Best places to be this summer!

[peacetara]

Hi everyone!

We are approaching summer time!  I thought it would be fun to cover the various places to be this summer!  This is great for newcomers to the vandwelling/RV lifestyle, but also good for us longer-term people to find new fun places to spend their summers.

My favorite place to be for the summer is along the west coast within a few miles of the Pacific Ocean, which generally means OR/WA as most of California along the coast is not super friendly to vandwellers.

There are Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA's) by the BLM for the summer  Scroll down about 1/2 way on this link (https://freecampsites.net/blm-ltvas/) for more information.

In general the consensus is, go UP.  The higher in elevation you are, the cooler you will be in the Summer. On sunny days, temperature decreases by about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet up you go in elevation. In mathematical speak that is 9.8 degrees Celsius per 1,000 meters.

Where do you recommend people spend their summer?

 

[highdesertranger]

it's -3.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet. it is also -3.5 degrees for every 300 miles north you go given the same elevation. these are generalization and are highly dependent on weather systems. highdesertranger

 

[Spirituallifetime]

I would like to be near the Pacific Ocean also. If California's forests are burning again this summer I just might quit work and go, I had a hard time breathing last summer with all the smoke in the air here in Northern Nevada.

 

[cyndi]

I love spending the summers in New England. Unfortunately, it can be very expensive and overnight parking can be tricky.

 

[skyl4rk]

Dispersed camping is allowed in national forests and state forests in Michigan.  Some lakefront areas are open to dispersed camping.  Northern Michigan is a paradise from June through September.

http://geo.msu.edu/extra/geogmich/nationalforests.html

 

[debit.servus]

Canada. Being in the Albertain plains has mainly warm/hot days and cool/cold breezy nights. The clouds and landscapes are beatiful, 16 hours of sunlight just 200 miles from the US border. Amazing Sunsets and Sunrises, and great recreation oppurtunities. Go to Saskatewan for a landscape like eastern Alberta with way less people (Or so I heard). Go to BC for the rockies, Banff National Park, pristine forests & valleys and more berries than you can eat late in the summer. Or go north for the midnight sun and comfortable temperatures in the sun!

Or if one doesn't have money, fuel or desire to experience the Canadian summer the northwestern states offer a similar landscape and weather.

 

[akrvbob]

I love the area around Flagstaff, AZ, Great weather and close to a big town, but not a big city.
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

I spent June-August in Wyoming last year and I loved it so much!! So much beauty everywhere and I had great luck finding internet. Highly recommended.
Bob

 

[Sameer]

Bob is right about Flagstaff for the Summer...it is the perfect home-base. Flagstaff is a fantastic town with everything a person could need. My favorite spot is Southwest Colorado. Cortez is a very convenient town. You can go from 5000 feet to 10,000 feet at Telluride. During the Summer they have lots of things to do. Blues Festival is the best. Three Farmers Markets between Cortez and Telluride too. Cortez has a very friendly Walmart. WIFI for the upper parking lot.

 

[Gigi]

This summer is when I hope to have my ran ready to go and start making some short trips. I live on the Oregon Coast so it might be nice to go somewhere new especially because of high tourist population! Yet, my van will be beach ready. Wyoming is my home state and Bob's blog made me a little homesick to go there---So maybe Wyoming and Colorado this summer.

Gigi

 

[Raven+Squid]

N Wyoming/S Montana works pretty well. Great lakes are nice too. Sierras and pretty much all of Oregon and Washington.

We are lucky in the states. Sooo many nice places.

We may check out Flagstaff in the summertime. Sounds nice!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Another vote for Flagstaff area. Great camping and a friendly town. Wouldn't wanna be there in winter tho.

 

[wagoneer]

Gonna say Dyer Nv. should be warm enough early May and a shakedown cruise for the new to me truck. Also going up North to Washington coast in June. Gosh life is good.

 

[akrvbob]

Colorado is fantastic!! Two places I highly recommend are Steamboat Springs and Leadville.
Bob

 

[IGBT]

So where in Wyoming can you stay relatively cheap during June and July?  We will be about 50 feet long pulling the boat and I wanted to at least motorcycle into Yellowstone but it is crazy crowded during the summer?

 

[WriterMs]

So where in Wyoming can you stay relatively cheap during June and July?  We will be about 50 feet long pulling the boat and I wanted to at least motorcycle into Yellowstone but it is crazy crowded during the summer?

Bob did a series of blog posts about each of his camps in WY. They are spread out on his blog list. The maps to his camps makes me think there might be some boondocking right off some of the highways, but I bet he'll check in here and let you know. Your length (and I'm guessing ground clearance) is sure to be more challenging than for those of use with vans. Yikes.

 

[akrvbob]

So where in Wyoming can you stay relatively cheap during June and July?  We will be about 50 feet long pulling the boat and I wanted to at least motorcycle into Yellowstone but it is crazy crowded during the summer?

I'm very sorry to say this, if you were in a van it would be very easy, but for your rig, nearly impossible. I found free, great camping at all the 5 entrances into Yellowstone, but there isn't a single camp I was in you could get into.

I'd say the best you can do is BLM land near Cody, WY and take the bike into the Park every day. It's a fantastic drive up along the Shoshone River into the Park!! There is a BLM office in Cody, and they'll give you great ideas for dispersed camping.
Bob

 

[Big Country]

So where in Wyoming can you stay relatively cheap during June and July?  We will be about 50 feet long pulling the boat and I wanted to at least motorcycle into Yellowstone but it is crazy crowded during the summer?

Yellowstone is Extremely busy during the summer months, There expecting record crowds in Yellowstone again this year.  I live in Cody and only go to the park in the spring and fall. If you do go during the summer enter at first light and get out by noon.  If your in the area around the 4th of July you should visit Cody for the 4th.
 There's free camping at the  city park in Powell WY, (20 miles East of Cody)   https://freecampsites.net/#!Powell,+WY,+United+States  
  There is no free camping between Cody and Yellowstone along  Hwy 14,16,20, but there are several pay camp grounds ( that are usually full). If your bringing a boat you might want to stay at Buffalo Bill state park,
   https://www.wyomingtourism.org/things-to-do/detail/Buffalo-Bill-State-Park/2180 
There are free places to camp north of Cody along hwy. 296 But I don't know what kind of rig you have and weather you can take it down back roads.

 

[akrvbob]

  There is no free camping between Cody and Yellowstone along  Hwy 14,16,20, but there are several pay camp grounds ( that are usually full). If your bringing a boat you might want to stay at Buffalo Bill state park,
  

Actually there is free camping on BLM land on the south side of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir.
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/cody-wyoming-camp-on-the-buffalo-bill-reservoir/

But, that's just barely out of Cody, so you are basically right. I loved that campsite! But his rig wouldn't make it into there.

 

[Canine]

We are lucky to have a beautiful and varied country.In the land and the people.