Let’s visit National Parks

[starry night]

I haven’t seen a discussion on this in awhile, so thought we might turn thoughts to it once again.
There have been some new designations to the list of full-blown National Parks, now totaling 63 (as opposed to the multitude of other National Park properties, like National Monuments, National Historic Sites, National Seashores or Wildlife Refuges).

DH and I have been working on accomplishing NP visits for a long while now. We lack only 4 (i.e., have visited 59).
Within the lower 48, we lack only Great Basin in Nevada; haven’t made it to 2 hard-to-reach parks in Alaska (Kobuk and Lake Clark); and must get out to American Samoa.

How are you doing toward NP visits?

National Parks: with year designated
1. *Yellowstone, 1872* * * * * * *
2. *Sequoia, 1890.
3. *Yosemite, 1890
4. *Mt. Ranier, 1899
5. *Crater Lake, 1902
6. *Wind Cave, 1903 * * * * * * * * * *
7. *Mesa Verde, 1906 * * * * * * * * * * * * *
8. *Glacier, 1910
9. *Rocky Mountain, 1915 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
10. *Lassen Volcanic, 1916
11. *Denali, 1917
12. *Acadia, 1919 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
13. Grand Canyon, 1919
14. *Zion, 1919 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
15. *Hot Springs, 1921 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
16. *Bryce Canyon, 1928 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
17. *Grand Teton, 1929* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
18. *Carlsbad Caverns, 1930
19. *Great Smoky Mountains, 1934 * * * * * * *
20. *Shenandoah, 1935 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
21. *Olympic, 1938
22. *Kings Canyon, 1940
23. *Isle Royale, 1940. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
24. *Mammoth Cave, 1941 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
25. *Big Bend, 1944 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
26. *Everglades, 1947 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
27. *Virgin Islands, 1956
28. *Haleakala, 1961. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
29. *Hawai'i Volcanoes, 1961 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
30. *Petrified Forest, 1962 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31. *Canyonlands, 1964 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
32. *North Cascades, 1968
33. *Redwood, 1968
34. *Arches, 1971 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
35. *Capitol Reef, 1971 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
36. *Guadalupe Mountains, 1972. * * * * * * * * * *
37. *Voyageurs, 1975 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
38. *Badlands, 1978 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
39. *Theodore Roosevelt, 1978 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
40. *Channel Islands, 1980
41. *Biscayne, 1980 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
42. *Gates of the Arctic, 1980
43. *Glacier Bay, 1980 *
44. *Katmai, 1980
45. *Kenai Fjords, 1980
46. *Kobuk Valley, 1980
47. * Lake Clark, 1980
48. *Wrangell-St. Elias, 1980
49. *Great Basin, 1986* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
50. *Dry Tortugas, 1992* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
51. *American Samoa, 1993
52. *Saguaro, 1994* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
53. *Death Valley, 1994
54. *Joshua Tree, 1994
55. *Black Canyon of the Gunnison, 1999* * *
56. *Cuyahoga Valley, 2000* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
57. *Congaree, 2003* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
58. *Great Sand Dunes, 2004* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
59. *Pinnacles, 2013
60.* Gateway Arch 2018
61. * Indiana Dunes 2019
62.* White Sands 2019. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
63. * New River Gorge 2020

 

[ElizabethT]

Wow, that is impressive! We have a similar bucket list, and have been to 45 N. Parks to date. Like you, we are still in need to get to Am Samoa of those outside of mainland US, most of the eight in Alaska, and to Great Basin for same reason as you - it is in the literal boonies, with nothing of apparent interest to see along the long 300+ mile drive from civilization.

Too many favs to list, so instead I'll focus on the oddities - why in the world were Congaree and Guadalupe designated as N. Parks? I can see them as N. somethings - perhaps Monuments, but as grand N.Parks? Emm, not so much. Same Q. regarding newly designated St. Louis Arch NP. A National Monument, sure, as is Mt. Rushmore (technically a N. Memorial), but a grand old N. Park on it's own? Would love to know the back story on all three of these.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

What do all the asterisks mean?

 

[donheff]

I'm only lacking about 10. Some I visited before they were NPs.

 

[HawkOwl]

An impressive total indeed. I thought I was doing good with my paultry 19 ��

The only one on that list that I would question being deserving of National Park status is the St. Louis Arch. Impressive, yes, but not a natural feature.

 

[djsander]

An impressive total indeed. I thought I was doing good with my paultry 19 ��

The only one on that list that I would question being deserving of National Park status is the St. Louis Arch. Impressive, yes, but not a natural feature.

That one is strange. Maybe a national historic park, but more of a national monument. I had to look up the difference between a national park and national historic park as I had been to some places designated national historic parks. National parks emphasis is the outdoors and nature whereas National historic parks emphasis is history. I can’t see how an arch and 91 acres would constitute a national park.

