Favorite national park?

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger r ................ there truly isn't a bad one as long as you can go slightly off season.....................

I'd add, also, as long as you get away from the parking areas. Even the most crowded parks are pretty empty once you hike 1/4 mile or more away from the big parking lots. Most people like to show up in their RV, lean against a railing, shoot a couple of pictures then tear off for the next lot.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger r .... But there are some gems of equal quality that are seldom visited among the National Monuments. And I'm not telling my favorites of those.

Hey, I showed you mine.

[roger r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe Hey, I showed you mine.

All right..all right.

Hovenweep N.M. is in a remote part of SW Colorado. It has some pretty neat Anasazi ruins, though nothing like Mesa Verde. There is a smallish camping area that has never been full when I've been there (maybe 6-8 times). A few hiking trails. And plenty of quiet and blue skies. No huge dramatic landscapes, just a cool place to relax and soak it in. But very hot in mid-summer.

So you can actually drive from there to another favorite in half a day. Natural Bridges in Utah. Another nice camping area, but slightly more crowded. I think there are about 25 camp sites. It has some of the largest natural bridges in the world that span the canyons there. You can hike done under the bridges as either a strenuous or moderate hike. And it's centrally located to explore almost countless ancient ruins and cultural sites on near-by federal land on the Colorado Plateau.

Now, since you are already in canyonland country, you can do another half day drive to Capitol Reef NP. It is probably one of the least crowded National Parks I've visited and very neat also.

Oh, if you really want some quiet, try Dinosaur National Monument. I actually think I've seen it documented as one of the quietest places in the US. The place is huge and has great overlooks of deeply carved canyons, some dinosauer stuff for the kids, white water rafting, and a large network of dirt roads you can bump around on or mtn bike.

So...don't tell anyone, OK.

[harley]

My personal favorite is Assateague National Seashore. It's a short 15 minutes down the road from me. We go there when we go to the beach. I love seeing the ponies and all the other wildlife, and going offroad in the sand. I just found out yesterday they have River Otters out there, so I have something new to watch for on the kayak trips.

My mother lives in a small area on the Shenandoah River (South Fork) nestled in between the Shenandoah National Park and the Jefferson National Forest. When I go see her (and have a little spare time) I drive home via the Skyline Drive. A little out of the way, but oh so beautiful. Especially on weekdays, when the crowds are thinner. Just past prime leaf season now, but still a wonderful trip.

Also a big fan of the Appalachian Trail, a National Scenic Trail. In my life I've hiked all of it's length in VA and WV (all 4 miles lol), all of Maryland, and about 40 miles each in NC and PA. One of my retirement dreams is to through hike the whole trail (currently 2178 miles). It would take me about 6 months. I have a number of issues to resolve first, including getting in shape and not getting killed when I tell DW I'll see her in 6 months, and oh yeah, send me all these food packages.

I'm planning to see most if not all of the NPs in my remaining years too. I can't think of a more rewarding bucket list item.

[BigBob]

Favorite: Grand Tetons - camping at Jenny Lake campground and hiking up to Lake Solitude.
Soon-to-be-favorite: Glacier - seen the pictures and headed there next summer.
Close faves: Rockies, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Yellowstone.

[travelover]

My favorite National Monument is Cedar Breaks in Utah. The summer wildflowers there are beyond description.

[Red_y]

It's far off the beaten path in southern Utah, but Zion National Park is not to be missed:

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red_y It's far off the beaten path in southern Utah, but Zion National Park is not to be missed:

Agreed...Zion NP is very nice!!!

[WhoDaresWins]

Harley...I have to agree with you on incomparable beauty of both Assateague and the Skyline Drive. There was a program earlier this week on the National Geographic channel about the AT. They profiled various people hiking the 4 sections. One fellow was in his 70's(from HI) and he took 6 months to hike the entire trail from Georgia to Maine. I guess they recommend starting in Maine and going to GA due to the fact that Maine can get snow early and some of the trails there can close in the early fall.

[harley]

Actually, most people start at Springer Mt in GA in early spring (March-April), so they can get to Maine before it gets too cold. I'd hate to have to finish my hike through the VA, NC, and GA in the hot part of the summer.