Forum Discussion

Thunder_Mountai's avatar
Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
Feb 05, 2020

Where do full timers go out west to escape the heat?

Ok... We are not full timers but thought this might be a good place to post our question. We are actually snowbirds but have sold our house in Colorado and are moving to Arizona. So, we will be leaving the summer heat for at least 4 months a year. As 40 year residents of Colorado, we know where to escape the summer heat in Colorado such as Buena Vista, Ouray, Silverton and Lake City. Looking for advice of places out west to go to.

We have a Jeep, ATV and our feet to explore back country places. Some very limited boondocking is ok. Really want to stay away from places like the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Have explored around Lander, Cody and Dubois Wyoming. We are virgins to Oregon, Washington, Idaho and most of Montana. Might want to stay up to a month in a single place.

Thanks in advance! Private messages welcome.

23 Replies

  • jdc1's avatar
    jdc1
    Explorer II
    Flagstaff....the mountains up there are 20-30 degrees cooler than the basin (Phoenix).
    If you want to go anywhere in California to escape the heat, you'll need reservations 6 months in advance.
  • jdc1's avatar
    jdc1
    Explorer II
    Flagstaff....the mountains up there are 20-30 degrees cooler than the basin (Phoenix).
    If you want to go anywhere in California to escape the heat, you'll need reservations 6 months in advance.
  • IMHO, your best bets are along the coast or higher elevations. The coast along CA, OR and WA gets very crowed during summer and California campgrounds can get pretty expensive. There is some wonderful country to explore in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Cascades. Parts of US-395 take you into some great country and high enough to avoid a lot of heat. Some of the mountains in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota are well worth visiting. Also spend some time exploring around the Black Hills in South Dakota.

    Art