Ok, so my boyfriend and I are planning to travel through America next August....we're gonna try to take at least 6 months to do it I think, and we really want to see as much of the outdoors as we can (i.e. national parks and such),since we're both backpackers and climbers. My question is this....we were talking about driving from place to place but I'd rather hike... driving just feels like cheating somehow. The only problem with hiking of course is that we wouldn't be able to go to as many cool places.....So, any suggestions on what would be the best way to do that?
Reply to this If you plan on seeing most of America(U.S. I'm assuming?) then hiking is definitely not your best option. My advice is to get a car or bus to your point of interest and hike the places once you get to them. For instance, drive to Yellowstone National Park, and you could hike the park for days; or drive to the Appalachian trail and hike the trail (the trail runs from Georgia to Maine).
But then again, you might like walking long distance before reaching your destination. A few months ago I saw some backpackers hiking on a major highway, which personally I though was completely insane and very dangerous.
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Reply to this Why not do a combination of both? It would think it extremely difficult to walk across the entire US. There are some longer trails (Pacific Crest comes to mind, spanning Mexico to Canada, similar to the Appalachian Trail already mentioned) so if you're looking to stick mainly to the wilderness and natural as something like that is certainly a possibility. However, if you'd like to travel to different cities, or anywhere in the "interior" of the country you will need some sort of transportation, whether it be a car, bus, etc. Driving may feel like "cheating" to you, but it is by and large the preferred method of transportation in the US and a large part of our cultural heritage is centered around the automobile (whereas you might "backpack across Europe" you will most certainly take a "road-trip across the US").
My recommendation: Figure out the national parks or outdoor areas you really want to see, and then figure out the best combination of public transport/car to get you there and purchase a National Park Pass when you arrive (gives you free admission to all the National parks and quickly pays for itself). Inside the parks, you can then take your extended, back-country hiking/climbing trips but then you also have the freedom to explore the other areas of the country as well while en-route to somewhere else. Most national parks are on the western side of the country. Also worth a mention that it is illegal to walk/hitch-hike along highways and interstates, so you would be relegated to the back-roads which are anything but direct, should you chose to walk from park to park.
Reply to this Mass transportation in the United States is really poor, especially when looking to visit National Parks as they are in very remote locations. Also, while there are buses in some National Parks, e.g. Zion and Yellowstone, some trailheads are extremely difficult to get to if you don't have a vehicle. My brother and I did a tour of seven national parks a few years ago, and having a car was a must. As mentioned, you could do one of the long trails that goes across the U.S. without a car, but you would miss a lot of the country. Road tripping in the U.S. is a blast and gives you an opportunity to see some really out of the way places.
If you want recommendations on national parks, check out some of my blogs. Zion is by far the best, you have to do the Narrows hike, and Glacier is amazing.
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This is a good question, the public transport system in the U.S is not very good unless you want to go to the big cities. To go to out of the way places such as national parks its only mostly tour operators that provide services to these areas. But the the option of driving can end up being expensive because you end up paying extra for bringing your car into the national parks ($20) grand canyon, and so this along with petrol can add up quickly! I hear these entry costs are mostly only in the southern states and the north is much easier to bring your car to those out of the way places without costing an arm and a leg!
You could bus to big cities and try hitching to the parks but it is illegal in most states, so its up to you! Hiring a car for a while isnt too expensive if you want to go around a certain state without much hassle. My road trip USA blog
http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Sedona/blog-12960.html
has some info about hiring a car around Arizona. In the end i became annoyed at paying for everything, watch out for sleeping in the car the police catch on pretty quick and its illegal also.
It is worth it though, it is one beautiful country.
Reply to this I have to agree with bluenazar, the best idea would be self drive if you're planning to travel around the US through a tour op. You would then have a route planned out - less hitches that way - we might be able to help you there (you can find us on facebook). One other option if you're not up for the driving aspect - is a ranch stay. Many of the ranches are in wilderness areas and close to State parks, for example Yellowstone. The double E in new mexico offers hiking trips as do many of the US ranches which is great as you'll have a guide to introduce you to all the flora and fauna. You can combine a ranch with a road trip after the stay - or maybe place it at the end of your six month trip so you can take time out to relax.
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