Its winter time, and almost New Years, so often I just reflect, opened up Google Maps of the US andโฆโฆโฆ.
Name 1-10 spots that you had only run across (discovered) in your travels, spots you had not really heard about that you would recommend to a friend.
These can be just a Great Drive or a Location that you would recommend if a good friend were going to be in the area. Trying to ID spots that are not on the regular Radar โ These, I hope are your own little treasures, which you would make every effort to visit if in the area, and would encourage a friend to see/drive. Not a National Park but a private, memorable, spot that you would share.
Mine, in no particular order;
Trout Lake, Colorado
If you are on Rt 145 in Colorado going to or from Telluride, be sure to take a little time to drive around the Lake and dream about spending some time here. Beautiful and serine โฆโฆ might just be a little Cold and Isolated in the Winter, but is just so inviting in the Summer or Fall.
Wind River Canyon, Wyoming
Wind River Canyon has been in my head from the first time I drove it in 1971, when taking my wife on her first cross county trip, we drove it after looping into Yellowstone, as I would play back the drive I always felt like the River was flowing up hill, this allusion is partially from the fact that it flows north and the road is losing elevation as it heads south. Beautiful drive, great CG on the south end and memorable in the Fall.
The drive on Rt 39 from Ogden, Utah to Snowbasin Ski resort.
While working we would do Christmas with the kids in Salt Lake City (Fly in Fly out โ for 10 years mid 80โs to mid 90โs) This was annual drive to Snowbasin before it was discovered, for the SLC Winter Olympics. The drive up the canyon and by the reservoir was always just Beautiful in the Winter.
Alpine Lake , West Virginia
Alpine Lake is just one of those hidden spots that because of the water and all the activities was always just inviting, year round โ Deep Creek Lake is just down the road and is the more popular Maryland resort.
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
Lake Toxaway, - because of the wildness and the proximity to GSMNP is just a hidden Gem โ although I think Atlanta and the South like to call it their own, with almost endless trails and countless waterfalls it is always a great area to spend time.
Boulder, Colorado to Nederland on Route 119
The drive from Boulder to Nederland is just FUN! Add in Boulder Creek and you will enjoy โ car or bike. Added bonus is it is connected to Peak to Peak Highway.
Rt 6 Golden, Colorado to Idaho Springs
Because we spend so much time in Colorado I am able to get my quick Rockies fix by making this drive โ you are SURROUNDED by the Rockies, and it just says welcome home. (add to that that it avoids the heavy I-70 traffic just hard to not love)
Marble, CO
Stopped here just by chance and got to do the Marble โ Marble festival โ 4x4 roads and so much Character.
Drive Rt 24 Minturn to Leadville
Do this often as Leadville and Red Cliff are two of our favorite towns โ never taken a drive that I did not enjoy what we were seeing.
Rt 36 through Kansas
Just gets you back to what it used to be โ small towns โ not much traffic โ just enjoyable. (does not hurt that the Granddaughters live in Colorado).
As usual I have gotten carried away โ hereโs hoping you all get a chance to take time and visit a few of these locations.
Letโs see if you can add to these.
Happy New Year,
Name 1-10 spots that you had only run across (discovered) in your travels, spots you had not really heard about that you would recommend to a friend.
These can be just a Great Drive or a Location that you would recommend if a good friend were going to be in the area. Trying to ID spots that are not on the regular Radar โ These, I hope are your own little treasures, which you would make every effort to visit if in the area, and would encourage a friend to see/drive. Not a National Park but a private, memorable, spot that you would share.
Mine, in no particular order;
Trout Lake, Colorado
If you are on Rt 145 in Colorado going to or from Telluride, be sure to take a little time to drive around the Lake and dream about spending some time here. Beautiful and serine โฆโฆ might just be a little Cold and Isolated in the Winter, but is just so inviting in the Summer or Fall.
Wind River Canyon, Wyoming
Wind River Canyon has been in my head from the first time I drove it in 1971, when taking my wife on her first cross county trip, we drove it after looping into Yellowstone, as I would play back the drive I always felt like the River was flowing up hill, this allusion is partially from the fact that it flows north and the road is losing elevation as it heads south. Beautiful drive, great CG on the south end and memorable in the Fall.
The drive on Rt 39 from Ogden, Utah to Snowbasin Ski resort.
While working we would do Christmas with the kids in Salt Lake City (Fly in Fly out โ for 10 years mid 80โs to mid 90โs) This was annual drive to Snowbasin before it was discovered, for the SLC Winter Olympics. The drive up the canyon and by the reservoir was always just Beautiful in the Winter.
Alpine Lake , West Virginia
Alpine Lake is just one of those hidden spots that because of the water and all the activities was always just inviting, year round โ Deep Creek Lake is just down the road and is the more popular Maryland resort.
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
Lake Toxaway, - because of the wildness and the proximity to GSMNP is just a hidden Gem โ although I think Atlanta and the South like to call it their own, with almost endless trails and countless waterfalls it is always a great area to spend time.
