Planning a family-friendly national parks / wheeling road trip

[Alans17]

After not vacationing last year due to covid also because we got our first Jeep, I’m planning a 3-week road trip vacation that looks like this. Starting from Dallas...

2 nights Santa Fe, NM
3 nights Durango, CO
3 nights Moab, UT (Arches National Park)
3 nights Grand Teton National Park
4 nights Yellowstone National Park
2 nights Cody, WY (not on the map)
2 nights Rapid City, SD (Rushmore, Black Hills, and Badlands National park)
1 night traveling home

We plan to stay in hotels until Grand Teton and Yellowstone where we’ll camp.

The time in Cody, WY will be spent looking for wild mustangs (my wife is obsessed with horses) and guide material suggests 4x4 is required to find them.

But then there’s Moab and Durango... We’ve never been wheeling before and I don’t want to freak them out so badly that they hate me and never want to do it again.

I’m been reviewing various trails and it seems like Imogene and Ophir in CO can be done in one day and then Fins and Things and Hell’s Revenge could be done in one day in Moab. I picked them due to moderate technical ratings, but I hear there’s some major pucker factor. Exactly how bad is it? My kids are 7 and 2 and my wife is Uber careful by nature. My wife flat-out asked me last night if it’s safe.

Also just generally... Any ideas or suggestions for the trip? The kids have never camped before and none of us have been to Arches, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, or Badlands national parks.

And lastly, any ideas for preparing? That goes for the wheeling, camping, road tripping or anything else involved in a 3 week trip.

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[Alans17]

By the way, this will be in late July so I have plenty of time to prepare if necessary. I plan to hit up a couple of off road parks here in TX between now and then. This will help me practice as well as gauge comfort levels for everyone else in the car.

 

[Hurley82]

Sounds like a solid plan but some huge distances. My family and I (kids 5 and 8 ) did a bit over 2k mile road trip last summer for 2 weeks from Colorado to Moab, capitol reef, bryce, zion etc. 3 weeks is a long time but you'll be still munching miles in the jeep. We found it helpful for the kids to try to keep big travel days spread out, which was still challenging only touring Utah.

Ive been to Moab a handful of times but I am not an expert. I would probably recommend starting with fins and things and not running hells revenge. It's not too crazy but i probably wouldn't use it to ease a hesitant wife into wheeling. The entrance to the trail alone might freak her out. The exit to hells revenge has some fairly large rocks, ledges and drops. A good spotter through here is essential for a keeping a $50k jeep in good shape especially with the added length and breakover of a gladiator.

Running both of those trails in one day will be a struggle with young kids in my opinion. That's a full day on the trail in car seats.

As far as those Colorado passes Imogene is very pretty and doesn't have anything to crazy that will put people on edge.

 

[mazeppa]

As far as those Colorado passes Imogene is very pretty and doesn't have anything to crazy that will put people on edge.

Also If your in that area; Ophir Pass is an easy short 10 mi/1 hour trail that the kids will enjoy and not get too bored with, even easier than Imogene.

 

[Klutch]

I hope you already made your reservations. Hotels and campgrounds near national parks tend to book up a year in advance.

In Colorado, try to do the Durango to Silverton railroad. It's pretty amazing. The prices are getting stupid expensive these days, but what isn't?

 

[Oil_Burner]

When you are in Santa Fe, you can go to the Las Alamos Visitors Center if you are looking for something to do there. I would actually shorten my stay in Santa Fe for some of the other places, like... Consider adding Custer State Park when you are in the Rapid City SD area. It is awesome.

Add in Dead Horse Point State Park when in Moab, and while there, go to Canyonlands NP. Great trails that you want to use your Jeep on from Moab into Canyonlands NP.

You are missing Bryce Canyon, and Zion NP...

Colorado, consider Mesa Verde NP.

 

[Alans17]

I hope you already made your reservations. Hotels and campgrounds near national parks tend to book up a year in advance.

In Colorado, try to do the Durango to Silverton railroad. It's pretty amazing. The prices are getting stupid expensive these days, but what isn't?

Camping reservations made for Grand Teton and Yellowstone this morning! ?

I’m still seeing a lot of availability at hotels in other locations along the route, but I’ll be booking those over the next couple of days.

As for the Durango-Silverton railroad, yeah that is awesome! I had it on our itinerary but my wife pulled it off since we’ve done it before.

 

[Alans17]

When you are in Santa Fe, you can go to the Las Alamos Visitors Center if you are looking for something to do there. I would actually shorten my stay in Santa Fe for some of the other places, like... Consider adding Custer State Park when you are in the Rapid City SD area. It is awesome.

Add in Dead Horse Point State Park when in Moab, and while there, go to Canyonlands NP.

