My trip of a lifetime- or am I nuts?

I've heard that Going to the Sun road in Glacier is not a pleasant experience with a dually. You could book a Red Bus tour instead of driving yourself. Those tours fill up quickly and need to be booked up to a year in advance.

Any campground controlled by the National Park Service opens their reservations only six months in advance of the day of arrival, so makes it difficult to plan.

Some parks still have the entry passes which also open up only six months in advance. They do hold some back which open up 24 hours in advance. The National Park Service is almost as complicated as managing a Disney vacation!
 
We travel from VA so similar path to what you do. Finding places to stay is much harder on the east coast than out west. On our first trip west in 2021, I made reservations ahead of time up to the Badlands where we stayed at the KOA. I had a route planned out, as to where to stay, but only planned the time for the stop one stop out to allow for spontaneity. The exception this year was to book a reservation for the Red Bus tour in Glacier for Going to the Sun Road when we were in MN. We travel in the fall so that reservation was set based on availability at the end of the season. The reservation was about 2 weeks out so we could be a little spontaneous and added a stop in Custer that hadn't originally been planned. We had been there in 2021 and really wanted to go back. I second the suggestion for going to the Mammoth Dig site when in the area. Recommend both Gold Valley Camp and Sunset RV Park in the Custer area.

We only plan on about 5 hours drive time a day, calculated at 60 mph, giving us about 250-280 miles. We'll travel for about 2 days with just an overnight (usually at a Harvest Host or Boondockers Welcome) and then stay 2-3 nights after that, usually at a state park.

I recommend looking into he GuideAlong App before visiting the National Parks. This is an app that uses your phone's GPS and Bluetooth from your vehicle to provide a narrated tour through the parks. It makes recommendations of places to stop and see. We saw a totally different park when we purchased the Utah Mighty 5 pack in Bryce Canyon, after we had already been through the park the day before.

We didn't have vehicle reservations ahead of time to get into Glacier this year. The Red Bus from St Mary's side got us on the Going to the Sun Road (so hubby could see the sights and not worry about driving it with a dually, ie width restrictions). We then went online the night before at 7pm to get a reservation for the next day to get into Many Glacier for hikes. We did this twice with no problems getting a reservation. (We were there end of Aug). Stayed at Johnson's of St Mary's RV park. Was able to add on an extra 4 days without any problems. We then moved to Glacier Meadow RV Camp which got us closer to the west side of Glacier (about a 45 minute drive) and Two Medicine where we were able to get a reservation for a boat ride and also a raft ride. Recommend both of these RV parks and both can accommodate your size rig.

If going to Yellowstone, don't forget to go to Grand Tetons. We boondocked when in the Grand Teton area and then drove to Yellowstone from there (through Teton NP). A bit of a drive but a beautiful one. Tetons are less crowded and have some beautiful hikes and drives. You can still see the main sites in Yellowstone this way. Dubois WY and the Wind River area, just before the Tetons are a beautiful area. There is a wonderful military museum near Dubois.

You mention Zion but not Bryce Canyon. Bryce Canyon is one of our favorites (along with the Tetons). We boondock when at Bryce but we did stay at Ruby's for a few nights when the weather turned really bad. Kodachrome State Park is nearby and is another great visit. It doesn't really fit large RVs so we did a day trip there from Bryce. The Grand Staircase is in that area too.

In 2021 we left Bryce and started our eastward trip going to Capitol Reef, then Moab area for both Arches and Canyonland. Arches requires vehicle reservations now. We enjoyed Canyonland better. We boondocked at all of these so don't have any campground recommendations.

From Moab we went to Cortez CO to see Mesa Verde. We recommend Outback RV if visiting Mesa Verde. The trip over the mountain to Telluride is a beautiful drive, especially in the fall when the Aspens are ablaze. The Durango to Silverton train ride is a must do.

From Cortez we went to The Great Sand Dunes in Alamosa CO. We stayed at Base Camp when there. This was our last big stop before heading up near Colorado Springs to visit some friends and then catching 70 to head home.

