Described as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 best idea,鈥� the National Park System was established in large part to protect the nation鈥檚 most precious landscapes, from the deepest canyons to the tallest peaks. Some of the parks are so dang beautiful, they鈥檝e been known to make people contemplate their own existence.

But not everyone traveling to a national park is moved to existential enlightenment. Some visitors come away angry, frustrated, or disappointed, and they turn to the internet to express themselves. Recently, for my annual end-of-year wrap up of the worst national-parks reviews,听I spent an unhealthy amount of time perusing visitor comments on national parks on Google Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to find the best of them.

I learned a few things in the process. I learned听that a lot of people don鈥檛 like the timed entry and reservation systems that many parks have put in place to combat overcrowding. Like, a lot of people; I saw thousands of complaints on that topic. Also, the general lack of parking gets people fired up.

I discovered some really interesting and funny one-star (out of a possible five stars) reviews that spanned quite a spectrum, from someone complaining about the weather (apparently Canyonlands is too hot and sunny) or questioning humanity鈥檚 fascination with nature in general (to this person, Joshua Tree听is just a load of big stones).

Here are my favorite bad national-park reviews of 2024. As ever, we nod to , grandmaster collector of such information, which, as autumn lit up the multitude of colors in the national forest of Vermont, noted this doozy: 鈥淣ot a memorable place to go.鈥�

(Note: Some reviews below were edited for brevity, but I left spelling errors and grammar mistakes intact.)听

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of mountains, rivers and historic farmland that is widely recognized as the most biodiverse landscape in North America. But not everyone loves it.

鈥淭his is the Walmart of national parks.鈥� 鈥�Google Maps

鈥淎 terrible experience! This national park is the largest and most popular park in the middle of the United States and famous for their beers (sic). Every staff of the park told us that beers (sic) were everywhere. However, this park was really disappointing that I did not see any beer (sic). I only saw many turkeys and one fox鈥S]ummer might not be a good time to visit here because beers (sic) or other wild animals could hide in trees and bushes.鈥濃��Google Maps

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

This 3.4 million-acre park, straddling California and Nevada, is known for its deep canyons, salt flats, and ghost towns. The first commenter reviewed it without ever having been there.

鈥淗aven’t gone yet, will go soon, sounds hot tho.鈥濃��Google Maps

鈥淒on’t go, nothing to see鈥�.The rock formation is not that great, quite dusty, hot, etc. Feels like an open pit mine. The only use case I can see is if you want to 鈥� test yourself or your car AC.鈥濃��Google Maps

3. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Designated a national park in 2019, Indiana Dunes protects dunes and forest on the edge of Lake Michigan, all less than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. But apparently the park has some policies on parties.

鈥淐an’t grille, can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t play loud music…who wants to just sit on sand.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

4. Redwood National and State Parks, California

This collection of state and federally protected parks houses the world鈥檚 tallest trees, with landscapes spanning from rugged coastlines to thick interior woodlands. Tree color may be a subjective thing.

鈥淐alifornia sucks so I don鈥檛 know why I was surprised when I was very disappointed. The trees aren鈥檛 as big as everyone says and they鈥檙e not red either, terrible name. The National park should just sell the land and turn the trees into paper.鈥濃��Google Maps

5. Joshua Tree National Park, California

One of my personal favorite units in the park system, Joshua Tree is home to gorgeous desert landscapes full of boulders that attract climbers and gawkers alike.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a load of big stones. If you go make sure to take a packed lunch and drinks, you鈥檒l certainly thank me.鈥� 鈥�TripAdvisor

6. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

The newest unit to be granted full park status, New River Gorge is a multi-adventure playground with world-class paddling, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Other than that鈥�

鈥淚f you hike or like white water rafting, this is a great place. Otherwise, not much else to do.鈥濃��Google Maps

7. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

I haven鈥檛 visited Dry Tortugas yet, but it鈥檚 on my list because these islands west of the Florida Keys offer some of the most remote spits of land in America, with beautiful snorkeling and paddling. Some feel waterlogged though.

鈥淚 paid full price for only 1% of land??? Park is literally 99% water….. my shoes got wet too like what????? More like the NOT dry Tortugas鈥濃��Google Maps

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Couple the tallest sand dunes in North America with long-range views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and you鈥檝e got鈥�

鈥淭he only reason people go here is to buy a piece of fudge or a T-shirt. That’s about it. This is literally a dumping area for the fine sand used to make volleyball courts. The funniest thing to do here is simply people watching. They act like they never seen dirt before.鈥濃��Google Maps

9. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades protects the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi. This review is close to being a haiku.

鈥淣o cocodrilos.

no crocodiles seen

money is lost.鈥濃��Google Maps

10. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

This national park encompasses the 14,000-foot peak Mount Rainier, which also happens to be an active volcano. The duality of the situation is driving one visitor crazy.

鈥淭hey market this place as a beautiful mountain paradise full of pastoral hikes and woodland creatures but at the same time remind you it is ready to kill you and your entire family and surrounding towns without a moment’s hesitation. Come here if you want to be gaslit by a mountain.鈥濃��Yelp

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Picture alpine lakes set beneath craggy, 13,000-foot peaks, and you鈥檒l have an idea of the scenery within Grand Teton National Park. Meh.

鈥淚’ve seen better in video games smh. Mother nature better step it up.鈥濃��Google Maps

12. Sequoia National Park, California

California鈥檚 jointly managed Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are famous for their groves of giant Sequoia trees, a species that only grows on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The drive in to reach them is irking some visitors.

鈥淎 road that is truly too long and winding鈥’m still recovering from the tiredness and motion sickness of the 5 hours driving around tight curves.鈥濃��TripAdvisor

13. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

I recently decided that Capitol Reef is the country鈥檚 most underrated park for adventure. It has arches, canyons, domes, rock climbing, and gravel rides galore. One reviewer seems to be upset that the park didn鈥檛 take enough of his money.

