I posted about this a few months ago about a trip I am starting to put together for summer 2016. We will be going east to west from Canada near Detroit to California and back. We have no choice but to do it in 4-6 weeks in the summer. What I am trying to figure out next is what to see and what to skip. Based on recommendations from the last post I have fine tuned my route and potential stops and looking for more feedback.The approximate route down will be Detroit to St Louis and follow I70, US160, I40 on the route down. Return would be US6, I70, I76, I80 and back to Detroit (I know I am leaving a bunch of roads out). The reason for this route is for the stops. Due to my time constraints, what I am interested in from my list of possible key stops is: what to skip, what is OK to take "the scenic road" and just pull over take a few pictures and drive on, what is worth staying a few days to explore and what is worth staying longer. We are generally the stop and take a picture or hike a mile to a lookout, or sit in a chair with a beer and enjoy the view type as opposed to the hike 3 days in the interior or hike every trail in the park types. We also do not tend to like to spend a lot of time in one place, we prefer to hit the highlights at many places than see every square inch of one place.This is the list of potential key stops (in driving order)- Mesa Verde- Monument Valley- Grand Canyon- Sequoia- Yosemite- Zion- Capitol Reef- Canyonland- ArchesAny thoughts would be appreciatedThanks

You missed Bryce which many of us much prefer over Zion. And make sure you do Grand Canyon SOUTH Rim to really see the Grand Canyon; not just say you have been there.

Lauren wrote:You missed Bryce which many of us much prefer over Zion. And make sure you do Grand Canyon SOUTH Rim to really see the Grand Canyon; not just say you have been there.Hee, I feel the opposite -- Zion over Bryce, and North Rim over South :).

OK first thing is this: if you plan to stay in Yosemite do you know about the lottery? You have to enter an online lottery exactly six months in advance of the date you want on the 15th of the month:linkAll the sites are gone within minutes. I reordered your list a bit to make more driving sense.- Grand Canyon- Sequoia- Yosemite--I would take US 50 across Nevada into Utah. It's a good drive and advertized as the loneliess road in the US. This also brings you right past Great Basin NP- Capitol Reef- Canyonland--The overlooks are a --long-- way apart and require driving on graded dirt roads. They are worth it but you won't do more than a couple a day.- Arches--in the summer Arches is very very hot hikes out to see the Arches are sizzlers. Getting going early 7 or 8AM gives you some time before the temps climb.- Mesa Verde--make tour reservations online before going or you may not get thetours that you want.- Monument Valley--greatly over rated. Scenery is excellent but the Navahos running the place are close to ruining it. - Zion--will also be hot think about doing Bryce Canyon in the same area.

Lauren wrote:You missed Bryce which many of us much prefer over Zion. And make sure you do Grand Canyon SOUTH Rim to really see the Grand Canyon; not just say you have been there.Agreed on Bryce but the North Rim is actually better IMO. Scenery is just as good and the crowds and commercialization about one quarter what the South rim has.

I do not want to digress to a NR - SR debate once again on here. But the NR you see about 10% of the Grand Canyon, it is very isolated, and any photography is shooting right into the sun. Oh, no hookups in the RV park. Like I say, you can say you have been to the GC - but you have not SEEN it.Zion is beautiful; no question. But you ride down the canyon in a bus and get a heckuva sore neck constantly looking up. Bryce you drive to places, are looking down and really great hiking. But both are very different from each other.We will be back to Bryce for photo work this fall again - as well as Cap Reef and others. But will not be going to Zion.To each their own.To first time, and maybe only time (we have been to both lots but only 2 times to the NR as we went back thinking we missed something and realized we had not) to GC, I recommend the SR to get the full content of it.

Trip out west Part2 | Good Sam Community

kohai
Explorer
Mar 11, 2015
A lot of great suggestions. I'm not sure if this is directly on your route, but some of the famous red rock formations such as The Wave are in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on the Utah/Arizona border. I haven't been there but I've seen pictures.
BubbaChris
Explorer
Mar 11, 2015
FYI Cedar Breaks is a little gem, but I believe there are some 8% grades on the roads around there. So it is not everybody's cup of tea.

The little Point Supreme CG was worth the road to me last year. With so few spaces and good folks caring for it, it had some of the best maintained restrooms of our trips last year. And since they were considering some fee changes, the camping reservations just opened up a couple of weeks ago.

Since Cedar Breaks is a day-trip/quick stop for the majority of the visitors, camping really adds to the enjoyment. There is a trail from the CG over to the Vistors Center and we were able to see Sunset/Sunrise all by ourselves during our stay. And the night sky was nothing less than amazing.
NCWriter
Explorer
Mar 09, 2015
rwbradley wrote:
This is great stuff, please keep it coming.
This also has me wondering if there is anything earlier in my route that is worth seeing? I plan to use the first half to just put on miles so we can spend more time on the Left coast and not slow down until Colorado. But if I am driving right past or have to stop for the night anyway...

