This is one of the best multi-day backpacking trips we have ever done. It’s a long journey but worth every step. We did this trip in 4 days 3 nights. It could be done in less time, but the 4 days was the perfect amount of time to fully take in this amazing place. In this post we are going to tell us what our itinerary was and what we would change if we did this backcountry hiking trip again.
4 Reasons why you Must Visit Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
We almost completely skipped out on Mount St. Hellens thankfully there were a few road closures in the area due to fire that forced us into its strong gravitational pull and we ended up absolutely loving this place! Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument has much fewer visitors than its bigger sister Mt. Rainier and for this reason alone we really enjoyed the peace, quiet, and abundance of outdoor activities this National Monument has to offer.
Lava Caves
Mount St. Helen’s fiery past has created some pretty cool geological features. Easily our favorite adventure at the volcano was the lava tubes. Ape cave is one of the longest lava tubes in the world! You can walk about 3 miles total in this cave! It’s dark and wet so bring a headlamp and a backup flashlight and proper outerwear. Don’t forget to check out the Trail of Two Forest Interpretive Site on your way either to or from the cave. We loved this little trail we highly recommend crawling through the lava tube off the boardwalk.
Waterfalls
If you weren't stoked enough on the lava tubes well there’s plenty more in store for you here. If you are into gushing waterfalls your in luck because the Lava Canyon Trail has a plethora of gushers. This can be a pretty dangerous trail so use caution and if it’s wet forget about it. There is a suspension bridge on the trail and it was closed at the time of writing this. I will note that the trail after the suspension bridge really starts to drop off and become increasingly dangerous from here down.
Hiking
This Volcanic Monument is jam-packed with amazing hikes. If you are feeling up to it you can even summit Mount St. Helens but you’ll need to obtain a permit in the summer months before the expedition. For more information on permits check here. Other than climbing the summit there’s plenty of hikes that range from easy to difficult. You can circumnavigate the entire ring of the volcano (Lowit Loop) or hike any spur trail that takes you to the trail. We recommend Ape Canyon for a nice afternoon hike.
Camping
Outside of the National Volcanic Monument is National Forest land which you can disperse camp on. We found some awesome campsites here with incredible views of the peak. We even got some late summer snow and got to see St. Helens get a snow cap crown while we were there.
The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a must-do stop over on your PNW journey. There was so much more here than we were expecting and we are so glad we were able to experience this amazing place.
Mt. Rainier National Park Backpacking - One Day on the Wonderland Trail
Towards the end of summer, we caught backpacking fever and knew the only cure was more backpacking. However, since we are Kookz we are typically not prepared with a set scheduled itinerary. This makes getting permits in popular national parks, like Mount Rainier a very difficult task. We only had a few days in the area and the online permit system didn't have many openings so we made a decision to hike up to the Wonderland Trail for a one-day backpacking strike mission.
There weren't many overnight camping availabilities online so we had to just make the best judgment call. Make sure to use the Wilderness Trip Planner before scheduling your adventure. We decided on Devils Dream Camp solely because it was available and it was close to the Longmire entrance. We were able to score two nights at Devils Dream Camp so the plan was to get up there and day hike the Wonderland Trail and hike back to the camp. Well, mother nature didn't cooperate and it rained on us for the majority of the trip so we decided to head back feeling defeated by mother nature.
However, we did learn a few things during this trip. The first tip we are going to share is that even though we didn't stay the second night at the campsite we did stay in the Longmire Parking Lot. Our permits told us to park in the lot and our license plates were in the system so we figured we were good to go as long as we stayed in the lot for the night. So tip #1 is if you want to camp in the park just reserve a backcountry permit and stay in your van in the lot. The second thing we learned is to always be checking the recreation.gov website to get your permits ahead of time.
We know how difficult it is to have a plan while on the road. The permit system really doesn't work in the nomadic vanlifers’ favor. But we can’t have it all.
Happy Trails!
Oregon’s Best Free Camping Near the Highest Hike in Mt. Hood
Sometimes the best campsites are at trailheads. This sounds odd, but this particular Trailhead/Campsites is one of the coolest places I’ve been to in Oregon. Up on top of Cloud Cap Road sits Cloud Cap Campground. The Cloud Cap was an old hotel that now serves as an epic car camping spot. There’s plenty of access to amazing hiking and mountaineering from the Cloud Cap Camping Area. We ended up camping out for a few nights here. It gets crazy on the weekends so you’ve been warned we had the place to ourselves until Saturday morning.
Aside from the awesome camping site with volcano views and milky way dust, there are some awesome trails right out your slider door. Our favorite trail was Cooper Spur. This is a 5.5-mile hike with over 3,000 vertical feet of climbing. The climb is worth it. The turn around for most people is once you get on top of the Cooper Spur. We saw lots of people backpacking up here on the weekend and there are some amazing sites up on the spur and below at the rock shelter. If the campsite is full throw your tent in your backpack and head on up the mountain.
Big Sky Country - Free Camping, Mountain Biking and Fun Easy Hikes!
Montana has some amazing open spaces and offers plenty of opportunity for Overlanding and getting lost on a forest road. Or, You could park up at Big Sky Ski Area for a few days and enjoy some flush toilets and mountain activities. We were told by an employee at Big Sky Ski Area that we could camp up to four days in the parking lot. So we did a nice parking lot shuffle for a few days and found some nice things to do to keep us entertained.
Beehive Basin
Beehive Basin is a 7.1 Mile Moderately Trafficked Out and Back through some pretty cool terrain and has a really cool alpine lake at the end of the trail. It has some pretty sweet views up here as well. It’s one of the more busy trails in the area so hit the trail early to ensure a parking spot.
