Heading to the Rockies for 5 or 6 weeks.

[BarabooBob]

My wife and I are heading out tomorrow morning a oh dark thirty for a 5 week trip to most everywhere in the Rockies. We are starting in WI, heading to Theodore Roosevelt NP, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Dinosaur, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Silverton, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Pikes Peak, Mt Evans, Rocky Mtn NP, Devils Tower, Black Hills, Badlands, and back home. We rarely travel on the interstates so we are looking forward to seeing some great little towns along the way.

We know that we may have to bug out of some areas due to snow but we are really looking forward to this trip. I will write a few entries along the way when we are near civilization. We frequently boondock so internet is pretty much not a thing unless we stop at a restaurant along the way.

[agesilaus]

Theodore Roosevelt NP,--Two separate units, three if you count TR's ranch site. They are a day each assuming some trail walking which I will from now on.
600 miles to
Glacier, Need 4 days, 2 or 3 days on the east side then a trip up Going to the Sun another day. Many camp at the St Mary KOA
then 400 miles to
Yellowstone, You could spend a month here and not see everything, we've done it. But give it 5 days then. Forget about reservations in the park.
1/2 a day to
Tetons, Has more to do than most people know, say 3 days with a ferry trip across the lake. We camped at Shadow Mountain rate it 5 out of 5
then 400 miles to
Dinosaur, A drive thru and a bus to the visitor center. 4 hours
200 miles to Moab where you can base camp for Arches and Canyonlands
Arches, 2 days
Canyonlands, impossible to say a couple of days driving to the overlooks, if you actually want to drive into the parks then a lot more. 4WD country.
100 miles to Cortez
Mesa Verde, Better make reservations online for tours well before you get there or it will be an afternoon trip
A hundred miles to
Silverton, Have no idea... look around town?
Short drive to
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, If you want to go down into the canyon you better be VERY fit. 3000 down. Look around the overlooks on one side--4 hours. North side is better IMO.
200 miles to
Pikes Peak, Just drive up? Half a day. Watch your brakes.
Mt Evans, You'll have gone higher in both Glacier and RMNP.
Rocky Mtn NP, Depends on which side. Both sides extremely commercialized.
Devils Tower, and hour or two off the interest, 2 hours to drive up and walk around. Have to drop your TT at the bottom. There is a VERY pricey KOA at the bottom.
Black Hills, Depends could be a quick trip to Rushmore or spend days doing the two caves and Custer State Park.
Badlands Again get out and walk around there is more here than people know. Not just a walk around. Excellent KOA in Scenic at the south entrance.

Not counting after RMNP since that is going home, I figure 2400 miles plus/minus or 8 days driving. Figure 1800 miles coming and going or 6 days driving. 14 days on the road not counting days driving around the parks.

[Thunder_Mountai]

I see that you have been on this forum since 2015. So, you are not an RV newbie. Unless your future circumstances somehow prevent coming back to the Rockies, I think you are trying to do way too much in too little time. Your trip sounds like a Caribbean Cruise covering 10 islands in five days. You'll be left wondering what you didn't see.

If you are somewhat physically able such as being able to walk/hike 2-4 miles a day you will need to allow at least 3-4 days in each major destination. If you are a windshield tourist and not interested in leaving sight of your vehicle, you may be able to cover the territory you've outlined.

Considering that your driving route will try to avoid highly traveled highways, you will add many hours to your driving time. We started seriously RVing the places you've mentioned in about 2003. Thanks to a generous benefit package we were able to get in at least three weeks a year and sometimes four weeks a year in the RV. We've been to everyone of the places you mentioned. It took us four trips to Capital Reef to hike it out. A dozen times to the Moab area hasn't covered the area. Zion to two trips to cover. Don't even talks about trying to see Yellowstone and Glacier in less than a week each.

We're active adults although age has caught up with us. We can only hike every other day now. But we just got back from a trip to the Tetons which we've visited at least ten times previously. Still we kept ourselves busy for five days including lunch at Old Faithful, rafting, hiking and sightseeing.

A number of your destinations such as the Badlands, Mt. Evans, Pikes Peak, Devil's Tower and Dinosaur are one day destinations, but you will still burn two nights plus travel time. That doesn't count shopping or doing tourist trap places. Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Zion, and Rocky will burn between three and five nights each.

Do yourself a favor and take a breath. Get an atlas out and just plot out the number of miles you are trying to cover.

[profdant139]

For me, that would be an overly-ambitious agenda. We like to spend several days in each place, hiking and relaxing. Especially when we boondock in semi-wilderness, one of our big goals is to just sit still in the late afternoons and enjoy the silence. (We live in an urban area, so isolation and privacy are rare treats for us.)

But then again, there are lots of folks who just love to drive and don't want to spend a lot of time at any given place. Thank goodness it's a free country -- do it the way you want to do it!

Good luck, and let us know if there are any specific areas you'd like to focus on -- our blog (see link below) might provide you with some useful info. (Including descriptions of good boondocking areas.)

[Two_Hands]

Yes, it’s ambitious, but it would be fun and exciting to try to do everything on your list!

[Ivylog]

After the Tetons I’d head to CO instead of UT to give UT more time to cool off.

[wanderingaimles]

IF,,, The possibility exist that you will be able to go backm again,,,,,,
SLOW DOWN
Better to fully take in one or two of the truly inspiring parks this year, and go see a few more next year, rather than running through them so fast, that you lose the majesty they offer.

[Lwiddis]

“We rarely travel on the interstates so we are looking forward to seeing some great little towns along the way.”

Me too! Great way to see the USA.