National Parks

[SarahS]

Yosemite...Acadia...Yellowstone...Banff... What's your all-time favorite national park? (Parks in Canada and other countries count too!) Tell us your favorite and why.

Related Story:
National Park Vacations

[tinkerbell]

I haven't visited a National Park just yet ... but Yellowstone and Grand Teton are on my must-see lists. I will be heading out to Utah and Colorado in a few weeks and hope to get to Bryce Canyon, but it's pretty far from where I will be staying. Do I see a road trip on the horizon??

[soliteyah]

Unfortunately, I have never been to a national park either -- do state parks count?

Personally I've got Bryce, Sequoia, Acadia and the Great Smokies on my wish list. Oh, and isn't there one down in the Virgin Islands as well? I could go for that.

My SO has been to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier National Park and the Everglades (and possibly more?). He's always talking about going back out west -- maybe next time he'll bring me!

[Renegade Camper]

Camped in Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier/Waterton, Banff in Canada,
Bryce, Arches, Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, and just back from Big Bend.

Every trip was awesome.

Yellowstone, Waterton, Banff, Bryce, Arches and Big Bend are trips I want to take again.

[soliteyah]

I just got back from a vacation in the Santa Fe area, and now I can say that I've been to a few national monuments, at least -- Bandelier and Petroglyph! I particularly loved Bandelier, where we hiked through a canyon where Native Americans once built cavedwellings on the cliff walls. We even got to climb 140 feet up the side of the cliff (via ladders) into a ceremonial cave. So fun, and the park was just beautiful.

[dhammer53]

Before award travel ruled my life (yeah, I know), we always traveled out west to the National parks.

My first was Yosemite in 1973. Beautiful park. Lots of green. That contrasts with the Grand Canyon, which is beautiful and stark.

Bryce has unusual rock formations. Great colors.
Arches National Park has very very unusual arch shaped rock formations. These parks are less traveled than the first two.

Rocky Mountain Natl Park is about 13,000 feet up. Very impressive. It's amazing to see snow in the summer.

[ilwag]

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorites but Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier are right up there, too. I am a wildlife lover and love to see moose, deer, big horn sheep, mountain goats, and any kind of bear.

[Arizonaborn]

DW and I want to see Glacier, but she has a serious issue with riding in a vehicle on roads that have drop-offs. Can one visit Glacier without doing the Going-to-the-sun road or is this too much to miss?

Thanks for any help and insight.

[ilwag]

I am pretty certain there are other roads to travel but I do think you will miss alot if you don't take the Going to the Sun road. It has been a few years since I was there. My daughter happens to be on her way to Glacier today. She will arrive tomorrow night. I will ask her about all the other roads to take and what to see.

[Arizonaborn]

Originally Posted by ilwag

I am pretty certain there are other roads to travel but I do think you will miss alot if you don't take the Going to the Sun road. It has been a few years since I was there. My daughter happens to be on her way to Glacier today. She will arrive tomorrow night. I will ask her about all the other roads to take and what to see.

Thanks, much appreciated.

[LSKahn]

The Grand Canyon wins the prize from me hands down.

Of course, haven't been to them all, but I have been to the Grand Canyon 3 times. One of these days I am going to raft the whole thing!

[ilwag]

Arizonaborn:
My daughter just returned from Glacier National Park. She had an absolutely wonderful time. She saw black bear, grizzly and cub, lots of mountain goats, herds of bighorn sheep, marmots, pronghorn antelope, and deer. SHe says you can travel in quite a ways on the Going to the Sun road before the elevation. The other roads are small and there are only a couple but you can see things without going too high. You may have to drive on the outside of the park to the other entrances, driving in a bit but she saw many of the animals in the lower elevation. The mountain goats were on the salt lick on Rt. 2 outside the park. The black bear was across from Lake St. Mary and the grizzly was just down the road from the black bear.

Good luck!