OT: National parks birthday

[EdSaid]

How many National Parks have you been to?
Favorites?

“On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service,” park officials said.

Free entry at all National Parks today

 

[nwhoopfan]

17 if I'm counting correctly.

Favorites? Hard to pick, most of them are pretty darn cool. And such variety, not sure how to even compare them to each other.

 

[temery]

How many National Parks have you been to?
Favorites?

“On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service,” park officials said.

Free entry at all National Parks today

'Please do not use all caps.

 

[Pinhead]

18 NPs and a handful of National Monuments. Lived close to and recreated often in the Florissant Fossil Beds and Colorado NMs. Currently live an hour from Zion NP and a few minutes from Snow Canyon and Gunlock State Parks.

As nwhoopfan mentioned above, "Favorites? Hard to pick, most of them are pretty darn cool. And such variety, not sure how to even compare them to each other."

While agreeing with that, 2 standout for me:

While it's often excruciatingly busy, I believe gazing down upon the Grand Canyon has to be the most spectacular sight I've ever seen.

As for more up-close and personal, traversing the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands NP stands out.

Took a stroll a few minutes from home just the other morning at The Vortex on Bureau of Land Management public land. I like rocks:

 

[nwhoopfan]

Currently live an hour from Zion NP and a few minutes from Snow Canyon

I stayed in St. George for a week w/ my family one spring. We spent several days at Zion and one at Bryce Canyon (for my money the most photogenic place I've ever been--point your camera in any direction and you'll get a good shot). On a whim we went by Snow Canyon and thought it was just about as good as the NPs.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Okay, well I have a really hard time picking a favorite anything. But I live in Washington so spend more time at the NPs here than any other states. Mt. Rainier and Olympic both have a lot to offer and I enjoy both, but I'm partial to North Cascades. Almost no development, it's a hikers and backpackers Park.


I won't venture so far as to pick a favorite, but for outside of Washington it's really hard to beat the Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Sequoia trio.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I know this is about the U.S. National Parks system, but I've been to 6 in Canada as well.

 

[EdSaid]

Took a stroll a few minutes from home just the other morning at The Vortex on Bureau of Land Management public land. I like rocks:

View attachment 69432

You live in a cool part of the country. I like rocks also. Bought a few outside of Petrified Forest NP last week.

We took a ride westbound on Interstate 40 last week from Nashville to Winslow, AZ. Stopped at three NP's that we missed Hot Springs NP, Petrified Forest NP, and White Sands NP

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wandering off topic a bit. National Parks are wonderful, they are designated as such for a reason. They also tend to be tourist magnets. While I've enjoyed visiting many, I spend way more time recreating outside on National Forest land than National Parks. Some of those can be crowded as well, but it's a different vibe. And I've found the scenery/hiking options in designated Wilderness Areas in National Forests is often every bit as good as National Parks. I don't think I'm gonna try to count how any Wilderness Areas I've been in.

 

[Pinhead]

I know this is about the U.S. National Parks system, but I've been to 6 in Canada as well.

Yes! Been to Banff and Kootenay NPs. Another beautiful part of the continent.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yes! Been to Banff and Kootenay NPs. Another beautiful part of the continent.

No Yoho? Those 3 kinda come together.

 

[Pinhead]

No Yoho? Those 3 kinda come together.

Just looked at the map. We drove Route 1 from Golden to Lake Louise which appears to go right past Yoho, yet I have no recollection of it whatsoever .

 

[Bama fan]

You live in a cool part of the country. I like rocks also. Bought a few outside of Petrified Forest NP last week. View attachment 69433
We took a ride westbound on Interstate 40 last week from Nashville to Winslow, AZ. Stopped at three NP's that we missed Hot Springs NP, Petrified Forest NP, and White Sands NP

The girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford is on Medicare now , but Winslow is still a neat place.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just looked at the map. We drove Route 1 from Golden to Lake Louise which appears to go right past Yoho, yet I have no recollection of it whatsoever .

The highlight of Yoho is Lake O'Hara. On par w/ Louise and Moraine, which are just next door practically. There is a lodge and a tent campground at the lake, and trails galore that go to other lakes and up to passes.

 

[EdSaid]

The girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford is on Medicare now , but Winslow is still a neat place.

That's quite the little corner

I had a talk with my pals Jackson Brown and Glen Frey

 

[EdSaid]

Wandering off topic a bit. National Parks are wonderful, they are designated as such for a reason. They also tend to be tourist magnets. While I've enjoyed visiting many, I spend way more time recreating outside on National Forest land than National Parks. Some of those can be crowded as well, but it's a different vibe. And I've found the scenery/hiking options in designated Wilderness Areas in National Forests is often every bit as good as National Parks. I don't think I'm gonna try to count how any Wilderness Areas I've been in.

I know what your saying. I drove through central Arkansas, and found a lot of National Forest. Arkansas is a very beautiful state.

The big three, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone are crazy with crowds and traffic. One morning at Yellowstone I was awoken at 6:00am by a string of cement mixers building a strip mall. That same day, through a scope at 1000 yards, I watched a Grizzly maul away at a dead elk.

 

[nwhoopfan]

One morning at Yellowstone I was awoken at 6:00am by a string of cement mixers building a strip mall. That same day, through a scope at 1000 yards, I watched a Grizzly maul away at a dead elk.

That's a combination you don't see every day.

The big three, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone are crazy with crowds and traffic.

I'm sure there are stats for Park visitation. I'd guess some others like Great Smoky and Glacier are way up there as well. And Grand Teton is pretty much adjacent to Yellowstone.


I haven't tried going to Mt. Rainier for several years. It sounds like you can't even get into the Park on summer weekends now. You can sit at the entrance station for hours, waiting for someone else to leave.

 

[hoopsfan22]

No national parks around here otherwise I'd visit.

 

[Bigboote]

Acadia is my favorite, and my favorite place on earth. I’ve been to a dozen or so, plus various National Forests, Wildlife Refuges, etc.

The other place I absolutely love is Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai in Hawaii.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

yellowstone. when that sucker blows, its over. yellow stone.

that, the grand canyon, and the giant sequoia remind us 'who is it that we think we are?'
locally, and while not a 'national park,' we regularly paddle/sail around the various parts of the stewart mckinney national wildlife preserve.
Thomas Jefferson told them to build the lighthouse.

acadia is wicked cool, too.