How an 11-Day Summer Road Trip Was My Longest (but Cheapest) Vacation

Booking an all-inclusive stay in Mexico or the Dominican Republic may seem like the best option for budget-minded travelers, but road trips across America can be far cheaper. In my case, I traveled from Seattle to Denver over 11 days in June/July 2015 and spent only $115 on accommodations the entire time. 


Combining digs from Couchsurfing.com, campsites, and reaching out to friends, I was able to make the road trip into an incredibly inexpensive -- yet phenomenal -- vacation. Add in the fact that I saw stunning sights throughout Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, it's no surprise that it was also one of my favorite (and longest -- both in regards to time and distance) vacations. Here's how I did it without without breaking the bank.

Couchsurfing.com is similar to Airbnb in that there are reviews and photos for hosts, and you can add filters to your search; the only difference is that, on Couchsurfing, hosts aren't looking for money. Instead, it's a community of travelers aimed to meet people, give them insight into a destination, and make it financially easier to take a trip. I found a lovely couple with an extra bedroom that offered to host us for the two nights we were in Seattle. We didn't interact much, as we were out exploring Seattle most of the time, but they gave us tips on where to go and all-around made us feel very comfortable (and safe!) in their home.

Our first campsite in Montana was in Bigfork, just a few minutes from Flathead Lake -- a pretty lake with excellent visibility on clear days. We reserved a $15 campsite for our tent in advance, and hauled through Washington and Idaho to get there before dark. We had planned to spend a few hours at Flathead but it was overcast and not as exciting as we had hoped, so we drove on to Glacier National Park.


After paying the $25 entrance fee, we spent that first day making numerous scenic stops along the narrow Going-To-The-Sun Road and ended with a hike to Hidden Lake Overlook (pictured above). Despite that it was almost July and the sun was shining, we crossed a lot of snow -- so if you go, bring layers! Fortunately, this meant nights were nice and cool, allowing us to zip ourselves inside sleeping bags for a cozy, comfortable (well, relatively comfortable) set-up.

Though some of the park's campgrounds can be reserved in advance, the two I had my eye on were on a first-come, first-served basis. After finding one of them was already full, that first night we stayed at Many Glacier Campground -- known as a favorite among bears -- for $23. The next day, with bear spray in tow, we spent our day making the Grinnell Glacier hike -- a strenuous, but breathtaking (literally and visually) journey. That night we slept like babies at the Rising Sun Campground for $20. Excluding the entrance fee, the total spent for accommodations in Montana was $58.

We then woke up early (it's a bit hard to sleep in when the sun is shining through your tent) and filled our day with hiking, visiting geysers such as Old Faithful, and checking out a variety of downright jaw-dropping geological features. That night we stayed at Grant Village Campground ($30.79), also on Yellowstone Lake; one of the best parts about this location was waking up at sunrise to catch the beautiful colors stretching across the water. 


Our final day included a hike around the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone -- filled with pink and yellow rocks and gushing waterfalls -- before we headed out to Jackson, Wyoming where we would be staying in a friend's house. If you haven't been to Yellowstone, it's worth a trip, but beware that there are TONS of tourists and it can sometimes feel like you're in a theme park; given this, I wasn't surprised to hear the recent awful stories coming out of the park. 


Tip: To avoid crowds, go hiking! The masses typically steer clear of the longer, more arduous excursions.

All the campsites we chose during the National Park part of our trip had restrooms, picnic tables, and fire pits, and many had showers -- that we may or may not have used… Sure, our tent lacked the luxury of a mattress or even the ability to stand up when changing clothes, but the value of it was unbeatable. Though I won't lie, after five nights of sleeping on the ground, lodging at a house in Jackson was met with (very wide) open arms.