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Reader Survey Day: How Far From The National Park Parking Lot Do You Venture?

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Mister Bubbles, Yellowstone National Park/Kurt Repanshek

You have to venture into the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park to see (and soak in the overflow of) Mr. Bubbles./Kurt Repanshek

Its been said that in many national parks, visitors don't trek far from the parking lots. Which is a shame, as there's so much to see and experience in the backcountry. How far do you typically roam into the backcountry during your national park vacation?

While "windshield" tours of Shenandoah National Park, the Natchez Trace Parkway, and even Grand Teton National Park can give one the sense of experiencing those parks, don't you really need to head down a trail to truly experience the park?

Tell us, travelers, how far from the parking lot do you roam when you visit a national park?

Comments

While not a real backcountry hiker I will venture a long way from the parking lot. Basically day hikes.

Yellowstone NP I guess the furthest we went was about 5 miles.

Grand Teton NP about 6 miles

Smokey Mountain NP about 10 miles

Grand Canyon NP about 6 miles

Yosemite NP about 5 miles

Badlands NP about 3 miles

Denali NP about 1 mile

Acadia NP about 2 miles


day hikes, usually 3 - 5 miles one way


Depends on the park.

Glacier, I've been twenty miles into the backcountry, while at parks such as Yellowstone and Mount Rainier my farthest ventures were about ten.

I've been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon which is only about 7 miles from the trail head, however it's probably one of the most remote places one will ever visit.

At Denali I've venture only a few miles into the backcountry, however with so little development in this 6 million acre park, that one could get totally lost in the experience just a few hundred yards from the road.


My capacity's about 3 miles at altitude, 4 or 5 at sea level, and I always try to get out at least a mile or two.


Day hikes for me, usually. Three miles deep is good. I tend to hike extremely slowly, though. Six miles is an all day affair when you stop every seventeen feet to look at ferns or birds or lichens or centipedes.


We've backpacked in Zion, driven off-road in Death Valley, hiked to Wheeler in Great Basin and done nearly all 150+ miles of hiking trails in Acadia (mostly for our Acadia hiking guides, but also for pure pleasure). We try to get as far away from parking lots and crowds as possible.


I've been to 20 U.S. National Parks and always try to get out on a few day hikes. I've done most of hiking in Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion, Arches, and Yosemite. In fact, I've written a book about my times hiking in the National Parks, if anyone's interested in checking it out, The Adventures of a Day Hiker: An Exploration of America's National Parks.

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Day-Hiker-Exploration-Americas/dp/15089...


I am not brave and don't go too far, especially in the West. Thank goodness there are beautiful things to see close to the lots. We take boat rides, Ranger tours, and hikes of less than 3 miles. There are good things for all of us to see, thanks to fine planning by the Park Service.


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