Choosing National Parks

[disneyseniors]

We did a drive from Louisiana to San Diego one year. We stopped in Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest. As well as San Diego (my husband ran a marathon there) and the zoos there, plus San Juan Capistrano, DLR, Sedona, Santa Fe and more. It was a long trip, but very enjoyable. There was so much to see.

Nice trip, and you got alot done.
We've been to the Grand CAnyon, Santa Fe, Sedona, and another park with the holes in the cliffs where the people lived. They dont' allow anyone up close to these dwellings anymore due to erosion. I just can't think of the name of it? WE enjoyed Sedona very much. We visited the Church on the Rock, which was amazing.
There is alot to see in this country if you just look for the parks.

 

[JimMIA]

Nice trip, and you got alot done.
We've been to the Grand CAnyon, Santa Fe, Sedona, and another park with the holes in the cliffs where the people lived. They dont' allow anyone up close to these dwellings anymore due to erosion. I just can't think of the name of it?

There are a couple of cliff dwelling parks in the Sedona/Flagstaff area -- Montezuma Castle NM south of Sedona, and Walnut Canyon NM east of Flagstaff. Not cliff dwellings but ancient ruins, there is also Wupatki NM north of Flagstaff and you can walk through some of the ruins there.

 

[disneyseniors]

There are a couple of cliff dwelling parks in the Sedona/Flagstaff area -- Montezuma Castle NM south of Sedona, and Walnut Canyon NM east of Flagstaff. Not cliff dwellings but ancient ruins, there is also Wupatki NM north of Flagstaff and you can walk through some of the ruins there.

It was probably the first one south of Sedona. I wish we could have seen it up closer. We were way far away from the cliffs.

 

[JimMIA]

It was probably the first one south of Sedona. I wish we could have seen it up closer. We were way far away from the cliffs.

At Montezuma, you are probably 100 yards away, but below. Very pretty, but small park.

At Walnut Canyon, we observed the ruins from across the canyon. There is a trail that takes you right to the ruins, but it's rated "Strenuous" because it's very steep with a lot of steps (basically climbing stairs).

 

[adkkev]

Hovenweep is a really out of the way place to see ancient dwellings.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We did Montezuma Castle, too.

 

[bcla]

Nice trip, and you got alot done.
We've been to the Grand CAnyon, Santa Fe, Sedona, and another park with the holes in the cliffs where the people lived. They dont' allow anyone up close to these dwellings anymore due to erosion. I just can't think of the name of it? WE enjoyed Sedona very much. We visited the Church on the Rock, which was amazing.
There is alot to see in this country if you just look for the parks.

There quite a few. I think Mesa Verde National Park is probably the best known. It's right there in the Four Corners area.

https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

 

[disny_luvr]

This is a great thread! Thank you!

We are planning a trip out west in summer of 2022 (was supposed to be 2021, but our 2020 trip to Disney got pushed back a year). Anyway, we are so torn between visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton or the southern part of Utah. We are from PA and St. Louis is the farthest west we’ve been, so this whole area would be new to us. We want to travel as soon as school gets out, which means our twins will probably be turning 16-years-old on this trip.

Thank you so much for all the great information! I can’t wait to share it with my DH and sons.

 

[Frwinkley]

Teacher from PA here: We too are not sure which trip to take. I'm afraid Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons (mostly Yellowstone) will be very crowded, but I'm also concerned that southern Utah will be too hot for our comfort.

We are actually considering southern Utah for a few days and than escaping to the Park City area for some cooler temperatures and mountain scenery.

 

[Planogirl]

I love living vicariously through you guys. I can't hike any more but scenery and short walks are still good. I hope that some of you will report back.

I personally would have recommended Rocky Mountain National Park but that one will have to wait.

 

[JimMIA]

We are planning a trip out west in summer of 2022 (was supposed to be 2021, but our 2020 trip to Disney got pushed back a year). Anyway, we are so torn between visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton or the southern part of Utah. We are from PA and St. Louis is the farthest west we’ve been, so this whole area would be new to us. We want to travel as soon as school gets out, which means our twins will probably be turning 16-years-old on this trip.

Teacher from PA here: We too are not sure which trip to take. I'm afraid Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons (mostly Yellowstone) will be very crowded, but I'm also concerned that southern Utah will be too hot for our comfort.

We are actually considering southern Utah for a few days and than escaping to the Park City area for some cooler temperatures and mountain scenery.

For both of you, I think one key consideration is how much time you have to spend and how much driving you want to do.

Yes, Yellowstone will be crowded and yes, the Utah desert areas will be hot -- but both are manageable.

I have spent two weeks just in Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Jackson, and could easily have spent more. A friend of mine used to go to Jackson for a month each summer and never set foot in Yellowstone. And I could add several extensions for a longer trip -- like Devils Tower/Mt Rushmore/Wall/Badlands. Or Glacier. Or Salt Lake City.

I have spent two weeks in northern AZ on several occasions and could easily have spent a month.

For a Utah trip, how do you go to Moab and Park City without going to Grand Staircase Escalante, Zion, and Bryce? Or the North Rim of Grand Canyon? Or Monument Valley?

You'll have less traffic congestion and a better experience overall if you stay inside the parks. Check the links I posted back on Page 1 and do some research on those parks and others you are interested in.

But regardless of what you choose, you will have a great time.

 

[disny_luvr]

For both of you, I think one key consideration is how much time you have to spend and how much driving you want to do.

Yes, Yellowstone will be crowded and yes, the Utah desert areas will be hot -- but both are manageable.

