Booking accommodation in national parks ahead of time

[Southwest Dave]

This drive down to Page might be a good opportunity to take a motel break. It will be my last chance for more than a week.

This could be a good time to take a break in a hotel. It'll save having to put up and break down camp for one night stays and give you the chance to 'pamper' yourself for a night or 2. On a long trip like this it is sometimes useful as well to organise and re-pack items and possibly do some laundry.

[TerryTreks]

Oh man, laundry. I haven't even thought of that! When/where am I going to do laundry? When I traveled internationally, I just bought little packages of powdered detergent and did it in a sink.

Maybe this trip is overly ambitious. I hit the things that are most important to me (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley) in two months. Maybe I'll cut out the third month. Three months on the road camping seems like a long time.

That means Texas road trip next year!

Terry

[Midwest Michael]

Many campgrounds, and nearly all motels, have coin-operated washers and dryers available. Finding a place to do laundry shouldn't be difficult at all. Finding the time to do it, that's up to you!

[Lifemagician]

Even if your hotel or campground does not have laundry facilities, they will always know where there is one nearby. Take something with you to do or a book to read and you'll find the time passes in a jiffy. In all the years roadtripping, I have never not been able to find a laundry. Just don't waste time doing it every week. Wait till you have a load full. Soap powder can always be bought at the laundry, though it is more economical to purchase a box full of the small packs.

I can't see why you should allow laundry to shorten your trip.

Lifey

[DonnaR57]

With laundry, I make sure that we are booked in a motel nearby or with a laundry, every 7-10 days if we aren't with family. We've found that it's hit and miss whether a motel has machines, and it's usually only 1 or 2 washers and 1 or 2 dryers. But as pointed out, most motels will gladly point you towards a commercial laundromat. For travel, the soap "pods", put out by most of the main detergent companies, are very convenient. If you like fabric softener, for traveling the dryer sheets are more convenient than the liquid softener.


Donna who needs to do laundry tonight

[bctraveler]

Hi We did a Yellowstone/Utah trip last year... my trip plan is on here if you want to check it out. We tent camped also. "Jackson-Rock Springs-Page"... what if you went Jackson-26-Evanston-89-park city-Palisade SP( you could camp here or numerous camping all the way) 6hrs 40 min(383miles) continue on 89 to Page (262 miles) 11 hrs total instead of 15 through Rock Spring. You would still see scenery instead of interstate. Sometimes just a drive day is in order. Or you could leave Jackson take this route and just stay in motel on way. Americas's Best Value Inn ( go on their website & get their card(free) for 15% off rooms) they are budget motels but we found them better than motel 6. some are very nice. We did the monument valley drive in our own vehicle(truck) on previous trip( 1-2 hrs)

I see you are going to Canyonlands and then back to Needles?? There is a really nice campground in needles( sites are under rock ledge) Think it was squaw flat. Cave Spring easy hike was fun, easy hike. Would it not make more sense to do Needles, then Arches?Moab, then go to Island in the Sky( Dead Horse SP) is beautiful campground,sunset/sunrise photos to die for.

[bctraveler]

From Moab I would go to Goblin SP, check out the little Wildhorse Canyon/Bell Canyon Trail (great slot canyon) just before SP pay station. Capital Reef NP didn't really impress us much, we did the drive thru and hike into pioneer writing on canyon walls easily done in one day, or just a drive thru to check out.I would do the slot canyon and skip Capital Reef( or just drive the highlights) if I were doing again. We stayed in Torrey at Thousand Lake Campground- they had cabins( you supply bedding) pool/showers $35 nice break from tent camping or drive straight thru to Bryce. Bryce is higher elevation so may be cool at this time of year. Ruby Inn might be an option for a cabin. Just some tips from my experience on our trips.

Your trip looks like it will be amazing! Planning is some of the best fun.... and then you hit the road and find hidden treasures along the way that you didn't expect or plan. That is what road trips are all about.

[TerryTreks]

There's some good information here I will have to digest. To update, I'm focusing this trip on Yellowstone/Tetons, Utah, and Grand Canyon. This will cut the trip down to 60 days, which makes it less overwhelming. (If this goes well I'll follow up with a New Mexico and California trip next year.)

