Fodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West: with the Best Scenic Road Trips

by Fodor's Travel Publications

Overview

Whether you want to hike through jaw-dropping landscapes of Yosemite, see rare wildlife and natural wonders in Yellowstone, or go river-rafting in the Grand Canyon, the local Fodor’s travel experts in the National Parks of the West are here to help! Fodor’s National Parks of the West is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.

Fodor’s National Parks of the West travel guide includes:

• AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do
• MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time
• MORE THAN 70 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently
• COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust!
• HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, activities, side-trips, and more
• PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Ultimate Experiences,” “Best Campgrounds,” “Best Lodges,” and more
• TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money
• HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, art, architecture, geography and more
• SPECIAL FEATURES on “Exploring the Colorado River,” “What to Watch and Read Before You Visit,” and “Yellowstone’s Geothermal Wonders”
• LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems
• UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Badlands, Sequoia, Rocky Mountains, Glacier, Zion, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Olympic, and more national parks

Planning on visiting Arizona, Colorado, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Sequoia/Kings Canyon, or even the Great Smoky Mountains? Check out Fodor’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon, Fodor's Colorado, Compass Yellowstone National Park, Compass Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks.

*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640974289
Publisher:	Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	Full-color Travel Guide
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	880
Sales rank:	177,064
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler's trip. We hire local writers who know their destinations better than anyone else, allowing us to provide the best travel recommendations for all tastes and budget in over 7,500 worldwide destinations. Our books make it possible for every trip to be a trip of a lifetime.

Table of Contents

1 Experience the National Parks of the West 11

36 Ultimate Experiences 12

What's Where 24

The Best National Parks of the West Lodges 30

The Best Campgrounds in The National Parks of the West 32

Field Guide: Geology and Terrain 34

Wildlife in the Parks 36

What to Read and Watch 38

2 Planning Your Visit 39

Know Before You Go 40

Park Passes 42

Family Fun 44

What to Pack 47

Photography Tips 49

Staying Healthy, Playing it Safe 50

3 Great Itineraries 51

Washington State National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 8 Days 53

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 7 Days 54

Black Hills and Badlands National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 6 Days 56

California National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 9 Days 58

Utah and Arizona National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 9 Days 60

