20 National Parks on Our 6 Week RV Vacation

By Levonne Gaddy

There is nothing quite as exciting as preparing for an RV road trip. Especially if it is the first trip in a new RV. This is exactly what my husband John and I are currently doing.

After purchasing a new pre-owned 2002 Thor Wanderer Lite 215 RL fifth wheel and while simultaneously making it our own, we began planning our "road-trip of a lifetime." Although we've RVed for over two decades, we've never been as "free" as we will be on this trip. Neither of us has a job that we are tied to returning to.

Since John recently qualified for the Senior Pass as part of the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, we thought it an ideal time to put our new Wanderer through the paces. Over six weeks, we will take a four-thousand-mile-road trip with the potential to visit twenty U.S. and Canadian National Parks.

As our pass will allow us to enter parks free and to camp for a fifty-percent reduction in many of the parks, we feel that this is a trip that we can't afford to put off any longer.

We will take a circular four-thousand-mile route from our home base on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada southward to Tucson, Arizona then north through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada and back home.

Stopping in Tucson, Arizona where we use to live is critical as we have a storage pod there that is long overdue for being cleared out. But other than that little job, the remaining part of our journey will be pure adventure.

Here are the National Parks that we will be passing near on this trip in the order than we will be nearest them:

1. Olympic National Park, Washington (We've visited there already many times so we'll probably bypass this time although it is wonderful. Our favorite campground is at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. If you haven't camped there and visited the hot springs, you must. Be sure to check vehicle length as the sites are smaller.)
2. Crater Lake, Oregon
3. Lassen Volcanic, Northern California
4. Yosemite, California (We've always wanted to visit Tuolumne Meadows and now may be our chance!)
5. Kings Canyon, Eastern California
6.Sequoia, Eastern California
7. Death Valley, Southeastern California (We've been there but would love to return. The scenery is spectacular.)

Zabriskie Point Badlands at Death Valley National Park
8. Joshua Tree, Southeastern California (I haven't been there for thirty years.)
9. Saguaro, Arizona (Went there often while living in Tucson to experience the unique Saguaro cactus that grow only in that desert. We'll have to go while we're there just to say we did!)
10. Petrified Forest, Arizona (This place is magical and intriguing. Although we've been there, I wouldn't mind going again one bit.)
11. Grand Canyon, Arizona (We've camped at the Grand Canyon at least six times and we've enjoyed it thoroughly each time. We love taking the bus up to Hermit's Rest on the South Rim early in the morning and hiking the eight miles back down to the village.)
12. Capitol Reef, Utah (I've never even heard of this park before. I suspect this is one of those secret gems.)
13. Canyonlands, Utah
14. Arches, Utah (We explored this park once and it is truly scenic.)
15. Grand Teton, Idaho (John is hot to visit this one.)
16. Yellowstone, Wyoming (This is the big one for both John and I. We have talked of visiting Yellowstone over the twenty-six years of our marriage and this is the year that we will actually go there.)
17. Glacier, Montana
18. Kootenay, Alberta, Canada
19. Banff, Alberta, Canada (This park has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful in the world. Can't wait to visit it.)
20. Mount Revelstoke, Alberta, Canada

We realize that we'll pressure ourselves too much if we set out to visit each and every one of these twenty National Parks so John and I voted on our top five to definitely visit.

John's votes went for: Death Valley, Arches, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Banff.

My votes were: Tuolumne Meadows at Yosemite, Yellowstone, Canyonlands, Glacier and Banff.

Our votes combine to make eight National Parks that are a must visit on this grand Spring adventure that starts on April 2nd and will end on May 13th. We'll post pictures from the road in weekly installments at RV Insight. Follow along and if you think that we're missing an absolute must visit, leave a comment and let us know. Happy Trails.

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