Planning Your Grand Teton National Park Trip - Five Activities to do in the park.

Are you planning a trip to Jackson to visit Grand Teton National Park and wonder what to plan to do inside the park?  Well, luckily for you, this National Park is packed full of activities that wear out any outdoor enthusiast.  

Hike the Tetons

Hiking and climbing in the Tetons is not for the faint of heart.  Most trails in this park have big vertical climbs that vary from never-ending switchbacks to rocky scrambles, but every step is worth its weight when you reach your destinations amongst craggy peaks teeming with wildlife.  There are tons of trails in this park, and they range from easy to difficult.  We have compiled a list of the 5 Best Hikes in Teton National Park here.  You can also plan a multi-day or overnight backpacking journey here.  Just remember to be prepared when heading out into the backcountry or on any trail at this park. We encountered plenty of bears and hazards; so, be prepared and make sure to stay sun-safe, as many of the hikes are exposed.  

Paddle the Tetons

There are plenty of options to take your watercraft out onto the lakes in this park.  We highly recommend getting up for a sunrise paddle on String Lake.  You may find you’re the only person on the lake as you glide across glassy reflections of the Tetons glaciated peaks.  This is a magical experience, and we couldn't recommend it more.  If you get up that early, you can find the best place to park for the day.  There are nice picnic tables and plenty of beaches on the lake to relax and spend the day reading and taking in the splendor of mother nature.  

Bike the Tetons

There’s a pretty nice bike trail through the park that even extends all the way to Jackson, WY.  While there is no mountain biking trails, this is one of the most scenic bike trails we’ve ever been on.  All ages can handle this paved bike path, and it’s very convenient to bring your bicycle if you are camping within the park.  The bike trail goes right through the campsites and you could bike to most Trail Heads if you don't want to lose your spot.  

See Wildlife in the Tetons

This park is teeming with wildlife!  There’s almost some sort of critter at every bend in the trail.  We saw plenty of moose, bear, dear, birds, and marmots, to name a few.  The hotspots to see wildlife is on the Cascade Canyon trail, and Lupine Meadows.  We also saw a bear at the Jenny Lake ferry.  Make sure to follow proper wildlife guidelines provided by the park and carry bear spray, once again.  

Photograph the Tetons

It’s no coincidence that one of Ansel Adams most famous photographs is of the Teton Range form the Snake River Overlook.  These mountains are so beautiful that they take the picture for you.  You could be blindfolded and still take good photos here.  Some of our favorite photo spots are.  String Lake, Snake River Overlook, Taggert Lake, Delta Lake, and Form Shadow Mountain Across the valley.  Don't forget to charge and bring extra camera batteries; you'll thank us later.  

We hope this was helpful if you are looking for more Teton tips and tricks we have more articles with our favorite hikes and campsites!  

Five of the Best Free Camping Areas Near Grand Teton National Park

Five of the Best Free Camping Areas Near Grand Teton National Park

Are you planning a camping trip to Grand Teton National Park?  Having a hard time finding where to camp?  This is a busy park and campsites in the area book quick.  While there is camping available inside the park, it’s first come first served and we’ve seen people in line at 6 am waiting for campers to leave to nab their spots.  You can check camping options inside the park here, but don't be surprised if it's full and overpriced.  However, there is some good news for the desperate camper at GTNP.  There are tons of amazing campsites outside of the park; some are just 30 minutes out while others are an hour or so.  But it’s a National Park and usually to find camping spots around NPs requires a good deal of driving.  Here is a list of our favorite spots around Jackson and the Tetons. 

None of these spots have toilets; so be prepared with a shovel and dispose of your TP properly. I don't want to have to take this post down.  

Shadow Mountain - (43.70418, -110.62170) 

Camping at the base of Shadow Mountain provides incredible views of the Teton range.  All the campsites are at the base of the mountain.  Be careful if it has rained; it can be impassable.  We almost got stuck in some nasty mud leaving one day.  Here at Shadow Mountain, there are probably about 10 spots at the base, these spots will go the fastest.  It sometimes helps to carpool into the park and leave a vehicle at your spot. If you leave your spot it will be gone almost immediately.  There are more options up the mountain and these will provide better views, but the road can be treacherous so enter at your own risk. 

Free National Forest Camping - (43.76777, -110,54171)

This is dispersed camping fairly close to the north entrance of the Tetons.  It’s really just a large dirt lot with more options if you continue to follow the road.  We used this spot as more of a desperation camp when we left the park too late to find a good spot at Shadow Mountain or elsewhere.    The road in is manageable but can be very rutted out so larger older vans will have to take it easy. 

