Best National Park In The US?

[InnZoneU]

On 11/14/2024 at 12:20 PM, BroncoInferno said:

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 we saw on the way home. 

Channel Islands is a National Park and it's awesome.  If you're lucky you'll catch sight of some huge Blues and dolphins.

[UNLV2001]

On 11/14/2024 at 12:19 PM, renoskier said:

umm...how do you leave out Yosemite?

Yosemite is 353 miles from LV is you go up the easy side of the Sierra's & cross over Tioga Pass which closes in winter 

If you go the more traveled route thru Fresno it's 445 miles 

[halfmanhalfbronco]

On 11/14/2024 at 6:45 AM, happycamper said:

Aren't they totally separate rainforests tho?

Yeah they are good call had to check a map to make sure.  Here is a map of the Wet Belt inland rain forest.  As a kid I always remember thinking how cool it was that Idahonand and Montana can claim rain forest habitat lol

[renoskier]

On 11/14/2024 at 12:32 PM, UNLV2001 said:

Yosemite is 353 miles from LV is you go up the easy side of the Sierra's & cross over Tioga Pass which closes in winter 

If you go the more traveled route thru Fresno it's 445 miles 

I was going by driving time...I think maybe some of your distances and times are off

 

[UNLV2001]

On 11/14/2024 at 1:07 PM, renoskier said:

I was going by driving time...I think maybe some of your distances and times are off

 

Got those from google maps - Time & miles shorter on eastern side, but time might be increased because Tioga Pass is a narrow twisty cliffhanger of a road 

Via Fresno you get freeway for a % of the route 

[renoskier]

On 11/14/2024 at 1:09 PM, UNLV2001 said:

Got those from google maps - Time & miles shorter on eastern side, but time might be increased because Tioga Pass is a narrow twisty cliffhanger of a road 

Via Fresno you get freeway for a % of the route 

no, I was talking about #'s 7 and 8

Google Maps shows: LV/Sequoia 381mi 6hrs and LV/Kings 417mi 6.5hrs

you're showing shorter distances but much longer times

LV to Lone Pine area might work for both Kings and Sequoia if your into serious hiking

 

[UNLV2001]

On 11/14/2024 at 1:16 PM, renoskier said:

no, I was talking about #'s 7 and 8

Google Maps shows: LV/Sequoia 381mi 6hrs and LV/Kings 417mi 6.5hrs

you're showing shorter distances but much longer times

 

Yeah, not sure - the original list was copied from some article - so not sure what they used for some of the distances -- I did add an edit to the one for Josuha Tree NP, because if you go down thru the Mohave Preserve it cuts off at least 60-120 minutes by not going I-15 then cutting down / over 

3 hr 6 min (177 miles)

via N Amboy Rd

Fastest route

[Just_Chris]

On 11/14/2024 at 11:54 AM, BroncoInferno said:

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

I've heard of Glacier Bay but where is Tongass? Is that also in Alaska ? 

[PowderRiverPal]

The views along the Teton Crest trail are overwhelming.  Both of the major Wyoming parks are best experienced from the backcountry.  I took this photo of the Grand Teton from North Fork Cascade Canyon a few years back.  One of the few moments it wasn't raining...

 

Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii is fantastic.  The stark transition of climate zones (wet side to dry side) is incredible!

 

[azgreg]

Can't wait to retire and visit all these places.

 

[BroncoInferno]

On 11/14/2024 at 5:22 PM, Just_Chris said:

I've heard of Glacier Bay but where is Tongass? Is that also in Alaska ? 

Crown jewel of the Forest Service. 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska. All of those Alaska cruise ships spend most of their time near the Tongass.

I lived in Ketchikan for a while, which averages around 156 inches of rain a year.

[thelawlorfaithful]

On 11/14/2024 at 1:07 PM, renoskier said:

I was going by driving time...I think maybe some of your distances and times are off

 

Death Valley, 100 miles in 3 hours by stagecoach

[stanfordchef]

On 11/14/2024 at 12:41 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

Yeah they are good call had to check a map to make sure.  Here is a map of the Wet Belt inland rain forest.  As a kid I always remember thinking how cool it was that Idahonand and Montana can claim rain forest habitat lol

The giant cedar forest in the far northwest of Montana that’s a part of this is a sight to behold. 
 

[Just_Chris]

On 11/15/2024 at 1:59 PM, BroncoInferno said:

Crown jewel of the Forest Service. 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska. All of those Alaska cruise ships spend most of their time near the Tongass.

I lived in Ketchikan for a while, which averages around 156 inches of rain a year.

What's funny is as I have gotten older I just want to be outdoors and away from people... Alaska seems like a slice of heaven if you can deal with the cold. I can't 

[azgreg]

Not a National Park but we went to Oak Creek Canyon outside of Sedona AZ this past Sunday. Beautiful area.

 

 

[CoachKenFTW]

The Lost Coast in southern Humboldt County in California isn't NP, I don't think ( It's all BLM land I believe), but it's a great place to go hiking, fishing, and surfing if you're up for it. 

It's a lot harder to get to than Big Sur, but a lot better once you get there. I'd recommend visiting there between late August and early October.

[FresnoFacts]

On 11/21/2024 at 11:08 AM, CoachKenFTW said:

The Lost Coast in southern Humboldt County in California isn't NP, I don't think ( It's all BLM land I believe), but it's a great place to go hiking, fishing, and surfing if you're up for it. 

It's a lot harder to get to than Big Sur, but a lot better once you get there. I'd recommend visiting there between late August and early October.

The Lost Coast is great. I've never stayed in Shelter Cove to visit it though. Usually I base out of Benbow in that area. Yeah the drive to the coast is a bear but I have reasons for Benbow.

 

[CoachKenFTW]

On 11/21/2024 at 8:05 PM, FresnoFacts said:

The Lost Coast is great. I've never stayed in Shelter Cove to visit it though. Usually I base out of Benbow in that area. Yeah the drive to the coast is a bear but I have reasons for Benbow.

 

If you only went to Shelter Cove to eat the fish 'n chips at the general store, it would be worth the drive. The hiking fishing and surfing would just be icing on the cake.

[FresnoFacts]

On 11/22/2024 at 1:31 PM, CoachKenFTW said:

If you only went to Shelter Cove to eat the fish 'n chips at the general store, it would be worth the drive. The hiking fishing and surfing would just be icing on the cake.

Fish at the store? You must be referring to the campground store not the Shelter Cove General Store on top of the hill before town. Never tried the campground store, usually over at the Ale Mill for food.

We did not make it that far north this year. Instead we cut to the coast at Muir Beach then explored up to Fort Bragg with a few night stays in different spots for hiking and sightseeing. It had been a while since we had been on that stretch of coast. Part of that coastal stretch was one of our first trips together when we started dating. So my wife enjoyed revisiting a few spots from that trip 30 years ago. Plus it earned me a few bonus points with her for being semi-romantic and remembering things from our dating years.

[SharkTanked]

I need to visit more. Haven't been to any east of the rockies or Alaska. Really want to see Denali and the Great Smokies.

Of the ones I have been to, my favorite are Glacier and Great Basin. I like the smaller crowds and am not in hiking shape anymore. Will have to try Yosemite in the off-season tho.