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pandemicperipatetics · 3 years

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Big Bend National Park

The Verdict: We loved our trip to Big Bend! The scenery is stunning and otherworldly; we were just waiting for the dinosaurs to show up and reclaim their epic territory. We definitely recommend visiting.

WHAT TO DO (2 DAYS):

Ranked starting with our most favorite (though all were amazing):

Lost Mine Trail (5 miles out and back, moderate)

Santa Elena Canyon (2 miles out and back, easy/moderate)

Emory Peak (10 miles out and back, strenuous)

Windows Trail (5 miles out and back, moderate) & Window View (0.4 mile loop, easy)

Russ Maxwell Scenic Drive (22 miles each way)

Note: We did all of these in one (long-ish) day except Emory Peak, which we did on a second half-day.

Lost Mine Trail (5 miles out and back, moderate)

This is a pretty steep walk up a mountain with incredible panoramic views at the top. It really reminded us of Kauai. It was tiring, but absolutely worth it. Take a windbreaker – the summit is windy! There wasn’t much shade and it was very sunny on the way down; we drank about 2 liters of water each on this hike. It took us just over 2 hours.

Logistics:

Parking: Extremely constrained. Get here early or be prepared to wait for one of the 15-20 spots (when we were there the park had blocked off about 5 spots with traffic cones). The wait wasn’t terrible, though; we ate our lunch in the car while waiting about 25 minutes, during which time 4 cars left the parking lot. The upside of the constrained parking is the trail wasn’t very crowded.

Bathroom: None

Location: Trailhead very close to Chisos Basin Visitor Center, the central area of the park. Closest lodging is Chisos Basin Campground or Chisos Basin Mountain Lodge.

Other: There is a sign at the trailhead that picnicking is not allowed on the trail.

Santa Elena Canyon (2 miles out and back, easy/moderate)

A few miles past the end of Russ Maxwell Scenic Drive, this is one of the park’s most popular attractions. You’ll walk through a stunning high-walled canyon filled with water (at least it was when we went!). Some people even waded in. It’s absolutely worth visiting, but there is a surprising amount of stairs/elevation for a hike marked easy. It was unpleasantly hot (low 80s), sunny, and crowded when we went around 3:30 p.m. It’s worth noting the crowds here were different than the other hikes we did – largely unmasked tourists with poor trail etiquette -- perhaps a cost that comes with doing an “easy” hike. We spent around an hour here.

Logistics

Parking: Somewhat limited; we snagged the last available spot when we got there.

Bathroom: Disgusting. Two unisex hole-in-the-ground type structures that stank morbidly.

Location: Trailhead close to Castolon Visitor Center. Closest lodging is Cottonwood Campground. It was about an hour’s drive from Chisos Basin, the central area of the park.

Emory Peak (10.6 miles out and back, strenuous)

This hike is a seemingly unending uphill climb that ends in phenomenal 360 degree views. It starts out on the fairly well-shaded Pinnacles Trail (4 miles each way), which is like a forest of low trees and shrubs with increasingly impressive views of mountain canyons. Once you feel you can no longer move your legs, you take the Emory Peak Trail (1.5 miles each way), which starts out deceptively flat, becomes very steep and rocky, and ends as a rock-climbing-for-novices adventure.

I had read on earthtrekkers that the last 25 feet of the hike are a “rock scramble”, which evoked images of something harmlessly diverting, like a breakfast burrito. In reality, getting to the peak is a seemingly impossible straight-uphill climb; we saw an extremely fit-looking young couple do it with obvious trepidation, and a few people rock-scrambled onto a peak a few feet away that looked a couple of feet shorter. Having braved the insane stairmaster of a trail to get there, we couldn’t just leave; we found ourselves in the latter group, and the rock scramble wasn’t as difficult as it looked. The views were, indeed, epic – but if you’re not into rock scrambling, the Lost Mine Trail is a good substitute.

This took us 5 hours, 10 minutes. We were fortunate to have a relatively cloudy day, with some but not a lot of sun exposure. Between the two of us, we drank 7 liters of water.

Logistics:

Parking: Parking is at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center and is decently plentiful, though it does get crowded as it is shared with several other trails.

Bathroom: The bathroom at the parking lot had normal toilets and was pretty clean. There is also a compost toilet at the top of the Pinnacles Trail, but we didn’t check it out. There is a sign up there recommending peeing outdoors and saving the compost toilet for other uses :)

Location: Right by the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, a couple minute drive from the Lost Mine Trail trailhead.

Other: A lot of people brought walking sticks, which may be useful especially for the steep, rocky descent. The trail warns of bears and mountain lions, but all we saw were a few tiny cute mice at the peak.

Note: The South Rim is another popular hike, known for spectacular views of the Chihuahuan desert, and is also accessed via the Pinnacles Trail. Some people hike the South Rim trail instead of Emory Peak (approx. 12 miles roundtrip) or do both (approx. 15 miles total). We didn’t have enough water, time, or confidence to take on both of these strenuous hikes in one day, but this sounds like an interesting option if you are less into rock scrambling or want to do both.

Windows Trail & Window View

The Window View is a 0.4 mile loop to a scenic overlook. It’s very nice and there is a bench right at the overlook that is a nice place to enjoy a snack, if it’s not too crowded.

The Windows Trail is a descent into a canyon where you’ll get closer to “the window.” The scenery along the trail was mostly cacti and desert-looking shrubs, and since you start with a descent, you then have a pretty steep ascent on the way back up. The hike is decent until the last ~10 minutes, which is awesome. We found ourselves in a gorgeous canyon that was stunning to walk through. Finding your foothold can require some dexterity in certain areas, but it wasn’t too tough. The window is a really cool view and has some boulders that look perfect to sit on for a snack with a view, if it isn’t too crowded.

Logistics:

Parking: Same as Emory Peak, parking is at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center and is decently plentiful, though it does get crowded as it is shared with several other trails.

Bathroom: The bathroom at the parking lot had normal toilets and was pretty clean. I’m pretty sure there was also a bathroom just off the trail not long into the hike.

Location: Right by the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, a couple minute drive from the Lost Mine Trail trailhead. The trailhead starts right next to the Pinnacles trailhead for Emory Peak.

Russ Maxwell Scenic Drive (22 miles each way)

This is a breathtaking drive through a winding canyon that starts around 10 miles from Chisos Basin and extends south to Santa Elena Canyon. There are several hikes along the way; most look flat and unprotected from the sun, so we didn’t try them. This is on the way to Santa Elena Canyon, so if you go there you’ll drive it anyways.

WHERE TO STAY

Having gotten to know the park a bit, we’d recommend (in ranked order):

Chisos Mountain Lodge – the only non-camping accommodations available inside the park. We didn’t stay here because it was booked out, so can’t comment on how good it is. The location is great because it’s so central and right by several of the hikes that start at Chisos Basin. There is also a visitor center, convenience store, and gas station very closeby.

Chisos Basin Campground – the most centrally located camping accommodations. If you want to hit the trails early, this seems ideal. We weren’t able to get a spot here and can’t comment on how nice or not the campground is. We read that it can get pretty cold here at night because it’s in the mountains.

Cottonwood Campground – located by Santa Elena Canyon. If you can’t get a spot at Chisos Basin, this is conveniently closeby to another of the park’s major attractions. Again, we didn’t visit the campground ourselves.

