4 week west coast National parks road trip

I have silently visited this site a lot in the past few months and have found a lot of good advice. My fiance (29 years old) and I (25 years old) are planning a 4 week long National Park road trip. We have done a few long long road trips before (5,000+ miles each) but this one I think might be the best yet. We have trimmed, altered, cut & added and think we have a good route planned out. My fiance is currently getting a bachelors in photography and next quarter will be his last quarter so instead of finding things to photograph for his porfolio around our state (Minnesota) we decided to do a roadtrip of the west coast and photograph a bunch of National Parks. It still is a vacation so I am looking for other fun things to do along the way. Here is the route, we are unsure of how many or what days we are staying at each place cause we are waiting for his school schedual to come out for next quarter but we know it will be 4 weeks.

~Minnesota -T Roosevelt NP
~T Roosevelt NP - Glacier NP
~Glacier NP - Yellowstone NP
~Yellowstone NP - Teton NP
~Teton NP - Bear lake (border of Utah & Idaho)
~Bear Lake - Salt Lake City
~Salt Lake City - Capital reef NP
~Capital Reef NP - Bryce Canyon NP
~Bryce Canyon NP - Zion NP/Glen Canyon NRA
~Zion NP/ Glen Canyon NRA - North rim Grand Canyon
~North rim Grand Canyon - Las Vegas
~Las Vegas - Death Valley
~Death Valley - Sequioa NP
~ Sequioa NP - Yosemite NP
~Yosemite NP - San Fransico
~San Fransico - Los Angelas
~Los Angelas - Joshua tree NP
~Joshua Tree NP - Sedona, Arizona
~Sedona, Arizona - North rim Grand Canyon
~North rim Grand Canyon - Mesa Verde NP
~Mesa Verde NP - Cayonlands NP/Arches NP
~Cayonlands NP/Arches NP - Aspen Colorado
~Aspen Colorado - Rocky Mountains NP
~Rocky Mountains NP - Wind Cave NP
~Wind Cave NP - Bad Lands NP
~Bad Lands NP - Minnesota/Home


So I have few random questions.
Does this seem do able in 4 weeks?
Is there any fun things besides National parks that are must sees along this route?
I was also wondering does anybody recommend sleeping on air mattresses? In past road trips we always did a combination of car sleeping and hotels/motels. This time we are doing tent camping which will be my first time camping. We are taking a car so we are pretty packed so there is no room for cots so I am thinking either foam mattress or air mattress. What do you recommend?
Does anyone know of where I can find a detailed list of what to bring? I know all the basics of what to bring but I am looking for things I might miss for example things I might need for camping cooking, ect.

Thank you, I would love to see any advice anyone has :)

~Gracie

Im also wondering if anyone knows of must see points of interests/routes/places to go within these National parks. We have both not seen any of these parks and dont want to miss out on any beautiful things inside the parks.

Hi Gracie,

As you can see I'm no expert, but just counting your stops, it looks like you have about 25 destinations in 28 days. That seems like too much to me. You won't have any time to relax. I would really like to see what other people have to say. To be honest I tried to map it out on google maps, but for some reason I couldn't calculate mileage. However, all that being said, what an incredible trip! I have taken a road trip every year for the past three years and I haven't stopped at all your stops. In my amateur opinion, I would make some more cuts. I feel like you and your fiance will be driving and driving and then getting out, snapping the pictures and moving on to the next stop. I know I couldn't do it, as it sounds too stressful to me.
I look forward to reading other opinions. I do wish you an awesome and safe trip!!!
Sagtravelgal

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

On paper your trip is doable but in reality it is a heck of a lot.

I agree with the above, you can quite comfortably cover the miles in the time you have but really won't have a lot of time in any one place with so many destinations. I would estimate that you will spend half your allotted time driving by the time you add in secondary/park roads, which leaves just 14 day's in and around your destinations, many of which you could easily spend 2 day's at.

I would look at compacting your trip so you have more quality time rather than endless hours looking at the views through the windshield of your car to be perfectly honest.

You can find all the info on each park through the NPS find a park map and then you will realise there are just too many options to list for each park, never mind them all. Lol ! One of the surprising things is how much wonderful scenery and things to stop for there are between 'A' & 'B' but it's probably best to work on them later on when you have nailed down your itinerary some more.

