Category: Camp

What To Do with Kids at Crater Lake National Park

Our trip to Crater Lake National Park was spectacular. Those views! That water! Some scientists believe Crater Lake is the largest, clearest, cleanest body of water on earth. We already know it’s the deepest in the US at over 1,900 feet deep. Oregon’s only national park sure is a good one, but what can you do there with kids?

Hike – The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses into Crater Lake National Park and many through hikers camp at Mazama campground at the park’s entrance. When we were there a wildfire closed part of the PCT so many hikers were forced to change plans. I wouldn’t attempt the massive 2,650 mile scenic backpacking trail with my three tots, but I would try the six mile alternate hike with views of Crater Lake.

Drive – The rim drive is the highlight of any Crater Lake visit. Even the original National Park to Park Highway tour had the chance to drive around this beautiful blue, since building a road around the rim was a top priority when the national park was first formed. It’s a beautiful scenic drive, but be aware that parts of the road are closed until mid to late June every year because of snow.

Bike – The 30 mile ride circumventing Crater Lake was well beyond my family’s abilities, but it’s definitely something I’d like to try in the future. While the road is open to cyclists all season long, you may not enjoy the small shoulder, heavy traffic experience. Well, you’re in luck! Twice a year Crater Lake hosts vehicle free on the East Rim Drive. It’s a perfect chance to get out without all the car traffic. This year the vehicle free days are September 17 and 24, 2016.

Swim – Jump in the bluest water this side of the Caribbean, only don’t expect it to be that warm. The water in Crater Lake comes solely from rain and snow melt and surface temperature averages only 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. The only access to the lake is via Cleetwood Cove trail, a steep 1.1 mile hike from the rim. Even so, we HAD to swim in Crater Lake. It was too beautiful to pass up and I highly suggest you make the effort to jump in. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the trail is closed for maintenance from August 2016 through summer 2017.

Ski or Snowshoe – With over 500 inches of annual snowfall, Crater Lake is a great place for winter recreation. Parts of the rim drive are closed to vehicles in the winter, but cross country skis and snow shoes are allowed in those areas. Strap some on and see Crater Lake in a whole new way.

Boat – Private boats are not allowed on Crater Lake, but craterlakelodges.com offers lake cruises or tours of wizard island. This is the only legal way to experience Crater Lake by boat, but be aware that children under three are not allowed.

Camp – Mazama campground at the southern entrance of Crater Lake National Park has over 200 camp sites, a camp store, laundry and nearby restaurant. There are also backpacking campsites available, but permits are required. Check out all the camping options here.

Crater Lake was so beautiful, I kinda wondered why it wasn’t as popular as Sequoia or Yosemite. Now that I’ve been there, I think it should be on the list of every outdoor traveler in the US. Why not visit the deepest lake in the US? It’s pretty amazing.

Have you ever been to Crater Lake? What was your experience?

Car Camping? Get Organized!

I would not call myself an organized person. I’m the kind of laundress who throws clothes in drawers instead of folding because once they’re closed everything looks great. Behind my kitchen cupboard doors bowls and cookware pile on top of each other. I often lose my keys and misplace my cell phone at least once a day.

I knew living out of the Ultimate Adventure Vehicle full time on this National Park to Park Highway tour would require that I step up my organizational game. With over twenty national parks and monuments to visit in seven weeks, we had to come up with a system. How could we organize our gear, clothes, bedding, food and emergency equipment so that we could easily access what we needed when we needed it? 

Gear on the Outside, People on the Inside
Our Yakima SwingDaddy bike rack allows us to pack up our WOOM bikes in an easily accessible way. I really like that you can swing out the fully loaded rack and have access to the back of the vehicle without having to unload the bikes every time. This trip would not be possible without the Yakima SwingDaddy. It’s been a convenience lifesaver.

In addition to the SwingDaddy, Yakima gave us a discount on their LoadWarrior Cargo Basket. We use the basket for the bulky items like our Burley bike trailer, helmets and life jackets. We clip our helmets together and have a mesh bag to store life jackets for added organization under the cargo net. Getting all that gear outside the vehicle gave us more room for people on the inside.

Decked Out
Decked truck bed drawers keep all of our camping equipment organized. One drawer holds camp chairs, our two burner camp stove and tools while the other holds our pantry, cookware and emergency supplies. The Decked drawers pull out easily and the sturdy platform above is perfect for Mountain Dad and I to sleep on.