Mountain to Meadow Mountain Biking
From your campsite in the parking lot, you will be able to ride your bike over to the lifts. However, there’s no need to buy a lift ticket to ride Big Sky Resort, thanks to the town shuttle that drives you back to the top after a screamer of a run down some premier downhill. You’ll start by climbing next to the Ramcharger lift. You’ll climb up for about 1.5 miles before you start a long flowy descent with berms and jumps all the way down to the town of Big Sky. From here, you'll want to head to Fire Pit Park, where you can catch the free mountain shuttle back up to the Ski Area Base where you started. You can lap this a few times since the uphill is fairly easy. Make sure to grab a shuttle schedule or check it out here!
Lake Levinsky
On your down days you can bring your van a stone’s throw away from your previous parking lot down to Lake Levinsky for a relaxing day by the lake. If you have a SUP this is a good place to take it out there is also portable toilets at the lake.
Black Rock Desert - Nevada's Best Free Camping
Nevada’s Black Rock Desert aka “Black Rock City” is one of the coolest places to camp in the United States. If you can be blessed enough to spend just one night out here on a cloudless moonless night you will never forget the display mother nature put on that night. The Black Rock Desert isn’t just good for tripping out and being in an obscure remote area.
There’s miraculously some geothermal hot spring activity in the area. The premier hot spring and the only one worth going to check out is the Black Rock Hot Spring. If you are trying to find it just look for the black rock to the north and it’s directly underneath it. It’s a fun journey heading out to the spring and it’s a very large hot spring too. You can camp up to 14 days on BLM land and always pack out your trash and let’s keep these places pristine.
Also, it can get very dusty out on the Playa so be prepared for a few dust storms. We had a few dust storms that lasted all day.
Free Camping in Stanley Idaho on the Salmon River
Free Camping in Stanley Idaho on the Salmon River
Stanley Idaho, Population 63 is a rugged mountain town situated right smack dab in the middle of the Sawtooth Mountains. This town has a lot going on from white water rapids to picturesque mountain lakes, and plenty of hiking and backpacking for the more adventurous type. Per usual, we were here to do it all, and most importantly spend as little money as possible. Luckily there are tons of options for free camping in Idaho, most sites even have drop toilets to really make you feel like a 5-star dirtbag. We found this awesome little site right on the salmon river (44.171831, -114.905370). It was just a few minutes ways from Redfish Lake a camping hotspot that’s expensive and overran with Grizwald kooks!
We spent a few days at this free river campsite while we enjoyed all the splendor that Stanley has to offer. We paddled around Little Redfish lake for a day with our van friends. We also went on a nice short easy hike to Fishhook Creek. This is a very chill hike that takes you to an amazing viewpoint of the Sawtooth Mountains, we recommend this short hike it was very quiet on the trail.
The highlight of the Stanley experience was soaking in the Boat Box hot springs. This is one of the coolest Hot Springs we have ever been to. So nice that we went twice! This spring is situated on the Salmon River in a large steel bowl that holds about 4 people, you can control the temperature pretty easy and if it gets too hot you can take a dip in the cold Salmon River. If you hit the springs in the summer expect to wait your turn as it’s a popular spot. We took our vans and waited on the side of the road and made breakfast while others soaked. Stanley can get pretty crazy in the summer so stick to the kookz tips to avoid the Grizwalds out there.
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Oregon and California Coast Road Trip - Two Week Itinerary with Free Campsites!
We embarked on this coastal journey with little or no research so we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We’ve been doing this vanlife gig for quite a while and somehow have never explored the stretch of coast from Seaside, Oregon, to San Fransisco, California. We knew a few things before we embarked. One, being that we don't pay for overpriced state park campsites and two, that September/October usually delivers lots of seldom seen sunshine on this stretch of what some call the Rain Coast. If you are lucky enough to come across this post, you will not only learn where to camp for free all along this stretch but also, some hidden gems along the way. The journey began in the hipster capital of the world Portland, Oregon where we’re stocked up on organic veggies and grass fed meats. Once we overloaded the trucker fridge, we filled up with the last of the cheap diesel and hit the road.
We like to make it easy for you. So, here is a nice itinerary for those of you who like to plan their trips. We broke it into day spots and camping spots. The coordinates below are for the sleeping areas only. They are where we parked overnight.
Also check out the shorter version of this article here : 15 Free Campsites along the Oregon and Cali Coast
Short Sands Beach and Oswald West State Park (45.744721,-123.960908)
The first day brought us to one of our favorite gems on the north coast Short Sands Beach aka Smugglers Cove. This was a go to surf spot for us back in our Seattle days, and if you surf you could find yourself sliding across a green wedge where the pine trees meet the sand. This is also a great beach for a picnic or a day of exploring and relaxing. There are plenty of easy trails all throughout Oswald West S.P. and it is a great place to either begin or end your coastal journey. Once you have had your fair share of sun, sand, wind and rain, which can all happen in one day around here, head to the Neahkahnie Viewpoint for your first night right off the highway. 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 just a few minutes down the hill.
Pacific City/Brain Booth State Park (44.520991,-124.069295)
Once you begin your journey south from here there are heaps of options on our two favorite camping apps iOverlander and WikiCamps. We recommend heading along the coast and cruise through the surf town of Pacific City. If the tide is working in your favor you can park your rig right on the beach and enjoy lunch on the sand and explore the Cape Kiawanda Headlands. If the swell is looking good have a surf or head to the Pelican Brewery and have a craft brew on the deck. From here you have plenty of options as you head south there are plenty of roadside vista points and cozy beach towns. We decided to head down a bit to Brian Booth State Park. 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 and had no trouble there are pit toilets here as well so that makes life easy in the morning.
