Favorite National Park you have visited

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

So Cal parks:

After a couple days in San Fran (including accidentally going downtown the morning of the gay pride parade..."accidentally" "") we drove down Pac Coast Highway. It was very cool but honestly I think we liked the Oregon Coast better. One cool stop was San Simeon to see the bull elephant seals argue with each other. These things make @CFetters_Nacho_Lover look sleek. We spent three days in LA seeing various sights, then ended our tim in LA with a boat trip out of Oxnard to the Channel Islands

Channel Islands NP[/b]: Similar to Dry Tortugas in that you can only reach it via boat or floatplane, Channel Islands was super cool. We had a halfday wildlife watching boat tour with Island Packers (this went to the closest island Anacapa but we didn't set foot on the island). As we're getting everybody out of the van to go to the boat some kid sees our car tag, run up behind us and says "are you from Mississippi?" When traveling I always tell people we're from Memphis rather than Mississippi - it just sounds better, especially nationally. So when the kid asked me that I braced myself. I said "yes" he said "no way we are too." I was like, cool what part? He said "Olive Branch". Now I'm not sure if we're being punched. But then they referenced by Sonics hoody and said their dad was from Washington they lived in Olive Branch. Turns out they are in the same school district as my kids, they had a daughter my daughter's age and they hung out the whole tim on the boat. And of course the two girls ended up in the same first grade class this year.

Small. Freaking. World.

The boat tour was great. Only complaint was it was cloudy the whole tim but otherwise super cool. Saw big pods of dolphins both directions - bottlenose on the way out and a massive pod of common dolphins on the way back. The kids swore they saw a baby dolphin. I saw a shark at one point. And there were tons and tons of sea lions soaking up the sun when we cruised around the backside of the island. Good times. Really cool VC back on the mainland too.

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After the boat tour we drove east across @RaceBannon territory towards Joshua Tree. We stopped to see the Cabazon Dinosaurs and saw a roadrunner in the parking lot on our way out. Continuing east we had a hotel booked in Yucca Valley. Unfortunately they had a power outage scheduled for the south side of the road that night at 8pm. We checked in at like 7:40pm. Thankfully Habibi warned us and we were able to find a room at a super ghetto Travelodge with a saguaro out front.

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The next morning we hit Joshua Tree NP[/b] which is apparently the completely wrong tim to do it. The park is known for it's wild sunsets and stargazing. We saw neither. We were greeted by this sign though.

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#Goals

We drove through the park, stopping to hike up to a vista of the Coachella Valley, which is, uhh, sparse and dry.

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The joshua trees were cool though, as was Skull Rock and the cholla cactus gardens.

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We hit the Oasis of Mara on the way out and at this poont it was pretty clear the whole family was done with this sightseeing business, so I called an audible and said "why don't we just drive straight to Vegas and skip Death Valley". This was a very popular decision in the DNC family, though I was sad to skip an iconic NP like that. I was super spoiled though - they had humored me so much for almost four full weeks at this point and I knew it so it was tim for me to make a small sacrifice for them.

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FREE PUB!!!

And while I’ve not been to Death Valley NP, the Army has a huge desert training center that borders the southern end of the park. I’ve been there 4 times and thankfully May was the hottest month out of the 4 trips and that was hot enough for me. I couldn’t imagine being there in July or August.

 

[TurdBomber]

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He smiles with the same intensity he played with.

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

I’m currently waddling my way through Utah. Flew into SLC on Wednesday and drove south to St George. Stayed the night there and hiked in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.

Made it to Springdale/Zion yesterday and headed into the park today.

Rented a car through Turo and I think of @89ute everytime I load the luggage.

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

Update from Zion. There are way too many people here. Half of them shouldn’t be allowed off of their bus because they’re too old, fat, slow or just plain dumb to be walking on a fucking trail.
On the plus side - no not my weight - renting an e-bike is the best advice for visiting this place.

 

[1to392831weretaken]

If you get back to SLC, hit up Epic Brewing. Having a couple of their Big Bad Baptist varieties this very evening. Awesome stuff.
@CFetters_Nacho_Lover

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

If you get back to SLC, hit up Epic Brewing. Having a couple of their Big Bad Baptist varieties this very evening. Awesome stuff.
@CFetters_Nacho_Lover

We fly out Wednesday afternoon so there might be enough time for another brewery.

 

[TurdBomber]

Not a National Park, but walked around the Flat Irons in Boulder recently on a day trip from Denver/Aurora where my oldest is in Grad School these days.
I could use some help with some non-Venezuelan Denver/Aurora watering holes to hit when we're visiting my kid, cause I barely know shit about Denver. Day-tripped to Golden. Meh. Boulder & the Flatirons were nice though. Did hit Wings Over the Rockies for some decent food & brews, but it was a White Wakanda Yuppie Fest, IMHO.

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

Updates from my waddles through Utah.

