Off to the US on Friday for 15 days of touring US national parks – Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion and others.

Have read the guidebooks and various web stuff but anyone been and got any ‘must do’ tips for things that aren’t so obvious/good places to eat etc.

Any tips welcome!

Cheers, jet.

http://www.zionpizzanoodle.com/beer_garden.html was good
Don’t expect anything to be open in some parts of Utah on a Sunday the speed limits are infuriating and in some places the radio is non existent so make sure you have some music that isn’t right wing/religious shouty crap

Cheers Mike – good point about Utah – had forgotten that. Lived there for three months years ago – fond memories of the biking!

The Bridalveil falls hike is worth a look in Yosemite. We were there in late August and it was more of a trickle. Should be amazing in Spring.

Thanks beanum – staying close to there. Apparently been a warm winter and a lot of rain so all the falls are flowing well.

The passes should be open by now, but check.

We found out just as we were leaving GC for Yosemite that the eastern entrance was shut.

It’s also worth going to Sequoia and King’s Canyon which adjoin Yosemite to the south, there’s also a national forest area just south again which I can’t remember the name of. Joshua Tree is OK for a day if you aren’t into rock climbing.

The distances aren’t to be underestimated either.

Finding good food is a bit of a challenge outside the cities. Where are you staying in Yosemite?

There are quite a few good walks which start from the valley floor, and if it’s been a warm winter, it might be possible to get to some of the more remote bits like Tuolomne Meadows. Depends if they’ve opened Tioga Road yet.

We also did Zion National Park on the way down, that was awesome.

Grand Canyon was OK, worth doing a full day trek to the bottom and back if you’ve got the legs for it, or more sensibly, halfway down and back, which is more relaxed.

If you’re thinking about hiking down to the bottom of GC bear in mind that you hike the opposite way to normal, ie you go down first THEN up. It catches people out when they haven’t planned for the biggest effort being when they’re tired.

If possible schedule a sunrise or sunset at GC. Incredible sight.

Tioga road open to bikes but not yet cars – hoping may open this weekend. Fingers crossed!

Grand canyon should be able to do a sunset and sunrise. Noted about hiking – floor and back in a day see.s ambitious..

Tioga road open to bikes but not yet cars – hoping may open this weekend. Fingers crossed!

Grand canyon should be able to do a sunset and sunrise. Noted about hiking – floor and back in a day see.s ambitious..

Bridalveil was a trickle when we were there in Oct 2006. Absolutely loved Yosemite – only had a brief visit sadly, must go back!

Looks spectacular. Roll on Friday!

Bump for the afternoon

If your not worried about a bit of exposure and heights, the hike up Angles Landing in Zion is awesome. In fact all of Zion was, as is Yosemite.

I’d recommend the day hike up Half Dome in Yosemite.

The view/exposure from the top was incredible (unless you have trouble with heights, in which case I really wouldn’t).

Mono lake is worth stopping at

Taft Point and Tenaya Lake (plus a hike to Clouds Rest) are not to be missed IMO

Oh and if you’re heading North of Yosemite by any chance, call in at Bodie State Park just bit further on than Mono Lake

..it’s an old Western abandoned gold mining town, complete with tumble weed

Grand canyon black IPA is great. As for the actual Canyon, well we sat and watched a storm on the North rim from the south. But I suspect you will struggle to arrange that!

recommend flying over the Gran Canyon – done it twice – small plane first time and helicopter second time, the latter was more expensive but far better.

Don’t bother doing the Skywalk (glass platform over the Grand Canyon) – it’s really expensive for what it is and they won’t let you take your own photos and charge you extra if you want the photos they take.

jet26 – Member 
Death Valley

Be prepared for heat. Maybe turn off car air con on the journey there so it’s not such a shock which sends you diving back into the car.

mikewsmith – Member 
http://www.zionpizzanoodle.com/beer_garden.html was good
Don’t expect anything to be open in some parts of Utah on a Sunday the speed limits are infuriating and in some places the radio is non existent so make sure you have some music that isn’t right wing/religious shouty crap

Lots of hire cars have sat radio with decent reception and non religious choices, but it’s not free. Though on FM, if you’re up north, X96 is a laugh to listen to. Music though is solid American college rock.

Speed limits are fine. Everyone drives chilled anyway and you feel you’re going fast even at 30mph because no one’s in a rush and V8s make it sound like it’s motoring away. Interstates are fair bit faster too these days. Remote highways supposedly have spotter planes to check speed. Never sure if that’s a myth though (despite the signs that claim it).

Beer though in Utah, 4% limit, though they get around it with higher strengths in restaurants which can include brew-pubs and for some reason bottled stuff in bars can be higher but not draft. Might be the bars are clubs which gets a different licence, but rules have changed meaning you don’t have to pay membership now it seems (didn’t last time was there earlier this year).

