Help with National Parks trip

[Dakota731]

We’re planning a trip this summer and are looking for ideas for which park to visit next. Requirements are: close to an airport, able to rent a house since we have seven, and kid friendly. We’ve been to Grand Canyon, South Dakota, the Smokies, Yellowstone and the Rockies. We like to rent a cabin then do day trips to hike and see the attractions. Any suggestions would be great!

 

[adkkev]

Glacier, Mt. Rainier, Olympic.

if you can get something centrally located you can combine Rainier and Olympic, assuming, of course, that you’re going to be there at least a week.

 

[ambula603]

We loved Glacier National Park! Stunning views, great hiking. We saw several grizzly bears. I know lots of people stay in Whitefish, so check for a rental there. You can fly into Kalispell, Montana. Best in July and August if you want full access to the park.

 

[anniemae]

Moab UT. Although it isn't close to an airport. It is stunning and so much to see. Arches, Dead Horse state park, Canyonlands, Colorado National Monument. Was one of our favorite vacations. Such a quaint town.

 

[bcla]

Yosemite. There are communities nearby (or even private inholding enclaves) where you might be able to rent a house or even a condo. Yosemite West is the most obvious. It's this oddball location right against the boundaries, where the only roads in/out are through Yosemite National Park. There's also Foresta and the private Wawona community. Also some homes outside in random locations.

https://www.scenicwonders.com/yosemite-rentals
https://www.airbnb.com/yosemite-west-ca/stays
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresta,_California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawona,_California

If there's any sort of reservation needed to enter Yosemite NP, that can be bypassed if you have any kind of lodging reservations at one of these locations. The National Park Service can't keep anyone out as they're required to allow people access to these private areas. They may still charge an entrance fee unless it's a homeowner or long-term renter.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I would go to Rainier / Olympic / Cascades. Convenient to Seattle. You could find something central and have some long day trips, but I would be more inclined to book 2-3 nights each place and move around. Hikes - Pinnacle Peak at Rainier, Hurricane Hill, Rialto Beach, and Hall of Mosses at Olympic, and Blue Lake at Cascades.

I love all the Utah parks but personally wouldn't want to be there in summer. BTDT. Fall or late spring for those.

 

[Dakota731]

We loved Glacier National Park! Stunning views, great hiking. We saw several grizzly bears. I know lots of people stay in Whitefish, so check for a rental there. You can fly into Kalispell, Montana. Best in July and August if you want full access to the park.

Thanks for your reply! Glacier was one place I was considering. Where did you stay? How long was the drive then to the park?

 

[Dakota731]

Yosemite. There are communities nearby (or even private inholding enclaves) where you might be able to rent a house or even a condo. Yosemite West is the most obvious. It's this oddball location right against the boundaries, where the only roads in/out are through Yosemite National Park. There's also Foresta and the private Wawona community. Also some homes outside in random locations.

https://www.scenicwonders.com/yosemite-rentals
https://www.airbnb.com/yosemite-west-ca/stays
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresta,_California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawona,_California

If there's any sort of reservation needed to enter Yosemite NP, that can be bypassed if you have any kind of lodging reservations at one of these locations. The National Park Service can't keep anyone out as they're required to allow people access to these private areas. They may still charge an entrance fee unless it's a homeowner or long-term renter.

Thank you! I will check out the links. Yosemite was another place I’d been thinking about. Will it be very hot in the summer months?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Thank you! I will check out the links. Yosemite was another place I’d been thinking about. Will it be very hot in the summer months?

While it might be 100-110 in Fresno, it will be 90-95 up in Yosemite Be advised. Yosemite falls, what you most go there to see, is fed by a creek and can slow to a trickle or dry as early as July but usually lasts until sometime in august or September. Vernal and Nevada Falls are both year round fed by the Merced River. Bridal Veil Falls usually does not go dry but can in excessively dry years. The best combination of waterfalls and weather is in May and June. Obviously there is tons more there than just Yosemite falls. Half dome and El Capitan are awesome in their own right as is bridal veil falls. Obviously I've been there multiple times and love the place at all times of the year even when the falls are dry. But if you're out there on a once in a lifetime trip, you want to see Yosemite Falls actually be a water fall, not this.

 

[bcla]

While it might be 100-110 in Fresno, it will be 90-95 up in Yosemite Be advised. Yosemite falls, what you most go there to see, is fed by a creek and can slow to a trickle or dry as early as July but usually lasts until sometime in august or September. Vernal and Nevada Falls are both year round fed by the Merced River. Bridal Veil Falls usually does not go dry but can in excessively dry years. The best combination of waterfalls and weather is in May and June. Obviously there is tons more there than just Yosemite falls. Half dome and El Capitan are awesome in their own right as is bridal veil falls. Obviously I've been there multiple times and love the place at all times of the year even when the falls are dry. But if you're out there on a once in a lifetime trip, you want to see Yosemite Falls actually be a water fall, not this.
View attachment 703901

I don't think Vernal Fall has ever run dry. And I've been there in a dry year in July, and I thought that it looked better than photos I've seen when it was raging.

 

[ambula603]

Thanks for your reply! Glacier was one place I was considering. Where did you stay? How long was the drive then to the park?