Rio Grande Village Campground – the only other campground inside the park. We got lucky and managed to snag a spot here about 6 weeks before our trip, likely due to a cancellation. This is located at the remote east side of the park and isn’t close to any of the hikes we did; it was about a 45 minute drive one-way to Chisos Basin, and further to Russ Maxwell Scenic Drive/Santa Elena Canyon. There are some attractions here, such as the Boquillas Crossing to Mexico and the Hot Springs, but these were closed when we visited due to COVID-19. There is a gas station, convenience store, and RV campground with electrical hookups. The campground is flat, and part of it has campsites located in clear view of one another. There are other campsites that are more secluded and border what looks like a forest. We had one of the latter, which was lovely due to the privacy from humans, but apparently was VERY well-trafficked by animals. Throughout the night we heard animals walking around, panting, and eating nearby, which we corroborated in the daylight when we found javelina droppings within a few feet of our tent and coyote or fox droppings right by our car! Our neighbors encountered a bobcat by the bathroom in the evening, and we encountered a javelina (which ran off immediately) when we took a late-night bathroom trip. It was quite an experience. Luckily, the bathroom was clean and had drinking water closeby (though it tasted weird).

Terlingua: This seems to be the closest town outside the park and when we checked Airbnb, had the most available accommodations. You can camp, glamp in a teepee, stay in an RV, and I think there were also possibly some homes and hotel accommodations. We drove by and it definitely didn’t look fancy.

Alpine: This was the next big town after Terlingua and was about 90 minutes outside of the park. There are lots of hotels here and we stayed at The Antelope Lodge on the night after we left the park. It was basically a one-room motel room with a fridge and microwave: spare, clean, and met our basic needs. There are plenty of chain restaurants – Pizza Hut, Subway, etc. It seems inconveniently far from Big Bend, so less than ideal to stay here unless on your way out. Alpine also happens to be about a 25 minute drive from the infamous Marfa, TX.

GETTING THERE

If you’re road-tripping, the closest major cities are El Paso or San Antonio/Austin, which are a couple hours away. We took I-20 through Dallas to Abilene and then Midland, which was extremely long, no real views, and the “textured pavement” on I-20 after Abilene was very loud and unpleasant to drive on. We turned south at Midland and the views became gorgeous. When we hit Marathon, TX, we stopped for dinner at Big Bend Pizza. We had about a 20 minute wait and the vegetarian pizza was loaded with veggies and tasted pretty good. We were surprised by how barren Marathon is – we didn’t even realize we were driving through it until we had passed it and had to turn back for pizza – and from there we had a (stunning) 2-hour drive to get to our campsite. We entered the park through Persimmon Gap Visitor Center and barely encountered any hikes until we hit the center of the park, Panther Junction Visitor Center, which is just 3 miles from Chisos Basin.

OTHER LOGISTICS

Wifi/cellular connectivity: We barely had any connectivity in the park. We got cell reception in the Chisos Basin parking lot, Marathon, and Alpine. In Terlingua, we couldn’t get any reception and had to stop and ask someone to direct us to the closest gas station.

Gas: Fortunately, there were two gas stations inside the park. It is a vast park, so helpful to have such easy access. We never filled up in the park, but assume the gas prices were pretty high, as they were when we filled up on our way out in Terlingua.

Food: The Chisos Basin Mountain Lodge sells food, but when we visited their cafeteria was only open until 4PM. The convenience stores also seemed to close early, and we never checked out the groceries available there. We carried all the food we ate; given the very long drive from our campsite to Terlingua, we never left the park to pick up a meal.

Animals: This seemed like a park where it might be beneficial to pick up bear spray. We didn’t have any, but our campground and many of the hikes warned of bears.

Getting oriented: We stopped by the central Panther Junction Visitor Center on our first morning in Big Bend and picked up a park map, which was perfect for navigating through the park.

#bigbend

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brucejoseph4 · 4 years

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Camping USA: Big Bend National Park Guide — Klara the Explorer Since visiting Big Bend for the first time, I was dreaming of pitching our tent at the stunning Chisos Basin campground.

#Bruce Joseph #Bruce Joseph Florida #Bruce W. Joseph #Bruce William Joseph #Travel

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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If You Really Want to Visit a National Park, Skip the Big Ones

Paddleboarding in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park | Getty Images

America’s larger parks are attracting major crowds. Here’s where to avoid them

As summer creeps into full swing and cities across America do the dance of easing, and then reinstating, COVID-19 restrictions, people are clamoring to be someplace — anyplace — besides their own homes. While there is no form of travel that’s perfectly safe right now, there are certainly more responsible options than others for scratching the itch.

National parks, in all their wide-open space, are more befitting a socially distant vacation than, say, resort towns or theme parks. But even vast wilderness expanses have potential for riskier areas — visitor centers, for one, and popular trailheads near main parking areas. And then there are the mosh pit-like crowds at Yellowstone’s Old Faithful or the scenic drive at Zion National Park, which has been so popular since reopening that the park had to cap access at 6:30 a.m.

Now more than ever, then, this is the time to visit some of America’s lesser-known national parks. Steering clear of the millions of tourists at Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains, exploring new territory provides a sense of discovery, with the added benefit of having the trails mostly to yourself. The adventure doesn’t stop at park boundaries, either, as these less-famous parks are often surrounded by bucolic communities and smaller cities rich with their own charms, including destination-worthy restaurants, unexpected speakeasies, and a chicken-fried Texas saloon.

As enticing as all this sounds, it’s important that travelers tread carefully in and around all national parks, since these smaller gateway communities are not equipped to handle a potential outbreak brought in from visitors. It’s a double-edged sword for small businesses that rely on tourism dollars to survive, which is why it’s important to maintain the same caution on your road trip as you’ve maintained at home; just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can put your face masks in storage. Wherever you are, social distancing and rigorous adherence to health mandates are of the utmost importance, in order to support these communities while keeping them safe.

So, with safety top of mind, here are some alternative parks to consider for your 2020 summer escape, and, of course, the best places to eat — to go, dine-in, or dine-out — nearby.

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The boardwalk at Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Judging by the fact that Congaree sees about 3 percent of the annual visitors of parks like Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain, it seems many people don’t even know this South Carolina park exists. Located in the middle of the state, the swamp-like terrain feels part Everglades and part Redwood, with the tallest trees east of the Mississippi and labyrinthine waterways ripe for paddling. The park’s most popular attractions, like the Boardwalk Trail, remain closed, but visitors are able to canoe or kayak on Cedar Creek, a narrow waterway that weaves through hardwood forest so tall and dense that it blocks out the sun, which is perhaps why hooting owls can be heard at all hours of the day. For easy hiking, out-of-the-way trails like the River Trail and Oakridge Trail are currently accessible. The park is within 20 miles of the state capital of Columbia, a small city with quality food and drink to be had.

Where to Eat: Before paddling through Congaree, it’s important to fuel up with a hearty breakfast, like tequila-spiked pancakes. Novelty breakfast is the bread and butter of the Black-owned 27 Pancakes food truck, which is operating on weekends only for the summer due to the pandemic. Chef-owner Joy Eggleston is a veritable Willy Wonka with pancake batter, offering classics (e.g., buttermilk, blueberry) alongside more whimsical and savory offerings, like a shrimp-and-grits pancake made with a grits batter, plump baby shrimp, and jalapenos, or the aforementioned tequila pancake, an almond-flour flapjack glazed with a blend of honey, maple syrup, and tequila reduction. Follow 27 Pancakes on social media to check its schedule.

