Category: National Parks

Trip-planning, Navigation, & Hiking Tools

by JamesNational Parks / RV Parks / RVing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

We’ve been taking trips around the western USA in our 20ft travel trailer Howie for over two years. I find myself relying on the same websites, apps and navigation tools to help get to where we are going.
Here are a few of my favs as of Feb 2023:

Trip Planning

  • recreation.gov app & recreation.gov – the must-visit website/app for planning a trip to a National Park. Camping, lodging, tickets, passes, permits, and even day-use passes can be bought or reserved here. We have a lifetime America the Beautiful pass ($80) and we’ve enjoyed getting into national parks for free.
  • Roadpass.com & app: although TogoRV,com-related websites & apps have free & trial versions. A Roadpass Pro subscription is one of the few I have. It gives me access to all the features of TogoRV-related websites & apps such as:
    • Roadtrippers – which has become my favorite desktop and mobile trip-planning tools
    • Campendium – is a great campground search tool & the pro features are included with a Roadpass Pro subscription. During a regional search, it’s map displays all the campsites, rv dump sites, state & county campgrounds, and dispersed (free) campgrounds. It can check for site availability & often take you to a booking portal. I use this and GoodSam to find campgrounds since we prefer hookups vs dry-camping/boondocking.
    • TogoRV.com & app – general RV information, maintenance reminders, discounts on products and campsites. If you follow RVMiles on YouTube, you can stay current on RV news, RV app news, and often get a discount code for the annual subscription ($10 off).
      TogoRV GPS app provides navigation that considers weight limits, overhead clearances, grades of terrain, and your route preferences to give you turn-by-turn directions specific to your RV.
  • GoodSam app & GoodSam.com – When we started RVing, I bought a multi-year membership from Camping World. It’s 10% discount on campsites has more than paid for itself over the past two years. I will very likely renew it this August, when it expires. GoodSam has a reliable campground review and rating system along with booking site portals.
  • FlattestRoute – is a free website that let’s you enter your start and end point and calculates the flattest route. It’ also works’s also great for bicycle route planning. It calculates & scores the different routes using a point system based on incline %grade, duration, & distance. I still prefer InRoute but this can show you some alternate options.
  • KOA app & .com: we’ve enjoyed staying at KOA campgrounds during our trips. They usually have available sites when others don’t, nice amenities, plus with a membership, are affordable. The only ‘quirky’ thing about KOAs is often their name vs location. They are named for nearby destination spots but are often many miles away. Monterey/Santa Cruz KOA is ~32mi away from Monterey; St.George KOA is 15mi from St. George; Joshua Tree KOA is 37mi away from Joshua Tree’s west entrance, 53mi away from the north entrance.
    Still, if you compare the KOA location vs your desired destination(s). You can decide if it’s worth the drive – campsite availability often decides for you.

Navigation (and Route-planning)

  • InRoute – free iPhone app that helps route planning AND navigation. The free version allows 8 locations and the subscription version allow 150 locations (destination, attractions on-route, waypoints, gas stations, etc). I find the 8 points adequate since I only use it for identifying the route that has the lowest elevations/inclines and least curvy. If you have more than 8 waypoints, you can break your trip into groups of 8.
    Like other RV navigation apps, it plans the optimal RV-friendly routes with height clearances (based on your RV height setting), no tolls, & no propane restrictions. I have yet to find another mobile app that graphically shows the elevation & curviness plus distances & drive times of three alternate routes. It has audible turn-by-turn directions but if Apple Maps shows the same course, I usually use it, synced with my Apple Watch.
  • Google Maps – of course, this is a great route planning & navigation app but often chooses shortest vs the best RV-friendly routes. I made the mistake of doubting InRoute and used Google Maps to navigate to Ventura Ranch KOA. It took me on the shortest but curviest white-knuckle route possible. So I only use it when unhooked or its route matches InRoute’s.
  • Apple Maps – same situation as Google Maps, I do not use it for RV route-planning. I will use it when towing if the directions match InRoute’s. It’s great for general directions and it syncs with my Apple Watch. Giving me haptic turn reminders so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Hiking

