Expedition · 65 days · 65 nights
Western expedition · Seventy-two selected photo stops
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Hike 
Roadside stop 
Attraction 
Technical outing Text-only exploration 
Sleep spot Sleep-planning corridorRoad routing is a planning aid. Verify closures, access, and conditions before driving.
The first day's GPS route begins here. Every later day begins at the prior night's sleeping location.
39.663390, -105.879190Make it your trip
This loop is complete enough to follow and loose enough to live in. Reorder days for weather, permits, crowds, rest, and discovery; protect the hard mornings and let the trip breathe.
Road and hike times are planning estimates. Recheck weather, closures, permits, and access before departure. Check current Arches entry and parking conditions ↗Plan your days
Daily stops, drives, and camps, with room for weather and rest.
Start before dawn for the traverse from Loveland Pass over Cupid and Grizzly to Torreys and Grays. Choose a clear summit-season weather window and turn back early enough to avoid afternoon storms. After the hike, drive south to camp near Turtle Rock.
1 photograph from this location, made Aug 3, 2022.
Planning allocation · 6h
Drive to · Loveland Pass trailhead parking 39.663519, -105.878888 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give the Turtle Rock outing its own uncrowded morning, then return to the same route-local camp before the US 50 crossing.
An Turtle Rock climbing-area outing near Buena Vista. The atlas records the location; use a current climbing resource for routes and access.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m
Drive to · Turtle Rock parking 38.881521, -106.146784 Mountain Project · Turtle Rocks ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use Dillon Pinnacles as the day's walk, then continue by normal passenger highways to Mr. Crowmeister's preferred Peach Valley OHV base. The BLM staging area allows camping for 7 days / 6 nights, has no water, prohibits open wood fires, and keeps full-size vehicles on roads.
1 photograph from this location, made Sep 6, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Dillon Pinnacles trailhead parking 38.470495, -107.253058 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Drive to the South Rim and give the Gunnison Route album its full outing. The route begins near the South Rim Visitor Center and requires the current wilderness reservation or permit; 2026 fire effects add unstable burned-area hazards. Return to Peach Valley for the night.
11 photographs from this location, made Sep 8, 2022.
Planning allocation · 7h
Drive to · Black Canyon South Rim visitor parking 38.554719, -107.686432 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Follow Colorado 141 to the dispersed camping corridor. Fill up on fuel and supplies before leaving, and allow time to find a campsite. Check the access road and posted camping rules on arrival.
5 photographs from this location, made Sep 8, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · CO 141 photographed roadside access 38.574616, -108.921924 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use the morning for final gear, water, fuel, and food, then choose the Owl Rock climbing outing or the technical Elephant Butte objective according to the group's systems and current conditions. The shared roadside overlook remains available without committing to either route. Buck Canyon Overlook can round out the day before paid Horsethief.
Three different uses share this photographed start area: Owl Rock is a climbing outing, Elephant Butte is technical, and the roadside overlook is available without committing to either route. The public pin records the shared area rather than route guidance.
Planning allocation · 5h
Drive to · Moab passenger-road access 38.573297, -109.549724 NPS · Arches climbing rules and closures ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗12 photographs from this location, made Sep 12, 2022–Sep 13, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Buck Canyon Overlook parking 38.345886, -109.861063 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Devil's Garden its own substantial Arches day and return to Horsethief on paved roads.
4 photographs from this location, made Apr 14, 2022.
Planning allocation · 4h 30m
Drive to · Devils Garden trailhead parking 38.782811, -109.595028 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Keep Aztec Butte and Upheaval Dome as the hikes, then use Orange Cliffs as the later road-accessible rim photograph.
A 1.4-mile Canyonlands route with slickrock scrambling and two branches, including one to Ancestral Puebloan structures.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Aztec Butte trailhead parking 38.393459, -109.882124 NPS hiking guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗1 photograph from this location, made Sep 12, 2022.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Upheaval Dome trailhead parking 38.426310, -109.926133 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗1 photograph from this location, made Sep 12, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Orange Cliffs Overlook parking 38.313596, -109.857146 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Grand View Point the cool-morning outing, handle the final Moab resupply, collect the Kane Creek roadside photograph before passing it, then hike Funnel Arch and continue to The Ledge.
