Gina and I are planning a 2-month loop heading north from Little Rock, Ar in late August. Honestly don't have a route preference, but want to get Tetons, Yellowstone, something cool in Oregon (crater lake??), south to redwoods, san fan/napa valley, and east to canyonland maybe on way home. Other than that general route, we'd love to hear some inputs, destinations, attractions, cool campgrounds, what-have-you. Appreciate the inputs guys.Brent

From Tulsa I usually make haste to the mountains of northern NM and make my way north through Colorado, to take advantage of the cooler temps and great scenery. Wolf Creek Pass north of Pagosa Springs has a great view of the valley and a short walk to Treasure Falls. The drive from Durango to Ouray is spectacular, but some folks get nervous about the dropoffs along the roadway and the many sharp curves. As an alternative, head west from Durango to Cortez area and then north toward Telluride. You might enjoy the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Don't miss driving through the Colorado National Monument (allow at least a half day) to see some great sandstone formations and scenic overlooks.The Tetons should be great at that time of year. I'm looking forward to going back there this summer and taking the boat ride across Jenny Lake to walk a trail or two east of there; my brother says it's fabulous. Most everyone seems to say that Colter Bay is a great CG there.When you head west from Yellowstone, I understand that northern Idaho is quite scenic. And I've seen pictures of Wallowa Valley across the border in E Oregon that make me want to go there sometime. Plus that whole Oregon/N.Cal coastline sounds wonderful. Have a great time.

Driving and camping on the Oregon coast is great. They have wonderful state parks along the Pacific and since you are going towards the end of summer you may be in luck as far as getting reservations.

Little Rock, AR to Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower to Little Big Horn to Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park to Glacier National Park to The Dalles OR to Cape Lookout State Park to Coos Bay OR to Crater Lake National Park to Lake Tahoe to Zion National Park to Durango CO to Santa Fe NM to Palo Duro Canyon TX State Park and then back home.

Great suggestions so far. FYI, I am a little afraid of heights. Did east yellowstone to Cody and was seriously on edge! Confederation bridge (PEI) freaked me out a little too. Thanks guys. Please continue.

Suggested Loop and Attractions | Good Sam Community

edm3rd
Explorer
May 24, 2015
Careful on the mountain weather, particularly in Colorado. Snowed on me one year on Labor Day, 6-8 inches, but all gone by mid-afternoon.
Brent_and_Gina
Explorer
May 23, 2015
kknowlton wrote:
Oregon state parks can be true gems. We sure enjoyed the 2 we were in last fall on our vacation (Champoeg - pronounced Shampoo-y- about 40-50 miles south of Portland, and Tumalo, near Bend).

I would say that Crater Lake is worth a couple days; haven't yet been to the John Day Fossil Beds but they sure look intriguing!

Another good base camp idea for Yellowstone is West Yellowstone; our favorite CG there is Grizzly RV, has everything you need, very clean & convenient, and close to the park entrance. If you don't mind a 15-30 mile drive to the west entrance, Island Park, Idaho has some nice NFS CGs (a few have hookups & take reservations) and Henrys Lake SP is nice, though not shaded. Gorgeous 360-degree mountain views, though!

I don't recall seeing what your camping rig is. That could make a difference for some of the recommendations when it comes to specific CGs.

Thanks! We stayed at Grizzly in 2012 along with one in the Tetons I can't recall the name. Beautiful campground and great area. It's why we're going back through there! We just sold the Cameo and are now sporting a Grand Design 5W.

Brent
kknowlton
Explorer II
May 23, 2015
Oregon state parks can be true gems. We sure enjoyed the 2 we were in last fall on our vacation (Champoeg - pronounced Shampoo-y- about 40-50 miles south of Portland, and Tumalo, near Bend).

I would say that Crater Lake is worth a couple days; haven't yet been to the John Day Fossil Beds but they sure look intriguing!

Another good base camp idea for Yellowstone is West Yellowstone; our favorite CG there is Grizzly RV, has everything you need, very clean & convenient, and close to the park entrance. If you don't mind a 15-30 mile drive to the west entrance, Island Park, Idaho has some nice NFS CGs (a few have hookups & take reservations) and Henrys Lake SP is nice, though not shaded. Gorgeous 360-degree mountain views, though!

I don't recall seeing what your camping rig is. That could make a difference for some of the recommendations when it comes to specific CGs.
RedRocket204
Explorer
May 21, 2015
Some more Oregon suggestions...

The coast is definitely a must, lived on the north coast for nine years and it truly is beautiful.

Having said that, Oregon's John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is amazing for natural scenery. There are 3 units there, this one being Painted Hills Unit:

There is no camping in the park so you would need to find a spot near there. We stayed in a great little town, Dayville, at the Fish House Inn and RV Park. It is really small so reservations are recommended. Near Dayville is another John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Sheep Rock Unit. There is a HS north of Dayville where you can legally dig for leaf fossils. There are many orchards nearby and you can pick you own fruit.

This area is truly a gem that most are not aware of. No crowds when we were there and such a nice place to visit.
Brent_and_Gina
Explorer
May 20, 2015
I'd like to bump this back into circulation for inputs from anyone who wouldn't mind helping. Thanks so much.
Brent_and_Gina
Explorer
Mar 03, 2015
BJ/NW Arkansas wrote:
I see no one has addressed the Napa/San Francisco area. To avoid all of the traffic in SF we stayed at the KOA in Petaluma,CA. It is named San Francisco North/Petaluma. It is close to both of the wine valley areas for a day trip. Park is fair. They do offer a guided tour to San Francisco that is very good.

Thanks! Could I ask what the tour covers?
BJ_NW_Arkansas
Explorer
Mar 03, 2015
I see no one has addressed the Napa/San Francisco area. To avoid all of the traffic in SF we stayed at the KOA in Petaluma,CA. It is named San Francisco North/Petaluma. It is close to both of the wine valley areas for a day trip. Park is fair. They do offer a guided tour to San Francisco that is very good.
Brent_and_Gina
Explorer
Feb 28, 2015
Butterfly & Bryce. Very cool. Both things we could do. We did two butterfly exhibits before. One at Stone Mountain in a tent and another in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The Canadian one was pretty good IIRC.
pjsky
Explorer
Feb 27, 2015
If you are in Sioux Falls SD, stop at the Butterfly House and Marine Cove. It is a great attraction. Some rate it as the top butterfly conservatory in North America.
BubbaChris
Explorer
Feb 27, 2015
Bryce is a must-see again and again for us. The saying here in Utah is that if we didn't already have 5 National Parks we'd have a few more. Some some of the State parks are just as interesting (e.g. Snow Canyon).

I live fairly close to Zion and love it, but find it sometimes lacks the wow-factor if you're only spending part of a day there. At Bryce it is easy to find a short hike down into the fins and hoodoos.