Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Help me plan a trip please.

There is way too much out there for two weeks. Pick out parts of our suggestions and go see them. Don't stretch yourselves out too much. There is another year. I try to keep driving miles down below 300 a day. Sometimes well below.

In April 4WD might be advisable. One year in September we stayed in 4WD from Glenwood Springs Colorado to the Utah Uinta Mountains to Wyoming north of Flaming Gorge. Early snow.

Don't miss the Tulsa Arms gun show. Ap. 6 and 7. Largest gun show in the country.

My earlier suggestion of Yellowstone as a destination was predicated on your being able to reschedule your trip to late May or early June.

If you’re locked into the April timeframe I would not plan anything much north of I-40 in the states west of the plains.

Reserve the northern Rocky Mountain destinations for summer trips.

Lots to see along I-40 if you plan a few northward excursions as weather conditions permit. (Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon etc.)

April is Spring in Tennessee, but still Winter in the Rockies.

Last August from Indiana I went up to I80 in NE, into WY, a night in Pinedale, on to Jackson and the Tetons, 4 days in Yellowstone, back east to Cody for the Museum of the West and rodeo, on to the Bighorns, then Devils Tower, stayed all night in Sundance. Next day on I90 to Deadwood, Sturgis, Mt. Rushmore and Blackhills, Badlands then headed home. Many other sites to see near that route. However, April may be too early for Yellowstone.

I enjoyed Carlsbad Caverns. Spent most of a day wandering underground. There's more stuff in that area past the caverns too.

have not read all this so ..

depending on your route and seeing as you are on here you might like seeing the Bass Pro national headquarters which also house a very cool NRA gun museum. , located Springfield MO
kust south of Springfield a bit is big time tourists destination Branson.. you can find lots of info on line about Branson attractions ...

We roadtrip in the west all of April every year. Our primary focus is hiking and critter watching. We have spent the last 2 weeks of April in Cody, Wy. several times and will do it again. The North fork of the Shoshone river between Cody and the east entrance of Yellowstone is spectacular and like a big game zoo. We have seen Big horn Sheep, Buffalo, Moose and Griz from the road and the pastures are overrun w/ deer and elk. That area also offers a huge variety of trails that you will probably have to yourself, carry binos and your favorite bear blaster.

The Black Hills area is also a destination worthy of a week long stay. We stay in the cabins of the lodge near the west entrance of Custer State park. Mt. Rushmore is a good day trip but hiking in the Park and the prairies south of there is mind blowing if you like wide open spaces populated w/ buffalo, Mule Deer and about a billion prairie dogs. April can be magical for visiting great places w/out the crowds.

If winter lingers hit Moab and the rest of Utah's canyon country.


mikr r

So how are the current road conditions around Yellowstone? The extended weather forecast doesn’t look bad.

Many thanks for the advice, men! We had a great trip and saw many amazing sights. We did miss Yellowstone due to an impending snow storm, but we saw 8 national parks, and most importantly, I got to spend a day in the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody. We put 5300 miles on the odometer and are still on speaking terms. I saw elk, bison, antelope, and mule deer. I’ve never seen these in the wild before. I’m already ready to go back! God bless the USA!!!

P.S. to folks in Utah and Wyoming….I can offer cooking lessons for a nominal fee.

Which national parks did you hit?

My advise

The best of Utah is not in the NP's where the crowds are

I travel Utah in 'off season' 'off touron' seasons

Otherwise I'm in BFE.........

This spring weather........been unrelentless with wind/storms

Badlands
Devil’s Tower
Mt Rushmore
The Arches
Bryce Canyon
Zion
Petrified Forest
Grand Canyon

Wake up here.......

You'll say.....

'what NP's'

another non NP pic camp spot

Oh, I agree. Some of the most beautiful scenery we saw was when driving between parks.

another non NP spot

Told my wife........dump my ashes here..........

Zion or the mighty 5 are truly spectacular.
I'd probably just fly to Vegas (maybe Saint George) rent a car and go that way.

Or fly to Tahoe stay few days, then drive 4 hours south to the sierras (mammoth , June loop) area, ones of my absolute favorites. The drive to Yosemite on tioga pass is something else. Don't even have to go into the park. I think you need reservations now to get in there.

Bend, Oregon.
Drive to crater lake one day, Painted hills/john day fossil beds. Smith rock maybe Richardson rock ranch dig for thunder eggs/fossils..
Day drive to the Oregon coast like canon beach, Columbia gorge/mt hood..
good luck
You can see John day river in the pic. I'll probably have my ashes or some dumped out here.




Zion canyon overlook trail watched the sunset. Easy hike. Get there at dark. Only like 5 parking spaces.

Another one ded.........

https://www.ksl.com/article/51003684/hiker-dies-at-scout-lookout-in-zion-national-park

I'm glad we missed that! it was busy enough anyway!

Zion's NP and southern Utah are fantastic....just don't like crowds

I'll spend the rest of my days exploring the 'back 40' although

As in recent 300 mile outing....160 miles of it in the 'dirt'

Passed only a few other vehicles all day