Tag Archives: Hiking

The Best National Parks To Visit In Winter

12 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in National Parks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Winter is in full swing, but that doesn’t mean your RV travels have to come to a stop. My family enjoys traveling all year long, and yes, we do even work outdoor destinations into our winter schedule. In this article, I will share some of the best national parks to visit in winter so you can do the same!

The Best Cold Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

Want to embrace the winter weather and take in the icy beauty it has to offer? Head to one of these gorgeous cold weather places, which are easily some of the best national parks to visit in winter.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is one of the country’s most popular parks, and for good reason. This place is absolutely gorgeous, and in the winter it becomes a magical wonderland filled with snow-covered landscapes, steaming geysers, and plenty of wildlife, including bison and wolves.

  • Best Things to Do

Some of the best things to do in Yellowstone in the winter months include snowcoach or snowmobile tours to attractions like Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular, along with wildlife watching in Lamar Valley.

  • Where to Camp

RV camping in the park itself is limited in winter. Mammoth Campground remains open year-round, so you might be able to snag a spot there, but be prepared to camp without hookups.

Otherwise, you might head to the nearby Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, Montana. This campground stays open in winter and offers heated facilities.

Bryce Canyon National Park

I absolutely loved the bizarre hoodoos and other weird and wonderful rock formations in Bryce Canyon. These become even more strange and beautiful in winter when they are covered in snow, creating an otherworldly landscape you won’t soon forget.

  • Best Things to Do

Not sure what to do? Walk along the Rim Trail for breathtaking winter views. If possible, you’ll also want to attend ranger-led full-moon snowshoe hikes for a memorable experience. Cross-country skiing is also available near Fairyland Road.

  • Where to Camp

Inside the park, North Campground is open year-round. Sites are first-come, first-served and do not include hookups of any kind. If you do need hookups, head to Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground, located just outside the park entrance.

The Best Warm Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

If you’re like me, you’d prefer to skip the winter cold altogether. In this case, you might want to consider one of these warm-weather national parks. They are the best national parks to visit in winter if you’re looking for warm temperatures and sunny skies.

Everglades National Park

We’ve visited the Everglades many times during the winter season. We love it because winter is the dry season, meaning lovely weather, fewer mosquitoes, and excellent wildlife viewing. Besides, who doesn’t love basking in the Florida sun in the wintertime?

  • Best Things to Do

I highly recommend taking a guided boat tour or renting a kayak to explore the mangroves and hopefully spot some manatees. It is also super fun to go birdwatching at Shark Valley or along the Anhinga Trail.

Lastly, make sure to join a ranger-led program to learn about the park’s unique ecosystem. We especially loved the nighttime tour to see the gators in action.

  • Where to Camp

Long Pine Key Campground and Flamingo Campground are both located inside the park and can accommodate RVs. Flamingo offers electrical hookups, while Long Pine Key has dry camping. Both fill up quickly though, so be sure to book early!

If you can’t grab a spot in the park, consider Miami Everglades RV Resort. This is a full-service option close to the park entrance and we’ve always enjoyed our stays there.

Joshua Tree National Park

Another park we’ve visited many times in winter, Joshua Tree is absolutely stunning. The mild weather during the cold months makes hiking and rock climbing more enjoyable than it might be during the heat of summer. Winter is also a quieter season, meaning fewer crowds.

  • Best Things to Do

While you’re in Joshua Tree, be sure to hike the Hidden Valley or Barker Dam trails, and rock climb at famous formations like Intersection Rock. It’s also a good idea to do some stargazing once the sun goes down. This is a designated International Dark Sky Park after all, and the night skies are suitably incredible!

  • Where to Camp

Inside the park, you will find that the Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds are RV-friendly, but there are no hookups to speak of, and big rigs may not fit. If you need to find a place outside of the park, you can boondock on the BLM land surrounding the park or head to an RV park such as Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, which offers full hookups.

Ready for a wintertime RV adventure? Choose one of the parks above, book a campsite, and get ready to see these beautiful places in all their wintery glory!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Tips For Hiking With Kids

16 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in Healthy Lifestyle, Kids and Camping

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Tips For Hiking With Kids

One of the very best camping activities is hiking. There’s nothing like a nice morning hike to put you in a good mood, and hitting the trail is the perfect way to reconnect with nature. Hiking is fun during all parts of the year (though we do recommend heading south to do your winter hiking), and as long as you choose the right trail, it can be a good activity for people of all abilities and fitness levels.

