WHERE TO HIKE?
Benchmark Atlases - Remember paper maps? Well we still use them. The books provide information on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, RV parks, city/county/state/national parks, golfing, attractions, etc.
Laurent Martrès' Photographing the Southwest - Another excellent resource we use for hiking and camping is this series of books. Besides highlighting his amazing photography, the books are well organized and easy to follow. At the back of the book there is a table that summarizes each hike with ratings of scenic value, photographic interest, road difficulty and trail difficulty. HINT: Instead of taking the entire book with you when you hike (they add unnecessary pounds), take a photo of the applicable pages with your smart phone to refer to on the trail.
The internet is obviously another excellent source. When I identify a park we want to visit, I go on that website and list all the hikes and scenic drives in a spreadsheet. I do this because we often revisit a park many years later and, believe it or not, we forget which trail(s) we did last time! I've started keeping track and it's helping us avoid getting part way along a trail and saying "I recognize this!"
We like free camping. If we can't find camping for free, then we look for really cheap camping. We don't like RV parks, not because we don't like the amenities, but because most parks cram rigs tightly together in order to maximize space (and profit). Our goal on these trips is solitude; enjoying nature without the hustle and bustle of cities and crowds. If we can't find free or cheap camping, then we'll opt for a state or national park campground which usually provide more distance between campsites. Since our trailer is fully self-contained with solar panels, a generator, an 85-gallon fresh water tank, and grey/black holding tanks, we don't need hookups. If you don't mind the crowding or you enjoy being in a resort with lots of activities and people, then there is usually a selection of RV parks near attractions to choose from. We do carry Passport America (50% off select RV parks) and Good Sam (10% off select RV parks) discount cards, just in case.
Now that we have several years of experience in the southwest, we are pretty familiar with where we can camp, given our size and geometry (a fifth-wheel trailer has different requirements from a 40-foot bus or 18-foot travel trailer). But we do occasionally visit somewhere new, and I have a few great resources to help me find a place to stay.
During our first few months on the road, we relied on MacDonald's free Wi-Fi, but that quickly became a recipe for disaster. So we eventually signed up with a U.S. cell phone carrier (Verizon) and got a cell phone that provided a hot spot to which to tether our computer.
Laurent Martrès' Photographing the Southwest - Another excellent resource we use for hiking and camping is this series of books. Besides highlighting his amazing photography, the books are well organized and easy to follow. At the back of the book there is a table that summarizes each hike with ratings of scenic value, photographic interest, road difficulty and trail difficulty. HINT: Instead of taking the entire book with you when you hike (they add unnecessary pounds), take a photo of the applicable pages with your smart phone to refer to on the trail.
The internet is obviously another excellent source. When I identify a park we want to visit, I go on that website and list all the hikes and scenic drives in a spreadsheet. I do this because we often revisit a park many years later and, believe it or not, we forget which trail(s) we did last time! I've started keeping track and it's helping us avoid getting part way along a trail and saying "I recognize this!"
Other Hiking Links and Resources:
- National Parks including national monuments and national recreation areas
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- US Forestry Service
- US Fish & Wildlife
- State Parks homepage, although each state often has its own website which can be found by doing a search
- The American Southwest website has an exhaustive list of magnificent places to see.
- Hiking around Las Vegas - Bird and Hike website - an EXCELLENT source of hikes in the Vegas area
- Always visit the nearest Visitor/Information Centre or Ranger Office when you reach your destination. We have always found the staff in these offices to be very helpful.
Now that we have several years of experience in the southwest, we are pretty familiar with where we can camp, given our size and geometry (a fifth-wheel trailer has different requirements from a 40-foot bus or 18-foot travel trailer). But we do occasionally visit somewhere new, and I have a few great resources to help me find a place to stay.
Camping Links and Resources:
- Campendium App or website - search by city or locate on a map. This is my "go to" camping app. User maintained, it includes free, cheap, and no so cheap places to camp, dump sites, and overnight parking. In 2024, it was announced that this great resource will merge with RoadPass. Read more...
- freecampsites.net website - search by city or locate on a map. I wish they had an app - maybe one day. A GPS location accompanies the description of each campsite, which you can navigate to with your map app.
- iOverlander App or website - On the website, you can search by city or browse the map, but in the app you can only browse the map ... for now. If you do a lot of car camping or camping in a small RV, this is a great app. For a larger fifth-wheel trailer, I find Campendium still better for locating camping sites. However, this resource also lists dump sites, overnight parking, EV charging, as well as other amenities.
- Sanidumps (no app) - It shows you where the nearest RV dumps and fresh water stations are, although many national and state parks and even private RV parks allow you to dump and fill for a small fee (sometimes even free).
- Other camping apps include Hipcamp, The Dyrt and Campspot, and US Public Lands, although I have not used these extensively.
Back in 2010 when we started, smartphones hadn't been invented yet! Now, of course, they have changed our lives. As Canadians, we now have access to a North America-wide plan through our Canadian provider (Rogers, although the other carriers have similar plans) that allows free calling, texting to and from Canada and the U.S. as well as data in both countries without a daily surcharge. American travelers don't have this problem.
However, if you like to boondock, not all carriers service remote areas, and sometimes none of them do. We have been without cell service in many locations. So some travelers, especially single folks, use a personal locator beacon that uses satellite signals, so friends and family at home can keep track of them in case of an emergency. I really have no experience with these, but I'm sure Google would have answers.
Navigation - Waze, Google Maps, RoadPass (the latter which navigates based on your RV type, height, width, etc.)
TV Signal Finder - app to help you point your TV antenna
Tides - various apps for coastal travel
Merlin - app for birders
PlantNet or Seek - apps to identify plant species
The key to a successful trip is planning. Even if you don't know where you'll be next week, the battle is easily won if you know how to get to the resources that will help you figure it out.
The key to a successful trip is planning. Even if you don't know where you'll be next week, the battle is easily won if you know how to get to the resources that will help you figure it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment