By: Megan Roche

After looking online at many of the National Parks and Monuments, former Long Valley resident Daniel Roche knew he needed to see them in person. The 27 year old recently returned home from a two week long cross country trek.

Before leaving on the trip, Roche constructed a custom bedframe and storage unit for the back of his Jeep Wrangler. He researched camping supplies and taught himself about different hikes available in all different parts of the country.

“I wanted to see the different National Parks and what better way than driving across the country? I wanted to be as economical as possible so I built a bed for the back of my car and only planned on staying in hotels every so often,” Roche says. 

When he left on September 6 at 3:30 in the morning, he made his first stop at New River Gorge in West Virginia. After spending six hours in the car, he did a quick hike and got back on the road. His next stop was Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

On that first night in South Dakota, Roche found a camping spot close to Badlands National Park and spent the night in his car. He learned quickly that extra blankets and supplies would be needed to keep warm. As he watched the sunset from the top of the Jeep, he knew he made the right choice by embarking on this trip.

“It was really cool to see how the country changes. Growing up in New Jersey, I didn’t get to see a lot of the landscapes that I saw on this trip. You are just driving through cornfields and farmland and all of a sudden you come across a river or lake and it’s beautiful,” Roche shared.

As he got further and further into his trip, Roche dined on ramen, pasta, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, and nuts. All the food he brought, he cooked on a portable camping stove in the back of his car. Although, there were also a few stops at McDonald’s and Chic Fil A along the way. 

As he drove through South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and Idaho, he saw all kinds of wildlife that the East Coasters will never see. From prairie dogs to elk, he encountered many different animals, but he wished for one encounter most of all. 

“I got some really nice photos of coyotes and prairie dogs. I do wish I would have seen a grizzly bear,” Roche says with a laugh. 

The park that he enjoyed the most? Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton, located in Wyoming, is about 70 miles south of Yellowstone National Park. 

“There were not many people at Grand Teton and it was really easy to get into seclusion. The glaciers are unreal. The mountains and the wildlife were neat too. There are lakes where you can go swimming, and the town of Jackson Hole is about 15 minutes from the park. Jackson Hole was just like Morristown but in the West,” Roche said.

Once he was done at Grand Teton, Roche ventured to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Canyonlands. He rounded out his trip with a visit to the Konza Prairie, a place with special meaning to him. 

“My Uncle Chris worked on the Konza Prairie when he was researching aquifers and isopods in graduate school. He died about six months (December 1993) before I was born so it was a very important stop on my trip,” Roche shared. 

Other stops on his trip included Yellowstone National Park, the Bonneville Salt Flats, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Box Canyon Park, Custer State Park, and Beartooth Highway. 

As he pulled back into home after two weeks away, Roche was already planning his next trips. Bucket list items for him include Glacier National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Olympic National Park.

“If you get the chance to go on a trip like I did, I highly recommend it. It was truly a once in a lifetime adventure.”