BSD said:AgRyan04 said:
THAT is the way to do it!
Yep. Lie down flat seats on the redeye back from…
National Park of American Samoa.
This is it! This is #63.
AWESOME!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Favorite National Park?
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Last: 10 days ago by insulator_king
AWESOME!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
BSD all 63 WOW
5 best 5 worst in your opinion
5 best 5 worst in your opinion
All 63 - awesome!
Wicked Good Ag said:
5 best 5 worst in your opinion
Ooh. Top 5? That is difficult. My top 3 are easy like loving your own kids, but then it feels like I have pick a favorite niece/nephew from there.
Tie for 1 and 2- Yosemite and Yellowstone
These are the quintessential national parks. The vast size and unique characteristics of each will always impress me.
3. Katmai - such a unique place! bears and bears and bears. And bears on waterfalls catching fish. And the tour out to the volcano blast area is so interesting. Waterfalls going thru cliffs of ash…so cool. And I randomly met Mathguy on the plane down from Anchorage.
4. Zion - I go here once or twice a year for a reason. Beautiful country, great hiking. And great canyoneering.
5. Here's where it gets tough. Do I choose Bryce for geological uniqueness? Or Wrangell St Elias for all the stuff we did ina gorgeous setting (ice caves, ice climbing, and being dropped off by a bush plane miles and miles from McCarthy to camp)? Or Glacier (although I need to go back there since we were cut short on hikes due to illness)?
My bottom five
59. Congaree - I hate to make this one sound like I didn't like it. I did. It's just limited in things to do (outside of canoeing and the May fireflies).
60. Cuyahoga Valley - a few nice sites but not really interesting. It's also spread out between neighborhoods so you don't feel like you're getting away for an adventure.
61. Indiana Dunes - sitting on the beach with a power plant next to me isn't quite what I want out of a NP.
62. Hot Springs - in town, and not much different than other places I've been in Arkansas. Give me the Buffalo River any day of the week over Hot Springs.
63. Gateway Arch in St Louis - see previous page.
That said, I had fun on all of these trips. The experience was more about spending time with my son than anything else. And for that, I'm blessed.
Thank you.
I haven't ever been to Alaska in my life but hopefully that will change in near future.
For me and I haven't seen them all and so my top five are not counting a couple that probably are top 5
1. Yosemite
2. Zion
3. Glacier
4. Acadia
5. Bryce
I haven't been to Yellowstone since I was like four with my parents and don't remember it so I am sure tha would be up there. The ones I listed are from when I was late teen and adult.
My parents retired to Hot Springs Village. To me Hot Springs is the worst national park in America
At least Gateway Arch is quick and not time consuming. You keep searching in Hot Springs and keep coming up empty not matter what you find.
And I agree on Buffalo River also.
Hitting up some Florida ones in a month just wish the seaplane to Dry Tortugas wasn't so expensive looks like the ferry
I haven't ever been to Alaska in my life but hopefully that will change in near future.
For me and I haven't seen them all and so my top five are not counting a couple that probably are top 5
1. Yosemite
2. Zion
3. Glacier
4. Acadia
5. Bryce
I haven't been to Yellowstone since I was like four with my parents and don't remember it so I am sure tha would be up there. The ones I listed are from when I was late teen and adult.
My parents retired to Hot Springs Village. To me Hot Springs is the worst national park in America
At least Gateway Arch is quick and not time consuming. You keep searching in Hot Springs and keep coming up empty not matter what you find.
And I agree on Buffalo River also.
Hitting up some Florida ones in a month just wish the seaplane to Dry Tortugas wasn't so expensive looks like the ferry
For Biscayne, definitely get out on one of the water tours. We did a snorkel tour and a shipwreck. I'd also take snorkel gear out to Dry Tortugas. And stop in the Middle Keys for some more good snorkeling (saw my first reef shark there).
We still have a handful more to go, but Ive been thinking about this for 2 days now
I think your bottom 5 are exactly in line with my family's picks
I'd say your top 3 are spot on....and then I'd lock in Glacier and then Rocky Mountain to round it out
I think your bottom 5 are exactly in line with my family's picks
I'd say your top 3 are spot on....and then I'd lock in Glacier and then Rocky Mountain to round it out
Ask me the question again in mid-September and I bet I'd say Rocky Mountain makes my top 5. Houston destroys my soul at that time of year so a mountain sounds like Heaven to me. That's why I'm saying after my top 3 it gets difficult. It just depends on how I'm feeling that day. So many great ones get stacked up in that second tier.
Me sitting over here like....
I haven't come close to all the parks but GTNP/Yellowstone is a combo that's hard to beat for me. The diversity within that area plus the history of both the Lake Hotel and OF Inn is just classic Americana.
Katmai/Brooks Falls is the most amazing wildlife viewing in the US.
That's 1 and 1A for me.
I can say I sat on the veranda with a drink watching the sun set from the North Rim. So few got that chance. I hope others get it. It needs to be rebuilt.