10 photographs from this location, made Sep 12, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Grand View Point parking 38.310778, -109.856506 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗4 photographs from this location, made Sep 11, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Kane Creek Boulevard roadside access 38.567914, -109.579152 Open vehicle-access pin ↗15 photographs from this location, made Apr 13, 2022–Sep 11, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Funnel Arch Kane Creek roadside parking 38.519960, -109.600611 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about three hours for Medieval Chamber, ending with the rappel at Morning Glory Arch. Arrange the shuttle before starting and check current route, anchor, and flash-flood conditions. Return to The Ledge for the night.
Four video frame grabs from one Medieval Chamber technical outing, with Morning Glory Arch as its ending rappel rather than a separate PerchPoint. The public pin uses the BLM Grandstaff trailhead as an exit reference; verify current land-manager rules, weather, flash-flood risk, anchors, equipment, partners, and a current technical route source.
Planning allocation · 3h · published range 2–4 hours
Drive to · Grandstaff Trail parking 38.609840, -109.533674 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Follow the southbound Canyon Rims line to Anticline Overlook, then stop at the verified Hatch Point campground.
3 photographs from this location, made Sep 16, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Anticline Overlook parking 38.464700, -109.627431 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Continue south to Needles Overlook, then settle at Lockhart Road South without returning to Hatch. This positions the route for three distinct Needles hiking days.
A developed BLM overlook reached by the Needles Overlook Scenic Backway in Canyon Rims Recreation Area.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Needles Overlook parking 38.259939, -109.696065 BLM Canyon Rims ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Keep easy Pothole Point for Mr. Crowmeister's favorite Needles sunset, then return to Lockhart. Check the road in daylight before driving to camp.
An easy Needles outing that Mr. Crowmeister recommends for a chill rest day or approachable family adventure—and his favorite sunset spot in the district.
Planning allocation · 0h 45m
Drive to · Pothole Point trailhead pullout 38.173510, -109.809920 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give the Confluence Overlook outing a full outing and return to the same base.
4 photographs from this location, made Sep 16, 2022.
Planning allocation · 5h
Drive to · Big Spring Canyon Overlook trailhead 38.178227, -109.817164 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Reserve a separate day for Elephant Canyon and Chesler Park; any Druid Arch extension remains a condition-dependent continuation of this same outing.
27 photographs from this location, made Sep 15, 2022–Oct 6, 2023.
Planning allocation · 6h
Drive to · Elephant Hill trailhead parking 38.141685, -109.827597 NPS Canyonlands hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Cross the photographed road line east-to-west through the San Rafael Reef view area, Black Dragon, and Ghost Rock, then continue to a verified passenger-vehicle site in the Irish Canyons sleep corridor so Blarney can begin first thing the next morning.
1 photograph from this location, made Jun 6, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · San Rafael Reef view-area parking 38.920774, -110.431256 Open vehicle-access pin ↗2 photographs from this location, made Jun 6, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Black Dragon Canyon viewpoint pullout 38.940108, -110.482210 Open vehicle-access pin ↗1 photograph from this location, made Jun 6, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Ghost Rock Overlook parking 38.863352, -110.813920 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about 2.5 hours for Blarney's Right/East Fork. Bring the equipment and experience for a technical canyon, and check current route and weather conditions.
Nine video frame grabs grouped from one Blarney Canyon Right/East Fork outing in North Wash. Its planning time is the published complete-route book time, not an owner pace.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m · published range 2–3 hours
Drive to · Blarney Canyon highway-side approach parking 38.021200, -110.544790 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about 2.5 hours for Shillelagh's Right/East Fork, then return to camp. Check current route and weather conditions before starting.
Three video frame grabs grouped from one Shillelagh Canyon Right/East Fork outing in North Wash. Combined-fork time ranges do not define this single-fork plan.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m · published range 2–3 hours
Drive to · Shillelagh Canyon highway-side approach parking 38.021200, -110.544790 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Keep Hogwarts as its own three-hour complete-route technical outing, then use the photographed SR 24 line as the return transfer to Capitol Reef. Prefer an established side road toward Hanksville and leave rough spurs out of the passenger-vehicle plan.
A video frame grab of the natural bridge in Hogwarts Canyon, approached from Hog Springs.
Planning allocation · 3h · published range 1h 30m–3h 30m across route guides
Drive to · Hogwarts Canyon highway-side approach parking 37.962730, -110.491290 Open vehicle-access pin ↗3 photographs from this location, made Sep 17, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · SR 24 roadside access 38.371286, -110.772488 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Pair Burro Wash with the photographed Capitol Reef Scenic Drive while keeping current wash and flood conditions decisive.