On a trip of this lenght and pace you will not want to sleep in the car as you won't get a good nights sleep and will suffer the following day, invest in some basic camping gear at least.

Remember to purchase an annual parks pass for $80, after 4 parks it would have paid for itself, this does not include camping fees etc and keep in mind that campgrounds will be extremely busy and the popular parks most likely booked out.

With a Month to travel in I think you can have a wonderful trip [a lot of us can only wish for such time] but sometimes less is more, plus there is alway's another time.

Take a look around the RTA site, there is lot's of info in the tool bars above as well as the forums, see what you think and get back to us with any further questions.

Enjoy the planning !

[I am presuming from Sedona you mean the South rim and "North" is a typo ?]

Thanks, I am not actually planning on stopping at all these places (most but not all). Some are just going to be driving by like Salt lake city, we are not stopping there just driving by. So its not as much as it seems. Although it is a lot.
We are planning on camping at some of the parks. I have never done camping before but im pretty excited about it.

And I ment South rim of Grand canyon after Sedona :) lol.

Yes I understand that not everywhere will be a stop but the same cautions remain. If you are OK with a whistle stop tour it's doable, but to stop and get a real feel of these parks, [of which some are huge] it will soak up the time quicker than you might imagine. Two to Three day's in each of the following combo's; Yellowstone and Tetons, Yosemite and Sequoia, Zion and Bryce, Arches and Canyonlands and you will only have just scratched the surface. Start adding a couple of day's in Rocky mountain NP, Grand canyon, Mesa Verde etc and your "free time" has long gone.

Camping in the National parks is great so you have every reason to be excited. Most have some "non reservable" sites on a first come first served basis, so arriving early will give you a better chance of securing a spot, good luck !

We are thinking about adding another week for a total of 5 weeks to give us a little more time at certain places such as yellowstone, Yosemite, and other better parks. Does anyone know of any must see things within the National parks?

Camping takes a lot more time out of your schedule than you might imagine. Finding a campground, setting up/taking down. Be sure to allow for it or you'll be setting up in the dark. Staying several days at one campgroud can really extend your "quality" vacation hours.

These are all great destinations, so my advice is to research them and pick several that you'd like to spend several days at. Yellowstone and Zion sure fit the bill (do the "narrows" riverwalk in Zion!). Other places will easily fill one long day, such as Bryce and Arches.

Plan your trip along these, with others to "see if time allows". That way, you're free to stay as long as you like if you fall in love with one of the parks. And you can decide if you'd like to give up one more day, in favor of a pick from your alternates list.

after further revisions we have narrowed down our "mainstays" the following is our key areas where we plan to spend at least one night and many 2-3
-glacier np
-yellowstone np
-a few of the southern utah parks zion/bryce,etc
-grand canyon
-joshua tree
-yosemite
-seqouia
-rocky mountain
-badlands
there are several other places we plan to spend day time visiting such as la(we have been there before), possibly san francisco, sedona, salt lake city, vegas, denver area, a few other smaller parks, these will mainly be passing through for the day or a few hours.

Gracie,

I have some random tips:

Your trip may become stressful, covering so many miles during the summer heat. Prepare an itinerary but be flexible enough to change and alter course if necessary. It helps pass the time if the navigator also reads information (from tour books, brochures, websites, etc.) while driving through an area. Books on CD are also a good option.

Google Earth is a valuable resource. You can turn on the photograph option and see photos that are posted by other travellers. It will give your boyfriend ideas for places to take photos along the way. Be aware that a lot of people are careless and do not place the photo where the picture was taken.

As mentioned above, check out the National Park Service website for information and maps. Try to plan your trip to arrive at the visitor center as early as possible to find out about camping availability and things to see.

Practice using your camping equipment at home before you go the trip. Learn how to set up the tent and light the stove at night with a flashlight. Get an idea how long it will take to set up and break down your campsite.

Developed campgrounds with showers and washers/dryers generally only take quarters and do not have change machines. Bring a bag of quarters.

Bring plenty of ink pens and smaller bills so you can fill out the campground receipt envelopes and pay the exact amount.

Keep in mind that some places are closed on the weekends or open at reduced times. Also remember that you are traveling through time zones and adjust your watch.

A small brush/broom is helpful in keeping the tent interior clean.

I think Zion National Park and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon limit vehicle traffic by requiring you to park your car and take trams to vist portions of the park. That might add time to your visit.

