Best National Park In The US?

[Chile_Ute]

In no particular order (outside Utah)…

Acadia

Volcanoes

Congaree

Glacier

Big Bend

 Mammoth Cave

Smokey Mountain

New River Gorge

Mesa Verde

Dunes (Indiana)

There are more but to be honest, there aren’t many where I didn’t fully appreciate the park…..I still have a ton to see.

[Soupslam]

Utah has got to be up there with some of the most unique geology in the world. Went thru Badlands as a kid, a very eerie place. Redwoods is amazing. Yosemite is beautiful in the off season, El Capitan is awesome. 

[Chile_Ute]

On 7/13/2024 at 9:35 AM, Soupslam said:

Utah has got to be up there with some of the most unique geology in the world. Went thru Badlands as a kid, a very eerie place. Redwoods is amazing. Yosemite is beautiful in the off season, El Capitan is awesome. 

I’ve avoided Yosemite d/t crowds….is the off season truly less crowded? 

[stanfordchef]

On 7/13/2024 at 11:01 AM, Chile_Ute said:

I’ve avoided Yosemite d/t crowds….is the off season truly less crowded? 

Yeah. It really is. I like going in the early spring myself before the onslaught of people. The snows melting and the falls roaring. 

 

[azgreg]

On 7/13/2024 at 8:35 AM, Soupslam said:

Utah has got to be up there with some of the most unique geology in the world. Went thru Badlands as a kid, a very eerie place. Redwoods is amazing. Yosemite is beautiful in the off season, El Capitan is awesome. 

Southern Utah is amazing.

 

[SWspartan]

Denali is my favorite National Park. But I've never been to a National Park that I didn't like as far as natural beauty is concerned. 

https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

[FFKDTP]

My Top 3:

Glacier (Montana)

Lake Clark (Alaska)  See pics below

Yosemite (California)

Most underrated - Capitol Reef (Utah).  Absolutely gorgeous and thin crowds.

Most overrated - Zion (Utah).  It’s nice but it’s overrated as hell.  Crowds and parking don’t help.

[clpp01]

1. Glacier

2. Denali

3. Gates of the Arctic

HM: not in the US but Banff & Jasper outside of Calgary were both amazing places to visit.  As you can tell a bit biased towards the northern climate.

[Just_Chris]

My personal fave is Virgin Islands, might be the only rainforest that's part of the US, also gorgeous beaches and if you dive it's apparently amazing (I don't dive so I don't know) 

Shenandoah in Virginia is severely underrated too

[happycamper]

On 11/12/2024 at 10:33 PM, Just_Chris said:

My personal fave is Virgin Islands, might be the only rainforest that's part of the US, also gorgeous beaches and if you dive it's apparently amazing (I don't dive so I don't know) 

Shenandoah in Virginia is severely underrated too

We have two temperate rainforests in the Smokies and Olympic national park.

They're both incredible themselves. 

[halfmanhalfbronco]

On 11/13/2024 at 7:03 AM, happycamper said:

We have two temperate rainforests in the Smokies and Olympic national park.

They're both incredible themselves. 

 

The Wetbelt Rainforest extends into North Central Idaho, and is the largest known interior rainforest in the world.  Stretches from the coasts of British Columbia to the Clear water Basin of Idaho, which is actually one of the wettest parts.  Something like 35 million acres.  Olympic National Park is only a tiny, tiny fraction of the greater rain forest 

[Just_Chris]

On 11/13/2024 at 6:03 AM, happycamper said:

We have two temperate rainforests in the Smokies and Olympic national park.

They're both incredible themselves. 

Fuck me... I should know that since I've been to both national parks 

[happycamper]

On 11/13/2024 at 5:59 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

 

The Wetbelt Rainforest extends into North Central Idaho, and is the largest known interior rainforest in the world.  Stretches from the coasts of British Columbia to the Clear water Basin of Idaho, which is actually one of the wettest parts.  Something like 35 million acres.  Olympic National Park is only a tiny, tiny fraction of the greater rain forest 

Aren't they totally separate rainforests tho?