Last year from Bryce we went south to Page AZ area, Lake Powell, and did the Antelope Canyon tour as well as Horseshoe Bend and Vermilion Cliffs. Then continued south to Grand Canyon. Continuing south went to Petrified Forest NP, Tombstone, Gila Cliffs, White Sand NP in NM and then up to Palo Duro State Park in Texas. This is supposed to be the second largest canyon after the Grand Canyon. Made some stops along part of Route 66 along the route to West Memphis and went to Graceland and then Fall Creek Falls State Park east of Nashville. We love that part of TN.

This year was Custer, Glacier and then to Salmon and Twin Falls ID. We loved the Twin Falls area and Thousand Springs State Park area. Dropped down into NV and visited Great Basin NP before heading back to Bryce Canyon and the Cortez CO area again.

On all three west trips, never made advanced reservations once we got past Illinois (except first trip where we had reservations until The Badlands).
 
PS, Interstate 70 is absolutely horrible, both directions, through Indiana. If you take it, be prepared for some interior damage.
 
At first I was going to suggest that you need to make reservations for places like Glacier, Yellowstone, Zion, etc. While I feel it is probably the wiser thing to do you are going to get advice from some that you can just wing it.

So, you need to first decide if you are the kind of person(s) who are OK making plans on the fly, possibly missing out on places you want to see in lieu of finding alternates that can accommodate you, and making the most of those opportunities.

A 42' toy hauler and large truck are not the easiest things to randomly pull into locations without either reservations or some serious investigation into whether-or-not you will fit. As it is, we've run into issues when changing plans on the fly finding something big enough to fit our 36' rig at locations we want to see. Usually we manage to snag something, occasionally we have to alter plans due to no "room at the inn"; or we have to settle for some less than desirable campground.

We've been traveling since the mid 80's. Most of the time we plan well ahead and make reservations. Sometimes they have gaps we know we can fill in. We tend to travel west a lot (CO, UT, WY, MT AZ, NM NOR, WA, etc.). On our return (back to FL) most of the time we don't make reservations or plans, we just travel day-to-day and plan a day or two ahead making reservations. But we always make reservations well ahead of time since we know what we want to see/do and don't want to miss something we planned on.

I'm not going to make any specific recommendations as to where you should travel or what you should see. But I will tell you that the west is HUGE compared to the east. You'll get it once you get out there. So there are tons and tons of places to see. Heck, after all these years we still go our there almost yearly; sometimes to places we've been, sometimes to new spots we want to explore.

I guess my bottom line is back to whether-or-not you are a day-to-day, take it as it comes kind of couple, or one who would sleep better know your next stops are saved for you.

Enjoy your travels. oh - I'm hoping this is not the trip of a lifetime but the first of many, many more adventures after your retirement.
All of the above, plus make sure you plan for lots of driving time between stops. People from the east don't seem to realize how vast the West is. Driving from one place to another can take hours or days longer than an GPS might say; not to mention, rest/fuel stops could be few and far between. Don't let that stop you, but knowing what to expect will definitely make the trip more enjoyable
 
Referring to post #2, Road to the Sun not open till mud July. Are the campgrounds open then? I'm wondering what the camping season is up there. Other thoughts- Wife has no interest in ever traveling outside US, so not going to Canada, lol. I was figuring campground availability would be more open during weekdays and would make reservations for anything over a weekend. I would consider Harvest Host, but don't know availability up there. Pretty sure wife won't like overnighting in a Walmart! I cover 350+ miles in 6 hours so I'll try using that as my guide. A day or 2 of more travel won't be too bad.
We retired in 2019 and have been traveling the country pulling our 44' Momentum 397TH. We have always made reservations/plans in advance due to our length. You want to make sure the campsite is large enough to park the fifth wheel, tow vehicle, and toys. Also, maneuvering in some parks can be difficult. Same goes for fuel stops. We pretty much use the truck lanes at truck stops. We have used RV Tripwizard from the beginning which is an excellent tool. We limit our travel to 5-6 hours to minimize fatigue and speed to 65 mph to avoid overheating the tires (A TPMS is also recommended). I also recommend using an RV GPS (we use Garmin) so you're not routed on roads you don't belong. Google doesn't allow you to enter your TH height so you may get down a road with a low overpass. We use Harvest Host a lot, particularly when traveling between longer stays. It's a great way to experience museums, farms, wineries, and breweries. Lastly, we've been to a lot of NPs and all are spectacular in their own way. You'll need to stay in an RV park outside the NP due to your size. We stayed in a park in Loveland while visiting Rocky Mountain NP. We stayed in Essex, MT to visit both sides of GNP. I agree the Red Bus tour is the best way to see the Going To The Sun Road. It's tough for duellys, less stress with traffic, and you won't need to try to book a reservation.
 