1 photograph from this location, made Sep 18, 2022.
Planning allocation · 5h
Drive to · Burro Wash trailhead 38.181562, -111.094268 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗5 photographs from this location, made Sep 17, 2022.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Capitol Reef Scenic Drive pullout 38.213002, -111.210147 NPS Capitol Reef trails ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Chimney Rock its own outing and keep the remainder as recovery margin.
Capitol Reef lists Chimney Rock as a strenuous 3.6-mile loop with 590 feet of elevation change.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Chimney Rock trailhead 38.315731, -111.303211 NPS trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Navajo Knobs through Rim Overlook the complete hiking day.
12 photographs from this location, made Sep 18, 2022.
Planning allocation · 5h
Drive to · Hickman Bridge / Navajo Knobs trailhead parking 38.288733, -111.228365 NPS Capitol Reef trails ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Park at Grand Wash Trailhead for the Grand Wash Narrows–Cassidy Arch–Frying Pan–Cohab Canyon combination in reverse. Descend the northwest spur beside Pectol's Pyramid, then walk the road back to the car. This is a demanding route: carry a current map and check weather and flood conditions.
One record in Mr. Crowmeister's strenuous reversed Capitol Reef combination: park at Grand Wash, connect the Narrows, Cassidy Arch, Frying Pan, and Cohab Canyon in reverse, descend northwest of Pectol's Pyramid, then use the road walk back to the car. This is the route Mr. Crowmeister took; it is not an official NPS itinerary.
Planning allocation · 3h
Drive to · Cassidy Arch trailhead parking 38.263768, -111.215670 NPS Capitol Reef trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗A photographed part of Mr. Crowmeister's strenuous reversed Capitol Reef combination linking Grand Wash, Cassidy Arch, Frying Pan, and Cohab Canyon before a northwest descent and road return. Use current maps and conditions; the public pin is not turn-by-turn guidance.
Planning allocation · 4h
Drive to · Upper Grand Wash / Cassidy Arch parking 38.266857, -111.244931 NPS Capitol Reef trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use Fremont Gorge Overlook as the last full Capitol Reef outing before moving toward Escalante.
10 photographs from this location, made Sep 17, 2022.
Planning allocation · 3h
Drive to · Fremont Gorge Overlook trailhead 38.286559, -111.249283 NPS Capitol Reef trails ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Cross Highway 12 and give Lower Calf Creek the principal outing before Spencer Flat.
A developed BLM trail covering six miles round trip to a 126-foot waterfall; sandy sections can make the hike more difficult.
Planning allocation · 3h 30m
Drive to · Lower Calf Creek Falls trailhead parking 37.830845, -111.414856 BLM trail information ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Fairyland Loop its main Bryce outing, then transfer to the Lambs Knoll base.
A 7.8-mile Bryce Canyon loop with 1,900 feet of ascent, starting at Fairyland Point or near Sunrise Point.
Planning allocation · 4h
Drive to · Fairyland Point parking 37.633336, -112.165063 NPS Fairyland Loop ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about three hours for Diana's Throne, a technical canyon requiring appropriate equipment, partners, and conditions. Finish with a drive along the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway.
A photographed technical canyon outing near Kanab. The public pin is not route guidance; current access, anchors, weather, equipment, partners, and ability govern an attempt.
Planning allocation · 3h · published range 2–4 hours across the focused guides
Drive to · Elkheart Cliffs / Diana's Throne trailhead parking 37.194806, -112.661228 Xanadu Mountain Press · Diana's Throne ↗BluuGnome · Diana's Throne ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗3 photographs from this location, made Apr 10, 2022–Sep 24, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Zion–Mount Carmel Highway designated pullout 37.212749, -112.963844 NPS Zion hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use a genuine recovery day to confirm Keyhole and Pine Creek permits, weather, flash-flood forecasts, water, equipment, partners, road status, and the passenger-vehicle sleep base before committing to either technical canyon. Canyon Overlook does not repeat here.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Allow about two hours for Keyhole Canyon. A wilderness permit and technical canyon equipment are required. Check flash-flood forecasts, water conditions, and current route information before starting.
Two video frame grabs from one Keyhole Canyon technical outing. Zion requires a wilderness permit; the NPS upper-access erosion handout, current weather, flash-flood risk, water, equipment, partners, and ability all govern an attempt.
