So as the title says I plan on a trip with a few of my friends through the west coast of the United States. We have made an aprox. plan of what we want to see/plan on driving by. We are working with around 3-4 weeks, so I guess enough for such a road trip.Here is the provisional plan that we came up for now:
>Arrive in Los Angeles - stay 5 days
>Visit Sequoia National Forest - sleep 1 night somewhere close
>Drive through Death Valley
>Stay 3 nights in Las Vegas
>Visit Grand Canyon and sleep close by
>Same with Oljato Monument Valley
>Arches National Park
>Rocky Mountain
>Fort Laramie
>Mount Rushmore
>Cody
>Yellowstone
>Area 51
>Yosemite National Park
>San Francisco
>One last drive on the California coast towards Los Angeles
Now is there something close by/on the way that I missed and should definitely visit? I'm an European that has never been to the US, so even the basic breakfast in a Diner on the side of the road will probably be a "special experience" for me. Also what are some advices you could give me for such a long trip through the United States. Anything I should know regarding the people/customs or in general the law that I might be unfamilliar with as an European. Any advice from local 'meribros is very welcome
>Here is the provisional plan that we came up with
5 days in Los Angeles is probably too much unless you have a lot of "must do" things there. I personally don't really like curated experiences like Disneyland and like natural and historical things better which it looks like you do. You could also probably stay 2 nights in Vegas and feel like you're ready to leave. It's a soul sucking place. Do visit the Hoover Dam on the way out of Vegas, it's pretty cool. At the grand canyon, you stay in the hotel at the park its more expensive, you can stay in Flagstaff for much cheaper, it's about 1.5 hours away.
Monument Valley is cool but the Navajo Reservation it's on is a total dump. Interesting people though I'd go through there but not stay there. Do stay a couple days in Moab there is a lot of ground to cover especially if you want to go to Canyonlands there is a lot of cool geology but its very spread out. I'd also recommend Zion or Bryce Canyon.
I'd completely skip Mt. Rushmore. It's not actually that impressive and is a long way from anything else which will eat up a day of driving to get to what is basically a big statue in a state that honestly sucks. Spend more time in Colorado such as Mesa Verde, Durango (one of my favorite towns) or Telluride. And make Yellowstone is worth a few days. It's a very big park.
There's nothing to see at Area 51. You can't even go near it. There's a road that leads off a highway in the desert with a checkpoint, that's it. That area is creepy though, a few little forgotten towns every 50 miles or so. I'd instead go through Reno, I think after all these national parks you'll be tired of remote areas. Then head down the eastern side of the Sierras, there's some cool things in addition to Yosemite like Mono Lake, it's a pretty, not very traveled area.
Consider looking into places that aren't national parks. Sedona is very pretty. Some of the historic mining places like Virgina City are pretty cool.
to be continued...
>Anything I should know regarding the people/customs or in general the law that I might be unfamilliar with as an European.
Any encounter with law enforcement in the US is a potential shootout and the police are very "on edge." If you get stopped by the police, don't get out of the car, just sit still and be very clear with the officer with your intentions "ok sir, I need to get open my bag to show you my documents, I will do that now." Just act calm and patient.
Other than that, the west is vast and unforgiving and you need to be prepared for that. Gas stations might be 100 miles away. There may not be something to eat in the next town. You should enough food and water in case you break down it could be many hours before help arrives. People (usually euros) die every year because they visit death valley or other places and don't bring enough supplies or try to hike when its too hot or don't realize the desert gets very cold also and don't have warm clothing with them.
The quality and price of things in the US varies a lot, without a lot of reasons. Gas for example might be $1/gal more on one street than a block away. Hotels and restaurants can be amazing or a total ripoff. Google reviews helps, also booking the hotels through a site like priceline and there's an app called gasbuddy.
Are you camping or staying at hotels? Are you renting an RV or normal car. I'd at least get a big car if you have a lot of people and luggage. When I go on trips like this I'll camp some places then spend a night at a hotel to have a real shower, etc. Also you can save a lot of money if you get a cooler and buy things at a grocery store for sandwiches and drinks instead of going to a restaurant or McDonalds. Throw away any food trash in the mountains to not attract bears.