1st day at Zion was on e-bikes (ask for the Nacho special) and we ride all the way to beginning of the Narrows which is a very very popular trail. We looked at it, realized you have to go through the river and said no thanks.
Trailhead there was over crowded as the shuttle stops there and everyone walks the mile to the trailhead. Bunch of old slow people and people who were oblivious to the fact that the path isn’t big enough for 2 people to walk abreast (yeah, I coulda said side by side but I wanted to say breast).

Hopped back on the e-bikes and stopped at another super popular trailhead. Too many fucking people. We almost said we were done with Zion after that because of the crowds in that part of the park but drive up toward the east entrance and realized there were trailheads there with very few people and that’s where we went the next day. Worth going through the tunnel and finding a hike that’s not marked.
Made it to Bryce Canyon yesterday and the town outside the entrance is tourist hell. Luckily we’re staying in Tropic, drove the park last night. Found a trailhead from town here and went in that way. Almost 7 miles up and into the park. Glad to go in this way because again, a shit ton of tourists at the trailheads up top.
I originally wanted to stay in the lodge in the park but after being up there today, no fucking way because all the fucking tourists.
It may not be clear, but I hate fucking crowds and anywhere in the park where people can drive up and get up attracts crowds.

 

[YellowSnow]

Updates from my waddles through Utah.

1st day at Zion was on e-bikes (ask for the Nacho special) and we ride all the way to beginning of the Narrows which is a very very popular trail. We looked at it, realized you have to go through the river and said no thanks.
Trailhead there was over crowded as the shuttle stops there and everyone walks the mile to the trailhead. Bunch of old slow people and people who were oblivious to the fact that the path isn’t big enough for 2 people to walk abreast (yeah, I coulda said side by side but I wanted to say breast).

Hopped back on the e-bikes and stopped at another super popular trailhead. Too many fucking people. We almost said we were done with Zion after that because of the crowds in that part of the park but drive up toward the east entrance and realized there were trailheads there with very few people and that’s where we went the next day. Worth going through the tunnel and finding a hike that’s not marked.
Made it to Bryce Canyon yesterday and the town outside the entrance is tourist hell. Luckily we’re staying in Tropic, drove the park last night. Found a trailhead from town here and went in that way. Almost 7 miles up and into the park. Glad to go in this way because again, a shit ton of tourists at the trailheads up top.
I originally wanted to stay in the lodge in the park but after being up there today, no fucking way because all the fucking tourists.
It may not be clear, but I hate fucking crowds and anywhere in the park where people can drive up and get up attracts crowds.

Sadly @CFetters_Nacho_Lover most of our National Parks have been overrun by swarming masses of the general public and I don't know what to do about it.
Personally, I'm big into finding National Monuments or even state parks which offer National Park (or close too it) level scenery but aren't totally overrun.
Something like Newberry Crate is quite spectacular but not a total shit show.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Wikipedia

 

[huskyhooligan]

Not a National Park, but walked around the Flat Irons in Boulder recently on a day trip from Denver/Aurora where my oldest is in Grad School these days.
I could use some help with some non-Venezuelan Denver/Aurora watering holes to hit when we're visiting my kid, cause I barely know shit about Denver. Day-tripped to Golden. Meh. Boulder & the Flatirons were nice though. Did hit Wings Over the Rockies for some decent food & brews, but it was a White Wakanda Yuppie Fest, IMHO.

Chautauqua Park, has a nice set of trails.

 

[Purple_Pills]

Updates from my waddles through Utah.

1st day at Zion was on e-bikes (ask for the Nacho special) and we ride all the way to beginning of the Narrows which is a very very popular trail. We looked at it, realized you have to go through the river and said no thanks.
Trailhead there was over crowded as the shuttle stops there and everyone walks the mile to the trailhead. Bunch of old slow people and people who were oblivious to the fact that the path isn’t big enough for 2 people to walk abreast (yeah, I coulda said side by side but I wanted to say breast).

Hopped back on the e-bikes and stopped at another super popular trailhead. Too many fucking people. We almost said we were done with Zion after that because of the crowds in that part of the park but drive up toward the east entrance and realized there were trailheads there with very few people and that’s where we went the next day. Worth going through the tunnel and finding a hike that’s not marked.
Made it to Bryce Canyon yesterday and the town outside the entrance is tourist hell. Luckily we’re staying in Tropic, drove the park last night. Found a trailhead from town here and went in that way. Almost 7 miles up and into the park. Glad to go in this way because again, a shit ton of tourists at the trailheads up top.
I originally wanted to stay in the lodge in the park but after being up there today, no fucking way because all the fucking tourists.
It may not be clear, but I hate fucking crowds and anywhere in the park where people can drive up and get up attracts crowds.

Sadly @CFetters_Nacho_Lover most of our National Parks have been overrun by swarming masses of the general public and I don't know what to do about it.
Personally, I'm big into finding National Monuments or even state parks which offer National Park (or close too it) level scenery but aren't totally overrun.
Something like Newberry Crate is quite spectacular but not a total shit show.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Wikipedia

Newberry Crater NM should be a National Park.

