CRAZY SIGHTS FOR REALLY CHEAP
Are you used to the smell of your car? Used to making shitty tacos at 2:00 am on a campfire stove?
Used to scraping bugs off of the bumper at a gas station in the middle of South Dakota? Used to hearing wolves while you’re cooking, lightning while you’re sleeping, and rattlesnakes while you’re hiking?
Better get some gas, because we’re driving from The Badlands to Banff (and seeing everything in between).
Stop One: The Badlands
The Badlands might be as close to another planet as you can get while staying on ours. Spend a few hours on Castle Trail, but make sure to watch out for rattlesnakes. To see the best part of this stop though, you have to look up. Pitch a tent at Cottonwood Springs Campground and make sure to stay up late and see the stars- the Badlands is a dark sky preserve with some of the most beautiful sky you’ll ever see.
Stop Two: Cloud Peak Wilderness
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. We’re heading to the top - Cloud Peak. It’s a 22.5 mile trail leading from the bottom, well, to the top. We recommend bringing all your backpacking gear and sleeping mid-way. Make sure to get a backcountry camping permit first, and this will be your cheapest night on the trip.
Stop Three: Yellowstone
Sick of campsites already? No worries, this time you’re staying in a cabin. Head over to Cabin Creek Cabin via a 6 mile up-mountain hike. Bring some bear spray, because last time C.S.F.R.C ventured there, we needed it. Be sure to bring plenty of water, sleeping pads, and food- because here, you will find out what ‘nowhere’ means. Spend your days wandering the hillsides and watching the sun rise and set in the un-crowded part of Yellowstone you won’t see on any brochures.
Stop Four: Glacier
Glacier just might be the prettiest place in America (sorry Yosemite). Here, you will take two hikes: to Avalanche Lake and Grinnell Glacier. Make sure to take in all Glacier has to offer, from the bright pink flowers to the cool blue lakes. After, take a drive on ‘Going to the Sun Road’ and make sure to take plenty of stops along the way to see the mountain top glaciers the park was named after.
Stop Four: Glacier
Glacier just might be the prettiest place in America (sorry Yosemite). Here, you will take two hikes: to Avalanche Lake and Grinnell Glacier. Make sure to take in all Glacier has to offer, from the bright pink flowers to the cool blue lakes. After, take a drive on ‘Going to the Sun Road’ and make sure to take plenty of stops along the way to see the mountain top glaciers the park was named after.
Stop Five: Waterton Lakes
While this park is beautiful on it’s own, the best part might just be the free showers at the Canadian national park campsites. Here, we recommend staying at the Townsite campground to see views of an amazing lake just across the street. This is the closest you’ve been to civilization in awhile, so take advantage of it and go to Waffleton for the best waffles you’ve ever had (or maybe we were just that sick of backpacking food). Check out hikes at Lower Bertha Falls, and if you have it in you, another 11 mile hike on Crypt Trail.
Stop Six: Banff
Finally- the park that everyone from skiers to backpackers can agree is life-changing. Start your trip off strong with a visit to Moraine Lake and Peyto Lake- and see the electric blue lakes the park is known for. See some glaciers up close at Athabasca Glacier, where you’re only a short trail away from tonnes of ice.