Favorite National Park you have visited

[dnc]

Least favorite park was probably Shenandoah. Drive an hour west into WV and the scenery is much better.

Yeah I think Shenandoah is at the bottom of my list as well, just below Hot Springs and Gateway Arch which got an undeserved promotion to NP status.

 

[dnc]

Of the ones I've been to I'd rank them roughly

Tier 1 - Wood go out of my way to go back anytime I had the opportunity
Yellowstone
Mount Rainier
Arches
Olympic
Grand Teton
Glacier

Tier 2 - Wood gladly visit again
Grand Canyon (was mildly disappointing)
Crater Lake
Rocky Mountain
North Cascades
Great Smoky Mountain
Badlands
Wind Cave
Mammoth Cave

Tier 3 - Glad I visited, wouldn't go out of my way to go back
Gateway Arch
Hot Springs
Shenandoah

Incomplete - just barely been inside, not enough to have a real opinion
Petrified Forest (really liked the little bit of the Painted Desert I saw)
Mesa Verde
Theodore Roosevelt

 

[creepycoug]

Been to Rayonier (obviously), Olympic, Grand Canyon, Glacier & Yellastone. And the Everglades.

If you want to see wildlife from the minute you get there until the minute you leave, Everglades is en fuego. It's great for that. And in its own weird way it can be beautiful.

Glacier was powerful and felt historic. Loved Lake McDonald and the Lodge. Would like to visit Many Glacier on the other side.

But something about ONP ... part of it is that I grew up around it, and the other part of it is the combo of amazing wilderness, yuge fucking trees, alpine, and coast all in one park. It's also isolated out there on the peninsula and, IDK, just a fucking beautiful place.

Yellastone was cool too. Some unique shit there.

I agree with the PBS tag line: America's best idea.

 

[dnc]

Been to Rayonier (obviously), Olympic, Grand Canyon, Glacier & Yellastone. And the Everglades.

If you want to see wildlife from the minute you get there until the minute you leave, Everglades is en fuego. It's great for that. And in its own weird way it can be beautiful.

Glacier was powerful and felt historic. Loved Lake McDonald and the Lodge. Would like to visit Many Glacier on the other side.

But something about ONP ... part of it is that I grew up around it, and the other part of it is the combo of amazing wilderness, yuge fucking trees, alpine, and coast all in one park. It's also isolated out there on the peninsula and, IDK, just a fucking beautiful place.

Yellastone was cool too. Some unique shit there.

I agree with the PBS tag line: America's best idea.

I'm going to Everglades (and Biscayne and Dry Tortugas) with my dad and oldest kiddos in June. Really pumped for this . Wifey and I did like a thirty minute airboat excursion in the glades when we got off our honeymoon cruise out of Miami but didn't get into the park at all. Will see much more this tim around. Any recommendations in the Everglades area?

 

[creepycoug]

Torn between Rainier and Olympic. Haven't been to many others. Glacier like 30 years ago, and Rocky Mtn a few years ago. Rocky Mtn is cool, but North Cascades just at Artist Point alone puts it to shame. Have been meaning to do the Utah ones, have a friend who works at Zi-uhn. Need to do the California ones too. Crater Lake is cool.

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The only reason I can't rank North Cascades higher is because the dams changed up so much of the scenery and I like the illusion of virginity in my NP's.[/b] There aren't many views that compare to Shuksan though. And North Cascades should definitely annex Baker.

Highly underrated views.

I agree. That's why Olympic is so awesome. One ridge in from either side, and your ass is in the sticks. Very little of the park is accessible by car, so you don't see too many people - just animals and wilderness. When I was younger, my buddy and I walked in at Brinnon on the Hood Canal side, and walked out a week later at the Queets River on the ocean side. We saw people here and there, but never up close. It was one of the cooler trips I've ever been on.

I'd like to do that hike again. I'd like to be 25 again, too.

I did that hike from the Elwha to the North Fork of the Quinault (of course). Long ass trudge. What is that? 35+ miles? Whatever it was, I learned then: it's quality, not quantity. And we did it in like 3 days. I would say be strategic about exactly what you want to see in ONP and take the most direct route, get there, take your tim and enjoy it. Traversing the whole park in 3 days just ate me up, and I that was when I was younger and in better shape.

