Tag Archives: camping

Utah

Cedar Breaks National Monument

February 27, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

Cedar Breaks National Monument is a red rock badlands full of hoodoos situated at the edge of the Markagunt Plateau and only open during the summer due to its elevation above 10,000 feet. Its colorful limestone amphitheater is like a miniature Bryce Canyon National Park without all the interior trails.

Highlights

Chessman Ridge Overlook, Point Supreme, Ramparts Trail, Spectra Point

Must-Do Activity

The National Park Service visitor center is open late May through October. From there the short trail to Point Supreme and the longer Ramparts Trail lead to stunning overlooks of the amphitheater. Also stop at Sunset View, Chessman Ridge Overlook, and North View on Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive. In the surrounding Dixie National Forest, there is free parking at the Rattlesnake Trail that offers two unique overlooks within the first mile before it drops steeply into the forested canyon.

Best Trail

At 10,000 feet in elevation this is no place to try anything too strenuous. Walk the flat one-mile Ramparts Trail to Spectra Point and stop at the many great overlooks along the way while enjoying the riotous summer wildflowers and gnarly bristlecone pine trees (some believed to be more than 1,600 years old).

Instagram-worthy Photo

On our visit in July, we saw columbine, blue bells, larkspur, Indian paintbrush, elkweed, lupine, wild rose, fireweed, and cow parsnip; many of the same species that grow along the coast of Alaska.

Peak Season

Summer, though snowmobilers and cross-country skiers can access the park during the winter.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/cebr/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$25 per vehicle or America The Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The paved Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive remains open until snow closes it usually by November.

Camping

The park contains Point Supreme Campground with 30 spaces and running water from June through September. The surrounding Dixie National Forest also offers campgrounds and free dispersed camping.

Related Sites

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

Nearest National Park

Zion

Explore More – What is the name of the officially designated wilderness that Rattlesnake Trail enters outside the monument’s boundaries?

Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

February 26, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

There are currently three National Lakeshores in the National Park Service system, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of two in Michigan. It encompasses 31 miles of mainland shoreline and 34 more miles on two large islands that give the park its name. The park receives over a million visitors annually and is known for its fishing and canoeing.

Highlights

Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Glen Haven Village Historic District, 1871 South Manitou Island Lighthouse

Must-Do Activity

Much of this National Lakeshore is forested and surrounds several small townships (marked “Twp” on many maps). For a backcountry experience on the mainland, take the winding 7-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive that becomes a cross-country ski trail in winter. Trails and overlooks provide stops along the route, which is not recommended for long vehicles or trailers.

Best Trail

Dune Climb is more than 100 feet tall and the best place to play in the sand. This is a perched dune where sand accumulated atop glacial moraines left from the last ice age. From the top there are great views and you can continue on several other trails.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Glen Haven Village Historic District maintains a former general store, blacksmithy, and cannery, which now contains a museum dedicated to small watercraft. The Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$25 per vehicle or America The Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The main roads are paved, but some beach access is only by dirt road. Ferries in the summer leave from Leland, Michigan to either North or South Manitou Islands where there are no roads. Unless you are doing a day trip, camping permits are required before departure.

Camping

Platte River Campground is open year round and takes reservations. Backpackers can enjoy more than 100 miles of trails, including some on the two wilderness islands. Backcountry camping requires a permit.

Tiff heading up Dune Climb
These dunes are mostly forested similar to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
View of the islands in Lake Michigan
Tiff with a tug boat that was used on Lake Michigan

Explore More – What were they canning at the old cannery in Glen Haven Village Historic District?

California

Sequoia National Park

February 14, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

In 1890, Sequoia became the second National Park in the United States in order to protect its famous groves of giant sequoia trees, not to be mistaken for California’s coast redwoods. The park’s hub in the Giant Forest contains the General Sherman tree, the largest by volume in the world. Most of the park is in the High Sierra and includes Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous U.S. at 14,505 feet.

Highlights

General Sherman Tree, Moro Rock, Crystal Cave, Mt. Whitney

Must-Do Activity

The remarkable giant sequoia tree can live over 2,000 years, reach three hundred feet in height, and grow the largest wood volume of any single-stemmed tree on the planet. They are only found in 75 protected groves scattered throughout California’s Sierra Nevadas. Bring your whole family to see how many people it takes arms linked to reach around the base of one of these massive trees. With circumferences reaching over 100 feet, you are going to need a big family!