You mentioned St. Louis. Have you been to the Gateway Arch? It's fun to ride to the top, and there's an interesting Museum of Western Expansion below ground. Good films. I enjoyed the one about how the Arch was built. You can pre-book tickets to the Arch online and save standing in line during the summer. They have packages that included a short riverboat ride, too. Makes a nice touring day.

We stayed at the Casino Queen campground directly across the river in East St. Louis, appreciated the convenience, view of the Arch and their free shuttle to the above-ground train that takes you across the river to the Arch area in one stop. The price of that campground has gone up and there are other options in the area, too. Also there is an RV day parking lot in the Arch complex if you drive into town to the Arch as a day stop.
rexlion
Explorer
Mar 09, 2015
Sounds like you will be driving over Wolf Creek Pass. Descending on the south side, be sure to take the scenic pullout on the right for a fabulous view of the valley below, and another pullout on the left for a 10 minute walk to Treasure Falls. And you might like to soak in the hot mineral springs at Pagosa Springs.

The area around Terre Haute IN is known for its many covered bridges, if you want to traipse about the county for part of a day.
rwbradley
Explorer
Mar 08, 2015
This is great stuff, please keep it coming.
This also has me wondering if there is anything earlier in my route that is worth seeing? I plan to use the first half to just put on miles so we can spend more time on the Left coast and not slow down until Colorado. But if I am driving right past or have to stop for the night anyway...
jalichty
Explorer
Mar 08, 2015
We took highway 49 last spring from Tahoe to Yosemite and, while it is interesting, in my opinion,it is not a great highway for those just wanting to get from one place to another. It is twisty, narrow and has true 15 mph curves. It would probably add at least an hour or more to your trip from Yosemite to Tahoe, in spite of the neat scenery. And, we were only pulling a 30' FW.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2015
As for Big Sur and Redwoods, that would add a week to the OP's trip.

Perhaps if the OP is taking this trip on a bicycle. But if in an RV the time driving distance between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe is three hours; add another five hours or so and you can be in Big Sur. Six hours north of Big Sur are the Giant Redwoods. As mentioned above Zephyr Cove is a nice Tahoe campground, easily walkable to the Lake and a restaurant.

If you run into issues getting a reservation in Yosemite there are places just outside the park that are usually easier to acquire. Mariposa has a nice fairgrounds with RV hookups for a reasonable price. It is about 45 minutes to Yosemite.

Of course it all depends on how many days the OP plans to stay everywhere. That could add a few days to weeks.
CManley
Explorer
Mar 08, 2015
jmtandem wrote:

Quote:

This is the list of potential key stops (in driving order)
- Mesa Verde
- Monument Valley
- Grand Canyon
- Sequoia
- Yosemite
- Zion
- Capitol Reef
- Canyonland
- Arches
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Thanks

I would not go this far on a trip and not add to your list Big Sur, Giant Redwoods, Lake Tahoe.

I agree, thin out your days/stops in AZ,UT,CO. In Order here are my thoughts:

Sequoia is spectacular that probably is 1 day stop. It is much different than the Sequoia Grove in Yosemite with lush green meadows and blue skies as a back drop for the almost red trees. The challenge is that it is off the primary interstate sitting at 7800 feet, you would have to spend the night.

Big Sur and more specifically Monterey would be worth a day, hitting California and not seeing the ocean would be a miss. Monterey is on the central coast, it could be a stop after Sequoia.

Yosemite is one place where reservations during the summer months is a challenge to obtain. There is a KOA in Mid Pines outside of the park that would work, it is a commute.

Heading north from Yosemite could put you through Lake Tahoe and on to I80 in Reno. While the road has a few twists Zephyr Cove is a good campground with easy access to the lake (across the street). HWY 49 through gold country (starting at Sonora, just north of Yosemite) is a good drive up to HWY 88 which will take you into Lake Tahoe.

Looks like a fun trip
agesilaus
Explorer III
Mar 08, 2015
One park that the OP will be driving passed is Petrified Forest, it's right off I-40 and takes a couple of hours to drive thru.

As for Big Sur and Redwoods, that would add a week to the OP's trip.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2015
This is the list of potential key stops (in driving order)
- Mesa Verde
- Monument Valley
- Grand Canyon
- Sequoia
- Yosemite
- Zion
- Capitol Reef
- Canyonland
- Arches
Any thoughts would be appreciated
Thanks

I would not go this far on a trip and not add to your list Big Sur, Giant Redwoods, Lake Tahoe.