I might have time to make some recommendations of places to visit later. On your way back, after the south rim of the Grand Canyon, you should consider Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park (my favorite), Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park. Wind Cave National Park is like Carlsbad Caverns in that they have underground tours. You have to arrive at the right time (generally early in the morning during peak tourist season) to get tickets to take a tour. The Black Hills of South Dakota has several other sites like Mount Rushmore, City of Deadwood, Custer State Park, etc.

At this time of year in Utah and Arizona, a wide brim hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are almost mandatory. Travling west during dusk or east in the morning can be painful to the eye and create vision problems and fatigue. I also bring glass cleaner and paper towels to take care of those times when I drive through a cloud of bugs. I always clean the windshield and headlights when I get to a campground so the car will be ready to drive the next morning.

Both types of air mattresses are bulky. I use an air mattress that has foam inside and air valves. I can roll up the mattress, squeezing the air out and shut the valves to keep the mattress from expanding.

Read and follow the precautions about storing food while camping in bear country!

Road trip suggestions:

You can choose to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park at the beginning or end of the trip. I have not visited this Park.
http://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm

Enter Glacier NP from the east (St. Mary) and take Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass Visitor Center. Then continue west and admire the views. Exit out on the west side.
Glacier National Park brochure
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/brochures.htm

Pick the best route so that you enter Yellowstone National Park through the north entrance.
http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
A lot to see here: Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful Geyser, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and lots of geysers &, mudpots. Don’t forget to look inside the Yellowstone lodge. Although it is outeside the Park, Ireallyenjoy West Yellowstone. The best book shop I have ever seen is located there.

Out the south entrance of Yellowstone brings you to Teton National Park
http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm
There is a photo opportunity from the road of the Teton Mountains s with the Snake River in the foreground.

Find a way to I-15 South until you get to the turnoff for Bryce Canyon National Park
http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm
The road in Bryce Canyon rises to the summit at 9,200 feet! Remembe rthat a hike down into the hoodoos and rock pillars can become an exhausting hike back out.

From Bryce, you enter Zion National Park from the east through the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel.
http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/directions.htm
From April through October, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (a park road off of Highway 9) is accessible by shuttle bus only
Exit Zion NP through the west entrance at Springdale.

Make your way back to I-15 South to Las Vegas. If you don’t gamble, watch the free light show at the Fremont Street Experience and eat at one of the many popular buffets.
http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off...ontstreet.html

Option 1. Bypass Death Valley National Park (http://www.nps.gov/deva/)
and continue to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. You need to consider how much the vehicle and occupants can tolerate the heat. It should be toasty in August-September. The sights to see in Death Valley include Bad Water (282 feet below sea level), giant sand dunes, Devil’s Golf Course (crusty salt beds), etc. If you continue out of the park by the west road to Owens Valley, you can see Mount Whitney (highest point in the “lower 48 states.” http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/whitney.htm

If you take Highway 395 North along the eastern Sierra Nevada, you can cross over Tioga Pass at Lee Vining to Yosemite National Park (http://www.nps.gov/yose/) or continue up to Lake Tahoe (http://www.visitinglaketahoe.com/).

From either Lake Tahoe or Yosemite NP you can continue to San Francisco (http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/) where three are more things to see and do than you have time to spend.

1.) Visit Yosemite if you went to Lake Tahoe.
2) Follow Highway 1 down the coast to Big Sur or
3) Cross back through the central valley to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park (http://www.nps.gov/seki/). Note: It is easier to enter the Park from the northwest (Route 180) then the southwest (Route 198). Route 198 is very steep and twisty and the traffic can move at a snail pace. Exiting the Park via route 198 is no problem.

Option 2. From Las Vegas continue to Mohave and around the southern end of the Sierra Nevada to Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP – Yosemite – San Francisco.

After Los Angeles take I-10 to Route 62 to the north Joshua Tree National Park entrance

There are two northern park entrances. The cholla cactus garden, Joshua trees and weathered granite are very photogenic

You can drive through the Park and exit by the south entrance back onto I-10. Take I-10 east to Arizona. After you cross the Colorado River into Arizona, find a route northeast to Prescott, Jerome (an old copper mining camp: then to Sedona

Take highway 89A north to Slide Rock State Park.
Note the warning about high visitation during the summer.

