Safety
The regions North of the Yukon River, all the way to the Arctic, are the worst for mosquitos in general. The worst time of year to go is in July, however you are likely to encounter them as soon temperatures remain above freezing for a couple of weeks.
You can bring repellant, but the stuff that repels the best is bad for your skin and clothes, and will contain a measured amount of deet. Since I personally prefer to not to crop dust myself, you can purchase netting to go around your hat or head, and maintain long sleeves and pants throughout the day.
If you still get bit, don't scratch!
Hi Grace,
You're in for a treat. Yosemite is in full swing (including Mariposa Grove) during Thanksgiving week. In fact, it's a beautiful time to be there. If you're in need of a place to stay, consider the Evergreen Lodge and see this link for their Thanksgiving activities.
Have fun!
Yes, however the last mile of road is very narrow, and has two hairpin turns. We drove a truck and 12ft trailer (24ft total length) and have to slow down to less than 5mph to make the turn. Buses go up there all day long, but be patient with other vehicles who do not realize that they have to stop and wait for you to pass before they can use some of the turns. If you are towing a smaller vehicle, I would advise you to use this when going on any excursions in the park.
Also, do not enter/exit the park via 140!!! There are vehicle restrictions for personal vehicles over 40ft. On that side of the park there was a rock slide several years ago, and a temporary bridge is in place. Consider alternate routes into/out of the park.
You may bring your dog to Yellowstone as long as you follow park regulations and take safety issues into consideration. Pets must be on a leash at all times and may never be left unattended.
Make sure you read ALL of Yellowstone's rules about pets before deciding to bring your dog to the park.
You've got a popular question! Check out the answers to this similar question for tips.
Rangers usually work 40 hours a week with frequent overtime and
weekend work in the summer when the use of the parks increases. Pets are allowed in Yosemite only on fully paved trails and roads except trails signed as not allowing pets (pets are not allowed off the floor of Yosemite Valley, including the trail to Vernal Fall).
Pets are not allowed on unpaved or poorly paved trails, or trails signed as not allowing pets. For an entire list of pet-related regulations at Yosemite, visit nps.gov.
Death Valley is generally a dry region with some of the highest temperatures on earth. Its is below sea level, and the Rocky Mountians block most of the rain fall that could get to it. With the hottest temperatures in the US and the lowest rainfall totals it has to be the least humid place in the US. The nearest lake to death valley is dry as a bone (the dry salt lakes) so with almost no water an the highest temperatures it has to have the lowest humidity.
Check out this map for rainfall totals in the US: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/
Death Valley, all of Nevada, and most of California are in the brown and get the least rainfall in August.
This map shows the rainfall totals for the year:http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/index.php?…
There is an annual flood in Death Valley, but that s a once a year event, if it even comes.
According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_valle…
"Death Valley is a valley in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, and is the location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level."
"The valley radiates extreme amounts of heat, creating temperatures that are among the hottest on earth. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the United States was 134 °F (56.7 °C) at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. The highest average high temperature in July is 117 °F (47 °C) with temperatures of 122 °F (50 °C) or higher being very common. The valley receives less than 2 in (50 mm) of rain annually. The Amargosa River and Furnace Creek flow through the valley, disappearing into the sands of the valley floor.
While Death Valley gets very little rain, it is prone to flooding during heavy rains because the soil is unable to absorb the bulk of the water. The runoff can produce dangerous flash floods. In August 2004, such flooding caused two deaths and shut down the national park."
