Tag Archives: camping

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park

November 19, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1872

2,221,766 acres

Website: nps.gov/yell

Overview

The geothermal features here inspired the creation of the world’s first official “National Park” in 1872. Most of Yellowstone is actually a supervolcano where the magma heats up underground water producing 10,000 hot springs, fumaroles, and mudpots on the surface, as well as 300 geysers. Incredibly, over 50% of the geysers in the world occur within this one park, which is equally famous for its wildlife diversity, including grizzly bears, bison, gray wolves, and elk.

Learn more about how to visit this National Park in the expanded second edition of our guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Old Faithful geyser, Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, countless waterfalls, wildlife in Lamar Valley, Mt. Washburn, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The most famous geyser here is Old Faithful, which can shoot water up to 185 feet in the air. Since the occurrence of several earthquakes it is no longer as consistent as its name suggests, but its eruptions can be accurately predicted every 60 to 110 minutes throughout the day. Arrive early to get a seat or take the trail up the nearby hill to watch it from above. Afterwards, hike the boardwalks through colorful Upper Geyser Basin.

Best Trail

A hike into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone on Glacial Boulder Trail is one way to find the solitude lacking at the drive-up overlooks (you should still hike to the Brink of Lower Falls with the crowds). Instead of staying in the packed campgrounds, consider getting a permit to backpack camp in the canyon.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The trail is steep, but paved down to the Brink of Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River for unforgettable view of the canyon, especially on sunny days when a rainbow appears in the spray.

Peak Season

Summer, but Old Faithful Village can seem busy in the winter with all the snowmobiles during the day.

Hours

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

Fees

$35 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Very few roads are not paved, but the majority close for seven months in the winter.

Camping

There are many campgrounds in the park, but they fill up quickly the summer (especially at primitive Slough Creek). The surrounding National Forests offer campgrounds and dispersed sites as well. We have enjoyed backpacking at designated campsites in the park with a permit, especially in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Related Sites

Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

Gallatin National Forest (Montana)

Fossil Butte National Monument (Wyoming)

LR YELL — This design we created to celebrate Yellowstone National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.

Explore More – How many of the park’s 4-million annual visitors arrive in June, July, and August?

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Washington

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

November 13, 2018 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Overview

Lake Chelan is fifty-five miles long and 1,486 feet in depth, the third deepest lake in the U.S. At the north end of the lake (inaccessible by road), Stehekin, Washington has only about 100 year-round residents. Daily ferries service the community, which is the jumping off point for the mountain trails of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park.

July Oregon 411.JPG

Highlights

Ferry, Stehekin, Rainbow Falls, backpacking trails

Must-Do Activity

Stehekin is too fun for a brief day trip, so we recommend you book a room or pick up overnight backpacking permits at the Golden West Visitor Center in town. Then hop on the red jammer-style bus that provides transportation to the trailheads, including the short hike to Rainbow Falls. Nearby, the old one-room schoolhouse is open to visitors since it was replaced by a more modern building. Don’t miss the chance to sample the delicious variety of baked goods at Stehekin Pastry Company. After backpacking the many steep switchbacks, you will need the extra calories.

Best Trail

There are several great loop options, but we enjoyed hooking into the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail then back south over McAlester Pass to Rainbow Creek Trail on a two night backpacking trip.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The beautiful Lake Chelan is known for its clarity and its fjord-like proportions, which you can best enjoy on the ferry ride to Stehekin.

July Oregon 297.JPG

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/stehekin.htm

Fees

No entrance fee, but there are charges for the ferry, bus, and backcountry campsites.

Road Conditions

No roads, so you will be walking or paying to take the red jammer-style bus out of Stehekin.

Camping

Purple Point and Harlequin Campgrounds are off the main road north of Stehekin, but since you have to pack in all of your gear on the ferry you may as well camp at one of the backcountry sites (permit required) along the many trails in the area.

July Oregon 515

July Oregon 309

July Oregon 316

July Oregon 466

July Oregon 507 — In good snowmelt years, expect to get sprayed when visiting Rainbow Falls.

July Oregon 493 — From 1921-1988, all grade levels were taught in this tiny schoolhouse in Stehekin.

July Oregon 511

Explore More – How far below sea level is the bottom of Lake Chelan?

WONDON WAS HERE

List

Top 10 National Park Campgrounds with Running Water

November 7, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

We have not stayed at many campgrounds in National Parks, but enough to have had bad experiences in noisy Zion and Yosemite. This is our ranking of the top 10 National Park campgrounds with running water (as opposed to those with vault toilets that we ranked separately).

10. Navajo National Monument (Arizona)

Sunset View Campground is free and lives up to its name offering great views at sunset.

Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

Mule deer frequent Pinyon Flats Campground (88 sites) which overlooks the dunefield.

Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland)

Owens Creek Campground is thickly forested, offering privacy and quiet.

Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Chisos Basin Campground has 360° views and its high elevation keeps it cool even in the summer.

Acadia National Park (Maine)

Away from the bustle of Mount Desert Island, we spent a quiet night at the new Schoodic Peninsula Campground.

