Trip Advice; National Parks

[Vedette]

I'm surprised that you left off all five Utah National Parks (Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zions). Perhaps you've already visited these so this would be for the benefit of others that want to visit Utah's National Parks. I'm exceptionally priveledged where I live, about 45 minutes from Bryce and an hour to Capitol Reef, Arches and Zions are roughly 3 hours, and Canyonlands is 3 1/2 hours away. Truth be known, I visit off season because I can't stand crowds of people. Each has their own quality and there are countless sights to see in-between them as well. It is possible to see all 5 with less than 400 miles of travel, but unless you're just ticking them off a list, that is not the way that I would recommend seeing them.

Here is a link for Utah's Mighty Five with several itineraries depending on how long you plan on staying and what you want to see. They range from 3 days to 10 days, but even with 10 days, there are going to be things that you miss.

Happy planning, and enjoy your trip!

We did all of the above, plus Red Rock, Goblins, and Dead Horse in 2013 with Miss Piggy.
Utah is the best!
But Greg, there is the Great new park that just opened in the summer of 2014.
"Woody's Farm NP" in Beautiful British Columbia (or so say our licence plates)
Good Roads Buddy
Brian & Sandi
PS
No "Park Pass" required at Woody's Farm

[Midget]

Greg,

We have done a lot of camping in Death Valley. Usually in January and February though. It is a bit warm in September. It's a place you won't want to miss. I would plan to be there as late on your trip as possible. Death Valley does have a lot of elevation changes. Mesquite Springs campground at the north end near Scotty's Castle would be your coolest spot that time of year. Be sure to spend a full day driving Titus Canyon. It is an easy drive in any type of vehicle and you can see a ghost town, Leadville, and petroglyphs along the way before you get to the narrows which is amazing.

Bob

[kudzu]

Only one I've done was Death Valley. It's fantastic. We stayed three days there in at a motel, not camping. Loved it! We were there in late November so the temps were good. Would happily go back but I don't think I'd plan a visit in September. If you are comfortable with temps in the high 90's then maybe it wouldn't be so bad for you.

[PubUltraStar]

Theodore Roosevelt NP in North Dakota; I hadn't even considered that so any advice on how many days to spend there would be welcome.

It's called the northern badlands and is some pretty beautiful country. You can drive the scenic loop in a couple of hours. There are herds of Bison, or American Buffalo along the route. I've also heard that many people see wild horses and elk. I'm not sure I'd drive all that way for an extended trip, but I'm glad that we stopped.

[notned]

My wife loves Joshua Tree, and zoos. We camped at Jumbo Rocks. The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert is nice.

[tony.latham]

If you're headed to Grand Teton, you might as well swing north, go through Yellowstone (I know that's not on your list) and go over the Beartooth Plateau. It's got to be one of the top five scenic drives on this continent. In Jelly, I like camping at Slough Creek or Pebble Creek. Both are full by ten, even in September. If not, you can camp at Soda Butte Campground just east of Cooke City before you head over the Beartooth. It's a USFS campsite.

T

[mkitchen]

Some more suggestions (as if you need more added confusion). I too would highly recommend the NP's in Utah, they are very special and certainly worth the visit. Have you been to the Grand Canyon? The north rim is my favorite but either side is good. I am guessing that you are aware of the huge crowds that you are going to run into? The nice thing about our campers is that you can go off to some obscure spots to camp and then make day trips to more popular locations.
Mikey

[TENNJIM]

We did Black Canyon of the Gunnison on our way to the Last Gasp in September. There are two parts, a North rim and a South rim. We think the South Rim offers more fantastic scenery. This would be a day visit, camping is available but sparse, and a lot of people stay in the Montrose, CO area and just drive in.

Jim B / Utah