Western Parks Road Trip

[Pujsek]

If we decide to rough it, we can just stop somewhere and put up our tents?

Can you give me some advice on things to do and see in Grand Teton? Is there a paved road to T.A. Moulton Barn?

[Midwest Michael]

Information for BLM camping near Natural Bridges can be found here. (I found that link on the Natural Bridges website, which is another reminder that the National Parks service websites are filled with a remarkable amount of information.)

For Grand Teton, I'd highly recommend taking the boat trip across Jenny Lake and then hiking up to some of the overlooks there. I didn't do Mormon Row on my trip, but again, the National Parks website can answer nearly any question you have about visiting the area.

[Southwest Dave]

Can you give me some advice on things to do and see in Grand Teton? Is there a paved road to T.A. Moulton Barn?

Take Antelope Flats road from 191 near Blacktail ponds which is paved. You will come to a T junction where you turn right to Mormon row historic district but there is also a cool barn to the left. There is a verge on that junction where you can park up if it's not too busy and walk. You can drive down Mormon row where it eventually joins Gros Ventre road but it is unmade and can get a little rough and rutted if it's been wet and has had a lot of traffic.

Once you get in the Teton's you can go to the visitor centre where you will get lots of ideas but basically as you drive through the rest takes care of itself. If you have a bit of spare time you can take the Signal mountain road for some nice views up the top. [In the field reports section you could look through my trip report 'Highways of Happiness' that contains ideas on Yellowstone and the Tetons and a journey from there to Capitol Reef.]

[glc]

If we decide to rough it, we can just stop somewhere and put up our tents?

No, that's not legal. It has to be an authorized camping area.

[Pujsek]

Information for BLM camping near Natural Bridges can be found here. (I found that link on the Natural Bridges website, which is another reminder that the National Parks service websites are filled with a remarkable amount of information.)

I also found this but in Europe we don't have anything like that so I don't really know how this things work and I don't want to do something that can get us in trouble.

No, that's not legal. It has to be an authorized camping area.

Now I'm confused...

[DonnaR57]

If we decide to rough it, we can just stop somewhere and put up our tents?

It would depend on where that "somewhere" is. Most of the time, though, you'd end up on somebody's personal property and they'd want you to move on.

"Somewhere" that would be appropriate for tent camping:
Official private campground such as KOA.
National Park, National Forest, State Park, County Park, National Recreation Area campgrounds -- official places to camp.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites that allow "dispersed" camping.
National Forest lands that allow "dispersed" camping.

A "dispersed" camping site is somewhere off the beaten track where you can pull your car at least 15 feet off the road and set up your tent. There are no facilities - no bathrooms, no water - you must bring it all in, and take it all out with you (including your trash). Many times, you must have some sort of permit, though the permit is usually free. The permit means you've stopped at an official visitor center or office and have received the rules regarding camping outside of a regular campground. In some areas of the country, "dispersed" camping means you will also not be allowed to have a campfire.


Donna

[Harry Kline]

Now that the fourth one said yes, Yellowstone in back in the picture. Can you tell me the best way to get there from Zion and the best way from Arches? If we go that way, we'll go to Crater Lake after Yellowstone and then down to the coast in California.

I'm not sure how you're going to fit two, possibly three more national parks into your itinerary, but I do have a routing for you up to Grand Teton NP that won't add any miles but will provide better scenery.

Instead of taking the I-80 bypass, stay on I-15 up to the Brigham exit 362 and go via Garden City, Utah up to Jackson Hole. That will give you a view of Great Salt Lake, and you'll drive through Logan Canyon and past Bear Lake.

I'd like to see the revised itinerary when you get it finished.

Harry

[Pujsek]

I'm not sure how you're going to fit two, possibly three more national parks into your itineraryHarry

Yellowstone part of the trip will replace Colorado and New Mexico part.

Here is a new draft:

Day 1 [Thursday, 23rd June]: Venice, Italy to Istanbul, Turkey

Day 2 [Friday, 24th June]: Istanbul, Turkey to Ridgecrest, CA [160 miles]
- Sleeping: America Inn & Suites

Day 3[Saturday, 25th June]: Ridgecrest to Hilltop Campground [315 miles]
- Stops: via Death Valley NP sights
o Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
o Harmony Borax Works
o Badwater Basin
o Artist's Palette
o Zabriskie Point
o Dante's View
- Sleeping: Hilltop Campground

Day 4: [Sunday, 26th June]: Hilltop Campground to Valley of Fire SP [148 miles]
- Stops:
o Las Vegas (The Strip)
o Hoover Dam
- Sleeping: Valley of Fire camp

Day 5: [Monday, 27th June]: Valley of Fire SP to Zion NP [317 miles]
- Stops:
o Bryce Canyon NP
- Sleeping: Watchman Campground

Day 6: [Tuesday, 28th June]: Zion NP [0 miles - shuttles]
- Sleeping: Watchman Campground

