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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

#191

Post by HDThoreaun »

jobs_throwaway wrote: post #175
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.

Yes, the shuttles are the disneyland portion of the park. The backcountry is just as beautiful and way, way, way less people.

Zion backcountry isnt in the canyon though. Its nice, but not nearly as scenic as the canyon. If you want the unique canyon experience theres no way to get it without the crowds.

> The backcountry is just as beautiful

Just not true. There are 10,000 sq miles in utah alone that are just as nice as the non canyon part of zion. The canyon is unique.

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

#192

Post by HDThoreaun »

grahamburger wrote: post #160
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…

There's also another entrance to Zion park in another area called Kolob Canyon. It's a few hours drive from the main entrance, far less developed, and there's never anyone there. Still very beautiful, though.

Theres a reason no one goes to Kolob canyon, its rather unremarkable compared to zion canyon. All the national monuments in utah are nicer and also have zero crowds, other than the cave in provo.

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

#193

Post by HelloMcFly »

coldtea wrote: post #174
Aurornis wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or the point the writer is making is inherently bad and no amount of humor or hyperbole will change that.

It's quite solid: most of these places are oversold, overcrowded, not that interesting, or a combination of the above. Of course you can't explain humor.

> It's quite solid: most of these places are oversold, overcrowded, not that interesting, or a combination of the above.

I would disagree with almost everything this person has written. I think you have to be completely incurious or cynical to derive no wonder from the Grand Canyon or to dismiss Zion so completely.

Even Congaree National Park - an easy target - is to me a wonderful spot due to its east coast old growth forests (not many of those!) and the truly marvelous bald cypress trees which are very unique. You know what else it has? A magical, truly magical display of synchronized fireflies. This is a rare wonder in the world!

If you've no interest in the natural world or only very select elements of it, then sure, I guess the author's point is something worth reading. And I did recognize the humor in it, but to me that humor was a filter on top of a toxic way to experience the magic of the natural world, preserved in our National Parks.

The point I will agree with the author on: the petrified forest will be a total disappointment if you are visiting based on the name and have no idea what it actually is.

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

#194

Post by Salgat »

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…

That's because you went during the off-season. Zion gets packed during the busy times.

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

#195

Post by QuiEgo »

The article was entertaining and made me smile. Thank you for that.

Real advice: national parks very much have seasons, be it weather, tourist (or lack thereof), wildlife, bugs, or all of the above. The same park can be a miserable experience or incredible a few months apart.

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

#196

Post by jobs_throwaway »

Salgat wrote: post #194
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…

That's because you went during the off-season. Zion gets packed during the busy times.

May is not off-season

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

#197

Post by jobs_throwaway »

HDThoreaun wrote: post #191
jobs_throwaway wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the shuttles are the disneyland portion of the park. The backcountry is just as beautiful and way, way, way less people.

Zion backcountry isnt in the canyon though. Its nice, but not nearly as scenic as the canyon. If you want the unique canyon experience theres no way to get it without the crowds. > The backcountry is just as beautiful Just not true. There are 10,000 sq miles in utah alone that are just as nice as the non canyon part of zion. The canyon is unique.

You're wrong. The Subway, Orderville, and Mystery Canyon are all slot/narrow canyons and you won't find crowds remotely comparable to the shuttle stops. You can get the unique canyon experience without the crowds.

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

#198

Post by yencabulator »

doph wrote: post #142
sizzzzlerz wrote: post #75

GCNP is my absolute favorite park but it is definitely hard to get to know. Much of its charm is below the rims. I've done 4 multiday hikes from different trailheads on each rim as well as a 15 day dory trip on the Colorado. There a number of truly magical places you encounter than cannot be seen from the rim. In the midsts of some of the harshest terrain, there are grottos in sidecanyons filled with ferns, trees, an…

What I love about it is that more than any other park I've visited, it defies description. I adore Yosemite and Joshua Tree, for example, but I believe they can be understood from photography. Grand Canyon feels like it can barely be understood in person, like just the idea of it is too big or complex to hold in your mind and that is thrilling for me.

Along that line, there is no way a photo or video will do justice for Angel's Landing in Zion, or for Carlsbad Caverns.

(Though I hear Zion has gotten even busier in the last few years, that's not great.)

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