The National Parks Service was created by Congress on August 25, 1916, 44 years after Ulysses S. Grant signed the law making Yellowstone America's first national park. Part of the Department of the Interior, the mandate of the National Parks Service is to protect areas under management while facilitating public experiences of these areas, a balancing act indeed.
We can all agree that national parks can get a bit crowded during the summer months, and there's a good chance they will be crowded again this summer. One would think however, with 84 million acres falling within National Parks, there must be ways to avoid the crowds. Well, we have a few ideas...
Get Off the Main Roads
Though some of a park's iconic viewpoints and overlooks are often steps from the parking lot, don't let this be your only experience of the national parks. You can find awesome 4-mile side trails or hike 20+ miles into pure solitude. Sure, it takes a little more work, but we promise the reward will be worth it. Just take a look at the Tenaya Canyon Descent, the Trans-Zion Trek, or these 3 Incredible Wilderness Trips in Olympic National Park.
Explore Beyond the "Heart" of the Park
The "heart" can be described in two different ways: it may be where a visitor center is located, or it may be the area with the most adventures grouped together. Either way, this is obviously going to be one of the busiest places and home to some of the park's most popular sites. We don't suggest skipping the "heart," but we do want to encourage you to not skip the rest of the park. Often there are less traveled and equally beautiful trails and campgrounds in the far corners of the park. If you do want to explore a central location, trade your car for a bike.
Start Early
Get up before the sun and chances are you'll be up before a number of the other park visitors. Start your adventures early to get a stretch of trail and a beautiful sunrise to yourself in the morning. Many of the popular trails are well-maintained and can easily be hiked with a head lamp, just be careful when starting an adventure in the dark.
Visit the Less-Visited National Parks
If you want to travel in the summer months, try a road less traveled. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park, hosting nearly 70 million visitors in 2014. If you laid those visitors head to foot, they would stretch from Canada to Mexico 315 times! No wonder it feels busy. Alaska is home to many of these least-visited parks, some of which are only accessible by snowmobile or dog sled.
Visit in the Off-Season
Before Memorial Day and after Labor Day the visitors tend to thin out, making the popular areas of the park less crowded and campsite reservations easier to come by. You can also find off-season rates at some of the beautiful historic lodges. Access to certain areas may be limited due to snow, which may mean they are perfectly suited for snowshoeing, backcountry and cross-country skiing, and even winter camping. Wouldn't it be nice to have a sunrise to yourself at Crater Lake? Or find fresh turns at Lassen?
In no particular order, here are 100 awesome adventures from the national parks in the West that will really show you why these places are some of America's gems.
- Half Dome Hike: Yosemite National Park
- Tenaya Canyon Descent: Yosemite National Park
- Tenaya Lake: Yosemite National Park
- Yosemite Falls: Yosemite National Park
- Yosemite Valley Bicycle Loop: Yosemite National Park
- Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley via Vogelsang Camp: Yosemite National Park
- Cathedral Lakes Trail: Yosemite National Park
- Matthes Crest Traverse: Yosemite National Park
- Vogelsang Peak: Yosemite National Park
- Rae Lakes Loop: Kings Canyon National Park
- Columbine Lake: Sequoia National Park
- Pear Lake Hut: Sequoia National Park
- Moro Rock: Sequoia National Park
- Giant Forest: Sequoia National Park
- Glacier Pass, Sawtooth Pass + Big Five Lakes Loop: Sequoia National Park
- Tokopah Valley: Sequoia National Park
- Ubehebe Crater: Death Valley National Park
- Devil's Golf Course: Death Valley National Park
- The Racetrack: Death Valley National Park
- Mosaic Canyon Trail: Death Valley National Park
- Cholla Cactus Garden: Joshua Tree National Park
- Intersection Rock Climbing Crag: Joshua Tree National Park
- Arch Rock Nature Trail: Joshua Tree National Park
- Fortynine Palms Oasis: Joshua Tree National Park