You may not have the space to install a Decked system in your vehicle, but you can use a similar idea to keep things organized at home. Use a tupperware storage box to pack all your camping supplies, then just transfer it easily from the garage to the car. Not only will it keep gear organized but the sturdy container can double as seating while at camp.

Pack Up
When organizing our Sam T Evans truck cap Mountain Dad and I packed UP. Literally. We used as much space near the ceiling as we could to free up sleeping space in the truck bed. An interior cargo net attached to the ceiling gave us a place for dirty clothes. Velcro straps held our Lightspeed Tripod Canopy to the roof as well as giving us a place for toiletries. Hooks and caribeeners lifted our clothes bags out of the way.

A Place for Everything, Everything in its Place
Don’t forget the areas under seats or in seat pockets for organization. We kept rain jackets and warm hats under the seats so we knew where they were at all time. It made warming up easy. Also, my kids were allowed to bring any toys they wanted as long as they fit in the seat pockets in front of them. That made weeding out the big toys easy.

Be Prepared
As with any trip planning don’t forget your emergency supplies. Luckily we’ve only had to use our Lifeline Truck Road kit once on the National Park to Park Highway, to give another camper a jump, but it’s good to know it’s there just in case.

In addition to the truck emergency kit, we keep a Lifeline Trail Light 5 First Aid Kit in the glove box and we use it ALL THE TIME. We’ve gotten out medications, band aids, antiseptic wipes – we even gave my brother-in-law the elastic bandage wrap after he sprained his ankle surfing (Well, trying to surf). In addition to what came with the Trail Light 5 we added children’s ibuprofen, a forehead thermometer and an EpiPen Jr to our first Aid supply. I like knowing exactly where our medications and emergency supplies are because when someone’s in pain, it’s not a good time to rummage around searching for what you need.

Staying organized while car camping is a challenge for everyone but with these tips, hopefully your next camping adventure will be a success. Do you have any other car camping organization tips? I want to hear them! Share them with me on facebook, twitter or instagram or just leave a comment here.

Yakima, Decked, Sam T Evans and Lifeline First Aid gave me a discount on their products or gave me the items above for review. My opinions are my own. This post also includes affiliate links. See all of our National Park to Park Highway Sponsors here.

Sequoia National Park Then and Now

In 1920, the National Park to Park Highway inaugural tour visited Sequoia National Park to see the largest trees in the world. Their tour brought them through Visalia in late October and unfortunately was cut short due to an unexpected snow storm. Still, their experience at Sequoia National Park has some similarities to what we experienced at this historic place.

 

National Park to Park Highway tour on Auto Log, 1920
Logging
Giant sequoia trees take thousands of years to grow. I have little doubt that if early national park advocates hadn’t acted to save the giant sequoia trees they would’ve been cut down and used for boring things like houses and firewood. Thanks to the foresight of previous generations, I get to see these beautiful wonders. 

More than in any other National Park, I felt a gratitude to people who came before me. I’m proud that at some point in our American history we made the good decision to protect these amazing natural wonders. Being in the giant forest reminded me that humans are just a small part of the natural world, even though our impact can be massive.
 
Auto Log
Why is driving through/on a tree so fun? In the 1920 National Park to Park Highway tour, the drivers parked on Auto Log for the iconic photo seen above. The massive Sequoia Log doesn’t allow cars on it anymore thanks to a car partially falling through on a rotten spot in the 1930s, but I still stopped to check it out. We loved Tunnel Log, the only tree you can drive through in Sequoia National Park. The Ultimate Adventure Vehiclebarely fit – the life jackets scraped through on the top.

Crystal Cave
The 1920 National Park to Park Highwaytour had planned a trip to Crystal Cave but was forced to change plans when an early snowstorm rolled in. We got to visit this unique subterranean space and really enjoyed it. The formations are truly impressive, some still shiny with the crystals that gave the cave its name. Some parts of the tour had tight spaces (nothing like at Mesa Verde) so baby carriers weren’t allowed, but Baby L did great in my arms.