In 5 weeks we head back to Wrangell, Kenai and Katmai. I'm going ice caving under a glacier and I'm going to fly fish in the river with the big boys. It will probably be our last time back and I'm going to check every box I can.
Katmai/Brooks Falls is the most amazing wildlife viewing in the US.
That's 1 and 1A for me.
I can say I sat on the veranda with a drink watching the sun set from the North Rim. So few got that chance. I hope others get it. It needs to be rebuilt.
In 5 weeks we head back to Wrangell, Kenai and Katmai. I'm going ice caving under a glacier and I'm going to fly fish in the river with the big boys. It will probably be our last time back and I'm going to check every box I can.
HAVE FUN! WE WANT PICTURES!
Mathguy64 said:
I'm going ice caving under a glacier
This was one of my favorite things that I did in Alaska. You'll love it. Take some pics! I'm sure your camera will do it much more justice than my crappy iPhone.
BSD said:Wicked Good Ag said:
5 best 5 worst in your opinion
60. Cuyahoga Valley - a few nice sites but not really interesting. It's also spread out between neighborhoods so you don't feel like you're getting away for an adventure.
My favorite mountain bike trail in Cleveland, East Rim, is in the national park, and is pretty great. I love the town of Peninsula, the train is kind of cool running through the park, the towpath, which runs from Cleveland to Akron and even further south, is part of a 70 mile loop called the Emerald necklace that's pretty great, and there are some nice hikes. But all in all, it's not the same as some of the more impressive NPs. It is free though, so that's something.
Glacier caving in Wrangell St Elias.
That was amazing.
That was amazing.
Very cool experience, did you do this on your own self-guided or through an outfitter?
That looks like a fun trip!
barnacle bob said:
Very cool experience, did you do this on your own self-guided or through an outfitter?
Guided. We used St Elias Alpine. They know the caves and which are safe and which arent. Just getting down to the cave was sketchy. It's about an 800 ft drop from the main trail to the caves at the base/side of the glacier and it's all loose dirt/rocks and a 45* incline in part. No marked trail. You just pick your way up/down.
Couple more in the ice. This was just surreal. It's actually very dark and the iPhone does an amazing job managing the light on long exposures. I have a Nikon D7200 and the guide said not to take it.
Wrangel-St Elias in Alaska. Largest national park in the US and one of the least accessible.
Glad you got to experience that. Those blues in there are just amazing! It's certainly one of the most amazing settings I've experienced. We used the same guide company for that, ice climbing, and some back country camping. It's a good crew!
After Wrangell, we did Kenai Fjords NP and Katmai NP/Brooks Camp.
KF is really best seen by water for the glaciers and sea life. The Aialik Glacier is almost a mile across and 700 ft above the water.
Brooks Camp in Katmai is the jewel. I have so many bear pics I'll be a month sorting them.
I spent a couple of hours on the river. I've never fly fished a day in my life and it was something I always wanted to do and it's the best place in the world to do it. I hooked 5 and landed a rainbow and a sockeye. The first rainbow we had to break the line. I had bears coming behind and in front walking in the river towards us going to my fish. *******s. Seeing the bears at their level on the river is just beyond words.
KF is really best seen by water for the glaciers and sea life. The Aialik Glacier is almost a mile across and 700 ft above the water.
Brooks Camp in Katmai is the jewel. I have so many bear pics I'll be a month sorting them.
I spent a couple of hours on the river. I've never fly fished a day in my life and it was something I always wanted to do and it's the best place in the world to do it. I hooked 5 and landed a rainbow and a sockeye. The first rainbow we had to break the line. I had bears coming behind and in front walking in the river towards us going to my fish. *******s. Seeing the bears at their level on the river is just beyond words.
More bears from Brooks Camp.
We hit/will hit Olympic, Mountain Rainer and North Cascades this week. So far Olympic and Mt Rainer but will hit NC tomorrow. The first two were awesome. Preferred Olympic to Mt Rainier but all well worth the trip.
RightWingConspirator said:
We hit/will hit Olympic, Mountain Rainer and North Cascades this week. So far Olympic and Mt Rainer but will hit NC tomorrow. The first two were awesome. Preferred Olympic to Mt Rainier but all well worth the trip.
We were very close to trying to pull that exact trip off into the North Cascades this week
Couldn't quite get vacation schedules a line so we are in New Braunfels instead
Would love to see your itinerary - we want to do that next year
Very cool! Glad you got to go again…again.
My advice for Olympic is to visit the lowest tide possible out at the beaches and do a ranger led tidepool walk. It was a lot of fun. Basically we did a day in each area (hurricane ridge, rain forest, and beach).
For Rainier, start the Skyline trail at Paradise slightly before sunrise. It's calm, the morning light is beautiful, and even better, there are parking spots.
For North Cascades, we were mostly rained out. I want to go back and do the Sahale Arm trail.
For Rainier, start the Skyline trail at Paradise slightly before sunrise. It's calm, the morning light is beautiful, and even better, there are parking spots.
For North Cascades, we were mostly rained out. I want to go back and do the Sahale Arm trail.
