National Parks June/ July... A/C needed?
Hi, We are taking a 1 month trip out west (from PA) starting June 17th. All of our National Park campsites are no hookups and I'm trying to decide if I should buy a generator to run the A/C at tim...
Forum Discussion
Thanks so much for all the replies! We have hookups in Canyonlands (Private campground, I was mistaken originally), in Yosemite (outside the park), and Olympic (Sol Duc Resort). So I think we will be alright without A/C on the parks without hookups and if it's a little crappy a day or two we'll live. We will probably end up getting a used 1000 watt honda to use only when the batteries need the be charged. We have a 30amp charger so the 1000watt should handle that just fine.
Here is our very rough itinerary below! As for the drive out there and back, it's about 25 hours from our place to Rocky Mountain National Park (our first park). That is two very easy days for us... I've done dozens of drives over 20 hours without stopping except for gas, so I really don't think we'll be too worked up about a few 12 hour days. Once we are out there, of course some days will be mostly driving, but there will also be plenty of days that we will be staying in one park and returning to the same site. I would love to spend more time out there, but this is what we have available and I would rather see a little bit of a lot of parks, then a lot of a few parks. Then, when we get the chance to do it again, we'll pick our favorite and spend more time at those.
We gave ourself 4 days to get from San Francisco to Olympic, which is about 15-20 hours of driving, so we will have plenty of time to check out the sights up the coast and take our time.
6-17 Leave/ Travel
6-18 Travel
6-19 Arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park, checkin mid day, explore RMNP
6-20 Explore RMNP and/ or Denver, return to camp
6-21 Explore RMNP and/ or Denver, return to camp
6-22 Leave RMNP, head for Canyonlands National Park, go through Wolf Creek Pass and Durango, find campground that night
6-23 Arrive in CNP late in day, check in, explore the town of Moab?/ Canyonlands if there is time
6-24 Off Road 4x4 White Rim Trail, camp at Murphy’s Campsite on White Rim Road
6-25 Off Road 4x4 White Rim Trail, return to CNP campsite
6-26 Leave CNP, head to Grand Canyon, check in
6-27 Explore GC, return to GC campsite
6-28 Leave GC, travel to Yosemite National Park, find campsite along the way
6-29 Check in at YNP early in day
6-30 Explore YNP, return to camp
7-1 Leave YNP, check into San Francisco campground
7-2 Explore San Francisco
7-3 Leave San Francisco/ Travel
7-4 Travel
7-5 Travel
7-6 Arrive in Olympic National Park, check in
7-7 Explore ONP, return to camp
7-8 Leave ONP, head for Seattle, camp just south of city
7-9 Explore Seattle, return to camp
7-10 Leave Seattle, head for Glacier National Park and check in
7-11 Explore GNP, return to camp
7-12 Leave GNP, head for Yellowstone National Park, check in Baker’s Hole Campground (no reservations)
7-13 Explore YNP, return to camp
7-14 Leave YNP, head home (32 hours)
Here is our very rough itinerary below! As for the drive out there and back, it's about 25 hours from our place to Rocky Mountain National Park (our first park). That is two very easy days for us... I've done dozens of drives over 20 hours without stopping except for gas, so I really don't think we'll be too worked up about a few 12 hour days. Once we are out there, of course some days will be mostly driving, but there will also be plenty of days that we will be staying in one park and returning to the same site. I would love to spend more time out there, but this is what we have available and I would rather see a little bit of a lot of parks, then a lot of a few parks. Then, when we get the chance to do it again, we'll pick our favorite and spend more time at those.
We gave ourself 4 days to get from San Francisco to Olympic, which is about 15-20 hours of driving, so we will have plenty of time to check out the sights up the coast and take our time.
6-17 Leave/ Travel
6-18 Travel
6-19 Arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park, checkin mid day, explore RMNP
6-20 Explore RMNP and/ or Denver, return to camp
6-21 Explore RMNP and/ or Denver, return to camp
6-22 Leave RMNP, head for Canyonlands National Park, go through Wolf Creek Pass and Durango, find campground that night
6-23 Arrive in CNP late in day, check in, explore the town of Moab?/ Canyonlands if there is time
6-24 Off Road 4x4 White Rim Trail, camp at Murphy’s Campsite on White Rim Road
6-25 Off Road 4x4 White Rim Trail, return to CNP campsite
6-26 Leave CNP, head to Grand Canyon, check in
6-27 Explore GC, return to GC campsite
6-28 Leave GC, travel to Yosemite National Park, find campsite along the way
6-29 Check in at YNP early in day
6-30 Explore YNP, return to camp
7-1 Leave YNP, check into San Francisco campground
7-2 Explore San Francisco
7-3 Leave San Francisco/ Travel
7-4 Travel
7-5 Travel
7-6 Arrive in Olympic National Park, check in
7-7 Explore ONP, return to camp
7-8 Leave ONP, head for Seattle, camp just south of city
7-9 Explore Seattle, return to camp
7-10 Leave Seattle, head for Glacier National Park and check in
7-11 Explore GNP, return to camp
7-12 Leave GNP, head for Yellowstone National Park, check in Baker’s Hole Campground (no reservations)
7-13 Explore YNP, return to camp
7-14 Leave YNP, head home (32 hours)
