We are retiring soon and interested in loading up our dogs and doing some off grid camping in our small travel trailer.
We love hiking, fishing and beautiful scenery.
Any suggestions on the safest and best places to go?
Hi Debra, Congrats on retirement! I have always loved the Eastern Sierra’s and have never ran into any issues while there. They do have Black bears but have always been docile and easy to scare off if they come around. I am always camping in altitudes higher than 7,000 ft while there and have never came across any snakes at higher altitudes so that’s a plus. Although, on the Western side of the Sierra’s in King’s Canyon, they do have a few rattle snakes. Anywhere from Bishop to Lake Tahoe has great scenery and hikes.
@Debra_F First of all, congratulations on your upcoming retirement! Since retiring ourselves, we have traveled all over the country several times. Your questions is difficult to answer as there is so much to see and do and you don’t mention where your home base is. A lot depends on the season. In general, I would recommend not traveling in the summer months if you can avoid it - too many crowds and bugs! I love mountains, waterfalls, and the ocean so we tend to gravitate toward areas with those features. The Oregon coast is beautiful as is Colorado. Utah offers incredible scenery. We don’t travel with dogs but make sure you pay attention to places where you cannot bring your dogs (for example, I believe you cannot bring dogs on the trails in national parks but I may be wrong on that). Have fun exploring!
We live in NE Kansas. Although a nice place to live, we are looking to explore other areas of the country.
We are experienced campers but not backpackers.
And because we are retiring, it is necessary to keep our “adventure” expenses as low as possible.
We are in our early 70’s but very healthy and active. After all, age is only a number. Lol.
Thank you for your response. It is very helpful.
Congrats! We’ve boondocked all over the country for the past 9 years in our vintage travel trailer. There are safe spots everywhere. Planning to go solar? Here’s a blog that will help you find numerous free and inexpensive sites: https://shrsl.com/32tvi
Regarding dogs in parks, every park is different, and for some, it depends on the time of year. Just check with the national park you are visiting for specific details.