>American police are psycho killers who will LITERALLY SHOOT YOU for just looking weird
Literally just don't be violently belligerent. It's that simple. The only reason cops will shoot you is if your name is Quintarius Al-Tyronius, you have multiple outstanding warrants, and when they ask for your license you get out of the car and start aggressively shouting at them something to the effect of "ayo man FRICK da police I kill pigs fo fun an sheeit get to steppin homie fo I plug yo ass homie man I dindu nuffin"
These days they won’t even shoot you for that, they know they’ll go to jail for it. A couple cops just barely avoided jail time in my city for shooting some jogger who pulled a gun on them in a struggle, riots incoming.
Cops rarely actually shot people unless their being violent, but they will be incredible aggressive out of nowhere. I've had a gun pulled on me for napping in a park, been screamed at for standing outside my house, had a gun pulled at a traffic stop.
I'm travelling with 5 of my friends and all of us have somewhat similar, but also a tad bit different wishes. LA is huge and 2 really wanted to visit Disneyland. We also took into account that the first day will probably be only for us to relax after the long flight. so the other 2 days are for visiting the main stuff on the Sunset Blvd and the last day for the beach
Mt. Rushmore while it may not be all too impressive, it is something special for me and I think for everyone else too. I am taking into account that I most likely will never make such a trip through the West of the US, so I really want to see these presidential faces.
Regarding Area 51, while there may not be much to see, I kind of grew up hearing about it and Aliens so often because of my dad, it kind of became a holy ground for me. Just standing infront of the checkpoint and drink/eat in the diner close by would be really cool. Also what is there to see in Reno? I went quickly over it and couldn't find anything notewordy except that its a city.
Thank you for all the advices. We are going to travel with an RV most likely because there are 5 of us. Can't really take camping stuff with us because the extra price on the plane for all of it is high as frick. We are spending quite a lot of money onto the whole trip, don't need any extra costs. Death Valley is also probably going to be more of a "drive by", we ain't gonna stop for long except to maybe take a photo or two.
Reno was just a suggestion as a stopping point between Yellowstone and Yosemite. It's a good jumping off point for other things such as Mono Lake, June Lake, Tahoe. You can stay cheaply at casino hotels if you book a room outside of a weekend dates. There isn't a whole lot to do there compared to Vegas, its a very different city but it does have a cool car museum if you like that Virginia City and Bodie (old mining towns) are neat. You might want to hit Area 51 while in Vegas, its only a couple hours north of the city but is a long way from anywhere else, its not on the way to anything (and this was done on purpose).
Yes, you have to pay to drive into most national parks regardless of what you do there. You should get what is called the America the Beautiful Pass which gives you unlimited entries to all of the national parks in the country for 1 year, its $80 which is about the same price as a couple trips purchased individually and is good for up to 4 people so it makes a lot of sense. I get one every year.
It's not the end of the world to go in August but there will be noticeably, at least by American standards, higher prices for hotels, gasoline, more people on the road, more eurotourists, more kids, and at some national parks, there may be a reservation system in place at peak times.
You should look into this, as you may need to make a reservation. This is a new thing (post covid mostly) and honestly sucks but the parks are seeing massive increases in tourism. Some of them (Arches for example) will require a prior reservation for a particular hike or to enter the park at all so do look into this. The reservation ticket is separate from the annual pass, you need both. You might also need a reservation to get a campsite at the park, depending on which one and when.
So I need to pay extra next to the 80 $, for the reservation? In that case, how do I know if it's worth making an reservation. The trip is a full year in the future, I don't really want to spend unnecessary money if it may not even need extra work.
Also seperate question regarding San Francisco: What is the best part of the town to sleep in? I've been looking around and trying to find a proper place, but it seems like homeless and human feces are literally on every corner of the city. To be honest after all that I've read I'd rather skip on the city but the rest of the group insists on going there. Also visiting Alcatraz and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge is definitely a highlight of the trip I'd love to see, so I was not really ready to fight them on that matter. Is there any recommendation for the stay there? Have you been in SF before? Also how dangerous is the city? A lot of people complained about their cars beeing broken into during broad daylight.