I've got a handle on accommodation in Yellowstone, Zion, and Grand Canyon and have booked in those places. I have so many other stops I'm hoping I don't have to book accommodations in advance anywhere else, so that I'll be able to stay longer or shorter if desired. I also have to refine my route between sites and the order I'm visiting, incorporating the feedback here. I don't think I want to just show up in these parks with no idea what's there, so I have to research each park a bit.

Also, I have to buy gear and either sell or mail home all my stuff that doesn't fit in two bags. So much work!

Terry

[Lifemagician]

I'm hoping I don't have to book accommodations in advance anywhere else, so that I'll be able to stay longer or shorter if desired.

I hear what you are saying, but it may pay you to just do a quick check to see if there are any special events on in some of the more major places. I have been caught out twice, over the years, looking for a room and not realising that there was a major convention on in the area, and not a bed to be had.

Lifey

[TerryTreks]

The latest version, incorporating feedback. I want to spend an extra day in Grand Teton, so I'll take the faster route to Page.

I'm down to 62 days, and no more New Mexico or Texas. Instead I'll hit more parks in Colorado.

It's really hard to decide how long to stay in each place. I hate to rush, so I'm erroring on the side of slowness. Some of those days can be used for errands.

I plotted the route via Google maps, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link here.

3-Sep Driving Day (500 miles)
4-Sep Driving Day (500 miles)
5-Sep Day in Badlands NP
6-Sep 2 hr drive to Wind Cave NP. Spend day.
7-Sep 1 hr drive to Mt Rushmore.
8-Sep Get early start! 3 hr drive to Devil's Tower. 3 hr drive to Bighorn Natl Forrest.
9-Sep Get early start! 4 hr drive to Yellowstone. Yellowstone day 1.
10-Sep Yellowstone day 2
11-Sep Yellowstone day 3
12-Sep Yellowstone day 4
13-Sep Yellowstone day 5
14-Sep Yellowstone day 6
15-Sep Yellowstone day 7.
16-Sep 1 hr drive. Grand Teton NP day 1
17-Sep Grand Teton day 2
18-Sep Grand Teton day 3
19-Sep Grand Teton day 4
20-Sep 8 hr drive to Palisades State Park
21-Sep 5 hr drive to Page, AZ. 7:30 pm orientation.
22-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 1
23-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 2
24-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 3
25-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 4
26-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 5
27-Sep Grand Canyon rafting day 6
28-Sep Grand Canyon South rim day 1
29-Sep Grand Canyon South rim day 2
30-Sep 8 am Trans-Canyon shuttle to Marble Canyon, ariving 10 am. 2 hr drive to Page, AZ. Half day free.
1-Oct Visit Slot canyons.
2-Oct 2 hr drive to Zion NP. Zion day 1
3-Oct Zion day 2
4-Oct Zion day 3
5-Oct Zion day 4
6-Oct Zion day 5
7-Oct 1.5 hr drive to Bryce Canyon NP. Leave early to get campsite. Bryce day 1
8-Oct Bryce day 2
9-Oct .5 hr drive to Grand Staircase -Escalate Natl Monument
10-Oct GSENM day 2
11-Oct 1.5 hr drive to Capital Reef NP. Capital Reef NP day 1.
12-Oct Capital Reef NP day 2
13-Oct Capital Reef NP day 3
14-Oct 1.5 hr drive to Goblin Valley State Park
15-Oct 2 hr drive to Canyonlands NP. Canyonlands day 1
16-Oct Canyonlands day 2. Backpacking in the Needles
17-Oct Canyonlands day 3. Backpacking in the Needles
18-Oct 30 min drive to Moab. Free day.
19-Oct Hot air balloon or mountain bike tour
20-Oct Arches NP
21-Oct Extra Moab day
22-Oct 3 hr drive to Monument Valley. Stay for sunset/sunrise.
23-Oct 3 hr drive to Mesa Verde NP.
24-Oct Mesa Verde NP day 2.
25-Oct 1 hr drive to Durango, CO
26-Oct Durango Day 2
27-Oct 4 hr drive to Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP via 550/Million Dollar Highway. Partial day in Black Canyon NP.
28-Oct Black Canyon day 2
29-Oct Black Canyon day 3
30-Oct 4 hr drive to Great Sand Dunes NP
31-Oct Great Sand Dunes NP day 2
1-Nov Great Sand Dunes NP day 3
2-Nov Driving Day (550 miles)
3-Nov Driving Day (550 miles)