Need help routing road trip!!

[Photogirl]

Need help routing from St Charles Mo. to Redwood Np. and then to Moab Ut,Yosemite and Napa Ca. need to go to all but really don't want to backtrack will be returning by way I70 through Co. want to see Estes Park and Royal gorge.I have been confusing Mapquest.

[dbarr]

Looks pretty simple. Almost 4800 miles...might want to plan for more than a couple weeks!

[elchilero53]

I can imagine. Plan it in stages. There are things to see along the way out. I would check routes east out of Yosemite, though. You could go up and over the top but I believe there are length restrictions on CA 120 going east over the mountain to Lee Vining and US 395. The same for CA 108. Maybe someone here has some better information on those highways. From Lee Vining into Utah is some of the most remote, empty, magnificent country you can imagine. There are few opportunities for fuel along the way and no help if you run out or break down (cell phone signal was pretty iffy, too). I've driven through that country east from Lee Vining and you top off your tank whenever you find a station. Don't trust that mapping software without making sure first.

[Whalenss]

If you are planning to take Hwy 50 across Nevada plan on stopping at Great Basin National Park to see Leman Caves.

[mgarland48]

Originally Posted by Photogirl

Need help routing from St Charles Mo. to Redwood Np. and then to Moab Ut,Yosemite and Napa Ca. need to go to all but really don't want to backtrack will be returning by way I70 through Co. want to see Estes Park and Royal gorge.I have been confusing Mapquest.

As much as it pains me to say this, I believe you'll be sorely disappointed in the Royal Gorge. You cannot drive over the bridge, though the maps show a road that way. It is also pricey JUST to park and walk up to the bridge. We have lived in Colo for 60+ years, went to Royal Gorge last year for the 1st time in 20 yrs. It is so commercial and crappy now it was pathetic. If you do go, you will need to double back east to get around that area.

I'd suggest hitting Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, free. Check it online. Then Cave of the Winds for a gorgeous guided tour of a Wet Cave. South to hwy 50 and westward. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is really a simple tour around the area as well, check online about Day Passes. At Montrose Colo, head sound to Ouray, Silverton, and to Durango. Amazing mountain passes and views.

At Durango, you have good choices. West to the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and into Canyon Lands in Utah (amazing). Or you can continue south to the 4 Corners area and Mesa Verde National Park.

Just saying. Have fun.

[dalford]

I use RV Trip Wizard to do my routing and planning. It is not free ($39/yr) but it allows me to set up driving distances for a day and then sets rings to about where that is. You can then search for campgrounds in that area and drill down to websites, reviews, etc. you can also put in your RV specs and it will route you around height restrictions. It has many more features than that so check it out at rvtripwizard.com

[m35a2]

Furkot is a nice travel planning app. It's what I use.

[Miniliter101]

Hi, A couple thoughts on your trip. I live a few minutes from Yosemite. We are currently winding down on an 81,000+ acre forest fire on the west side of Yosemite. As long as the fire remains active, Yosemite Valley will see a lot of smoke. Try to put it off until the last part of your trip leaving California. Check and make sure Park entrance roads are open before your final route is planned related to fires.
A beautiful drive leaving the Park on Hwy 120, climbing to 9,900 ft. Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows is worth the trip. Taking Hwy 120 east is a boring drive through Nevada
but you can link up to the Extraterrestrial Hwy, taking you by renowned Area 51 and a very cool little hamburger place with all kinds of Area 51 souvenirs. That direction also takes you through the wild horse range with a chance view wild horses running in large herds. Eventually you arrive in Cedar City, Utah. There, you will be close to Zion National Park. Zion is well worth the trip itself. Then, on to Moab.

[markb5900]

Just to comment on the Moab portion.
Fill up with fuel whenver you see a place, the stations get few and far between in that portion of UT.
MAKE reservations somewhere there.
I was SHOCKED!, when we went last year in late fall and every campground in Moab was booked!
We had made reservations otherwise we would have been Walmart camping for three days.

[Miniliter101]

OOPS, I forgot to mention, DO NOT take Hwy 140 into the park. As stated above, there is a length restriction due to a landslide years ago than required a bridge that will not handle truck and trailer over 40 feet I believe. I may be wrong on size but a truck and large trailer won't make the turn.
Best route is through Oakhurst, Hwy 41.

[ependydad]

I use RVParky.com's Trip Planner from a computer; it doesn't work well from phones or tablets.

Here's what I came up with:

1. Start in St. Charles, MO
2. Stop in Kearney, NE (547 miles)
3. Stop in Rock Springs, WY (582 miles)
4. Stop in Winnemucca, NV (527 miles)
5. Visit Redwood National and State Parks (512 miles)
6. Visit Napa, CA (310 miles)
7. Visit Yosemite NP (192 miles)
8. Stop in or visit Great Basin National Park (416 miles)
9. Visit Moab, UT (341 miles)
10. Visit Royal Gorge, CO (352 miles)
11. Stop in Wilson State Park, Sylvan Grove, KS (429 miles)
12. Return to St. Charles, MO (453 miles)

Obviously each travel day is a loooooooooooooooooooong one. My family travels at 40-50mph overall, so we'd be looking at 10-12+ hours on some of these legs. If you have more nights or time, I'd break up a lot of those drives with more interesting things along the way.

Most of the stops were solely picked on position in the 400-500 mile range; not necessarily for any real purpose.

I differ from the earlier comment and my family really enjoyed Royal Gorge. Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_...=royal%20gorge

For Moab, I've stayed 2 different places. The first was Archview Campground. This was very nice and the price reflected it ($50-60/night) BUT it had a view of Arches NP. The second was OK RV Park and it was just that- OK and passable for a 3 week stay; no scenery and no pool. Opposite ends of town- Archview felt like more was accessible from there. If I could boondock, it's a boondocker's dream area.

Photos from our recent stay in May/June:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougse...57684380611616

Photos from our October 2015 stay:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougse...57659175452449

For Redwoods, we are headed there in a few weeks. We'll be staying at Klamath River RV Park. Doesn't sound fancy and sounds like cell service is hit or miss. But we're going to give it a shot.

Here's a link to the trip on RVParky with these stops and places I'd consider for RV parks:
https://www.rvparky.com/trip/4959164196978688

[pgandw]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a time frame for the OP.

If we are doing a 400-550 mile day, the next day is going to be an easy day. Even with the easy setup/take-down of the A-frame, and riding in a comfortable minivan, we just don't have fun piling on consecutive 500 mile days.

Although I'm a train buff, and very much enjoy the Royal Gorge, it would not be our first choice as a stop in Colorado. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Black Canyon, or the Telluride/Ridgway area would be better choices for our style of camping.

Fred W