>So I need to pay extra next to the 80 $, for the reservation?
Yes. Stop thinking like a poorgay if you want to enjoy the US. It's not a country set up for people who are struggling, though you can do it on a budget. The $80 gets you (and 4 people) into any national park. The reservation thing is a usage-limiting measure that came about in the past few years. It's only at certain places and the cost is minimal. But you have to do it in addition to the entry pass. For example. you can go to Zion but need the reservation for Bright Angel Falls hike (which is one of the most popular trails). You can go to that park and just not do that hike though. But at Arches, you need a reserved time slot it to get in, I think. I would plan my trip around that. Arches is a very cool park.
> Have you been in SF before?
Yes, my sister lived there. I dislike it. But it is a cool city for things to look at. It is pretty bad, worse than most places on the west coast and its completely caused by politics. It's like a euro city, dense with a lot of undesirable people. But I don't think its dangerous, like its not likely that you will be robbed at gunpoint but it is likely your car will be broken into parked on the street.
It's prohibitively expensive to stay in the central parts of SF with a car. Stay in a more outlying area like Sunset District which is a more quiet area of the city, or by the airport at a hotel with parking and take public transit around. SF public transit is pretty good. Don't stay in Oakland, Mission District, Soma...
Avoid the Tenderloin area in San Francisco. That’s the really bad part of downtown where all the homeless junkies hang out. Hotels in the other parts of the city are more expensive, but they’re worth it for having peace of mind. The last time I went to San Francisco was in 2019 and the Business District part of downtown was literally covered in human shit and empty heroin needles, but the rest of the city wasn’t too bad. I’m not sure if it’s still like that.
Also, if you’re going to Colorado I recommend stopping at a hot springs resort - I just visited Iron Mountain Hot Springs and it was kino. Finally, if you visit Denver Colorado stop by the International Church of Cannabis and attend their 30 minute guided meditation/laser light show. You’re not allowed to smoke weed within the church but you can get high in the parking lot beforehand.
Taking an RV into San Fran is just a bad idea. It's going to get broken into. You're better off parking in Tiburon and taking the ferry across into the city instead. Tiburon is super safe and the ferry ride is beautiful and only takes like 30 minutes. You can even rent a bike in Tiburon and bring it on the ferry into the city. I also highly recommend doing Muir Woods. The Russian River Brewing company in Windsor is like 30 minutes north of Muir Woods and definitely worth doing too. You can cruise down to the Sonoma Coast State park and camp there. That section of route 1 is some of the most pristine coastline in the US.
If you’re interested in aliens you should hit up Roswell New Mexico to visit the UFO Museum and Research Center. It tells the story of the UFO that supposedly crashed there in the 40s.
>Mt. Rushmore
I'd also advise skipping it BUT if you're set on going, you should check out the South Dakota Badlands about an hour up the road if you can. Incredible alien landscape, one of my favorite national parks.
>Pic related
National Park
Hit up Canyonlands NP as well as Dead Horse State Park while you're in Moab. Might as well hit up Wind Cave NP/Badlands NP since you're in that area.
I see that there is a road leading through them. That's something I didn't understand regarding the Nationalparks. A lot of them have roads leading through them. I assume we also have to pay to drive through there too? Or is the payment for the tickets only necessary if we plan on hiking and taking a walk through it. Pretty cool parks tho, I'll try to see how to manage some of them into the plan
You can drive through Badlands/Arches pretty easily but I would recommend stopping and doing a few short hikes. Custer State Park is also a nice little gem in Western South Dakota.
Buy a national parks pass it will cover entry to all the parks. It pays for itself in like two parks.
This is long ass trip. I hope you're prepared for that. Also, what time of year are you doing this?
tomorrow
This is a good point. In August things will be overcrowded and more expensive. In the winter, roads in and around some of these places will be closed and there will be too much snow to hike around. Some of them won't really reopen until the end of May. I'd do this trip in late september or october.
