Quick heads up: natural parks = any place that could be considered outdoorsy. Think national parks or famous lakes like Lake Tahoe. Forest and wooded areas can also be included.
Anyways. Instead of wasting my money buying a bloated 4WD truck/SUV or even a AWD wagon like the Subaru Outback, I could just buy a roof rack for my 4 door sedan, buy or even rent a mountain bike, buy some outdoor/hiking gear and I’m all set. But then I thought of something better: how about I get rid of the car all together? If I go the car-free route, I now have to consider how I’m going to get there. While I could go cross-country on bike (and I do plan on doing that anyways), I was wondering if some quicker forms of transportation (excluding cars) could be an option. Do buses and trains go to these places? Would they allow me to take my bike? Thanks in advance!
I was thinking walking the old dirt Gardiner road into Yellowstone, from Gardiner, Montana.
I’ve walked in and out of the park this way, as Gardiner was the closest bit of civilization where I could get my prescriptions filled.
Pretty flat if you stay on the road, about 5 miles. Roughly halfway there is a small, but tall hill with a tree on it. I caught it at the right time one day and watched a herd of pronghorns get a drink. Well worth the extra time it took.
In fact, one of the common hikes recommended at the beginning of the summer season for Mammoth Hot Springs actually loops up into Montana, and back into Wyoming.