Continue on Highway 89A to Flagstaff and make your way to the South Grand Canyon entrance

Exit the Grand Canyon to the east and continue north on Highway 89 to Highway 160 to Highway 163 to Monument Valley Tribal Park

As you leave Monument Valley traveling to the north, don’t forget to stop at the dirt turnoff to take a photo towards the south that is seen in the movie Forrest Gump.

I highly recommend visiting Mesa Verde National Park but it is a little out of the way.

Heading north to Moab, Utah, you will be close to the entrances to Arches National Park
and Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky Unit

Continuing north, turn east on I-70 towards Denver. You can make a side trip to Aspen
and then visit Rocky Mountain National Park

Drive up to the Black Hills of South Dakota and there are a variety of places to visit

Wind Cave National Park
Mount Rushmore
Badlands National Park

THANK YOU for all tips, they are very helpful! I am so glad you reminded me about bringing quarters, I would of never even thought about that for the laundry :) And Thanks for all the links, I am going to look them over now :)

Hi, I am planning a trip for later this year and its going to take us thru Utah. We are planning on visiting some of Utahs Nationals parks and due to time we can not visit them all. So I am wondering what are peoples favorites & must see Utah National parks and why they are favorites. We are interested in Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital reef, Cayonlands, Arches, Glen Canyon & Grand Staircase. We will be going into Utah from Idaho thru Utah to Arizona and then from Arizona back into Utah to Colorado. If you have any routes you suggest that would be great. There are just so many clustered together so I am not sure what way to tackle them from, this is my one part of our trip that we cant decide on, so maybe some outside ideas will help. Thanks for your help in advance :)

Hi Gracie,

Of course much will depend on how much time you have dedicated to this part of your trip, but for me the obvious choice would be to "catch" Zion and Bryce on route to Arizona via Page, and Arches and Canyonlands [Island in the sky section] NP's on route to Colorado via Monument valley.
Zion; great walks, [including, Riverside walk and the Narrows, Emerald pools, Weeping rock and if you have a head for heights, Angels landing] great for photography. Bryce; Unbelievable rock formations, easily accessible viewpoints, great for photography. The drive between the two is amazing, up the Mount Carmel highway through the tunnel [Angels landing trail head just the other side] to Checkerboard Mesa and through Red rock canyon offer great scenery and yes, great for photography.

Arches NP, More great rock formations, mostly in the shape of Arches would you believe, but not all, such as 'Park Avenue', 'Courthouse towers' and 'Balanced rock', plus great walks like around the 'Windows section', Delicate Arch, the trail to Broken Arch and Sand dune Arch plus Lot's more in the 'Devils garden'. Canyonlands has a real Wow factor as you walk to the end of the Mesa at Grandview point. Dead horse point, Mesa Arch, Shafer trail viewpoint are a few of the possible stops on the way, and yes, all have great photo opportunities.

Thanks that sounds like a good route :)

I see you mentioned Glen Canyon National Recreation Area again. I visited Glen Canyon/Lake Powell at the end of May to celebrate the 100th-year anniversary of Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam are interesting places to visit but I think to get the most out of the Lake Powell area you would need to bring or rent a boat or houseboat. An option is to take one of the cruises. The round trip cruise to Rainbow Bridge is 5 hours but there is a shorter cruise to Antelope Canyon. You probably have seen the spectacular photographs published of the lake. Some photographers note that a lot of those photos were taken when the lake level was higher (the lake level is about 10-20 feet lower). If there are particular views you want to see it is best to find out where the pictures were taken so you travel to right spot. I think the brochure says that Lake Powell is over 150 miles long and there are several boat launches/visitor centers.

The town of Page is great base camp location to explore this area (Antelope slot canyon, horseshoe bend, Les Ferry, Navaho Bridge, etc.). There is a campground in Page if the Wahweap Campground in Glen Canyon is filled.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/grand...escalante.html
and the nearby Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm...vermilion.html
are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). You can find information at the local BLM offices in the towns of Escalante or Kanab. The views of the area from the roads are spectacular.

Highway 12 is a Scenic Byway in Utah but you would need to set aside more time in Utah if you want to include Highway 12 and these National Monuments with your other plans.
http://www.utah.com/byways/highway_12.htm

Capitol Reef National Park is located near the northern potion of Highway 12:
http://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/things2know.htm
There is short scenic route along the west side of the Park with fantastic exposures of the "Reef."