Sadly we can't make such a trip outside of August, because all of us have different things in life going on and August was the only one free for us completely.
It is but I have somehwat of an experience with long trips. I travveled all around Greece this August for 3 weeks. Sure, can't really compare Greece to the US, but the roads where absolutely horrible and it was very dirty. Also we are travelling in August, it's the only time in the year where we have so much free time.
Ok cool. Since you're European, thus from a humid climate, you need to drink more water than you think. Sweat will evaporate and cool almost instantly, interrupting your normal gauge of hydration and exhaustion. This commonly causes people to feel invincible out in the desert for hours and then abruptly run out of energy for the rest of the day once they get too dehydrated. Seriously, it's like a switch flips in their bod and their body just quits. This has the potential to be dangerous and spoil any fun outings, but it very easy to prevent. Just drink more water than ypu think you need and be aware your normal physical cues for exhaustion and dehydration can be deceptive in an arid climate.
I also agree with some of the other anon recommending cutting down the trip a little by skipping Rocky Mountain National Park and Mt Rushmore. They are way out of the way and arguably not worth it, but if this is your one shot for an adventure like this, you might as well. There are also some amazing places near Grand Junction, CO not far from Moab, lake Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP and Colorado National Monument. I also recommend looking into hot springs in Idaho. The state has numerous. Utah's Uinta Mountains are unique and surprisingly wild. Gandy Warm Spring on the Utah-Nevada border could also be an adventure if you feel like it, as could any non-touristed ghost towns if you feel like it.
https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/wy/wy.html
Thank you for the advice regarding water, will make sure to have plenty aboard. The thing with Mt. Rushmore is that it's probably going to be the only trip we make on the west coast and we as a group most likely won't have a chance to see it together again. Also a long car trip through the US doesn't sound too bad, it is an entirely different experience to Europe, so I doubt we will really mind it all too much. Also thanks for the ghost towns map, we love these things and only found a few remade wild west cities along the road, none truly abandoned (like Silver City Ghost Town)
>Mt Rushmore
>West Coast
Not sure if you’re confused here, but Rushmore is well over a thousand miles from the west coast.
Mt Rushmore is kind of lame, the Black Hills and Badlands NP are nice but not sure it's worth it to go that far for them. I'd skip Rocky Mountain too, the San Juans in southwest Colorado are nicer and less of a detour. You could also see Grand Teton or more of the Sierras, personally I like the San Juans over both (besides Yosemite Valley in the Sierras which is absolutely worth it). Mesa Verde is an interesting stop near the San Juans also.
Try to check out Zion, Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands, along with Arches, all of the Utah parks are amazing. Tons of great places in the Southwest that aren't national parks too
Yellowstone to Yosemite is a long drive, will take at least one day, might want to spread it out, Area 51 is literally nothing. You could go South first through Salt Lake City, not much to see in the city itself, especially with the Mormon temple under renovation for the forseeable future but there are nice hikes in the area, including some hikes you can do at sunset and see the sunset over the city and the city lights at night which is pretty nice. Then a possible stop is Great Basin NP, not the most amazing national park but the cave is one of the nicest I've seen, though it definitely helped that I was there after a very wet winter this spring, the guide said the cave is much prettier when the pools are full that he hadn't seen some of the pools filled up in years.
Or if you stay north you can check out Craters of the Moon and Shoshone Falls in Idaho and then go past Lake Tahoe. I've only seen Shoshone Falls when it was almost dry but it's one of the best waterfalls in the country when it's really flowing, so I've heard. maybe Lake Tahoe also
That's why I advised OP to leave Mt. Rushmore out, and tbh, there's more sections of the trip that could be dropped. Yellowstone is really cool but its extremely far away from the rest of the things- it takes a long day of driving to get there from Colorado even, if you don't leave early, it will take you 2 days just from Denver, and is very big and has a lot of ground to cover. If you arrive and have to leave in 48 hours, you will feel like you haven't seen anything. Yellowstone might be better as part of another trip. That's why I also suggested spending less time in LA and Vegas. 4-5 days in LA and Vegas each is going to leave you with very little time to spend in national parks. You don't want to just show up at the park in the afternoon and leave the next day, you won't be able to see very much.
