Western Parks Road Trip

[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 :)

[Southwest Dave]

It's good to see that you have been doing your homework and have a great list of possible places to visit, but don't expect to get around to them all. It's far more important to have time to savour the spot you are in, then it is to be watching the clock and worrying about getting to the next place on your list. Some places you may stay longer than expected and others not so long so it's good to have options. Would it not be easier to see all the attractions around Page and then go to the South rim and Monument valley?

I have to agree that driving to Ridgecrest on arrival isn't a good idea. You may think your body clock is adjusted but after an International flight you will be weary. Even though the adrenalin may keep you going for a while eventually you will crash and then it could affect you for a few days after, not to mention your mates. It's usually best to get your rental and crash at a nearby motel and then hit the road running early the next morning.

[Pujsek]

Would it not be easier to see all the attractions around Page and then go to the South rim and Monument valley?

Of course. This is the plan. I forgot to change it :)

I have to agree that driving to Ridgecrest on arrival isn't a good idea...

I agree it isn't the best thing to do but we need to enter Death Valley as soon as possible on the second day of our trip because we don't want to camp there because of the temperatures. Do you think it's better for us to stay near the airport and just start the day in the middle of the night (around 4 am)?

[Southwest Dave]

What time does your flight actually arrive ? I can't help but think you might be better off cutting back a little, perhaps the Mojave and Joshua Tree at the end of your trip, to give you a little more time. Perhaps even visit them at the start of your trip

I would also consider visiting Lassen Volcanic NP between Crater Lake and Yosemite over heading to June Lake.

[Pujsek]

That's another problem. Flight is scheduled to arrive at 4 pm. We can't cut back at the start of our trip because we have to be in Las Vegas on the 26th as we are meeting with some friends who live in the states and that is the only opportunity for us to meet (they are flying back to the east coast on the 26th). But we can take it easy on that day and get some rest.

Thanks for the Lassen suggestion. It seems really beautiful.