Campervan Chronicle

I built a campervan and spent an entire year exploring the USA & Canada.

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Utah’s Incredible “Mighty 5″ National Parks

After 2 weeks I made my way across Utah to discover its incredible natural beauty and some of the nation’s most astonishing parks. I’d highly recommend that everyone out there set aside a week (as long as possible!) of life to road trip across the state and experience these life-changing places. Feel free to check out any of my previous posts linked below to see my photos from these national parks along with my complete itineraries during my visits including hiking, tours, points of interest, boondocking and camping spots, etc.

Arches National Park 

Canyonlands National Park - The Needles & Island in the Sky

Capitol Reef National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park 

Zion National Park

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A Quick Tour of My Van in the Alabama Hills

Check out this quick tour of my van and some of the beautiful scenery in the Alabama Hills courtesy of my meeting up with Parking with Foalhaus.

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Bryce Canyon National Park

My first impression of this vast “canyon” of eroding landscape and unique sandstone spires was that it was almost equally as breathtaking as the Grand Canyon. The deep orange-colors and textures, a record number of “hoodoos”, scattered snow covering and the complimentary blue skies made for incredibly unique and beautiful and atheistic; one of my favorites so far. I spent the better part of two days so I could hike down into the landscape. A free bus tour provided by the park took me on a 3 hour journey through the entire park while stopping at scenic overlooks and learning some fascinating natural history. 

My Itinerary for the day was as follows:

Parked for the day at Sunset Point

Hiked 6mi on the Navajo Trail and Peekaboo Trail loop 

Took a free 3-hour tour to all the way to Rainbow Point and several other viewpoints

Camped in the nearby Dixie National Forest for the second night in a ro

Day 2

Hiked 8mi Fairyland Loop Trail

Got a shower for $3 at the General Store

Ate at the Bryce Canyon Lodge Lunch buffet (much needed calories)

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Grand Teton National Park

A drive alongside this mountain range is an experience not like any other. These enormous, jagged peaks tower above the surrounding lakes, meadows and forest and implore to to pull over and take photos around every corner. I spent a solid day driving from North to South through this park while enjoying some hiking and trying to spot wildlife.

My itinerary for the day was as follows:

Stopped at the Colter Bay Visitor Center

Stopped at the Willow Flats for wildlife viewing (but it was closed off for the season)

Parked at South Jenny Lake and took a roundtrip boat ride to the trailhead

Hiked to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point

Drove to Taggart Lake trailhead and hiked the 3 miles to the lake and back

Stayed 1 night at the Gros Ventre Campground for $28 (not worth the price, except maybe for the fact that I finally saw a moose wander right through camp)

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Lussier Hot Springs and Horshoe Lake

After taking the advice of some friendly locals in Banff, I was convinced to backtrack a bit and drive through Kootenay National Park before making my way south into Montana. The drive was very scenic and I spotted a lot more wildlife right from the side of the road. I was also told to make a detour and checkout Lussier Hot Springs, and I’m glad I did. This free hot spring pool on river bank was the perfect way to relax after a few busy days of hiking. The temperature was almost too hot for me, but when I felt a little warm I took a quick dip in the freezing cold river beside it. After going back and forth like this for 2 hours, and talking with all the friendly people stopping through, I was feeling excellent. I hit the road again and made my last stop at Horshoe Lake, a free recreational camping site outside of Jaffray. I have to say, the setting as the sun went down was amazing, but the mosquitoes were in full force and effectively stopped me from enjoy much of my time there. Overall, I had another great day to conclude my visit to Canada!

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The one-and-only Niagra Falls.

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Banff, Alberta

I spent the better part of 3 days in this bustling town surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery to explore the area and get some more hiking in. After arriving to Banff I went to do the 2.7mi hike up to the summit of Tunnel Mountain - a popular spot where you can gain a panoramic view of mountains, rivers and suburbs. In the evening I grabbed a fresh new pair of pants at Fjallraven, got a drink at Banff Ave Brewing and parked overnight on a quiet residential street two blocks from downtown. The following day I did some work in the morning before heading up to see Lake Minnewanka and taking a short hike along the lakeshore. I explored the town on foot again before ending up at Rose & Crown where I hung out for some live music. Overall, my experience here was pretty great, and I can see now why this little town attracts visitors from all over the world.

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Hitch-Mount Motorcycle Carrier

This type of hitch carrier is looking like my best option for maximizing space and securing my motorcycle while on the road. I decided initially that I didn’t want to tow a trailer behind the van because of the ease at witch it could be hijacked, the extra cost in tolls, and the limitations on parking spaces or mobility it tight situations. This style of hitch sits behind the vehicle and is raised up in a position almost like a bike rack. My Honda Rebel only weighs about 310lbs - so the carrier rated for 600lb should do the trick. Of course, this will limit the access to and through my rear doors for the most part, but the savings on gas overall, and the experience driving my bike around new places could be worth it!

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Daypack and Outdoor EDC

I have hiked 1000+ miles on my trip around the US and Canada since last Fall, and this gear almost always comes with me when I’m outdoors. 