Cruising the 101’s vista points / Whiskey Run Bike Trails (43.218854,-124.342054)
Waking up earlier is always a good idea when you are poaching the day use areas. We got on the road and headed down the 101 stoping at as many scenic overlooks as possible. Our first stop was Seal Rock. We spotted people collecting mussels so we grabbed a bag a knife and walked down to the tide pools. We grabbed around 20 mussels and headed down to the next day use area cooked them and headed on our way. There’s some fun stop overs along the way and a few day use spots where you could easily stealth camp. We were there in the low season and a lot of these areas seemed too remote and not very busy and seemed to have lower ranger activity so we felt they could be prime for a night. We checked out the sand dunes, and a few other beach areas. If you are into organic produce there is a Natural Grocers in Coos Bay and the fridge was restocked. We headed to the Whiskey Run Bike Trails up in the hills and per Oregon standards there was a no overnight parking sign but as usual we ignored it and stayed the night here. We rode the trails in the morning and had a blast if you have a mountain bike and want to ride some nice professional built flowy trails this is right off the 101 and you will be stoked you stoped.
Bandon Beach / Bandon Beach Streets (43.110550,-124.432711)
Just down the road is the majestic shores of Bandon Beach. Upon arrival you may think you have arrived to a beach on a far away land. the sun was shinning the weather was sweet so we decided to slow down the pace and explore the beach. We recommend taking a cruise along this beach and check out all the caves and rock formations. There is not a restroom at the main Bandon Beach parking area but just a bit down the way at Face Rock State Park there is a Restroom and a nice picnic table and beach access as well. 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. In the morning we headed to Face Rock State Park to use the clean and nice bathrooms and headed out of town.
Samual H. Boardman / Indian Sands Trail (42.157399,-124.361562)
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 wort 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.
Brookings / Smith River Camping (42.157399,-124.361562)
We headed into Brookings after seeing there was a farmers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Unfortunately this market was nothing to write home about so we headed to town to the local Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer. We recommend gassing up at the Indian Casino south of Brookings before you get raped by the California gas prices. We went to the Oregon welcome center and the nice folks recommended checking out the Smith River. 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.
Stout Grove / Lost Rocks (42.157399,-124.361562)
If you venture into the Smith River area we highly recommend checking out Stour Grove in Jedidiah Smith State Park. We drove the long way into Crescent City on the 8 mile dirt road and it was well worth it. From Crescent City we continued on down the wooded coast to Lost Rocks where we would spend the next 2 nights. 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.
Moonstone Beach (42.157399,-124.361562)
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,
Avenue of the Giants / Big Tree Grove (40.350409,-123.991959)
We headed into Mckenlyville as soon as one of our new favorite grocery stores opened Eureka Natural Foods we piled the cart full of the freshest greens and produce we’ve seen in a while and plenty of Organ Meats to keep the mitochondria thriving. From here we headed to the Avenue of the Giants and on to the Big Tree Grove where we would stay for the night. Here in this grove is where you will find the tallest trees in the world. The redwoods are powerful and we soaked up as much of there energy as we could store and headed on our way.
Garberville Farmers Market / Roadside pull over HWY 1 (39.694736,-123.798595)
After a morning of mindfulness and good conversations we headed down the 101 to only accidentally stumble upon a farmers market this was the Gaberville market we bought some clams and some more greens and headed to HWY 1. 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 (chicken hearts) 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.
Glass Beach / Point Arena Lighthouse (38.943371,-123.732553)
We spot our good buddy Niel’s van and pulled over and started a new caravan soon Van Jesus was there as well and the band was back together! We cruised down to Glass Beach where we hoarded as much of the pebbly sea glass that we could fit in our vans. In the parking lot we checked iOverlander and found a nice spot down the road. We stoped at some pull offs before arriving at Point Arena Lighthouse. Here we would stay 3 nights and enjoy the iconic view of a historic lighthouse erecting 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 absorbing some vitamin D.
Sonoma Coast Road Side Pull Off (38.489223,-123.189684)
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,
Goat Rock Beach / Jenner Roadside Camping (38.452503,-123.128298)
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 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.
Goat Rock Climbing / Palomarin Trailhead (37.930389,-122.742040)
We were able to find some fun and mellow rock climbing and bouldering at Goat Rock State Beach. While all these climbs are short we had a good time enjoying the views and sunshine wile we climbed around the small rocks here at the Park. Once we were done climbing we made the treck one of our longest rides of the trip down to the small quant beach town of Bolinas. Here you will find one of the most amazing organic farm stands on the coast. The Bolinas Farm Stand is an honor system produce stand with all the produce you could imagine. We stocked up on all kinds of organic treats and 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. We just did the vanlife shuffle moving the van form one lot to the other to trick the park rangers. There are many trails here to enjoy. We enjoyed our bounty of organic food and stayed two nights here practicing Yoga and meditation while we enjoyed the silence that the Palomarin Nature had to offer us.
Stinson Beach / Roadside Pull off Hwy 1 Near Muir Beach (37.870438,-122.590238)
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 just a few minutes from Muir Beach which would be out destination the next day.
Muir Beach / Sausalito Parking Lot #3 (37.857649,-122.480807)
We woke up early and got to Muir Beach very early right after sunrise. This was a good thing because the parking lot packed out at about 9am. We got a premier spot right at the front of the beach. We enjoy the whole day we cooked gourmet food left over from the Bolinas Farm Stand and enjoyed an amazing sunset. 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. Not the most legal but we got away with it for the night. From here we headed back up to Auburn to the shop to finish our Sprinter Van project.
This was an amazing trip and the weather was great for us we only had 2 days of rainy weather and the rest of the trip was full of sunshine and tranquility. This is just an outline of our itinerary all in all I think it was an over three week trip and we linked up with multiple different vanlife friends along the way. It was a an amazing experience that we were glad to finally check off the bucket list. We hope this helps make your coastal trip easier as we found it very difficult to fins free campsites along this stretch. To keep places like these free and un paroled please clean up your mess and be a good neighbor.
