louistraveler5

My DH & I love visiting national parks but we haven't been to many.
We have been to:
1) Rocky Mountain NP (multiple visits)
2) Mt Rainier NP
3) Olympic NP

If you had two weeks...what would be your ideal national park road trip?

tomfuller

Since you have been to Rocky Mt. NP, I'm guessing you live in Colorado. Visit one or more of the southern Utah National Parks then head for Grand Canyon. If you have more time, see in order Death Valley, Sequoia/Kings, Yosemite, Redwood, Crater Lake, Glacier and Yellowstone/Grand Teton.
This road trip would obviously take more than two weeks.
You could save a lot of driving by flying to an airport closer to your chosen National Park and renting a car or taking a bus tour.

janisj

"<i>If you had two weeks...what would be your ideal national park road trip? </i>"

It would depend a great deal on the time of year. Makes a very significant difference.

spirobulldog

Where are you driving from and what time of year?
Camping or staying in lodges/hotels?

I typically like to spend a few days in each spot. I hate trips where you are just flying through to check off a list. I like to actually experience them. Since you have made multiple trips to RMNP, I imagine that you too like to really thoroughly explore them.

I think the two "must sees" are Yosemite and Yellowstone. For me, I like Arches, Bryce, and Zion far more than Grand Canyon.

For two weeks
Utah and Grand Canyon-This one would be the least effected by weather/snow

or Yellowstone,Tetons, Glacier, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, Badlands

or Yosemite, Sequoia, maybe add Channel Islands

or Lassen, Crater Lake, Redwoods

If you are staying "in park", which we love to do make reservations ASAP!!


I have been to 29 or 30 National parks now. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades are planned for next summer. Already have lodging booked.

louistraveler5

I actually live in Austin, TX. The non-stop flight to Denver has made it easy for multiple visits.

I wasn't particularly asking because I have a trip in mind and I'm not planning one yet. I just wanted to hear an ideal version from some Fodorites!

If I did plan a trip it would be fall because it is my absolute favorite season! I actually just got back from a week in RMNP. It was a great week and just beautiful!

sludick

With 2 weeks, here is what we actually did do:

Flew into Phoenix - spent a week visiting Saguaro National Park, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Giant Meteor Crater

Flew from Phoenix to Salt Lake city - spent a week visiting Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

We've done this type of split-trip a few times. This last trip we did not, and afterwards agreed that we would want to do another split-trip next year. But on that trip we visited Olympic, Redwood, Crater Lake, and a number of state parks and national forest areas (e.g., Newberry National Volcanic Monument).

Of course, Yosemite is another must see, and don't forget Bryce and Zion national parks.

PaulRabe

Two weeks? And you want to visit national parks? Any time of the year? Hmmmm.....

Let me give you my advice based on my visits to 43 national parks in the US and 15 in Canada.

The best trifecta you'll find is Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. All are glorious, and each has delights that you won't find in the other two. And, in the case of Yellowstone, ones you won't find ANYWHERE else.

A swing through the five NP's of Utah would also be good, although all five are centered around rusted, eroded sandstone.

spirobulldog

I think fall would be great for Yellowstone. Keep in mind their fall is much earlier than yours and mine(I am in OK). I think you'd want to go maybe right after Labor Day. Maybe even a little earlier than that. Things close early in Yellowstone and Glacier.

I think the First two weeks of June would be best for Yosemite. You would want to see the waterfalls in full swing. The falls can be dry by August. Lassen is best towards the end of July. One good thing about a CA trip is that you can also catch a couple of days in San Francisco. Or maybe do Monterey/Hwy 1.

Maybe 4 Day in Glacier, 4 in Yellowstone, 2 in Tetons, Maybe 4 or 5 days in Mount Rushmore/Black Hills. To Drive all of this from Austin would be several days though. So might just stick with Glacier, Yellowstone, and Tetons

Have you been to Big Bend, Guadalupe, and Carlsbad?
Carlsbad has two awesome Wild Cave Tours. These are little known and they only allow 8 people per week to go. Make reservations 6 months in advance. Definately one of the very best experiences in a National Park. I've done it 3 times. The Bats are amazing in the summer(this year was a bad year though). Guadalupe is interesting and very few visitors. Big Bend is interesting as well. I haven't been to as many as PaulRabe, but I am up to 29 or 30. Carlsbad and the Grand Canyon are the only ones that I have visited 3 times.
I hope to go back and camp a Guadalupe soon at Dog Canyon area.

FWIW, The Buffalo National River area in Arkansas is great in the spring(when waterfalls are going). You might want to check it out sometime too. Upper Buffalo is the best area. That's not to far from you. 8 hours or so. Petit Jean State Park and Mount Magazine are nice in AR too.

DebInTN

I would either do the Utah parks and the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier and then maybe even on up to Banff in Canada.

Elyse_Dorm

Yellowstone is my favorite park because I think its the most interesting park and it takes about a week to do it.

But if you have 2 weeks available to you, then doing a California roadtrip loop might be even funner. Get a car from either Vegas or San Francisco and include Hwy 1, Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, etc. Would make a great trip with a lot of options available to you. It really depends on when you are going and where you are coming from.

Myer

I loved Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. The problem is that I've suggested it to a few people and I back away when they start limiting the number of days to 2 or 3.

This is a major visit.

Yellowstone / Grand Tetons don't play fair. You really have 3 or 4 parks in one (actually in two but who's counting). The Guysers and unrelated to the wildlife and unrelated to the waterfalls that I actually like much more than the giant falls in Yosemite. Other than Vernal Falls that you can get a pretty good look at up close, the major falls in Yosemite all have that same tall, thin stringy look.

I had a list of waterfalls for Yellowstone and we stopped at many. My least favorite (and one of the most visited) is Tower Fall (not Falls). Very poor view.

I also have a problem with Yosemite. It's beautiful butt way too many cars and taffic jams. Also, not enough inpark lodging and outside the park is too far and the traffic makes the drive impossible to enjoy.

My least favorite is the Grand Canyon then Capitol Reef followed by Canyonland (I only went to one area).

I really like Arches in spite of really no wildlife.

Bryce Canyon is very different and shouldn't be missed. But it's quite small. Makes for a good trip with Zion. Zion is beautiful and somewhat larger.

I haven't been to Glacier but I'm hoping too do that next summer. A short season doesn't help.

happytrailstoyou

*Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, and Bryce would make a great trip when Tioga Pass and all other roads are open.
*Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
*Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier (Many Glaciers), and Waterton Lakes, Alberta.
*Glacier (Many Glaciers), Waterton Lakes, Banff, and Jasper, Alberta.

happytrailstoyou

*Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, and Bryce would make a great trip when Tioga Pass and all other roads are open.
*Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
*Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier (Many Glaciers), and Waterton Lakes, Alberta.
*Glacier (Many Glaciers), Waterton Lakes, Banff, and Jasper, Alberta.

LindainOhio

Ditto to Happytrails choices--my first choice would be 2 weeks in Banff and Jasper.

I would love to do Alaska's parks--they're on my list

VolCrew

Louistraveler5: our two week NP tour is reported here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...10-2509.cfm?22

I would not call this ideal, but maybe you can get some ideas.