Correct. You walk a mile into that park from any direction and you are on your own.

 

[creepycoug]

Been to Rayonier (obviously), Olympic, Grand Canyon, Glacier & Yellastone. And the Everglades.

If you want to see wildlife from the minute you get there until the minute you leave, Everglades is en fuego. It's great for that. And in its own weird way it can be beautiful.

Glacier was powerful and felt historic. Loved Lake McDonald and the Lodge. Would like to visit Many Glacier on the other side.

But something about ONP ... part of it is that I grew up around it, and the other part of it is the combo of amazing wilderness, yuge fucking trees, alpine, and coast all in one park. It's also isolated out there on the peninsula and, IDK, just a fucking beautiful place.

Yellastone was cool too. Some unique shit there.

I agree with the PBS tag line: America's best idea.

I'm going to Everglades (and Biscayne and Dry Tortugas) with my dad and oldest kiddos in June. Really pumped for this . Wifey and I did like a thirty minute airboat excursion in the glades when we got off our honeymoon cruise out of Miami but didn't get into the park at all. Will see much more this tim around. Any recommendations in the Everglades area?

None. I was a kid last tim I went in there on purpose at the age where you don't pay attention to how you get anywhere. As big as it is, I don't think there's a ton of variation by region.

 

[dnc]

Been to Rayonier (obviously), Olympic, Grand Canyon, Glacier & Yellastone. And the Everglades.

If you want to see wildlife from the minute you get there until the minute you leave, Everglades is en fuego. It's great for that. And in its own weird way it can be beautiful.

Glacier was powerful and felt historic. Loved Lake McDonald and the Lodge. Would like to visit Many Glacier on the other side.

But something about ONP ... part of it is that I grew up around it, and the other part of it is the combo of amazing wilderness, yuge fucking trees, alpine, and coast all in one park. It's also isolated out there on the peninsula and, IDK, just a fucking beautiful place.

Yellastone was cool too. Some unique shit there.

I agree with the PBS tag line: America's best idea.

I'm going to Everglades (and Biscayne and Dry Tortugas) with my dad and oldest kiddos in June. Really pumped for this . Wifey and I did like a thirty minute airboat excursion in the glades when we got off our honeymoon cruise out of Miami but didn't get into the park at all. Will see much more this tim around. Any recommendations in the Everglades area?

None. I was a kid last tim I went in there on purpose at the age where you don't pay attention to how you get anywhere. As big as it is, I don't think there's a ton of variation by region.

tyfys

 

[Edwin_Bambino]

I worked at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park for two summers in college and it was an incredible experience, really glad I did it instead of doing bullshit internships. It was a very eclectic mix of people who worked there, college students, hippies who worked seasonal jobs year round, retirees who just wanted an excuse to explore the parks, and people on their last chance who were running from something and minimum wage cafeteria work was all they could get. I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience.

The Park itself is amazing, by being there two summers I got to really explore the Park and see the stuff you don’t get to see if your just hitting up Old Faithful and such. Would work 4 days a week, and then go backpacking and fly fishing and drink a lot of beer the other three with my brother, great memories. When I would get bored after work I would just walk around the Canyon and waterfalls, very cool to have as my back yard. I did almost get killed by a female elk who I legit almost ran into on a run and I got charged by a bear who broke off hiking once, but after I shit myself I looked back on those memories fondly.

 

[dnc]

I worked at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park for two summers in college and it was an incredible experience, really glad I did it instead of doing bullshit internships. It was a very eclectic mix of people who worked there, college students, hippies who worked seasonal jobs year round, retirees who just wanted an excuse to explore the parks, and people on their last chance who were running from something and minimum wage cafeteria work was all they could get. I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience.

The Park itself is amazing, by being there two summers I got to really explore the Park and see the stuff you don’t get to see if your just hitting up Old Faithful and such. Would work 4 days a week, and then go backpacking and fly fishing and drink a lot of beer the other three with my brother, great memories. When I would get bored after work I would just walk around the Canyon and waterfalls, very cool to have as my back yard. I did almost get killed by a female elk who I legit almost ran into on a run and I got charged by a bear who broke off hiking once, but after I shit myself I looked back on those memories fondly.

Are the rumors of the dope log cabin employee basketball gyms real?