Buffalo Valley - (43.85031, -110,34161)

If you want to escape the madness of the National Parks in this area Buffalo Valley is a great place to boondock for a few days or even weeks.  This is a bit further away but you will be able to find peace and quiet as the other spots are quite overrun.  We stayed out here for a few days and drove into the NP at the north entrance and it was about an hour drive into the Park.  There are plenty of awesome spots; you can even score a spot right on the river.  

Curtis Canyon- (43,52167, -110.62763)

These dispersed campsites are closer to Jackson than they are to GTNP and is a great place to stay if you need a place to camp near Jackson, WY.  The road up to Curtis Canyon starts just east of Jackson and is fairly convenient.  We will note that it’s a very bumpy ride in here, so if you don’t live to take your rig on rough roads you may want to skip this spot.  There are plenty of spots and the views here are incredible. We posted up on top of the mountain for a few days and enjoyed the scenery and peace and quiet before we headed back to the park for some adventures.  We did camp a few nights in Jackson and had no issues, the town seems overran by vans and RVs anyways.  

Granite Creek - (43.31147, -110,45902)

This is an amazing spot worth checking out!  While it’s not really close to GTNP or Jackson, it was one of our favorite places to camp in the area.  The road up Granite Creek is very bumpy but it can be done in any vehicle. We saw plenty of RVs driving this road.  There is also a paid campsite with a hot spring at the top of the road.  We stayed at this place for over a week.  We stopped over after climbing the Hobuck Shield.  The Granite Creek area has lots of recreation options from hiking, fishing, and even kayaking.  We took our buddies pack rafts down the creek a few times and had a blast!  We highly recommend a stopover here just to unwind from the crazy scene that's going down in Jackson every summer.  

There are plenty more options for camping in this corner of Wyoming. We also highly recommend checking out Alpine, WY.  There’s a nice reservoir with plenty of options for camping.  We hope this was helpful!  See you kookz on the road!  

15 Free Campsites Along the Oregon and California Coast

15 Free Campsites along the Oregon and California Coast. 

Before we dive into all the campsites along the way I need to forewarn you that these sites are a mixture between pull offs on the side of the road and “Day Use Areas”.  Most of the spots may be geared towards the more savvy budget road tippper or the seasoned vanlife nomad.  These spots are car/van camping specific spots.  We hope this guide is helpful in finding a few spots along the cost where a free spot can be difficult to find. We will also note here the we found California much more accommodating to find places to sleep.

Also we have a longer write up and full itinerary available here! 

Oregon HighwaY 101 

#1. Oswald West State Park (45.744721,-123.960908) 

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

This spot is actually a viewing area/rest stop.  Take advantage of your first of many multi million dollar views from your van.  Head on over to the Neahkahnie Viewpoint for your first night, right off highway 101. Also, get used to these highway stop-over camping spots in Oregon, unless you want to fork over $35 to the State Parks.  There are no toilets here but have no fear there are plenty of options for your #2’s in Manzanita has plenty of services and restrooms just a few minutes down the hill.  

#2.  Brain Booth State Park (44.520991,-124.069295)

Drop Toilet / Day Use Area / Car Camping

Although this is a day use area you will have to use your best judgement on whether or not you wish to stay here.  We camped on the east side of the park near the river access highway 101 and we had no trouble, the secret is to get there late and leave early.  There are also pit toilets here as well so that makes life easy in the morning.  There are lots of scenic beaches in this area to checkout.  

#3.  Whiskey Run Bike Trails (43.218854,-124.342054)

No Toilets / Trailhead Parking Area / Car Camping

Per Oregon standards there was a no overnight parking sign but as usual in this secluded area we ignored the signs and stayed the night here.  It was very quite, however people did show up fairly early in the morning to ride their mountain bikes.  We rode the trails in the morning and had a blast if you have a mountain bike and want to ride some nice professionally built flowy trails this is right off the 101 and you will be stoked you stoped.  

#4 Bandon Beach Streets (43.110550,-124.432711)

No Toilets / Neighborhood Streets (Stealth) /  Car Camping

We noticed while in Bandon that most of the homes are vacation rentals.  So we thought no one would know that we are camping on their street.  Since it seemed to be low season we just stealth parked the rig above the beach on a parking space with quite the overlook.  We woke up early n the morning we headed to Face Rock State Park to use the clean and nice bathrooms and headed out of town.  