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The Starlight Theatre saloon in Terlingua, outside Big Bend

Big Bend National Park, Texas

About four and a half hours southeast of the closest major airport, in El Paso, this sprawling west Texas park has plenty of room (nearly 1 million acres, in fact) to spread out and explore, from Chisos Mountains hikes and soothing hot springs to the Santa Elena Canyon, a vast chasm offering shaded respite along the meandering Rio Grande. Due to its sheer size, geographic diversity, and faraway locale, this is the perfect park to immerse yourself in for a week, with plenty of sights and activities to keep you busy and enthralled. The surrounding communities are rich with character but low on crowds, like the dusty ghost town of Terlingua, which is emerging as a tranquil artist’s enclave, and the peaceful riverside town of Lajitas, where a goat serves as mayor.

Where to Eat and Drink: The star attraction in Terlingua is the Starlight Theatre, a lively contrast to a town filled with graves and derelict homes, both belonging to miners who succumbed to mercury poisoning or mining accidents in the early 1900s. The spacious saloon, known for its thoughtful riffs on gamey West Texas flavors, like chicken-fried wild boar strips with beer gravy and tequila-marinated quail in blueberry-balsamic sauce, is operating with dine-in and bar service at 50 percent capacity, and has added takeout as well as periodic live music performances.

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The famous cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde national park

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

In lush southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is once again beckoning visitors itching to hike, drive along the Mesa Top Loop Road, and marvel at the park’s famed cliff dwellings, elaborate structures and communities built centuries ago by Puebloan peoples. At just over 50,000 acres, the park is the perfect weekend getaway, renowned for its mesa-skimming scenic drives and hiking trails that make you feel like you’re traipsing through the clouds, surrounded by panoramic views of the Colorado valley. The arty gateway town of Mancos is small, but surprisingly abundant with galleries, cafes, and restaurants, which have navigated new methods of operation.

Where to Eat: Absolute Bakery & Cafe is a beloved community hub for locals and tourists alike, who pregame before Mesa Verde with avocado omelets, chicken Florentine, Cubano sandwiches, and house-baked pastries like cherry strudel, pumpkin brownies, and coconut-walnut blondies. Since COVID-19, the cafe has extended its service to seven days a week (up from six) in order to serve breakfast and lunch to go, along with take-and-bake meals like pot pie, quiche, and lasagna perfect for cooking up in the RV. It’s also started nightly pizza dinners for takeout, made with sourdough crusts and rotating toppings like asparagus pesto, Hawaiian, and pepperoni. The cafe strongly encourages guests to wear masks, and it’s stocked with hand sanitizer stations.

Matt Kirouac

Kerouac’s restaurant in Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Located along U.S. Route 50, a highway so desolate that its nickname is “The Loneliest Road in America,” and next to the tiny town of Baker, Great Basin National Park is the ultimate park for social distancing. Aside from the people you travel with, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter other humans here at all. This Great Basin region of eastern Nevada, sandwiched between the Sierra Nevadas and Wasatch Mountains, is a place of extremes — from the skyscraping tip of Wheeler Peak, the highest point in the park (and second highest in Nevada) at 13,065 feet, to the craggy passageways within Lehman Caves and the gnarly looking bristlecone pines, the oldest trees on Earth, some nearing 5,000 years of age. Best of all? With under 200,000 annual visitors and 77,000 acres worth of diverse terrain, you’ll find plenty of solitude among the epic environs.

Where to Eat: An homage to the ultimate road-tripper, Kerouac’s Restaurant is a seasonal restaurant open May through October at the Stargazer Inn in Baker. Due to COVID-19, the restaurant is only offering counter service this year, with food and drink available to go or for dining on the homespun front patio. The menu reads like a hit list of American comfort classics, sure to satisfy after a long drive or a long hike. Think pesto-mushroom pizzas, spicy chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and even strawberry-rhubarb Moscow mules.

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Grassy rolling hills in Wild Cave National Park

Hotel Alex Johnson / Facebook

The rooftop deck at Vertex Sky Bar in Rapid City

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Western South Dakota is well known for iconic parks and monuments, like Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore, but for those looking to eschew crowds, Wind Cave is a good choice for a day trip. Though the cave itself — a dense maze of jagged calcite formations, like needle-looking frostwork, and boxwork, a rare grid-shaped feature found in almost no other cave on Earth — is currently closed down, the park has many miles (and some 30,000 acres) of peaceful prairie hikes, rolling hills, and meadows strewn with wildflowers so vibrant they look like fields of confetti. Keep your eyes peeled for a chance to spot bison, prairie dogs, elk, and the rare black-footed ferret.

Where to Eat: As the urban hub of western South Dakota, Rapid City’s got an impressive food scene despite its small size and population. An hour’s drive from Wind Cave, head to the bi-level Vertex Sky Bar atop the historic Hotel Alex Johnson to drink in the Black Hills views while drinking in the rosé, or dine at Kōl, which reopened for reservations-only dine-in service with tables spread six feet apart, for wood-fired pizzas, steaks, and roast chicken. In the morning, downtown’s Harriet & Oak cafe reduced seating and limited the amount of time customers can linger to two hours, which is still enough to enjoy a trendy latte and some oh-so-Instagrammable avocado toast. Curbside pickup and online ordering is also available.

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Lost Lake campsite at Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

On the northern border of Minnesota lies Voyageurs National Park, a tranquil landscape of lakes and islands, where loons replace the din of city sirens. Up here, in the heart of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it’s easy to maintain social distance for a few days, considering a third of the 250,000-acre park is, well, water, and most activities involve kayaks, canoes, and fishing.

Where to Eat: It doesn’t get more quintessential Minnesota Northwoods than the Rocky Ledge, a cabin-like restaurant on the tree-lined shores of Kabetogama Lake, with a penchant for Minnesota specialties like wild rice casserole. And in case you weren’t able to reel in your own catch on the lake, fear not: the restaurant offers fry-bread fish tacos and breaded walleye sandwiches to make up for it.

Matt Kirouac

The tap lineup at Superior Bathhouse

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

For travelers who prefer a more relaxed experience over, say, a backcountry trek, Arkansas’s historic Hot Springs is a tiny city park that’s ideal for an afternoon stopover. Anchored by ornate bathhouses utilizing the region’s famed thermal waters, the town is nicknamed “The American Spa,” and it’s been enticing visitors for more than a century. Bathhouse Row is the heart of the park, lined with steaming water fountains and palace-sized buildings with intricate Gilded Age architecture. While you may not be able to take a traditional bath quite yet, visitors can hike up the gentle slopes of Hot Springs Mountain, whose summit affords vista views of the bright-green Ouachita Mountain range, and then imbibe that spring water at the rare brewery located within a national park.

Where to Eat: Superior Bathhouse, located in one of the former bathhouses along Main Street’s Bathhouse Row, has reopened for limited counter service. Visitors are required to wear masks, unless they’re eating (beer cheese dip and sweet potato-beet sandwiches are excellent choices), or drinking one of the beers brewed on-site — e.g., hazy blood-orange I.P.A., honey-basil kolsch, oatmeal stout — made with Hot Springs’ thermal waters. To connect with the Southern soul of Hot Springs, head to Emma Lee’s, a warm and welcoming dining room wafting with aromas of buttery peach cobbler, beef roast, and fresh cornbread. The family-run restaurant is the dream of owner Courtney Sanders, who pays homage to his grandmother Emma Lee with her most beloved recipes. The restaurant is still offering curbside pickup along with limited dine-in service on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. No matter what’s on deck for the day, be it thick slabs of smoky brisket and candied yams or mac and cheese served bubbling-hot under a golden-brown crust, this is the kind of restaurant that’s sure to warm hearts during a time when it’s needed most. Masks are required for entry, but customers can remove them while seated.

