Once we left Yellowstone National Park we continued west to see family and then south the escape the colder weather. Although our plans changed a few times (the blessing of having flexible plans!) we kept on track to stay ahead of below freezing temperatures.
Our first stop after Yellowstone was at Silver Creek Campsites near Carey, ID to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument. Silver Creek is another dry camping location but we managed to snag a site that had a picnic table and pit toilet nearby. We were right next to the stream and had beautiful views of the peaks in the distance.
Craters of the Moon National Monument is a unique area covered in ancient lava flows and sagebrush with cinder cones and caves to explore throughout the park. We visited on a Saturday and took the time to explore as many trails as we could. The girls and I also obtained a free permit to walk through Indian Tunnel, one of the caves in the park open to visitors. Although we didn’t get to everything we wanted to see, we still enjoyed our visit to this special landscape.
Our next couple stops were quick ones, staying at Celebration Park near Melba, ID and Expo Center RV Park in Redmond, OR before stopping for 12 days at Tumalo State Park in Bend, OR. Although Celebration Park was inexpensive and beautiful we would not attempt to camp there again. The road into the camping area from the visitor center was riddled with potholes and I don’t recommend attempting it with a larger trailer or motorhome.
The Expo Center RV Park was a campground we had stayed at before and we appreciated having full hookups for a night after a week of dry camping. We don’t normally pay $57/night for camping but we were a day early for our reservations at Tumalo State Park and needed a quiet, safe place to stay.
Last time we were in Oregon, and for the years prior, we dry camped about 30 minutes outside of Bend. This time we wanted a safer, more secure place to call home for a couple weeks so I made a reservation for Tumalo State Park as soon as the 6-month reservation window opened. Oregon state parks are pretty popular during the summer and shoulder seasons and we were happy to snag a spot at Tumalo.
Tumalo State Park was the perfect base for us to visit family from, being only 10-15 minutes from them. We had full hookups, just enough sky for Starlink to work, and the weather couldn’t have been better. The camp hosts were helpful, the other campers were quiet, and we never had to worry about anything being stolen. Our site was large enough for our trailer and we could squeeze the truck in if we wanted to, but most of the time we opted to park in the overflow parking at the entrance to the park. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures here (too busy spending time with family and working, I guess).
During our stay at Tumalo State Park I took a day to bring our girls to Petersen Rock Garden. Our youngest loves rocks and this was a great place to explore the rock art, learn about some different types of rocks, and even feed the peacocks!
As we considered our next move, we had to abandon original plans to stop by Crater Lake National Park, as the park was expecting snow and we wanted no part of that. Instead we opted to head to the Oregon coast and spent a wet, cool week at Lagoon Campground just south of Florence, OR. Although the park was lovely and quiet, with great trails and access to the beach along the Pacific Ocean, we had absolutely no cell service and there were too many trees to get a workable signal with Starlink. I ended up parking near the beach to work from the truck in the mornings and taking the kids to the library in Florence to work and do schoolwork in the afternoons.
Leaving the Oregon coast we headed southeast to stop for a night at Chicahominy Reservoir near Riley, OR and then on to Westside Campground in Rye Patch State Recreation Area north of Lovelock, NV. Chicahominy Reservoir was almost empty at the time of our visit so it was incredibly quiet. For $8 we had access to pit toilets, fresh water, and an open sky.
Westside Campground in Rye Patch State Recreation Area was worth a stop, even though the showers and toilets were closed while we were there, which was our main reason for picking the campground. However, we did have a water spigot, picnic table, and grill, and there was a dumpster an easy walk away. Note when booking this campground: The booking website lists the campgrounds as Upper and Lower. Westside is the upper campground, River is the lower campground.
After a week at Rye Patch State Recreation Area we continued south toward Caliente, NV. We overnighted at Miller’s Rest Area (a large open lot at a rest stop with fresh water and a dump station) and proceeded to Chief Mountain South camping area, an OHV staging campground with picnic tables and a vault toilet. The road in is a bit rough but nothing our rig couldn’t handle.
Our main reason for stopping here for a few nights was to visit Oak Springs Trilobite Area. Like I mentioned before, our youngest daughter loves rocks and we thought this free dig site would a great place for her to dig in and break open all the rocks she wanted. There are tools to borrow at the trailhead and it’s a short 1/4 mile walk to the dig area. We visited twice and were able to find and keep a few fossils to show our friends and family back at home.
We took a rare mid-week travel day to continue our travels south, with plans to stay for a week or two near Valley of Fire State Park. However, our drive took longer than we had hoped (okay, I didn’t plan very well) and we would have arrived at our dry camping location in the dark, which is less than ideal. We had stopped at a Love’s Truck Stop to get fuel and propane and to discuss what we should do, when an employee informed us that their back parking lot can be used by RVers to stay overnight for free. I verified that we could stay as long as we needed (I had to work the next day) and picked out a spot to pull into, set up, and make dinner. Overall, it wasn’t a bad night/day for a truck stop and we were grateful for a safe place to sleep and work.
We finished the month of October at Las Vegas Bay Campground on Lake Mead, just outside of Las Vegas, NV. We’ve stayed here before and always appreciate being so close to fresh water, flush toilets, and a dump station.
Overall our first two months back on the road were great. We encountered changes to our plans, visited family, and stopped in a few familiar areas as we headed west and south from our home base. Stay tuned for more adventures from 2025 and into 2026!
What do you think of our travels in 2025 so far? Let us know in the comments! You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook @simplejoyfuljourney, or email me at alicia@simplejoyfuljourney.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page before you go. Have a great week!