鈥淭HIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE A NP. It鈥檚 beyond mids and a waste of taxpayers money. Doesn鈥檛 even have a fee station to support itself鈥rotect the land no doubt but either charge everyone that comes through or make it a monument.鈥濃��Google Maps

14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited parks in the country, with more than 4 million people clamoring to experience it annually. The park is so popular that management deemed a timed-entry system necessary to mitigate crowds. A visitor was not psyched.

鈥淲hat kind of communist came up with this system and why? I thought I lived in America, land of the free …. For all the Americans that didn’t even protest at all, thanks for nothing.鈥濃��Yelp

15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

North Dakota鈥檚 Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the lesser-visited of our national parks, shown in the annual listings as attracting 750,862 visitors, when each in the top five attracts over 4 million (and Great Smoky Mountains NP receives over 13 million). So maybe it鈥檚 unsurprising that one visitor mixed it up with a different park.

鈥淢aybe I missed it but I didn鈥檛 see his face in any of the cliffs or mountains. Probably erosion. Time for a touch up.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

16. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

Is there a landscape more dynamic than what you find inside Yellowstone National Park, where water boils and shoots into the sky like the fountains in Las Vegas?

鈥淲ater bubbling out of the ground. Wow.鈥濃��Google Maps

鈥淪ame thing (e.g. geysers) everywhere. I got bored the second day.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

17. Yosemite National Park, California

驰辞蝉别尘颈迟别鈥檚 granite peaks, valleys, and mountains might have captivated Ansel Adams, but nobody ever mentions how uncomfortable nature is, do they?

鈥淎ll the hikes are uphill, and you’re practically climbing cliffs. I got soaked by several incredibly large waterfalls just by standing at the bottom.鈥濃��Google Maps

18. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Dubbed 鈥渢he land of stone and light,鈥� Badlands holds 224,000 acres of vast prairie and striking geological formations that seemingly rise out of nowhere. That didn’t satisfy this reviewer.

鈥淣ot enough mountain.鈥� 鈥�Google

听19. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

This national park is known for its deep, steep gorge and rugged terrain, and it has a savvy reviewer who wants it all to himself.

鈥淛K. It鈥檚 the best spot in CO. I went one star so that everyone stays away and keeps it this way!鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 听

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He has complained about many ridiculous things during his life, but never once looked at the Teton Range and thought 鈥渧ideo games are cooler than that.鈥� See also his recent articles on ten years鈥� worth of awful reviews on the revered Grand Canyon, or what makes the perfect mountain town, loving surfing and surf towns, and why he plays golf two days a week and thinks about it even more.

The post The Worst National-Parks Reviews of the Year appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last year was a banner one for our national parks, with 325.5 million recreation visits in the books for 2023. Last week the National Park Service released its , detailing the total number of visitors to the 400 units鈥攚hich include national seashores and historic sites鈥攖he park service manages. Overall, recreation visits increased by 13 million, an uptick of 4 percent compared to 2022. The number of hours spent hanging out in our parks was also up 4 percent, from 1.36 to 1.4 billion hours. That鈥檚 a lot of hiking, or sitting in moose traffic jams, depending on the park.

Parks have never been more popular than they were in 2016, when the national park service was celebrating its centennial and visitation numbers hit a record 330,971,689. That total stayed constant for the next few years, with more than 327 million recreation visits in 2019. Then the pandemic hit, parks closed, travel halted, and visitation dropped by 90 million visits in 2020. The popularity of our scenic national parks has been climbing steadily since, last year almost reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The stats break down , so you can see which of our treasured landscapes are the most and least popular. The Blue Ridge Parkway continues to be the most sought-after park unit in the country (with 16,757,635 visits), and Great Smoky Mountains National Park听rules by far among national parks (13,297,647 visits, with the next-highest contenders all in the four million range). Gulf Islands National Seashore jumped three spots to make it into the top five most popular park units in 2023. And Glen Canyon National Recreation Area climbed into the coveted top-ten list with a near doubled 5,206,934 recorded visits, a massive jump from 34^th in 2022, when it saw 2,842,776.

protects 1.25 million acres of land in Utah and Arizona, including Lake Powell. A multi-year drought had kept many visitors at bay, but the record-breaking snowfall of the winter of 2022 to 2023 brought water levels back up, allowing several boat ramps and access points to reopen. I鈥檝e explored Lake Powell by packraft at low water level, when it was muddy around the edges, but still pretty damn spectacular. Visiting the lake when the water is up would be amazing.

Then again, I like this next trove of data鈥攂ecause it tells you where to go to avoid crowds. My home is close to both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so I know a little too much about the popular places.

While the top 10 or so most-visited parks see millions of people a year, the parks at the bottom of the list see only a few thousand. Alaska鈥檚 Gates of the Arctic National Park has reclaimed the longtime title of 鈥淟east Visited National Park鈥� in the U.S. after the National Park of American Samoa displaced it in 2022. Congratulations?

These overlooked parks are no less spectacular: offering tropical islands, massive sand dunes, 18,000-foot peaks, and more glaciers than any other spot in the U.S. It might take extra time and work to reach some of them, but the rewards are dramatic landscapes and big adventures鈥ll to yourself.

Here are the 11 least visited national parks in 2023.

1. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 11,045

Location: Sitting in Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, Gates of the Arctic covers 8.4 million acres of the rugged and cold Brooks Range. There are no roads or maintained trails within the park, although there is one small village, Anaktuvuk Pass (pop: 451), a Nunamiut Inupiat settlement typically reached by small plane.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Backpack among the Arrigetch Peaks, a cluster of mountains known for steep, vertical spires deep within the Brooks Range. It鈥檚 a that requires a series of bush plane flights.

