advice: 3 wks National parks - help plan my trip!
 

In July/August 13 I would like to take my 4 kids out west to tour some of our beautiful national parks. We have about 3 weeks, we are thinking of flying in and out of Vegas. So far we know NOTHING. Which parks? Which RV? Which gear? How much time to spend where? good planning tools? Any advice would be appreciated!

If I were you I would rent a car with three rows of seats and room for luggage and use the in park lodging, or near by motels.

Vegas is fine as a launch point if you get good air fare when you want to go. I would do a loop from there and include Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, and Hoover Dam for the basics and you could loop in either direction. Expect it to be hot in most of them in the summer, so give the kids a break with a stop at a motel with a pool every couple of days. Make reservations now.

You might add stops in non-national parks like Monument Valley, Valley of Fire State Park, to name a few.

Search here using the search box at the top of the page and put in the names of some of the places you want to visit. There are tons of trip reports that will give you information on possible alternatives. If you click on my name you can scroll down to a couple that I've done if you want a little basic information, but do look for some where folks have brought kids too.

If you really want to do the RV thing, make reservations in campgrounds now also.

You could fly into Denver and go to Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and the Black Hills in 3 weeks. That would be cooler than the parks in the southwest near Vegas. It's probably more driving than visiting the parks that emalloy listed but very doable in 3 weeks. In the Black Hills you'd have Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave and Custer State Park, and Badlands National Park is not too far east of there.

RVs are a bit harder to drive and get terrible gas mileage. On the plus side you're more of a self-contained unit so you wouldn't have to pack/unpack every time you switch locations.

I think your first step is to figure out where you want to visit in general terms (Southwest, mountains or somewhere else) and then you can work on the specific itinerary, RV or not, etc. So ask yourself what type of climate and scenery you would prefer and weigh those options before getting real specific about gear and itinerary.

Im not sure how much of Utah I would do at that time. HOT HOT.
Plus all the parks really require a few days each, for the most part. They are fantastic!!!

How old are the kids and how adventurous? There are no National Parks in Idaho. There is only one in Nevada and it is the least visited one in the US(but that might really make me visit it).

Buy a National Park Pass on your first entrance to save $$$.

Here I go--3 weeks from Denver. The bad thing about Denver airport is that car rentals are jacked up high.

Day 1-3 from the airport drive to Estes Park and overnight at any of the hotels you like there. The drive is a bit longer, but we always stop at Whole Foods in Boulder and get picnic supplies for our first day in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is one of the bigger WF that I have been in and its right on the highway. I would have a meal in The Stanley Hotel-even if it is just breakfast(you could stay there). I really like the hike to Sky Pond-it passes a couple of really good waterfalls and includes The Loch area of the park. Of Course, drive Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road

Day 4-8 Drive to Custer State Park in the Black Hills
See Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Badlands, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park.

Day 9 Drive to Red Lodge, MT
with a stop @ Devils Tower National Monument

Day 10 Drive Beartooth Hwy into Yellowstone NP
Stop along Beartooth,
In Yellowstone see Lamar and Hayden Valley
See Tower area
Have a meal at Roosevelt Lodge or do one of their
horseback or hayride/dinner there
Overnight @ Roosevelt Cabins

Day 11 Canyon Area in Yellowstone
Evening Meal @ Lake Hotel
Do a Historic Yellow Bus Tour
Overnight @ Old Faithful Inn *3 nights)

Day 12 Spend the majority of you day at Upper Geyser Basin
See Old Faithful, Riverside Geyer, Castle Geyser and
more.

Day 13 More Yellowstone

Day 14 Grand Tetons-Take boat across Jenn Lake and hike to
Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
Overnight @ Colter Village, Signal Mnt., or Jackson
Lake Lodge

Day 15 Float mild or wild on Snake River
spend afternoon in Jackson
Alpine Slide

Day 16 Drive to Salt Lake City
See Mormon stuff/Tabernacle/Choir

Day 17-20 Drive to Moab
See Goblin Valley on the Way
Also Hike Little Wild Horse Canyon near the goblins
Hike Delicate Arch
Hike Landscape Arch

Consider my all time favorite adventure with
www.deserthighlights.com Very amazing!!!

Day 21-23
Drive to Mesa Verde/Durango
I really like www.soaringcanopytours.com
It's very expensive but nothing else comes close

Day 24 Home


I hate to tell you this-- but Yellowstone, Tetons, and Custer may all be full already. You really need to get those reservations 12 months in advance(the day they become available-12 months is the norm).