#5.  Indian Sands Trail Head (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilets / Day Use Area / Car Camping 

The Samual H. Boardman State Park is an incredible state park and a the most photographed area on the coast.  We explored the area the whole day, two short hikes that are worth checking out are Secret Beach and Indian Sands.  We ended up staying in the Indian Sands Day Use parking lot and once again had zero issues.  

California Highway 1

#6.  Smith River Camping (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car and Tent Camping

We found a nice spot via iOverlander right on the Smith River with access to a nice swimming hole.  We made a fire met a Basque traveler @laidagoe who joined us for some kooky adventures.  In the morning we recommend you check out Stout Grove and take the backpay out into Crescent City.  There’s plenty of short trails with some of the tallest trees in California.  

#7.  Lost Rocks (42.157399,-124.361562)

No Toilet / Roadside Beach Parking / Car Camping 

There are picnic tables and fire pits on the beach and we really enjoyed our stay.  We also went climbing in the Promontory just about 1/4 mile up the beach.  It was an amazing setting for a climb and to be able to wrap it up with a day on the beach was magical.  We gained another traveler this night and headed south after two relaxing nights at the beach.  

#8.  Moonstone Beach (42.157399,-124.361562)

Portable Toilet / Beach Camping / Car Camping 

We heard about Moonstone Beach from our friends who live in Arcata so we went to see what the hype was all about.  Upon arrival we were pretty stoked with the scenery of the beach with the Little River meeting the surging tide.  It was a great place for a swim as well as top rope climbing.  We ended up staying here two nights as well right in the parking lot.  Although people told us that we cant camp there we did and had no issues.  Just clean up your mess and be a good neighbor,  

#9.  Big Tree Grove (40.350409,-123.991959)

Portable Toilets / Trailhead Day Use Parking / Car Camping

We visited the visitor center and were told that the largest trees in the California and  The Avenue of the Giants was at Big Tree Grove.  So we headed out walked a few short walks around the grove and stayed for the night.  It was very quite here and we had no issues.  

#10.   Roadside pull over HWY 1 (39.694736,-123.798595)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

Once we made it to HWY 1 we were ready to prepare some food so we pulled over on one of the first pullovers we saw that was empty and we cooked some dinner and passed out.  We woke up to beautiful sunny weather the next day and tried not to launch our van off the road as we cruised the rig south.  

#11.  Point Arena Lighthouse (38.943371,-123.732553)

Portable Toilets /  Scenic View Point / Car Camping 

Here we would stay 3 nights and enjoy the iconic view of a historic lighthouse juts out of plateau where the land meets the sea.  There is plenty of opportunities for whale watching here and if you look off the rocks the seals will be living the good life laying out all day absorbing the precious vitamin D.

#12.  Sonoma Coast Road Side Pull Off (38.489223,-123.189684)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping

From here south it’s going to get tricky on finding free campsites.  The camping here is harder to find and is more likely to be roadside pullouts but there are some nice ones.  Just North of Jenner we found an amazing hill side pull out where we spent a afternoon and night watching the wales migrate while the sunset did it’s thinning the Next day we headed down to Goat Rock Beach where they have a nice large scenic parking lot, restrooms, and garbage cans… All the necessities. 

#13.  Jenner Roadside Camping (38.452503,-123.128298)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

After a peaceful and amazing night overlooking the ocean high up on the bluffs we headed down to the small town of Jenner about 5 miles.  We spent the day at the Goat Rock Beach Parking lot enjoying the sunshine and amenities at the beach. We also went rock climbing did some yoga and then headed up to the upper parking lot for the night.  Here we were asked to leave by the police around 8pm and we found a last second campsite just right outside of the town of Jenner on the side of the road.  Not an ideal spot but we had no issues here.  

#14.  Palomarin Trailhead (37.930389,-122.742040)

Toilets / Trailhead Day Use Parking / Car Camping 

We stocked up on all kinds of organic produce at the Bolinas Farm Stand (Highly Recommended) then we headed to the Palomarin Trailhead.  This is not by any means a free campsite and you have to be a seasoned van lifer to pull this one off without getting in trouble with the authorities.  Park Rangers came by about 3 times per day but no one patrolled the area at night.  Just don't let them catch you in the morning they will give you a ticket.

#15.  Roadside Pull off Highway 1, Near Muir Beach (37.870438,-122.590238)

No Toilets / Roadside Pull Off / Car Camping 

After two peaceful days at Palomarin we headed down to Stinson Beach for the day. Then that night we just found another road side pull over via iOverlander just a few minutes from Muir Beach which would be out destination the next day.  We were lucky it was a Sunday and the road construction crew was off and they left their portable toilet unlocked so we had a toilet but don't count on it.  

