On the way to Big Bend, I camped in Hot Springs National Park, stormed through endless logger roads of Mark Twain National Forest and camped there one night, enjoyed the Ozark NSR, Buffalo NR, Cane River Creole NHP, stormed through the Big Thicket N Res, backcountry hiked and camped in the wilderness of Pedernales Falls State Park during a thunderstorm, and marveled at the Lyndon B. Johnson NHP and the town of Fredericksburg. I thought that was a road trip, but it proved to be a small practice run for what was to come.
Once I headed for Sedona and entered Big Bend Country, I knew I had entered a different world. Far from the upper midwest surrounded by grass and pine trees. I was in the land of rolling desert, rumbling with severe thunderstorms and prickly desert plant life.
Fast forward 4 months to the moment I was leaving Big Bend National Park, a month long road trip began. For now, I’ll leave you with a list of most of the places I visited. Later I’ll elaborate in more detail of those that had the biggest impact on me.
- Big Bend National Park
- Black Gap Wildlife Mng Area
- Split Rock
- Green Mountain
- Glass Mountains
- Fort Stockton
- Red Bluff L
- Carlsbad National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Lincoln National Forest
- White Sands National Monument
- Apach Sitgreaves National Forest
- Rainbow Forest Museum
- Petrified Forest
- Painted Desert
- Painted Desert Inn
- Route 66 Highway of Dreams
- Meteor Crater National Landmark
- Kaibab National Forest
- Grand Canyon South Rim
- Desert View
- Little Colorado River Gorge Navajo Tribe Park
- Moenkopi Plateau
- Dinosaur Tracks
- Cedar Ridge
- Echo Cliffs
- Bitter Springs
- Navajo Bridge
- Marble Canyon
- Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
- Kaibab Plateau
- Grand Canyon North Rim
- Grand Canyon Lodge
- Glen Canyon Dam
- Paria Plateau
- Big Water
- Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument
- Kanab
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes
- Zion National Park
- Dixie National Forest
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Highway 12 National Scenic Route
- Escalante Petrified Forest SP
- Calf Creek Rec Area
- Circle Cliffs
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Wayne
- Henry Mountains
- San Rafael Desert
- Dirty Devil
- Lake Mead
- Glen Canyon National Rec Area
- Cataract Canyon
- Fry Canyon
- Red Rock Plateau
- San Juan
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Manti La Sal National Forest
- Bears Ears National Monument
- Church Rock
- The Needles
- Canyonlands National Park
- Wilson Arch
- Canyon Rims BLM Rec Area
- La Sal Junction
- MOAB
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands of the Ancients
- Cortez
- Mesa Verde National Park
- La Plata Mountains
- Rockwood Hermosa Trimble
- San Juan National Forest
- Weminuche Wilderness
- Box Canyon Falls
- Uncompahgre National Forest
- Montrose
- Curecante Needle
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Gunnison National Forest
- Powder Horn Rec Area
- Rio Grande
- La Garita Mountains
- UFO Watch Towers
- Baca National Wildlife Preserve
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Preserve
- Sangre De Cristo Mountains
- Browns Canyon National Monument
- Rocky Mountains
- Colorado Springs
- Castle Rock
- Denver
- Estes Park
- Rocky Mountains National Park
- Apapaho National Forest
- Medicine Bow Routt National Forest
- Apaho NWR
- Medicine Bow Mountains
- Roosevelt National Forest
- Great Divide Basin
- Rock Springs
- White Mountains
- Big Sandy Reserve
- Sublette
- Old Forte Bonneville
- Shoshone National Forest
- Upper Green BLM Rec Area
- Gros Ventre Range
- Snow King
- Bridger-Teton National Forest
- Jackson
- Wind River Range
- Grand Teton National Park
- John D. Rockefeller JR Memorial Parkway
- Yellowstone National Park
- Absaroka Range
- Gallatin National Forest
- Pahaska Teepee
- Old Trail Town
- Cody
- Bighorn Basin
- Shell Falls
- Bighorn National Forest
- Granite Pass
- Wolf Mountains
- Buffalo
- Johnson Campbell
- Blackhills National Forest
- Deadwood
- Silver City
- Mt. Rushmore
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Wind Cave National Park
- Rapid City
- Badlands National Park
- Buffalo Gap National Grasslands
- Pinnacles Overlook
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
- Prairie Homestead Historic Site
- Sturgis
- Ft Meade BLM Rec Area
- Whitewood
- Rock Mountain Rec Area
- South Fork Grande
- Bowman Haley Res
- White Butte
- Billing Slope
- White Lake NWR
- Black Butte
- Little Missouri National Grasslands
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Medora
From there I hopped on the highway and headed home. The drive from Medora was breath taking and worthy of photographing. North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in the fall season are incredible and worth visiting. For me, I didn’t have the time available to explore these states more. I wish I had, but my trip had already given me much more than I ever expected. I went home a very happy man.
Wow, Travis, that’s a lot of ground covered!
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It sure is! Grueling and demanding but amazing all at once. Didn’t stay at a hotel once.
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What a list! Can’t wait to read more details about your epic adventure.
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