Need Help Planning West Coast Tour April 25 to May 10 2007

[bc_fjc]

After registering for Cruise Moab I decided to make it into a tour of the West Coast and am looking for your input on places to Camp and Things to do along the way. I would like to stay in wilderness camping areas as much as possible.

Here is my rough itinerary:

April 25, Leave Vancouver, BC early morning and make it to Beehive Point, Lake Shasta, CA (12 Hrs Drive)
- anyone know of a better place to stop near I-5?

April 26, Leave Lake Shasta Area to Hungry Valley Area (8.5 Hrs Drive)
- Anyone know of any good camping spots between Bakersfield and Upland?

April 27, Leave Hungry Valley Area to Adventure Trailers, Upland (2 Hrs Drive)
- Pickup Trailer, get registration... (3-4 Hrs)
- Leave Adventure Trailers and goto East CA or AZ (3-4 Hrs Drive)
- I'm looking to hit some trails heading towards AZ. Is anyone going to be in the area?

April 28, 29
Are pretty much open for anything. I would like to make it to the Grand Canyon and area before heading to Mexican Hat for the night of the 29th. Any suggestions?

April 30, touring Comb Ridge, Arch Canyon area and ending up in Monticello with the Copper State Cruisers

May 1, running Lockhart Basin into Moab with the Copper State Cruisers

May 2, Prerun sum trails around Moab

May 3, 4, 5 Cruise Moab

May 6, Leave Moab and Make my way towards Yellowstone
- I'm looking for a spot to Camp 6- 8 hrs out of Moab

May 7, Get to Yellowstone and spend the night (2-3 Hrs Drive)
- anyone been to the park this time of year? what camping is availible?

May 8, Spend the day in Yellowstone.

May 9, Leave Yellowstone and head towards Spokane Area (7 Hrs Drive)
- Anyone know of somewhere to Camp around Spokane?

May 10, Spokan Area to Home (6 Hrs Drive)

Thanks in advance for all of your suggestions, :safari-rig:

 

[calamaridog]

Those are some long days in the car. I'd try to fit a few extra days in so you can relax a little in your camps.

 

[bc_fjc]

First 2 - 3 days will be full of driving after that I'm thinking most of my days are around 6 hours, Pretty normal. I can add up to another 3 days to the end of the trip if needed. Where would you add more time or avoid? There will be two of us driving. Thanks for your input

 

[RedDog]

Nice route plan. It should be a great trip.

There's plenty of camping at Yellowstone:

http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/camping.htm

One thing to note is that many campsites don't permit softside (tent) camping oweing to bear issues. I've run into it myself a couple times, albeit during the peak of the summer season. You might be fine for your travel dates.

Also, when in the Moab / Arches area, I highly recommend Dead Horse Point State Park. There's a fine campground there but the real deal is the sunrise from the viewpoint parking lot - a couple minutes from the campground. Word has gotten around on this treat and in the summer months the parking lot there will be buzzing in the dark at 3 am. We got the tip from a coffeeshop waitress between St. George, UT and Las Vegas on a motorcycle trip over a decade ago. It's a spectacle you'll never forget.

http://www.utah.com/stateparks/dead_horse.htm

 

[kcowyo]

May 6, Leave Moab and Make my way towards Yellowstone
- I’m looking for a spot to Camp 6- 8 hrs out of Moab

May 7, Get to Yellowstone and spend the night (2-3 Hrs Drive)
- anyone been to the park this time of year? what camping is availible?

May 8, Spend the day in Yellowstone.

Thanks in advance for all of your suggestions, :safari-rig:

Out of Moab, if you take Rt. 191, that will lead you straight to Yellowstone NP. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area would be a good place between the two to camp.

Regarding visiting Yellowstone in May - you may find that not all of the roads are open yet. Traditionally I take my family up to the park the first weekend in May because that is the first weekend the roads are usually cleared. And it's cold plus there is usually a ton of snow on the ground. How cold? 0-low teens. By Memorial Day, all of the roads are usually open, but early May can be hit or miss. Just a suggestion, but you'll definitely want to keep an ear out for road openings in the park.

From the National Park Service -
"Plowing begins in early March. Depending on weather, the first stretches of road to open to motor vehicles include Mammoth-Norris, Norris-Madison, and West Yellowstone-Old Faithful; these roads open in mid-April. Roads on the east and south sides of the park, including East and South Entrances, typically open in early May. The Sunlight Basin Road, between Cooke City, MT and Cody, WY and Craig Pass, between Old Faithful and West Thumb, open by early May as conditions allow. Dunraven Pass, between Tower and Canyon Junctions, and the Beartooth Highway, connecting Cooke City to Red Lodge, MT generally open by Memorial Day weekend. Weather can especially affect road openings over the higher passes. Spring storms may cause restrictions or temporary closures on some roads."


Some pics from last Memorial Day weekend in May through YNP -

 

[bc_fjc]

Thanks, for the information on Yellowstone. I was reading that the park would only have limited access but I think it will still be worth the stop.:REOutCampFire03: normaly if there is snow you don't see too many bears

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area look nice and more on route then Dinosaur National Monument. Any recomended camping spots in the Gorge?

Dead Horse Point State Park... Might be an option for my first night in Moab... I will be at a camp ground for Cruise Moab but looks like I will be in the area a day before my reservation.

Thanks, Keep the ideas comming

 

[kcowyo]

normaly if there is snow you don't see too many bears

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area look nice and more on route then Dinosaur National Monument. Any recomended camping spots in the Gorge?

Actually don't be so sure about the bears. Here's a Grizzly I spotted on the same trip last May-

There are several USFS campgrounds in Flaming Gorge. You will see several signs along 191. On the south end in Utah you will be up in the mountains. Towards the northern end in Wyoming, you will be closer to the water. I can recommend Firehole Canyon in Wyoming for nice camping near the water.

 

[dlewis]

Camping Shasta Area

Here is a suggestion for a nice camp on the Shasta River just outside Yreka. N41° 48.658' W122° 35.384'. Not getting you all the way to Shaska but I have done this drive more than a few times from Seattle and it's a nice stretch. The access down to the river is just north of Pioneer Bridge on highway 263 down a faily steep rough gravel track. Several nice quiet unimproved sites along the river. Also a good eat is Gramma's at exit 776 in Yreka. She has been there for ever and is still just like my gramma.
Dan