West Coast Summer 2018

[peoples1234]

I want to take the family (2 sdults, 3 kids aged 1.5, 5, and 10) to the west coast for Summer 2018. Approximately from June 10 - Aug 14, 2018. We want to do the big things like Sequoia, Mt Hood, Death Valley, etc. We also want to make it to the coast as well.

The basic plan is I will boogie from NC to Las Vegas, NV to pick up the family from their flight. From NV, I am thinking of hitting Death Valley, Sequoia, Sierra, Yosemite, and continuing north to Washington State. But I could have them fly in somewhere else (flights are cheap to Vegas) and completely change the trip structure.

My first thought is that Death Valley in June is too hot for a travel trailer, is that a good assumption?

I am not much of a planner. I like to adjust the trip as I go, and if we like a place stay a little longer or shorter if we don't. Last summer, we went all over the east coast, and with the exception of Asheville, NC around July 4th, I was always able to find a campsite reasonably well. Are there huge availability problems in state and national parks out west that would make us stay in private campgrounds most of the time (which we do not want to do unless we have to)?

I am sure I will have more questions, but if you know of anything that is a must do, please chime in!

Thanks.

[agesilaus]

Let me post our last west coast trip:
1) Death Valley - camped at Lone Pine and day tipped to Mt McKinley trail heads.
2) Yosemite via Tioga Pass
3) Lassen Volcanic Park (people have pointed out that you should do the Lava Beds to the north since you are in the area)
4) Over to the coast and Hwy 101
5) Redwoods Park
6) Follow the 101 north up the coast stopping every couple of hundred miles to camp and explore the area for a day or two\\
7) We camped in Bandon and day tripped over to Crater Lake which was still half snowed in. Long day and it might be better to camp in the area but with all the snow there wasn't that much to do there. This was mid-late June
😎 Back to the 100 and north to Olympic NP. We camped in the west side at Forks WA which I had never heard of but the wife was all agog and had to get keep sakes. It was soggy.
9) Around to the east side to a very nice CG on the Hood Canel. You can day trip to Seattle from Bremerton via the ferry. But we explored the park from there, think we stayed 3-4 days. The fishing was very good in the Canel from a short dock the CG owned, the kid was very impressed.
10) East to Mt Rainier, we camped right outside the park at another excellent CG. Day tripped to Mt St Helen's but it was snowbound as well and we only got to drive around the perimeter.
11) We then headed west into Idaho and did some camping in western Idaho. Hells Canyon SP and a private CG after that.
12) Back to Florida

That itinerary is easily do-able in 2 months. And includes a lot of time on the rough Pacific coast. Extremely scenic.

If you want to do Yosemite you need to get in the lottery which runs at Jan 15th for early June reservations for a valley campsite. Feb 15th for June 16th-July 15th. Go to the park website for info.

We have not done Sequoia, the park entrance is out of the way (it takes you way off US 395) and there are big trees in a couple of groves in Yosemite. It's on our to-do list but the fact you have to enter California to do it makes it much less attractive to us.

[Tom_Barb]

I think I'd fly into Salt Lake, and do Brice and Zion , then head west.

[agesilaus]

mockturtle wrote:
I don't think I'd do Death Valley in summer.

Well it's OK to explore from your vehicle, get out and walk around for 5-10 minutes. That's no problem. You do not want to do any protracted hikes or camp in DV at that time. But there are a lot of places to explore in short walks, bitter water, lots of ruins ect. Drive up to Telescope peak and you find it is cool up there.

Since you are so close in LV, I would not skip it. Do what amounts to a drive thru with stops it is well worth the trip. The heat itself is worth experiencing in short sections.

We've been there in June/July a couple of times. The roads are excellent BTW.

[donn0128]

You better get lots of reservations NOW.
From LV? But head north inland, avoid I5 or any freeway. If it were me, I would go either 95 or 395 north. 395 to Lakeview, 31 NE to LaPine. Nice state park at LaPine which is a good base for maybe 4 days of site seeing. Heck Crater Lake is only a few hours south. Makes a decent day trip. You could do two weeks in Oregon and just touch it. On your return you will want to go south on the coast (US101). That way the scenery is on your right.

[Trackrig]

If you're going to stay in the NPs when school is out, or if the NP doesn't have an RV park, staying in the closest campground outside of the NP, then yes, I think you need reservations.

One way to do a little checking is to go onto their reservation sites when they start taking them to see how fast they start filling up.

Bill

[2oldman]

peoples1234 wrote:
My first thought is that Death Valley in June is too hot for a travel trailer, is that a good assumption?

Weather sites have weather history. Yes, June is too hot.

[mockturtle]

I don't think I'd do Death Valley in summer.

[1995brave]

If they are flying into Las Vegas you might want to hit the Hoover Dam, then Grand Canyon, and then Lake Havasu and the London Bridge. From there head to Death Valley.