Planning allocation · 2h · published range 1–2 hours in the primary guide consensus
Drive to · Keyhole Canyon designated highway pullout 37.224800, -112.907200 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about five hours for Pine Creek, including the exit. A wilderness permit and technical canyon equipment are required. Check flash-flood forecasts, water conditions, and current route information before starting.
Four video frame grabs from one Pine Creek Canyon technical outing. Zion requires a wilderness permit; the NPS tunnel-area access handout, current weather, flash-flood risk, water, equipment, partners, and ability all govern an attempt.
Planning allocation · 5h · published range 4–6 hours
Drive to · Pine Creek Canyon trailhead pullout 37.213400, -112.940100 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Reserve a separate day for the substantially harder East Temple scramble. The PerchPoint is a photo record, not route guidance.
5 photographs from this location, made Jun 8, 2022.
Planning allocation · 5h
Drive to · Canyon Overlook trailhead parking 37.214681, -112.939592 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give the East Rim outing its own day and current access check.
4 photographs from this location, made Apr 12, 2022–Jun 7, 2022.
Planning allocation · 6h
Drive to · East Rim trailhead at Zion's East Entrance 37.233414, -112.876178 NPS Zion hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Reserve a full day for this very hard, highly exposed scramble with difficult route finding—the highest outing grade below technical. The photo pin is not route guidance; current access, heat, weather, and ability control the day.
A very hard, highly exposed Zion scramble with difficult route finding—the highest outing grade below technical. The photographs document the outing, not a route to follow.
Planning allocation · 8h
Drive to · Zion Canyon Visitor Center parking and shuttle origin 37.200107, -112.986915 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Reserve 8.5 hours within the NPS 6–12 hour top-down envelope and attempt The Subway only with the required Zion wilderness permit. Keep this hard-to-secure objective paired with a real backup day; current access, water, weather, flash-flood risk, and technical requirements control the outing.
The Subway top-down is a permit-only Zion wilderness outing with a published 6–12 hour complete-route envelope. Treat it as a hard-to-secure objective with a backup day rather than a guaranteed stop.
Planning allocation · 8h 30m · published range 6–12 hours
Drive to · Zion Canyon Visitor Center shuttle staging 37.200000, -112.987000 NPS · The Subway top-down ↗NPS · Canyoneering permits ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Spend the day at Lambs Knoll and Snake Alley, then finish at Mesa Road. Free dispersed camping is available on the Mesa; choose an established legal passenger-vehicle site only after checking current land status, signs, fire rules, weather, and the selected spur.
One combined Lambs Knoll album covering the climbing-area outing and the Snake Alley route made from the same base. The public coordinate identifies the shared outing area, not technical route guidance.
Planning allocation · 4h 30m · published range Mixed climbing-area and Snake Alley record
Drive to · Lambs Knoll climbing-site parking 37.310702, -113.108963 BLM Lambs Knoll climbing site ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗A photographed Mesa Road perch that also records free dispersed camping on the Mesa. When this is the final outing before sleep, the itinerary may offer an established Mesa site as the night's option after checking current land status, signs, fire rules, and passenger-vehicle access.
Planning allocation · 1h
Drive to · Mesa Road vehicle access 37.266704, -113.176804 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Allow about 2.5 hours for Yankee Doodle Canyon, then return to the Kolob Terrace camping area. Use current technical route information and check weather before starting.
Three photographs and seven reviewed video frame grabs from the same Yankee Doodle Canyon route.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m · published range 2–3 hours
Drive to · Yankee Doodle Canyon approach parking 37.237020, -113.453430 Road Trip Ryan · Yankee Doodle ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Drive from Kolob Terrace to Wheeler Pass campground. Check the access road and camping conditions before arrival.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Get directly into the Death Valley basin with Dante's View, Artist's Palette, and Devil's Golf Course before settling at Wildrose. Heat, road status, and the actual free-time margin can shorten this dense day.
1 photograph from this location, made Feb 22, 2026.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Dante's View parking 36.220652, -116.726516 NPS Death Valley ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗A paved pullout on Death Valley's one-way, nine-mile Artists Drive; vehicles longer than 25 feet are prohibited.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Artist's Palette parking 36.363532, -116.802734 NPS Artists Palette ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗10 photographs from this location, made Feb 19, 2026.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Devils Golf Course roadside access 36.292401, -116.808146 NPS Death Valley ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Cross the northern park for Grapevine and Ubehebe Crater, then use the paved campground road to Mesquite Spring. Continue toward the eastern Sierra on the paved park highways.