Utah and Colorado National Parks Road Trip Itinerary, 6 Days 63

4 Arches National Park 65

Welcome to Arches National Park 66

Planning 68

Devils Garden 71

Fiery Furnace 74

Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch 75

The Windows 76

Balanced Rock 76

Petrified Dunes 77

Courthouse Towers 77

Activities 78

Nearby Towns 80

5 Badlands National Park 81

Welcome to Badlands National Park 82

Planning 85

North Unit 88

Palmer Creek Unit 92

Stronghold Unit 92

Activities 93

Nearby Towns 95

6 Big Bend National Park 101

Welcome to Big Bend National Park 102

Planning 105

Chisos Basin 108

Castolon 112

Rio Grande Village 113

Persimmon Gap 115

Activities 116

Nearby Towns 121

7 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 129

Welcome to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 130

Planning 133

East Portal 135

North Rim 136

South Rim 137

Activities 138

Nearby Towns 142

8 Bryce Canyon National Park 155

Welcome to Bryce Canyon National Park 156

Planning 158

Bryce Canyon North 161

Bryce Canyon South 166

Activities 167

Nearby Towns 170

9 Canyonlands National Park 173

Welcome to Canyonlands National Park 174

Planning 176

Island in the Sky 179

Needles 181

Maze 183

Horseshoe Canyon 184

Activities 184

Nearby Towns 187

10 Capitol Reef National Park 189

Welcome to Capitol Reef National Park 190

Planning 192

Fruita 195

Scenic Drive 198

Cathedral Valley 199

Muley Twist Canyon 200

Activities 200

Nearby Towns 202

11 Carlsbad Caserns National Park 203

Welcome to Carlsbad Caverns National Park 204

Planning 207

Carlsbad Cavern Aboveground 210

Carlsbad Cavern Belowground 213

Rattlesnake Springs and Slaughter Canyon 214

Activities 216

Nearby Towns 217

12 Channel Islands National Park 221

Welcome to Channel Islands National Park 222

Planning 224

Anacapa Island 228

San Miguel Island 228

Santa Barbara Island 229

Santa Cruz island 229

Santa Rosa Island 232

Activities 232

Nearby Towns 235

Exploring the Colorado River 346

Yellowstone's Geothermal Wonders 784

13 Grater Lake National Park 241

Welcome to Crater Lake National Park 242

Planning 245

Rim Village 247

Rim Drive 249

Cleetwood Cove and Wizard island 251

Activities 252

Mazama Village 252

Nearby Towns 253

14 Death Valley National Park 261

Welcome to Death Valley National Park 262

Planning 265

Central Death Valley 268

Northern Death Valley 273

Southern Death Valley 274

Western Death Valley 274

Activities 276

Nearby Towns 278

15 Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks 283

Welcome to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks 284

Planning 287

Glacier National Park 292

Waterton Lakes National Park 299

Nearby Towns 306

16 Grand Canyon National Park 311

Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park 312

Planning 315

Grand Canyon South Rim 320

Grand Canyon North Rim 336

Grand Canyon West 342

Nearby Towns 344

17 Grand Teton National Park 357

Welcome to Grand Teton National Park 358

Planning 361

Moose 364

Jenny Lake 368

Jackson Lake 370

Activities 373

Nearby Towns 378

18 Great Basin Nation at Park 385

Welcome to Great Basin National Park 386

Planning 389

Lehman Caves 391

Wheeler Peak 394

Snake Creek Canyon 395

Activities 396

Nearby Towns 397

19 Great Sand Dunes National Park 401

Welcome to Great Sand Dunes National Park 402

Planning 405

Main Use Area 407

Sand Dune Field 407

Sangre de Cristo Mountains 408

Southern Grasslands 408

Medano Creek Wetlands 408

Activities 409

Nearby Towns 410

20 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 415

Welcome to Guadalupe Mountains National Park 416

Planning 419

Pine Springs 421

McKittrick Canyon 423

Dog Canyon 425

Salt Basin Dunes 425

Activities 426

Nearby Towns 427

21 Joshua Tree National Park 431

Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park 432

Planning 435

Park Boulevard 438

Keys View Road 440

Highway 62 440

Pinto Basin Road 442

Activities 443

Nearby Towns 447

22 Lassen Volcanic National Park 457

Welcome to Lassen Volcanic National Park 458

Planning 461

Southwest 463

Manzanita and Summit Lakes 465

Warner Valley and Juniper Lake 468

Butte Lake 469

Activities 470

Nearby Towns 472

23 Mesa Verde National Park 477

Welcome to Mesa Verde National Park 478

Planning 480

Morefield 483

Far View 484

Chapin Mesa 486

Wetherill Mesa 489

Activities 490

Nearby Towns 491

24 Mount Rainier National Park 499

Welcome to Mount Rainier National Park 500

Planning 503

Longmire 505

Paradise 507

Ohanapecosh 508

Sunrise and White River 509

Carbon River and Mowich Lake 511

Activities 511

Nearby Towns 517

25 North Cascades National Park 521

Welcome to North Cascades National Park 522

Planning 524

North Cascades Scenic Highway and Ross Lake National Recreation Area 528