2. National Park of American Samoa

Recreational Visits: 12,135

Location: In the South Pacific, 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, National Park of American Samoa covers portions of three volcanic islands full of tropical forests, coral sand beaches, and traditional Samoan villages. The seascape is just as impressive; the ocean surrounding the islands are home to more than 950 species of fish and 250 species of coral.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: The national park facilitates a where visitors can stay with locals to learn Samoan customs and the South Pacific lifestyle.

3. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 16,728

Location: Roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Lake Clark is 4,000,000 acres of glaciers, peaks, and active volcanoes. No roads lead to the park, which can only be reached by small plane. The park is home to three National Wild and Scenic Rivers (the Mulchatna, Tlikakila, Chilikadrotna), attracting paddlers and anglers alike.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Backpackers should hit the 50-mile Telaquana Route, where you can follow in the footsteps of local Dena鈥檌na Athabascans and fur traders who blazed the path between the shores of Lake Clark and Telaquana Lake.

4. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 17,616

Location: Sitting 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley National Park protects the river of the same name that has served as a thoroughfare for wildlife, particularly caribou, and the people who have been hunting the river valley for 9,000 years. Kobuk Valley is home to the 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which rise abruptly from the surrounding trees.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Take a bush plane into Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, camp, hike, and watch for caribou.

5. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Recreational Visits: 28,965

Location: A cluster of islands in the middle of Lake Superior near the Canadian border, Isle Royale is a car-less wilderness where moose and wolves roam. The park is only accessible by boat or float plane, but once you鈥檙e there hikers have 165 miles of trails to explore. A small population of gray wolves have lived in Isle Royale since 1948, when the first wolves crossed an ice bridge that formed, connecting the island to mainland Canada. The population had nearly died out when, in 2018, park wildlife experts relocated wolves to the island.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Backpack the 40-mile , which crosses over the park鈥檚 main island, connecting backcountry lakes and campsites. Or, hike an 8.5-mile stretch of the from Windigo Dock to Feldtman Lake, which includes a quick, .8-mile side trip to Rainbow Cove, where a rocky shoreline on Lake Superior offers long range views of Rock of Ages Lighthouse on a clear day.听听

6. Katmai National Park and Preservation, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 33,763

Location: Man, Alaska has a lot of lonely national parks. But Katmai is special because it鈥檚 so diverse. Situated on a peninsula in southern Alaska, roughly 260 miles southwest of Anchorage, it has the rugged mountains and glaciers you鈥檇 expect, but also lush valleys, tumultuous coastline, and 40 square miles of desert landscape, thanks to the eruption of Novarupta Volcano, which scorched the earth more than 100 years ago. Katmai is probably best-known for its , where you can sit in your office and peep at brown bears eating salmon at Brooks Falls on the Brooks River.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Katmai isn鈥檛 connected to any town by road, so most people show up via boat or float plane from King Salmon or Anchorage. That alone is an adventure. Visitors usually start by visiting Brooks Camp, home to the park鈥檚 summer headquarters, to check in and get the required bear-safety orientation, then head to the various platforms that overlook the Brooks River. If you鈥檙e looking to dig deeper, consider paddling the 80-mile , which connects a chain of lakes through Katmai鈥檚 backcountry. Starting at Brooks Camp, kayakers will paddle a circle around 3,183-foot Mount La Gorce, navigating two class I-II rivers and huffing a 1.5-mile long portage between open-water stretches of three different lakes.

7. North Cascades National Park, Washington

Recreational Visits: 40,351

Location: Only three hours from the city of Seattle, North Cascades is a rugged expanse of mountains with more than 300 glaciers, the largest collection of any park outside of Alaska. In other words, North Cascades is wintry and snow-covered most of the year, so much so that most visitors only hit the park between June and September.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Hike , a steep, 9.4-mile ascent from the edge of Ross Lake that delivers sweeping views from a lookout tower of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 78,305

Location: Sitting more than 200 miles east of Anchorage, Wrangell-St. Elias encompasses 13.2 million acres where four major mountain ranges converge, encompassing both the largest collection of glaciers and the highest concentration of 16,000-foot peaks in the U.S., including seven of the 20 highest peaks in America. The park is a land of extremes鈥�14,163-foot Mount Wrangell is an active volcano with vents of steam on the summit, and Bagley Icefield, near the coast, is North America鈥檚 largest subpolar icefield.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Climb Mount Bear, a 14,831-foot peak deep in the St. Elias Range that doesn鈥檛 require any technical climbing, but is a beautiful adventure.

9. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Recreational Visits: 84,285

Location: Head to Key West and then keep going, 70 miles west into the Gilf of Mexico to Dry Tortugas, a collection of seven islands only accessible by boat or seaplane. The atolls are a mix of palm trees and soft sand beaches with world-class snorkeling and diving just offshore. Visitors can camp on the largest island, Garden Key, in the shadows of the massive Fort Jefferson, a Civil War-era prison.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Dive the Windjammer Wreck, the remains of a ship that sank in 1907 off Loggerhead Key after running aground on the surrounding reef. The wreck is in shallow water (20 feet at the deepest point), so snorkelers and divers can explore it together. Or, bring a kayak and paddle around Garden, Bush, and Long Key, a trio of islands so close together, they鈥檙e sometimes joined by sandbars. You鈥檙e looking for nurse sharks and sea turtles in the clear water below and, above, any of the 300 species of birds that migrate through the park every year.

10. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Recreational Visits: 143,265

Location: The 77,180-acre Great Basin National Park sits in the high desert of Eastern Nevada, 300 miles north of Las Vegas. The terrain ranges from the 13,064-foot Wheeler Peak to an expansive cave system, called Lehman Caves. You鈥檒l also find alpine lakes, old-growth bristlecone pine forests, and Nevada鈥檚 only remaining glacier, Wheeler Peak Glacier.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Glimpse Nevada鈥檚 last piece of permanent ice by hiking the 4.8-mile to the bottom of the two-acre glacier. You鈥檒l cruise through groves of ancient bristlecone, some estimated to be 4,000 years old.

11. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Recreational Visits: 220,825

Location: In Northeastern Minnesota, up against the Canadian Border, Voyageurs National Park is mostly made up of water. This 218,055-acre park is loaded with lakes鈥攆our big ones that form a border for the park and 26 smaller interior lakes, most interconnected by 60 miles of canoe and kayak trails. There are endless shorelines and islands to explore, and dense habitat for healthy moose and wolf populations.

One Big 国产吃瓜黑料: Head to the interior lakes, where marked canoe听trails lead to primitive backcountry campsites you can only reach by boat. And you have to use the national park service鈥檚 boats; once you have a , you get a code to unlock one of the canoes that the NPS has staged at certain points for use to prevent the spread of invasive species. The Chain of Lakes are four small bodies of water on the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula that you can piece together via short portages and creeks to create a 13-mile hiking and paddling adventure. Each of the four lakes has its own campsite, one per lake, and most people will pick a single campsite as a basecamp and explore from there, so the mileage of your adventure will vary.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. After researching these remote parks, he鈥檚 thinking it might be time to get his pilot鈥檚 license and invest in a float plane.

For more by this author, see:

7 Most Adventurous Ways to See the Total Eclipse听of 2024

The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America

The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks

The post And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Are鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There鈥檚 nothing better than rolling up to an incredible panorama in one of our storied national parks. The following views, of high-desert mesas, moss-cloaked redwoods, vast mountain ranges, and more, have something to stoke the inner wonder of just about everyone.

I鈥檝e visited every national park in America, and some the most awe-inspiring experiences in each are the stunning overlooks. So I鈥檝e selected a list of my favorite vistas in all 63 parks, with a keen eye for easy access and geological diversity. Of course, I threw in a couple of leg-busting treks and arm-churning paddles for those among us who like to sweat to earn their views, too.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

When a national park institutes a vehicle-reservation system, it can feel like a giant red flag to head elsewhere in search of solitude. Not so with Acadia鈥檚 famed Cadillac Mountain, which can get quite crowded. From October through early March, this granite dome receives the first rays of sun in the continental U.S., and view-seeking visitors can gaze out at a smattering of wooded islets dotting Frenchman Bay as the sky lights up in hues of rose and coral.

Best Way to Reach This View: Don a headlamp for the predawn pedal 3.5 miles up to the 1,530-foot summit. Or hike the 2.2-mile (one-way) Cadillac North Ridge Trail, with an elevation gain of approximately 1,100 feet. For a hiking route up the North Ridge Trail, check out .

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

The next time you鈥檙e in Arches National Park, skip the masses at Delicate Arch and instead drive west to the labyrinth of striated red-rock pinnacles at Fiery Furnace, a scenic pullout that overlooks Utah鈥檚 La Sal Mountains. Serious hikers who want to get up close and personal with this vermillion jumble of rock need to nab a day-hiking permit ($10), or vie for the very popular ranger-guided tour ($16), bookable a week in advance.

Best Way to Reach This View: Motor the 14 miles north from the entrance station and follow the signs to the viewpoint. For a hiking route of the Fiery Furnace Loop鈥攁 valuable resource, as the Park Service warns visitors of the dangers of getting lost in the landscape鈥攃heck out .

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

Take a morning to enjoy a drive on Badlands Loop Road via the park鈥檚 northeast entrance and pull off at the first signed viewpoint, Big Badlands Overlook, for a sweeping panorama of the eastern portion of the park鈥檚 Wall Formation. Geology enthusiasts will marvel at the clay-colored stripes of the Oligocene-era Brule Formation and the charcoal gray of the Eocene-era Chadron Formation.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Wall, take Highway 90 southeast for 20 miles, then turn south on Route 240 and continue for another five miles. The overlook is located just past the northeast entrance station.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

Big Bend is a park that defies Texas landscape conventions, encompassing the verdant Chisos Mountains as they rise over 7,000 feet from the Chihuahuan Desert below, and the South Rim Trail is the best way to experience the majestic scenery. The southern tip of this 12.9-mile loop is where the viewpoint lies, with a vista of sprawling arid hilltops that spill into northern Mexico.

Best Way to Reach This View: Start at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. At the fork, head either southwest toward Laguna Meadows or southeast toward the Pinnacles (the steeper pick). Expect an elevation gain of 3,500 feet and about six and a half hours to finish the entire thing. For a hiking route of the South Rim Trail, check out .

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

One of the most scenic keys, Boca Chita is also one of the most interesting, home to a fascinating history of lavish parties thrown by wealthy entrepreneurs in the early 1900s. Legend has it that an elephant was once brought to the island for a wild soiree. These days the raucous festivities have died down, but the 65-foot lighthouse and its observation deck still offer a pretty swell view of shimmering Biscayne Bay, mangrove-lined lagoons, and the hazy Miami skyline.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a guided boat trip with the Biscayne National Park Institute for an expert-led journey through the keys, with a stop at Boca Chita. Call in advance to find out whether a Park Service employee will be around to open the observation deck.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

If you make it to Black Canyon and don鈥檛 want to dirty your hands on the 1,800-foot scramble down into the maw of its craggy cliffs, make a beeline for Painted Wall Overlook, which peers out at the tallest cliff in the state (a whopping 2,250 feet from river to rim). If you鈥檙e lucky, you might even spot a few intrepid climbers scaling the face of dark gneiss and rose-tinted pegmatite.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the South Rim Campground, drive or bike five miles north on Rim Drive Road (closed November through April) until you reach the parking lot for the overlook; from there it鈥檚 a five-minute walk.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

