I want to go on a road trip out West. I want to see some geology. I’d like to keep it cheap and camp. I am going alone. I know planning ahead is the way to go with popular tourist destinations, but I was planning on taking classes all summer, not going on a road trip. This last semester was very difficult and I really feel burned out so I decided to take a break and dropped my summer classes. Plus, I just got a Mini Cooper S and the car is begging me to take it on a road trip.
Has anyone set out in the summer without making reservations to camp? I know the popular places are booked, I don’t mind being out of the way. I hate making reservations because I am always stuck two nights in a place I’d rather not be; and only booked one night in a place I could spend a week in. I’d hate to get someplace and not be able to find a place to camp, though. I will stay in motels if necessary.
Any suggestions for places to visit? I am planning Colorado and Utah; Arches NP, Mesa Verde, Zion, Rocky Mountain NP…etc. I’ve never visited the West by car, so I’ve never seen these places. I don’t know if I’ll make it as far as the Grand Canyon; I know that will be overrun with tourists.
I don’t know Colrado or Utah in particular, but if you’re willing to live with more primitive facilities there are plenty of National Forest campgrounds which rarely fill, and often they’re not that far from the popular places. Even the National Parks often have more primitive CGs away form the main tourist areas. I’ve found space in Yosemite on Labor Day weekend just because I was willing to use an outhouse and get my water from the creek.
It’s totally possible to go camping on a road trip in summer w/o reservations, I’ve done it a number of times. You might not want to stay in Yosemite Valley, for example, but other parts of the park and campgrounds are usually available.
If you get out to California, I’d recommend checking out the Feather River Canyon.
When Mrs. Giraffe and I were first dating, we took a three-week camping trip through Utah and Colorado in the middle of summer without any reservations. We had no problems finding places to camp. Look for Bureau of Land Management campgrounds – they’re usually first come, first serve and cost something like $5 per night. We stayed at a great one right on the Colorado river outside of Arches.
As for where to go, I’ve been to Arches and Canyonlands, both of which I would recommend. If you go to Arches, make sure you stop in Moab. We also camped and hiked a lot in the area between Durango (great town) and Crested Butte (another great town).
National Forests are your friend! Often they surround or abut the parks and are much less crowded for camping.
Please do reconsider the Grand Canyon. To really avoid crowds (and see views that others rarely do) you can go to the North Rim. There’s a different feel than the south rim (which is what you see on all the postcards, etc.) but its stunning nonetheless. And IIRC there are campsites in the national forest there that don’t fill like the ones in the park. If you go to the north rim website they will give a few camping options, including dispersed camping in the NF. The weather is cooler on the north rim, and you wont have to fight the crowds.
Of course go to the Utah parks as well, just wanted to throw my two cents in for the GC!
If you don’t already have one, getting a national parks annual pass with a golden eagle sticker (for the forest service and BLM sites) will pay for itself if you are doing a grand tour of lots of parks. Its $50 for the national parks pass and an additional 15 for the sticker, but it will get you in to the sites for free (and sometimes get you a discount on the campsites.) It may seem like a lot, but when you consider some park entrance fees are as high as $20, its well worth it.
(I’ve never made reservations to camp in my life. (I do not try to elbow my way into a Yosemite Valley campground on a pleasant July weekend, but most of the time I have been able to find private campgrounds close enough to major attractions that I could get a spot somewhere.)
Thanks for all the help! I am so happy to see that I don’t need to make reservations. I don’t have the gear to do real primitive camping, and I am partial to a daily shower (esp. in summer), but I am flexible.
Second the North Rim of the GC if you get down there. If you’re planning on hiking to the bottom the south rim is your better bet (6-7 miles to the river vs. I think 14 from the north rim). I imagine it would be too hot for that, though, unless you’re a masochist. The Widforss trail is a pretty mellow hike on the North Rim that takes you through the forest and out to the rim. Perfect for the summer.
If you’re going to Arches you might as well swing by the Needles district of Canyonlands. It’s really something. There are some hikes up Elephant Canyon - Druid Arch, Chesler Park, The Joint Trail that you can do in a day. Just remember to bring a lot of water, a hat, sunscreen, etc.
One thing you might look into if you’re going car camping is to get a big tent and a cot to sleep on instead of a little pup tent and sleeping on the ground. A big cooler, camp stove, hot meals, you’ll be living the life!
A lot of developed campgrounds allow you to use their showers for a small fee.
I have a Mini Cooper Only so much will fit. I can see this trip taking up most of the summer with all these great suggestions. I probably won’t be doing many long hikes, since I’m going alone. I don’t know how busy the trails are, but I know hiking alone, especially in unknown territory, is not the best idea.
Uncle Sam is trying desparately to place all public recreation activities (local, state, federal) on the web in one location —> http://www.recreation.gov/
The site is a good place to start your search. However, do not rely on the timeliness and absolute accuracy of the information presented. Instead, use recreation.gov to locate possible places to see and camp, but go to that agency’s web site for the most accurate, detailed and up to date information.
And don’t forget to use your telephone! Call up a national forest, national park or ranger office. Speak to a live human.
Don’t discount the more northern parts of the West. Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota…all have beautiful parks that aren’t very crowded. Several summers ago we took off from north of Seattle on a pilgrimage to Sydney, Nebraska. No reservations, KOA all the way. Had a ball and never had a problem with someplace to stop and shower and sleep. Get a good AAA USA RoadGuide and go nuts!
You mentioned Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s absolutely stunning…but it is crowded. Especially now that the weather’s nice.
This website might be helpful. It’s primarily geared toward hiking, but has a nice section on CO wildlife and such.
You may also want to look into the Poudre River Canyon Area. Lots of camping areas, and a KOA that has a moose viewing area. Pretty cool, if you’ve never seen them in the wild.
If you head down through CO a bit farther South, there’s always Royal Gorge and Pike’s Peak (just google either…you’ll get tons of websites to check out).
I can see this trip taking up most of the summer with all these great suggestions. I probably won’t be doing many long hikes, since I’m going alone. I don’t know how busy the trails are, but I know hiking alone, especially in unknown territory, is not the best idea.