Day 7 [Wednesday, 29th June]: Zion NP to Jacob Lake [165 miles]
- Stops:
o North Rim of Grand Canyon
- Sleeping: Jacob Lake Campground [NO showers]

Day 8 [Thursday, 30th June: Jacob Lake to South Rim [178 miles]
- Stops:
o Vermillion Cliff
o Cliff Dwellers
o Glen Canyon – Lees Ferry
o Navajo Bridge
o Viewpoints between east gate and campground
- Sleeping: Mather Campground

Day 9 [Friday, 1st July]: South Rim of Grand Canyon
- Sleeping: Mather Campground

Day 10 [Saturday, 2nd July]: South Rim to Page [235 miles]
- Stops:
o Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
o Wupatki National Monument
o Horseshoe Bend
o Glen Canyon Dam
- Sleeping: Page Campground

Day 11 [Sunday, 3rd July]: Page to Natural Bridges [200 miles]
- Stops:
o Agathla Peak
o Monument Valley
o Mexican Hat
o Gooseneck's State Park
o Moki Dugway
o Natural Bridges
- Sleeping: Natural Bridges Campground or dispersed

Day 12 [Monday, 4th July]: Natural Bridges to Arches [155 miles]
- Sleeping: Devil's Garden Campground

Day 13 [Tuesday, 5th July]: Arches to Canyonlands National Park [90 miles]
- Stops:
o Dead Horse Point State Park
- Sleeping: Willow Flat Campground [NO showers]

Day 14 [Wednesday, 6th July]: Canyonlands to Colorado National Monument [205 miles]
- Sleeping: Saddlehorn Campground

Day 15 [Thursday, 7th July]: Colorado National Monument to Flaming Gorge [200 miles]
- Stops:
o Dinosaur National Monument
- Sleeping:

Day 16 [Friday, 8th July]: Flaming Gorge to Yellowstone [315 miles]
- Stops:
o Grand Teton
- Sleeping: Grant Village Campground

Day 17 [Saturday, 9th July]: Yellowstone [? miles]
- Stops:
o Old Faithfull
o Upper Geyser Basin
o Midway Geyser Basin
o Lower Geyser Basin
o Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- Sleeping: Canyon Campground

Day 18 [Sunday, 10th July]: Yellowstone [? miles]
- Stops:
o Tower Fall
o Historic Fort Yellowstone
o Lower Terraces
o Upper Terraces
- Sleeping: Madison Campground

Day 19 [Monday, 11th July]: Yellowstone to Jerome [345 miles]
- Stops:
o Craters of the Moon National Monument
- Sleeping: Jerome KOA

Day 20 [Tuesday, 12th July]: Jerome to Crystal Crane [325 miles]
- Stops:
o Shoshone Falls
o Malheur Butte
- Sleeping: Crystal Crane Hot Springs Cabins

Day 21 [Wednesday, 13th July]: Crystal Crate to Crater Lake [265 miles]
- Sleeping : Mazama Campground

Day 22 [Thursday, 14th July]: Crater Lake to June Lake [460 miles]
- Stops:
o Mono Lake
- Sleeping : June Lake Beach Campground

Day 23 [Friday, 15th July] : June Lake to Yosemite village [120 miles]
- Stops:
o Devil's Postpile National Monument
- Sleeping : Lower Pines Campground

Day 24 [Saturday, 16th July]: Yosemite [0 miles - shuttles]
- Sleeping : Lower Pines Campground

Day 25 [Sunday, 17th July]: Yosemite [0 miles – shuttles]
- Sleeping : Lower Pines Campground

Day 26 [Monday, 18th July]: Yosemite to Sequoia [150 miles]
- Sleeping: Sunset Campground

Day 27 [Tuesday, 19th July]: Sequoia [0 - Miles]
- Sleeping: Sunset Campground

Day 28 [Wednesday, 20th July]: Sequoia to Mojave National Preserve [380 miles]
- Sleeping: Hole in the Wall Campground

Day 29 [Thursday, 21th July]: Mojave to Serrano [330 miles]
- Stops:
o Joshua Tree National Park
- Sleeping: Serrano Campground

Day 30 [Friday, 22nd July]: Serrano to LAX [115 miles]

[Lifemagician]

Day 2 [Friday, 24th June]: Istanbul, Turkey to Ridgecrest, CA [160 miles]
- Sleeping: America Inn & Suites

It is not a good idea to hit the road on the day you arrive off a long haul flight.

You are better of spending at least 24 hours before you plan to drive, even to Ridgecrest. Your body clock needs to adjust to local time.

Lifey

[Pujsek]

It is not a good idea to hit the road on the day you arrive off a long haul flight.

You are better of spending at least 24 hours before you plan to drive, even to Ridgecrest. Your body clock needs to adjust to local time.

Lifey

That shouldn't be a problem. I'll be working nights on the week before our trip so my body clock will be much closer to California time than ours :)