PS, Interstate 70 is absolutely horrible, both directions, through Indiana. If you take it, be prepared for some interior damage.
That is an absolute understatement!!! One reason on last trip we headed north through Michigan and west on I-94 through ND (which was actually a very pleasant drive) and came back south.
 
I would recommend Reno, NV to Lone Pine, CA, prettiest drive in America, but then I’m biased.:)
Reno, especially Lake Tahoe and Truckee are amazing! Be careful around Zion with your trailer. Best to leave it in or around Hurricane, Ut and drive a few miles into ion.
 
Background info for reference- Wife and I retired, traveling in a 42' toyhauler and taking our Trike along. Towing with a CCLB Dually. I can take the genset along or leave it home. Probably taking my waste tote in case I can't find hookups.

Trip info- Leaving PA, probably sometime around April/ May. Have friends near Dayton, OH so plan to spend about 3 days at their place. Another friend is in Flushing, MI and will only spend a day or 2 there. Would like to go to Mackinac KOA for about 3 days. Want to see Mall of America. Head to Custer State park for maybe 3 days. Head to Buffalo Gap KOA for a couple days, then on to Glacier Natl park. Imagine we'd stay for about a week. Undecided if I want to head back from there or go down to Yellowstone NP and then further down to Zion. No timeline for this- retired and have no responsibilities LOL! Looking for insight as to what to see and how is traveling. I've been up and down east coast, but never traveled out West so give me some ideas! Thanks in advance.
A lot of good advice here, especially about going into Zion first and working north due to early seasons. Although we haven't had much snow out here yet but again it's not Mothers Day yet. If you do Yellowstone you must also see Tetons as they are right there. Reservations in the park will require a year in advance but West Yellowstone has a lot of good RV parks right outside the park entrance.
If you make it to Zion, a must see also is Bryce and all of Hwy 12. Probably the most hair raising beautiful hwy in the country. I recommend not towing a 42' toy hauler however.
There is some absolute gorgeous scenery out west and it's not all in National Parks so keep an open mind and have fun.
 
If you are going to be in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, check out the many waterfalls and book a cruise for Pictured Rocks - 1-2 hours. If you really are going to the Mall of America, there is flat parking on the north side. Campgrounds that would fit your 5th wheel would be Baker Park Reserve, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, Lebanon Hills and a KOA in Jordan, MN. When going to South Dakota, include the Badlands. There is a lot to see in the west and reservations needed for lengthly stays.
 
A few additional cautionary thoughts.

I am sure you are on top of this but…be aware of bridges and tunnels. While there is a requirement to label lower height clearances, the signage doesn’t always take into account resurfacing operations which can add a few inches to the road bed. Measure your unit and never miss a bridge and tunnel height clearance sign.

Pay attention to highway signage. Last year we did a Utah trip. I strongly recommend avoiding Interstate 70 west of Denver as the grades and elevations are significant. We did I-80. Also watch out for cross winds in Wyoming; highway signage will warn when you need to get off the highway; pay attention to the big-rigs and other RVs; if they disappear, time for a break.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. This is quite a learning experience! As for recommended traveling without the dually, I wanted to know if driving a Trike is advisable or not through these places. On east coast, we usually park and set up then use the Trike for all of our travels. Would this be advisable to these destinations? Another consideration is the fuel stops. I ditched my diesel this year and went back to gas. I kept my 60-gallon tank for the bed but haven't put it in. (Different rules for gas/diesel feeding the main tank). Also, would have the 20-gallon tank on the RV. The issue here in the east is most of the truck lanes are diesel only, no gas. It's difficult to find a station to fit into. I'm also beginning to wonder if this is too much to cram into 1 trip and maybe should I plan on doing multiple trips out west in subsequent years?
 
