Routes and campgrounds in west
Hi. We are a family of 10 looking to go out west but have no idea of routes and campgrounds as such. I figured many have done these week or 2 week trips before. Does anyone have links or know of a bo...
Forum Discussion
I'd take a different focus. 14 days isn't enough to do a grand tour of the West. Too much driving, too little touring.
Instead of trying to cover it all, pick a region, and cover it WELL. Save other parts of the West for another trip.
So look at what you want to actually SEE. What are your expectations? Do you want National Parks, like the Yellowstone or the Tetons? Are you looking for the Cowboy experience, like the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo? Do you want the desert, like the Grand Canyon? You probably can't do it all, so decide what's most important.
You could focus on the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Moab area, and spend 10 days doing those, plus drive time back and forth. That'd cover the desert part of the West.
Or you could aim farther north, and hit Yellowstone, the Tetons, and Cody. Maybe even head up to Glacier for a few days. Or skip Glacier and stop in the Black Hills and Devil's Tower for a couple of days on the way back. That'd take you through the mountains.
Keep the weather in mind, too, for the part of the year you're traveling in. Mid-summer? Going farther north might be better. The Grand Canyon/Moab area gets HOT, and sleeping 10 people in a camper when the AC won't keep up will make for long nights, not to mention hiking in heat you're not accustomed to during the day. Going early or late in the season? Roads in Yellowstone and Glacier can be closed due to snow far past when you'd normally expect. For example, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier often doesn't open until late June.
It can take a lot of planning.
Instead of trying to cover it all, pick a region, and cover it WELL. Save other parts of the West for another trip.
So look at what you want to actually SEE. What are your expectations? Do you want National Parks, like the Yellowstone or the Tetons? Are you looking for the Cowboy experience, like the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo? Do you want the desert, like the Grand Canyon? You probably can't do it all, so decide what's most important.
You could focus on the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Moab area, and spend 10 days doing those, plus drive time back and forth. That'd cover the desert part of the West.
Or you could aim farther north, and hit Yellowstone, the Tetons, and Cody. Maybe even head up to Glacier for a few days. Or skip Glacier and stop in the Black Hills and Devil's Tower for a couple of days on the way back. That'd take you through the mountains.
Keep the weather in mind, too, for the part of the year you're traveling in. Mid-summer? Going farther north might be better. The Grand Canyon/Moab area gets HOT, and sleeping 10 people in a camper when the AC won't keep up will make for long nights, not to mention hiking in heat you're not accustomed to during the day. Going early or late in the season? Roads in Yellowstone and Glacier can be closed due to snow far past when you'd normally expect. For example, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier often doesn't open until late June.
It can take a lot of planning.
