We don't have a choice about when to go. With kids in school, we have to go over the summer. We went out West during the summer 10 years ago. It was hot...like Holy Hell, Hot...but we did fine.
You just never know about some of these places. We were last in Yellowstone in mid-July. We packed jeans but no jackets -- it was JULY. The temperature dipped into the 50s, and I was forced to buy $$$$$ sweatshirts for everyone.
They are, especially Yellowstone. Staying INSIDE the parks is key.
Staying inside the parks is great, but here are a couple hints:
- Do not underestimate the number of summer visitors (especially in Yellowstone). Traffic is heavy.
- Do not enter the park without a full tank of gas. Yes, they sell gas inside the park, but it's MUCH more expensive than outside the parks.
- You must be careful about food. Bears are extremely skilled at stealing food -- even if it means tearing the trunk off your car to reach it. It goes without saying that if you're in a tent, you'd be a complete idiot to have any food with you.
- Every portion of Yellowstone has a restaurant, cafeteria or lunch counter -- usually two. Prices are fairly high because of location.
Wherever you go, make sure you make your in park lodging reservations as soon as you can. If you wait, you might be too late.
So true, so true, so true. When we stayed at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon I called in the afternoon on THE DAY that the reservations "opened" -- I literally got the last cabin. (Admittedly, it was July 4, so "prime time".)
And be careful. A sad story I'd hate to hear one of you repeat: We checked in on July 3. As I waited in the long check-in line, a man ahead of me was LIVID and was very nasty to the clerk. Why? He made a reservation to check in on June 3 ... but presented himself for check-in on July 3. Not the clerk's fault that he's an idiot, but he was in a spot: the place was sold out, and the North Rim is close to absolutely nothing -- it's not like you could go a mile down the road and stay in another hotel. I don't know what became of him and his family.
Sequoia Is on my bucket list.
I've gotta see a redwood.
The pass not only gets the passholder in free -- it gets everyone in your vehicle in free. And not only to National Park System sites -- it gets you in to most federally managed lands.
It'll be more than a decade before I can qualify for the senior citizen's pass, but I LOVE the America the Beautiful Pass -- I hope that's still the name. It was a wonderful bargain for us.
Do note, though, that not every park charges the same /treats the park the same. MOST are just as you describe, but others differ; for example, Wind Tunnel and Jewel Cave (?) let anyone into their museum for free, but they charge for underground tours. Mt. Rushmore charges for parking but not entrance. When you pay to get into Yellowstone, you can also get into Grand Teton for the week (or vice versa). Some of the Washington DC parks are different too. The moral: do read ahead and know the details for the parks you're planning to visit.
Another small thing to consider -- in fact, it'd make a great Christmas stocking stuffer: the National Parks Passport. It's a small spiral-bound book, and at every park you can get a stamp (usually in the gift store).
In order to really see the north rim, you want to hike down. Give yourself a half day to do this trek. Go as far as the maps provided suggest. And bring plenty of water.
LOVE the North Rim. One of our best National Parks memories is sitting on the terrace of the Grand Canyon Lodge watching the sun go down eating pizza with my family. They had a fireplace big enough for me to walk into, and the roaring fire was welcome -- even on July 4. Waiters came around selling adult libations and hot chocolate.