The one bit of advice we can give you in most of these “campsites” since they are all day use only is to get up early and act as if you arrived in the morning then the authorities can’t really do anything unless they catch you in the act of sleeping at night. We only had the one issue at Goat Rock which we expected but we were feeling brave that night.
Happy Travels!
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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!
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Ladder Canyon, California's best Slot Canyon
This is another California desert gem that we weren't really expecting to be as amazing as it is. Ladder Canyon is dubbed California’s best slot canyon it’s the first we've seen in Cali so we give it two thumbs up! If you are looking for Ladder Canyon just google it and it will lead you in the right direction no need for 4WD to access the trailhead we did it in a 2WD VW Vanagon so anyone can make it. Ladder Canyon is on BLM land so there is a 14 day camping limit, there are drop toilets on site but they are a walk so bring a shovel. We decided to camp right at the mouth of the canyon and it was a great place to spend a few days exploring the area.
The Ladder Canyon hike is a 4.5 mile hike that can be done in a loop. When starting the hike keep a keen eye to hikers left where you will begin the journey up the first slot canyon. Navigating this section requires a bit of rope climbing and there is what I would call a V0 bouldering problem that some in our group struggled with. With a boost and a hand we were on our way past this section. Once you top out of this canyon you will very exposed to wind and sun above the eroded desert landscape, this is where ample water and sun protection will be needed. We were here in February and needed plenty of water along this stretch of the hike. If you are here in the summer it’s going to be a scorcher so be prepared!
Once you top out you can hike to the summit for amazing views of the desert or you can begin navigating your way down ladder canyon. You will drop down into a canyon and eventually come up on a series of ladders to help you get down into the slot canyon this is where the canyon gets the most narrow and really gives you that Utah/Arizona slot canyon feel. You will exit back into the large canyon you started in. There are more off shoots all around this area and you may need more that a day to explore all this area has to offer.
Remember when camping to pack it in, and pack it out. Lets keep these amazing BLM areas natural. Happy Trails!
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New Jack City Camping and Climbing
We got the opportunity to jump on board a climbing trip with Lee (@freedomthevanbulance) and Steve (@freetired) there was no way we were going to turn this adventure down. New Jack City (aka Sawtooth Canyon) is a sport climbing playground just a few miles outside of Barstow, California. New Jack City has over 450 sport climbs varying from 5.6 to 5.13 on a volcanic like metamorphic rock. All the climbs are found in clusters of awesome formations poking out along the high desert of California. Since we are beginner climbers this was a great area to get our feet wet.
Prior to this trip we solely top roped, thanks to our talented climbing friends leading all the routes. But this trip was different thanks to the expertise of Steve and Lee we were going to learn to top rope, clean, and repel. I don't think the atmosphere could have been more perfect we were able to park our van right at the base of a 5.6 and get lessons out our front door. Most of the routes here are short and exposure usually isn't an issue so it was a great place to learn without being absolutely petrified.
One of the highlights of the trip was climbing “The Crooked Dick Spire” which was our first ever spire to climb and at 5.9 it wasn't too difficult to the whole crew got to top the spire. One of our favorite things about New Jack City is that every zone had plenty of climbs for the whole crew to do. Another good wall for learning was the “Boy Scout Wall” which had climbs of varying difficulties from 5.7 to 5.11c all the climbs on this wall were fun solid climbs and we couldn't recommend New Jack City more for camping and climbing.
The camping here is also as awesome as the rock climbing. There are shade structures at most the campsites along with pit toilets. This is on BLM land so there is a 14 night limit. We really enjoyed climbing right outside of the vans every morning after it warmed up. We came in early march and it was still a bit chilly mid 50s but that didn't stop the kooks from crushing some routes.
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Best Views of Shasta Just minutes off I-5 | Castle Lake Overlook
If you have ever driven up I-5 form California to Oregon there’s no way you missed the overwhelming beauty of Mount Shasta. Shasta is a massive strata volcano that juts out of the earth to an elevation of 14,179 making it the tallest Volcano in California. Lucky for you we have an easy way to get amazing views of the Volcano just 15 minutes off of Interstate 5.
The Castle Lake overlook is a short out and back around 3 miles long to one of the most rewarding views considering how short the approach is.
Park in the Castle Lake parking lot from here you will take Little Castle Lake Trail (#4W02) after just under a mile the trail will split off to the Castle Lake Overlook trail. You have to have a keen eye to see the turn off. You don't want to hike to far on the Little Castle Lake Trail otherwise you will end up on the wrong side of Castle Lake and be on your way to Little Castle Lake. Just remember that you want to be on the ridge lookers right while you are hiking up the trail. If the kooks figured this out so can you.
On the way up there is also an amazing photo opportunity on the right conditions at a reflection pond, here you can test your photography skills and snap a beautiful shot of Shasta’s peak reflecting off the glassy water in the tarn. Once at the top of the overlook you will feel very rewarded for the short hike you just conquered. Take a few moments here snap a few memories and head back down about 1.5 miles to the lot.
Depending on time of year camping is ok as well in the parking lot we stayed for a day in October and enjoyed amazing fall colors on our drive out. There are pit toilets at the lot and I would imagine kayaking or SUPing would be an awesome activity on a calm day. Also as always pack it in, pack it out! Let’s keep these places free and wild!
If you are driving up I-5 and are looking for a great day activity, or a place to crash this is an amazing place to spend the day there are more hikes in the area so do a little bit of research and you could find yourself on a backpacking adventure.
