A Change of Plans: Fun in National Forests!
Confession time: something has been weighing on me.
If you read this recent post about our travel itinerary, you probably noticed that our 2027 plans include quite a few big-name National Parks, like Yosemite in California and Glacier in Montana.
If you’ve been a reader for even longer, or have perused back toward the beginning- you may have seen this post where I proclaimed that a big part of our “why” for early retirement is exploring the most beautiful National Parks- sure, I wrote about the more amorphous “natural areas” too- but let’s get real. It’s always been about hiking through Yellowstone, snowshoe-ing through Rocky Mountain National Park or seeing the sunrise in Glacier.
I knew with our specific travel limitations that it might be tough to find mid-term rentals- they had to be super close to National Parks, within our budget, and allow dogs. Plus, there are other things we need- like a washer/dryer, for example.
But, until yesterday? I had pretty much ignored that concern.
Here’s what I didn’t expect: the issue wasn’t really with the accommodations at all, but with the National Parks themselves!
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn! (Did you make the scary music sound in your head? I hope so.)
Maya is dubious about not being allowed into National Parks.
As it turns out, the majority of National Parks do not allow dogs on any natural trails.
Blasphemy!
JK. I get it. Dogs are amazing, but they aren’t great when it comes to preserving all of the flora and fauna. (I’d argue that humans are even worse at this, but I digress.)
Dogs are allowed on paved trails, which are usually the ones that are under a mile and take you to some very scenic waterfall or amazing lookout. Those are great, but a crowded paved trail is not really what we are going for here.
Now- there are a few National Parks that do allow dogs on most natural trails and as it happens, we are going to one of them this fall- Acadia National Park in Maine.
In fact, Acadia is the only National Park within the US that we will visit this year. Hence, why I just found out about all of this yesterday… which brings me to the change of plans.
Screenshot from National Forest map in CA from US Forest Service site.
Oh, but I do love a map!
So after receiving the absolutely devastating news (overreact Tuesday) that Maya and her brethren weren’t permitted in most areas of National Parks, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and started researching.
And do you want to know the most fabulous thing?
Dogs ARE permitted almost everywhere in National Forests! And get this- National Forests either surround or border almost all major National Parks! And there are often no entry fees! Or crowds!
Whaaaaaaaa?
Dig, if you will, the map above. Do you see the National Parks? They are in grey (because they are dead to me.)
Do you see how Sequoia National Park is bordered in the north and south by its eponymous National Forests? And do you also see how Yosemite is just surrounded by dog-welcoming, crowd-free beauty?
I honestly can’t tell you how happy this makes me. It feels like I’ve discovered the long lost holy grail of travel planning.
And if you feel at all curious about National Forests near you, I highly recommend checking out the downloadable regional maps that the US Forest Service has put out.
(And while we’re at it- let’s vote to keep funding those guys, shall we?)
So, it’s back to the drawing board for the 2027 itinerary. As of now, it looks like we’ll be spending even more time in California, Oregon and Idaho- because they are just littered with National Forests. I’m having FOMO just thinking about it!
Question of the day: Which National Forests have you visited, and which would you recommend?
Heck, let’s get crazy- go ahead and include State Parks too! I can’t wait to hear your recommendations in the comments below.