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The rugged badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Badlands, petrified wood, roving bison, and wild horses make it clear what endeared President Theodore Roosevelt to this tranquil part of the country, where you’re more likely to encounter chirping prairie dogs on your hike than people. Split into two main north and south districts, each worth visiting for a day or two, the 70,000-acre park feels like the quintessential Wild West, with the Little Missouri River zig-zagging through fields of verdant grassland and eroded sandstone formations that look like super-sized sandcastles. Medora is the tiny home of the park’s popular south unit, but nearby Dickinson is a small city with an array of independent options.

Where to Eat: There’s really no better way to kickstart your day than with a blackberry pancake latte and a sticky caramel roll, and the Brew, a former church-turned-coffee shop, delivers on both fronts. Later, unwind with a sweet and spicy jalapeno honey beer and a Badlands pizza, made with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and ricotta, at Phat Fish Brewing. The brewpub is open for dine-in seating, with spaced-out indoor tables and a sprawling patio with a grassy lawn. It’s also offering take-and-bake pizza kits and bottled beers to go.

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An overlook at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

With its blissfully warm temperatures, lush forests, and wildly diverse terrain, Colorado is popular for outdoorsy recreation, but rather than queueing up at crowded Rocky Mountain National Park, try the lesser-known Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The state’s least visited national park, Black Canyon is open for hiking along both the north and south rims, with trails that’ll get you unnervingly close to the breathtaking canyon and the raging river far below. Both sides of the canyon are worth visiting, so be sure to carve out at least two or three days to thoroughly explore. Since the only way to the north rim is driving all the way around the southern end of the canyon, it requires some added travel time. For fearless hikers, the park also has a few steep trails down to the canyon floor, which is a nice way to get out of the sun, since the canyon is so tall and narrow that it’s almost constantly shrouded in its own shadow. Nearby, the town of Montrose is the entry point to the park’s southern rim, which has the most trails and scenic viewpoints.

Where to Eat: It’s not often a speakeasy offering craft cocktails and charcuterie platters can be found on the outskirts of a national park, which is what makes Phelanies a special find. Accessed down an alley off one of Montrose’s main streets, the spacious lounge has gone alfresco for the first time, adding a patio and expanding its menus to include more food (like Korean barbecue pulled pork and duck wontons) and seasonal cocktails, like honeydew margaritas and the timely COVID Reviver No. 19, a Corpse Reviver riff with gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc, lemon, and a CBD tincture. Guests are asked to wear masks any time they’re not seated, and limit movement around the bar except for necessities like bathroom runs.

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The Brandywine Falls Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Sandwiched between the nearby cities of Cleveland and Akron, hugging the crooked Cuyahoga River for some 30,000 acres, Cuyahoga Valley provides a literal breath of fresh air for Ohio city-dwellers seeking to escape the traffic for the day and replace it with dense green forests, babbling creeks, and 70-plus waterfalls. While popular sites like the Brandywine Falls boardwalk remain closed, there are still opportunities for hiking along miles of woodland trails, horseback riding, fishing, and kayaking.

Where to Eat: The park is a convenient day trip from larger cities in Ohio, making it ideal for safe travel, since visitors are able to minimize their footprint without having to stay overnight. If you’re traveling from Cleveland, start your day with a fried ring of purple-hued blueberry cake, bursting with juicy, tangy flavor, from the Vegan Doughnut Company. Located in suburban Lakewood, the Black-owned bakery from sisters Kharisma and Kyra Mayo exhibits a penchant for vibrant, whimsical pastries, like a birthday-cake doughnut strewn with multicolored sprinkles and crushed Golden Oreos, or a vanilla-glazed variety decorated with chocolate chips and dollops of cookie dough. For now, the shop is open weekends only for to-go doughnuts. Later, after you’ve chased a few waterfalls in the park, wood-fired pepperoni and banana-pepper pizza is an apt pick-me-up, and you can get your fix at Sarah’s Vineyard and Winery. Housed in a timber-clad barn that doubles as an art gallery, the lofty restaurant and tasting room has reopened for dine-in, spread out its ample patio seating, added hand sanitizer stations by the entrance, and shifted its menu to heartier crowd-pleasers like pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, and pizza. Sit outside for sweeping vineyard views and pair your spicy pie with a carafe of sweet Ohio-grown Vidal.

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Rattlesnake Canyon at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

The world-famous caverns — brimming with stalagmites, stalactites, and a colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats so populous that they look like clouds of swirling black smoke on their nightly flights — are still closed to visitors, but the underrated hiking trails on the surface are well worth the excursion, especially for a morning or late-afternoon hike (the sun gets pretty scorching midday). With nearly 50 miles of trails through the peaceful Chihuahuan Desert, from Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge, there’s plenty to explore, and plenty of opportunity to break away from crowds and convene with cacti and roadrunners.

Where to Eat: In the nearby town of Carlsbad, Guadalupe Mountain Brewing Company reopened for dine-in service, with restricted hours and a patio. House-brewed beers run the gamut from a puckering grapefruit gose to creamy coconut porters, while the thin and crispy brick-oven pizzas are so popular they sell out regularly. They also offer gluten-free crusts, cauliflower-crust pizzas, and periodic specials like berry-studded dessert pizzas and New Mexican green chile pies.

A full-time RV traveler and freelance travel writer, Matt Kirouac is the co-founder and co-host of Hello Ranger, a national parks community blog, podcast, and forthcoming app.

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Paddleboarding in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park | Getty Images

America’s larger parks are attracting major crowds. Here’s where to avoid them

So, with safety top of mind, here are some alternative parks to consider for your 2020 summer escape, and, of course, the best places to eat — to go, dine-in, or dine-out — nearby.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The boardwalk at Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Universal Images Group via Getty

The Starlight Theatre saloon in Terlingua, outside Big Bend

Big Bend National Park, Texas

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The famous cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde national park

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Matt Kirouac

Kerouac’s restaurant in Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

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Grassy rolling hills in Wild Cave National Park

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The rooftop deck at Vertex Sky Bar in Rapid City

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

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Lost Lake campsite at Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Matt Kirouac

The tap lineup at Superior Bathhouse

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

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The rugged badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

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An overlook at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

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The Brandywine Falls Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

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Rattlesnake Canyon at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

A full-time RV traveler and freelance travel writer, Matt Kirouac is the co-founder and co-host of Hello Ranger, a national parks community blog, podcast, and forthcoming app.

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traveltolivelivetotravel-blog1 · 4 years

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I never understood how amazing Texas is until I moved down here. It's truly beautiful with scenery I never thought I would see. Big Bend National Park is one of Texas' most impressive natural wonders. From mountains to deserts to rivers, they combine to make this area an outstanding outdoor playground for nature lovers.

There's plenty to do from the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive where you can take a stop at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit to soaking in the hot springs. Don't forget your passport for a short boat ride to Mexico to the city of Boquillas. The boat will pick you up and take you to the Mexican shore of the Rio Grande River, from where you can hop a ride on a horse, donkey, or vehicle for lunch.

Dine with a view out to the Window from the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant and Patio or begin one of several hikes at the Chisos Basin Trailheads( Emory Peak, South Rim, Chisos Basin Loop, Window View, and Window Trail hikes)

The town of Marathon offers an authentic experience, with art galleries and the historical Gage Hotel. Built in 1927, the Gage Hotel is a wonderful place to gather around a fire pit at night with other guests, relax in front of a fireplace, jump in thr pool to escape the heat or enjoy some of the finest dining at the hotel's 12 Gage Restaurant.

Big Bend National Park has become one of the most popular vacation destinations in the state of Texas, visited by an average of 400,000 visitors each year.

