Camping

Yes!  You should bring all of your own food and water to the cabins, especially if you don't have fast transportation.  Don't forget a sleeping bag or extra blanket as well.  It can get chilly at night this time of year!

While Crater Lake National Park is open year-round, the Lodge itself is only open from the end of May typically (it is scheduled to open 5/26 in 2010) through mid-October.  The lodge is closed for this season 

Crater Lake receives A LOT of snow up into the spring season and starting again in early fall.  So, if your vehicle is prepared for it, snowy months can be beautiful times to explore the park.  Just make sure to check ahead that the roads have been plowed.  The "Rim Road" is usually in pretty good shape for most of the year.

There is no van or shuttle directly to the lodge.  For reservations or more information call Xanterra at (888) 774-2728.

 Have a great trip!

 

It's always a great time to go tour the national parks on motorcycle, the important questions to address are which parks and what is your starting point. On my first trip from New York City to Yosemite and back, I left in June and was greeted by rainstorms and a wide swing of temperature extremes. On the day I planned to ride into Yellowstone, I had to stop because there was snow on the pass and the road was closed.  I searched almost a dozen stores before finding one that could sell me an extra layer to wear under my protective shell, as they all said it was summer and they no longer sold fleece or other jackets. (I ended up with a compressible, lightweight down jacket, which I had multiple occasions to break out.) As you well know, it gets cold awfully quickly when you consider the wind chill factor, one of the realities of cold weather riding. If you start in a warm climate and take a southern route, you should be just fine. No matter when you ride, be aware of the need to carry extra layers, as it's always best to be prepared. I've made snowballs in the afternoon on the top of a mountain pass after having ridden through the hot desert all morning long, in July! I recommend a good pair of water-proof gloves (or covers) for any extended trip, along with weather-proof, padded riding gear.  If you let everyone in the OhRanger.com community know what parks you're considering and where you'll be starting, perhaps we can make some specific recommendations for places to see. For example, if you were consider to focus on Utah, you could create a great tour by riding the "Grand Circle." The desert parks of Southern California and Nevada are also fantastic in May. 

I look forward to hearing about your adventures and hope that OhRanger.com will help you with your plans. Check out our new feature that allows you to find the activities you like near to any place you choose in America. Safe travels!

Except for Alamo, which is quite remote, all Arizona camp sites take credit cards.  I would recommend having some cash on you just in case you arrive late or off hours!  

Grand Teton National Park is a great place to tour with your RV. At this point, all campgrounds that accommodate 5th Wheels (and other motor homes) are closed for the winter season, but some roads are plowed all year long and should be passable. "Teton Park Road" is open as of today, but does NOT get cleared in the winter. Gros Ventre, Signal Mountain, and Flagg Ranch campgrounds are all RV accessible during the open months. Make sure to reserve space in advance as they fill up quickly. Try www.reserveamerica.com if that's what you want to do. Have a great trip!

You can make them at anytime, but do it early because the RV sites fill up! Visit the NPS Yellowstone site for a list of the RV campgrounds.

At all sites except Fishing Bridge, there are discounts with the Golden Pass.  For the second part of your question, Canyon does not allow that sized trailer, but every other site does.  One last thing to note, is that in Yellowstone, Fishing Bridge is the only campsite that has full hookups.  The rest only have dump stations.  Hope that answers your question fully.