BSD said:
Very cool! Glad you got to go again…again.
Yeah. We missed the infanticide by 2 days. There was a massive number of new cubs this year and it's causing some never seen before issues. Lots of moms with 2/3 cubs each.
We did the Skyline trail at Paradise. It takes you right up to the base of Mt. Rainier. I prefer hikes under a canopy of trees as Skyline was out in the open. It was hot and smoky.
We were supposed to do the "Maple" hike today but it's just too smoky from all the wildfires. We are at Winthrop right now and yesterday coming in we could barely see the mountains and they were barely a tenth of a mile from the road we were traveling on.
We were supposed to do the "Maple" hike today but it's just too smoky from all the wildfires. We are at Winthrop right now and yesterday coming in we could barely see the mountains and they were barely a tenth of a mile from the road we were traveling on.
To stay in compliance with OP's thread, my top 10 are as follows:
1. Black Canyon of the Gunnison
2. Zion
3. Bryce Canyon
4. Grand Teton
5. Olympic
6. Rocky Mountain National Park
7. Yellowstone
8. Sequoia
9. Yosemite
10. Mt. Rainier
1. Black Canyon of the Gunnison
2. Zion
3. Bryce Canyon
4. Grand Teton
5. Olympic
6. Rocky Mountain National Park
7. Yellowstone
8. Sequoia
9. Yosemite
10. Mt. Rainier
Interesting first pick.
redag06 said:
Interesting first pick.
That's one way to put it.
Maybe it's just recency bias, but I'm moving Katmai/Brooks Falls to the top of my NP list.
First, it's remote. It's hard (and expensive like no tomorrow) to get there and as a result so few people ever get to go. During the day there are maybe 200 people there. In the morning and evening maybe 50.
It's the best wildlife viewing experience in the US bar none.
You are in open brown bear country, you walk with and around them and that's just crazy.
I got run off the trail 5 times. The first time we were 50 yards from the boardwalk to go to the platform. That spot is about 3/4 mile in open country from camp. And a decent sized bear was at the entrance to the boardwalk. We backed up and he came to us down the path. Camp rules are if a bear comes on your path you go sideways. So we started walking into the grassy brush. That's not exactly protection. It's just sideways. The bear started running down the path and covered the 50 yards before we got 20 feet. He was running and being chased by an even bigger bear. They both ran past up close enough to smell them. They never even looked at us.
That was absolutely surreal. And it happens every day there.
I got in the river and fished with big brown bears. Intentionally.
You just don't get to do that anywhere else.
See a bear in Yellowstone? You and 500 people with a ranger who has a gun. And distance is required. Hundreds of yards.
Here? Yeah. You have nothing. Guns aren't allowed and bear spray is discouraged. None is even allowed in the camp itself. Camp rules are give 50 yards where possible. On the platforms you are within 10-15 ft. On open trail? Do your best. And it's 50 plus bears and they can show up anywhere at any time.
Its nature turned to max.
First, it's remote. It's hard (and expensive like no tomorrow) to get there and as a result so few people ever get to go. During the day there are maybe 200 people there. In the morning and evening maybe 50.
It's the best wildlife viewing experience in the US bar none.
You are in open brown bear country, you walk with and around them and that's just crazy.
I got run off the trail 5 times. The first time we were 50 yards from the boardwalk to go to the platform. That spot is about 3/4 mile in open country from camp. And a decent sized bear was at the entrance to the boardwalk. We backed up and he came to us down the path. Camp rules are if a bear comes on your path you go sideways. So we started walking into the grassy brush. That's not exactly protection. It's just sideways. The bear started running down the path and covered the 50 yards before we got 20 feet. He was running and being chased by an even bigger bear. They both ran past up close enough to smell them. They never even looked at us.
That was absolutely surreal. And it happens every day there.
I got in the river and fished with big brown bears. Intentionally.
You just don't get to do that anywhere else.
See a bear in Yellowstone? You and 500 people with a ranger who has a gun. And distance is required. Hundreds of yards.
Here? Yeah. You have nothing. Guns aren't allowed and bear spray is discouraged. None is even allowed in the camp itself. Camp rules are give 50 yards where possible. On the platforms you are within 10-15 ft. On open trail? Do your best. And it's 50 plus bears and they can show up anywhere at any time.
Its nature turned to max.
Completely agree!
Frankly, I'm shocked that in 2026 we are still allowed to be that intimate with them. The park services does an incredible job keeping people from ruining it for everyone else!
Frankly, I'm shocked that in 2026 we are still allowed to be that intimate with them. The park services does an incredible job keeping people from ruining it for everyone else!
Mathguy64 said:
Its nature turned to max.
Totally. It's one of the most unique places on earth. I always tell people Yosemite and Yellowstone are the quintessential national parks but for the most unique wildlife experience, Katmai takes the number one spot.
I loved this shot I took on the platform. It would be a hard decision if there was an emergency: jump out into bears domaine or stay and face the peril.
White Sands NP. Especially after a torrential rain thunderstorm.
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