Boulder, Colorado to Nederland on Route 119
The drive from Boulder to Nederland is just FUN! Add in Boulder Creek and you will enjoy โ car or bike. Added bonus is it is connected to Peak to Peak Highway.
Rt 6 Golden, Colorado to Idaho Springs
Because we spend so much time in Colorado I am able to get my quick Rockies fix by making this drive โ you are SURROUNDED by the Rockies, and it just says welcome home. (add to that that it avoids the heavy I-70 traffic just hard to not love)
Marble, CO
Stopped here just by chance and got to do the Marble โ Marble festival โ 4x4 roads and so much Character.
Drive Rt 24 Minturn to Leadville
Do this often as Leadville and Red Cliff are two of our favorite towns โ never taken a drive that I did not enjoy what we were seeing.
Rt 36 through Kansas
Just gets you back to what it used to be โ small towns โ not much traffic โ just enjoyable. (does not hurt that the Granddaughters live in Colorado).
As usual I have gotten carried away โ hereโs hoping you all get a chance to take time and visit a few of these locations.
Letโs see if you can add to these.
Happy New Year,
Busskipper wrote:
Its winter time, and almost New Years, so often I just reflect, opened up Google Maps of the US andโฆโฆโฆ.
Name 1-10 spots that you had only run across (discovered) in your travels, spots you had not really heard about that you would recommend to a friend.
These can be just a Great Drive or a Location that you would recommend if a good friend were going to be in the area. Trying to ID spots that are not on the regular Radar โ These, I hope are your own little treasures, which you would make every effort to visit if in the area, and would encourage a friend to see/drive. Not a National Park but a private, memorable, spot that you would share.
Mine, in no particular order;
Trout Lake, Colorado
If you are on Rt 145 in Colorado going to or from Telluride, be sure to take a little time to drive around the Lake and dream about spending some time here. Beautiful and serine โฆโฆ might just be a little Cold and Isolated in the Winter, but is just so inviting in the Summer or Fall.
Wind River Canyon, Wyoming
Wind River Canyon has been in my head from the first time I drove it in 1971, when taking my wife on her first cross county trip, we drove it after looping into Yellowstone, as I would play back the drive I always felt like the River was flowing up hill, this allusion is partially from the fact that it flows north and the road is losing elevation as it heads south. Beautiful drive, great CG on the south end and memorable in the Fall.
The drive on Rt 39 from Ogden, Utah to Snowbasin Ski resort.
While working we would do Christmas with the kids in Salt Lake City (Fly in Fly out โ for 10 years mid 80โs to mid 90โs) This was annual drive to Snowbasin before it was discovered, for the SLC Winter Olympics. The drive up the canyon and by the reservoir was always just Beautiful in the Winter.
Alpine Lake , West Virginia
Alpine Lake is just one of those hidden spots that because of the water and all the activities was always just inviting, year round โ Deep Creek Lake is just down the road and is the more popular Maryland resort.
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
Lake Toxaway, - because of the wildness and the proximity to GSMNP is just a hidden Gem โ although I think Atlanta and the South like to call it their own, with almost endless trails and countless waterfalls it is always a great area to spend time.
Boulder, Colorado to Nederland on Route 119
The drive from Boulder to Nederland is just FUN! Add in Boulder Creek and you will enjoy โ car or bike. Added bonus is it is connected to Peak to Peak Highway.
Rt 6 Golden, Colorado to Idaho Springs
Because we spend so much time in Colorado I am able to get my quick Rockies fix by making this drive โ you are SURROUNDED by the Rockies, and it just says welcome home. (add to that that it avoids the heavy I-70 traffic just hard to not love)
Marble, CO
Stopped here just by chance and got to do the Marble โ Marble festival โ 4x4 roads and so much Character.
Drive Rt 24 Minturn to Leadville
Do this often as Leadville and Red Cliff are two of our favorite towns โ never taken a drive that I did not enjoy what we were seeing.
Rt 36 through Kansas
Just gets you back to what it used to be โ small towns โ not much traffic โ just enjoyable. (does not hurt that the Granddaughters live in Colorado).
As usual I have gotten carried away โ hereโs hoping you all get a chance to take time and visit a few of these locations.
Letโs see if you can add to these.
Happy New Year,
Just thought I'd bring this back to life - might help in a few peoples plans this Summer.
Busskipper
4runnerguy wrote:
I don't know if I'll get to 10, but here are a few. Not all are necessarily picked for the scenery. Some are for history, some are for the isolation.
Pea Ridge National Military Park I didn't know about this historical place until I was in the area.
In Nevada, there are a couple of real scenic CG's off of I-80 between Wells and Elko. Check out Angel Lake CG above Wells and Thomas Canyon CG up Lamoille Canyon east of Elko. Once there, you won't believe you are in NV. There are many NFS and BLM CG's hidden in the mountains throughout the state. Most are free and except for weekends, you'll have the entire CG to yourself.