  • AllTrails app & AllTrails.com or GaiaGPS – I have both AllTrails and GaiaGPS but primarily use AllTrails since it just works for me. I prefer its interface, downloadable offline maps & hike-tracking features, enough to subscribe to AllTrails+. If you hike, bike, or off-road in areas without cell service, these apps are essential.
    Downloading Google Maps for use offline is an affordable alternative. But it you like saving your trek, then using either of these apps is great for recording your actual path.
  • Garmin app & .com – we still use a Garmin Inreach Mini 2 GPS for its SOS feature. We know that our new iPhones have SOS but the tried-and-true Garmin’s battery lasts a lot longer & is a reliable two-way satellite communicator. So, for us, for now, it’s still clipped to our gear when we hike anywhere.

06 Oct 2022: Grand Canyon North Rim

by JamesArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / Kanab / National Parks / Sightseeing

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is 8000ft. It’s much cooler, heavily forested, and more rustic than the south rim. Most of the facilities, like the lodge, close by mid-October or at first snowfall. The North Rim is lesser-visited than its Southern counterpart. So less crowded, except at the lodge, which is the main destination for visitors. We were treated to wonderful fall colors and deer during the 80mi drive from Kanab.

We had a great morning exploring the trails & viewpoints along the north rim. Then we enjoyed a panoramic canyon view during lunch at the lodge restaurant. We wanted to see more and taking advice from our campground neighbor familiar with the North Rim. We drove the Cape Royal Road to access the many viewpoints along the canyon.


There was very little traffic on this long winding back-road that takes you east through dense forest then south along the canyon. The viewpoints by the lodge were wonderful but these other viewpoints are even better. For example, at Angels Window, you can walk out to the viewpoint for an unobstructed 260° panoramic view of the canyon from east to west.
After missing a spectacular sunset at Bryce Canyon, I had to stay & photograph sunset. Intermittent rain squalls were creating dramatic light so I knew it would be special. Photographing a Grand Canyon sunset at Cape Royal/Angels Window viewpoint is ideal. There were so many angles catching the changing light along the canyon from this location. The atmospheric conditions with intermittent cloud bursts over that canyon created haze and rainbows. As hoped, the sun broke through with amazing light, striking the canyon valley, pinnacles, and back-lighting the trees along the rim.


The only drawback of staying till dark was the slow nervous 2hr drive back to Kanab, trying not to hit deer or other wildlife. Arizona does not recognize Daylight Savings Time so by the clock, it took 3hrs to get back. We stopped at the Jacob Lake Inn for a break & wonderful, home-style dinner before driving a more relaxed hour back to Kanab.

Deer
Longhorn Cattle

05-08 Oct 2022: Kanab Utah

by JamesArizona / Day Trips / Hikes / Kanab / National Parks / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Utah

After all the hikes and scenic drives at Zion & Bryce Canyon, by the time we arrived at Kanab, we were tired. So we shortened our 4 night stay at Kanab RV Corral to 3 nights. It’s a RV campground with full hookups on the south end of town. Close to everything, practical, affordable but not scenic.

Kanab is a great base-camp to explore southern Utah and northern Arizona. We were hoping to hike the Wave but did not win a permit in the online lottery. The Wave Lottery has changed from ‘in-person next-day permit’ lottery at the Kanab Visitor Center to an online ‘two-days-from-now permit’ lottery at recreation.gov. The details including ‘geofencing’ (ie you have to be in the area when participating) can be found at visitsouthernutah.com and here at BLM.gov.

Sand Caves

Sand Caves

Grand Canyon North Rim

  • Besides the Wave, another excursion we planned was visiting the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s about 80mi south of Kanab and a great drive for fall colors in October.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

  • Since we didn’t get the Wave permit, we visited the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park our last day. We rented a sled and had a great time sledding down the huge coral sand dune. The ride down was incredibly fun but the trudge back up was exhausting. This was a great change to our usual routine of finding a trail but still quite a workout.