With its many-layered view of crumbling Technicolor hoodoos and a singular limber pine tree with roots akimbo, Sunrise Point is a fantastic place to start a day in Bryce Canyon. From here, you鈥檙e at a fantastic jumping-off point for exploring the rust-colored sandstone of Bryce鈥檚 namesake amphitheater via the Queen鈥檚 Garden Trail.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park鈥檚 visitor center, it鈥檚 just 1.2 miles to the Sunrise Point parking lot. The walk to the lookout is another half-mile farther and is both pet- and wheelchair-friendly.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

There鈥檚 a little something for everyone in this area of the park (Island in the Sky), whether you鈥檙e simply craving thoughtful moments gazing at the panorama at Grand View Point, or want to immerse yourself even more amid the natural surrounds with a mile-long cliffside stroll to a second viewpoint (Grand View Point Overlook) with even more jaw-dropping scenery, followed by class-two scramble if you鈥檙e so inclined. Whichever you choose, you鈥檒l be wowed by the amber and crimson mesa tops of the Canyonlands as you gaze down at White Rim Road and the churning Colorado River.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, head 12 miles to the end of Grand View Point Road for the initial viewpoint. It鈥檚 an easy amble to the second viewpoint, though unpaved.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

Easily overlooked in favor of crowd-pleasing hikes to Chimney Rock and Cassidy Arch, Panorama Point is at its viewpoint best when the sun starts to set and the stars twinkle into being. The highlight is the cathedral-like red-rock towers that comprise the park鈥檚 famous Waterpocket Fold Formation, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth鈥檚 crust.

Best Way to Reach This View: Panorama Point is a mere 2.5 miles west of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center. From its parking lot, it鈥檚 just 0.1 mile to the viewing area.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

It鈥檚 tough to pick the most notable view in a cave-centric park that actor Will Rogers once called 鈥渢he Grand Canyon with a roof over it,鈥� but Carlsbad Cavern鈥檚 Temple of the Sun, with its mushroom-like stalagmite surrounded by thousands of spindly stalactites, takes the cake. Accessible via a ranger-led tour or a self-guided jaunt along the wheelchair-friendly Big Room Trail, these miraculous natural limestone sculptures are a bucket-list-worthy detour on any road trip.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the natural entrance, it鈥檚 1.25 descent to the Big Room via a paved pathway. Alternatively, you can drop deep into the cavern via an elevator, and then make our way to the Temple of the Sun.

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

In spring, tiny Anacapa Island bursts into bloom, and Inspiration Point is the best place for photographers and flower aficionados to admire the display of brilliant orange poppies, pale island morning glories, and canary-yellow sunflowers. Because the point faces west, head up to see the sun dip into the Pacific.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a day trip to the islands with Island Packers, keeping an eye out for migrating gray whales en route. Inspiration Point is located at the halfway point of its namesake 1.5 mile loop, a flat route that begins at the Anacapa Visitor Center.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

Years ago, we named Congaree鈥檚 Boardwalk Loop Trail one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in America, and Weston Lake Overlook is a phenomenal place to soak up the park鈥檚 shady expanse of old-growth hardwood forest. It鈥檚 also a great spot to birdwatch鈥搆eep your eyes peeled for the prothonotary warbler, American woodcock, and red-headed woodpecker.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Sims Trail, branch off on the 4.4-mile Weston Lake Trail (marked by yellow blazes) and continue 2.4 miles along the wooden planks to the lookout.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

Featuring one of the most spectacular views of Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone at the western end of Crater Lake, Watchman Overlook and its eponymous observation station are must-see sites on any trip to this southern Oregon park. Look out for lilac-tinted phlox and delicate yellow buckwheat blossoms in the summertime. When you reach the summit, it’s everything you鈥檇 hope for: a 360-degree view of the deep sapphire tarn.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head out from the Watchman Overlook parking lot. You鈥檒l ascend 413 feet to the observation station and encounter a series of switchbacks near the top. The 1.6-mile out-and-back takes about an hour to complete.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

Tucked away between the urban centers of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley is a locally renowned national park full of lichen-splotched sandstone ledges, riverside biking paths, and picturesque waterfalls, of which Brandywine Falls is the most famous. Fall is a spectacular time to visit, when the 60-foot-tall cascade is surrounded by a fiery collage of foliage. Hikers who want more of an outing can stretch their legs on the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop to take in bright red sugar maples against the smoke-hued ravine.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there is a designated parking lot for the falls, it鈥檚 often full, so plan to arrive before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M. for a spot. From there, the upper viewing point is just a few hundred feet away via a boardwalk trail.

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

Catching the sunrise at Zabriskie Point is the stuff of photographers鈥� dreams. Undulating ripples of golden and umber badlands stretch out all the way to Badwater Basin, a staggering 282 feet below sea level. In the distance, 11,049-foot Telescope Peak (the highest in the park) rises like an apparition as the morning鈥檚 first rays paint the summit of Manly Beacon in honeyed tones.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, within the park, drive five miles south on Highway 190 to the viewpoint.

