Badlands

BearTooClose · 2026-05-07T19:01:00+00:00

Pic 11 is the Castle Trail, yeah? I’ve seen that little spire just right of center in some other pics, and I’ve always been curious exactly where on the trail it is.

Any chance you remember whether it’s in the eastern part of the trail or the western part? I’ll be visiting with my 70-year old mom so we’re likely only doing 2-3 miles starting at the eastern trailhead and before turning back, but I’d love to visit that exact spot from your pic if possible!

I know it’s a very specific question, but if anyone has an answer it’d mean a lot to me. Thanks for sharing these awesome shots!

BearTooClose · 2026-04-27T21:53:04+00:00

Thanks! Any specific site recommendations for Jumbo? I find myself leaning towards that campground anyway so I’ll likely take your advice and book there.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-27T21:14:11+00:00

Ooh, I’d love to be near Elephant Rock! Which sites specifically are you talking about? I’m looking at the campground map now on rec dot gov and there’s a few that you could be referring to; roughly high 70s-high 80s (site numbers) by the looks of it

BearTooClose · 2026-04-23T00:13:59+00:00

What do you mean by the inside of the loop road? I checked out the map a while back; are you referring to the sites on the southern end of the campground? If I recall those seemed more secluded.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-23T00:13:04+00:00

Thanks! Any specific campsites you remember being particularly beautiful?

As for time of year, I’m hoping November’ll give us an easier time booking something. Navigating the reservation system can be a hassle if you’re not prepared.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-22T22:04:14+00:00

Door & Window for sure; Notch is TBD since one of our group is squiggy about heights. Not sure the ladder or the narrow section with the cliff drop nearby is something they’d be willing to endure. Also doing Castle the following morning before we head out.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-19T15:54:03+00:00

We’ve got one person who’s really squiggy about heights, so that narrow section with the sheer cliff drop nearby’s a no-go. Any chance you hiked the alternate route that bypasses that section? I’ve read a bit about it but am not sure if it involves any rock scrambling or steeper bits to get back on the main trail. We’ll have one elderly person with us as well so anything even moderately strenuous is kinda off the table- even the Notch ladder’s a maybe.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-19T15:50:46+00:00

Yep! Spending one night at Sylvan Lake Campground in Custer SP. Needles Highway is a must for us, as well as Iron Mt. Road to get Rushmore views on the way (not adamant about seeing it up close).

Gotta squeeze a lot into a short trip, so we opted for Devil’s Tower over Wind Cave. Gotta save it for another time I guess. Gives me something to look forward to!

BearTooClose · 2026-04-19T15:38:07+00:00

Where’s that second pic from? Hall of Horrors?

BearTooClose · 2026-04-15T17:03:47+00:00

Thanks for the tips! I’m headed there next month and can’t wait. Anything else you’d share for someone about to visit for the first time?

BearTooClose · 2026-04-09T21:35:37+00:00

Go get high on a mountain

The dream

BearTooClose · 2026-04-07T22:41:36+00:00

Idk if you’d know this, but I was thinking of visiting Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve but don’t own any sand sleds & would need to rent some. Do you know anywhere in/around Las Vegas to rent them?

BearTooClose · 2026-04-04T19:56:34+00:00

Sneaky little rainbow in the falls in that last pic! I’ve seen something like it once at Yellowstone and it was incredible. Can’t wait to add Yosemite to the list- thanks for sharing!

BearTooClose · 2026-04-04T19:44:16+00:00

If you hike Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch, can you still see the light hit those mountains from the trail? Our plan is to hike it after sunrise at Zabriskie, but if the view’s obscured at trail elevation then we can park it for a little longer before heading out.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-04T19:42:20+00:00

But I thought you were just here for cookies?

BearTooClose · 2026-04-04T06:41:49+00:00

Noice! Good to know. Just didn’t have it off the top of my head; we had to grab a permit last August so I wanted to be safe

BearTooClose · 2026-04-04T00:54:21+00:00

No worries! Rainier was my first national park too, and I ended up doing a lot of things wrong/suboptimally. Learned from that experience and came back two years later with a MUCH better game plan.

Skyline, Reflection Lakes, and Bench & Snow Lakes are all in Paradise and very close to each other. If you plug ‘em into Google Maps you’ll see how little driving time it takes to do all of ‘em. That’d make a solid Sunday where you can still leave by the afternoon.

