driving west solo... camping in national parks... need tips

taking 3 months to drive out to new mexico, colorado, utah, california --- the whole deal.

has anyone done this? do you have any survival tips?

Pennsylvania to north coastal California, mostly across the southern route but we meandered a lot and entered California (twice) via Nevada and Oregon instead of from the south. Took six weeks, May-July. Camped in state parks, national forests, a few national parks, and stayed in the occasional motel. Got married at a drive thru window in Vegas. I'm afraid it didn't take. We were a bit surprised by the differences in state park systems-- some were excellent and a fantastic bargain, others were not so good (but they were ALMOST always nicer and less crowded than the national parks). It was a great trip, notwithstanding the difficulties of living out of a car with the same person for weeks at a time, which were considerable in the end-- but on the other hand, the company was often welcome.

on edit-- tips-- well, one thing that vastly improved the trip was a mini kettle grill for cooking on. We had a two-burner camp stove too-- living off of a backpacking stove for weeks at a time is too limiting if you don't have to. We made up a nice car-camping kitchen in a big plastic shoe-box so that meals were fun.

We started out with the intention of never driving more than a few hours per day because we didn't want to spend all our time in the car, but packing and unpacking camp every day or so became tiresome quickly, so we alternated short drives with overnight stays and longer drives followed by multiday stopovers.

Spend as much time as you can afford in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. :-)

Those vans with tiny windows (usually covered up or curtained).

Always stay in crowds.

Stop each day well before dark.

Almost 30 years ago now! When Motel 6 was still $6 for a single room nationwide! (I stayed in a few for a break from camping or when I wanted to make time and not have to stop before dark.)

The states you mentioned are a great selection. I would add Arizona and Yellowstone/Grand Teton.

I haven't been in national parks much in quite awhile so I don't know how they are any more. I suspect they've degraded since I went on my trip.

My suggestions:

Don't limit yourself to national park campgrounds. Consider state parks, even county or regional parks, and sometimes private campgrounds. (Caution: most private "campgrounds" are now basically parking lots for RVs, or at least that's my impression.) Get AAA campground guides if you're a member. Take an occasional break in a motel.

Have something of an overall plan for where to go and how long to spend there, or your time will suddenly be gone, with only half what you wanted to see seen. But also stay flexible to take advantage of surprises or to change your mind. The best decision I made during my trip was this: I was headed south through California toward San Diego, with about a week left before I needed to start driving back east. But as I hit the edge of the L.A. megalopolis, I suddenly decided that I'd rather see Yellowstone than San Diego. Checked a map, veered off east and north, and was really overwhelmed by Yellowstone.

Make some notes during your trip. Everything will seem so clear and obvious that you'll think you couldn't possibly forget stuff, but a month or two after you're home, it will all be a blur.

If you're returning to your starting point at the end of the trip, take one route west and a different route back east. For instance, go out thru New Mexico and Arizona, back thru the north, Montana/Wyoming, Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, or take the central route one direction thru St. Louis, Colorado. Planning the out and back portions may make the rest of your general plan for where to go when fall into place easily.

Some worthwhile stops:

These stops are near each other, and will take you by Whitesands missle range and some lava flows as you drive towards Albuquerque:
Carlsbad Caverns - Bats in July/August (and very very hot outside, but cool down below)
Roswell - for the UFO enthusiast
Cloudcroft - Crazy town up in the mountains.

Near Albuquerque:
Petroglyph Nat. Monument
The Jemez Mts/Baca Valley - Hot Springs just 1 hr from Albuquerque - see the tent rocks!
The Tram/Sandi Peak - a nice tourist stop
Oldtown Albuquerque - Another tourist place
Gardunos - I recommend the Chile Relleno - If you like the HEAT!
The Frontier - On Central, less expensive than Garduno's but just as HOT!
(The "Hatch" Green Chile is a staple food in New Mexico)
Madrid - Hippy (shops)/Biker (bar) town about 3 hrs from Albq. - good music sometimes
Mountainair - If you can go through this small town, south-east of Albq., stop at the diner on the main street, I highly recommend the Chicken Fried Steak there. Check out the drawings on the walls, notice how all the faces in the drawings look the same. Then notice the faces of all the town's inhabitants are the same faces as in the drawings. There's also some Indian/Missionary ruins nearby.

Other towns:
Taos - Don't miss the gorge.
Santa Fe - For the well funded tourist - nice galleries, historic buildings, etc. Some great cultural and music events,

For the Native American Indian Enthusiast, you must venture to the Farmington area:
Four Corners/Shiprock/Window Rock/Mesa Verde -
There's that tribe that lives up on one of those mesas
Also, Durango, Colorado is really great to check out, but can be expensive.

If you head west from Albq. and take I 40 towards the Grand Canyon, there's this tourist stop called "Meteor Crater", it's pretty close to the highway (about 20 mins), and is worth the stop if you're into that sort of thing. They've got a "museum" with a space suit, and some models of the crater, and stuff to check out. You'll also go through Painted Desert and Petrified Forest (Nat. parks/monuments) as a primer for Utah. I've been through Zion, and some friends I was with told me Bryce is even better.

Survival Tip - Stay near a toilet if you haven't had green chile before.

Have Fun! :)

Acoma (city in the sky) is awesome

Of course, I live in the Southwest, so it's become almost like second nature.

1. Hit AZ in early summer -- as in "the first week of June, last week of May" -- and then only the Grand Canyon and the mountainous regions, especially the North Rim and the Chaco Canyon area. Always rememebr where you're going to sleep, and make sure it's within a few hour's easy drive. If you're in a tent, like me, stay somewhere where it won't get above 75-80 at night. Flagstaff has some national forest campgrounds that fit this bill.

2. Arches is fantastic, but very hot. Personally, I'm going to spend six days there during Spring Break, grading papers and hiking. I wouldn't go there during the summer, especially if you have a tent, but if I did, I'd stay in the National Forest campgrounds just South, the ones that abutt the COLORADO RIVER.

3. Go to Sequoia. DO all the touristy stuff, and then make the hellish, 3-hour, 30-mile drive to Mineral King, 10,000 feet above sea level in elevation. Utterly fantastic; completely alpine; totally unforgettable. No RVs -- they won't fit on the road.

4. I'm not so familiar w/ CO, but I've been to CARLSBAD CAVERNS three times, and can't wait to go there for a fourth. The weather's still fairly decent there in early June/Late May, too, but the rest of the summer is hot

Yes, I know I'm shouting, but I'll yell it again: UTAH STATE PARKS ARE THE BEST PLACES TO STAY!

Totally anal-retentive and totally law-and-order, but also with an amazing dedication to environmental preservation and making the experience good for everybody. Fabulous experiences every single time.

It's just that in the nationals you could be lined up like sardines with the rest of the campers. And in the other fed camping areas, it's pretty nice, not as expensive and roomier.

Also state parks can be great. We drove down to Florida this winter and found the most lovely state park outside Selma, Alabama. It has water, electric and sewer for about $15 a night. The campsite was at the edge of a pretty little lake. Heaven for a night on a long trip.

We live in Colorado and like the other fed camps in Colorado and Utah. Keep the option open and enjoy!!!

Is to eat lunch in a sit down restaurant every other day.

It makes it MUCH more civilized, and keeps morale high.