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

With only one byway through its 4,740,091-acre wilderness, Denali is a place where it pays to spend a little extra time exploring. Wonder Lake is about as close as you can get to the High One (as Native tribes refer to North America鈥檚 tallest peak) without donning a pack and making that arduous trek, and it鈥檚 the best spot to nab a photo of Denali reflected in a pool of mirror-clear water. Pro tip: Plan ahead and book a campsite at Wonder Lake Campground to enjoy dreamy morning vistas and evening ranger programs.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park entrance, drive 85 miles west along the 92.5-mile-long Park Road.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

An enormous structure built with 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson was a key defensive structure during the Civil War, used to protect Union shipments heading to and from the Mississippi River. Nowadays it鈥檚 the defining feature of Dry Tortugas National Park. From its cannon-dotted rooftop, you can spot shallow reef systems and admire the sandy beaches and endless aquamarine ocean.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take the daily from Key West to Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson; entrance to the fort is included in the price of your ferry ticket (from $200). Head up to the uppermost tier during a guided ranger tour or on your own.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

In a mostly flat park full of sawgrass slough, slow-moving brackish water, and tangles of mangrove trees, choosing a memorable view in the Everglades is a tricky task. Wildlife is the real showstopper, and along the Anhinga Trail, animal-savvy guests have a high chance of spotting purple gallinules, great blue herons, nesting anhingas, and the park鈥檚 most notorious resident鈥攖he alligator. Take a break in the shaded observation deck (and don鈥檛 forget the binoculars).

Best Way to Reach This View: The 0.8-mile (round trip) paved Anhinga Trail starts and ends at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. It is wheelchair accessible.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

Rising out of the treeless tundra, the towering granite fins of the Arrigetch Peaks, in northern Alaska, look more like gods than monoliths. It鈥檚 a view worthy of the arduous journey to get to these reaches of the park, an area sometimes called the Yosemite of Alaska. The experts at Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s offer guided trips (from $6,000), or if you鈥檙e fine seeing the razor-sharp summits from a plane window, Brooks Range Aviation (from $785) can arrange flightseeing tours.

Best Way to Reach This View: Visitors headed to the Arrigetch Peaks will do so via bush plane, landing on a gravel riverbank. Then it鈥檚 an eight-mile hike to set up camp in the valley below the peaks.

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

Gateway Arch is a park rife with human history, from the once massive Native city of Cahokia to the famed Dred Scott court case, which hastened the Civil War when the Supreme Court judged that no Black people were entitled to citizenship. The best vantage point from which to take it all in is Luther Ely Smith Square, which, in addition to boasting a sky-high view of the iconic chrome arch, overlooks the historic Old Courthouse.

Best Way to Reach This View: The square, a downtown St. Louis greenspace, is located between the Old Courthouse and the Mississippi River.

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

Flip through any traveler鈥檚 photos from Glacier Bay, and you鈥檙e likely to see snaps of the icy, serrated teeth of the Margerie Glacier, dramatically calving into the Tarr Inlet from the Fairweather Mountain Range. Stay on the lookout for harbor seals and playful sea otters on recently separated icebergs.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a ($262.44) for the best access to this rapidly changing river of ice.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

The Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park is such a coveted road-trip stop that the Park Service instituted a new vehicle-reservation system for it this year. The most striking panorama of Grinnell Point, Mount Wilbur, and Angel Wing鈥攁ll visible from the 鈥攊s worth any extra entry-permit effort.

Best Way to Reach This View: Lace up your boots for an easy 2.7-mile hike that circumnavigates the lake. Better yet, book a room at Many Glacier Hotel so you鈥檒l have the view all to yourself when the day crowds disperse.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

Sure, Mather Point steals most of the attention when it comes to the Grand Canyon鈥檚 South Rim, but I prefer Desert View, near the park鈥檚 eastern boundary, for its peaceful campground and dearth of visitors. Plus, the site鈥檚 famous watchtower, designed by Parkitecture maven Mary Colter, was inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Colorado Plateau, and it makes a fantastic focal point when snapping photos of 鈥渢he big ditch.鈥�

Best Way to Reach This View: For the most scenic route, head 23 miles east along Desert View Drive from Grand Canyon Village.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

Go early to skip the Grand Teton鈥檚 throngs and park at Jenny Lake Overlook to admire second-to-none views of craggy Cascade Canyon and the razor-like protrusions of igneous granite that rise sharply from its depths. From here, visitors can take in the sheer enormity of the Teton Crest, with outstanding photo ops of Mount Moran and Teewinot Mountain. If you鈥檙e up for a hike, try the seven-mile Jenny Lake Loop, which offers even more epic lake scenery, as well as potential sightings of moose and bald eagles.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Moose, within the park, head nine miles north on Teton Park Road to the lake.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

Nearly every national park has a Mather Overlook, named after the first director of the National Park Service, and at Great Basin, in eastern Nevada, his namesake viewpoint offers a grand perspective of 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, the second highest in the state. Flanked by ancient bristlecone pines, which can live up to 5,000 years, the mountain is split dramatically in two, with the breathtaking Wheeler Cirque crumbling into a sepia-stained bowl beneath the prominent summit.

Best Way to Reach This View: This is an overlook that can only be accessed between June and late October due to hazardous conditions that close roads in winter. From the eastern park entrance, head west along the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. A pullout for the overlook is about halfway.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

Though it鈥檚 the most popular day-hiking objective at Great Sand Dunes, in southeastern Colorado, the trek up to High Dune is sure to leave even the most seasoned hiker huffing and puffing. With a lofty elevation of over 8,000 feet, and the effort required to plod uphill against the drag of sand, be prepared for burning calves and bring plenty of water for the 2.5-mile slog to the summit. The view from the top is truly spectacular, however, with awesome sights to the听 towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains鈥揾ome to ten fourteeners.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no trails in the entire park, but you鈥檒l see the High Dune from the main parking lot. Cross Medano Creek and then start making your way up to the top, logging an elevation gain of 700 feet. For most hikers, getting up and back takes two to four hours.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

The four-mile (one way) hike to Charlies Bunion is one of the most thrilling in Great Smoky Mountains, due to the sheer number of iconic sights along the way. You鈥檒l be wowed by rolling, verdant mountains and wend through northern hardwood forests and past rhododendron shrubs before topping out at 5,565 feet.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at Newfound Gap, on the Tennessee鈥揘orth Carolina state line, then hitch a left onto the Appalachian Trail and proceed to the summit. For a hiking route up Charlies Bunion, check out .