**!BONUS!**

#16.  Sausalito Parking Lot #3 (37.857649,-122.480807)

Toilets / Marina Parking / Car Camping 

From here we moved on to meet our good friend Phil aka @Sprinter_on_the_move.  He showed us a promising spot to camp for the night.  Right at the Marina in Sausalito, it was free and fairly quite for being in the city.  Not the most legal but we got away with it for the night we saw plenty of other van travelers in the parking lot so we felt safe.  

Thanks for reading if you are looking for any other activities to do in California or Oregon just click the links!  Cheers! 

Highway 395 Eastern Sierra - Hot Springs, Gems, and Rock Climbing

The backside of the Sierra is littered with amazing scenery, hot springs, rock climbing, and everything an outdoor enthusiast needs. 

Hot Springs

Near Bridgeport, CA, are the Travertine Hot Springs. While they can be crowded, this place is beautiful.  The natural rock formations really make an amazing hot springs environment.  

Just south, on 395, near the Mammoth Airport is a green church. If you take that road, it will take you to the Whitmore Hot Springs Area. There is a high concentration of man made hot springs that vary from warm to hot.  While we haven't been to all the hot springs in this area, we have been to most.  Our favorites are the Rock Tub, for best views, and Shepard Hot Springs, for the perfect temp.  

Earth Treasures

A great short hike to a crater that was formed from a hotspot and is actually part of some of the youngest volcanic mountains in the US.  The Panum Crater is full of Obsidian and Pumice and is a great place to hunt for earth treasures.   

Rock Climbing in Alabama Hills

This is some of the best BLM camping in California.  Alabama Hills are littered with rocks, climbing routes, a few bouldering spots, and plenty of scrambling. This place is vanlife heaven.  A great place for beginners to start climbing in Alabama hills is at Paul’s Backyard, for a variety of easier climbs. We actually camped at Paul’s Backyard and left our ropes up for a few days and climbed as we pleased.   If you are ready to step it up a few notches, the Shark Fin is a iconic climb in the area as well.  There are hundreds of routes at this world class climbing playground. 

Check out a video of us traveling through the area with @lifeofkuhl

Southern New Mexico Road Trip Itinerary

We are both native New Mexicans, but we have not been back for quite some time. And on our inaugural trip in the new van we wanted to stay close to home and explore before we blasted off from New Mexico again. There were a lot of really awesome places in New Mexico that we may have overlooked when we were young, but we were ready to see them and experience them now. 

Socorro and the Very Large Array

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First stop leaving Albuquerque, we headed for the Very Large Array, just outside of Socorro, New Mexico. This is apparently the largest array of satellites. We originally wanted to get some time lapse footage of them moving, but we arrived late and weren’t able to scope out the place and plan our shots. There was a security guard that came over to us and told us that the visitor center and area was closed. So, we packed it up and planned on coming back after we scoped out the distance we would need to walk from the side of the road parking lot to the closest array. We definitely plan on coming back when the moon isn’t stealing the show anyways. 

We camped on some National Forest Service land about 10 miles away from the array. The description on freecampsites.net said “True Boondocking” so we headed towards it and were the only on around for miles. 

TorC

In the morning, we headed towards I-25 and over to Truth or Consequences to photo a couple properties but to also check out their hot springs. We’ve never really explored TorC, but once we realized this little town really revolves around the various hot springs in the area. There are Air BnB’s with hot springs in their back yard or with in walking distance. We opted to check out the Riverbank Hot Spring resort. It is $12 for one hour for showers and there are 8 different pools with an entrance to the Rio Grande river as well. We went at night and there were heaps of laser lights shining into the pool and across the other side of the river bank. It really made for an awesome experience. Whispers were appreciated as it was a spa and hotel. There are private pools for $14 per hour, but you only get the one pool. With the $12 pass, you can go from their hottest 109 degree pools to their 104 degree pools. 

Gila National Forest

After soaking in the TorC hot tubs, it reminded me that there was a cute little campsite near the Gila National Forests with hot springs. So we headed in that direction. I believe the campsite is called Gila Hot Springs Campground. There are three hot tubs steps from the campsite, potable cold and hot water, composting drop toilets, fire pits with plenty of wood, and about 10 secluded campsites. It is $5 to soak or $8 to camp (camping includes soaking). 

