This planning post was for what ended up being Big Trip #3 in fall of 2020!

If you look at our maps, you may notice a swath of empty space through prime National Parks areas. We’re missing Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Glacier National Park in Montana, Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming, and several extending down through California’s mountainous spine. Our plan for a fall Big Trip was to cruise through that swath, looping back through some favorites maybe in southern Utah or western Texas… but then Covid happened and now we don’t know what to do.

In addition to possible death from the pandemic, Covid brings the following roadtrip speedbumps:

• Everyone and their brother is roadtripping and RVing right now, which is great, except for the crowded trails and campgrounds
• Not all national and state park campgrounds are open, and commercial campgrounds are operating at reduced capacities, likely making it harder to stay where we want to stay. (Our friends at Misty Mountain campground in VA have been totally slammed since they reopened)
• With return to school possibly delayed, and more people working from home (or their RV), families may extend travel beyond the normal end of summer vacation–and when the kids go back to school is when we child-free heathens like to venture forth, to avoid the crowds
• Most visitor centers and park facilities are still closed, which surely means a lot more human poo in the pristine woods 🙁

So we may go or we may not, but because of the increased demand on campsites and reduced capacity in some parks, we’ll have to consider booking most of our stops in advance, which takes some of the fun out of wandering around the country. Good thing I like planning!

[Thrillist has a super helpful rundown of all the national parks’ status, updated as things change]

Below is the hiking and camping status as of mid-June 2020 of the parks we’re looking at possibly visiting, with links going to that park’s Covid status page on nps.gov:

• Theodore Roosevelt: trails are open, campgrounds are not
• Glacier: half the park is open for hiking, campgrounds are closed
• Yellowstone: trails are open, campgrounds are not
• Grand Teton: trails and campgrounds are open!
• Lassen Volcanic: trails and campgrounds are open!
• Yosemite: trails are open, campgrounds are open, but visitors are limited to 50% normal capacity, with entrance by reservation only, available one month in advance on the first of the month at 7 a.m. PT
• Kings Canyon: trails are open, campgrounds are not
• Sequoia: trails are open, campgrounds are not
• Death Valley: trails and roads partially open, campgrounds closed
• Guadalupe Mountains: closed
• Big Bend: trails are open, campgrounds are partially open

Next step: look at availability in commercial campgrounds in towns near the parks.