Swimming

Our favorite part of Sequoia National Park was swimming in Crystal Creek. I doubt the 1920s National Park to Park Highway group even considered this as an option since they visited in October. For us it was the highlight of the trip, even though it was a bushwhacked scramble to get there. The natural water slide empties into a clear cold pool. The creek flows over granite, tall trees grow all around and in the summer it’s a beautiful place to play.

Roughing it

Another similarity between the 1920s National Park to Park Highway tour and our stay at Sequoia National Park was the accommodations. The drivers on the inaugural trip mostly stayed in hotels and stopped in towns along the route, but here in Sequoia, the lodge was closed for the season so superintendent John R White gathered mattresses and blankets for the party to sleep on the floor. Our whole trip we’ve been sleeping on camp mats, so I can definitely relate.
General Sherman
Of course we hiked the General Sherman Trail to see the largest tree in the world. That’s the main attraction at Sequoia, and it’s definitely not to be missed. The General Sherman trail connects to several other hiking trails in the area. I was worried about crowds around the General Sherman tree, but the trails nearby circle other great trees so it seemed like the crowds were able to meander without becoming too thick. I loved that we each got to experience the peaceful forest together.

Me walking on Auto Log
Can You Feel It?
Visiting Sequoia National Park meant feeling awed walking under the largest trees in the world. Looking up takes on a new meaning when the trees seem to go on forever. Sequoia National Park was a special place back when the 1920 National Park to Park Highway tour visited and it’s a special place today. I’m glad I got a chance to experience it with my entire Mountain Family. People coming together for a cause can do great things. 

Top Ten Things to Do with Kids in Rocky Mountain National Park

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Rocky Mountain National Park was the first park the 1920s National Park to Park Highway visited, and for good reason. It’s proximity to Denver and long history of tourist development in Estes Park makes it one of the most highly visited parks with more annual visitors than both Yellowstone and Yosemite.
On our trip we spent most of our time on the east side of the park, as do a lot of visitors.  If you have time explore both the west and east sides of the park, there’s so much to see!

 

Visit the Moraine Discovery Center – With exhibits on the geology of Rocky Mountain National Park this museum in the wild has something interesting for everyone. We went during Discovery Days, a special program for kids that runs on select days throughout the summer. Check the park newspaper for more information.

Camp at Glacier Basin Campground – With easy access to the free shuttle system, a mini ranger station, excellent bathrooms and over 100 campsites, this campground was a great home base for exploring Rocky Mountain National Park.
Ride a Horse – Several trails in Rocky Mountain National Park are open to horseback rides, in fact there’s a livery stable near Sprague Lake.
Become a Junior Ranger – Rocky Mountain National Park has a great Junior Ranger program complete with a dedicated Junior Ranger Station at Hidden Valley.
Hike around Bear Lake – This popular hike is handicap accessible, although steep in certain sections. The tots (including their cousin E) loved scrambling on the giant boulders around the lake and giving the bear paw post markers high fives as they passed.

Swim at Sprague Lake – This shallow lake is great for a cold swim, or rather wade. A sand bar through the lake allowed Mountain Dad, Tio Monte and the tots to walk out to the center of this glacier lake. We also saw canoers and fly fishermen.

Drive Over 12,000 Feet – For a taste of road travel from the 1920s take the 15 mile per hour, unpaved motor nature trail up Old Fall River Road to the Alpine Visitors Center. This one way dirt road gives you a taste of what the 1920s National Park to Park Highway group had to deal with on a daily basis. Complete the trip over the continental divide by driving down on the Trail Ridge Road which connects the east and west sides of Rocky Mountain National Park.
See Snow in July – It’s not every day that you can explore a snowy tundra in mid-July. While driving the Trail Ridge Road be sure to get out and explore the tundra trails up above the tree line. Little G and Cousin E spotted yellow bellied marmots and pikas from the Gore Range Overlook and we loved exploring the area around the Alpine Visitors Center until frozen rain forced us back to the car.
Search for Wildlife – Whether its spotting elk fom the Trail Ridge Road, marmots on the tundra or hummingbirds in the trees, Rocky Mountain National Park is home to a wide variety of animals. My favorite was watching the yellow bellied marmots scuffle on the tundra. Good thing they have furry coats – it’s cold up there, even in summer.
Ride the Free Shuttle – Avoid traffic and parking hassles by catching the free park shuttle from Estes Park or the Park and Ride from inside the park. There’s even a bus stop at Glacier Basin and OTHER campgrounds.