All that said, you might be hesitant to add hiking to your list of camping activities if you have kids. After all, kids have a tendency to complain when a lot of walking has to happen, and there’s little reason to believe the same won’t be true of a hike. Besides, many parents can have trouble believing their kids will be up to the challenges a hike can pose.

The thing is, with a little bit of planning, hiking with kids can actually be fun. Try using the tips below to plan the perfect hiking adventure with your kids and rediscover your love of walking the trails.

Slow Down

First and foremost, it’s incredibly important that you slow down. Little legs can’t keep up with an adult’s longer stride, and asking them to will tire them out quickly, leading to the aforementioned whining.

Slow Down

Slowing your hike might seem like a huge bummer. However, this really isn’t the case. Slowing down can actually be a really nice thing if you choose to use the extra time to look around and really observe and appreciate your surroundings.

In fact, you might even find that you prefer slower hiking, opting to continue moving a bit slower even when the kids aren’t around.

Pack Snacks

Another thing that can lead to whining? Hunger. Unfortunately, kids get hungry quickly, especially when they’re moving around. For this reason, it’s crucial that you pack plenty of snacks that they will eat. This might seem silly if you’ll only be hiking for a couple of hours, but trust us when we say you won’t regret it.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Speaking of short two-hour hikes, that amount of time tends to be the sweet spot for kids. Go much longer than a couple of hours and you’re likely to have some unhappy little friends for the remainder of your exploration.

This will of course vary from one kid to the next, so you might want to experiment a bit to find the best hike length for your kids, but starting with two hours is a good plan of attack that isn’t likely to induce meltdowns or other negative outcomes.

Include Small Challenges

A short hike doesn’t have to be a boring one. If your kids are a bit older, consider picking short hikes with some challenging bits to keep things interesting. There’s no reason an 8- or 9-year-old can’t handle a bit of rock scrambling or bouldering, and they will likely feel more engaged during the hike and more accomplished after when challenges like this are put in their path.

Include Challenges In Your Hikes

Just be sure to know your own kids and their limits, testing with the smallest challenges and growing from there based on how they do.

Grab the Right Gear

The right gear can make all the difference in the world when hiking with little ones. A small backpack for each kid will allow them to carry their own things—a lifesaver when you have multiple kids, as putting everything in a single pack will get heavy fast. You’ll also want to make sure every kid has their own water container, as well as a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes.

Hiking Gear

Lastly, if you’ll be hiking with a baby or toddler, be sure to invest in a high-quality hiking baby carrier for their comfort and your own.

Head to National Parks

We love hiking with kids in national parks. Most national parks have plenty of short yet rewarding hikes, with some even offering some challenging bits. The views will always be gorgeous in these parks, and the Junior Ranger programs here offer young hikers some incentive to get out on the trails.

Give the Kids Cameras

Give The Kids A CameraLast but not least, we highly recommend handing each kid a camera to carry during the hike. This will help keep them engaged by encouraging them to truly observe their surroundings. It will also give you an opportunity to see the world from their point of view, something most adults don’t do enough of.

May contain affiliate links.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

RV ProtectScott H. ~ “We have been extremely happy with Coach-Net’s service agents as well as the overall service that they provide.”

Create a Field Guide and Memories to Last a Lifetime

06 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by in Kids and Camping, The Great Outdoors

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Create a Field Guide and Memories to Last a Lifetime

If you love the great outdoors and want to share this love with your children, get out the hiking boots and hit the trails. But before you go, head to the art supply store and pick up a blank journal to record your adventures and discoveries. You’ll use this blank journal as the foundation for your family’s personal field guide.

First, you’ll need a sturdy journal that’s not too big. It needs to be small enough to slip into a backpack but not so small that you’ll outgrow it too soon. Eight inches tall by six inches wide is a good size. Select a hardcover or leather-bound version for durability. You can create different sections by adding tabs. For example, you might want different sections for:

  • Field notes
  • Sketches
  • Adventures
  • Rock hunting
  • Favorite hikes
  • Wildflowers
  • Animals

Leather Journal

Customize the tabs to meet your family’s interests. The whole idea is to create a living document that reflects how you enjoy the outdoors. When making your field guide, let the kids get involved. This project is as much theirs as it is yours. Even the little ones can participate. Years from now, you’ll look back on the crayon drawings and scribbled notes with fondness.