Best Beginner Rock Climbing Zones at Smith Rock
First off Smith Rock is a must do if you are in Central Oregon it is an incredible landscape and great for exploring if you aren't into rock climbing. We have only been climbing for a few months now when ever we get the chance.
Our Smith Rock climbing adventures all began at the Skull Hollow Campground just a few miles NE of the State Park entrance. We were lucky enough to meet the @vanningaintnojoke crew at Descend on Bend and they were nice enough to take us climbing with them.
Hint - If you want to get into climbing for cheap all you need is shoes, harness, and a belay device and the right camping site to beg other climbers to take you with them.
Rope De Dope Block
This is the best place to start if you have no lead climbing experience because you can set a top rope for all these climbs. This was great news for the Kookz. Luckily we were with an amazing climber and he set up about 5 ropes for us to get comfortable on and learn how to belay each other. Our two favorite climb were the Rope De Dope Crack (5.8) which is an awesome crack to get some experience on. We also really enjoyed Shamu (5.9) and Mini Bender (5.9) to challenge us a bit. We found the climbs on the East face a bit to easy so we stuck to something to keep the Kookz struggling. Rope De Dope also has picnic tables and shade all day so we came back to this block twice its a great place to spend the day climbing there’s enough routes to keep you busy all day and it was great to lean belaying and rappelling at this block.
The Dihedrals
This was our first stop at Smith Rock we had a large crew so we headed to The Dihedrals. Here you will need to lead climb to set the route. The scenery from the Dihedrals was the best we had on climbs in the park we started on Ginger Snap (5.8) and did Rodney’s Chocolate Frosted Love Donut (5.8) and a few other lower level climbs on the slabs. There’s a lot of climbs here for all levels so everyone was stoked.
Morning Glory Wall
Easily our favorite climbs of the trip was 5 Gallon Buckets (5.8) on the Morning Glory Wall. We strolled up late afternoon and jumped right on to one of the parks most popular climbs. These climbs were easily the tallest outdoor climbs we have ever done. we also test our luck on Outsiders (5.9) and struggled a bit but the climbs was fun it has amazing holds so it made for a great experience. The Morning Glory Wall was by far our favorite climbs we did all trip in the park.
We got into rock climbing through vanlife and have been lucky enough to meet other van lifers who are willing to take us out onto the rocks. Hell, if you hang out at Skull Hollow campground enough you’ll find a crew to take you out. That’s what we did! Few (Budget Friendly) Items we recommend to get into rock climbing are below.
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4 Family Friendly Activities to do at Yosemite National Park
Traveling can connect you with all walks of life. While we were traveling in San Diego we met @lifeofkuhl a Canadian family of 5 traveling the Western US and Baja, Mexico, while homeshchooloing the 3 children. We me them at he SoCal van gathering and had traveled with them all the way to Vail, Colorado before we parted ways.
One of our stops with the Kuhl’s along our epic road trip was in Yosemite National Park in May. This was a great time to visit the park it was just before school was out and before busy holiday weekends, and most importantly fire season so it was clear and the crowds weren't too hectic. If you’re heading to Yosemite here are a few family friendly activities that the kids will love.
Glacier Point
We came in from Kings Canyon so our first stop was Glacier Point in my mind a mandatory Yosemite stop for sunset this is a family friendly activity the view are amazing (some of the best on earth) and there is little hiking involved (0.5 mile) to get them. There is plenty here to keep the kids busy and entertained. If you are looking for more head to the Sentinel Dome trail (2.6 Miles Moderate) for something to really get the kids tired.
Biking
Yosemite Valley has a 17 mile bike trail (Valley Loop Trail) that goes around the entire valley. While you don't have to ride the 17 mile ride you can bike to a few places for the kids to hang out. You could make a short bike ride from Half Dome Village to the Merced River to cool off or bike to Yosemite Falls this trail will let you access plenty of family friendly hikes and places to enjoy the valley views.
Hiking
There are plenty of easy but entertaining trails in the valley for the whole family to enjoy. While with the Kuhl's we hikes a number of trails. We started the day off with shuttle ride from Half Dome Village to Lower Yosemite Falls (1.0 Mile Easy) There were plenty of boulders and side trails that the kids enjoyed. We then headed across the valley to Mirror Lake Trail (4 miles easy) here were hung out set up hammock and the kids found a rock to jump off and swim in the lake. After that that was enough to get the adults and kids pretty tired.
During busy season head to Tuolumne Meadows on the east side of the park. Lembert Dome Trail (2.3 Miles Moderate) is a great hike for families and has a major pay off at the end. This is a uphill climb but it is worth every step the kids will love the wide open granate surfaces to scramble on.
Float the Merced
This was something that we weren't prepared enough for but now we are after purchasing our Intex Challenger K1’s. The Kuhl’s had two stand up paddle-boards and inflatable rafts (their Canadian) but we didn't and the price to rent was out of our budget. However knowing this we are passing the information on to you to be prepared with rafts or SUPs if you are there in late spring the river looked amazing. You will also need to arrange a pick up vehicle since they charge you on the shuttle so plan ahead. I believe the start is near Half Dome Village and ends at Swinging Bridge.
Few Items we use to shoot our adventures
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Three Activities to do in and Around Bend, Oregon
Bend has endless activities, but if you are struggling to narrow some down. Here are three activities to do in and around Bend area that won’t break the bank while keeping the stoke level high.
Phil’s Trail Head
If you mountain bike, this is area is a haven for endless flow and fun system of smooth trails right outside you van, car or RV.
If you are just visiting for a day ride, you can park at the main parking lot, where most of the trails start and finish.
There is a sweet little pump track to the right of the trailhead sign. Be sure to check it out, it was pretty fun.