The hot spring tubs and campsites are right on the river and behind some farms, homes and other properties. When you turn off the road, you head thru some goat farms, follow the signs for the campsite. I believe you turn left on west fork lane, which goes along the river and the back side of the private property. Then, you got thru a gate to the right. If it is closed, you can still go in. You just need to pay your fees at the little hut near the first hot tub. The owners are a lovely couple. They come by every morning and night. They check the envelopes and say hello to everyone. So don’t go trying to skip your honesty box dues. They will not hesitate to make you pay. But at $8, this site is a bargain. I don’t know if you read the amenities and secluded campsites part, but I hope I had you at 3 hot springs steps away from your campsite to convince you that this is well worth every penny. If this were in New Zealand, it would be $40+. But, it is in New Mexico, so it’s a bargain at $8 per person. We stayed here twice. We didn’t plan on it, so we were a bit short money wise on second night, but the lady remembered us from the first night and let us slide and was glad we enjoyed it so much as to come back for a second night.  

This campsite is about a 10-15 minute drive to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. There is no way that you should miss this place if you are in the area. It is mind blowing. Apparently they are the best preserved dwellings in the US. They are 80% original preserved dwellings, with only 20% minor restorations. A lot of dwellings are reconstructions. This one is original. 

Apparently, back in the 90s this place was much less regulated, and you could camp anywhere inside or near them. When we went, there seemed to be more rangers than visitors, but they all were able to answer any questions we had checking out different areas inside the caves. The dwellings hike is about a 1 mile loop. 

City of Rocks State Park

After a late start at the campsite, we headed towards the City of Rocks. It was a half way point in-between Gila NF and Las Cruces, it was a place I had never heard of and it looked super cool from the pictures. 

Camping is $10 per site. There are trash cans and picnic tables at each site. It really looked like a little mini city of rocks; like Joshua tree or Alabama Hills type of random boulders, which made for some cool secluded campsites. There are both powered and unpowered sites. 

A lot of people were wandering thru the different walk ways the random rock piles seemed to create. Or climbing on the boulders. In the morning, we went out on a bike ride around the campsite and up the mountain. It was an 8 mile loop. It was gravely where it was easy and where it was more technical and hard, it was chunky and questionable if it was really a bike trail. Maybe one day I will be that good :)

Las Cruces/ Organ Mountains National Monument- Sierra Vista BLM Camping

After we cooked up some lunch, we headed towards Las Cruces to grab some groceries at the co-op and gas-up. Then, we set the GPS towards the BLM land just outside of Cruces, near the Organ Mountains National Monument,  Sierra Visa Trail head parking. There are hikes and biking that are reminiscent of Elena Gallegos or Bear Canyon on the foothills of the Sandia’s in Albuquerque.  

There are about 4-5 spots and they are usually taken. At the very end there is a larger parking area and a lot for about 3 medium size rigs parked efficiently down below. This is where the overflow late arrivers usually park up. 

Please stay on the roads or designated/ all ready established areas. Since the popularity of freecampsites.net, the rangers that maintain this area have really had to make this spot a priority. We had a really funny and pleasant conversation with one of the rangers calling the site, “camp free anywhere .com or something” he said that they have to come buy many times throughout the day, early in the morning,  later in the afternoon to make sure people are not creating more spaces. He said it is BLM land and you are allowed to camp over night, but you can not create your own campsite anywhere, which is what people are doing when they pull up and see that there are no spots. They figure if no one is there to tell them no, then why can’t they. This type of unchecked behavior is what will threaten these awesome places for overnight stays. Which means, gate closing times for spaces like this. 

There are no facilities at this spot. Please come prepared as a self contained or a shovel and a ziplock bag for your pee paper. No one likes to see where you marked your spot. 

White Sands National Monument

There are 10 backcountry permits available to campout at White Sands. It is $6 per person and the campsites are first come, first served. If you have a National Parks pass, you only have to pay $3 per person for camping. 

It is awesome to camp out and share the park with about 10-20 other campers once the park closes down. You get to see the sunset, moons, stars, and sunrise. And all four of those are some of the most magical parts of White Sands. Cotton candy magic hour skies and pearl white sand dunes all to yourself. The harsh white light during the day is usually short lived by visitors unless they have kids playing in the sand. Usually about the time White Sands turns on the magic, it is time to go home for day visitors. 

The temperatures at night drastically change; bring warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag. If there is no moon, it is very dark; so, bring a head torch. We went during the super, blue, full moon and it was as bright as dusk the entire night. The moonlight was lighting up the inside of our tent. We really didn’t even need a head torch at all. 