3 photographs from this location, made Feb 20, 2026.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Grapevine roadside access 36.974058, -117.346392 NPS Death Valley ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗A Death Valley scenic stop and trailhead at a volcanic crater roughly half a mile wide and more than 500 feet deep.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Ubehebe Crater parking 37.010941, -117.454928 NPS Ubehebe Crater ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use paved park highways from Mesquite Spring to give Manzanar National Historic Site the time and attention owed to it before continuing to the free Movie Road base in Alabama Hills.
1 photograph from this location, made Feb 22, 2026.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Manzanar cemetery parking 36.725515, -118.162048 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use the Alabama Hills album for the morning outing, linger if the light earns it, then cross the southern California interior to the legal Oak Flat Campground. Rowher Flat is an OHV staging/day-use area, not a documented overnight campground, and is no longer used as the sleep anchor.
5 photographs from this location, made Feb 22, 2026.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Alabama Hills roadside parking 36.611285, -118.124942 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Take a rest day at camp and check conditions for the next leg of the trip.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Reach the photographed Point Mugu coast from the legal Oak Flat base and follow Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. Give the significant roadside stop 30 minutes, then leave the remaining margin open. Legal camping near Los Angeles is unusually difficult to secure and can feel insecure. Mr. Crowmeister has historically resorted to stealth city sleeping, but this itinerary does not present that as legal camping; reserve Leo Carrillo or another confirmed legal sleep before arrival.
2 photographs from this location, made Nov 4, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Point Mugu Pacific Coast Highway access 34.074933, -119.021347 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Drive north to Navarro Beach Campground. Check first-come availability and choose a backup campground before leaving Malibu.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Give Mendocino Headlands the first photo-led walk, then make the long transfer across the Oregon border. Arrive with a verified legal site in the broad Gold Beach–Brookings corridor rather than treating a coastal pullout as permission.
10 photographs from this location, made Jul 10, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h
Drive to · Mendocino Headlands trail parking 39.310493, -123.807877 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Backtrack south for the Tall Trees outing, then return to the same verified southern Oregon sleep corridor. Keep the walk ahead of the return drive and leave the California Coastal Trail for the shorter Brookings-area day.
4 photographs from this location, made Jul 11, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m
Drive to · Tall Trees trailhead parking 41.207950, -123.993189 NPS Redwood trails ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Walk the California Coastal Trail and visit Harris Beach, then return to camp near Gold Beach or Brookings. State scenic viewpoints are for day use unless posted otherwise.
5 photographs from this location, made Jul 10, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m
Drive to · Big Lagoon Park Road trail access 41.163854, -124.131837 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗2 photographs from this location, made Jul 11, 2022.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Harris Beach trail parking 42.068527, -124.314624 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Give Indian Sands its own coastal walk, then return to a currently verified legal site in the broad southern Oregon corridor rather than treating an unsigned pullout as permission.
8 photographs from this location, made Jul 12, 2022.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Indian Sands trailhead parking 42.157204, -124.361354 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Walk the Samuel H. Boardman coast first, then make the northbound transfer and settle into the broad Florence–Yachats planning corridor. Select and verify a legal site before arrival.
17 photographs from this location, made Jul 13, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m
Drive to · Samuel H. Boardman coast-trail parking 42.196868, -124.370508 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Walk Cape Perpetua's forest trails first, then use the ocean-edge Thor's Well stop before returning to a verified legal base in the broad corridor. Current Forest Service orders prohibit dispersed camping inside the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
2 photographs from this location, made May 21, 2023.
Planning allocation · 3h
Drive to · Cape Perpetua forest-trail parking 44.281508, -124.109060 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗9 photographs from this location, made Jul 15, 2022–Jul 16, 2022.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Captain Cook / Thor's Well trailhead parking 44.278493, -124.111591 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use the long transfer to reach Bear Creek Campground if it is open, preserving the next two mornings for the Olympic coast and Hoh Rain Forest rather than compressing a major walk into the arrival drive. Washington does not provide blanket overnight permission at unsigned pullouts.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Give Second Beach its own outing and return to the same verified Olympic base.
2 photographs from this location, made Jul 20, 2022.
Planning allocation · 2h 30m
Drive to · Second Beach trailhead parking 47.898146, -124.623133 NPS Olympic coast ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use the weather-flex day for Maple Grove and the 0.8-mile Hall of Mosses loop in the Hoh Rain Forest. The iconic loop passes old-growth maples draped in moss; expect the Hoh area to be busy from May through September.