For example when I went to the Grand Canyon from the west coast we drove to Vegas, stayed the night, drove to Flagstaff, rested and went to bars, spent 2 days at the canyon, then did some other shit Arizona, there's a lot of gun ranges that will rent you automatic weapons, you should do this OP, before driving back. That was a week long trip and I didn't feel like I actually saw that much of it, we only went to a few overlooks (the more remote ones are absolutely better) and a few hikes of 4 hours or so each. We didn't even do any of the very difficult/long hikes.
I'd recommend trying to plan this so that you drive a day then rest a day then explore a day or 2. Long drives wear you out even taking turns, if you drive 10 hour days a couple days in a row you WILL need a day to rest and sit around, not a day to go hiking at Arches, a rest day, then do more strenuous things after. And that doesn't include time exploring small towns, chasing American women, stopping for random things, etc.
If you try to see too much in a short time you will spend all your time on the road and will end up hating each other and feeling like you didn't do anything besides drive.
Yellowstone is definitely deserving of it's own trip + Grand Teton if you can do it, or combine it with Glacier National Park which is another of the best national parks that also isn't near to anywhere. And that would be a trip best done in summer or very early fall whereas visiting the southwest would be best any time besides summer. But OP is euro, who knows when he might be back in the region so I can't recommend skipping Yellowstone even if it's a day's drive detour. Spend a few days there to get your money's worth.
by the way OP that drive between SF and LA you could spend several days on itself, lots of nice stops along the way. Also you can't through drive the Big Sur Highway section right now though because of landslides last winter, no one knows when it will reopen
5 days feels like too much for me for LA, better to spend that time in San Francisco in my opinion. I'm not a city person though. If you're here during the season going to a baseball game might be worth your time, very American, Dodger Stadium in LA is more well known but I recommend Oracle park in SF which is probably one of the nicest stadiums in the world.
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For most of that route, places to get fuel can be quite far apart compared to Europe, so don't let your tank run empty. If you're at a quarter or so and you see a gas station, it's best to fuel up.
In northern Wyoming, try to take the road between Buffalo and Tensleep, but not along the interstate. One of the most beautiful drives I've ever seen. You can get to Cody this way, as well.
In Colorado, the road between Grand Junction and Denver is also very beautiful, following a mountain pass, lots of tunnels, bridges, and rivers.
Nice trip. Vast distances. Anyone telling you to skip Mt. Rushmore is a communist moron. Make sure you see it.
Add:
1. Hoover Dam. Must see.
2. Drive old Route 66 as long as you can toward the Grand Canyon. Stop at the old burger joints. The original US highway. Not much left of it.
3. Stay in the Grand Canyon at the park hotels if u can. Same with Yellowstone. You will meed to book months in advance. Worth it. Also, book lunch and dinner reservations at the in-park restaurants, as far in advance as you can. You will get shut out of dining options if it is crowded.
4. Buffalo Bill Dam - near Cody - east of Yellowstone - if you leave the East Gate of Yellowstone. Quick stop. Impressive.
5. Little Bighorn Battlefield - Montana - north east of Yellowstone - make sure to drive the battlefield and read the plaques. Very moving. A must see.
6. Snake River Canyon - Evel Kneivel jump site - Twin Falls, Idaho - right off the interstate on your north east / south west route. Not much else in between. Just iff the interstate. Easy. Quick. Fun. If you like Evel its a must see. Watch the Snake River jump videos beforehand.
Enjoy!
>Cody
If he's going to Cody, he has to to Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
One thing to also consider that highway 120 going from the back side of Nevada to Yosemite is a seasonal road, meaning it is closed half the year. Might want to find an alternate route.
