Field Notes: An Aussie’s Epic 2-Week US Road Trip

Aussie Brooke here! I recently embarked on a two-week road trip with two colleagues. Spoiler alert: We’re still on good terms—and even better friends! 😊

Why did I go?

As the Global Social Media Lead for Hipcamp, managing markets across North America, Australia, and the UK, it felt essential that I gain first-hand experience in Hipcamp’s largest market—the US. I’ve been to the US before, but only to cities. Conveniently, this trip also coincided with both our annual Global Team Hipcampout and Hipcamp’s 10th anniversary, so we turned it into a larger celebration, partnering with some of our favorite brands to mark the occasion in style.  

Who else went?

Global Lifecycle Lead Julia Allen & Art Director Julian Bialowas

The route

The journey was a loop, beginning and ending in San Francisco, covering over 2,000 miles, and weaving through some of the most iconic landscapes of America’s west. We hired (aka rented in American speak!) a 2022 Winnebago Solis campervan through RVshare. Julia and I shared the driving, while Julian was in his truck camper. Here’s a snapshot of how the adventure unfolded.

Week 1: Exploring California, Arizona, and Utah

Day 1: Carmel Valley → Free Dog Farms (Central Coast)

The adventure kicked off at the end of our Hipcampout at Camp Carmel Valley, when we hit the road heading south. Highlights included:

• A Whole Foods pit stop in Carmel to stock up for the trip
• Central Coast traffic (not so fun, though sammies from High Street Deli in SLO helped)
• Our first night in the van at Free Dog Farms in Buellton

Day 2: Free Dog Farms → Joshua Tree National Park

This was a jam-packed day featuring:

• A solar eclipse viewed in Santa Barbara
• Last-minute gear shopping at REI Santa Barbara
• Coyotes, lamb logs on the Jetboil, and me using Hipcamp’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) filter to find us a campsite for the night
• Sand. Lots of sand. (We may have gotten stuck—shout out to Julian’s Aussie-made MaxTrax for saving the day.)

Day 3: Joshua Tree → Sedona

Aside from the five-hour drive, we made time to do the following:

• Hipcamp teammate Allyson joined us for Joshua Tree’s Heart Rock Trail, which was a short hike but enough to appreciate the park’s beauty.
• We arrived in Sedona just in time to watch the sunset—the colours on the red rocks were something I’ll never forget.
• We set up camp for the night in Coconino National Forest. As an Aussie, it was great to experience multiple different camping options available in the US.

Day 4: Sedona → Flagstaff

A relatively chill day for the crew, during which we:

• Hiked Fay Canyon Trail about 10 minutes outside the city
• Followed that up with a cooling swim at Slide Rock Canyon
• Treated ourselves to a night at the High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff, complete with hot tub relaxation, a real bed, and much-needed laundry!
• Devoured some legendary Tourist Home breakfast burritos

Day 5: Flagstaff → Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon didn’t disappoint:

• We secured a last-minute spot in Mather Campground thanks to Hipcamp Alerts!
• There’s nothing like watching elk wandering the campground
• We enjoyed a serene sunset Mountain House dinner on the canyon rim.
  

Day 6-7: Monument Valley → Moab

These days were packed with incredible Utah highlights:

• Arrowhead Campground is one of the most magical spots I’ve camped at, set right at the entrance to the Monument Valley. This spot set us up for an incredible Navajo-guided sunrise tour.
• Visiting Natural Bridges National Monument
• Spent a night with @dirttrailswanted on BLM land overlooking The Needles in Canyonlands National Park.
• Hipcamped at Where The Wild Things Camp in the La Sal Mountains to explore Arches National Park. It was interesting for me to learn about timed ticketed entry into national parks—I couldn’t believe the amount of people.
• A dip and a shower at the Moab Recreation & Aquatic Center

Week 2: Through the Mighty Five and Beyond

Day 8: Capitol Reef → Ranchito Feliz

A whole week in! We took off onwards to see more of Utah:

• Driving through the breathtaking Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument was unreal.
• At Ranchito Feliz, our Hipcamp Host Roy welcomed us with his own juniper berry gin.
• Ranchito Feliz was the perfect spot for us to rest up—we all slept like babies for 10+ hours that night.

Days 9-10: Bryce Canyon → Zion → Las Vegas → Death Valley

On the move with some fun, unexpected standouts for these days:

• Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos were otherworldly! Just a short visit here. 
• Zion National Park hikes, swimming in the Virgin River, and brews on the water—perfection.
• We made a last-minute decision to make a detour to Las Vegas, which included a music festival (ended up at When We Were Young with some more coworkers!) and a night in a real bed.
• Death Valley was as scorching as you’d expect, but its sand dunes at sunrise were unforgettable. We camped at Furnace Creek Campground. It was hot!

Days 11-12: Alabama Hills → Yosemite → San Francisco

The final leg included:

• The night sky at Alabama Hills, seen from a borrowed rig from our friends at Airstream
• Exploring Sequoia & Kings Canyon, where we saw the largest tree on earth by volume. Wow! We arrived at 6pm just as the sun was setting—there was mist and fog, and the smell after a hot day was delicious pine.
• Hipcamping at Five Fours Camp in Three Rivers
• Watching the sunset at Yosemite’s Sentinel Dome, then settling in for some astrophotography with @absorbingphotons as the perfect end to a stunning journey.
• Returning to San Francisco to clean the van and reflect before my flight back to Australia. I was really sad to leave!

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat. This road trip wasn’t just a work mission—it was an incredible opportunity to experience the diversity of landscapes, cultures, and communities that Hipcamp connects with every day. The US national parks are incredibly different from national parks in Australia (namely the infrastructure: US parks have great toilets—we get smelly pit toilets in Australia!). From seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time to the small joys of cooking for friends around the campfire, it was not an easy trip covering so many miles in such a short period of time, but it was a journey of learning and bonding—as well as a reminder of the power of the outdoors to inspire and unite.

Ready to plan your own route?

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