Post Graduation Vision Quest Road Trip

[GChampion]

Myself and four friends are going on a 36 day road trip/vision quest throughout the Western States.

We are starting in Dallas and making our way to the following parks/places:

Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Glacier
Mt. Rainier
Crater Lake
Somewhere on the California Coast
Napa Valley
Yosemite
Las Vegas
Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Lake Powell, AZ
Albuquerque
Back to Dallas

If anyone here has some suggestions on great areas to camp, great hiking trails it would be much appreciated. Also very interested in doing a lot of fishing, my understanding is that some parks require permits and others don't?

Basically if anyone has any insight on any of these places I would love to hear it.

Thanks,

- Champ

 

[MarkBC]

Welcome to WTW, Champ! Cool -- another big road-trip loop in the planning.

One suggestion: Whomever is having the visions shouldn't be driving.

OK, now someone can make some helpful suggestions.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

First when are you headed out?Some of the parks you want to visit may be,closed,snow covered campgrounds,roads not fully open.
As another member who requested info on a trip to some of the same places,it was suggested that if you were to leave soon that you might want to do your trip in reverse.

Yellowstone will have some campgrounds open soon,by the middle of May more of the "nice" ones will be open.

Glacier,well that one might be a hard one.Road to the Sun usually isn't open until mid June or later.

Crater even into June will most likely have snow in campgrounds,and the road around the "crater" might not be fully open.

The west coast,Wash.,Org.,Cal.,will be nice this time of year.Maybe some fog but that adds to the fun.Lots of good campgrounds along US 101.

One plus about doing the trip in reverse is the temps in the southwest won't hit their highs.

Fishing.Yellowstone is the,IMO grand place.There are loads of streams to chose from.My favorites are the Fire Hole,be careful where you fish it.Make sure you check the regs.The Soda Bute creek also the Lamar in the same area.The streams at Madison Junction campground.The Madison in the fly area only,that's on the road to West Yellowstone.You can't miss the spots they are marked.You need a license to fish that park.Any sports store or park store will carry them,but even Yellowstone is in 3 states you can't use it to fish out of the park.Teton has some nice spots also but you need a Wyoming license.
Crater,Glacier,and Rainier you don't need one but the fishing isn't that good.But what the hell you are there might get some gear wet.
Coastal Ca.it gets hairy you almost need a lawyer to figure out where to fish,but it could be worth a try.The Smith River has some good camping/fishing spots,in Jedediah Smith Redwoods SP.

You should search the web site campingusa.com.Check it out has camping areas all over the states.Lots of good info.

Enjoy your planning.
Hope I was of some help.
Frank

 

[Alley-Kat]

Well...

Here's an exploratory route where you may not stop much, but, simply get a flavor of an area, so, you'll know there is more to see, a lot more to see...

If you're going from Yosemite to Las Vegas, you'll probably be driving over the Sierra Nevada on Hwy120 and then south on Hwy 395, with lots to see on that route, including Mono Lake, almost any road that can lead you back up into the Sierra Nevada (Mammoth Lakes, Bishop Creek, Mount Whitney), then over Hwy 136 to Hwy 190 to Death Valley and on to Las Vegas.

Then after Las Vegas, I'd guess that you are going to the North Rim, Grand Canyon.

After that, with a little backtracking before Bryce Canyon you could see Zion Canyon, then Hwy 89 out the back door of Zion Canyon to Hwy 12 to Bryce Canyon, continue to Kodachrome Basin and stay on Hwy 12 (missing Lake Powell, unless you just have to meet some girls in, or out of, bikinis) thru Escalante - Grand Staircase up to Teasdale then on Hwy 24 thru Torrey-Fruita, to Capital Reef to Hanksville then south on Hwy 95 to Natural Bridges, then on Hwy 261 to Moki Dugway (check that your brakes are in good shape) thru Valley of the Gods to Mexican Hat, then slightly south west on Hwy 163 to Monument Valley. You could even backtrack a bit west to the South Rim, Grand Canyon. Highway 12 & 24 in Utah are very, very scenic. Not much stopping if time is tight, however, you can still see a lot.

Pick up I-40 in Flagstaff, then to Albuquerque and back to Dallas.

Use GoogleEarth or your other favorite maping software to find the above locations and possibly make a route that you like.

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Fishing licenses are usually based on which State you are in, not a National or State Park.

Pretty expensive to NOT live in California and get a fishing license..
California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Fishing Licenses.
Scroll down to "Short Term Sport Fishing Licenses".

 

[Shotgun Willie]

If you make it to Crater Lake, I highly recommend camping along the North Umpqua River at Tokatee Hot Springs. The springs are great and the river is beautiful with choice hikes.

http://www.communitywalk.com/location/umpqua_hs_toketee_110f/info/11970

Good journeys!

 

[craig333]

You didn't say what time of year, but your route will take your near Lassen Volcanic National Park. If its open its a must do in my book. What kind of vehicle are you using? That will help suggestions.

 

[GChampion]

All,

Thanks for all the input, definitely going to look into some of those suggestions.

We are leaving on June 3rd and trying to be back in Dallas by July 6th. We can't really go any longer than that because we all have full time jobs that are starting July 15th. Unfortunately we also can't leave any earlier because our graduation is May 18th, and our leases go til June 1st. I am a little concerned about the weather, especially in Glacier where I have read that they didn't even open the main road (i think it's going to the sun road?) til July a few years back.

