Reservations-KY to Grand Canyon on route 40

If you're going into UT, there is a long weekend for school kids in mid Oct. We were in Fuita in Capital Reef NP when we woke up to a waiting line to get in, while it was still dark.

Kentucky _Jo wrote:
Be traveling mid September to mid October. Do you believe we will need reservations along the way and at the Grand Canyon. Willing to stay in public or private parks.

We spent the last 3 Septembers and Octobers in New Mexico. Be aware that the Balloon Fiesta is Oct. 6-14. RV parks and campgrounds from Santa Fe to Truth or Consequences may be full for the 2 weeks before and after. Many raise their prices during this time.


In my experience over the past few years, it has become more difficult to get sites with at least electric without reservations. New Mexico is no exception. Parks like Chochiti Lake, Rhiana at Abuqui Lake, and Oliver Lee State Park that get mentioned often on this and other forums can be difficult to get into or get a spot for more than a day or two. If you do not need electric, you will have a better chance at some of the larger public campgrounds. Even if you don't make reservations, checking the date availability page on Recreation dot Gov and Reserve America a couple of days before arrival will give you a good idea of what to expect. Some of the Forest Service campgrounds will close after Labor Day or by the end of September.

This topic reminds me, if you really want to get into the Southwest mood for your drive, pick up a couple of Tony Hillerman audiobooks for the drive. It's fascinating to listen to the stories of the tribal PD and hear the names of so many of the locations as you drive through them.

Kentucky _Jo wrote:

Busskipper wrote:

Kentucky _Jo wrote:
Be traveling mid September to mid October. Do you believe we will need reservations along the way and at the Grand Canyon. Willing to stay in public or private parks.

See if your adventure can include Canyon de Chelly - Images - I'd also try for a little Aspen Leaf Peeping into Colorado in late September - Leaves - Both would be rewarding :)

Reservation are needed at the Grand Canyon.

Along the way you should be fine just getting them a few hours before you arrive. https://www.allstays.com/Campgrounds/

Best of Luck,

Thanks for the suggestion, it looks awesome and I will add it to the trip.

Canyon de Chelly is pretty life-changing. I highly recommend it if you can fit it into your schedule.

Note that it's tribally run and it's on tribal land. Make sure and respect their local laws and traditions. Also make sure to watch the clock carefully: we have been tripped up by Daylight Saving time before. I forget whether they are or aren't on Daylight Saving, but it seems like it's always the opposite of what we expect.

If possible, budget two nights there so that you can have an entire day for the canyon jeep trip without having to worry about traveling that day.

At the Grand Canyon, are you considering the South Rim, the North Rim, or both?

Was there last year in the same time frame. Went to the North Rim first, the last week of full operation for the CG inside the park, near the lodge. Highly recommended. Reservations suggested, there were only a small number of sites that were not occupied. As an alternative, there's a USFS CG outside the entrance to the North Rim.

For the South Rim, the best experience will be to stay at Trailer Village inside the park. Strongly recommend reservations there. Lots of site there, but they do fill up quickly. There's a shuttle service throughout the South Rim Village area, and there's a stop right at the entrance to Trailer Village. 3 major shuttle loops, easy to change from one to another and see the majority of the South Rim via shuttle, no need to drive anywhere.

Kentucky _Jo wrote:

Padlin wrote:
We made the same trip a few years ago starting in TN. As long as you avoid Labor Day and are careful for Columbus day weekend you should be ok. We got stuck at a WM on Labor Day's Saturday night.

We travel early, hitting the road around 7 or so, and pull in early afternoons before most others start looking. Call a bit ahead to verify availability.

All bets are off when you hit touristy areas like The Grand Canyon. Personally I'd have reservations for those spots.

Did you use base camps or move along every couple days. I feel overwhelmed planning this trip because there is so much to see, but so spread out.

We stop for enough time to see what we want to see without rushing. Other then that we just head from A-B doing about 7 hrs a day. Pulling in early we have time to check out the park were in and cruise the area a little. We had reservations in all the national parks we hit, even some of the SP's needed them. We like Kodachrome for checking out the Bryce area.

Worth seeing to us along 40, Petrified National Forest, free camping at the gift shops at the south entrance. Sunset Crater, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Santa Fe, Walnut Canyon, parts of 66. Didn't make it to EL Malpias or Canyon de Chelly. Took us about 10 days for the drive, no including staying in Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

You don't need reservations as you travel especially if you pull in before 3pm. Rest; have a leisurely dinner.

For Grand Canyon I'd highly recommend you try to stay in the park itself... as is the case for all national parks. It will give you the best experience. Also, don't try to get a base camp in the West and try to do multiple national parks. It's a waste of time. You won't really 'see' a national park in a couple hours and then you'll have hour times traveling back and forth. I would guess you wouldn't return and do the same the next day.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm

Each national park has a web site like this with lots of good information on things to do, road conditions; closures, etc.

I would make reservations for the Grand Canyon and other "destination sites" as soon as possible as they can get scarce. When traveling along an interstate we normally don't make reservations until the day before we will arrive at a particular location. We were unable this spring to get a reservation for our desired park in ALBQ but were able to find another park, though much less desirable.

Padlin wrote:
We made the same trip a few years ago starting in TN. As long as you avoid Labor Day and are careful for Columbus day weekend you should be ok. We got stuck at a WM on Labor Day's Saturday night.

We travel early, hitting the road around 7 or so, and pull in early afternoons before most others start looking. Call a bit ahead to verify availability.

All bets are off when you hit touristy areas like The Grand Canyon. Personally I'd have reservations for those spots.

Did you use base camps or move along every couple days. I feel overwhelmed planning this trip because there is so much to see, but so spread out.

Busskipper wrote:

Kentucky _Jo wrote:
Be traveling mid September to mid October. Do you believe we will need reservations along the way and at the Grand Canyon. Willing to stay in public or private parks.

See if your adventure can include Canyon de Chelly - Images - I'd also try for a little Aspen Leaf Peeping into Colorado in late September - Leaves - Both would be rewarding :)

Reservation are needed at the Grand Canyon.

Along the way you should be fine just getting them a few hours before you arrive. https://www.allstays.com/Campgrounds/

Best of Luck,

Thanks for the suggestion, it looks awesome and I will add it to the trip.