With only 4 weeks and your original objective to photograph National Parks, you could could leave Glen Canyon, Escalante, and Vermillion Cliffs as optional sites to visit.

Thank you Rook! You are always very helpful & informative :) I always look forward to see your positive postings :)

Has anyone been on a Lake Powell Tour (UTAH)? I would really like to go on one of the boat tours but there are so many to choose from. Each one takes you to different places so I am wondering if anyone recommends a company or knows of certain things that are must sees like "Rainbow Bridge"? Please let me know. Thank you!

I made my reservation through
http://www.lakepowell.com
because the website states that Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas is managed by ARAMARK, an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I picked up the ticket inside the Wahweap Marina Resort reservation desk.
I did not research the other tour companies. An internet search might reveal some reviews of the other tours. They all seem to be similar and depart from Wahweap Marina.

I posted some photos of my trip to Rainbow Bridge here:
http://www.pbase.com/aw11mr2/rainbow_bridge&page=all

Anybody have any good ways to blog your travels? In my past road trips I would wait tell the trip was over and blog/write about my trip when I got home. The problem was by that time couldn't remember half the trip because we did so much :) Im not a good blogger and am horrible about writing/ putting thoughts to paper but I really want to be able to have a good blog so I can share my expierence with family and friends. Plus its cool to look back after time has passed and remember things that happened that maybe I forgot about. So if anyone has any good tips or what to write about, ect, ect. :) thanks for the help in advanced!

Well, not to be too obvious, but you're certainly welcome and encouraged to post in the Trip Report section of this forum.

It's a good idea to keep a diary on such a trip and jot notes down each day as well, even then I have been known to forget bit's and have to go back and make foot notes next day. It's quite often the little things that happen between the big attractions that make a trip truly memorable. [If you don't forget that is ! ] Lol.

RoadTrip America has/had a travel blog site but I cannot find the link on the home page.

The two larger travel blog sites are:

Travelpod and Travelblog

I admire the ability of people that can write stimulating and witty thoughts and experiences as they happen. The Travelpod site had a recent blog of two couples that shipped their motorcycles from Australia (or New Zealand?) to the southern tip of South America and then rode their motorcycles all the way to Alaska. The last blog submittal I read shows them boxing up their motorcycles for shipment back to Australia. Many of the trip reports on this forum have also been very impressive in the amount of information and photos they share.

Ok I have another questions that I am stumped on. On my road trip the route will have us going thru Utah twice. The first is from Salk lake city down to Sedona, Arizona (for a wedding) and the second time is when we are leaving Death Valley, California (thinking of going thru Vegas route) on are way to Colorado. Each time we are in Utah we will have 3-4 days to spend. We dont think 3-4 days is enough time to see all the Utah parks (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Glen Canyon & Arches) and we have to be at the wedding on Sept 18th so we cant stay longer so since we have to go thru again to get to Colorado we are thinking of spliting the Utah parks. My question is what is the best route or best way to split the parks up? or do you think we could see all the parks in 3-4 days or is it best to 3-4 days in Utah then after arizona & California spend another 3-4 days in Utah? Thanks, this is the one part of the trip we are disagreeing on. My fiance thinks see them all (a little time in each) and then see them all again on the way out. Im thinking spend more time at a few then go to the ones we missed. And if we do go with my idea I really dont know which ones to see on the way down to Arizona and which one when we leave california (hwy 15 to 70) im thinking. Sorry if my questions are all over the place :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rook

Road Trip America has/had a travel blog site but I cannot find the link on the home page:http://www.roadtripamerica.com/Perso...p-Journals.htm

---

Just an update here -- Those travel blogs are still live -- but they were provided by a 3rd party partner and RTA is no longer associated with them. RTA is rolling out our own version of travel planning blogs which will replace that service. Likely roll-out date is January, 2011.

Mark

Quote:

---

My fiance thinks see them all (a little time in each) and then see them all again on the way out. Im thinking spend more time at a few then go to the ones we missed.

---

I'm with you on this one. I don't think its realistic to try to see "all the utah parks" in 3-4 days, and then come back and see them again. You're talking about a half dozen parks that are spread over several hundred miles. Trying to see them all in 3-4 days means you'd be driving non-stop and not be seeing anything either time.

I'd probably split them up east and west, hitting Zion and Bryce one way, and seeing Arches, Canyonlands, and Monument Valley the other. I guess which one I'd do first depends a bit on how the Grand Canyon fits into your plans.