04 Oct 2022 Bryce: Mossy Cave & Scenic Drive

by JamesBryce Canyon / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing

Bryce Canyon Coffee in Tropic, about 10mi from Ruby’s Inn, was one of the few places serving really good coffee & tea. When we drove there for coffee a few days before, we saw the sign for the Mossy Cave Trail. After looking it up on Alltrails.com, we thought it’d be fun to come back to check out the cave. This trail is part of Bryce Canyon National Park but the trailhead & parking lot are well outside the park entrance.

Mossy Cave Trail

This was a short hike to a rather unimpressive alcove, not cave, which is said to have icicles most of the year – none in October. With bushes obscuring most of the alcove plus being inaccessible behind a rail & fence, seeing Mossy Cave was anti-climatic. Still, it was a beautiful morning & a fun hike, but don’t do it for the Mossy Cave. The hoodoos, ‘window’ pinnacle arches & waterfall make the trail worthwhile and more interesting.


After the hike and lunch, we took the scenic drive through Bryce Canyon, stopping at the main viewpoints beyond Bryce Point. The views of Bryce Canyon amphitheater from Sunrise & Sunset Points are hard to beat. But the rest of Bryce Canyon is worth exploring since the vistas and sediment colors change. The Natural Bridge viewpoint was the definitive highlight, no hiking necessary.

03 Oct 2022: Bryce Canyon Peekaboo Trail

by JamesBryce Canyon / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing

Our second hike was another popular and more challenging trail, Peekaboo Loop. The trailhead starts at Bryce Point (8300ft), higher than either Sunrise or Sunset Points. Peekaboo Trail gets it name from the surprises around every corner on the trail and it lives up to its name. The changes in scenery around every bend are amazing – hoodoos, pinnacles, arches, & vistas.
The trail descends into the canyon ~1400ft and has an upper and lower loop trail. Since we were not planning on looping back, we took the upper trail which, according to other hikers, offers more to see. We did not want to hike back and ascend the 1400ft up to the Bryce Point. We figured hiking up the Navajo Trail switchbacks to the rim would be a steeper but shorter 500ft ascent. If we had started earlier in the day, we would have done the complete 5.2mi Peekaboo loop.

Peekaboo Loop Trail
Peekaboo to Navajo Trail

We started this hike without having lunch and by the time we were back on top, it was 5pm. We brought plenty of water & snacks on the hike but were ready for a meal. We considered dinner at Bryce Lodge but were worried we’d miss the last shuttle (6pm) waiting for service. So we caught the next shuttle from Bryce Lodge to Bryce Point to pick up the truck. Then headed back to Ruby’s Inn Restaurant for an excellent grilled shrimp dinner. Peekaboo Trail was a spectacular hike – the best one we did in Bryce Canyon. The trail takes you next to, through & under many of the features you see from the viewpoints.
If you zoom in on the right side of the 1st photo, you can see people on a viewpoint (Upper Inspiration Viewpoint perhaps).

02 Oct 2022: Bryce Queens Garden to Navajo Loop Trail

by JamesBryce Canyon / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks
Queens Garden to Navajo Loop

Other than trails from one viewpoint to another along the rim, most loop down into the canyon and back. Because of their vertical nature, AllTrails.com accurately rates them moderate. These trails are well-groomed but there can be collapses along the way. So mini-tractors are deployed on some trails to clear the path. Wall Street Trail was closed during out visit due to a massive rock fall. Erosion is what forms these hoodoos so the landscape is constantly changing.
Queens Garden Trail gets it name from an iconic hoodoo that resembles Queen Victoria (see 1st photo). The Navajo Loop has a series of switchbacks which climb 500+ft through some of the tallest fins & hoodoos. Some knowledgeable hikers prefer to start this route at Sunset Point, descending the Navajo Trail switchbacks then ascend the more-gradual Queens Garden Trail. Being unfamiliar with these trails, we chose to hike from Sunrise Point (Queens Garden trailhead) & ascend Sunset Point (Navajo Trail switchbacks). The switchback ascent really isn’t that bad if you take your time.

