claricky

Hi All. My wife and I (ages 69 and 71) are planning a National Park road trip in an RV (30ft) for approx 6 weeks heading out from Los Angeles approx 25th May 2017. We have earmarked the following parks to visit so far (not in any particular order, and open minded about any inclusions or exclusions):
Zion, Bryce, South Rim of Grand Canyon, Monument Valley(?),Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Columbia Gorge (visit friends in Portland OR) and finish up in San Francisco. Ideally we would like to have a full hook up wherever we go, although I believe that's not available in Yosemite! Don't really fancy the idea of standing in a queue to empty out the dirty poo water!! Yuk!!)
Any suggestions comments etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

marvelousmouse

Rather curious if this is a rental? One of the things I'd consider is whether you've got to park the beast in Portland or SF (and I'd be pretty freaked out over driving it in a few places, especially into Yosemite).

I'd probably add Olympic National Park or sometime on the Oregon coast if you haven't been. Maybe Grand Tetons, but I don't actually know if May is a great time for that. I don't think I'd like Glacier before late June or July. I find the region pretty chilly until late July most years.

Sounds like a glorious trip! Please post a trip report after

claricky

Thx for the response, marvelousemouse. This will be a rental (we're from Australia). Won't park "the beast in Portland". Plan to park it at a KOA or similar.. And we'll give it up in SF and stay with family. As a matter of interest, why the freak out driving in Yosemite? And which other areas will be a problem? Thought the RV would be the best option so we don't have to worry about packing and unpacking and lugging cases in and out of a car and up and down stairs etc. Getting to old for that! I hear what you say about Glacier. We'll have another 4 to 6 weeks after this lot. Plan to fly to New Orleans, and then to New York. We'd like to visit Washington, and then hire another RV and spend time in New Hampshire, New England & Maine. Maybe we should do the 2nd half of the trip first, and then do the National Parks on the West side later, when it has warmed up.

janisj

>>As a matter of interest, why the freak out driving in Yosemite? And which other areas will be a problem? Thought the RV would be the best option so we don't have to worry about packing and unpacking and lugging cases in and out of a car and up and down stairs etc. Getting to old for that!<<

Have you actually driven a 30 foot RV in the mountains?

IMO/IME renting a car and staying in hotel/motels would be INFINITELY easier and likely much cheaper.

Same goes for your east coast bits.

One way RV rental are VERY expensive, they do not give you unlimited mileage -- which most rental cars do. A 30 foot RV isn't horribly large but will still be a huge hassle in the mountains where you will have to drive much slower than w/ a regular car.

marvelousmouse

I see, one of those epic Australian trips!! I always enjoy talking to y'all, because you certainly travel on a grand scale.

Yosemite: Road is narrow and windy, people are very impatient on the road into the valley. I was driving my sedan, and I'm pretty confident on mountain roads, but I made the mistake coming in at dusk. Yeah. I don't recommend driving to that region at dark!

Many two lane high ways in the west don't have very wide shoulders. That can be an issue in wilderness areas. I'm fine on the interstate driving larger vehicles but not on the two lanes. I'd drop the idea if you don't RV at home. But if you are experienced, then you'd be fine.

Alternative: I'd probably pack light and stay at some of the fun lodges. Yosemite has some really great lodging in the valley that I'd prefer over a Koa any day. I was not very impressed by midpines Koa and I'd want to stay closer to the valley if I were you.

For the daily price of gas, an RV, and Koa full hook up, you can probably stay in a decent hotel in most places. Most decent hotels have elevators. If you request a handicap room, you will often be near the elevator or on the ground floor.

I'm not sure I'd recommend flipping the west with the east. Summer in the west means wildfire season. That could impact your trip more than May weather. If you had more mountain stuff and were avid hikers, then I'd consider it. I'm a tent camper and I like swimming, so June is usually too early for me in Idaho or Montana. The weather is more predictably summer after the beginning of July. But may/June is a great time for Yosemite waterfalls, the southwest. You could easily replace Glacier with more of the southwest or California.

Patty

I wouldn't flip the itinerary either. Grand Tetons is fine in May (and it will be June by the time you get there anyway). You can't take the RV on the Going to the Sun Rd in Glacier which opens in late June/early July.

fun_family_vacations

Wow! That sounds like an excellent trip. Here would be my advice:

1. Bryce: Sign up for the bus tour that takes you up to Rainbow Point. You'll see some amazing views and get the benefit of having an air-conditioned and narrated tour.

