Scottish family rving for first time
Hi all we hope to fly to Vegas at the beginning of July and spend two days in Vegas before picking up our hired RV .....so far we have decided to spend the first night at area 51 and the next morning ...
Forum Discussion
Welcome, susanbee! I gather you chose Twin Falls because you have friends or family there (?) If not, and if you want to visit Yellowstone, you should stay on I-15 rather than changing over to I-84. Assuming you have a purpose in visiting "Twin," for Yellowstone you can take I-84 and then I-86 east to I-15 and then US 20 north as the fastest way to get to the park.
For something different, and a little cave-like, you might also consider going northeast from Twin Falls through Jerome to Craters of the Moon National Park. It's an interesting little park, the main feature being a 2000+year-old lava flow created by the same "hot spot" in the earth's crust that formed and still fuels Yellowstone's geysers. It's worth a half day or more, and has some hikes that go to/through lava tubes (which resemble caves). Not a pretty landscape, but something you don't see every day. :) Go east from there on US 20 and that will take you right to the west gate of Yellowstone. The park has its own campground, no hookups and not much shade (so it can be hot during the day); there's also a shadier couple of private campgrounds about 25 miles east of there in the town of Arco.
If you do visit Yellowstone (and if you're going to be in southern Idaho, you really should), allow a minimum of 3 full days there. Definitely get reservations; campgrounds inside the park have no hookups except for Fishing Bridge RV Park; if you need hookups, you can check into Grizzly RV Park or the KOA in the town of West Yellowstone. Both are good base camps. You will do a LOT of driving in Yellowstone. Consider leaving Yellowstone via the south entrance so that you can spend a few hours enjoying the Tetons.
Several scenic routes cross Colorado; from northern Utah & southern Idaho, US 40 is a good way to cross the state from west to east, taking you close to Dinosaur National Monument, over some high mountain passes and into (or at least close to) Rocky Mountain National Park. Allow several days for this route, so you have time to stop & enjoy the scenery.
Not fossils, but archeology buffs will likely enjoy Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado. Spend at least one full day there. Several campgrounds right by/in the park, or you can camp about 45-60 minutes east of there in Durango.
Just a few more ideas to pack into your trip. I'm glad you're spending a month - you'll need it! :) Have a wonderful holiday!
For something different, and a little cave-like, you might also consider going northeast from Twin Falls through Jerome to Craters of the Moon National Park. It's an interesting little park, the main feature being a 2000+year-old lava flow created by the same "hot spot" in the earth's crust that formed and still fuels Yellowstone's geysers. It's worth a half day or more, and has some hikes that go to/through lava tubes (which resemble caves). Not a pretty landscape, but something you don't see every day. :) Go east from there on US 20 and that will take you right to the west gate of Yellowstone. The park has its own campground, no hookups and not much shade (so it can be hot during the day); there's also a shadier couple of private campgrounds about 25 miles east of there in the town of Arco.
If you do visit Yellowstone (and if you're going to be in southern Idaho, you really should), allow a minimum of 3 full days there. Definitely get reservations; campgrounds inside the park have no hookups except for Fishing Bridge RV Park; if you need hookups, you can check into Grizzly RV Park or the KOA in the town of West Yellowstone. Both are good base camps. You will do a LOT of driving in Yellowstone. Consider leaving Yellowstone via the south entrance so that you can spend a few hours enjoying the Tetons.
Several scenic routes cross Colorado; from northern Utah & southern Idaho, US 40 is a good way to cross the state from west to east, taking you close to Dinosaur National Monument, over some high mountain passes and into (or at least close to) Rocky Mountain National Park. Allow several days for this route, so you have time to stop & enjoy the scenery.
Not fossils, but archeology buffs will likely enjoy Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado. Spend at least one full day there. Several campgrounds right by/in the park, or you can camp about 45-60 minutes east of there in Durango.
Just a few more ideas to pack into your trip. I'm glad you're spending a month - you'll need it! :) Have a wonderful holiday!