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

Ask any ranger in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where to watch the sun set over the 鈥淭op of Texas,鈥� and they鈥檒l tell you the remote Salt Basin Dunes, in the park鈥檚 northwestern corner. Made of bright white gypsum, this sandy expanse showcases the unbelievable prominence of conifer-topped Guadalupe Peak, once a sprawling coral reef when the Delaware Sea covered a large swath of America roughly 275 million years ago.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Pine Springs Visitor Center, it鈥檚 a 47-mile drive to the Salt Basin Dunes parking area; from here, hike a mile and a half to reach the actual dunes.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

Much like Acadia鈥檚 Cadillac Mountain, you鈥檒l need a special timed reservation to take in the sunrise atop Haleakala鈥檚 10,023-foot summit (reservable up to 60 days in advance), but after 7 A.M., day-use visitors can enjoy the show as well. From this incredible vantage point鈥攖he highest on Maui鈥攜ou can enjoy top-down views of the huge, richly colored crater, as well as the Big Island if the weather鈥檚 clear.

Best Way to Reach This View: The drive to the top from the Summit District entrance takes up to three hours and sees a change in elevation of 3,000 feet, so get ready to rise early and be fully awake before you attempt the narrow, winding road.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

If you鈥檙e in Hawaii and eager to see some lava, head for this park鈥檚 Kilauea Overlook, located near the southern end of the Big Island. A hike will allow you to take in the dramatic aftermath of the site鈥檚 2018 eruption and subsequent summit collapse, but if you鈥檇 rather not work up a sweat, park at the viewpoint鈥檚 lot at sunset and stand in awe of the otherworldly pink glow emanating from the bowels of the earth.

Best Way to Reach This View: Trek the flat, 2.5-mile (one way) Crater Rim Trail, which can be accessed from a handful of popular tourist spots along Crater Rim Drive.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

Much of the joy of a visit to this national park is relaxing in the town鈥檚 historic Bathhouse Row. If, however, you鈥檙e willing to get in a bit of exercise on your spa-cation, there are some sincerely stellar views to be had of this quaint Ouachita Mountains community鈥攁nd the hike to this pavilion is at the top of my list. (Many also buy a ticket and ride a 216-foot elevator to the top of Hot Springs Tower for expansive vistas of the surrounding Diamond Lakes area after reaching the initial viewpoint.)

Best Way to Reach This View: Take in the stately architecture of thermal-bath palaces on the Grand Promenade, then ascend the 0.6-mile Peak Trail, just off the promenade, until you reach the pavilion, which faces south.

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

Right next to the park鈥檚 Century of Progress Homes, a gaggle of experimental houses left over from the 1933 World鈥檚 Fair in Chicago, is Lake View Beach, which gazes out from the southern tip of Lake Michigan. On a fair-weather day, visitors can make out the right angles of the Windy City鈥檚 high-rises, but at sunset, the sky turns to breathtaking shades of fuchsia and the waves crashing along the sandy shore feel more like an ocean than a Great Lake.

Best Way to Reach This View: It鈥檚 55 miles from the center of Chicago to the town of Beverly Shores. Look for the parking area dedicated to the beach.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

Named some of the best 100 miles of trail in the entire national park system by , the day hike to Scoville Point showcases this region鈥檚 boreal forest at its best. Not only does the path run parallel to the shoreline for near constant views of Lake Superior, it also boasts some striking scenery. Hunt for moose munching among stands of balsam fir, and at the end of the trek, feast your eyes on rocky islets dotted with conifers, a trademark of Isle Royale鈥檚 archipelago.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there鈥檚 more than one way to arrive at the point via the Stoll Memorial Trail and then the Scoville Point Trail, the easier (and shaded) way is to amble adjacent to Tobin Harbor to the tip of the peninsula.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

Named after the Keys family, who built and maintained one of the most successful homesteads in Southern California鈥檚 arid Joshua Tree desert, Keys View is a thrilling destination for road-tripping travelers who want to feel as though they鈥檙e standing at the edge of the known universe. A 500-foot, fully paved loop allows guests to savor a vista of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley, and Salton Sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, drive 21 miles south to the terminus of Keys View Road.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

Most travelers to Katmai National Park are there for one thing and one thing only鈥�grizzly bear viewing鈥攁nd the boardwalk overlook at Brooks Falls is perhaps the best spot in the U.S. to watch these 700-pound mammals fish. You won鈥檛 be disappointed.

Best Way to Reach This View: Following a brief, ranger-led bear orientation, take the 1.2-mile (round trip) Brooks Falls Trail to a wooden platform overlooking a roaring waterfall, which, if you鈥檙e lucky, will give you the experience you came for鈥攗rsine creatures hungrily snatching salmon from the air. For a hiking route to Brooks Falls, check out .

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

It takes effort to get out to Aialik Glacier (typically a two-hour boat ride, followed by three miles of kayaking), but along the way, you can search for wriggling sea otters, playful Dall鈥檚 porpoises, spouting humpback whales, and soaring bald eagles. Once face to face with this moving sheet of ice, the most rapidly calving in Kenai Fjords, paddlers have the opportunity to watch and listen for 鈥渨hite thunder,鈥� the sound huge hunks of ice make when they crash into the sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: I used Kayak 国产吃瓜黑料s Worldwide for my adventure to Aialik Glacier (from $489; trips available mid-May through early September), based in Seward. You鈥檒l first take a water-taxi trip south to Aialik Bay, a fantastic way to spot all kinds of wildlife, before suiting up at a beach and sliding into your kayak. Expect to paddle for three hours.

