Which western national park in May?
 

I'm in the very early stages of planning a mid-May 2006 vacation, and am currently leaning toward including some time in one or more national parks out west. We are coming from Michigan.

Most likely, we'd fly out on a Saturday and home the following Saturday, but the trip could end up shorter.

We have thought about maybe combining with some urban time - maybe Seattle with Glacier and/or Mount Ranier and/or Olympic or Las Vegas with Grand Canyon and/or southern Utah parks. Or maybe Yosemite with something in Southern Ca.

We do want to do some hiking, though nothing terribly strenuous or dangerous. I'm looking into many options, but thought I'd pick your brains and see what you think based on that particular time of year.

Thanks! :)

Sorry - I should clarify that it will be just me and my husband - both in our 30s.

Mid-May is just on the cusp of the switch from chancy weather to good weather. The farther south you are, the better chance you will have for good weather. That's not to say it may not be beautiful in Seattle or Glacier but there are better odds further south. Zion Natl Park is usually good at that time or Big Bend Natl Park in Texas. Las Vegas is convenient for either the GC or Zion.

right along the coast in southern Calif, it can be wonderful or it could be an early occurance of June Gloom-the almost daily occurance of low clouds and fog that tends (but not always) to burn away be late morning or early afternoon.

Death Valley is starting to heat up by mid-may so an earlier visit there usualy has more tolerable tempratures.

If it were me and I had a week, I'd fly into LV then do both the south rim of the GC and Zion Park.

Hi jlm_mi.

Of the three trips you mention, we did the Vegas/Zion/Bryce/Grand Canyon/Flagstaff/Sedona/Phoenix trip a few years back. We flew into Vegas then took a rental car one-way to Phoenix where we flew out. I think we had one week and spent two days in Vegas and left on noon of the third day. We went first to see Hoover Dam and then went back and headed east to Zion. Spent one night in Zion and a half-day at the park then drove to Bryce in time to walk through the main stop that everyone goes to. Then drove to a great little western town and spent the night (starts with a K), then went to the the North rim and spent the day and a night at the GC, then drove to Flagstaff where we visited family. Then went to Sedona for a day. Then drove to Phoenix just to catch our plane. If I had it all to do over again, I'd spend more time at the parks and less at the relatives but you won't have that dilemma to deal with.

No, thankfully there will be no other relatives on this trip. :-D

Thanks for the ideas so far. I look forward to reading about all my options. I should also mention that the only park we've been to before is Capitol Reef, and that was just for an afternoon, so we're total newbies. Whichever park I've read or seen a TV show about last is the one I most want to go to. :)

I'm sure we'll do more such trips in the future, but the planning and daydreaming is so much fun.

I can almost guarantee that Goin to the Sun Road in Glacier Park will NOT be open that early in the year. Some trails will also be closed with snow.
As time gets closer, check with
www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm

C'mon out west and have a great time!