Two loops from Salt Lake City: how much cash should we bring?

Hi there, We’re doing two loops: from SLC to Grand Tetons/Yellowstone from 06/25 to 06/26 (June 1–8) and another in Utah from 06/25 to 06/26 (June 8–16).

We’ve already been to these areas and are filling in gaps from previous trips—especially in Utah with Capitol Reef, Kanab (including White Pocket—we’ve already done North and South Coyote Buttes), Wahweap Hoodoos, The Narrows, and a few other little treats.

Renting an AWD SUV from Rugged Rentals and bringing a sat phone for the gravel roads.

I use a Revolut card for payments to avoid hefty foreign-exchange fees, but I’m wondering how much cash we should bring for 15 days.

Thanks for your input! Louis

Hi there,

Calculate the gas price using distances on Google and assuming an average of $4 per gallon.

I’m a bit particular because I live 100% on cash.

I don’t sleep in hotels, but that’s the only thing I occasionally pay for with my credit card. Otherwise, I sometimes sleep in campgrounds paid for in cash.

I spent about $2,500 in cash on-site, covering gas, food, camping, and souvenirs (I always leave with an empty suitcase...). That works out to $625 per week...

Not sure if that gives you an idea.

Thanks a lot! In a way, I’m less adventurous than you, so hotels and restaurants will be paid by card. I’ll take cash for ski resorts that don’t accept cards and for road-trip food, drinks, etc. I was thinking around $1250.

That sounds about right! 😉

For two weeks, we're leaving with $400 and two Revolut cards. Cash is mainly for paying for gas... we give $100 and the pump number, then the cashier gives us change, which lets us get some coins...

Yeah, I’ve got a big budget, but on my last road trip I did 10,000 km... So that’s over $1,000 just for gas. After that, when you use the Revolut card, you don’t need to carry a ton of cash 😉

We’re not as well-off as we were for our 2-week trip—this is our 7th journey—and we won’t even be getting the parks pass. We’re planning to hit up some offbeat spots: Parkfield, the San Andreas Fault, the James Dean Memorial, the Salton Sea, Goldfield...

Thanks to both of you. I have a standard Revolut card, so no more than 1000 € in exchange per month. I started loading it up, but a bit late, so I’m getting a second one for my wife.

Sorry, I’m gonna go off-topic from the original discussion 😉

The San Andreas Fault is on my list for my next trip. There are tons of things to do outside the parks. Nowadays, I hardly ever go to national parks anymore.

The Salton Sea is magical too. It smells really strong, but there’s a special vibe there. I loved Salvation Mountain, Bombay Beach...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5RiyMtii1rVNAvnCA

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is magical as well. Fonts Point offers a breathtaking view. However, a 4x4 is recommended because there’s a lot of sand.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FxMXtFCTjvi23Cqj6

Not far from Goldfield, near Bonnie Claire, there are some amazing desert expanses:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9dbw388UuW2EHFiz9

And also Big Dune: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2t6XyLd22oZRzzoK6

All of this is free...

No problem, don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions. You can even DM me if you want to fine-tune anything. You’ve probably figured out that the US is my jam 😄

Thanks a bunch!

For gas, I try to avoid using debit/credit cards (including Revolut) because you often have to leave a deposit with the card first (e.g., $60), then pay with the card (e.g., $50), and only a few days later the $60 is refunded to your account. It always causes a bit of stress and unnecessary transactions on the card. Now that Revolut limits free transactions to 1000 €, I’m not sure if the $60 (in my example) is counted or not.

Hi there, thanks! The 1000 € is for exchange transactions; it doesn’t apply to expenses, which I think are limited to 20,000 €.

Oops! You're right!