We stayed at the Many Glacier Hotel which was INCREDIBLE for its history and location on the east side. But it is a very old hotel and the rooms reflect that! It also books up about one year out. Whitefish is about 45 minutes from the west entrance of the park, but it is a large park so dividing your stay is a good idea if you want early access to sites. The drive is BEAUTIFUL no matter where you are in Glacier, so it doesn't have to be a negative to be in the car!

I attached a photo of my girls literally steps outside of the Many Glacier Hotel. We saw a mama and baby moose from this spot and a Grizzly bear on the hike that leaves from Many Glacier. They do also have a boat shuttle that goes across that water if you don't like hiking!

We have been to the other places you guys have visited (minus South Dakota) but also to Zion and Bryce, we also LOVED both of those. But so far Glacier has my heart!

 

[disny_luvr]

Our next National Parks trip is going to be Utah to visit Zion, Bryce, and areas around there, so I can’t speak to those now, but I have been to Acadia National Park in Maine and it is beautiful and a great place to visit. Portland isn’t too far so you could fly into there and rent an AirBNB in Bar Harbor. There is so much to see and do in Maine beyond the NP, but you could easily spend several days in the NP if you enjoy hiking.

 

[dcassetta]

If you are considering Glacier, there are several other areas that are close that you might consider. Both the Flathead and Kootenai National Forests are beautiful and offer lots of nature and outdoor recreation opportunities. You might also consider a side trip up to Banff in Alberta, Canada. It's about a 5 hour drive from Glacier and Lake Louise is just beautiful.

Both Kalispell and Missoula would be good airport choices for the region.

 

[mrs. magoo]

I was going to vote for Zion, Bryce - We did this trip in August of 2021 and have fallen in love with the National Parks. We flew into Vegas and drove to Bryce and then Zion. We stayed in Springdale UT at the Brumbleberry Inn - it was a great room. I had 5 in the room with a cot and there was still room to walk around. I would have liked to have spent the night at Bryce so we could have had 2 days there and then I would have done 3 days instead of the 2 we did at Zion. We continued down to Flagstaff stopping in Page AZ for Horseshoe Bend and Lower Antelope Canyons ( a gorgeous slot canyon on Navajo nation territory. We loved this trip so much that we are returning next summer to go to Arches and Canyonlands and hopefully in 2025 to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

 

[Dakota731]

Thanks for all the suggestions and lovely pucture! We have a big group so need to rent a house or cabin, or I’d check out the Many Glacier Hotel. Are there places to turn around on the Going to the Sun road if kids can’t drive all the way?

We stayed at the Many Glacier Hotel which was INCREDIBLE for its history and location on the east side. But it is a very old hotel and the rooms reflect that! It also books up about one year out. Whitefish is about 45 minutes from the west entrance of the park, but it is a large park so dividing your stay is a good idea if you want early access to sites. The drive is BEAUTIFUL no matter where you are in Glacier, so it doesn't have to be a negative to be in the car!

I attached a photo of my girls literally steps outside of the Many Glacier Hotel. We saw a mama and baby moose from this spot and a Grizzly bear on the hike that leaves from Many Glacier. They do also have a boat shuttle that goes across that water if you don't like hiking!

We have been to the other places you guys have visited (minus South Dakota) but also to Zion and Bryce, we also LOVED both of those. But so far Glacier has my heart!

 

[Dakota731]

Our next National Parks trip is going to be Utah to visit Zion, Bryce, and areas around there, so I can’t speak to those now, but I have been to Acadia National Park in Maine and it is beautiful and a great place to visit. Portland isn’t too far so you could fly into there and rent an AirBNB in Bar Harbor. There is so much to see and do in Maine beyond the NP, but you could easily spend several days in the NP if you enjoy hiking.

Acadia is also on my short list! Is there enough to do in the area to rent a house for a week?

 

[adkkev]

Thanks for all the suggestions and lovely pucture! We have a big group so need to rent a house or cabin, or I’d check out the Many Glacier Hotel. Are there places to turn around on the Going to the Sun road if kids can’t drive all the way?

Yes, there are some spot where you can turn around.

I would suggest finding something on VRBO or Airbnb for your group rather than the hotel. Much easier for a larger group IMHO.

Acadia is also on my short list! Is there enough to do in the area to rent a house for a week?

There is a lot to do in the area! Lots of hikes, whale watching, fishing, biking on the carriage paths, the list is actually pretty long.

 

[princesscinderella]

Friends of ours loved Acadia national park in Maine. If you have a 4th grader you can get a national park entrance pass for free.

 

[ambula603]

When we went to Glacier in July the Going-to-the-Sun Road wasn't completely open, so we got as far inward as we could and turned back around. And we STILL loved it. Trail of the Cedars was so dreamy, and a very easy boardwalk trail. We also enjoyed St. Mary and Virginia Falls on the other side of the park, and it wasn't a super difficult hike either. I am a sucker for a good waterfall!

Check out West Glacier Village for family fun - we especially loved this place: Putt Putt
Our kids love to be outdoors and hike but we always try to find some family/touristy type things to do as well. Because they still enjoy that!

Feel free to PM me if you decide to go, I have other tips I can share but don't want to take over the thread since you are still deciding! We also did love Bryce and Zion and I have some tips for those areas if you go that route!