I rave as much about that place as any NP. The twin caldera lakes with a cinder cone in between within a larger caldera, the twin waterfalls at the outlet, the massive obsidian flow towerIng above piney forests, one of Oregon’s highest elevation general purpose roads (Paulina Peak) leading to views of the above (sans the falls) plus the Three Sisters and the other Cascade volcanoes, and best of all, the hot springs seeping out of the beach where you can dig your own hot tub.

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

Updates from my waddles through Utah.

1st day at Zion was on e-bikes (ask for the Nacho special) and we ride all the way to beginning of the Narrows which is a very very popular trail. We looked at it, realized you have to go through the river and said no thanks.
Trailhead there was over crowded as the shuttle stops there and everyone walks the mile to the trailhead. Bunch of old slow people and people who were oblivious to the fact that the path isn’t big enough for 2 people to walk abreast (yeah, I coulda said side by side but I wanted to say breast).

Hopped back on the e-bikes and stopped at another super popular trailhead. Too many fucking people. We almost said we were done with Zion after that because of the crowds in that part of the park but drive up toward the east entrance and realized there were trailheads there with very few people and that’s where we went the next day. Worth going through the tunnel and finding a hike that’s not marked.
Made it to Bryce Canyon yesterday and the town outside the entrance is tourist hell. Luckily we’re staying in Tropic, drove the park last night. Found a trailhead from town here and went in that way. Almost 7 miles up and into the park. Glad to go in this way because again, a shit ton of tourists at the trailheads up top.
I originally wanted to stay in the lodge in the park but after being up there today, no fucking way because all the fucking tourists.
It may not be clear, but I hate fucking crowds and anywhere in the park where people can drive up and get up attracts crowds.

Sadly @CFetters_Nacho_Lover most of our National Parks have been overrun by swarming masses of the general public and I don't know what to do about it.
Personally, I'm big into finding National Monuments or even state parks which offer National Park (or close too it) level scenery but aren't totally overrun.
Something like Newberry Crate is quite spectacular but not a total shit show.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Wikipedia

Agreed. We did a National Conservation Area, 2 NPs (Zion & Bryce) and 2 Utah State Parks (Kodachrome & Escalante) in addition to driving through the Escalante National Monument.

The NPs were bigger thus having more hiking available but the State Parks were incredible with what they offered.

My advice to anyone visiting Bryce: stay in Tropic and take a day to drive about 10 miles past the town of Escalante for some absolutely jaw dropping views.

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

And the photo above doesn’t do it justice.

 

[YellowSnow]

Updates from my waddles through Utah.

1st day at Zion was on e-bikes (ask for the Nacho special) and we ride all the way to beginning of the Narrows which is a very very popular trail. We looked at it, realized you have to go through the river and said no thanks.
Trailhead there was over crowded as the shuttle stops there and everyone walks the mile to the trailhead. Bunch of old slow people and people who were oblivious to the fact that the path isn’t big enough for 2 people to walk abreast (yeah, I coulda said side by side but I wanted to say breast).

Hopped back on the e-bikes and stopped at another super popular trailhead. Too many fucking people. We almost said we were done with Zion after that because of the crowds in that part of the park but drive up toward the east entrance and realized there were trailheads there with very few people and that’s where we went the next day. Worth going through the tunnel and finding a hike that’s not marked.
Made it to Bryce Canyon yesterday and the town outside the entrance is tourist hell. Luckily we’re staying in Tropic, drove the park last night. Found a trailhead from town here and went in that way. Almost 7 miles up and into the park. Glad to go in this way because again, a shit ton of tourists at the trailheads up top.
I originally wanted to stay in the lodge in the park but after being up there today, no fucking way because all the fucking tourists.
It may not be clear, but I hate fucking crowds and anywhere in the park where people can drive up and get up attracts crowds.

Sadly @CFetters_Nacho_Lover most of our National Parks have been overrun by swarming masses of the general public and I don't know what to do about it.
Personally, I'm big into finding National Monuments or even state parks which offer National Park (or close too it) level scenery but aren't totally overrun.
Something like Newberry Crate is quite spectacular but not a total shit show.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Wikipedia

Newberry Crater NM should be a National Park.

I rave as much about that place as any NP. The twin caldera lakes with a cinder cone in between within a larger caldera, the twin waterfalls at the outlet, the massive obsidian flow towerIng above piney forests, one of Oregon’s highest elevation general purpose roads (Paulina Peak) leading to views of the above (sans the falls) plus the Three Sisters and the other Cascade volcanoes, and best of all, the hot springs seeping out of the beach where you can dig your own hot tub.

I usually try to fish East Lake once in a while and the kids love the Big Obsidian flow.
It's definitely National Parkish up there in many respects.
Alas, it can't compete with Crater Lake for jaw dropping views and it's hard to have to volcano NP's in one state so close to each other.