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I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

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Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#161

Post by nickd2001 »

SwellJoe wrote: post #116

Advice for folks who like National Parks, but wish you could experience some of that nature with fewer people around: Many National Parks are surrounded by a National Forest. National Forests surrounding National Parks are often similarly beautiful. I mean, they're beautiful in a similar way, due to being in roughly the same location on the map...same climate, same fauna, same flora, same geology, though not necessar…

Colorado is a great example of this. Rocky Mountains national park is good but a bit of a tourist trap and there's so much more to see in CO than that.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#162

Post by pokstad »

ghaff wrote: post #141
pokstad wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just went to Zion last week. There was an hour long wait to get on the shuttles due to crowds. The River Walk trail to the Narrows was so congested you would bump into people. The Emerald pools was packed with people despite being a 500’ climb. It’s a very popular park during spring break.

I visited Zion a fair bit when I had pretty regular business travel to Vegas. Probably wouldn't go back today. The shuttle is something of a nightmare if you don't pay to stay in the park and I think my favorite hike is still closed due to rockfall.

I think the winning strategy to beat crowds is to get an e-bike rental and skip the shuttle.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#163

Post by jjulius »

ekr____ wrote: post #68
BenFranklin100 wrote: post #26

“I’m pretty content to say that North America absolutely mogs the rest of the world in national parks. “ This is exactly what a European friend remarked to me years ago. He thought us Americans were a bit unaware of just how good we had it compared to the rest of the world.

I mostly agree with this, but... if you're a hiker or a trail runner the alps really are amazing, and the infrastructure is far better than in the States. Once you get outside of really built up places like Yosemite Valley, the trails in the US basically are out in the middle of nowhere and so you're carrying all your stuff. For example, if you do John Muir Trail, there's basically nothing between Muir Trail Ranch an…

For many of us who backpack in the US for long distances and many days at the time, the remoteness is exactly the point. The lack of those huts/refugios is one of the primary drivers for why OP's friend said what they said.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#164

Post by ghaff »

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #128
bsimpson wrote: post #94

I'm from the West Coast. My national park experience includes Yosemite, Volcanoes, Arches, Zion, Bryce, Redwood, Crater Lake, and Lassen. (I've technically also been to the Grand Canyon, but it was so foggy, it was more like going to the Sears Portrait Studio - you couldn't even see the canyon.) I used to say "I've never been to a national park and wondered why it's a national park - they all have an obvious and imme…

> Even my Mainer friends say "we don't know why Acadia is a park - there are so many other places in Maine that are at least as pretty." I believe that private ownership of land is the biggest answer.

Acadia is a bit of an odd setup with a patchwork of private and public land (along with some of the recent additions from the Rockefellers). But, while many areas on the Maine coast are very nice I'd still argue that Acadia in unique. Obviously different from the big lakes and Baxter.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#165

Post by thinkharderdev »

jonhohle wrote: post #31
jobs_throwaway wrote: post #19

> Every day hike in Zion Canyon is kind of like waiting in line at Disney World. You’re waiting in line in a magical place, but you’re still waiting in line. You ask a dead-eyed park ranger to recommend you a less popular hike, and he spits in your face. There is no such thing as a less-popular hike in Zion Canyon. You will wait in line on the trail and you will be grateful you piece of shit. Yeah, you can safely dis…

Yeah, this was an off article that half I completely disagreed with, a quarter is probably accurate, and the other quarter I don’t know anything about. Zion is amazing. One of my favorites. We found a great dry riverbed trail and saw no one for nearly two hours. My kids loved Arches. Had we known? We would have planned longer. Bryce we thought was meh, unpopular opinion, I’m sure. Canyonlands I can’t even remember. S…

> The Grand Canyon review is spot on though.

The review of the Grand Canyon annoyed me the most:

``` Can you hike in the Grand Canyon? Yes, technically. You can walk along the rim, but the view won’t change; same damn canyon on one side, same damn parking lot on the other. There are trails that go down into the canyon, but they’re a trap ```

So you can't even hike there, except of course for the hike that you can do.

"They are featureless steep inclines formed into endless switchbacks, and when they finally end, there’s nothing to do except go back up"

That is what hiking is! Granted, usually you hike up and then back down. And I wouldn't call the hike down into the canyon "featureless". Honestly, it sounds like this person just doesn't really like hiking, which if fine it's not for everyone, but that is just what there is to do in most national parks.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#166

Post by Xcelerate »

bsimpson wrote: post #94

I'm from the West Coast. My national park experience includes Yosemite, Volcanoes, Arches, Zion, Bryce, Redwood, Crater Lake, and Lassen. (I've technically also been to the Grand Canyon, but it was so foggy, it was more like going to the Sears Portrait Studio - you couldn't even see the canyon.) I used to say "I've never been to a national park and wondered why it's a national park - they all have an obvious and imme…

> they all have an obvious and immediate majesty to them.

"Grandeur" is not the only criteria for nice national parks. I'm from the east coast, and while all of the breathtaking views in California were amazing, after a few years of living there I began to get frustrated that I couldn't find anywhere "cozy" to visit during the weekends. Some locations along the Russian River probably came the closest, but the jagged rocks and coniferous trees still didn't manifest the sort of "warm and snug" feeling one gets while river tubing along a mountain river in the Blue Ridge mountains. Temperature deciduous rainforests are actually quite rare across the planet, and particularly when the leaves change colors, it's a sight to behold.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#167

Post by ghaff »

carefulfungi wrote: post #115

In addition to managing these incredible places, the park service also runs some pretty cool museums. A rainy-day favorite in Massachusetts - Lowell textile mill: https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm .

Yeah, and there's a folk/world music festival there every late July--though not sure how much of the museum is open that weekend.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#168

Post by ghaff »

pokstad wrote: post #162
ghaff wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I visited Zion a fair bit when I had pretty regular business travel to Vegas. Probably wouldn't go back today. The shuttle is something of a nightmare if you don't pay to stay in the park and I think my favorite hike is still closed due to rockfall.

I think the winning strategy to beat crowds is to get an e-bike rental and skip the shuttle.

If you bike, probably.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#169

Post by prettyblocks »

jobs_throwaway wrote: post #19

> Every day hike in Zion Canyon is kind of like waiting in line at Disney World. You’re waiting in line in a magical place, but you’re still waiting in line. You ask a dead-eyed park ranger to recommend you a less popular hike, and he spits in your face. There is no such thing as a less-popular hike in Zion Canyon. You will wait in line on the trail and you will be grateful you piece of shit. Yeah, you can safely dis…

I think it really depends what time of year you go. Zion is beautiful, but when I went it was early in the season and a lot of the popular stuff was closed and it was very crowded everywhere. On the same trip I did all 5 parks in Utah, and I easily rank Zion as my least favorite, even though people seem to love it the most. I would definitely go back though.

Re: I went to America's worst national parks so you don't have to

#170

Post by magneticnorth »

amenhotep wrote: post #147
magneticnorth wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His first choice of a ~"good"~ correction:worthwhile national park is Gateway Arch in St. Louis. When I got to that part, I was sure this was rage bait.

No it isn't. He says nothing about what his first choice good national park is. That section is about parks that people say are bad but aren't . His contention is merely that it is fine.

Ah, you're right.

But still, if he is saying that for a national park, Gateway Arch is fine, but the Grand Canyon is about as worthwhile as Times Square Margaritaville and Yosemite valley is comparable to anyplace else in California, I have to believe this is rage bait (or disingenuous engagement bait at best)

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