and rolled our suitcases about 200 yards from the train station to the brand new Kimpton. Easiest bit of cross country travel I've ever done. 3 nites in Denver, Rockies game for $1- yes, $1 if you buy within 2 hours of first pitch and over 55. Great breweries everywhere, weed shops, restaurants galore. Biked the river trails right in the LODO area.
Day 4 took the train back to the airport to pick up the rental car. Drove south down by 4 corners and then stayed in Mesa Verde lodge for 2 nites. Awesome hikes in the caves! Checked out Telluride then wifey dropped me off at the Full Tilt Saloon in Ridgway for NFL opening Sunday while she went hiking. Spent the night in Chipeta Springs Resort and indulged in the legal green in their onsite green friendly TeePee- another first. Next day onto Breckenridge for 2 nights- highlight was the 22 mile bike ride from the Vail Pass to Breck, first half downhill with steep 30mph stretches (make sure your bike has good brakes), second half slight incline with a couple good dips. Onward to RMNP where we drove to the top of the 12K elevation Trail Ridge Road just about the time Hurricane Irma was hitting our house in Hernando, FL- I think we evaced high enough! Nice afternoon in Boulder on the way back to Denver for our last nite by the airport...I'm ready to do it again- great 10 day trip, I loved CO!
NutterButter
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
Niles Standish
Footballguy
Arches is a great one in a shorter time period. You can see a ton in a day. I'd suggest seeing most of the Utah ones (Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce/Zion) in a time outside of summer. Maybe fall. Goblin Valley would be a fun little side trip if you do go to arches. Cool scenery there.
Niles Standish
Footballguy
Yup, when I went for a walkup spot in Kanab because I was in the area there had to be 200 people going for those 10 spots. Wave is N Coyote Buttes, you can get S Coyote Buttes as a walkup pretty easily most days and very easily online. Doesn't have the iconic Wave but some really neat rocks there too. Have wasted $5 many many times trying to get a permit to the wave. Odds of getting it are almost nonexistent.
arctic_panzer_wolf
Footballguy
I was in the beginning stages of planning this exact same trip from Ohio a few years ago, then the relationship with my ex went all bad lol. Everything I wanted to see has already been mentioned.
A few post above mentioned Acadia in Maine. I would definitely do that sometime if I was you. Place is gorgeous.
A few post above mentioned Acadia in Maine. I would definitely do that sometime if I was you. Place is gorgeous.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
So one of the things I realized last night, is that if we're flying in and then driving, that complicates my plan to camp for some of the nights.
The only solutions I can thing of for getting camping equipment there would be to either stow it in some kind of bin and pay to check it as luggage, pay to ship it back and forth somehow, or just buy it once we are there (with the problem of getting it home popping up).
Any recommendations there? I'd like to camp at a few spots both for the enjoyment and to help cut costs a bit.
The only solutions I can thing of for getting camping equipment there would be to either stow it in some kind of bin and pay to check it as luggage, pay to ship it back and forth somehow, or just buy it once we are there (with the problem of getting it home popping up).
Any recommendations there? I'd like to camp at a few spots both for the enjoyment and to help cut costs a bit.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Can you rent? I'd imagine some of the more popular camping destinations have rental places around them.
NutterButter
Footballguy
REI rents as well
NutterButter
Footballguy
Have you considered flying and then renting an rv when you get there?
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