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Reader Participation Survey: Help Us Name the Top 100 National Park Locations to See Before You Die

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Earlier this week we touched on the national parks mentioned in the book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Somehow, Mammoth Cave National Park didn't make the cut, and if you've been there, you know it should have. Help us compile a list of the top 100 national park locations to see before you die. We'll start the list.

* Mammoth Cave National Park. The longest cave in the world -- and still with no end in sight! -- this underground labyrinth presents geologic wonders sculpted down through the millenia by trickling waters.

* Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park. This geyser has been amazing viewers for hundreds of years.

* Half Dome, Yosemite National Park. Just making the trek to the top of this granite dome is something you'll never forget. Gazing down into the Yosemite Valley is another marvel.

* Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park. Why the architects of the cliff dwellings that drape Mesa Verde fled the region continues to be a mystery. Today the dwellings are a showcase of the tenacity and ingenuity of a long ago society.

* Logan Pass, Glacier National Park. While the Going-to-the-Sun Road is a main attraction for those visiting Glacier, stopping atop Logan Pass to snap photos of the ever-present mountain goats and to look at the whittling long-ago glaciers did to the surrounding mountains is an image that stays with you long after your vacation ends.

* The Racetrack, Death Valley National Park. True, it takes some determination to reach the Race Track, but when you pass Tea Kettle Junction and finally reach the playa with its rocks that mysteriously snake across the landscape, you're left with a mystery that you'll talk about for years.

* Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park. An idyllic setting on an island that is idyllic on its own, the pond and its pond house, where you can snack on over-sized popovers smothered with strawberry jam, or stick around for a lobster dinner, is one of the iconic settings in the National Park System.

Comments

The nightskies program in the Badlands made me proud to be a citizen of this great land--kudos to the ranger staff and park volunteers who make it happen


My Top Ten List:

1. Acadia
2. Zion
3. Joshua Tree
4. Glacier
5. Redwoods
6. Yosemite
7. Yellowstone
8. Grand Canyon
9. Canyon de Chelly NM
10.Olympic


I cannot believe that no one has mentioned Denali yet! It's just amazing and you need to go there! (Although there is something to be said about keeping it a secret!)

Also Kenai Fjords in Seward AK - my dad and I use our hike to the Harding Ice Field to compare to other hikes!


Mt. Rainier National Park! The wildflower meadows at Paradise and Tipsoo Lake...the majesty, the colors, simply stunning!


Backpacking without trails, amidst wild grizzly bears, moose, caribou, et al at Denali National Park
Hiking in the Hoh rainforest at Olympic
Camping at White River and visiting the alpine meadows above there at Mt. Rainier


I suppose size is an issue. Talking about an entire area of hundreds of square miles doesn't seem specific enough.

Canyonlands has a few notable sites including Mesa Arch. Of course Yosemite has sites like Half Dome and El Capitan. I also have incredible memories of walking through the Redwood Mountain Grove (the largest giant sequoia grove in the world) at Kings Canyon NP. If you check out the photo on my profile page, I took that photos of a mama bear with her cubs (on a downed sequoia) there.

Seriously though, the one singular location stands out for me, and that would be Delicate Arch at Arches NP. I remember how it felt coming off that ledge into the little hole and there it was in all its glory. It seemed so improbable.


The trail to Merced lake High Sierra camp in Yosemite via Sunrise High Sierra camp. This is some of the most breathtaking scenery I've seen yet. Unfortunately I was too tired to take out my camera! Another favorite of mine is Charlie's Bunion in [Great Smoky Mountains National Park].

Alright, one more; Franconia Ridge in The White Mountain National Forest in NH. I know it's not a National Park, but it's gotta count!


Only 100 locations? Here are – figuratively speaking – just a few.

I second the previously mentioned suggestions: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (in addition to Old Faithful), Yellowstone NP; and, the Grand Canyon mule ride. I would suggest taking the overnight mule ride, if possible, because you go to the bottom of the canyon and spend the night at Phantom Ranch.

Grand Teton NP is beautiful in its entirety. I would especially suggest the Cascade Canyon Trail to Lake Solitude and the South Fork of Cascade Canyon to Hurricane Pass.

Grand Canyon: I would like to add viewing it from the North Rim. The North Rim is a beautifully wooded area and is not as crowded at the South Rim. Also, the mature Ponderosa Pine have aromas like either vanilla or butterscotch -- depending on the tree -- when smelled up close.

Big Bend NP: If you like to camp, I would suggest the Chisos Basis. When my wife and I went there in 1986, we had both beautiful sunrises and beautiful sunsets. There was a good amount of bird life there.

Haleakala NP: The 11-mile hike across the crater -- if you’re steady on your feet and in good shape. You feel as if you’re walking through another planet. Also, I would strongly suggest using a pair of hiking sticks. For a very good reason, one of the trails is called the Sliding Sands Trail.


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