Everglades National Park (Florida)

Long Pine Key Campground is open year round and was almost deserted during our April visit.

Arches National Park (Utah)

Located at the end of the road, Devil’s Garden Campground is a great starting point for a hike to Tapestry or Broken Arch.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (Arizona)

Probably not as nice in the summer, but we enjoyed our March stay in Twin Peaks Campground with its many trails.

Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

Campsites are nicely spread out in Dunewood Campground, inland from Lake Michigan.

…and finally our #1 campground in a National Park!

Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Turkeys and mule deer will also be camping with you in the apple orchards of the Fruita District.

Honorable Mention

Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

The spots are close together, but it has a great location at the trailhead for Guadalupe Peak and not far from Carlsbad Caverns National Park (without a campground) across the border in New Mexico.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

Juniper Campground (50 sites) in the North Unit sits in a grove of mature cottonwood trees on the banks of the Little Missouri River.

Utah

Capitol Reef National Park

November 6, 2018 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Overview

Amongst the phenomenal National Parks of southern Utah, sometimes Capitol Reef gets overlooked. Stretching along the geologic warp of Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park is colorful in the extreme. Driving the miles of dirt roads that crisscross the park may be the best way to explore its hidden treasures and no visit should be completed without some back road driving, even if it is the easy drive down Caineville Wash Road to the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.

Highlights

Fruita Historic District, Hickman Bridge, Grand Wash Trail, Strike Valley Overlook

Must-Do Activity

After exploring the Fruita Historic District and Grand Wash Trail, drive across Highway 24 to the petroglyphs and the trailhead for the steep one-mile hike to Hickman Bridge, a massive stone formation cut into a gorgeous canyon. Be aware, this is the busiest part of the park because it is one of the few places with paved roads.

Best Trail

Leaving from Strike Valley Overlook, the all-day trek through Upper Muley Twist Canyon offers many unnamed arches, slickrock slopes, narrow passages, sheer cliffs, and stunning views as it winds 10 rugged miles to form a lollipop loop.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Strike Valley Overlook offers an amazing perspective on Waterpocket Fold, but requires a high clearance vehicle to drive the last three miles after a long drive down Notom-Bullfrog Road or Burr Trail Road.

N 2015CR9

Peak Season

Spring and Fall

Hours

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

Fees

The only fee is on the paved Scenic Drive south of the Fruita Historic District, but the NPS accepts the America the Beautiful pass for that.

Road Conditions

Most of the dirt roads (like Notom-Bullfrog and Caineville Wash) are passable to any vehicle, but high clearance is needed on the last bit to Strike Valley Overlook and to cross the Fremont River on the Cathedral Loop. However, there is not much infrastructure in this rugged and dry National Park, so you need to be well-prepared in case of emergency.

Camping

The Fruita Historic District offers camping along the Fremont River, close encounters with mule deer, and free apple picking in the fall. Dry sites are free at Cedar Mesa and Cathedral Valley Campgrounds.

N 590-April Utah 497 — The trail climbs steeply one-mile to Hickman Bridge.

N 2013CapitolReef — Fruita Historic District

November Utah 709 — Mule deer near the campground in Fruita Historic District.

Heading into Grand Wash in Canyonlands National Park — Grand Wash Trail

Sun hitting the walls — The Walls of Jericho catch the morning light in Cathedral Valley.

Tiff checking out some cool sandstone — Upper Muley Twist Canyon offers many unnamed arches, slickrock slopes, narrow passages, sheer cliffs, and stunning views.

LR CARE.jpg — This design we created to celebrate Capitol Reef National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.

Explore More – Why is the park named Capitol Reef?

WONDON WAS HERE …TWICE …THRICE

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Texas

Big Bend National Park

November 5, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande which forms the international border with Mexico. This corner of Texas is not easy to get to, so when you do decide to visit plan on staying for at least a few days. The weather can be very pleasant in the winter months.

Learn more about how to visit this National Park in the expanded second edition of our guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Chisos Basin, Fossil Discovery Exhibit, Hot Springs, Balanced Rock, Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, The Chimneys, Dog Canyon Trail

Must-Do Activity

Located down a short dirt road from Rio Grande Village Campground, a quick walk takes you to a riverside hot springs, a great spot to relax after a day of hiking in the dry Texas desert. While soaking there, you are literally a stone’s throw from another country.

Best Trail

From Chisos Basin it is a short two mile canyon hike to The Window for a gunsight view to the west. This trail is especially popular at sunset.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The most popular back road is Grapevine Hills Road which accesses the short Balanced Rock Trail and passes a couple of the most accessible of the 70 primitive backcountry car campsites (which require a permit from a visitor center).

Peak Season

Spring, but we have also had good weather during visits in December and January

Hours

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

Fees

$30 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

We found that many of the dirt roads are passable with a mini-van, but some are four-wheel-drive only, so check with a ranger first.

Camping

There are many choices of campgrounds and backcountry campsites (permit required) throughout the park, but we recommend the Chisos Basin for its roadrunners and nightly ranger programs.