01 Oct 2022: Bryce Canyon

by JamesBryce Canyon / Hikes / National Parks / RVing / Travel

Bryce canyon is breathtaking – photos cannot do it’s intricate landscapes justice, even with epic light. This was our first visit to Bryce Canyon and it has a similar appeal as the Grand Canyon but is uniquely different. Grand Canyon impresses with it grandeur. Bryce Canyon with thousands of hoodoos and banded-colored sediments forming spectacular landscapes in every direction. It is a landscape photographer’s paradise when the changing light illuminates the infinite subjects. And at 8000ft in October, you can add wonderful fall colors, especially the Aspens, to the mix.

01 Oct 2022: Zion to Bryce Scenic Drive

by JamesNational Parks / RVing / Tow Vehicle / Travel / Travel Trailer / Utah / Zion National Park

Ordinarily, our drive from one destination to another doesn’t warrant comment but this one is pretty unique. There are a couple ways to get from Springdale to Bryce Canyon. The shortest is UT-9E through Zion National Park to US-89. But UT-9E is a winding route that has a 1.1mi tunnel with height restrictions. If your RV is taller than 13ft than you have to take one of the alternate routes.
From NPS.Gov: “The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel – Construction of the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920s and was completed in 1930. At the time that the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of its type in the United States. The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) provides direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks.
Rangers posted at both ends of the tunnel convert two-way tunnel traffic to one-way for larger vehicles, ensuring safe passage. This service, for which a $15 dollar tunnel permit fee is charged, was provided for over 32,832 oversized oversized vehicles in calendar year 2019.
In 2022 large vehicles may only travel through the tunnel daily from:

  • February 27 to March 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
  • March 13 to April 23 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • April 24 to August 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • August 28 to September 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • September 25 to November 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
  • Starting November 6, winter hours of operations for the tunnel are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”

We opted to pay the toll and save ourselves and extra hour of driving using an alternate route. Much of UT-9E through Zion NP is 35mph or slower because of all the 180° curves. There are plenty of turnouts so you can let cars pass if they start to pile-up behind you. There is a second short tunnel on UT-9 inside of Zion NP without any restictions because of better clearance so no toll.
Once out of the park, much of the route is fairly flat and you can tow full-speed. But only a few sections on US-89 have more than two lanes.

30 Sep 2022: Zion Lower Pine Creek Waterfall

by JamesDay Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Zion National Park

Our last hike in Zion NP this trip was the Lower Pine Creek Waterfall trail. This is not well advertised but can be found as one of the top trails in AllTrails app or .com. The hike is short but requires crossing Lower Pine Creek several times. This means scrambling over boulders, scaling some rock slopes and creek shallows. This late in the season, the creek level was low but the waterfall still had decent flow and a good size pool.

Although a short hike, because of the scrambling and scaling of rock faces to get to the waterfall. This hike is classified as moderate on AllTrails. We found it enjoyable and different, requiring you to find your own route in some spots. Since it is lesser known, there were only a few other hikers on the trail and we had the waterfall to ourselves our entire visit. From our experience, it seems like most of the trails get busier by late morning to early afternoon so hike early to avoid traffic.

29 Sep 2022: Pa’rus Trail

by JamesDay Trips / E-Biking / National Parks / Sightseeing / Utah / Zion National Park

After hiking earlier in the day to Zion Canyon Overlook & Shelf Canyon. We drove into town for lunch then relaxed in the RV till early evening. It rained heavily that afternoon so I wondered how dramatic sunset might be, if there was one. So we planned to go into the park and photograph the Watchman at sunset. Riding our bikes through Zion Canyon is the best way to stop along the river. So we parked at the visitor center, where the Pa’rus trailhead starts.

Pa’rus Trail

Photographing the Watchman from the Virgin River bridge is a classic Zion postcard. Hopefully the remnants of the storm clouds catching the light, would make for an interesting, somewhat unique photo.
We e-biked the Pa’rus trail during our 2021 trip. This trip we brought our Zizzo folding non-electric bikes and still had a great time biking the flat trail.