We are taking my 2010 Ford Explorer. It's in pretty good shape (about 26,000 miles on it), but I am definitely going to bring it to an auto body shop and make sure the car is in good shape before we leave. I have AAA but I am considering bringing a tool kit. Right now there are four of us who are 100% going on the trip, and two are on the edge. If the other two guys come, they will be taking their 2009 Jeep Wrangler (4 door) which is also in pretty good shape.

Since we are going to have a bunch of gear, I am planning on getting some sort of roof rack and cargo carrier for my car. Probably a Thule or Yakima. Been trying to find one on Craig's List. Does anyone have any suggestions of a good cargo carrier with a lock, that is waterproof?

Another question: a lot of our drives are going to be pretty long, some are around 12 hours. What's the protocol with showing up at the Park's late at night? Do they have someone on duty to check you in? Also what do you guys think about making reservations at camp grounds? So far I have made reservation's at Rocky Mountain (staying at Moraine Park campground) and Glacier (staying at St. Mary). I know my friends and I are interested in getting back country permits and camping out deep in the woods. Do you guys think it is worth to make reservations at the park or is it better to just show up and hope you can get a good tent site?

Again, thanks for all the input. If anyone has any other advice/suggestions for a bunch of shithead guys who are graduating and trying to kick some sand out of their shoes before we inevitably fall into the deep abyss of the real world/being an adult/cubicle monkey, we would greatly appreciate it.

 

[GChampion]

Also need some input on where to stay on the California coast. Is there anywhere that you can set up a tent on the beach in Northern California? Any recommendations would be great

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Myself and four friends are going on a 36 day road trip/vision quest throughout the Western States.

We are starting in Dallas and making our way to the following parks/places:

Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Glacier
Mt. Rainier
Crater Lake
Somewhere on the California Coast
Napa Valley
Yosemite
Las Vegas
Grand Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Lake Powell, AZ
Albuquerque
Back to Dallas

If anyone here has some suggestions on great areas to camp, great hiking trails it would be much appreciated. Also very interested in doing a lot of fishing, my understanding is that some parks require permits and others don't?

Basically if anyone has any insight on any of these places I would love to hear it.

Thanks,

- Champ


Dear Champ-

Here is what we did: The Great Northwestern Loop. Definitely the trip of a lifetime for us. We did it in 26 days. Highly recommended.

Shalom.

Mark

 

[Shotgun Willie]

Another question: a lot of our drives are going to be pretty long, some are around 12 hours. What's the protocol with showing up at the Park's late at night? Do they have someone on duty to check you in?

Large camp grounds sometimes do. The smaller ones operate on good faith / camp ground hosts' comparing your fee envelope to length of stay.

Also what do you guys think about making reservations at camp grounds? So far I have made reservation's at Rocky Mountain (staying at Moraine Park campground) and Glacier (staying at St. Mary).

It can be a good idea for the larger campgrounds... It depends on how tight your traveling schedule is vs allowing room for improvising. Showing up at night can make searching for dry camps arduous. With daylight, I personally prefer to find my own peace of heaven away from the riff-raff of designated campgrounds.

I know my friends and I are interested in getting back country permits and camping out deep in the woods. Do you guys think it is worth to make reservations at the park or is it better to just show up and hope you can get a good tent site?

roll the dice, dude. its a vision quest after all!

Again, thanks for all the input. If anyone has any other advice/suggestions for a bunch of shithead guys who are graduating and trying to kick some sand out of their shoes before we inevitably fall into the deep abyss of the real world/being an adult/cubicle monkey, we would greatly appreciate it.


Buy some national park maps ahead of time so you can navigate the forest roads and explore the scene better than your average tourist. Have fun, drive safe, and be good stewards of the earth.

 

[ski3pin]

You probably have already looked into this but since you are visiting so many National Parks an annual pass for $80 may be a good deal for you.

Annual Interagency Pass

Sounds like a great trip you guys are planning. Travel safe and have a great time.

 

[Ted]

Another question: a lot of our drives are going to be pretty long, some are around 12 hours. What's the protocol with showing up at the Park's late at night?

When the kiosk closes at the entry to Yosemite campgrounds they leave a chalkboard in the window with the names of people with reservations and what sight they are in. But Yosemite is already booked solid for the time of your trip. You can try checking in with the campground host. They get a list of cancellations each day but they usually are taken quickly. You may need to primitive camp outside of the park and go in during the day. Evergreen Road right before the park entry on HWY 120 usually has a lot of people doing that.

On the California coast Westport Union campground about 20 miles north of Fort Bragg is first come/first served. There is also a fc/fs campground out the mouth of the Navarro River. Both of these are small and fill up fast. Van Damme State Park has overflow camping in a parking lot right on the water, but they charge a full camping fee of $35! Manchester Beach State Park seems to get a lot less visitors than the other coastal campgrounds and may be your best bet. Unfortunately there are not places to primitive camp along the coast.

Alley-kat mentioned HWY 395 on the eastern Sierras. This area has stunning scenery, world famous fishing, and many places to primitive camp. You can find lots of info on this area in the trip reports section. You should try to spend a few days in this location.

There is a state park with camping in Napa Valley called Bothe. Reservations are necessary but it is the only budget way to do the valley. Even a motel six will set you back $150 there.

My personal opinion only, but having done both I would choose Zion over Bryce. You can access BLM land just south of the park by taking Bridge Road in Rockville. Lots of places out there to primitive camp.

Sounds like a great trip. There is a catch for all this advice. A trip report with photos is mandatory when it is over.

 

[Shotgun Willie]

My personal opinion only, but having done both I would choose Zion over Bryce. You can access BLM land just south of the park by taking Bridge Road in Rockville. Lots of places out there to primitive camp.


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