You are missing Bryce Canyon, and Zion NP...

Colorado, consider Mesa Verde NP.

I’d had one less day in Santa Fe, but my wife wanted one more. We still have flexibility until hotels are booked. We haven’t fully fleshed out what we’ll do in Santa Fe, though.

We’ve previously done Zion and it’s a full day’s drive each way to get there from and back to our route so I pulled it from this itinerary. Man, though... Zion is amazing.

 

[Oil_Burner]

I suggest you listen to the "Dear Bob and Sue Podcast" podcasts. You can get some great ideas on specifics, plus they are entertaining.

 

[Alans17]

When you are in Santa Fe, you can go to the Las Alamos Visitors Center if you are looking for something to do there. I would actually shorten my stay in Santa Fe for some of the other places, like... Consider adding Custer State Park when you are in the Rapid City SD area. It is awesome.

Add in Dead Horse Point State Park when in Moab, and while there, go to Canyonlands NP. Great trails that you want to use your Jeep on from Moab into Canyonlands NP.

You are missing Bryce Canyon, and Zion NP...

Colorado, consider Mesa Verde NP.

I missed the part about Mesa Verde. I know I went there on a family vacation when I was little, but I don’t remember it. I’ll definitely look into it!

 

[Oil_Burner]

I missed the part about Mesa Verde. I know I went there on a family vacation when I was little, but I don’t remember it. I’ll definitely look into it!

Yes, it's not too far from Durango and is a great place to spend a day. Make reservations for the tours, they are worth it.

 

[MoxiesDad]

Two nights in SD won't let you see very much. We spent a whole week in Deadwood, SD in 2019 when we did the Black Hills Jeep Jamboree. If you're limited for time, skip Mount Rushmore and go to Crazy Horse Memorial instead and be sure to take the bus tour.

 

[Alans17]

Yes, it's not too far from Durango and is a great place to spend a day. Make reservations for the tours, they are worth it.

Two nights in SD won't let you see very much. We spent a whole week in Deadwood, SD in 2019 when we did the Black Hills Jeep Jamboree. If you're limited for time, skip Mount Rushmore and go to Crazy Horse Memorial instead and be sure to take the bus tour.

We’re unfortunately time-bound on that leg since it’ll take 2 days to get home. I guess we could short Yellowstone by a day, but that doesn’t sound like a good idea, either. But with Grand Teton and Yellowstone booked, we have clear “pre” and “post” time frames to contend with.

 

[TJDave]

Sounds absolutely fantastic. Have a fun and safe trip.
You probably already know this, but the most essential items I always bring on offroading/camping adventures is a tool kit, a way to air down/air up your tires.....and toilet paper!

 

[red/green hawk]

After not vacationing last year due to covid also because we got our first Jeep, I’m planning a 3-week road trip vacation that looks like this. Starting from Dallas...

3 nights Santa Fe, NM
3 nights Durango, CO
2 nights Moab, UT (Arches National Park)
3 nights Grand Teton National Park
4 nights Yellowstone National Park
2 nights Cody, WY
2 nights Rapid City, SD (Rushmore, Black Hills, and Badlands National park)
2 nights Traveling home

We plan to stay in hotels until Grand Teton and Yellowstone where we’ll camp.

The time in Cody, WY will be spent looking for wild mustangs (my wife is obsessed with horses) and guise material suggests 4x4 is required to find them.

But then there’s Moab and Durango... We’ve never been wheeling before and I don’t want to freak them out so badly that they hate me and never want to do it again.

I’m been reviewing various trails and it seems like Imogene and Ophir in CO can be done in one day and then Fins and Things and Hell’s Revenge could be done in one day in Moab. I picked them due to moderate technical ratings, but I hear there’s some major pucker factor. Exactly how bad is it? My kids are 7 and 2 and my wife is Uber careful by nature. My wife flat-out asked me last night if it’s safe.

Also just generally... Any ideas or suggestions for the trip? The kids have never camped before and none of us have been to Arches, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, or Badlands national parks.

And lastly, any ideas for preparing? That goes for the wheeling, camping, road tripping or anything else involved in a 3 week trip.

Haling from NM here. Hopefully my little mental midget of a dictator masquerading as a governor will open up by your trip. There are some great trails around the Valles Caldera in the Jemez Mounrains just east of Santa Fe. Also in the Jemez off of state highway 4 is the East Fork of the Jemez River where there's some good fly fishing and a jumping cliff into the river. North of Fenton Lake on state highway 26 there’s a great trail called the Moon Valley Ranch Road. There are so many uncharted trails to get lost on up there. It's definitely fun. PM me if you want any coordinates I'd be more than happy to send you some.

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