Bucket List for Out West National Parks

sedwheathome wrote:
...We have an 8 year old boy, so this is the BESTEST time to start our Out-West travels...

For the boy, many National Parks have Junior Ranger Programs. Maybe Dinosaur National Monument and the Utah Field House State Park near Vernal, Utah would be of interest. Goblin Valley State Park in Utah is an amazing place.

Cody is a gateway to Yellowstone from the East. The Buffalo Bill Center in Cody is a huge complex of museums. Cody also has a Nightly Rodeo. In Yellowstone, consider the chuckwagon cookout.

I was impressed with mesa arch in the canyonlands. saw a bunch of the native American stuff in the SW.
bumpy

Lots to choose from for sure. If you're going through Wyoming on your way to some of those beautiful National Parks you might like to take your son here, I had always wanted to see the "ruts" and three years ago we made it to Guernsey. It a small feature but it's history..... They have a real nice park to stay in too. ;)

Dan

www.nps.gov

The National Park Service's website is outstanding. Plan your travels in depth!

Glacier
Yellowstone
Grand Tetons
Badlands
Rushmore (tho it will be a disappointment)
Dinosaur NM
Arches
Capitol Reef
Bryce Canyon
Zion
Grand Canyon--I prefer the North Rim
Mesa Verde
Great Sand Dunes
Rocky Mountains
Petrified Forest
Carlsbad Caverns
Barrenger Crater (not national)
Chaco
Death Valley
Yosemite
Lassen Volcanic
Redwoods
Crater Lake
Mt Ranier
Olympic
North Cascades


and in Alaska--Denali, Glacier Bay, Katmai ect.

There are many smaller parks that you will be close to and which are worth a visit: Hovenwep, Devils Tower, Black Canyon of the Gunnison for example.

May or early June could be a good time to see some of the southwestern parks. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches. The weather shouldn't be too hot yet at that time.

Mid June through August usually bring nice camping weather farther north: Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier. (But Glacier's Going to the Sun Road doesn't open until sometime in July.)

They say Yosemite is best in April/May when the waterfalls are full, but almost any time it's beautiful.

Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Sequoia National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Redwoods National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Bryce Canyon Nation Park, Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Denali National Park. Not necessarily in that order and I'm sure I have forgotten a few. We live in such a beautiful country!

I highly suggest Yosemite National Park,Yellowstone National Park, and Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Additionally, while it is not a national park, if you are anywhere near Cody Wyoming I highly suggest you make an effort to visit the Buffalo Bill Centerof the West . . . often called the Smithsonian of the West. I really don't think you are any of the family will regret that!

google is your friend. check each park on a map and the government web site.
every body likes different things and have different time allocations and weather concerns.
with a child yellowstone and tetons would be #1 on my list followed by the blacks hills.