 

[Edwin_Bambino]

I worked at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park for two summers in college and it was an incredible experience, really glad I did it instead of doing bullshit internships. It was a very eclectic mix of people who worked there, college students, hippies who worked seasonal jobs year round, retirees who just wanted an excuse to explore the parks, and people on their last chance who were running from something and minimum wage cafeteria work was all they could get. I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience.

The Park itself is amazing, by being there two summers I got to really explore the Park and see the stuff you don’t get to see if your just hitting up Old Faithful and such. Would work 4 days a week, and then go backpacking and fly fishing and drink a lot of beer the other three with my brother, great memories. When I would get bored after work I would just walk around the Canyon and waterfalls, very cool to have as my back yard. I did almost get killed by a female elk who I legit almost ran into on a run and I got charged by a bear who broke off hiking once, but after I shit myself I looked back on those memories fondly.

Are the rumors of the dope log cabin employee basketball gyms real?

Canyon had an outdoor cement court back by the employee dorms, I can’t speak for the other parts of the park, I never heard that rumor before but doesn’t mean it’s not true.

 

[dnc]

I worked at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park for two summers in college and it was an incredible experience, really glad I did it instead of doing bullshit internships. It was a very eclectic mix of people who worked there, college students, hippies who worked seasonal jobs year round, retirees who just wanted an excuse to explore the parks, and people on their last chance who were running from something and minimum wage cafeteria work was all they could get. I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience.

The Park itself is amazing, by being there two summers I got to really explore the Park and see the stuff you don’t get to see if your just hitting up Old Faithful and such. Would work 4 days a week, and then go backpacking and fly fishing and drink a lot of beer the other three with my brother, great memories. When I would get bored after work I would just walk around the Canyon and waterfalls, very cool to have as my back yard. I did almost get killed by a female elk who I legit almost ran into on a run and I got charged by a bear who broke off hiking once, but after I shit myself I looked back on those memories fondly.

Are the rumors of the dope log cabin employee basketball gyms real?

Canyon had an outdoor cement court back by the employee dorms, I can’t speak for the other parts of the park, I never heard that rumor before but doesn’t mean it’s not true.

https://twitter.com/ChrisDHatfield/status/1329859414279516167?s=20

 

[Edwin_Bambino]

I worked at Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone National Park for two summers in college and it was an incredible experience, really glad I did it instead of doing bullshit internships. It was a very eclectic mix of people who worked there, college students, hippies who worked seasonal jobs year round, retirees who just wanted an excuse to explore the parks, and people on their last chance who were running from something and minimum wage cafeteria work was all they could get. I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience.

The Park itself is amazing, by being there two summers I got to really explore the Park and see the stuff you don’t get to see if your just hitting up Old Faithful and such. Would work 4 days a week, and then go backpacking and fly fishing and drink a lot of beer the other three with my brother, great memories. When I would get bored after work I would just walk around the Canyon and waterfalls, very cool to have as my back yard. I did almost get killed by a female elk who I legit almost ran into on a run and I got charged by a bear who broke off hiking once, but after I shit myself I looked back on those memories fondly.

Are the rumors of the dope log cabin employee basketball gyms real?

Canyon had an outdoor cement court back by the employee dorms, I can’t speak for the other parts of the park, I never heard that rumor before but doesn’t mean it’s not true.

https://twitter.com/ChrisDHatfield/status/1329859414279516167?s=20

Ah, judging by the building I guess that was either Old Faithful or the Lake, the employee facilities there were supposedly much nicer than Canyon.

 

[RaceBannon]

I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience. [/i]

Small world. I don't think I thanked you for the ride

 

[Edwin_Bambino]

I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience. [/i]

Small world. I don't think I thanked you for the ride

It was pretty crazy. I was driving him and some opioid addict who had got fired for missing work for two days straight as a favor just because they asked and had no other way to get out of the park and by the end of the drive he was telling me about all the people he had killed in Afghanistan and how he was the devil when he was borderline blacked out, 21 year old pussy college boy me was beyond rattled. Still don’t really believe he was a vet because I knew he was lying about his Arkansas playing days because of course college football nerd me tried looking him up but honestly who knows.