If you are trying to have an epic mountain bike camp out, then you will want to park off 4610 in free dispersed camping. You will be near the upper parts of most of the trail complex. We were able to connect on to Ben’s to the top, then we connected that with upper whoops, Phil’s, then Kent’s back to our campsite off 4610.
Upper whoops was our favorite. There were jumps, berms and down hill flow. It was so much fun. We had to go back and do it again! It really is a central Oregon gem.
Standing Wave at McKay River Park
McKay River Park is pretty awesome. It is a man-built white water rafting course. There is a beginner side with mellow white water “drops.” And then, down the center, is where all the experienced white water rafters send it.
Further down the second section, in the middle, is the standing wave. You really can’t miss it. There are river rats surfing there from sunrise till sunset.
Bend Rock Climbing Gym
This place was awesome on the one rainy day we had in Bend.
There are showers, a nearby food truck, and if you get there before noon or on a Thursday, you can climb for $16, which is $2 cheaper. There are about 9 Auto Belay’s in just one of the rooms. With difficulties ranging from 5.7 to 5.12-, there was something for everyone to climb on in the same room, including heaps of bouldering from V0-V9. There was also a weight lifting area in there as well.
In the front room, there was about 7 tall-wall auto-belay’s and the rest of the room was lead belay climbing and the rest was bouldering.
If you buy a day pass, it also gives you access to the Yoga classes. So be sure to check that out.
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Descend on Bend 2018 Best Vanlife Gathering
Free Camping Near Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the 9th deepest lake in the world.
The lake is contained within a Caldera created by a volcano that erupted and then collapsed in on it self. The lake is not a typical lake, filled by rivers or streams. All the water that is inside the lake came from rain, snow, or snow melt, which makes it one of the cleanest large bodies of water in the world. I always knew this fact, but it wasn’t until I got there that I found out that you could actually hike down to the water, touch it, and even swim in it if you wanted, via Cleetwood Cove trail. But beware, Cleetwood Cove trail is known to be steep and strenuous. The hike back to the top is equivalent to climbing 65 flights of stairs, so it is marked for hikers that are pretty physically fit. This trail is open mid-June to October. There are vault bathrooms at the start and bottom of the trail.
While there are over 90 miles of hiking trails in the Crater Lake National Park, you can also chose to drive the rim of the crater, if hiking isn’t your thing. There are plenty of easy trails and or look outs along the East and West Rim Drive. Plaikni Falls seems like a pretty chill walk thru an old growth forrest to a waterfall that is also fed by snowmelt, not Crater Lake, as one would expect.
We chose to do the Garfield Peak trail. It is a 3.6 mile (round trip) rocky hike to the top of Garfield Peak where you will have panoramic views, above the crater, at summit. Most of the hike gets more and more scenic, the higher you go on the trail. We are moderately fast hikers and it took us 31 minutes to summit and 40 minutes to get down. The hike recommends allowing yourself 2-3 hours for the entire hike.
Difficulty of this hike:
It is marked as “Strenuous,” which, I think, keeps most people off of the trail. We saw maybe 10 people on the trail, which is a stark difference from the groups of tourists we saw getting off buses near the Crater Lake Lodge and Gift Shop.
While this hike climbs 1,010 feet in elevation over 1.7 miles, I didn’t think it was too strenuous. Maybe it was my racing the sun attitude, as we decided to jump on this trail pretty late in the afternoon, as soon as we spotted Garfield Peak. However hard it was, the reward at the top, seclusion along the trail, and the views all along the trail definitely made any difficulty or struggle worth it. If that sounds good to you and you are still worried about the “strenuous” label, there are plenty of pull-offs, with rock benches to sit on and take in the view and catch your breath.
Free Camping Near Crater Lake:
There are no free campsites inside the National Park, but the Sno-park’s on the North and South entrance of the boundary is free camping in the Summer months. There are vault toilets at each spot.
We camped at the North Crater Lake Trail Head Sno-Park, which is also apparently a PCT parking lot. There are vault toilets here and picnic tables. There are no views as it is amongst the trees off HWY-138, but it is so quiet. We were there with two other vans, but you could hardly tell as we all had our own little tree coves to pull into.
We checked out the Annie Creek Sno-Park, the South Entrance free camping, off of the 62, going into Crater Lake National Park. There were a couple of 5th wheels and tents at the end of the huge parking lot. It looked to have views, if we were headed back south, we would have stayed here for the views.
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San Diego Vanlife: 5 Best Daytime Van Spots around San Diego
We spent about 2 and a half months in our van in San Diego. It really brought us back to our early days in the van, beach bummin’ around Australia. The good vibes were high in San Diego it was a hard place to peel our selves away from. Here are five of our favorite spots to hang out in the van during the day.
#1 - Law Street Beach, PB
Law Street in Pacific Beach, if you were looking for us, you could probably find us here. We would get up at 5 am to get our choice of the perfect parking spot here. Why was this our favorite spot?
The Beach is at your doorstep, yoga is at your door step, the Tuesday Farmers Market is right down the boardwalk away, you have your choice of two laundry mats that are both a walk away (so you don’t have to lose your parking spot). Too many reasons to name why this place is awesome.
Surf at Law Street BeachOne of which is that Law street Beach has Parallel Waterfront Parking for about 15-20 cars. So, get there early. This is a local surf spot. So people come here all throughout the day to surf and check the surf. Neighbors will arrive by golf cart when it is looking good to squeeze in parking anywhere. If you don’t know how to surf, there is the San Diego Surf School that gives lessons if you are into learning to surf.
