7 Remote Locations We’ve Taken our Revel

7 Remote Locations We’ve Taken our Revel
From bumpy dirt roads to scenic pull-offs away from the crowds.
By Kelly Laustsen & David Somach

One of the main reasons we picked a Revel to adventure in is the access it gives us to remote locations. We love that the Revel has 4x4 and is fully self-contained with ample water and power supply. The van’s short length also makes it easy to maneuver on windy or narrow roads.

Since we are traveling in the Revel for fifteen months and then plan to use it for all-season adventures, we also needed our vehicle to be fully snow worthy. For us, this means a vehicle that can not only get us to snowy mountains, but also keep us warm once we are there. We added a few elements to our Revel to make sure we can get out of any tough spots, including beefier tires, an expedition bumper with a winch, and recovery tracks on the roof. (Read about other mods we've made here).

In our six months of travel so far, we’ve chalked up a large photo gallery of the van in beautiful spots around the United States and Canada. Although we think the best views are usually earned with long hikes, the Gnar Wagon has seen its fair share of pretty spots. We can’t resist a good van photoshoot! 

7 Favorite Remote Spots the Revel has Taken Us

1. North Cascades in Washington

This is one of our favorite national parks. The major roads throughout North Cascades are paved, but we experienced a few gravel roads to get to our hiking destinations. The roads were in good shape, not requiring 4x4 or too much ground clearance. We camped at the Colonial Creek Campground, one of many campgrounds throughout the park. You don’t have to go far into the park to get some amazing mountain views. This park is great for any nature lovers, regardless of vehicle or hiking ability.

2. Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada

Our Bugaboo experience was nearly the opposite of the North Cascades, with an extremely rough twenty-eight-mile road to get there. We aired down our tires for a smoother ride and took it slow on the alternating washboard and crater-filled dirt road. When you get to the main trailhead in the park, it is recommended you protect your vehicle using chicken wire, sticks, and rocks, as porcupines have been known to chew through brake lines. The Bugaboos are most known for mountaineering, with only a couple hiking trails available. We hiked a few miles in and backpacked on a rock face that provided views of Bugaboo spire. This spot is definitely one for the more rugged adventurer.

3. Saskatchewan River Crossing in Alberta, Canada

This spot on public lands outside of Banff and Jasper is a perfect basecamp for spending time in the parks if you are looking to escape the crowded campgrounds for a more remote setting. We camped at one of many informal backcountry spots and enjoyed the river view and fire pit. While this area is just off a highway, the road to access it was rough and we were happy to have high ground clearance.

4. Hells Canyon in Idaho

Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America, spanning a large area between Oregon and Idaho. We chose to view the canyon from the area around Seven Devils, which is reached by a 17-mile unpaved road that gains 6,000 feet in elevation. We aired down our tires to help with the bumpy gravel road and encountered some rutted, narrow roads around the Seven Devils campground. The views from Heaven’s Gate lookout tower are terrific and there are several hiking trails if you want to explore further. We stayed in the free campground which had large, wooded sites.

5. Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada

We drove around the Gaspé Peninsula in eastern Canada, which offers stunning coastal views, quaint towns, lighthouses, gardens, and the second biggest gannet colony in the world. The road is paved and - while windy in some spots - doable for most vehicles. We camped on a beach spot south of the town of Gaspé, which required navigating through some sand and passing under a low railroad bridge the van narrowly squeezed through. We would likely have gotten stuck on the beach without 4x4.

6. Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, Canada

The Cabot Trail is a 300-kilometer loop around scenic Cape Breton Island in northern Nova Scotia. We camped at a pull-off from a local road not far off the Cabot Trail.  

7. Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

We departed from the Blue Ridge Parkway for a night to camp in the Linville Gorge Wilderness and watch the sunset from the ridge. The road to our primitive camping spot was one of the roughest we’ve encountered, with large rocks and holes. We were almost dissuaded from continuing when we encountered a lifted Jeep Cherokee turning around, but we found a route up and were again amazed at the Revel’s capabilities. 

We think some of the best adventures are still ahead of us, including winter in the Rockies and next summer in western Canada and Alaska. We love that our Revel never holds us back and keeps us safe and comfortable wherever we go. 

Where are some of your favorite remote locations you've gone in your RV?