What are the best adventures in the National Park System in the Lower 48? For sure, three weeks floating the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park has to be one, and climbing the Grand Teton in its namesake park is another. But then what?
To help start this list, here are five great adventures in no specific order:
1. Colorado River trip, Grand Canyon National Park
2. Climbing the Grand Teton, Grand Teton National Park
3. Climbing El Capitan, Yosemite National Park
4. End-to-end on the Appalachian Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail
5. Wild cave tour, Mammoth Cave National Park
What else, travelers? Are there 50 great adventures? 100?
Comments
Hiking in the rain forest in Olympic National Park - awesome!!!
Lots of great nominees here. I tried to come up with some other not-yet-mentioned adventures that are either at some less-famous Parks or are less-obvious adventures than, say, climbing Mt. Rainier or climbing Mt. McKinley in Sequoia NP:
- white-water rafting in Gauley National Recreation Area on an autumn dam-release day
- standing on the "front lines" at re-enactment weekend at Cedar Creek & Bell Grove NHP (where you can fell the cannon shots rattle your bones)
- bicycling the C&O Canal NHP towpath from Cumberland to Georgetown
- climbing the big dune barefoot and by moonlight at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
- driving the "Apache Trail" (Arizona - 88) to Tonto National Monument for the Upper Cliff Dwelling Tour
- Rock Harbor to Windigo through-hike at Isle Royale National Park
- touring the East Coast's largest ghost town (and braving the East Coast's fiercest mosquitoes) at Portsmouth Village in Cape Lookout National Seashore (perhaps the only location in the National Park System that requires a ferry trip just to get to the ferry that takes you there)
Great topic, Kurt; lots of fine suggestions! I especially like the examples from the areas east of the Rockies that I'm not familiar with. Amoung those previously mentioned, my western favorites are the Green River paddle, the Zion slots, and anywhere off the tourist trails in Grand Canyon.
Here's a few of the best adventures in our Northwest parks:
Mount Rainier's summit is not for everyone, but if that sort of thing appeals, avoid the south side conga-line and try the longer Emmons route via Camp Schurman, where only one-third as many permits are issued. Any fit, patient backpacker might get more pleasure encircling 'The Mountain' on the 93-mile Wonderland Trail. Mouthwatering photos at:
http://www.cascadecrusades.org/hiking/rainier/wonderlandrail2009/wonderl...
Olympic National Park has amazing variety, but a unique adventure is following the longest roadless stretches of the west coast remaining in the lower 48: http://www.npca.org/explore_the_parks/safari/olympic-national-park/
If traversing day after day along alpine ridges twenty miles from the nearest road sounds like fun, check out this general overview of Olympic's high routes: http://www.climbersguideolympics.com/traverses
Most of the Cascades, a range strangely named for it's lowest point, are notoriously crumbly, as are the Olympics. The best rock climbing in Washington is in lightly visited North Cascades National Park. Think Teton relief and steepness with jungle approaches and serious glaciers: http://mountaineers.org/NWMJ/06/061_Pickets.html
If that's too tame, try it in February: http://www.cascadecrusades.org/SkiMountaineering/pickettraverse/pickettr...
Here's one that's not so strenuous -- watching Grand Geyser in Yellowstone. I've sat and waited for it for four hours before and never regretted a moment.
Oh - and snorkeling the underwater nature trail at Buck Island Reef National Monument in the Virgin Islands. When a memory sticks with you for 30 years, it's a good one.
A few experiences come immediately to mind:
(1) Signing out for and hiking the 1 mile ledge trail behind Curry Village to the top of Glacier Point.
(2) Hiking to the top of an unnamed peak on the ridge above Fletcher Lake in Yosemite National Park to see Mt. McClure and the Lyell glacier through the saddle between Parsons' Peak and Amelia Earhart Peak and then look down to see ice on Ireland Lake.
(3) Hiking to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park
(4) Hiking to the top of Lady Mountain in Zion National Park when the trail to the top was still open to the public. Other hikes in Zion include the East and West Rim Trails, the Subway, and the Kolob Arch.
(5) Experiencing Carlsbad Caverns for ourselves by visiting the Natural Entrance in the dead of winter.
(6) Hiking to the top of Guadalupe Mountain while winter camping at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
(7) Star gazing with telescopes and binoculars while staying out all night at Discovery Point at Crater Lake National Park.
(8) Hiking quickly from Yosemite Valley to the top of Half Dome during the summer of 1970 with the intent to take photos of Yosemite Valley by night (using my first tripod, purchased from Best Studios) and then returning by the light of a full moon, with no need to use a flash light. There were no crowds on the cables at that time.
Some that have not been mention:
1) Rock climbing on El Capitan at Yosemite
2) Canoeing in Conagree NP
3) BASE Jumping from The New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day
4) Wind Surfing at Cape Hatteras
5) Kayaking in Apostle Islands
6) Snow shoeing or cross county sking in Yellowstone
7) 4X4 driving in Canyonlands NP
You know, everything is relative. For my wife and I, two seniors from FLORIDA, driving in and out of Mesa Verde is all the adventure we need. Same goes for driving the Rim Road in the Colorado NM. I also agree with Meg, watching Grand or Great Fountain Geysers put on their show is exhilarating .