You really can't go wrong with any of the West National Parks.
I've been to nearly all of them. Even the ones in Washington and Oregon are awesome and they would be much better weather there. Lodges there are likely full already too.

I don't think I would attempt to do this much in an RV.

For a different perspective, we had a small motor home when the kids were pre-teen and teen agers . . they are now in the 40's and still talk about how much fun our trips to the different National Parks were.

You want to strike a balance between large enough to be comfortable for everyone and small enough to be driven and parked at the different sites.

There is just nothing like wakeing up and cooking breakfast outside in the middle of one of the parks . . One of our most vivid memories is breakfast at a turnout next to the Black Fork of the Gunnison River just outside Yellowstone! !

My number one priority would be the Grand Canyon, followed by Yellowtone, then Carlsbad Caverns . . but they all have something memorable to offer.

As far as the RV goes, a great deal depends on the ages of your 4 kids. The older they are, the more room you'll need, which means a bigger RV. The bigger the RV, the harder/less convenient it is to make the trip without a towed vehicle to get around the Parks with. Finding a place to park can be a challenge in some of the Parks, especially in July/August. We have a 31 footer and there are only a few of the Parks we've been to that I'd attempt without our Jeep tagging along behind us.

There are so many great Parks out that way and in 3 weeks you could get to quite a few of them if you don't try to over extend yourselves.

In-Park lodging was something we always tried for in our pre-RV days, now we try for in-park camping. That's more important in some Parks than others, IMHO. Yellowstone in particular is best visited from in-Park lodging because it's so large and traffic moves slowly.

If you opt to rent a decent size SUV or van instead of an RV, don't despair of finding vacancies in the Parks. You just have to be persistent. People do make reservations a year in advance. Then they discover they can't make the trip and release those spots. Calling often, more frequently as the time gets closer, will often result in snagging one of those. The same applies to the campgrounds.

Depending on which Parks you want to visit, Vegas may or may not be your best bet. For Yellowstone one time we flew into Billings and drove the Beartooth into the Park. Another trip we flew to Salt Lake City and headed east to Arches, then hit Monument Valley, the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, etc in a big loop.

My best advice is to zero in on what Parks you want to visit - while looking at a map so you keep them somewhat "clustered" and go from there. So many wonderful ones. It's hard to choose. It's also hard to go wrong.

If cost is an issue, consider camping. Cheap equipment is available at any K-Mart, Sports Authority, etc. The cost will be recoup in ten days. But it assumes that one is willing to cook and that the kids will help in setting up and breaking up camp. Donate the equipment to Goodwill at the end of the trip.

How much time do you think we should commit to the Badlands/Black Hills/Jewel Cave/Custer/Rushmore/Wind Cave area assuming we can sneak in before the motorcycle rally?

WHOA -- for some reason, I JUST got some of these replies. AMAZING info - thank you!!

My in-laws were full-time RVers for about 4-5 years. (Technically, they had a large fifth-wheel trailer and a truck.) If you want to visit the parks with an RV, you want to get on some RV specific chat boards and find out what routes they recommend. My father-in-law became pretty knowledgeable about which specific routes were the best for a large vehicle. For some odd reason, these things have canyons and mountains around them:)

You want to reserve pull-through campsites whenever you can. Some campgrounds like KOA will have a pool and activities. Some state parks will have campfires and kids' activities as well.

We have gotten the best of both worlds by staying with Grandma and Grandpa (bringing a tent to go next to the RV). Kids really do love the RV vacation, but it will be more work for you. It slows you down, and maybe that's a good thing on vacation. Things like washing up the dishes and packing up the campsite take time each morning, and of course, you won't drive as fast in one.

Thanks SO much for the wise words. Based on family talks and feedback here and elsewhere, here is what we have cut down to so far. We are still a couple of days over. Do you see anywhere we can thin? Or, anywhere we are on the wrong track? Also, if anyone has any addl rec's for specific campgrounds, experiences, etc. I think we are about ready to start feeding those in to the plan...