Thanks for all of the replies. This is quite a learning experience! As for recommended traveling without the dually, I wanted to know if driving a Trike is advisable or not through these places. On east coast, we usually park and set up then use the Trike for all of our travels. Would this be advisable to these destinations? Another consideration is the fuel stops. I ditched my diesel this year and went back to gas. I kept my 60-gallon tank for the bed but haven't put it in. (Different rules for gas/diesel feeding the main tank). Also, would have the 20-gallon tank on the RV. The issue here in the east is most of the truck lanes are diesel only, no gas. It's difficult to find a station to fit into. I'm also beginning to wonder if this is too much to cram into 1 trip and maybe should I plan on doing multiple trips out west in subsequent years?
Considering I've taken most of the roads you're looking at on a motorcycle, I don't consider using a Trike a problem. Just be aware there is wildlife, and you won't be inside. :)
 
You will LOVE those areas on a trike, I have done 3 trips to the western mountains with a trike in the toy hauler and it is the best way to see that area that I know of. There are so many great roads to ride out there it would take a couple of pages to list them all. For Custer area there is the Needles highway which is a must do, and the loop around Custer State Park is also great. Of course Mt Rushmore, Deadwood canyon and into Deadwood and Lead is also a great ride. For Yellowstone I would suggest staying on the North side of the park so you have easy access to the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways, those 2 will take a full day of riding. I think if you find a place to camp near any of the parks and ride the trike you will not be disappointed.

Plan your fuel stops using a trip planner such as RV Trip Wizard and use google maps satellite and street view to find stations you can get in and out easily. In the east Flying J often have RV lanes as do some of the TA stops. Loves normally has a fair amount of space between the pump line and the building so your swing can often be made OK.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. This is quite a learning experience! As for recommended traveling without the dually, I wanted to know if driving a Trike is advisable or not through these places. On east coast, we usually park and set up then use the Trike for all of our travels. Would this be advisable to these destinations? Another consideration is the fuel stops. I ditched my diesel this year and went back to gas. I kept my 60-gallon tank for the bed but haven't put it in. (Different rules for gas/diesel feeding the main tank). Also, would have the 20-gallon tank on the RV. The issue here in the east is most of the truck lanes are diesel only, no gas. It's difficult to find a station to fit into. I'm also beginning to wonder if this is too much to cram into 1 trip and maybe should I plan on doing multiple trips out west in subsequent years?
Access to the truck lanes is one of the reasons I like having a Diesel truck. It really makes traveling with our 5th Wheel easier.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. This is quite a learning experience! As for recommended traveling without the dually, I wanted to know if driving a Trike is advisable or not through these places. On east coast, we usually park and set up then use the Trike for all of our travels. Would this be advisable to these destinations? Another consideration is the fuel stops. I ditched my diesel this year and went back to gas. I kept my 60-gallon tank for the bed but haven't put it in. (Different rules for gas/diesel feeding the main tank). Also, would have the 20-gallon tank on the RV. The issue here in the east is most of the truck lanes are diesel only, no gas. It's difficult to find a station to fit into. I'm also beginning to wonder if this is too much to cram into 1 trip and maybe should I plan on doing multiple trips out west in subsequent years?
The trike will be fine for touring the sights away from the rv. The Red Bus is still a good idea. Our Road King travel with us and is great for seeing the sights too.
Some stations in the central USA are large, especially away from the big cities. Plan your gas stops. You can pick a site to gas up and look on google street view and sat view to see what the station looks like. Watch for low overhanging covers at the stations.
Take your time and enjoy your trip. If you have some time commitments, split up you trip or blow off the commitments.

KEN
 

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