This place is pretty awesome. If you are taking a southern route thru New Mexico, you don’t want to miss White Sands, it is pretty mind blowing. 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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If you are in Southern New Mexico, this is something you don’t want to miss, as well, equally mind blowing. Make sure you do the walk down and through the caverns. It takes a while to walk the entire system of caverns. So, make sure you go to the bathroom. I seem to remember there was on at the beginning and one at the elevator, at the end. (Just a little tip for all you guys that try to stay hydrated, but end up peeing all day, like we do.)  If you are there when the bats are there (Mid Summer to late October), make sure you stay for the bats exit of the cave in the afternoon. The bats are how they found Carlsbad Caverns. Apparently, like clockwork, these free-tailed bats, would fly out together every summer afternoon. And, because they are somewhat blind, they stick closer together. When one dips, they all dip together, looking like smoke rising in the air. The original people that found Carlsbad Cavern’s thought it was a fire every night. So, they finally went to it and realized the smoke was hundreds of thousands of bats exiting an enormous underground cave. 

From the Ranger’s Intro talk before the bat’s exit the cave, they first told us they had a strict ban on electronic devices during the bat flight program. No cameras, video, phones… everything emitting a signal must be turned off. They are super sensitive to electronic devices.

It is really a crazy experience from start to end. 

Jemez to Taos, Hot Springs and Mountain Bike Tour

White Mesa - Mountain Biking

We packed up the newly remodeled road-trip-ready Subaru and headed out for a northern New Mexican adventure.  Our first stop was Jemez, just about an hour and thirty minute drive from Albuquerque.  If the weather was cooler and it wasn't the peak of summer, I recommend stopping at White Mesa (photos below) for a very unique mountain bike experience. 

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Jemez Hot Springs

Our first stop in Jemez was Spence Hot Springs, while we waited for a friend.  The pools at Spence aren’t incredibly warm, but they are worth the short hike and they have an amazing view from the pool.  Our next stop was San Antonio Hot Springs, off of Highway 126.  We arrived to a closed gate and had to walk over five miles, one way to the hot springs, but it was well worth the walk.  These are some of the best hot springs I’ve been to in New Mexico.  It consists of about 5 pools with a high pressure source pumping out into the top pool.  We left in the late afternoon and were soaked on the hike out and slept in the Jemez Falls parking lot that night.  

Taos - Mountain Biking and Hot Spring

The next day, we drove highway 4, easily one of the New Mexico’s most scenic roads, passing through the Valles Caldera and then through Los Alamos, where there is more mountain biking.  The next stop was Taos Ski Valley to ride the Northside Trails.  With a climb of over 2,100 feet, this trail is a big climb and the only alpine riding in New Mexico.  The Climb is worth the effort and the views of the Carson National Forest are epic.  Get ready for a steep ride down.  I don't know if you've ever been to TSV, but they say Taos is a four letter word for steep.  

After the ride we had a beer and snack at the Stray Dog Cantina and headed down the valley to Taos Mesa Brewery.  We stayed a few days out on the mesa with a good friend and relaxed and explored Manby and John Dunn hot springs in the Rio Grande Gorge.  One afternoon we headed back up to TSV to hike to Willams Lake. The lake sits below New Mexico’s tallest point, Wheeler Peak.  Later that week, we rode Horse Thief Mesa and the Rift Valley Trail before heading back to Albuquerque.  Before arriving to Albuquerque, we stopped at our favorite trail, Bobsled, in Palcitias.  Upon Arrival, we were really stoked with our spur of the moment trip and another trip in the Subaru.  

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Southwest Desert Road Trip

We arrived in LAX after our trip abroad and were ready to get back on the road.  We were fortunate enough that our good friend Omar was in need of an adventure.  We joined forces and decided that we should tour the Desert SW back to our hometown Albuquerque, NM.  It was late April, so we figured the weather wouldn't be too hot.  We crammed all our gear in to Omar's Jeep Cherokee and began our to be 1,600+ mile road trip with 0 plans, but to have fun and explore new countryside.  We left the first port city of Venice, CA, after some amazing surf and headed towards our first desert alien landscape.  

We entered the Joshua Tree orbit around noon.  The first thing I would highly advise is buying the $80 America the Beautiful pass. It worked at almost every planet we landed on.  We bought our pass headed to Big Rocks Campground ($15 per site).  J-Tree is a mix of exotic granite rock formations and awkward Joshua Trees scattered throughout this bizarre landscape as far as the eye can see.  This is a great place for rock climbing and Scrambling around.  We explored and climbed around at the Hall of Horrors and Hidden Valley. We would definitely recommend these two spots.  There is amazing rock climbing, scrambling, and photo options at these spots.   

That night we stayed up a bit for star gazing and photography, but were shut down by a thin as cloud layer.  We woke up and cruised for a while on the Geology Tour Road to check out the park more, explore, and take some pictures.  After about an hour or driving, we left J Tree’s orbit and blasted off to another dimension.

