Forum Discussion

Gauke's avatar
Gauke
Explorer
Nov 17, 2014

Cross Country in the Spring

Since we are house bound due to the frigid weather already here in November I am in the very beginning stage of planning a cross country trip for the early spring. We will be leaving from Eastern North Carolina hoping to get to Yellowstone and then come down through Utah and Arizona. From there we'll probably head through Texas on to NC. Am open for suggestions for routes, POI's, helpful hints, things/places to avoid, anything you can add to help me with the planning. There is so much to see that I know we can't possibly take it all in but we do want to see as much as possible. With that being said I don't want to be so exhausted by traveling that we can't enjoy the sites. Thanks so much for your help!
Roads and Routes
  • newk's avatar
    newk
    Explorer
    Nov 18, 2014
    CloudDriver wrote:
    ...My suggestion would be to reverse the sequence to head west across TX to AZ and UT and work your way north to arrive in Yellowstone at the end of May to early June....


    X2!

    Late May to early June is a great time to be in Yellowstone. It will still be cool and some roads may still be closed, but most will be open. Better weather will be later, but it won't be getting crowded until late June. Early June is really a beautiful time of year in Yellowstone with lots of baby elk, etc. The main roads going into the park don't usually open until mid-April, if even then.
  • 2gypsies1's avatar
    2gypsies1
    Explorer III
    Nov 18, 2014
    As I also stated in your other post, head south first and end north at Yellowstone. I wouldn't recommend northern Utah into Wyoming until mid to late May. June would be best.
  • CloudDriver's avatar
    CloudDriver
    Explorer
    Nov 17, 2014
    Suggest you check out the official info for Yellowstone here. Most Park roads aren't open until sometime in May and some campgrounds don't open until June. My suggestion would be to reverse the sequence to head west across TX to AZ and UT and work your way north to arrive in Yellowstone at the end of May to early June.

    We have been to Yellowstone and Grand Teton many times over the years and our favorite time is the first two weeks of June. BTW, we always take 8 weeks for the trip, as it's a long way just to get there and get back. Many folks do it in less time, but it's much more relaxed when there is plenty of time.
  • Dick_B's avatar
    Dick_B
    Explorer
    Nov 17, 2014
    Seems like I just responded to a similar request. My answer is to do a Google search for `______ tourism' and put the State, City, area, etc. in the blank space and read what the experts have to recommend.

    Just found a National Geographic Atlas `Adventure Series Road Atlas' that includes `scenic routes, historic sites, recreation information, and points of interest' all for about $20. Seems like just what you would want and all in one place.
  • 4huskers's avatar
    4huskers
    Explorer
    Nov 17, 2014
    Just remember that early spring in Yellowstone will mean not many roads open and probably no campgrounds. Many years there's still a lot of snow in June.

About Bucket List Trips

13,487 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 18, 2025