 

[creepycoug]

I once drove a guy out of the park who got fired who wore the same Arkansas Razorback sweatsuit everyday, he claimed he played there and was also in the Special Forces, both of which I doubt, he was also a raging alcoholic whose teeth were completely rotted and drank two pints of Black Velvet on the drive and by the time I dropped him off in Gardner Montana he was telling me he was the Devil and didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do, no idea what happened to him but it was an interesting experience. [/i]

Small world. I don't think I thanked you for the ride

It was pretty crazy. I was driving him and some opioid addict who had got fired for missing work for two days straight as a favor just because they asked and had no other way to get out of the park and by the end of the drive he was telling me about all the people he had killed in Afghanistan and how he was the devil when he was borderline blacked out, 21 year old pussy college boy me was beyond rattled. Still don’t really believe he was a vet because I knew he was lying about his Arkansas playing days because of course college football nerd me tried looking him up but honestly who knows.

One thing for sure: there are a lot of crazy and lost motherfuckers out there. It's disturbing if you think about it too long.

I picked up a guy hitchhiking out to the Enchanted Valley trail head once. He was easily 7 miles out. Will never do that again. Holy shit. I had my buddy sit in the back and we were eye-talking through the rearview mirror the whole way. Dropped him off short of the trailhead (we were headed to the North Fork trailhead), and as I was crossing the bridge, just like First Blood I look in the mirror and he's crossing the bridge coming our way.

We had had some escalating words as he kept bitching about me not driving him all the way up to the trailhead and would not take a polite 'no', or a fuck off 'no', for an answer. When I dropped him off, I had to get his backpack out of the car and put it on the road to even get him out of the car. Bad situation. I slept with one eye open that entire trip, but never saw him again.

 

[creepycoug]

Angels landing at Zion is my favorite hike of any.

Arches is the most unique of any imo. Crazy rock formations and a lot of them look like huge dildos which is always fun.

Grand Teton though is my favorite in the country because of the mountains, lakes and wildlife. Seeing moose and grizzlies up close is awesome.

I've seen moose pretty close at Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Never seen a grizz in the wild. How close/scared were you? Were you strapped?

Grizzlies scare the shit out of me.[/b] 2 were in the meadow across from Jenny lake turn off. Saw them safely from the road.

They should.

 

[YellowSnow]

Angels landing at Zion is my favorite hike of any.

Arches is the most unique of any imo. Crazy rock formations and a lot of them look like huge dildos which is always fun.

Grand Teton though is my favorite in the country because of the mountains, lakes and wildlife. Seeing moose and grizzlies up close is awesome.

I've seen moose pretty close at Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Never seen a grizz in the wild. How close/scared were you? Were you strapped?

Grizzlies scare the shit out of me.[/b] 2 were in the meadow across from Jenny lake turn off. Saw them safely from the road.

They should.

Always wanted to fish the headwaters of the Yellowstone above the Lake but Grizzlies scare the shit out of me.

 

[AtomicDawg]

Angels landing at Zion is my favorite hike of any.

Arches is the most unique of any imo. Crazy rock formations and a lot of them look like huge dildos which is always fun.

Grand Teton though is my favorite in the country because of the mountains, lakes and wildlife. Seeing moose and grizzlies up close is awesome.

I've seen moose pretty close at Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Never seen a grizz in the wild. How close/scared were you? Were you strapped?

Grizzlies scare the shit out of me.[/b] 2 were in the meadow across from Jenny lake turn off. Saw them safely from the road.

They should.

Tell that to the Asians with cameras. I know my place.

 

[RoadDawg55]

I once almost froze to death at glacier. Got in my buddy’s truck last minute to go to Glacier. Didn’t even pack a bag. Ate shrooms. Went on a journey with a friend. It got dark. We couldn’t find our way back to the tent/truck. Never been so fucking cold in my life. The thought of being eaten by a wild animal crossed my mind while coming down off the shrooms.

Great place tho. Went back a few times after that a little more prepared and loved it.

 

[dflea]

I once almost froze to death at glacier. Got in my buddy’s truck last minute to go to Glacier. Didn’t even pack a bag. Ate shrooms. Went on a journey with a friend. It got dark. We couldn’t find our way back to the tent/truck. Never been so fucking cold in my life. The thought of being eaten by a wild animal crossed my mind while coming down off the shrooms.

Great place tho. Went back a few times after that a little more prepared and loved it.

Shroom stories are always awesome. Glad you survived.