ID essential for beer in Utah. Doesn’t matter what age you are, you are often asked for ID.

Strongly recommend Squatters beer. They do bike related beer too 😉

Anyway, Utah I’d be looking at Moab, with a bike. Have yet to do that but it’s top on my list.

I had a day mountain biking in Sedona once. Would highly recommend it.

If your fit, down the GC and back in a day is ok. It’s highly recommended not to do it because too many unfit people would try it. It’s your call. I started really early in the morning and had a kip at the bottom. I’ve got a great picture of my old walking boots on a rock with the river in the background. The picture means nothing to anyone except myself. Getting back to the top was the most unsatisfying, you basically come up the last few meters with 100s of people who walked about 5 mins down. I would still recommend it though of your fit enough.

Enjoy.

Cheers all – some good tips there. Will definitely hike down into the canyon – may just play it by ear.

Reasonably fit as training for the etape but ‘fitness’ is all a relative concept isn’t it?!

The mrs not big on exposed heights so may have a read up on some of the suggested hikes and make sure I come back alive…

A days walk to the bottom of the GC is hard! Don’t underestimate it. The easy bit is at the beginning!! I did it when very fit a couple of years ago. Had loads of water, energy bars and fruit.
Obviously the loads I had wasn’t enough. Ran out of water on the way back up, and wow, was the last thousand feet of ascent hard work. No water, loads of energy consumption and heat weren’t the ideal combo. I got out, without any issues, but I suspect it would have been easy to get to de-hydrated.
Yes, it can be done if you’re fit enough but may I suggest you double the amount of water you think you’ll need!
Enjoy.

We stayed at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of GC. Check for cancellations.
Accommodation is bunkhouse but when else are you staying down there?
I found the climb out took less time that the descent – everyone say thigh burn…

GC walk is great, take salty snacks and leave early. Yosemite is fantastic, be sure to do one decent trek. Hire a bike and ride around the valley too. The Hoover dam is worth the visit too.

Forget Kings Canyon and Sequoia. It’s a dead end, and although the biggest trees are there, you will find impressive sequoia groves in Yosemite. We stayed at Evergreen Lodge, nice log cabins out of the way. It’s in the flooded Hetch Hetchy valley next door.

I watched the last eclipse from Joshua Tree. Proper desert and very pleasant.

One last point. GC is 8000 feet above sea level at the rim. The Yes twice as high as anywhere here! Drink lots, watch out for sunburn. Don’t be surprised at how hard it is to trek out of the canyon.

Ifyou coming up to Zion and have bikes this place is worth a look https://goo.gl/maps/UjjWqeqjXKn
See if you can make the canyon gap 😉 Might be private though but it’s the Red Dirt and iconic NWD memories that I’d never seen before

you will find impressive sequoia groves in Yosemite.

Believe the main one in the valley – Mariposa – is shut at the moment.

Nevertheless, I’d be doing Zion rather than King’s Canyon.

If exposed heights isn’t on the cards then – I think the Panorama Trail in Yosemite is a must – great views but not scarey

I’d recommend the day hike up Half Dome in Yosemite.

Bear in mind you need a permit to do Half Dome and you have to apply for the lottery in advance:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

Really enjoyed the Chilnualna Falls hike when I was there (and was doing air handlebars on the way down, some lovely singletrack in the woods).

Tag along on some of the ranger-guided walks. Adds a bit of context/depth to the general ‘ooh, aaah’ dumbstruckness of the scenery.

– Don’t know if you have accomodation booked already in Yosemite but it’s a mission. We stayed at Curry Village and it’s super budget, we’d booked 3 nights but stayed only 1. They take the whole food/bear thing very seriously.

– Check out one of the talks from mountain rescue in the village if it’s on, really really good.

– There are lots of police in the national park. They will pull you over for speeding. They will also pull a gun on you if you attempt to get out of the car for a UK style “Alright officer, how’s it going?” kind of chat. (My wife had a fit!)

Have a great trip, it’s an amazing place.

We drove/camped our way around the parks in May 1999 and loved it.
+1 Angel’s Landing in Zion – the walk and views are stupendous.
We hiked into the GC from the north rim and camped one night – that was mint. Think we got lucky as someone else had cancelled. Can’t remember the name of the pitch but it was about a 4-hour walk down. Think the north rim is quieter and less touristy than the south.
Canyonlands is mint – well worth a look/hike/camp.
Hike down into Bryce Canyon was also mint, with a camp in the bottom.
Slickrock trail on rental bikes from Moab was fun – bit of a novelty ride but worth doing.