1. Arrive Denver
• Hotel
• Car/Gear
2. Wake up Denver
• Drive 7 hours to Badlands
• Tent
3. Awake in Badlands
• Badlands Park
• Tent
4. Awake in Badlands
• Drive 2.25 hours to Bear Country
• Drive 45 min to Jewel Cave
• Tent
5. Awake in Black Hills
• Drive 6 hours to Cody
• Rodeo/Cliff Jump?
• Hotel
6. Awake Cody
• Cliff Jump
• Drive 2 hours to Yellowstone
• Tent
7. Yellowstone
• Tent
9. Yellowstone
• Tent
10. Yellowstone
• Tent/1 hour to Jackson Hotel?
11. Awake in Yellowstone/Jackson
• Grand Teton
• 9am snake river trip
• 6pm shootout in Jackson
• Hotel
12. Awake in Teton
• Drive 9 hours to Capitol Reef
• Hotel
13. Wake up Capitol Reef Hotel
• Tent
14. Wake up Capitol Reef
• Bryce Canyon?
• Drive 6 hours to Grand Canyon
• Tent
15. Grand Canyon
• Tent
16. Awake Grand Canyon
• Drive 3 hours to Lake Powell
• Tent
17. Awake Lake Powell
• Boat
• Tent
18. Awake Lake Powell
• Drive 5 hours to Moab
• Hotel
19. Awake Moab
• Canyonlands
• Tent/Hotel
20. Awake Moab
• Tent/Hotel
21. Awake Moab
• Drive 5+ hours to Denver
22. Fly home

also, looking for advice about camping IN the parks or in KOAs just outside the parks...

For camping in the parks, go to www.nps.gov and put in the individual parks. Some you can reserve on line, some are first come first book.

If you look at BLM or National Forrest web pages you can get some information on camping in them. Many have no fee and no services.

It will be pretty hot in Page and Moab. I would spend a little extra for a hotel with a pool. Then again, Motel 6 is as close to camping as I get, so you may be OK with that. :-)

Lee Ann

Okay. Thanks for all your incredible input. We made some cuts, left in other things. I think we have a plan we can stick with. Here is where we settled:
1. Arrive Denver
2. Awake Denver Hotel
• Drive 4 hours to Lusk, WY
3. Awake Lusk Hotel
• Drive 2.5 hours to Rapid City KOA
• Custer State Park , Rushmore
4. Awake Rapid City
• Day Trip to Badlands (Pinnacle entrance)
5. Awake in Rapid City [
• Jewel Cave
• Drive 6 hours to Cody, Rodeo ?
• Hotel OR Tent @ Cody KOA
6. Awake in Cody
• Drive 2 hours to Yellowstone
• Tent @ Norris NP Camping Ground
7. Awake in Yellowstone
8. Awake in Yellowstone
9. Awake in Yellowstone
• Yellowstone/Tetons
• 1 hr Drive to Jackson, hotel
10. Awake in Jackson
• Grand Teton Mad River Tours)
• Jackson Alpine Slide?
• 6pm shootout in Jackson
11. Awake in Jackson
• 5 hours to Salt Lake City, hotel
12. Awake in Salt Lake
• Morning on lake?
• 3.75 hours to Capitol Reef
• Tent at Fruita NP Camping Ground
13. Wake up Capitol Reef
• Explore Capitol Reef
• Drive to Bryce Canyon? Or straight to Grand Canyon
14. Wake up Bryce/Grand Canyon
• Explore GC North Rim
• Tent at NP Camping Ground
15. Awake Grand Canyon
• Drive 3 hours to Lake Powell
• Tour of Dam
• Tent @ Wahweap Camping Ground or Lone Rock Beac
16. Awake in Lake Powell
• Rent Boat
17. Awake in Lake Powell
• Drive 5 hours to Moab
• Explore Canyonlands, tent at Willow Flat or Squaw Flat
18. Awake in Canyonlands
• Explore Canyonlands – boating?
• Head to Arches, Tent @ Devils Garden NP Campground in Arches
19. Awake in Arches
• Explore Arches
20. Awake in Arches
• Drive 5+ hours to Denver
• Hotel TBD
21. Awake in Denver
• Fly home

Thanks for all your help!!!

Your missing Goblin Valley in UT. It does have shower in the campground there, btw. Cap Reef is a beautiful campground.

What is at lusk that you are spending the night there?
Your not going to see Wind Cave?

I might be tempted to do a couple of different spots in Yellowstone for the camping. It's a big big park.

I'll check out Goblin Valley. I saw one other reference but haven't taken a look.

Lusk was just a stop-over b/c we felt going from Denver all the way to Rapid City on the first day with no payoff would be too much for the kids. Totally open to another suggestion...

In re: Yellowstone, I'm working on getting my husband on board with the multiple Yellowstone campgrounds option : )

Oh -- and Wind Cave is on the maybe list...

I'd just go all the way instead of stopping.