1 photograph from this location, made Jul 19, 2022.
Planning allocation · 1h 30m
Drive to · Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center parking 47.860781, -123.934621 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Use the ferry-free passenger-highway line through Tacoma and WA 530 to the Sauk valley while Concrete-Sauk Valley Road is closed. The rural Concrete-Sauk approach remains a preferred scenic option only after Skagit County reports the complete road open; confirm the campground and next morning's North Cascades trail status before settling in.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Check the NPS road report before leaving for Hidden Lake. The access road has been reported closed after a washout, with high-clearance 4WD recommended when open. Choose another hike if access is unavailable.
A North Cascades mountain outing reached by Mr. Crowmeister in a Honda Pilot. The current NPS report lists Sibley Creek / Hidden Lake Road closed after a washout and recommends high-clearance 4WD even when open, so the Great Western Loop keeps an alternative-plan day for unsuitable vehicles or a continued closure.
Planning allocation · 6h
Drive to · Hidden Lake trailhead parking on Sibley Creek Road 48.514190, -121.221919 NPS · Hidden Lake Trail access ↗NPS · Current North Cascades road conditions ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Move east for the separate Wing Lake outing and finish at the Boulder Creek public-land sleep lead. Keep the hike ahead of the final local drive and verify current trail, fire, and camping conditions.
2 photographs from this location, made Jul 25, 2022.
Planning allocation · 7h
Drive to · Rainy Pass trailhead parking 48.515249, -120.735785 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Spend about two hours exploring Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, then camp nearby at Coulee City Community Park. The visitor center, its parking, and overlook are closed for renovation through 2026; plan around those closures.
Explore the high-desert landscape on the way to central Idaho.
Time allowance · 2h
The visitor center, its parking, and its overlook remain closed through 2026 while the larger park stays open.Drive from Coulee City to Summit Lake. Check road, fire, and campground conditions before leaving.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Visit Vulcan Hot Springs from Summit Lake. Check road, trail, fire, and water conditions before heading out.
1 photograph from this location, made Sep 7, 2023.
Planning allocation · 3h
Drive to · Tyndall / Vulcan trailhead 44.573784, -115.683567 Open vehicle-access pin ↗Drive from Summit Lake to Fish Creek Reservoir. Check the gravel approach and BLM advisories before arrival.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Allow about three hours at Craters of the Moon before continuing to camp near Gros Ventre. Check opening hours and seasonal Loop Road access.
Explore the lava landscape on the way to the Tetons. Allow about three hours.
Time allowance · 3h
Loop Road access is seasonal.Walk the Jenny Lake loop first, then collect Mount Moran from the roadside turnout on the return to the same sleep base.
2 photographs from this location, made Aug 10, 2021.
Planning allocation · 4h 30m
Drive to · South Jenny Lake parking 43.750723, -110.723092 NPS Grand Teton hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗1 photograph from this location, made Aug 10, 2021.
Planning allocation · 0h 30m
Drive to · Mount Moran roadside turnout 43.803247, -110.641588 NPS Grand Teton hiking ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Hike Garnet Canyon: 8.2 miles round trip with 2,430 feet of elevation gain. Allow four to six hours. This hike ends below Lower Saddle; adjust your turnaround for snow, weather, and your pace.
A grouped photo record spanning Garnet Canyon and Lower Saddle labels. The Flyway's five-hour plan is the separate 8.2-mile Garnet Canyon day hike and does not include Lower Saddle.
Planning allocation · 5h · published range 4–6 hours for the 8.2-mile Garnet Canyon day hike
Drive to · Lupine Meadows trailhead parking 43.734657, -110.741532 NPS · Garnet Canyon day hike ↗NPS · Lupine Meadows Trailhead ↗NPS · Grand Teton hiking guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Follow US 26 and US 287 through Dubois, Lander, and Rawlins to Estes Park. Confirm your campground, park entry requirements, and trail conditions before arrival.
Keep the day open for travel, rest, or exploring.
Hike Glacier Gorge, then finish the trip at a campground near Denver.
1 photograph from this location, made Aug 8, 2023.
Planning allocation · 6h
Drive to · Glacier Gorge trailhead 40.310344, -105.640371 Find a current trail guide ↗ Open vehicle-access pin ↗Keep moving
The loop closes at Divide to Tide's Loveland Pass opening.