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The Alabama Hills BLM land outside of Lone Pine, CA, is camping heaven.  Upon surveillance, this alien landscape seemed to be something out of another galaxy.  Amidst the enormous rock fields, stands Mt. Whitney, at 14,505ft, looming down on the valley below.  ‘Bama Hills is on BLM land where dispersed camping is allowed.  However, it is on you to clean up after yourself. There are no toilets. So, come prepared.  

After our first night of camping, we woke up and did the very short loop hike to the Mobius Arch.  We then headed up to the Mount Whitney Portal to check out some hikes.  After a heavy snow season, we were shut down pretty quick on the trails up at the Whitney Portal.  We did learn that permits for hiking Whitney in the summer are required. So, look into obtaining one before you head up. 

After some 4x4 and beers, at an old cowboy bar in Lone Pine, we arrived at a very wind destroyed campsite.  After getting camp set back up, we settled in for what was one of our windiest nights of the trip.  We woke up the next day had breakfast and hit the road for a long haul to Nevada. 

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We exited the Alabama Hills solar system and hit hyperdrive and time warped to a new desert planet. Death Valley is a drive through park, meaning a majority of the experience is driving through the park, at least in the summer.  I could imagine some amazing activities in the other seasons. 

We stopped and made lunch at one of the first outpost we saw.  It was already heating up and I couldn't imagine this place in the midst of summer.  We set down our landing gear on the Beatty Sand Dunes and walked until the footprints started to subside it was already 96 degrees in late May.  Down the road a bit is Zabriskie Point, which is an amazing overlook over the Zabriskie Badlands.  There looks to be an amazing hike, if you were around in the fall/winter and it was cooler, but the heat was too much. So, we just took a few pictures and explored for a bit before we headed on. 

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A few miles outside the bright lights of The Las Vegas Spaceport lies a gem known as Red Rock Canyon.  The mars like terrain will have you feeling as if you were actually on the red planet.  If you want to score a campsite at the Red Rock Canyon Campsite ($10 Per Site) you better be there early.  We showed up and it was completely full.  We ended up having some fellow travelers allow us to stay with them since they were just crashing in their amazing van.  We got in set up camp cooked and had a good chat with our neighbors.  We woke up the next day and headed into Red Rocks Canyon.  We hiked around Calico Basin for about 3 hours climbing and scrambling around and getting lost in dark red slot canyons.  We cruised around the park took in the views and started our auto pilot for Las Vegas.  

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After indulging in provisions in the wild space port Las Vegas, it was time to set our sights on a new frontier.  We set out for St. George, but as most vessels leaving Vegas, we had a very delayed take off.  We headed toward Lake Mead and our radar picked up the Valley of Fire State Park.  We decide to veer off track and check it out.  We arrived late and the gates were open.  Driving through this park seems like something out of the Martian.  There seems to be lots of hiking activities in the park.  Its even amazing just driving though it if it’s a blistering hot summer day.  After little or no trip research, we headed straight to the Fire Wave.  It takes about 20 minutes to walk to this rock formation with amazing rock coloring.  We shot pictures until it was too dark and headed on.  That night we slept in the middle of nowhere, where a dirt road ended, definitely the worst campsite of the trip, but it was free.  

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Zion is an amazing place!  I had no idea the size of this park before arriving.  Massive sandstone peaks with names like The Great White Throne, and The Alter of Sacrifice tower over a thousand feet above the valley floor.  Per usual, we were very unprepared for the busy National Park and had no reservations or any clue what we were going to do inside the park.  We got very lucky scoring a spot in the Zion South Campsite later in the day, (We literally just asked someone if they would share with us because of course the site was full.)

We set up a quick camp and set out for the Hidden Canyon Trail.  The Zion Canyon Road is only accessible via a shuttle system but it’s fast and effective.  We took the Shuttle to the Weeping Rock Stop.  The hike up to the Hidden Canyon is an awesome track that exposes you to trails along huge cliff faces.  It is a climb to access the Hidden Canyon, but it’s not anything too difficult.  We went up and back in about 3 hours.  If we had more daylight we would have done the trail to Observation Point, which is supposed to be on of Zion’s best overlooks.  

We woke up the next day, ate breakfast and prepared snacks and provisions for Narrows and Angels Landing.  Unfortunately for us, The Narrows were closed due to high water levels.  We didn't want to hike Angels Landing in the middle of the day due to crowds. So, we hung out in the valley for a bit and headed to Angels Landing around 4pm. 