Yoga on the Cliff with @namasteveyoga
If you do get one of those parking spots on Tuesday’s, Thursdays (@10am), Saturday, and Sunday’s (9am) @namasteveyoga puts on a “by-donation only” Yoga session on the grass overlooking the water down below. It is probably my all time favorite yoga class I have ever been to! He says things like, “Yoga poses are simulated stressful events, if we can learn to breathe in stressful poses, here, we can learn to breathe in stressful situations in life. This is a practice.”
Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmer’s Market
On Tuesday’s, on Bayard St between Garnet and Grand, from 2pm-7pm, year-round, rain-or-shine, Farmer’s Market goes down with some yummy local delicacies.
Laundry
Laundry is a thing that we van lifers do during the day so why not make it near a cool beach where you park your car next to your other van friends, right? Well this one is about a 8-10 minute walk from Law Street. There are two laundry mats, one next to the Little Caesar’s and Cass Cleaners, on the corner of Cass St and Loring St. That one has the best wifi chill area and their Laundry machines take debit and credit cards! No more scrounging for change in the van!
The other laundry mat, across from Java Earth Cafe, next to the 7/11, there’s that one, but it is a standard laundry mat, change nothing special to say about it other than it is close to your Law street parking. Change only.
#2 - Ocean Beach, San Diego
Dog Beach in OB
If you own a pup and live in your van, this place is great! There is a dog beach where all the dogs can run wild, dig holes, chase balls, hump other bigger dogs, show em who’s boss, you know dog things. They can do them all here, just remember to pick up after your dogs, unless they bury it! I’ve seen that and I’m alright with that catlike behavior ;)
Volleyball
There are heaps of sand volleyball courts here. I don’t play volleyball, but there were heaps of people out playing for fun on a weekend day.
Cafes and Shops:
There is a Apple Tree Supermarket on Newport. If you need re-stock on some food items and don’t want to lose your parking spot, you can hit this place up. This OB area is also one of those places where if you get a spot, and good one, keep it. You can walk, bike, skate anywhere you need. There are heaps of cool little beach shops and vibey little shops along Newport, as well as some great bars for Live music.
Farmers Market Wednesdays
If I am in the San Diego area and I am not at this Farmers Market, I am either blowing it or I am at the Carlsbad Farmers Market, another one of our favorites. But, OB Wednesday night farmers market has heaps of endless samples for your Vanlife empty belly. There is live music and at the end of Newport, on the grass before the beach, there is a drum circle that goes until 10pm. There are fire spinners, hula hoopers, dancing children, slack liners, anything and everything self expression. This is probably one of my favorite things to do on a Wednesday in San Diego. So many things going on in OB on a Wednesday. There is usually a live music Show at Winston’s after the drum circle is broken up, if you want to keep the party going!
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
If you want to go a little farther past OB, there is awesome area called Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. There are little parking lots off to the west side of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Many people chose this area for quick awesome weddings. We’ve seen a few. While you are there, check out Sunset Cliff Cave and Cabrillo National Monument!
Mission Bay- Slack-lining, waterfront Van chillin, community fire pits, and Van Meetups!
Mission Bay this place was another place we chilled at a lot. Bonita Cove, Mariner’s Point Park, Mission Beach, Fiesta Island. There were really too many places to name where we felt like home.
Some of the highlights in this area include: Slack Lining, Waterfront Chillin’ with plenty of nearby public restrooms, Fiesta Island Van Meet up.
In Bonita Cove, there is a pretty legit sand pit with poles for rigging up some slack lining. Lots of really talented people slacking it up.
If you are a van lifer or interested in Vanlife, there is a sweet meet up that happens every other month, on the last Saturday of the month at Fiesta Island. It is put on by @theladiesvan, from Instagram, and tons of people show up! Fiesta Island is also an amazing place to pull up on to mission may beachside and chill all day and cap off the day with a fire pit chill session.
Almost every beach in Mission Bay has a community fire pit. If you are trying to stay warm outside of your van, there are plenty of welcoming people you can share a fire with or make your own!
#3 - Carlsbad, CA
We love us some Carlsbad chillin. We usually park on Carlsbad Blvd overlooking the water and again, walk every where that we want to go.
One place in particular we always want to go is the Carlsbad Wednesday Farmers Market on State Street, from 3-7pm. There is live music, great samples, and local yummy foods.
Don’t forget to hit up the Choice Juice Container! That place has amazing raw food, smoothies, and smoothie bowls.
#4 - Swami’s Sunday Drum Circle in Encinitas,
So if you went to the Farmers Market In OB and enjoyed the Drum Circle, there is another Drum Circle at Swami’s in Encinitas. Smaller more intimate drum circle than the Ocean Beach Drum Circle. Jump in, dance, hula, juggle, self express!
Swami’s is also a notorious local surf break. So bring your wetty and board and be ready to hit some all time waves with awesome coastal views.
#5 - Blacks Beach, San Diego
Blacks Beach is a great place to Surf (not exactly for the beginner tho), watch the sunset, or watch paragliders taking off and flying around like kites in the air. When we were at this particular beach for the first time, there happened to be some music and vendors in the Park. There were people twirling ribbons, dancing and having fun until the sun went down.
On another particular time, we were at Blacks Beach and we saw some Bio-luminescence in the water at night. Needless to say Black’s Beach hasn’t let us down and has been quite manageable!
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Hiking the Narrows, Spring vs Summer
The Narrows, in Zion National Park, is one of the most well known and visited slot canyon hikes in ZNP.
The Narrows starts at the last stop on the Park shuttle bus, the Temple of Sinawava. You will get off the bus and follow the river walk trail for about a mile to where the side walk ends.
Then, as the trail continues, it is basically up the Virgin River. So plan on getting wet, very wet. Sometimes you are up to your ankles and sometimes you are up to your waist wading through water, zig zagging from high shorelines to low shorelines.
You may go as far up the river as you feel comfortable. Then, you will turn around and retrace your steps down river, making the hike as strenuous as you wish to make it.