Re: blogging -- I just got back from a 6-week road trip with my boyfriend, and we blogged the whole thing (almost daily). We set up a WordPress blog before heading out, and then used the free WordPress app on our iPhones to blog. We also had a laptop along for posting photos (I'm guessing you will too, since your photographer companion will need to be dumping his pictures somewhere). The app allowed us to blog from the car (whoever was the passenger at the time would take notes or draft sections of that day's events).

We also tried to stay at hotels with free WiFi, and we often found campgrounds with WiFi (e.g., the KOA in West Yellowstone, MT is a great place to camp with many amenities such as laundry with a quarter change machine and free WiFi). If you make it to Durango, Colorado -- a highly recommended stop, although maybe not feasible given your timeframe -- there's an awesome private campgrounds just outside of town called Lightner Creek. They had better WiFi than many of the hotels we stayed in, and the campsite was awesome. We stayed there after driving through the Rio Grande National Forest (a very scenic drive), and before heading through San Juan National Forest and Mesa Verde.

Re: Yellowstone -- you could spend a whole week in Yellowstone. We spent 3 days, and felt it wasn't enough. I'd recommend driving through the Lamar Valley there (they call it the Serengeti of Yellowstone) -- that's where you'll have the best shot at catching herds of buffalo. It's along route 212, the Northeast Entrance Road. My favorite drive in Yellowstone was the stretch of Grand Loop Road that runs between Canyon Village and Tower Falls -- winding mountain roads with lots of panoramic views, recommended by a park ranger we talked to on our first day at the park.

And one final tidbit -- if you stop in Jackson on your way to our from Yellowstone, there are great bagels at Pearl Street Bagels, a couple of blocks off the square, and don't miss the chance to drink a beer sitting on saddle barstool at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, on the west side of the square.

Enjoy!

Thanks, all the advice helps. Keep it coming with any tips or advice! Much appreciated :)

I know I ask way too many question, lol. But, maybe one of the more avid road trippers can help me with this question. I came across a beautiful picture online while looking at pictures of Glacier national park and this picture was of a lake maybe with a coral bed? I really would like to visit this particular area but I have no idea where the photo was taken other then it was in glacier. I know its a crap shoot but has anyone ever seen something like this while visiting Glacier. Thanks!

Another question! I was wondering if anyone knows the laws/ rules regarding bringing knives on road trips. Just to be safe we want to bring pepper spray and a rather large knife (8" blade), just incase we run into a bear or something in one of the national parks. So I was wondering, do any of the states or National parks ban knives or pepper spray? Are we allowed to travel with a large knife in our car? I want to be safe but I also dont want trouble from cops along the way.

I don't think waving a knife at a bear is going to do anything other than make it angry, no matter how big the blade !!

The laws will be different State to State, and possibly within each State. I am no expert on the matter, but carrying a large knife for protection really doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Not only might it give you a false sense of security and could get you into more trouble [like thinking it might useful against an angry Bear] I doubt that a Sheriff would be impressed if he found it under the seat of your car on a routine stop. You really shouldn't get into any situation where you will need protection, but if you want a little security, my advice would be to stick to the pepper spray while using common sense as to where you visit.

While it's remotely possible that there is some fossil coral in the rocks of Glacier National Park, the chances that there is coral (warm salt water creatures) living in the frigid fresh water lakes of Glacier is essentially zero.

And while you are certainly allowed to carry both pepper spray and/or large knives in the National Parks, to think that such items offer any serious protection in the event of a bear attack is foolish at best. Far better that you read up on how to avoid bear encounters altogether rather than thinking you are going to come out of one the 'victor'.

AZBuck

the pepper spray would be more for protection and the knife would be more for cutting/chopping/ect. (you never know in some cases).

I'm glad you aren't thinking about the knife as protection, as it would be a whole lot like bringing a knife to a gunfight. The bear would have you ripped apart before you could do any sort of damage to a large enraged animal. Bear mace/Pepper Spray isn't a bad idea, although making sure you avoid a close encounter in the first place is far more important.

A large knife can be very helpful when doing lots of camping, and I don't think you'll have any problems. I've got a hatchet that's with me for all of my camping trips. Just make sure you've got it packed with your camping gear, and you aren't carrying it around when you aren't at your campsite (and it could be considered a concealed weapon) and you shouldn't have any problems.