Getting a little burnt out at work and seeking to get away for 4-5 days in the USA in early to mid October. Have a family that isn't going to come with as this is for me to just decompress.
Been researching Acadia NP, Mt. Rainer NP and Yosemite NP. Looking for any suggestions that wont break the bank but not a poorgay and will spend up if the value is there.
Any suggestions anons? Before the cooming delegation speaks up that is not a priority in any way.
Located in Midwest so I realize a plane ride is required to see some cool shit.
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>mid October
The desert parks should be cooler by then if you're interested
Thanks for engaging. I have visited the five in Utah, Grand Canyon NP and Great Sand Dunes NP already. Have a personal lifetime goal of 50 States, 50 NP and 50 countries. Currently at 37-17-15 now.
I've been thinking of bicycle touring or running touring or whatever and then camping if theres no towns in between. My one question is what do people do about food during these things? Seems like you'd have to stick pretty close to civilization to refuel which would defeat the purpose of trying to get closer to nature.
Have to be strategic with your routes my friend. There are also campsites that have food options in and around some of these NP. MRE's and non perishable chicken/tuna/bread etc to get you by.
>a plane ride is required to leave the Midwest
LOL no. You can drive your car and camp out of it, or in it. Not only will you save hugely on lodging, which tends to be obscenely expensive near national parks, but you won't be dependent on park shuttles to get around, and you will be able to visit the less-crowded areas of the parks, including interesting spots outside the park boundary.
>4 to 5 days
Such a compressed trip hardly fits the definition of "decompression", IMO.
>Yosemite
I'd recommend Yosemite because the transit situation is excellent. (https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/publictransportation.htm) October is usually warm and sunny all across California, but on occasion it can get rainy. Expect crowds and traffic, not natural solitude. I believe you have to get a timed entry permit to enter Yosemite these days. I last visited in February 2016.
>Acadia
Acadia is spectacular by East Coast standards, somewhat underwhelming by Western standards (though still very beautiful). October in Maine is usually chilly & gray. Tough to get to Bar Harbor and Acadia without your own car, due to its remoteness. I last visited in August 2021.
>Mt Rainier
Would not recommend fricking around up there in late autumn without a car. It can get seriously nasty for days and days on end, though I visited Mt Rainier in early October 2020 and it was staggeringly beautiful under the clearest blue skies imaginable. 60s in the afternoon high up on the slope.
Running alone for long distances is tough; most long-distance runners have a support network, or they arrange food caches along the way like the thru-hikers do. Now a bicycle with a cargo rack can haul bags or even tow a trailer, allowing one to bring everything but the kitchen sink when it comes to food preparation. Bicycles also can cover dozens of miles a day with ease, so there is no need to hang around civilization. I've met dudes who ride around the country on e-bikes which tow a micro-camper trailer
investigate the finger lakes
no thanks dont really want to end up on a t-shirt
Banff
October 7-11th too cold? Avoiding the crowds is appealing but I would want to do some of the better hikes.
Can't speak for the others you mentioned, but Yosemite is incredible. It's the best multi-day National Park I've visited. That said, if you want somewhere real affordable, you could check out New River Gorge. Not on par with Yosemite, but it's surprisingly nice. Plus, depending on what part of the Midwest you're in, you may just be able to drive there.
>could check out New River Gorge
Actually did this last October along with Shenandoah Ntl. Excellent set of parks and really enjoyed it.
I am not driving my fricking car halfway across the country solo for a 4-5 days trip. I know the length seems "compressed:" however as you get older and have family itll make sense.
There's Pictured Rocks, Isle Royale, Kentucky's national forest (I forget the name), Ozark solitude, southern Illinois and Indiana national forests. Plenty of destinations within a day's drive of anywhere in the Midwest if you want to get away in nature.
take a train trip homie