#adventure #wanderlust #tourism #landscape #road trip

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thorsenmark · 2 years

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There's Not a Lot of Traffic in Big Bend National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: Another national park setting that I never tire, even after three visits to Big Bend National Park! The setting is looking to Casa Grande and the south-southeast using the Basin Road as a leading line into the image. As opposed to a wider angle image, I decided to zoom in with the focal length. That way the ridges and peaks of the Chisos Mountains would be seemingly surrounding the viewer to create that feeling of height and tallness all around. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in NX Studio. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 4 where I made some more adjustments for that last effect on the image captured.

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nationalparkposters · 3 years

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Best Things To Do in Big Bend National Park

Best Things To Do in Big Bend National Park: Big Bend National Park offers nearly limitless opportunities for scenic driving, hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain biking, horseback riding, bird watching, wildlife observation, and stargazing. Additionally, the Rio Grande borders the park for 118 miles providing options for half-day floats to extended excursion by raft, canoe, or kayak. My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 51 of our 61 National Parks — and Big Bend is one well worth the visit. I have explored many areas of the park — so I'm ready to help! So if this is your first time to the park, or your returning after many years, here are some of the best things to do in Big Bend National Park! Scenic Drives 100 miles of paved roads and 150 miles of dirt roads connect the desert to the mountains and the river and offer exceptional ways to explore the park by vehicle. Here are the top five scenic drives — on paved roads! Chisos Basin Road – 6 miles A drive to the Chisos Basin is an excellent way to experience the transition between arid desert and cooler mountain habitats. As this scenic, winding road rises over two thousand feet above the desert floor, it offers breath-taking vistas of the mountain peaks and the erosion-formed basin area. The Chisos Basin has a visitor center, campground, lodge, restaurant, camp store, and access to miles of hiking trails. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive – 30 miles A trip along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive highlights the geologic splendor Big Bend is famous for, and offers many scenic overlooks and exhibits along the way. Sotol Vista, Mule Ears Overlook, and Tuff Canyon are all worthwhile stops. Continue the drive to the magnificent Santa Elena Canyon, where limestone cliffs rise 1,500′ above the Rio Grande. A short trail leads into the canyon Panther Junction to Rio Grande Village – 21 miles The drive to Rio Grande Village traverses ancient limestone and has marvelous vistas across the river to the magnificent Sierra del Carmen escarpment. In twenty miles, the road descends nearly two thousand feet. There are several worthwhile stops and highlights along the way. Dugout Wells includes a desert nature trail and a shady oasis, nice for picnicking and birding. A soak in the Historic Hot Springs is also a popular activity. Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction – 28 miles This road connects the north entrance to park headquarters at Panther Junction. From Persimmon Gap, the road descends a long, gentle, gravel slope to Tornillo creek and Tornillo Flat. The Rosillos Mountains rise to the west; to the east the Dead Horse Mountains dominate the skyline. Maverick Entrance Station to Panther Junction – 23 miles This drive, through striking desert scenery, has excellent views of the surrounding mountains. Several roadside exhibits describe wildlife that might be seen along the drive. Junctions for the Chisos Basin road and Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive are located along this route. Hiking Day Hikes Big Bend is a hiker's paradise containing the largest expanse of roadless public lands in Texas. More than 150 miles of trails offer opportunities for day hikes or backpacking trips. Desert Hikes The Chihuahuan Desert covers about 80% of the park and surrounds the Chisos Mountains. Bare, rocky ground and sparse vegetation are hallmarks of the desert, but there is plenty of life here. Look for termite nests along plant stems, exoskeletons of millipedes, animal scat, and rodent and reptile tunnels. Bird life is plentiful, especially in the morning; look for nests hidden in yuccas and cacti. In the spring, bluebonnets, paintbrush, bi-color mustard, desert marigold, yucca, ocotillo, and cacti blossoms add color to the desert landscape. Mountain Hikes The Chisos Mountains contain some of the most rewarding day hikes in Big Bend, especially during the summer months when it is too hot to hike at lower elevations in the park. It is not uncommon to see tracks and scat of black bear, mountain lions, and gray fox along Chisos Mountains trails. Carmen Mountain white-tailed deer, rock squirrels, whiptail lizards, spotted towhees, tufted titmice, and Mexican jays are also common in these mountains. River Hikes The Rio Grande creates a distinct environment in Big Bend National Park. Countless bird species can be found in the riverbank vegetation. The river provides water for many desert animals; look along the muddy shoreline for tracks, signs, and scat. Backpacking Backpacking in the Desert The most remote areas of Big Bend National Park are best left to experienced backpackers. Each year, park rangers respond to desert emergencies when hikers are not prepared for the heat and extreme conditions of the desert. Due to the complex topography and vague trails/routes, a topographic map and a compass/gps are necessary for some hikes. Not for novices, you will need to be fully equipped and physically prepared to pack your gear and water into the desert and camp primitively. River Trips Floating the Rio Grande Big Bend offers a variety of river adventures. Enjoy a day trip, or plan an extended float through spectacular limestone canyons. If you have the time and a spirit of adventure, you may want to consider a river trip. Seeing the park's canyons from the middle of the Rio Grande can be an incredible experience. There are many possibilities including half-day floats or multi-day excursions. Floating the Rio Grande can take you through miles of canyons up to 1,500 feet deep, where the sunlight may reach the bottom only briefly on winter days. As in other parts of the park, your ears may tell you more than your eyes. Listen for beavers crawling through the brush;you might catch a glimpse as one slides down the riverbank into the water. Turtles, especially red-eared sliders, often sun themselves on rocks and logs just above the waterline. Great blue herons and green kingfishers are just some of the many birds you may see flying along the river. Bicycling Lightly traveled roads and varied terrain make Big Bend a premier bicycling location. Over 100 miles of paved roads and 150 miles of backcountry dirt roads provide challenges for riders of all types and abilities. Bicyclists must be extremely cautious and well-prepared, but bicycling allows outstanding panoramic views unobstructed by a windshield. It also allows the bicyclist to see and hear some of the smaller wonders of Big Bend from a more intimate viewpoint. Bird Watching Big Bend's position near the 100th meridian in the middle of the continent and along a migration route makes the park ideal for bird diversity throughout the year. Northern species migrate here for the warm winter climate, while birds from the tropics range this far north to breed in the spring. One of Big Bend's highlights, the Colima warbler, is a predominantly Mexican species that only nests in the United States in the Chisos Mountains from April to September. Fishing Sometimes visiting a National Park can seem as though time is not on your side and the pace of “have to see everything” takes over. Perhaps fishing, which might seem unusual in a desert park, could be just what the “ranger” ordered. This activity is less harried, relaxing, and most of all, edible. Fishing the Rio Grande is something that is fun for visitors of all ages. And best of all it's free, and requires no Texas fishing license. All that is required is a fishing permit which may be obtained at any open visitor center. So if a lazy day by the Rio Grande is something you might enjoy, ask a ranger about fishing opportunities here in the park Stargazing On the clearest nights, more than 2,500 stars are visible to the naked eye! Big Bend is known as one of the outstanding places in North America for stargazing. In fact, it has the least light pollution of any other National Park unit in the lower 48 states. One factor that makes this possible is simply the sparse human occupation of this region. Click here to see the Big Bend National Park poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist who had the rare privilege of studying under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was just 19 years old. Now, Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph all of America's National Parks. He's creating WPA-style posters to help people celebrate their own national park adventures — as well as encourage others to get out and explore! Click here to learn more about Rob and The National Park Poster Project! https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-in-big-bend-national-park?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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If You Really Want to Visit a National Park, Skip the Big Ones added to Google Docs

If You Really Want to Visit a National Park, Skip the Big Ones

Paddleboarding in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park | Getty Images

America’s larger parks are attracting major crowds. Here’s where to avoid them

So, with safety top of mind, here are some alternative parks to consider for your 2020 summer escape, and, of course, the best places to eat — to go, dine-in, or dine-out — nearby.