So many visit Moab for the magnificent scenery of Arches and Canyonlands NP's. But for a little different experience, drive the La Sal Mountain Loop Road. You get up high in elevation (and much cooler, too). Great views of the red rock territory from an almost aerial perspective. Take a picnic dinner, find a nice pull off, and watch the sunset from up there.
Not my usual recommendation but the Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas has an amazing FREE collection of art work. Yeah, the museums in DC are nice (and many free), but if you find yourself in the middle of the country, check out this art museum.
Speaking of Arkansas and as a geologist, one of the finest caves in the country is Blanchard Springs Cavern north of Mountain View. Because this cave wasn't discovered until relatively recently, there was little desecration of the cave. In other words, the stalactites and stalagmites haven't been broken off. There is a CG near the caverns, but it isn't recommended for larger rigs.
On the subject of caves, we really enjoyed Lava Beds NM in northern CA. There are many lava tubes open for exploration. What's cool is one can go in many of the lava tubes without a guide. Go in one entrance and come out another. Interesting campground also.
Outside of Ely NV is Cave Lake SP. Yeah, there's "Cave" in the name, and it may exist, but the nice thing about this park is the lake and you're in the middle of the desert. We use this park as a stop on our trips along US 50 through NV. Nice CG.
Another out-of-the-way SP we have used is Red Rock SP in western OK. In a hidden canyon down below the open prairie, it is protected from the winds. A creek flows through the canyon, there are climbing areas on the red rocks, and there's even a pool in the summer. A real oasis in the "middle of nowhere".
For an interesting hot springs experience, try hiking up the Boulder Creek trail above Elwha in the northeastern part of Olympic NP. A couple of miles up there are some natural hot springs and people have build small pools to soak in. Interesting to go in the fall when it's a little cool and the leaves are changing.
I know Busskipper was probably looking for something a little different than these from me, but these are all places worth visiting.
Ken,
Interesting how most of us suggest locations that are not close to HOME, yes I was hoping that you might share a few more Local spots.
Something like Crystal Mill -a spot that is usually only found if you are talking to the people with local knowledge.
But when this post runs it's course I'll save it for locations to look for as we travel.
Thanks,
Bill
I still remember posting a picture of Stagecoach State Park and you not only knowing the picture but the history - Epic.
profdant139 wrote:
I am not sure whether these two places have been mentioned above, but we really enjoyed Goosenecks State Park in Utah -- silent and remote. And Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies -- as beautiful as Banff and Jasper, much quieter (no trains), great hiking.
And one more -- the Silver Jack Reservoir area east of Ridgeway, Colorado.
Dan I'll just go to your Blog and try to Hike into the spots you have camped - IMHO they are all pretty Special.
Bill
vermilye wrote:
I'm willing to list some of my favorite campgrounds, a few of which may be new to some (Most of the links are to photos from my visits):
Ricketts Glen State Park, PA. 22 waterfalls and hundreds of cascades along a 7 mile hike. Dry camping, but bathrooms with showers, and a lake for boating & swimming.
Red Rock Canyon State Park, CA. Dry sites are backed by wonderful rock formations, some nice hikes through the desert.
Valley of Fire State Park, NV. 2 campgrounds, one with water & electric & showers, the other primitive. Incredible colors that can be seen from the roads or, better yet on a number of hiking trails.
Babcock State Park, WV. Some hiking trails, but the jewel of this park is the Glade Creek Grist Mill. The campground has many electric sites, bathrooms with showers.
Goblin Valley State Park, UT. You can hike through the "Goblins", incredible formations spread across the valley. Dry camping with bathrooms & showers.
Caverns of Seรฑora, Seรฑora, TX. While there is a campground with water & electric, the only feature of the location is the cavern. I've visited many, and this is the most beautiful (and one of the best tours) of them all.
Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT. Many water & electric sites, great hiking trails through beautiful rock formations. Within easy driving distance for visits to Bryce Canyon.
While I can't call them "hidden gems", two National Monuments that too many pass up are The Devils Tower in WY, and Craters of the Moon in ID. Both have dry campgrounds, good hiking opportunities, and interesting evening & nighttime views.
While they don't have campgrounds (there is a commercial campground in Lee Vining and some forest service locations nearby) a visit to Bodie Ghost Town and Mono Lake are well worth a stop if you are traveling US 395 near Lee Vining, CA.
All of these are great - BUT............ I've been to Oswego and I was sort of hoping you might share a few of those special drives that are local - or the ones you found on the drive out to the West.
I have been lucky enough to catch Fish and Chips on the Lake the first day they opened (You Know the place right on the Lake - Rudy's?) - that alone is special, throw in a Summer Sunset on the Lake and it will never be forgotten.
Thanks, Jon for sharing the Special spots that you enjoy out West, it will give all of us a little more to look for when driving through.
Bill