2. Grand Canyon: Mather Point offers one of the best vistas (in my opinion). The south rim is very walkable and enjoyable. I'd try to catch a sunset (with or without an ice cream cone) near El Tovar. I'd also recommend an early morning stroll down the Bright Angel Trail (bring water!) - the perspective below the rim is amazing.

3. In Glacier, we LOVED the Big Sky Circle Tour. The red jammers (circa 1920) andd the witty guide takes you all over the park, including Going to the Sun Road.

4. Grand Tetons: Try taking a Float Tour done the Snake River. We went on with Triangle X - very good.

5. Yosemite: Our favories here were Mariposa Grove (giant sequoias), Glacier & Washburn Point Vistas...and the postcard-perfect, Tunnel View.

Have a wonderful trip! You can check out the link in my bio, as our site has more itinerary information, pictures, and tips. Safe travels!

- Mike

janisj

>>Yosemite: Our favories here were Mariposa Grove (giant sequoias),<<

May or may not be accessible by next May. It has been closed to the public for a couple of years and as of today the NPS site still only says >><i>The Mariposa Grove Road and the Mariposa Grove are closed for a restoration project until approximately spring 2017</i><<

"Approximately" could mean anything.

claricky

Thx all for your comments so far. Mike (fun- family- vacations), with all the National Park travelling you've done, do you feel you would have been hampered if you'd have been in an RV? Would you have missed out on a lot of stuff?

claricky

Mike,btw I think your website is really great. Very informative.

Patty

One thing we noticed on our recent trip to Yellowstone/Tetons were the narrow road shoulders. Many times at wildlife sightings there would be just enough room pull over to the side in a car without blocking the road. We also saw signs for some secondary/spur roads which either stated no RVs or had length restrictions (usually 20ish feet). Most people bringing their own RVs travel with a tow car to use in the parks.

janisj

You will have a lot more flexibility w/ a car - seems counter intuitive, but it is true.

Both where you can tour and not having to drag your 'house' along on every errand, shopping trip, etc.

Several members of my extended family are avid RV'ers. BUT they have their own vehicles and almost always tow a car.

fun_family_vacations

Hello,

We have had a minivan on all of our NP adventures. And while a minivan is more 'nimble' than an RV, there weren't many occassions when an RV would have held us back - perhaps a few bear sightings / pull-offs would be tricky. One thing that I forgot to recommend was the 'cowboy cookout' that departs out of Roosevelt Lodge (Yellowstone) - great time!

Enjoy your trip - it sounds like a dream vacation!

- Mike

peterboy

I'd dump the RV, get a nice car and enjoy the trip. Many of the NP roads are narrow and you'll spend too much time looking for a place to park the beast. Not fun driving and I'd much rather carry a couple of suitcases into a room than deal with all the BS of hooking up and unhooking an RV everyday. Plus, once it is parked, how do you get anywhere. It will limit your experience.

claricky

Thx everyone. Sounds like we should reconsider the RV. Maybe go for a station wagon-type car. Easier to lug cases out and back again. Although maybe not safe if stuff is visible through the windows when parked. I'll post again when we're putting the itinerary together.

claricky

Hi all. I'm back again with a new plan. I've decided to ditch the RV idea, and will hire a car instead.
We plan to leave from San Diego on 20th May and head for Grand Canyon (via a few days in Sedona),then Bryce, Zion, Yosemite (spending about 3 days at each Park)- total time about 3 weeks, and finish in SF for a week. Then take a leisurely drive down the coast for about a week.
It sounds like Yellowstone and Tetons will be too cold mid June.
So we will fly to the east coast for a few weeks (New Orleans, New York, Washington DC, etc., and then fly back to Portland, Oregon for a few days and travel to Yellowstone and Tetons from there. By then it should be around the 3rd week in July. And presumably a lot warmer.
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

jamie99

OK Memorial Day is Monday May 29 next year so be sure to have reservations in advance for that weekend, as it is considered to be the "unofficial" start of summer. Places like Yosemite get really crowded and booked way in advance (like a year).

jayne1973

Just FYI--we just did a trip in mid June to Yellowstone and the weather was in the 60s and 70s (F.) ONe day is was about 80 -- definitely not too cold.