Getty Images/iStockphoto The boardwalk at Congaree National Park Congaree National Park , South Carolina

Universal Images Group via Getty The Starlight Theatre saloon in Terlingua, outside Big Bend Big Bend National Park , Texas

Getty Images/EyeEm The famous cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde national park Mesa Verde National Park , Colorado

Matt Kirouac Kerouac’s restaurant in Great Basin National Park Great Basin National Park , Nevada

Getty Images/iStockphoto Grassy rolling hills in Wild Cave National Park Hotel Alex Johnson / Facebook The rooftop deck at Vertex Sky Bar in Rapid City Wind Cave National Park , South Dakota

Getty Images/iStockphoto Lost Lake campsite at Voyageurs National Park Voyageurs National Park , Minnesota

Matt Kirouac The tap lineup at Superior Bathhouse Hot Springs National Park , Arkansas

Getty Images The rugged badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park , North Dakota

Getty Images/iStockphoto An overlook at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park , Colorado

Getty Images/iStockphoto The Brandywine Falls Trail at Cuyahoga Valley National Park Cuyahoga Valley National Park , Ohio

Getty Images/iStockphoto Rattlesnake Canyon at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park , New Mexico

A full-time RV traveler and freelance travel writer, Matt Kirouac is the co-founder and co-host of Hello Ranger, a national parks community blog, podcast, and forthcoming app.

via Eater - All https://www.eater.com/2020/7/8/21311909/national-parks-reopened-texas-colorado-travel-road-trips-during-covid-19

Created July 9, 2020 at 01:26AM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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eat-travel-live-repeat · 4 years

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20+ Famous National Parks in the USA that you Need to Visit – Part 1

Its May 2020, and the World is in lockdown mode, as COVID – 19, is spreading like wildfire everywhere. The silver lining is that Mother Nature is healing, and while the world heals from this Pandemic, as all of us Stay at Home, and maintain Social Distancing, it makes sense to make the most of this Quarantine Life by adding different destinations to your Post COVID – 19 Travel Bucket List. Which is why 20+ travel experts stepped up, and have contributed their suggestions about the Best National Parks in the USA, that I have curated and compiled for your ease in this USA Travel Bucket List – The Best USA National Parks.

Scroll down and find the Best National Parks in the USA specially for the Nature lovers and Adventure junkies, as suggested by travellers and travel experts themselves. in alphabetical order.

As this travel blog was getting too lengthy to read, I divided it into two parts. So once you have gone through these set of USA National Parks, make sure to check out the Part 2, the link of which has been shared at the end.

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Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is one of the smaller national parks in the USA but also one of the most popular ones, located in northern Maine. Mostly made up of islands, the terrain is varied throughout the over 49,000 acres included in the park. Visitors will see the ocean’s craggy coastline, mountains, coniferous and deciduous forests, lakes, and ponds while they visit.

The greater Bar Harbor area is visited most in the hottest summer months of July and August and has plenty of other vacation options after you’re done exploring Acadia. It’s easy to spend a week in the area between the national park, the lumberjack show, ocean tours, museums, and downtown exploration. The ocean water remains chilly even during the warmest sunny days, leaving most swimmers flocking to the lake instead.

Hiking is popular with a variety of day hike trails at different difficulty levels, but even more folks love riding bikes. There is a network of “carriage roads” separate from the car roads so people can bike in peace from trailhead to trailhead and visit the different attractions without worrying about traffic; you can also take horse-drawn carriage rides on them!

The park’s famous Cadillac Mountain is one of the first places to see the sun rise on the east coast, making it a popular sunrise hike destination. Another hot spot is Jordan House, which features a fancy restaurant and manicured garden alongside a well trafficked trail around the pond, both of which give a beautiful view of the mountains and famous Bubble Rock formations. Another hike will take you to a quintessential Maine tourist attraction, a lighthouse!

View from Cadillac Mountain | Flickr | Peter Rintels

Acadia is great for nature lovers because of the wildlife; the park is home to black bears, moose, deer, salamanders, and lots of birds. It’s not common but sometimes whales can even be spotted off the coast! Some trails close seasonally because of nesting falcons and there are several wildlife spotting tour operators on land and in the water. There are a few areas of the park that have accessible tidepools, opening a whole new world of water exploration to see crabs, sea stars, and other tidepool life.

Acadia is great for adventure lovers because there are some thrilling hikes. Both Precipice and Beehive trails are challenging for adults, involving heart pumping cliffside trails and iron rungs to climb and hang on to. Thrill seekers will love the tricky trails that lead you to expansive views over the entire park! If that isn’t thrilling enough, book a rock climbing lesson that has you rappelling down over the ocean near Otter Cliffs or Great Head. Before you go, read more tips on visiting Acadia National Park here!

By Stephanie Woodson | Explore More Clean Less

Big Bend National Park

A unique thing about Big Bend National Park – It has three distinct areas: the River, the Desert, and the Mountains, and each area has its own best-known features.

Santa Elena Canyon is no doubt a must-visit in the River area. Located on the west side of the park, there’s a hiking trail here that leads you to the mouth of the canyon. You must do this moderate, 1.7 mile round trip trail. The south part of the canyon belongs to Mexico and it’s just a few yards away! Visitors also enjoy canoeing in the Rio Grande. You must arrive no later than 9 a.m. to secure a parking spot.

If you want to catch a Milky Way, the Balanced Rocks at the Desert area will give you an amazing experience. You must start early in the morning or around midnight, depending on what months you visit the park. However, we visited the Balanced Rocks in the late afternoon. Our dog was with us and dogs are not allowed on any trails. There’s no way we could leave the dog in a tent by himself or just with our son to catch the Milky Way. To get here, you must drive on an improved dirt road for 6 miles to the Grapevine Hills Trailhead. Then follow the easy 2.2 miles round trip trail where in the last quarter of the trail you need to climb steep rocks to get to the Balanced Rocks. Views from the boulders are just amazing!

Lastly, the prettiest part of the park, the Chisos Mountains. This is where the thorns of the desert give way to evergreens like pinyon pine and juniper, oak, and bigtooth maple, quaking aspen, and Douglas fir in the higher, moister area. Weird, isn’t it? Although these mountains only covered 2% of the park, it is a favorite for visitors especially during the summer months. If you can’t hike a must-do Lost Mine Trail or Window Trail in this area, do the Window View Trail instead. This easy 0.3 mi round trip will give you excellent views of the mountain peaks surrounding the Chisos Basin.

Big Bend National Park is in a remote part of southwest Texas. Check supplies before leaving the closest towns. Cell phone service is unreliable, and some park roads may require four-wheel drive. Like I mentioned above, dogs are not allowed on any trails. It will be hard to hike together because someone has to stay in the car with the dog. For a pet-friendly park with spectacular views, go to Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle. The second biggest canyon in the country.

By Umiko Buhl | Two World Treasures

Bryce Canyon National Park

While all of the Utah National Parks are incredible, there is something special about Bryce Canyon. Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its hoodoos, pillars of rock formed from a unique mix of plate tectonics, large temperature swings, and thousands of years of erosion. This climate and rock composition results in a landscape that isn’t truly rivaled anywhere else on Earth.