Use the field guide before, during, and after your camping trips or day hikes. Beforehand, you can enter maps or write checklists of things you hope to see. For example, if you’re going rock hunting, have the kids research the areas of your destination where they might find a certain type of rock and let them record trail information in the field guide. Once at the destination, let the kids enjoy their hunt. They can take photos, draw maps, describe the setting, jot down notes, write out theories, and so forth. Once home, they can print the photos and paste them into the journal. They can also research questions that may have occurred to them during the hunt and update the field guide once they discover the answers.

Science can be fun! The journal that you create together will evolve as you go. You can use it to record notes, jot down your thoughts and feelings, sketch interesting plants, or log your trips. Use it wherever you go whether it’s the coastline, forest, desert, or mountains. By creating a field guide and sharing it with your children, you will set the stage for a lifelong love of learning.

Tire DiscountsAww Shucks!

David D. ~ “Mary was very professional and caring. I was with out power. She insured me I would get assistance as soon as possible. Thank you Mary and the tech I spoke with! “

4 Tips For Your Last Trip

10 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in RV Information, Tips & Tricks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

4 Tips For Your Last Trip

Camping season is almost over, and most RVers are doing what they can to squeeze out another trip or two before packing their rigs away for winter. If you’re one of the many campers doing this, you may be looking for ideas to make your last trip of the year extra special. One of the best ways to go about this is by doing something new and interesting to give your weekend away a bit of extra pizzazz.

That said, traditional camping activities are fun too. Since you won’t be able to do those “normal” camping things for quite some time after this last weekend out, skipping them may not be an option.

How do you squeeze in both the old and the new? You combine them, of course!

Putting new twists on the same camping activities you’ve been doing all summer will make them special enough to stand out from the rest while remaining “traditional” enough to suit the people who prefer to keep it simple.

Wondering how to go about this? Try these four fun twists on for size.

 

#1: Colorful Campfires

No camping trip is complete without a fire, but there are definitely ways to make a traditional campfire more exciting. One of our favorite ways of going about that is by making the fire colorful. This can be done with the use of these packets.

Other options are to use coffee creamer to make the fire sparkle, or borax to make the flames green.

 

#2: Mixed-Up S’mores

Of course, your campfire will also need to include s’mores. However, there’s no reason you have to keep your camping treats 100%traditional. Instead, mix it up with a variety of ingredient options.

Some people like using cookies in place of graham crackers; others think using a peanut butter cup instead of a regular chocolate bar makes all the difference. Another option is to seek out some flavored marshmallows such as these colorful puffs of goodness.

Smores

 

#3: Campfire Band

What does your family usually do while sitting around the campfire? Many families and groups of friends choose to pass the time singing songs, but that doesn’t sound nearly exciting enough for a final farewell to camping for the year. Therefore, a campfire band is definitely in order.

Gather some pots and pans, order a kazoo or two, toss in a tambourine or triangle, and have a blast playing and singing campfire songs around the fire. Just be sure to end your musical fun fairly early, as it might disturb the neighbors.

Campfire Band

 

#4: Hiking Games

During the day, hiking is a must-do activity. However, many people visit the same campgrounds multiple times a year, and this can lead to boredom with the same old trails. If this is a problem for your family, you might want to try some hiking games.

There are several hiking game ideas out there, but some of our favorites include “hiking hide-and-seek” and “spot it”.

To play hide-and-seek, send one hiker ahead on the trail to hide no more than 15 feet off the path. When the other hikers catch up, they must try to find the hider. Whoever finds them becomes “it” and the game starts again.

“Spot it” is played using a digital camera or phone with a camera. One player goes ahead on the trail and snaps a super-close-up of one object. The photo should be so close up that only texture and color are shown, making it difficult to tell what the object is. All other players then observe the photo closely. When the spot of the pictured object is reached, the photo taker stops the group, gives them a 10’x10’ area to search, and everyone looks for the pictured item until it is found.

Of course, these are just a few of the many amazing ways you can make your last camping trip of 2018 stand out from the rest. Do you have an awesome idea for how to put a twist on a traditional camping activity? We’d love to hear it!

Hiking

 

Tire Discounts

Aww Shucks!

John and Pierin B. ~ “Coach Net provides me with the confidence I need to travel anywhere in the country in my motorhome with peace of mind. I have always had great service and better results with Coach Net. Its unusual to find a company where we can place our total trust, security and safety. Thank you for your service.”