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm
If you do go to San Francisco you don't need a car there. A car will get in the way. Bite the bullet and park in the hotel garage, not on the street or just return the car altogether and rent a new one. Do not stay by the freaking airport, it will take like 30 mins jus to get into the city, more if there's traffic. I suggest staying by fisherman's wharf or the financial district. Shop around, it's not cheap but you can easily get a room for like 150 a night and they're great areas to launch off and explore the city. If you do stay in the financial district do not go to the tenderloin unless you look tough. Some junky homosexual will harass you if he thinks he can walk all over you. If you have any girls or homosexual friends just avoid it altogether.
You can buy tickets to Alcatraz and do a day or night tour.
If you find yourself bored in la definitely go to Griffith observatory. Park in the street by the park and hike up to the observatory, entrance is free. Just make sure the sky is clear.
That's too much driving for one trip. You're going to spend the entire trip driving. I've done every stop on your itinerary. I like a good road trip, but you're trying to cram 3 trips into one.
Leaving LA and driving all the way to Sequoia for a single day is pointless. You'll drive for 8 hours to do a 60 minute hike and then the sun will set on you. That road in the park is no joke. You aren't going to be able to get an RV down that road at night.
As others have said, another thing to consider is that you can't drive in the back route to Yosemite through Tioga pass right now. It's closed due to snow and probably won't reopen until June. Same with some of the roads in Yellowstone.
As an alternative, you should consider spending more time in Utah with the RV. There are a lot more options for free stays on BLM land. Gas is a lot cheaper in Utah than in California. Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Escalante, Arches and Capitol Reef are amazing. They would all be included in the $80 national parks pass along with the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone. Definitely get the pass.
Honestly, no matter what route you take, I hate the RV idea. You're going to get murdered on gas. I'd rent a big ass van. Get a huge mosquito net and throw it over the van at night.
You do realize that RMNP and YNP are closed in winter, right? If you are traveling in winter, just do the Utah 5 and skip the Wyoming and Colorado portions of your route.
Without fail, euros fail to realise how big the US is. 3-4 weeks is barely enough time to appreciate one state, let alone several.
The drive just from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is usually about 6 hours. You're going to spend roughly ¾ of your time in the US just driving on the interstate
Agreed. Don't forget a mile is longer than a kilometer and google might be giving you miles if you're looking at the US.
I plugged a quick circle into google maps, starting in LA and hitting Vegas, Grand Canyon, Rushmore, and Yellowstone and ending in San Francisco. It estimates over 3,400 miles (almost 5,500 km). This is basically like starting from Madrid and hitting Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Venice, and Florence before ending in Barcelona.
It's far from impossible to hit all those locations in 3-4 weeks but I certainly wouldn't plan it that way.
OP, I used to be based out of San Francizzle and did a bunch of roadtrips out West to those various places. You can watch my vids for ideas on where to go based on what you are interested in/not interested in.
It totally depends if you are wanting to see scenery, typical touristy spots (i.e. Las Vegas Strip), brutal outdoors self-torture physical experiences, etc.
LA is too big and it depends on what you want to see to be able to justify 5 days. I would even extend it to a week and make it your base camp. If you find a hotel in the San Fernando Valley or Burbank/Glendale, you can then afford a day up to Sequoia or Death Valley for day trips. Death Valley especially you can see the main tourist things in a few hours before it gets boring. So you could do something like this:
>LA - 6-7 days with a day or two for Sequoia
>Drive to Las Vegas and stop at Death Valley
>Las Vegas to Flagstaff for Grand Canyon visit
>Flagstaff jumping off point for Monument Valley.
Here I suggest you go straight to Durango, Colorado and do the Million Dollar Highway thru the San Juan and Rocky Mtns to Grand Junction.
>Grand Junction to Arches National Park.
>Arches National Park to Salt Lake City. From there to Yellowstone and Gran Teton.
I feel like Mt. Rushmore is too far out but if you want to do it, go for it. I would skip it.
>From Yellowstone drive to Reno and Carson City and Lake Tahoe.
>Lake Tahoe to Gold Country in California.
>If you skip Mt. Rushmore, I would suggest going to Redding to rest, then drive to Eureka and then south thru the Avenue of the Giants.
>San Francisco to then Big Sur and wrap up back in LA.
Awesome!