The trail to Angels Landing is 2.4 miles.  It begins at the Grotto drop off point.  The hike up to Angels Landing isn't too difficult it is all uphill, but it’s paved and it's a really nice trail.  On the Angels Landing Trail, after you head up Walter’s Wiggles, if you have a fear of heights, you may struggle in points.  You basically hike along a knife ridge, with the valley 1,400 feet below you, with only chains to hold onto.  After a half mile of high risk hiking, you reach the 5,790 feet summit of Angels Landing and you will be glad you did this hike.  The views from Angels Landing across the valley of the Great White Throne towering overhead are amazing.  You will literally feel like an ant on top of this rock formation.  It’s a hike you will definitely want to do while in Zion.  We headed down and luckily caught the last shuttle back to the campsite.  

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We left Planet Zion late as expected with our Crew and set auto pilot for Bryce Canyon.  We set up camp right outside of the park off of forest road 1173 where we saw other people camping.  We set up camp rested a bit then drove into the park.  

We once again flashed our America the Beautiful card, that we already made our money back on, and headed towards Sunset Point.  We started with the Navajo Loop trail that takes you down to the Valley Floor and up through Wall Street canyon, named for obvious reasons. 

We hoped in our lunar rover and headed to the Bryce Overlook viewpoint for sunset.  Bryce Canyon is the Grand Canyon’s younger smaller hippie brother.  This place has some of the most interesting and trippy hoodoo rock formations in the US.  Bryce Canyon would be an amazing place to do some backcountry camping and we wished we were more prepared with permits and such to partake in what must be an incredible experience.  

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From Bryce, we originally set sights on the Grand Canyon North Rim, but the park wasn't open yet. So, we decided to go off a hot tip from another traveler and check out a road less traveled.   The Burr Trail is in the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument and is a road that access some amazing opportunity for freedom camping in areas. 

The strips of pastel pinks, whites, and, reds confirmed that we were in Jupiter’s orbit.  We were sucked straight into the this landscape as if we were imbedded into a transcendentalistpainting.  We first headed to Kiva Koffeehouse before we headed to Calf Creek Falls.  We highly recommend checking out this little gem of a cafe with amazing views of the Escalante River Valley.  The trail to Calf Creek Falls is easy and along the valley.  It’s an awesome little hike and the waterfall is like an oasis in the desert.  We camped in the BLM land along the Burr Trail overlooking Long Canyon.  The next day we headed out on one of the more scenic drives of the trip along the Burr Trail.  We stopped along the way to witness thunderstorms sweep across the desert landscape.  Originally, as we set out that day, we felt like going deep into the belly of the desert.  We set out for a pin on the map to put the Jeeps 4x4 to the test.  We set out for Moody Canyon with a stop at the Wolverine Petrified Forest.  

The journey out to Moody Canyon is a long one and you could possibly go a few days without seeing anyone in certain times of the year.  With the being said, I would advise to have emergency food/water and a back up batter charger or way to jump your car if you needed to.  We found an amazing campsite overlooking Moody Canyon.  The road was easily manageable in the Jeep, but wouldn't be possible in a camper van.  We were isolated out on the desert and it felt amazing. We cooked and enjoyed a moonlit campsite. 

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We jetted out early in the morning so we could enjoy a few activities in the Capitol Reef National Park before we headed toward the Utah/Colorado border for the night.  The drive through Capital Reef is pretty spectacular on its own.  We wished we had planned better and spent some more time in this area.  We randomly stopped and did the hike as far as we could up Surprise Canyon.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick day activity while heading down south along the Burr Trail.  

We made breakfast in the parking lot at Surprise Canyon and headed out to catch out ferry across Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which we our America the Beautiful pass worked for!  We enjoyed a quick swim at Stanton Creek, near Bullfrog before we caught our ferry which was a reasonable $20.  

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Thanks to a mixture of freecampsites.net and WIkiCamps, we found the most incredible campsite at Muley Point overlooking the San Juan Goose Necks.  We watched a massive lightning storm roll through Monument Valley with enough charge to make all the hair on our heads stick straight up into the air.  We got in late had inclement weather.  So, we set up camp and fell asleep.  

Durango 

From Muley Point, you can head through Monument Valley which is only 20 miles away and head down into Arizona or you can head into Colorado and one of my favorite mountain towns Durango.  Dani and I have family in Durango. So, we enjoyed relaxing and catching up.  Omar got sick. So we returned to Albuquerque, after a year and a half of being abroad.  Our original plan included one more stop at Bisti Badlands for a few nights but we lost our captain to a stomach bug.