The rim of the canyon is easily accessible for all ages and while the views from above can be spectacular, true adventure lovers will want to get up close and personal with Bryce’s famous rock formations with a hike through the canyon itself.

Descending into Bryce Canyon feels like landing on an alien planet, filled with red rock pillars, towering trees, tunnels, and a maze of trails to explore. If you’re up for a challenge, I recommend starting at Sunset Point and descending to the canyon floor via Wall Street and then taking the “Figure 8 Loop” that follows a combination of the Navajo Loop Trail, Peekaboo Loop, and Queen’s Garden Trail before ascending the canyon at Sunrise Point.

If 7 miles in a high elevation national park feels like a bit too much, you can cut out Peekaboo Loop and try out the very popular Navajo / Queen’s Garden Loop. Be aware though that this shorter trail is often much more crowded and has less to see than Peekaboo. If you really want to escape the crowds, you can also check out the aptly named Fairyland Loop Trail, which is about 8 miles of strenuous hiking.

If you do plan to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, which is one of the most unique national parks in the USA, here are a few tips to make the most of your experience. First, Bryce gets very crowded even in the off season. Avoid them by venturing further from the main areas of the park and starting your day early. Second, dress in a lot of layers. When we visited, the temperature swung about 40 degrees between sunrise and the daily high.

If you do go to see the sunrise, view it from Sunset Point or somewhere else along the trail, not at Sunrise Point (it gets overly crowded here because of its name). Lastly, if you plan to hike, come with the right gear including ample amounts of water, chapstick, good hiking shoes, and plenty of snacks. Check out our guide to spending a day in Bryce Canyon National Park for more information.

By Danielle Schleig | Wanderlust While Working

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Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is without a doubt one of the best US national parks for the adventure lover. One of the “Mighty Five” national parks located in Southern Utah, Canyonlands is often overlooked for its more famous neighbor, Arches National Park. While Arches is indeed beautiful, it’s not nearly as adventure-worthy. The majority of the arches are located right off of short, paved paths, and during peak times it can be nearly impossible to get away from the train of RVs swarming the park.

When deciding between Arches or Canyonlands, the adventure lover would do much better spending their time in Canyonlands, with its epic, sprawling views, hikes, and campsites yet with none of the people. During our hike, we only passed one other person on the trail.

There are four districts in the park: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers. Adventurers will love The Needles and The Maze districts, which require 4 wheel drive vehicles and more self-reliance. Many people camp in these areas. But even the more accessible Island in the Sky district offers plenty of adventurous hikes of varying lengths, difficulties, and features.

Explore Puebloan granaries, watch the sunset (or sunrise) through the famous Mesa Arch, or climb down from the mesa top into the expansive plateau. For a full day adventure, Murphy’s Loop is an 11 mile, strenuous trail that descends into the mesa, where you can stop for a picnic before continuing back up. Nature lovers will enjoy discovering the variety of desert flora and fauna along the way.

The best time to visit Canyonlands is in the spring or fall, as in the summer the brutal heat will make daytime hikes difficult or unpleasant. We visited in April and the weather was perfect. Just be sure to be prepared with snacks, water, and a picnic lunch. Canyonlands is quite a drive from the main road, and you don’t want to have to drive back out when you get hungry!

If you spend a few days in the area, you can stop in at Dead Horse Point on your way to or from Canyonlands. The sweeping landscapes from this viewpoint are unbelievable as the river winds its way through the canyon. This area is also a state park with a variety of hikes as well. There is no shortage of things to do in and around Canyonlands!

By Sam and Veren | Alternative Travelers

Crater National Park

Crater National Park is Oregon’s only National Park, and also one of the top National Parks in the USA for Adventure and Nature lovers, and no doubt it’s a stunning one!

Over eight thousand year ago, Mount Mazama erupted and left us with what Crater Lake is today – a gorgeous 2,000ft deep crater. There are plenty of things to do at Crater Lake including swimming, hiking, and camping.

Aside from that, even if you don’t want to get out of your car, Crater Lake is awesome. You can drive the 33-mile rim road and just hop out at the scenic viewpoints all along the way. But adventure is the name of the game here so here are a few favorites.

Plaikni Falls trail is just a 2-mile hike through verdant forest that leads you to a beautiful waterfall.

Garfield Peak trail is a 3.4 mile trail that’s moderately difficult and takes you to the top of a peak to give you some extra high and beautiful views of the lake below.

Cleetwood Cove Trail is more than just a trail. This hike is only about 2 miles round trip but is pretty steep. It’s also the only access to the lake. So you can come here to hike or if you’re brave enough, to swim too! The water will be freezing no matter what time of the year so, be prepared.

Wizard Island – That little island floating in the deep blue lake is Wizard Island and yes, you can visit it. Taking the Cleetwood Cove Trail is a must to get to the boat ramp and once you make it down, take the quick ride over, take a dip, or hike to the top of the island cone for more epic views.

Tips:

Camping is a great option as seeing Crater Lake in just a day will leave you wanting more. You could stay a few days and still not get to all the trails and spots you want. Mazama and Lost Creek are two of the most developed and popular campsites in the area. There’s also Crater Lake Lodge for those not into camping.

Keep in mind Crater Lake is very seasonal and during winter, many roads will be closed. You can always access the south entrance and take in the snowy views but the rim road will be closed as will many hikes.

By Nina Ragusa | Oregon Is For Adventure

Everglades National Park

If you love nature and wildlife, the Everglades National Park is one of the National Parks in the USA which you must visit! Located in southern Florida, only a couple of hours away from Miami, it’s home to one of the most beautiful eco-systems in the world.

Alligators, birds, bobcats… so many animals to see!

Most tourists don’t actually stop in the Everglades and just drive Alligator Alley to go from Miami to Sarasota or St Petersburg. But if you love nature, you will want to stop in many places.

The Everglades cover 1.5-million acres of tropical wetlands. This means that the best way to explore them is by boat! You will find many places along the way offering speed boat tours. They generally last about 1 hour during which a guide will take you around the Everglades. You will get to discover these beautiful and unique landscapes but also the wildlife. Have you ever dreamed of seeing an alligator in the wild? Then this is for you!

There are also a few walk/hiking opportunities in the Everglades. The most popular are Shark Valley and Flamingo Visitor Center.

That said, if you have time and want to go on a more authentic walk, I would definitely recommend going on one of the hikes with the park rangers. Every day, park rangers go into the swamp and offer a guided tour to visitors. You will discover many fun and amazing facts about the Everglades and its wildlife. Please be aware of the fact that you will be walking in water and mud though. Just head to one of the visitor centers and they will tell you everything you need to know.

Finally, if you want to go on a walk of a lifetime, you can head to Big Cypress Preserve and hit the Florida National Scenic Trail!

Alternatively, there are also many viewpoints along the way. You will get to see nice views and many alligators.

Finally, one of the best things to do is simply enjoying the road trip! US Route 41 is amazing and clearly one of the best road trips in the USA! It will take you from Naples to Miami through the best parts of the Everglades. This slower and free road is a better option than Alligator Alley if you want to enjoy nature along the way.

By Pauline Vergnet | BeeLoved City

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Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

If you are a nature lover, Colorado Springs is the perfect place for you. The Garden of the Gods is perfectly named because it is one of the most gorgeous natural places in the country. The Garden of the Gods was formed from evolution and erosion over billions of years. It reminds us how Earth continues to evolve over time, it is truly a geological masterpiece.