I have spent two weeks just in Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Jackson, and could easily have spent more. A friend of mine used to go to Jackson for a month each summer and never set foot in Yellowstone. And I could add several extensions for a longer trip -- like Devils Tower/Mt Rushmore/Wall/Badlands. Or Glacier. Or Salt Lake City.

I have spent two weeks in northern AZ on several occasions and could easily have spent a month.

For a Utah trip, how do you go to Moab and Park City without going to Grand Staircase Escalante, Zion, and Bryce? Or the North Rim of Grand Canyon? Or Monument Valley?

You'll have less traffic congestion and a better experience overall if you stay inside the parks. Check the links I posted back on Page 1 and do some research on those parks and others you are interested in.

But regardless of what you choose, you will have a great time.

Thanks for the tips! I will look at the links you posted on page one. We are planning a two week trip and do want to stay inside the parks, at least Yellowstone. Thankfully our trip is only in 2022. I’ll need all that time to plan it.

 

[JimMIA]

Thanks for the tips! I will look at the links you posted on page one. We are planning a two week trip and do want to stay inside the parks, at least Yellowstone. Thankfully our trip is only in 2022. I’ll need all that time to plan it.

Generally, national park lodging opens up 366 days from arrival, and lodging goes quickly. My strategy is to book the moment lodging opens. If that's not possible, I book a backup reservation and research the cancellation policy. A LOT of people book reservations and then cancel them at the last possible moment.

I just quickly checked Canyon Lodge and Lake Yellowstone Cabins for late May 2021 (YELL summer lodging opens up in late May). There was minimal availability, but not zero.

But that's next summer, not when you are going. Right now, I'm sure a lot of people are reluctant to book Summer 2021, and that's why there is availability seven months out.

For Summer 2022, I would be at the computer the moment booking opens...no matter what time of day or night that is. I'm sure a whole bunch of people who have put things on hold for 2020 and 2021 will be planning trips in Summer 2022.

 

[RamblingMad]

Teacher from PA here: We too are not sure which trip to take. I'm afraid Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons (mostly Yellowstone) will be very crowded, but I'm also concerned that southern Utah will be too hot for our comfort.

We are actually considering southern Utah for a few days and than escaping to the Park City area for some cooler temperatures and mountain scenery.

I visited the Tetons and found very little crowds. But we started early every morning for our hikes.

 

[JimMIA]

I visited the Tetons and found very little crowds. But we started early every morning for our hikes.

Same here every time I've been there. Grand Teton is one of our most beautiful parks, but it never seems crowded. And there is a LOT to do there!

 

[jdb in AZ]

I visited the Tetons and found very little crowds. But we started early every morning for our hikes.

Park City is generally more crowded than the Tetons. It helps to check Park City's activities before you commit to going on a particular date. We made the mistake of visiting on the day of a bicycle race -- hundreds of cyclists and their support cars were everywhere.

Meanwhile, if you make it to the Tetons, the racer sleds in Jackson are a lot of fun. https://www.jacksonholenet.com/summer_recreation/alpine_slide.php

The chuck wagon dinners are fun as well. https://www.bart5.com/bar-t-5-home/

We've also done a float trip but with no rapids, it was kinda lame.

 

[RamblingMad]

Park City is generally more crowded than the Tetons. It helps to check Park City's activities before you commit to going on a particular date. We made the mistake of visiting on the day of a bicycle race -- hundreds of cyclists and their support cars were everywhere.

Meanwhile, if you make it to the Tetons, the racer sleds in Jackson are a lot of fun. https://www.jacksonholenet.com/summer_recreation/alpine_slide.php

The chuck wagon dinners are fun as well. https://www.bart5.com/bar-t-5-home/

We've also done a float trip but with no rapids, it was kinda lame.

Yes. The alpine slides were a lot of fun.

You can do snake river. The rapids are okay.

 

[sweetpeama]

I would recommend flying into Billings, MT with a flight landing late afternoon to mid evening. Spend the night at either the Billings Hotel and Convention Center or the Dude Rancher Lodge, though if you perfer a bed and breakfast style accomadations both the carriage house and the Sanderson Inn are excellent choices. All establishments recommended are locally owned and not part of a chain so there is lots of charm.
The next day I would recommend driving to Big Horn Battlefield especially if you are visiing in the later part of June as hopefully they will be able to do the reinactment of the battle of the Little Big Horn around the 24-26 of the month. This was cancelled in 2020 due to covid. This is easily a trip that can be made in a day from Billings returning to your accomadations for the night.
The morning of day two check out and drive to Red Lodge and then over the Beartooth Pass through Wyoming and back into Montana. This drive will take most of the day and I highly recommend having either chewing gum or hard candy to help with keeping your ears from popping. Here is a short video of part of the pass my daughter and I took the end of May 2020.

I would then recommend spening a few days in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
Other sites in the area that you might be interested in visiting include Zoo Montana located in the Southwest part of Billings. Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Red Lodge MT. Grizzly Encounter in West Yellowstone, MT. Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY and Heart Mountain Interpretive Center located between Powell and Cody Wy.

 

[anniemae]

I am learning so much from this thread. We are considering Utah area for summer 2021

 

[mom2rtk]

I love living vicariously through you guys. I can't hike any more but scenery and short walks are still good. I hope that some of you will report back.

I personally would have recommended Rocky Mountain National Park but that one will have to wait.

We were actually thinking of driving out to RMNP next week since we haven't been anywhere in so long. Guess that's not happening. So sad to watch.