 

[finnski1]

Last year we did a 5 week trip and got 9 of them in. That only brings us up to 14 or 15. Got to get going.

 

[starry night]

About those errant asterisks

What do all the asterisks mean?

Sorry about the hidden asterisks that appeared when I copy/pasted the list. I think it is a hidden spacing thing, since the list I found online contained other details I tried to trim, leaving space holders, I guess.

 

[starry night]

Totally agree with the several replies about parks that we question deserving full NP status. One of the criterion I would suggest should/must be present for designation would be a lodge, or at least a pretty impressive campground and facilities.
Generally, these sites are deeply lobbied by Congressional representatives to bring the status, attention and revenue to their districts.
Also, I would think the size of the land involved should be a criterion….as in Gateway Arch is a small footprint of land. Congaree in SC contains a nice large piece of land that deserves conservation, but there are no appreciable services available there at present (surely plans to elevate services).

 

[Ronstar]

Impressive OP. We've been to 20.

 

[Mark1]

Wow, visiting 59 is impressive given how many our in Alaska and somewhat remote. The list made me count and DW and I are at 34. When I look over the list of remaining parks I hope to get to maybe the low 40s. I guess I really hate the crowds, as now-a-days I focus on new "Wilderness" areas and not the NP. IMO, there is nothing better than walking a mile, or so, and seeing the "Wilderness" sign along the trial.

 

[anethum]

National Parks can only be created in a bill passed by Congress. Any president, however, may declare federal land parcels to be National Monuments. Most of the recent new national park designations have been a result of legislation with bipartisan sponsors from an individual state, with the main (but unstated) reason being to promote tourism.

Several National Parks are only worthy of National Monument designation IMO, and I believe a few (e.g. Gateway Arch) should be in a different category entirely.

I have been to 49 NPs, quite a few of them more than once. I was at a few of them while they were still national monuments. Probably among the lesser-known parks I've been to include Wrangell-St. Elias, Great Basin, Theodore Roosevelt, and Congaree.

Some of the parks are universally loved such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, & Bryce Canyon. A couple which I think impress me more than most people include Canyonlands & Redwood, both of which I've visited multiple times.

Beauty, significance, or uniqueness are sometimes in the eye of the beholder.
I really liked Congaree, for example. I'm especially interested in plant ecosystems, and there's no significant lowland bottomland like it remaining elsewhere in the southeast. I had never seen a forest similar to it before. There are also some impressive old growth trees amidst the lush vegetation, though they're scattered and not concentrated. Another park which impressed me much more than I expected was Badlands.

Two adjacent state parks, Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon, on Kauai, are very much National Park-worthy IMO.

 

[Texas Proud]

I have been slow in getting to newer ones... have been going to some of them a number of times...


Right now I have 31, DW had 27 and DD is at 23.


I might have a couple of more as I was not keeping the list up. We went to Alaska last year and I do not remember which ones we saw... I did update with the ones I remembered.

 

[kgtest]

Going to Yellowstone and Glacier with my kids this spring. I'll have to snap pics for proof

 

[MuirWannabe]

Been to 44 with plans for additional soon hopefully.

Of the 44 I’ve been, I’d say they are all deserving of NP status. I keep a list of our top 10, and honorable mentions haha. It sometimes changes based on new visits.

Not sure I agree with other comments about what NP’s belong and which ones do not. Except probably the Gateway Arch being miscategorized. But that’s the government for you.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I did a quick count from the above list. Looks like I’ve hit 41 from the list. Still a ways to go. Most of my missing ones are from the second half (newer parks) of the list.

 

[DrRoy]

We have been to 51, with Great Basin and Isle Royal planned for next year.

 

[HawkOwl]

Well done!

 

[Ronstar]

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

 

[finnski1]

We have been to 51, with Great Basin and Isle Royal planned for next year.

Beautiful photos.

We did 9 parks last year and next year are heading to Glacier and several of the Canadian ones around Banff.

 

[Ronstar]

This thread got me looking some of my old pics. I think I'm going to revisit Canyonlands.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have been to 12. The only one I wish I had seen was Glacier when we were at Yellowstone but had no clue that they were fairly close to each other.

 

[Zona]

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.

 

[Al18]

That’s quite an achievement visiting that many parks. Some are easier to get to than others. I was planning to visit Dry Tortugas a few years ago, but never scheduled the boat trip off the Florida coast.

 

[starry night]

Great lodges there

Going to Yellowstone and Glacier with my kids this spring. I'll have to snap pics for proof

Two of our favorites, and so great to get to them in one big trip.
Great lodges there, but reservations needed so far in advance.
We’ve stayed at three in Yellowstone (Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs and Lake Yellowstone; four in Glacier (Glacier Park Lodge, Many Glacier, Lake McDonald and Prince of Wales over the border in neighboring Waterton NP Canada).
Have a great trip.