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area 531

Activities 533

Nearby Towns 536

26 Olympic National Park 543

Welcome to Olympic National Park 544

Planning 547

Coastal Olympic 550

Rain Forests 553

Lake Crescent and Sol Due Valley 555

The Mountains 559

Activities 560

Nearby Towns 563

27 Petrified Forest National Park 571

Welcome to Petrified Forest National Park 572

Planning 574

Activities 581

Nearby Towns 583

28 Pinnacles National Park 585

Welcome to Pinnacles National Park 586

Planning 589

East Side 592

West Side 593

Activities 595

Nearby Towns 597

29 Redwood National and State Parks 605

Welcome to Redwood National and State Parks 606

Planning 609

South 612

Middle 613

North 615

Activities 619

Nearby Towns 622

30 Rocky Mountain National Park 629

Welcome to Rocky Mountain National Park 630

Planning 633

Moraine Park 637

Bear Lake 640

Longs Peak 641

Trail Ridge Road 642

Timber Creek 643

Wild Basin 644

Activities 644

Nearby Towns 648

31 Saguaro National Park 655

Welcome to Saguaro National Park 656

Planning 658

Saguaro East 660

Saguaro West 662

Activities 664

Nearby Towns 666

32 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park 671

Welcome to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 672

Planning 675

Sequoia National Park 679

Kings Canyon National Park 689

Nearby Towns 697

33 Theodore Roosevelt National Park 703

Welcome to Theodore Roosevelt National Park 704

Planning 707

North Unit 709

South Unit 711

Activities 714

Nearby Towns 715

34 White Sands National Park 721

Welcome to White Sands National Park 722

Planning 725

Dunes Drive 727

Activities 730

Nearby Towns 732

35 Wind Cave National Park 737

Welcome to Wind Cave National Park 738

Planning 741

Activities 747

Nearby Towns 750

36 Yellowstone National Park 761

Welcome to Yellowstone National Park 762

Planning 765

Mammoth Hot Springs 770

Norn's 773

Madison 773

Old Faithful 774

Grant Village and West Thumb 780

Lake Yellowstone 781

Canyon 794

Tower-Roosevelt 796

Activities 798

Nearby Towns 802

37 Yosemite National Park 813

Welcome to Yosemite National Park 814

Planning 817

Yosemite Valley 821

Wawona 829

Tuoloumne Meadows 832

Hetch Hetchy 833

Activities 834

Nearby Towns 842

38 Zion National Park 847

Welcome to Zion National Park 848

Planning 850

Zion Canyon 853

Kolob Canyons 857

Activities 858

Nearby Towns 860

Index 861

About Our Writers 878

Editorial Reviews

Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher…aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times

“The Fodor’s guides are notable for their ratings of sights, restaurants, shops, accommodations and attractions.” – Chicago Tribune

“In terms of comprehensiveness of coverage, the very accessible format, and the enthusiastic tone, this series remains one of the best on the market.” – Booklist

“Fodor’s super-informative guidebooks are known for accuracy and attention to detail.” – Sacramento Bee

“Fodor’s can help you plan the perfect adventure.” – Arizona Republic

From the Publisher

This new, mammoth (512-page) Fodor's Road Guide volume covers all 33 western national parks, from Texas to Washington. Anyone who has every used one of these guides knows that Fodor's has anticipated travelers' needs for useful information. Within a few minutes, browsers can become familiar with this book's useful features.

bn.com

From Arches to Zion, from the well-worn paths of Yosemite to the seldom-visited Channel Islands off California, Fodor's has come up with an indispensable guide to 38 national parks located in the western parts of the United States and Canada, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. With the usual Fodor skill, each park is fully covered yet includes recommendations for what to see if you're there for only a day. Following a most informative chapter on "Choosing a Park," the guide gives visitors the type of information guaranteed to make their trip memorable. Lodging, directions, places to dine, nearby attractions, best times to visit, average monthly temperatures, concessionaire offerings, recommended activities, medical precautions, pet acceptance, and a brief history of the park result in an essential reference for anyone considering a visit. It is particularly useful in suggesting that readers consider lesser-known parks such as Joshua Tree, Capitol Reef, and the Guadalupe Mountains, as well as selecting the best times to go to the popular ones such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone. The scope of this work, combined with the ever-increasing interest in national parks, makes this a fine candidate both for reference and for circulating collections. Highly recommended for all public, school, and special libraries.
—Joseph L. Carlson

Library Journal