If you would like to know the history and how the rocks formed, there is a presentation that supplies the history of how the rocks were formed in the visitor’s center. Take a trip back through time before humans, animals, and even dinosaurs existed. The visitor’s center also has free exhibits about indigenous people that traveled through the park, continents, dinosaurs, and the evolution of Earth.

One of the best things about this US National Park is, it is free to everyone. Charles Perkins and William Palmer bought 480 acres of land, which included a part of the modern-day Garden of the Gods. When Perkins died in 1909 his family donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs, under the condition that the park would always be available to the public for free. Since then the park has been named a National Natural Landmark, and is visited by over 2 million people per year.

If you are looking to explore nature, the hiking trails will take you through 21 miles of picturesque views. The main trail is 1.5 miles long and is paved making it accessible for novice hikers, families, children, and ADA accessible. There are more advanced trails for experienced hikers and bikers. There are tours, jeep, Segway, trolley, and walking tours available to become more familiar with the plant and animal species in the park.

The steep and unique rock formations make this an oasis for rock climbers. Rock climbing is permitted here only with a permit and proper equipment. If you keep an eye at the tops of the mountains you may see bighorn sheep. Before leaving the park, stop by the balancing rock for the perfect Instagram photo.

This ecosystem is sensitive and must be preserved, only walk or bike on designated trails. The rock can easily be damaged, so it is recommended that you do not touch them. This will insure we will be able to enjoy this park for many years to come.

By Corritta Lewis | It’s A Family Thing

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park in the USA is a haven for adventure seekers and its reward for those that push themselves are great. With over 700 miles of hiking trails, all of which provide stunning views of glacial lakes and towering mountains, it can be hard to choose your favorites.

Hitting the trails is definitely the best thing to do in Glacier National Park, and here were some of my personal favorites.

Iceberg Lake Trail – A nearly 10-mile round trip gorgeous hike that takes you through breathtaking forests and lands you at Iceberg Lake, of course! I saw a bear within my first mile and then moose just a few miles later all before reaching the lake. The lake dazzles in turquoise and is backed by sandy colored mountains.

Swiftcurrent Trail – A 16-mile round trip hike that snakes along Swiftcurrent Lake. You can do a portion of the hike and still get great rewards if you’re low on time. At the least, you can make it to Red Rock Falls.

Cracker Lake Trail – Another stunning glacial lake awaits you here. You’ll pass small bridges, thick alpine forests, and meadows before reaching the milky blue Cracker Lake. There’s a camping location alongside the lake here if you want to spend the night.

Another must do is driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It’s a stunning 50-mile drive weaving out and around mountain bends alongside lakes and rivers with glaciers in the distance. There are numerous areas to stop off at and even more hikes along this road to tackle.

Tips:

Camping is the best way to take in the park. There are tons of camping spots around the park but they do fill fast during high season, so try booking ahead or come early in the morning when people are getting up and leaving to nab a spot. My favorite spot was Many Glacier Campgrounds as it was right at the trailhead for many hikes including the ones I mentioned above.

Also, bringing bear spray is not a suggestion, it’s really a demand! There is high bear activity in this park and this is a small thing you can do to protect yourself during your hikes. Bring some with you as it’s more expensive to purchase in the park.

By Nina Ragusa | Where In The World is Nina

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the top USA bucket list items for many traveling to the States. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for the best-preserved geological wonders, making it a perfect haven for adventure seekers and nature lovers.

It has something for everybody – doesn’t matter if you are new to adventure and hiking, or if you just love the landscape, the Canyons will keep you hooked for more!

The Grand Canyon National Park in the USA, occupies a vast land surface – roughly about 4,926 km², and can be reached in many different ways. It has 3 main entrances – north, south and the west rim. (Many also believe there is an eastern gate to the national park).

The red rock with a multitude of layers and trenches of the Grand Canyon has been a fascination for many explorers for centuries.

The Grand Canyon north rim is a paradise for advanced hikers and overnight campers. Many hiking trails average about 6- 8 hours for a round trip at the northern rim. Most popular being the Kaibab trail.

The ruggedness of the canyons on the north rim, pulls both amateur and professional photographers to its cradle. However, it is not one of the easiest to navigate or access. For instance, the north rim is inaccessible during winters.

And taking a day from any of the nearby cities, may not be a feasible idea. The Grand Canyon north rim is located about 268 miles from Las Vegas, so approximately a 5-hour drive one-way – making it impossible for a day trip.

For accommodation at the north rim, consider camping overnight or stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge – North Rim. This 2-star lodge offers a free shuttle to the Kaibab trailhead.

For a quick day trip from Las Vegas – Nevada or Sedona – Arizona, the west rim and the south rim, are much more easily accessible than the northern entrance.

Grand Canyon west rim is home to the popular tourist attractions – SkyWalk – and it is open all year round for visitors. It also has shorter trails, which are accessible for families with strollers, and can be done in 2 hours or less.

Las Vegas to the west rim is 125 miles, so it takes about 2.50 hours by car, one way. There are tons of day tours available from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon – west and south rims, to suit every traveler’s budget.

The south rim of the Grand Canyon has a similar story. It is accessible all year round and is more tourist-friendly with tons of day tours and helicopter excursions available.

For accommodation, book a room at the Hualapai Ranch or the Hualapai Lodge, located very close to the park entrance on the west rim.”

By Mayuri | To Some Place New

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Haleakala National Park

Maui screams adventure, whether you’re into finding hidden waterfalls or hiking into a volcano, you can find it all inside Haleakala National Park. Haleakala is the volcano that formed over half the island of Maui. There are 2 entrances to the park, the Kipahulu district and the summit.

The Kipahulu or coastal district can only be reached from the east side of the island about 20 minutes past the town of Hana. Here you can experience the dramatic coastline, volcanic inlets and several waterfalls!

Inside the park is a well-maintained campground complete with picnic tables, grills, and a restroom. The campsites are first come first serve and walkable to hiking trails and the pools of Ohe’o or commonly known as seven sacred pools.

Remember when I mentioned waterfalls? One of Maui’s most popular hikes starts here, the Pipiwai Trail. This 4-mile moderate hike takes you past ancient banyan trees, through a cracking bamboo forest and ends at the mesmerizing 400 foot Waimoku Falls.

Another way to explore the National park is by accessing the summit. A popular way to experience the summit is coming to witness the sun rise above the clouds, an experience that is truly out of this world. To catch sunrise, you must make reservations in advance here. If you’re looking for something to get your adrenaline pumping then opt for a sunrise bike tour. Tours provide you with bikes and after sunrise at the summit you coast down 26 miles of switch backs until you reach the town of Paia.

Rather keep your feet on solid ground? There are a handful of hikes that take you in, through or around the crater. My favorite hike inside the crater is the Sliding Sands Trail. This hike takes you down onto the crater floor and you will feel like you are traversing the surface of Mars. Red, orange, and purple hues will start to emerge in the background as you hike along the black volcanic rock. You’ll spot a rare plant called the silver sword which can only be found here or on Mauna Kea, the volcano on the big island. This is a strenuous hike so come prepared with sunscreen and water.

It gets cold at the summit, so dress warm, especially if you plan on camping at the Hosmer Grove campground. Haleakala National Park always leaves me wanting more.

By Jess | I’m Jess Travelling

If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to check out the Part 2 of the 20+ Best National Parks in the USA here.

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Best National Parks in the USA for the Adventure and Nature Lovers – Part 1 20+ Famous National Parks in the USA that you Need to Visit - Part 1 Its May 2020, and the World is in lockdown mode, as COVID - 19, is spreading like wildfire everywhere.

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