Let’s visit National Parks

[pacergal]

Only 10 at this point, favorites so far Crater Lake (pristine water), Yellowstone, Tetons( beauty of nature and animals), Hawaian Volcanoes(power of the Earth), and Grand Canyon(overall grandness of it).

 

[NewEnglander]

I'm missing just 11.
I've still got to get to Alaska and Hawaii! My father was a school teacher so we traveled the country each summer with our travel trailer, by the age of 12 I'd been to 43 states. We didn't have much money but we had lots of experiences!

 

[ElizabethT]

We've been to 26 so far. A few of the Alaskan ones are so remote that I doubt we'll ever hit them all. We have been to Denali, Kenai Fjords, and Wrangell St. Elias, and would someday go back up to Alaska to see Glacier Bay and maybe Katmai but I don't think we'll get to Gates of the Arctic.

I also just realized that despite going to university in Tucson, I've never set foot in Saguaro National Park! Heading down to Tucson in a few weeks and will see if I can convince DH to increase the NP count to 27.

If you can time your visit to Saguaro NP to experience the spring bloom, I think you'll much enjoy. We hit it by dumb luck - we didn't know that Saguaro cactus had a spring bloom - and it was glorious.

 

[audreyh1]

We’ve really got to get to Glacier NP. I know things are melting. Will fly there.

 

[braumeister]

We’ve really got to get to Glacier NP. I know things are melting. Will fly there.

Back in 2009, I realized that I had spent time in 49 of the 50 states, but had never set foot in Montana. So I decided to rectify that with a road trip and got to visit Glacier for a wonderful week. It's quite a place, but climate change is definitely affecting it now.

 

[audreyh1]

We did a ~3 month trip in the RV following the Missouri River from St Louis all the way to the headwaters at Three Forks MT and then a bit farther following Lewis and Clark. We ended up spending a lot of time in Montana. It’s a big state!

From Missoula we drove north in the car to at least sightsee some. But unfortunately it was just too far to see anything but a huge valley.

 

[rodi]

I've been too 23, heavily favoring the western parks. I am adding pinnacles in March. My sister is methodically checking off her parks she plans camping trips and invites us along. She is tacking on Channel Islands to our group pinnacles trip... That extension didn't fit our schedule nor our plans to bring our dog with us. (Would need to leave the dog on the mainland side while taking the ferry to/from fit a day trip.)

I finally got my geezer pass (America the beautiful senior pass) this past October when we visited Zion.

 

[Ronstar]

We’ve really got to get to Glacier NP. I know things are melting. Will fly there.

Get there soon. We were there this fall, and the tour guide told us that several of the glaciers have melted. And the remaining ones are tough to see from Going to the Sun Road.

 

[Rianne]

Great list and pics. I feel like I've missed out on half our country. We're working on it.

 

[audreyh1]

Get there soon. We were there this fall, and the tour guide told us that several of the glaciers have melted. And the remaining ones are tough to see from Going to the Sun Road.

I remember seeing the huge Athabasca Glacier in 2002 near Jasper NP Alberta CN. Oh, the wind and grit coming off that thing! And the Columbia Ice Feld above! I imagine the glacier has receded dramatically since, looks like it from photos.

Also plenty of glaciers still to be seen in Alaska.

Glacier NP just looks incredibly scenic.

 

[Goldendoodlebug]

We went to North Cascades National Park in September. Only about 250,000 visitors a year.

Diablo lake is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. The color is unreal.

 

[Goldendoodlebug]

We went to North Cascades National Park in September. Only about 250,000 visitors a year.

Diablo lake is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. The color is unreal.

 

[ApeX]

I’ve been to a bunch of them. Now I avoid it due to the hassle of booking way in advance and way too many people.

Took the fun out of it for me.

 

[Midpack]

I’ve only been to 3, 4, 7, 12, 13, 18, 19, 60, 61, 62. Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Acadia were my favorites. Indiana Dunes doesn’t compare to most NPs. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is far more impressive than Indiana Dunes National Park IMO.

 

[skyking1]

November 2022 was good for us. We drove cross country and checked these off.
New River Gorge
Mammoth Caves
Arches
Capitol Reef
Bryce Canyon
Death Valley
Redwoods

 

[MuirWannabe]

I’ve been to a bunch of them. Now I avoid it due to the hassle of booking way in advance and way too many people.

Took the fun out of it for me.

We still go, cause we love them so much. But the reservation system sucks. Takes any spontaneity out of the equation which is part of what makes retirement great. Keep hoping the crowds will die down after a while. Seems like Covid made it worse. At least we blame everything on that.

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah, people visiting the NPs went crazy in 2021+. We spent several days near Rocky Mountain NP in September of 2022, and it was nuts! Reservation system worked OK - got online at 5pm the night before and we were able to pick up some of the best slots. They had to enforce these entrance reservations because the park was mobbed and people were in line at the entrance station for hours!

It’s just amazing how many people started visiting parks early Covid and just kept coming back! Really strict reservations for Maroon Bells too in August 2023. Aspen super packed. Telluride too.

 

[Cayman]

My mothers favorite - Isle Royale. She backpacked it many times in her 50s & 60s, sleeping in first come first served screened basecamps on the island. There is 1 lodge. Less than 26,000 visitors/year.

 

[folivier]

We've been to about half. Most of these were over 10 years ago when they weren't nearly as crowded and no reservations needed.
May not visit the rest. Our cabin is just a few miles to #55.
But we've seen many similar areas as some of these that are lesser known but just as scenic.

 

[iloveyoga]

I have been to quite a few and would love to do more every year. In April I am doing a little road trip to Hot Springs Natl Park with my Mom and two sisters. Stopping in KC on the way there and back; one sister lives in KC. I am always excited to see a new park.

Last year I visited the Grand Canyon in April, along with several National Monuments in the area, I loved it.

 

[audreyh1]

We’re visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim in April and the Petrified Forest on the way back. Both first time for me.

 

[folivier]

GC south rim is nice but lots of tourists. The north rim is exceptional. Very few people, especially if you take one of the atv/utv trails to an overlook, there are a few trails down to the water. If they're still open?

 

[Ronstar]

GC south rim is nice but lots of tourists. The north rim is exceptional. Very few people, especially if you take one of the atv/utv trails to an overlook, there are a few trails down to the water. If they're still open?

North rim is closed in winters. People can hike there in winter if they hike there from the south rim.

We stayed in a north rim cabin during the summer and it was great. Like you said - very few people.

 

[DrRoy]

Nice pics Dr Roy - Is the 3rd pic White Sands?

Third pic is Great Sand Dunes in Colorado.

 

[MC Rider]

There's more than 1 that I have not been to within an easy days drive. Gotta do something about that.