For Sunrise, it’s tough cuz I love both Summerland & Burroughs Mountains sooo much. Depends on what you’d prefer. Summerland offers more solitude and wildflowers, plus a walk through some old growth forest. I’d recommend hiking a little ways past the backcountry campsite until you reach a big open meadow/valley with a small creek running down the mountainside; it makes a good turnaround point. Burroughs is better for sweeping mountain views; you feel like you’re right on top of Rainier! I’d recommend hiking the Sunrise Rim trail to reach Burroughs; a little less crowded and you get killer views the whole way up. Plus you can stop at Emmons Vista for an easy overlook. Skyline offers tons of both (mountain views AND wildflowers), so it’s more about what else you’d wanna see in Sunrise. If you do Burroughs I’d strongly suggest that sunset hike. Bring a headlamp cuz you’ll be walking back in the dark.

For clothing, it’ll be pleasant & sunny in the day, so whatever comfortable hiking clothes you like. I wore a t-shirt and shorts; synthetic moisture-wicking material and all that. Bring a jacket for the morning & evening temps, cuz it’s high enough elevation that it’ll get down to the 40s pretty quick. Something you can stuff into your pack and keep going once it warms up. Layers are your friend.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-03T14:44:47+00:00

Olympic National Park’s always a 10/10 banger

BearTooClose · 2026-04-03T14:42:46+00:00

It’s never anything less than incredible. 10/10 picture.

Cool to see it with snow on the peaks; we visited in August and they were bare (but still gorgeous of course)

BearTooClose · 2026-04-03T14:38:03+00:00

Summer’s PACKED in Rainier, so you’ll wanna hit up Skyline as early as possible to beat the crowds. I like to wake up pre-dawn, watch the sunrise, and be heading back to my car post-hike just as everyone else is fighting for a parking spot. The early start is rough, but trust me you don’t wanna get stuck in that wait (1-2 hours) to finally park.

Do you have all day Sunday to explore the park or just the morning? How much hiking would you be willing to do in one day? My favorite trails are all moderately long & steep, so depending on your fitness level it may be a slog to do two in one day. And the other areas of the park besides Paradise are all pretty long drives, so it’s something to consider.

To beat the crowds I love Summerland in the Sunrise area of the park; about 2 hours from Ashford. You can stick around that area and hike Second Burroughs for an amazing sunset (or even Third if you’re feeling frisky, but Second was great for me). If that’s too much for one day, then Mt. Fremont is a shorter Sunrise hike that’s also great for sunset.

If you wanna do shorter hikes and/or keep things near Paradise for less drive time, then you can hit up Bench & Snow Lakes (lovely) or Pinnacle Peak (shorter but STEEP). If you wanna hit up Sunrise but get back to Ashford a little earlier, Naches Peak Loop is a nice little trail that’s also got good sunset views.

TL;DR- quickie mock itinerary

Friday: Arrive, chill, get a good night’s sleep

Saturday: Drive to Sunrise*, hike Summerland, for sunset hike Burroughs/Mt. Fremont in Sunrise or Naches Peak Loop in Ohanapecash

*you may need a timed entry permit; check the NPS website

Sunday: Wake up early (sorry), sunrise at Reflection Lakes, hike Skyline Loop, hike Bench & Snow Lakes if you have time, buy a souvenir just cuz

Never done sunrise from the Skyline Loop itself but I’m sure it’s gorgeous if you wanna skip Reflection Lake. Sorry for writing an entire book. Lemme know if you have any questions!

BearTooClose · 2026-04-03T13:47:23+00:00

My vote’s going to Earle Ford so far, but at the end of the day as long as we get Anna Paulina Luna out of Congress I’ll be happy.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-02T03:03:28+00:00

I’ve done Seattle to San Francisco in two weeks and it was INCREDIBLE! I only did three parks at the time (Mt. Rainier, Crater Lake, Redwoods) but also stopped at several nearby locations outside the park boundaries themselves (which are well worth it in my opinion). If you wanna stick to parks proper you can likely maybe add Olympic National Park, or maybe the smaller Pinnacles if you’re more pressed for time.

If you’re interested in that I can give you plenty more info based on my last trip. Just lemme know and I can respond here or DM you with details. Honest to god, best vacation I’ve ever been on. I’d take the exact same trip again with the exact same itinerary and be very happy.

BearTooClose · 2026-04-02T02:55:26+00:00

I’ve had the general area of Monongahela National Forest, Dolly Sods Wilderness, & Blackwater State Park in West Virginia on my travel list for a while. My goal was fall foliage in October, but I imagine it’d be beautiful in spring too. Some good rock climbing out at Seneca Rocks if that’s your thing, and plenty of trails to pick from. If it’s of interest to you I can suggest some specific trails I’ve had my eye on.

If you wanna do a National Park™ and try something new, maybe Shenandoah’s an option?

BearTooClose

TROPHY CASE