[UNLV2001]

On 7/11/2024 at 7:27 AM, azgreg said:

One of the things me and Mrs. azgreg are looking forward to doing during retirement is visiting as many of the major National Parks as we can.

What's better when visiting a National Park than having a cold refreshing Rebel Spirit ----  soak in the scenery while you soak up the suds !!!!

[UNLV2001]

8 of the closest national parks to Las Vegas

#1. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 101 miles
– Driving time: 2.9 hours

#2. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 132 miles
– Driving time: 3.3 hours

#3. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 161 miles
– Driving time: 4.7 hours

#4. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 174 miles
– Driving time: 5.5 hours - Can go via Mohave National Preserve route & cut 2 hours off 

#5. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 183 miles
– Driving time: 5.3 hours

#6. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 195 miles
– Driving time: 5.4 hours

#7. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 201 miles
– Driving time: 10.4 hours

#8. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 205 miles
– Driving time: 9.5 hours

 

#9. Capitol Reef National Park

Distance: 334 mi / 5 hr 15 min

 

 

 

[InnZoneU]

On 11/14/2024 at 10:35 AM, UNLV2001 said:

8 of the closest national parks to Las Vegas

#1. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 101 miles
– Driving time: 2.9 hours

#2. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 132 miles
– Driving time: 3.3 hours

#3. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 161 miles
– Driving time: 4.7 hours

#4. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 174 miles
– Driving time: 5.5 hours - Can go via Mohave National Preserve route & cut 2 hours off 

#5. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 183 miles
– Driving time: 5.3 hours

#6. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 195 miles
– Driving time: 5.4 hours

#7. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 201 miles
– Driving time: 10.4 hours

#8. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 205 miles
– Driving time: 9.5 hours

 

#9. Capitol Reef National Park

Distance: 334 mi / 5 hr 15 min

 

 

I guess Lake Mead is a National Recreation Area and Red Rock is a National Conservation area. 

[UNLV2001]

On 11/14/2024 at 10:58 AM, InnZoneU said:

I guess Lake Mead is a National Recreation Area and Red Rock is a National Conservation area. 

Lake Mead is part of the National Park Service but isn't National Parks like Zion, etc........Mead use the same pass, entry as A NP - There's also a new National Monument right in LV towards the north end of town  --- https://www.nps.gov/tusk/index.htm  Tule Springs Fossil Beds

Lake Mead is a National Recreation Area 

Red Rock Canyon is a National Conservation Area but under the Bureau of Land Management  https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/nevada/red-rock-canyon 

Las Vegas has been marketing it's proximity to travelers looking to visit NP's, NM's Etc in the southwest since LV is the closest major airport and we've got a lot to visit within a days drive 

 

[BroncoInferno]

On 11/13/2024 at 6:29 PM, Just_Chris said:

Fuck me... I should know that since I've been to both national parks 

The Tongass National Forest and Glacier Bay National Park would also like a word. 

[renoskier]

On 11/14/2024 at 10:35 AM, UNLV2001 said:

8 of the closest national parks to Las Vegas

#1. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 101 miles
– Driving time: 2.9 hours

#2. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 132 miles
– Driving time: 3.3 hours

#3. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 161 miles
– Driving time: 4.7 hours

#4. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 174 miles
– Driving time: 5.5 hours - Can go via Mohave National Preserve route & cut 2 hours off 

#5. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 183 miles
– Driving time: 5.3 hours

#6. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 195 miles
– Driving time: 5.4 hours

#7. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 201 miles
– Driving time: 10.4 hours

#8. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 205 miles
– Driving time: 9.5 hours

 

#9. Capitol Reef National Park

Distance: 334 mi / 5 hr 15 min

 

 

 

umm...how do you leave out Yosemite?

[BroncoInferno]

Speaking of Glacier Bay, I spent a couple of days boating in and around the park this summer. We couldn’t get a permit for the actual Bay, so we ended up going to Dundas Bay instead, which is inside the Park. I spent half our boating time dodging humpbacks, sea otters, sea lions, and cormorants. The weather wasn’t great but it was a beautiful trip. 

Here is a picture of a big pod of humpbacks bubble feeding that we saw on the way home.