Here are 8 stops we visited that any first time visitor wouldn’t want to miss on a visit to America’s first protected park land! As always at the end of this post, you’ll find free camping suggestions near Yosemite.
Read MoreHalf Dome is a mountain that is on a lot of people’s bucket lists. The iconic mountain is probably the most recognizable landmark in Yosemite National Park, and each day of the summer season hundreds of people make summit attempts. But can you hike up Half Dome if it’s wet? We hiked up most of Half Dome on a misty, rainy day in October…
Read MoreIn October, we spent a day enjoying Snow Canyon State Park, near St. George, Utah. One of the neatest parts about Snow Canyon is that there is volcanic rock, lava tubes, and extinct cinder cones, alongside water-carved Navajo sandstone and sand dunes.
Read MoreIn the middle of the desert near Fallon, Nevada there are two very unexpected sights… and no they are not related to aliens. One is a field of rocks darkened by years of sun with ancient art pecked in their surfaces. The other is a massive natural mountain of sand.
Read MoreDeath Valley is a land of contrasts, and it is probably one of the most unique national parks that we have visited. It holds the honor of being the hottest place on Earth. The lowest place in North America, Badwater Basin, is found in the park at 282 below sea level, but the mountains in the park rise to over 11,000 feet in elevation. There are white salt flats, gargoyle-esque formations of salt crystals, massive sand dunes, eroded badlands, and colorful mountains.
Read MoreOnly 17 miles from Sin City, there is a natural reprieve from the glitter and noise of the Strip. Red Rock Canyon has stunning 3,000-foot red sandstone cliffs and formations. By far our favorite place in Red Rock Canyon was the Ice Box Canyon Hike.
Read MoreDuring our time in Las Vegas, we witnessed a shooting fireballs, a street fight, a gallery of only food photography, and so many palm trees. We ate pineapple soft serve, Hawaiian food, and Pina Coladas, after a harrowing encounter with a gunman on our run in Lovell Canyon. What happens in Vegas…
Read MoreCathedral Gorge State Park is about three hours from Las Vegas. What’s great about that is that you can actually see most of this park in a day! The main features of the park are extremely narrow slot canyons of eroded bentonite clay known as the “caves.”
Read MoreAbout an hour from Las Vegas is a state park that might just outshine the strip. Valley of Fire State Park takes its name from the red striated sandstone formations found throughout the park.
Read MoreThese 10 BC destinations are for the most part free, except for the cost of a cup of coffee or a drink. We’ve also noted some of the places that we parked overnight for free, in case you are traveling in a van or RV.
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