Forum Discussion

aka4170's avatar
aka4170
Explorer
Dec 22, 2018

Buffalo, NY to Seattle and back suggestions

Hello! You all give great advice so I thought to ask for this years summer trip. We have 6 weeks traveling in a 35 foot travel trailer with two teenage daughters, a cat and dog. Every summer we travel for about 6 weeks around the USA. This trip will earn us visiting 47 states.

Leaving last week of June (we are teachers). Looking for campground suggestions at these spots (we need at least electric and water hookup. Dump for more than 3-4 nights), recommended nights at each and must sees there or along the way: (we like our National Parks and historical sites. We like off the beaten ways but if a major city is a must, we will visit it for a few hours). Our route will be drive straight out two days from Buffalo, NY to Teddy Roosevelt to ensure enough time to see all out west:

1. Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota (both entrances)
2. Glacier National Park
3. Possibly North Cascades National Park
4. Olympic National Park
5. Mt. Rainer National Park
6. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
7. (I want to go, hubby not too excited thinks it is too far south) Redwood National Park in California
8. Crater Lake National Park
Now headed back East....
9. Craters of the Moon National Monument (is it worth the visit?)
10. Grand Teton National Park (we already did Yellowstone in 2012)

After this...suggestions to get back to Buffalo, NY??

Any tips are greatly appreciated. Just starting to plan.

THANK YOU!!!
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Dec 22, 2018
    Thats an awful lot of driving to only see the highlights. Heck, you could spend 6 weeks on Oregon alone and not see everything.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Dec 22, 2018
    aka4170 wrote:
    7. (I want to go, hubby not too excited thinks it is too far south) Redwood National Park in California
    That should be a must-see. There's nothing quite like standing in the majesty of a redwood forest.
  • aka4170's avatar
    aka4170
    Explorer
    Dec 22, 2018
    Yes, it is a lot of driving but we only have so much time. We are just scratching the surface now. When we retire, we will go back to our favorites and go more in detail.
  • aka4170's avatar
    aka4170
    Explorer
    Dec 22, 2018
    2oldman wrote:
    aka4170 wrote:
    7. (I want to go, hubby not too excited thinks it is too far south) Redwood National Park in California
    That should be a must-see. There's nothing quite like standing in the majesty of a redwood forest.


    I agree! :-)
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Dec 22, 2018
    Most of the national parks you've mentioned, have no hookups. So you'll have to stay in private parks.
    North Cascades is mainly a hiking region and has very few campgrounds for RVs.
    You'll need reservations for any of the Washington and Oregon campgrounds.
  • aka4170's avatar
    aka4170
    Explorer
    Dec 22, 2018
    bikendan wrote:
    Most of the national parks you've mentioned, have no hookups. So you'll have to stay in private parks.
    North Cascades is mainly a hiking region and has very few campgrounds for RVs.
    You'll need reservations for any of the Washington and Oregon campgrounds.


    Thank you. have you camped at any campgrounds around that you would recommend?
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Dec 23, 2018
    I think it sounds like a wonderful trip you've outlined. Yes, more time is always a nice thing, but I don't think this is an impossible itinerary; you'd have two or so days at most of the parks, it looks like, if my guessing is about correct.

    Two days to get from Buffalo to TRNP is awfully ambitious; Google Maps puts it at just about 22 hours, and it would be longer in an RV (and could be a lot longer if you hit Chicago area traffic wrongly). It sounds as though you're probably experienced enough to figure out whether it works for you or not.

    I would suggest if possible leaving the pets behind as national parks in general are not all that accommodating of pets.

    Between Glacier and TRNP, I quite enjoyed the Havre Underground tour, though it's more aimed towards elementary and junior high aged children I think.
  • martinto's avatar
    martinto
    Explorer
    Dec 23, 2018
    We used RVParky.com: Set up our routes to desired stops along the way. Generally called a day ahead to CG’s that were in our path. The site shows all the CG’s in your selected area. All the reviews are on the RVP site. In 7 week between SC and WA, we only hit one CG that was below our expectations. Safe travels.
  • dennis1's avatar
    dennis1
    Explorer
    Dec 23, 2018
    Mt Rainier NP no Full hookup within the park. White River campground in Mt Rainier NP opens late June. Crater lake NP opens late August or somewhere about there. Need to check. May need to check North Cascade NP ALSO.
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Dec 23, 2018
    aka4170 wrote:
    bikendan wrote:
    Most of the national parks you've mentioned, have no hookups. So you'll have to stay in private parks.
    North Cascades is mainly a hiking region and has very few campgrounds for RVs.
    You'll need reservations for any of the Washington and Oregon campgrounds.


    Thank you. have you camped at any campgrounds around that you would recommend?


    when we camp at these places, we dry camp. only park, that we've been to, that has a campground with hookups, is in Grand Tetons, Colter Bay RV campground.

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