We're talking about doing the big trip this Christmas season.  We'll drag the camper across the country via the southern route and hit as many CA parks as we can in probably a week and a half or so.  We've done Yosemite so that's not a requirement on this trip tho we're not actively avoiding it.  Priorities will be Joshua Tree, Death Valley, King's Canyon, Sequoia and Redwood.  We'd love to bag Channel Island but that'll be pretty rough w/ the dog being an integral part of our journey. 

We prefer to stay outside the parks where National Forests and State Parks tend to be better for pet friendly and wallet friendly stays.  But now that we're in a newer, shorter rig, the parks aren't out of the question.  We'll probably have the bikes so I'll also be interested in areas to do some off road riding. 

Clearly, we'll be spending a great deal of time on 395.  Feel free to recommend any and all.  We have like 7 months of research.  Not much reason to not hit the good stuff.

What say ye left coasters?

The trip to Avalon on Catalina via a ferry is tough for dogs simply because of the requirement that they be muzzled onboard the boat.  Other than that, it's no problem.

That said, it's difficult to see much of the Channel Islands outside of Avalon.  You really need your own boat to get anywhere but Avalon, and Catalina itself is severely restricted as far as vehicular traffic is concerned.  I don't know if any of the jeep tours allow dogs.  My guess would be no.

As far as your list of other parks, King's Canyon, Sequoia, Death Valley and Joshua Tree tree all fairly close to each other, but many hundreds of miles away from the Redwoods.

You mentioned Christmas time, though, and there's the big monkey wrench.  This year the Sierras (which include King's Canyon and Sequoia) got about eleventyhundred feet of snow.  This happens sometimes, and when it does it can be a no-go.  Christmas is early for much snow, but it can happen.

Personally, I really like Death Valley but the best stuff would be difficult to access towing a camper that you cared about.  Maybe consider detaching it at a campground and driving to Titus Canyon, Dante's View and the Racetrack without it?  If you plan on doing any offroading, you'd better have license plates on your bikes.  And big tanks.

Joshua Tree, for me, is only appealing if I want to climb rocks.  Otherwise, it's no more interesting than any other stretch of uninteresting desert. 

King's Canyon/Sequoia is well worth the effort if it's open.  Effing big trees, effing old trees and all that.

The Redwoods are amazing, too, but are 500 miles away from the other parks in your list.  I guess if you're traveling all the way from the wrong coast it is a relatively minor consideration, but it will take you a full day of travel to get there from any of the other places you mentioned.

  It's an XT250 so difficult singletrack isn't really in the cards. 

I missed that memo.   

Do you have chains for truck and trailer? All the Sierra passes will close if there is early snow of any significance. This leaves you the high desert route... and I-80. Maybe 50. And chains will be required.

We live in Ventura County (Santa Paula) I would recommend a whale watching tour around the Channel Islands, rather than visiting an island. Note: Catalina is south of the Channel Islands. I'll check on the dog requirement.

If you need a cheap place to land in our area, let me know. We have a friend with 3 acres that is all flat. Hemi can run around too.

More input to come....

So am I correct in assuming that you don't come into Sequoia and King's Canyon from the east?  Both are entered from the West??

Sherman Pass Road looks like a fun day on the bikes. 

Yeah, I fear all this awesomeness I'm looking at will be off limits.  Mtns typically socked in before new years?

Channel Islands info....

As it is a closed ecosystem, no pets are allowed on the islands. Service dogs need approval from the park superintendent. I've been to Anacapa and used these guys: https://islandpackers.com/

They also do whale watching and wildlife cruises around the island (no landings). I could not find any information on whether pets can come on a non-landing cruise; you might have to call or email them.

My one trip out that way was in September (two weeks starting from Michigan on LDW) and it was already getting chilly on the interior side of the mountains.  I fear you may get snowed out of much of what you seek in late December.  I thought Crater Lake was awesome and the north end of the park interesting too.  The topography was way different than the mid-west.  Lassen and Lava Beds NPs were geologically interesting too. 


I'd love to spend a week exploring Death Valley on the season's edge before it gets blazing hot.

Thread revival. This is now going to be our 25th anniversary trip. The XTs are gone and I don't think it's worth taking the quad or bikes. That makes the trip easier. We will also be bagging the Christmas timeframe and going late August / early September.  All else remains. Just started making plans. Will be a brutal drive pulling the camper but we've done it before. That part is a known quantity at least. Assume all parks will be accessible if not on 🔥? 

One of my favorites is Bristlecone Pines - it's a high altitude pass with a short trail that leads to a "breathless" view of Mt Whitney - if you are driving between Death Valley and SoCal.  Surprised no one has mentioned it yet.  It's north on 395 from Sherman Pass, which goes through a stand of redwood forest.  Take time to stop and walk the trail.

Wherever you go, allow time to check out the state and local parks, and sites managed by BLM.  Some of these are every bit as interesting as the more well-know national parks and although smaller, far less crowded, for example Red Rock Canyon in SOCal or Painted Desert County Park near Winslow AZ.  There are so many it's hard to pick & choose and you've only got so much time, so we never go far out of our way, but don't overlook them if you are passing through and see a signpost.

BC Pine is indeed a point on the map that should not be passed. Fun road up the hill, keep an eye on the tarsnakes there is one that is quite funny  . Near the top is a nice dry camping spot and being sooooo far from any city lights combined with elevation makes for wonderful star gazing.