Category: West

Yellowstone was part of ☞ Grand Teton-Yellowstone-Bighorn Mountains-Black Hills-Badlands trip in 2013. We moved around a lot driving from destination to destination and then walking on local trails, such as Lone Star Geyser trail. We liked our only longer/all-day hike around Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone a lot.

Lone Star Geyser trail map

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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone trail map

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Video clips

Day 1: South Entrance-West Thumb Geyser Basin-Gull Point-Fishing Bridge-Mud Volcano-Canyon Campground

Day 2: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone-Lower Falls- South Rim trail-Artisan Point-Clear Lake trail-Upper Falls-North Rim trail-Grand View-Inspiration Point

Day 3: Petrified Tree-Specimen Ridge trail-Lamar Valley

Day 4: Hayden Valley-Norris Geyser Basin (Porcelain Basin-Back Basin)- Nymph Lake-Twin Lake-Roaming Mountain-Obsidian Cliff

Day 5: Mammoth Hot Springs-Boiling River Hot Springs-Gibson Falls-West Yellowstone

Day 6: Fountain Pen Pots-Pocket Basin-Midway Geyser Basin-Grant Prismatic Spring

Day 7: Upper Geyser Basin North-Morning Glory-Biscuit Basin-Old Faithful Lodge

Day 8: Lone Star-Upper Geyser Basin

Day 9: Old Faithful-Kepler Cascade-Fishing Bridge-Steamboat Point-East Entrance

It was a last minute decision to spend Christmas 2006 in the West (9 days). We flew to Las Vegas (picked-up our rental car at the airport) where we spent two days on short day-hikes (Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire) and evenings walking up and down the Strip (lost $5 each gambling and got trapped in an elevator trying to see the view from higher up in one of the hotels).

On the third day we headed to Death Valley for 4 days. Started in the North walking around Ubehebe Crater and visiting Scotty’s Castle, before settling in a motel in Stovepipe Wells Village, our Death Valley base. We then made our way South on day 2 and 3, with a bit longer hikes in Mosaic Canyon, on Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and in Titus Canyon. We explored Artist Palette area for a while. On the last day we watched sand storm in the valley from Dante’s Point (very windy and quite cold) and then spent the rest of the day hiking in the Badlands. It was really good time to visit Death Valley, sunny and warm (at most) – good for hiking and comfortable exploration.

Zabriskie Point and Badlands

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The next morning we were woken-up by beautiful peacocks in front of our windows at historic Amargosa Hotel. Kelso Dunes  was our next destination, we spend several hours walking up and down the “booming” mounds (singing sand). A few short hikes in the Joshua Tree NP on day 8 (Hidden Valley, Baker Dam) and to Fortynine Palms Oasis.

Fortynine Palms Oasis

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On the last day we visited Hoover Dam and hiked down to Colorado River via White Rock Canyon. Quick drive to Las Vegas to drop-off our car and fly back home in Chicago just as the New Year was arriving. Unusual Christmas for us, but great experience.

White Rock Canyon

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National Parks visited in August 2003. Itinerary: Rocky Mountains ➜ Arches ➜ Capitol Reef ➜ Bryce Canyon ➜ Zion ➜ Lake Powell ➜ Grand Canyon ➜ Monument Valley ➜ Messa Verde ➜ Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

We did several hikes including one full-day hike to North Gate in north Zion NP.

North Gate

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