Best Trail

Crescent Trail starts near the General Sherman tree, winds up the hill, and then connects with the Trail of the Sequoias, which passes the dense clusters of the Senate and House Groups. It is especially nice when there is snow on the ground.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Any time of year is great to visit, but the winter is perhaps the prettiest as the snow contrasts nicely with the orange bark of the giant sequoia trees.

Peak Season

Summer due to the high elevation

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$35 per vehicle or America The Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Roads are paved, but steep, winding, and narrow. The rough Mineral King Road is closed in winter.

Camping

There are several large campgrounds near the Giant Forest, as well as two on the rough road to the remote Mineral King section of the park. All backcountry camping requires a permit and is on a quota system during the summer.

Tunnel Log
Senate Group
Tiff on the trail up Moro Rock
View of the Sierra Nevada from Moro Rock
Tokopah Falls in winter
Black bear cub
Subalpine sunset in Mineral King
Raven about the park

*This design we created to celebrate Sequoia National Park is available on a variety of products at* Cafe Press and Amazon.

Explore More – Why do park rangers recommend you wrap your car with chicken wire when you visit Mineral King?

List

Top 10 National Parks for Dispersed Backcountry Camping

February 12, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

These National Park Service units do not require you to camp in a designated site, so much the better for privacy and quiet. These are our 10 favorite spots to go backpacking and commune with nature in the backcountry. Remember to practice Leave No Trace principles.

10. Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Georgia to Maine)

With the exception of some National and State Parks, camping is dispersed along the A.T.

9. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

Most parks in Alaska offer dispersed camping and this is the largest of all National Parks.

8. Buffalo National River (Arkansas)

While floating downstream, you can pull your boat to the shore and set up wherever you like.

7. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

Bison will be your only companions on the prairies and forests above the caverns.

6. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

This park has designated sites along its trails, but you can also get an off-trail permit by zone.

5. Sequoia National Park (California)

Much of this park has designated campsites, but the Mineral King section does not.

4. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

Incredible views can be found in Conata Basin and other free backcountry areas.

3. Death Valley National Park (California)

It is a hike to the Panamint Dunes, but you will likely have the place to yourself.

2. Cape Lookout National Seashore (North Carolina)

Take a ferry to these barrier islands and set up on the beautiful sandy beaches.

…and finally our #1 National Park for dispersed backcountry camping!

1. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado)

A free permit allows you to set up camp anywhere in the dune field not visible from the road.

Honorable Mention

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Missouri)

Find the perfect spot along the shores of the Jack’s Fork or Current Rivers

New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

January 25, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

These expansive ruins built in the desert between AD850-1150 represent the best collection of Ancestral Puebloan architecture in the southwest U.S. Over 400 miles of historic roads led to this ceremonial center. Its multiple great houses were first protected in 1907 and can take days to explore fully.

Highlights

Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, petroglyphs, supernova pictograph

Must-Do Activity

Walking through the short doorways inside D-shaped Pueblo Bonito, you can admire the intricacy of the walls that have stood over 1,000 years. So much effort was put into building monumental structures in this challenging locale, then it was mysteriously abandoned, making this remarkable park is an awesome place to ponder human civilization, past and future.

Best Trail

A free backcountry permit is required to hike all trails in the park. Our favorite passes Kin Kletso and Casa Chiquita 3 miles one-way to a unique pictograph that may depict a supernova that occurred in AD1054.

Instagram-worthy Photo

While mostly made of mud bricks, the wood used in the structures had to be carried over 50 miles from the nearest forests to reach this spot. An estimated 200,000 trees were moved over 300 years of construction without the use of pack animals or wheels.

Peak Season

Summer, though it can be hot with no shade.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/chcu/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$25 per vehicle or America The Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

All access roads to the park are dirt, with the recommended entry route via County Roads 7900 and 7950, 21 miles west of Highway 550. The roads from the south are more difficult, especially when wet.

Camping

The small Gallo Campground lies within the park, but we recommend the free campground in Angel Peak Recreation Area run by the Bureau of Land Management east of Highway 550.