North Face Pinyon Backpack

Hydro Flask

Platypus Softbottle

JOBY GripTight Flexible Tripod

My custom survival kit in a Pelican Micro Case

Anker Astro Charger

Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket

TREBLAB Bluetooth Earbuds

Energizer Headlamp

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The Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone

Some would same this is the most scenic drive in the United States… I would have to agree based on my 9 months of travel around the country so far. The occasional rain, lightning and sunshine made this snow covered landscape an incredibly memorable drive. The climb up to the summit of this scenic bypass is filled with incredible canyons, peaks and hills where you might see some marmots, mountain goats, raging rivers, alpine lakes and adventurous skiers along the way. Almost every turn offers a new view that make you want to stop and soak it all in. If you’re planning to enter Yellowstone from the East then it would absolutely be worth it to take this route on your way in. 

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​Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky

After having so much trouble finding camping spots near Moab, I decided to head toward Canyonlands early in the morning and check the BLM campgrounds for openings before the crowds arrived. Luckily, I found a spot at Horsethief campground a few miles north of the park, and because of this I was able to spend all day exploring. I hiked several small trails with incredible views of the lower canyons and White Rim. At the end of the day I caught a stunning sunset, which in my opinion beats out the one I saw at the Grand Canyon…

My itinerary for the day was as follows:

Stopped at Shafer Trail Overlook

Hiked .5 miles Mesa Arch trail

Hiked 1 mile Whale Rock trail

Hiked 1.8 miles to Upheaval Dome overlook

Hiked 1.8 miles White Rim Overlook trail

Hiked 2 miles to watch sunset from Grand View Point

Camped for $15 at Horsethief BLM campground 

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The Maroon Bells via Aspen, Colorado

One of the most popular attractions on the Western side of Colorado, the Maroon Bells wilderness area lives up to its hype. This high-elevation glacial valley of lakes and forest is surrounded by snowy peaks and colored with fields of wildflowers. Trails spread out for miles in every direction and invite backpackers and photographers from all over to explore the scenery.

Access to the Maroon Bells between 8am-5pm in the Summer is limited to shuttle only, so I managed to wake up early and arrive at 7:30AM to get one of the last parking spots available. I took my time getting ready and set out for the 3.6-mile round-trip hike up to Crater Lake.  I did some bushwhacking to get a view of a waterfall on the west side of the valley but it turned out to be treacherous and not very rewarding in the end. On my return down to Maroon Lake I stopped and wandered the Maroon Lake Scenic Trail to take in amazing afternoon scenery. It would’ve been easy to sit and enjoy the serene views all afternoon, but I had plans to head back into Aspen and explore the city for good lunch spots. 

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An amazing stretch of road: Icefields Parkway

This 144mi scenic highway between Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta may be the most beautiful drive I’ve had to date.  Over the course of 48 hours I made several stops to check out the views and hike around including the Athabasca Glacier, Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, Mistaya Canyon, and Parker Ridge Trail/Saskatchewan Glacier before spending my last night at the Mosquito Creek campground. The entire experience being surrounded by mountain peaks, evergreens, glacier rivers and wildlife was so serene and awe-inspiring. During my drives I caught a brown bear off the side of the highway as well as some bighorn sheep. My final night in camp started with a brown bear running past my river-side campsite as it was being chased away by a ranger with a paintball gun. I could easily have spent days exploring this region, but I was excited to turn around and head toward Banff National Park as well.

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Hike: Taggart Lake

As a storm rolled in from the distance I decided to go for one more late afternoon hike up to Taggart Lake in Grand Teton National Park. I chose an easier and shorter 3mi roundtrip trail that lead right to the lake. The scenery was diverse, including open fields and dense groves, until I reached the shore of the lake and got an excellent view of the mountains staving off the storm clouds. I sat on the rocks and enjoyed the scenery for awhile before the rumble of thunder caused me to head back. Just as I reached the car the rain came; followed by large hail, and sunshine again over the course of 30 minutes. Overall, this hike was less crowded and very enjoyable!

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Glacier National Park - West Glacier

By early afternoon I had made my way back over the border, through the town of Whitefish, Montana and up to Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. I reserved a walk-in campsite and was ready to explore the park for the weekend. Unfortunately, the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road was still not fully open for the season, which meant that I wasn’t able to explore much beyond Avalanche campground/trailhead on the West side. In order to get to the east Glacier regions I would have to eventually make the long drive around the park. However, I was happy with my time on Lake McDonald and the beautiful weather I had over the weekend.

My itinerary for the visit was as follows:

Reserved a campsite in Apgar Campground for 2 nights @ $20/night

Enjoyed the views on the Lake McDonald Shore, explored the Apgar Village and Visitor Center to get shuttle schedules and trail conditions

Attended a Ranger Talk at Apgar Amphitheater

DAY 2

Took the free park shuttle to the Avalanche Lake trailhead

Hiked 5mi roundtrip to Avalanche Lake

Took the free shuttle to Lake McDonald Lodge village for lunch

Hiked another 5mi up to the Johns Lake Loop and McDonald Falls

Made dinner then bought a Huckleberry Milkshake at Eddie’s

Watched the sunset on Lake McDonald