- Lassen Peak, North Ridge Shoulder Backcountry Ski: Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lassen Peak: Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Kings Creek Falls: Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Mount Diller: Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Tall Trees Grove: Redwoods National and State Parks
- Moses Springs Trail: Pinnacles National Park
- The Watchman Snowshoe: Crater Lake National Park
- Garfield Peak: Crater Lake National Park
- Wizard Island Summit: Crater Lake National Park
- The Pinnacles: Crater Lake National Park
- Unicorn Peak via Snow Lake: Mount Rainier National Park
- Disappointment Cleaver: Mount Rainier National Park
- Skyline Trail: Mount Rainier National Park
- Paradise Park, Myrtle Falls: Mount Rainier National Park
- Edith Creek Basin: Mount Rainier National Park
- Gobblers Knob + Lake George: Mount Rainier National Park
- Burroughs Mountain: Mount Rainier National Park
- Sunrise Rim Trail: Mount Rainier National Park
- Summerland + Panhandle Gap: Mount Rainier National Park
- Sam's River Loop: Olympic National Park
- Hoh to Sol Duc via High Divide Trail: Olympic National Park
- La Push, Second Beach: Olympic National Park
- Wolf Creek Trail: Olympic National Park
- Sol Duc Falls: Olympic National Park
- Obstruction Point: Olympic National Park
- Ozette Lake: Olympic National Park
- Ruby Beach: Olympic National Park
- Anderson Glacier: Olympic National Park
- Forbidden Peak, West Ridge: North Cascades National Park
- Thornton Lakes Trail + Trappers Peak: North Cascades National Park
- Trans-Zion Trek: Zion National Park
- Angels Landing: Zion National Park
- North Guardian Angel Climb: Zion National Park
- Lower Subway: Zion National Park
- The Narrows: Zion National Park
- Pine Creek Canyoneering: Zion National Park
- Fairyland Loop: Bryce Canyon National Park
- Bryce Canyon Rim Trial: Bryce Canyon National Park
- Inspiration Point: Bryce Canyon National Park
- Delicate Arch: Arches National Park
- The Windows Loop: Arches National Park
- Park Avenue Hike: Arches National Park
- False Kiva: Canyonlands National Park
- Aztec Butte: Canyonlands National Park
- Cohab Canyon: Capitol Reef National Park
- Grand Wash Trail to the Narrows: Capitol Reef National Park
- Cathedral Valley: Capitol Reef National Park
- South Kaibab + Bright Angel Trails: Grand Canyon National Park
- Grand Canyon of the Colorado River: Grand Canyon National Park
- Grand Canyon Lodge, North Rim: Grand Canyon National Park
- Havasu Falls via Havasupai Trail: Grand Canyon National Park
- Granite Rapid Camp: Grand Canyon National Park
- Mooney + Beaver Falls: Grand Canyon National Park
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Nymph, Dream + Emerald Lakes: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Chasm Lake: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Ute Trail to Timberline Pass: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Lake Haiyaha: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Gem Lake via Lumpy Ridge Trailhead: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Lion Lakes: Rocky Mountain National Park
- Cliff Palace: Mesa Verde National Park
- Taggart + Bradley Lakes: Grand Teton National Park
- Visit San Juan Islands National Historical Park in the San Juan Islands
- Paulina Peak: Newberry National Volcanic Monument
- Sand dunes at White Sands National Monument
- Monitor Ridge: Mount St. Helen's National Monument
- Ocean views at Cabrillo National Monument
- Walking with Redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument
- The Wave: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument
- Devil's Postpile National Monument
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Canyon De Chelly National Monument
- Sunset View: Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Devil's Garden: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- Painted Hills: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Comments
Come kayak, explore and truly experience the REAL Everglades! We offer fully outfitted and guided 3-5-8-day overnight kayak camping tours in the backcountry of Everglades National Park. You can find complete details at www.everglades-kayak.com. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Dave Kochendorfer, Owner/Guide
Florida Outdoor Adventures - Everglades Kayak Tours
http://www.everglades-kayak.com
[email protected]
386-295-1850
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