Is this hike seasonal?
This hike is mostly seasonal and ultimately dependent on water levels. The beginning of the hiking season is dependent on runoff and water levels if they are low enough to send hikers through. For instance, you typically don’t need a backcountry permit to hike the Narrows, but if the water levels are above 120 cfs, the Narrows will be closed to hikers.
If it is over 150 cfs, the wilderness desk will probably be issuing kayaking permits for the Narrows, not hiking permits. Even with open hiking allowed with a water flow of 100 cubic feet per second, it is still pretty difficult and dangerous. While a flow of around 50 cubic feet per second, this indicates a relatively easier and safer hike.
Typically, the Narrows hiking seasons are Summer and Fall, where the water levels are pretty low and the water temperatures are pretty warm. We have hiked in both the spring and mid-summer and there are some huge differences we wanted to talk about here.
Hiking the Narrows in the Spring
We have visited Zion in Spring two different years 2017 and 2018. Water levels and run off levels were dramatically different.
May 2017, they were issuing the last of the Kayaking permits for the Narrows. So we didn’t even think of hiking those rapids.
March 2018, earlier in the year and a couple days before the Spring Break madness, the water levels were actually low enough to allow hikers and there was no rain in the forecast. So, we jumped on the opportunity.
The water temperatures in late March were cold. There were less hikers than we saw in the summer, but there still a lot of hikers. About 98% of them were in rented Dry Suits and the Adidas waterproof Ankle supporting boots.
Being thrifty vanlifers and having everything we need all the time, we avoided spending $55 on drysuits, as we threw on our 5/4 winter wetsuits, 5ml booties, and hiking poles. We were warm. It was perfect. To be honest, our foot and ankle muscles got quite the work out tho! If you have weak ankles, I would not recommend the booties, as the rocks are slippery and covered in algae and the booties offer no ankle support. Wear some hiking boots that offer ankle support.
Others that are in our group did not have wetsuits and were not interested in paying $55 in rental gear to hike the Narrows. So they layered up and wore wool clothing items, hoping the wool would keep them warm even when wet.
They toughed out the cold water temps for as long as possible, but we ended up turning around a little before Wall Street. Feeling like we didn’t “finish” the hike from turning around early, we needed to go back!
Hiking the Narrows in the Summer
In late May 2018, we crossed Utah again and made the mandatory Zion detour. We needed to hike the Narrows as far as we could go.
This time it was a completely different experience. It was summer. There were heaps of people all along the river bank swimming, playing, picnicking, not just hiking. This is the spot to be in this park on a Hot summer day. The shadows created by the tall canyon walls keeps the canyon pretty mild. It is a great escape from the heat.
This time around, we hiked in shorts, tank top, and hiking boots. We were sure to bring extra layers, because being wet and in the shadows can be pretty chilly no matter how hot of a day it is outside that canyon.
What was the main difference?
The main difference between the two times of year was the air and water temperature.
In the Spring, mostly the prepared and dry suit equipped braved the cold air and water temperatures. If we didn’t have a wetsuit, we would have been in a lot of layers, like our friends, just to stay warm from being soggy in the cooler air temps.
In the Summer, it was a shady oasis for all looking to escape the heat. It was a very busy hike up stream with the groves of other tourists that varied in skill levels and ages.
Things to remember
Flash floods can occur from storms miles away from the canyon, even if there is no rain predicted in the National Park. Make sure to check for potential weather in the area before you go hiking in any narrow canyon. Water levels can raise 12 feet within minutes, with no high ground to scramble to. Please take this seriously!
Bring some shoes with ankle support. And use a walking stick or hiking poles to give yourself more points of contact while hiking upstream.
Bring a headlamp. It gets dark in those canyon as the sun sets. To be on the safe side, make sure you carry an emergency light source, it could help you from spending a dark and unintended cold night in the canyon.
If you don’t have a Dry Bag, this would be the time to get one for your electronics that you would like to bring that you do not want to get wet.
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Slot Canyons, Arches, and Waterfalls - 3 easy Escalante Day Hikes
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a massive area that could take you a lifetime to explore. It’s one of our favorite places for solitude, amazing geological formations, and night skies. If you’re just passing through Escalante on a road trip, here are a few short day hikes we highly recommend.
Lower Calf Creek Falls
This is a relatively flat (5.8 miles) easy hike on sand and slick rock to Lower Calf Creek Falls (126 feet). Upon arrival to the falls, it seems as if you have reached a desert oasis. The air near the waterfall is crisp and cool, almost too cool for that dip we were talking about the whole hike. There is also camping, on site, which looks pretty awesome, but busy. The hike is scenic with classic southern Utah rock formations and a refreshing creek to cool off in.
Escalante Natural Bridge and Indian Ruins
Just a short 4 mile round trip hike off HWY 12 will take you to the Escalante Natural Bridge. This is a very easy hike, it’s more of a stroll along the river. You will have to cross the river multiple times, but it is quite refreshing. After about 5 river crossings you will come to the natural bridge. This is a great place to relax in the river and cool off. If you want to extend the hike, you can head about another mile to a natural arch where you will find a pretty awesome Anasazi cliff dwelling ruins.
Hole in the Rock Road - Slot Canyons
A long bumpy ride down Hole in the Rock road will lead you to the trail heads of both Zebra and Spooky Slot Canyons. Note: Hole in the Rock Road is a very bumpy road our van almost rattled to death on the journey to and from these slot canyons. The trails are short, but there is little or no shade. So, bring water and appropriate head wear and more water than usual. Zebra slot canyon is a longer hike at around 6 miles. There is also another canyon called Tunnel Canyon, this will add an additional 2 miles and some navigation skills.