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

This one鈥檚 for all my backpacking brethren. As a predominately wilderness-designated area (meaning that trails can only be used for hiking and horseback riding, and human development is extremely minimal), Kings Canyon is a mecca for trekkers who鈥檇 rather don a pack for dozens of miles than motor around to car-friendly overlooks. The lake is a sparkling cobalt gem flanked by glacier-polished granite peaks. One thing鈥檚 for certain鈥搚ou鈥檒l find pristine solitude when you arrive.

Best Way to Reach This View: The lake can be accessed via the 211-mile John Muir Trail, a 36-mile loop departing from Bishop, or a pack-animal trip out of Muir Trail Ranch.

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley often rounds out the list of least-visited national parks, but there鈥檚 a small landing strip situated at the edge of its most noteworthy geological feature, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, that makes this far-out park accessible for anyone who can tolerate bush planes.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the small town of Kotzebue, hop onto a flightseeing day tour with Golden Eagle Outfitters, or splurge on a 12-day hiking and packrafting trip with Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s that starts and finishes in Fairbanks.

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

Flanked by 8,000-foot peaks and a colorful array of tundra plants like crowberry and reindeer lichen, Turquoise Lake is a quintessential example of an outrageously teal, glacially fed tarn. It鈥檒l take a bit of extra effort to get there (compared to commercial-flight-accessible Port Alsworth), but expert guiding services offering kayaking and hiking trips will handle all the logistics for you, so you can relish the extraordinary ridges and ravines of the Alaska Range.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no roads in the park. You鈥檒l have to take a small plane in to reach the lake. We suggest going on an outfitted trip, again with .

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

After a hamstring-busting two-mile ascent to the top of Cinder Cone, in Northern California鈥檚 often overlooked Lassen Volcanic National Park, hikers have a chance to view one of the most eye-catching geological features in the entire park system. The aptly named Fantastic Lava Beds surround the park鈥檚 incredible painted dunes, a series of warm-toned hills of oxidized volcanic ash. Grab a site at Butte Lake Campground to revel in marvelous night skies, just a short jaunt from the trailhead.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take Highway 44 about 24 miles from the park鈥檚 northwest entrance to a six-mile dirt road that leads to the Butte Lake Day Use Area. Cinder Cone Trailhead is located near the boat ramp.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

Home to the longest known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave, in central Kentucky, is not a park that鈥檚 typically recognized for its naturally sculpted cave formations (like those found in Carlsbad Caverns). However, guests who embark on the ranger-led Domes and Dripstones tour can witness remarkable stalactites and stalagmites, plus wavy drapery-style limestone formations that look like a canopy on a princess鈥檚 four-poster bed.

Best Way to Reach This View: You鈥檒l have to sign up for a tour at the visitor center and be able to descend and climb back up a series of stairs.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

No visit to Mesa Verde is complete without a trip to Cliff Palace Overlook, which offers a majestic view of the largest Ancestral Puebloan dwelling in the park. With over 150 rooms and 21 kivas (ceremonial spaces), this site was thought to be a vibrant gathering place with a population of roughly 100 people. You鈥檒l see and learn about 800-year-old stone structures. Ranger-guided tours are also available for a closer glimpse of Ancestral Puebloan architecture.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head down Chapin Mesa to the six-mile Cliff Palace Loop and pull off at the designated parking area.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

The imposing face of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48, looms perfectly above the idyllic cascade of Myrtle Falls, creating a postcard-worthy photo op for passing hikers. Along the hike in, learn about the park鈥檚 remarkable wildflower displays and try to spot purple penstemon, crimson paintbrush, and porcelain bear grass from the path.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take a 0.8-mile stroll (round trip) along the Skyline Trail, located in the park鈥檚 popular Paradise area.

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

Near the tiny village of Vatia, on the northern shore of Tutuila Island, the forested 0.1-mile Pola Island Trail boasts a jaw-dropping view with minimal effort. Park in the shade near a sign marking the well-worn, easy path, then hop over a boulder-strewn beach to soak up incomparable views of ragged Pacific coastline, swaying palm trees, and the craggy cliffs of Pola Island, one of the park鈥檚 most important nesting sites for seabirds like boobies and frigates.

Best Way to Reach This View: To reach the trailhead, drive past the last house at the end of the road in Vatia. The road then turns to dirt, and you鈥檒l come upon a small parking area. You鈥檒l see a sign for the short trail leading to the beach.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

Yes, you could drive up to New River Gorge鈥檚 namesake bridge for kickass views, but my favorite photo op of the famous roadway lies at the end of the 1.6-mile (one way) trail to Long Point. Not only will visitors here get to meander through a forest of hemlock, beech, and white oak, but they鈥檒l also glean outstanding glimpses of rafters floating down the New if they time their outing just right.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Long Point Trailhead is off of Gateway Road, about two miles from the town of Fayetteville.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

One of the most memorable things about North Cascades (apart from its generally crowd-free hiking trails) is its plethora of hanging glaciers, strung between high alpine summits. The moderate 3.7-mile (one way) trek to Cascade Pass will wow you with sensational panoramas of granitic cliffs plunging into Pelton Basin, but for a real showstopper, plan an overnight backpacking trip and continue up the broad shoulder of Sahale Mountain, pitching a tent at Sahale Glacier Camp and enjoying its bird鈥檚-eye view of the Triplets, Mount Baker, and Mount Shuksan.

Best Way to Reach This View: You鈥檒l reach the starting point for the Cascade Pass Trailhead at the end of Cascade Pass Road. For a hiking route to Sahale Glacier Camp, check out .

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

Consult a tide chart before heading out, then motor over to Rialto Beach, on the northwestern shoreline of Washington鈥檚 Olympic Peninsula. There you鈥檒l find enormous driftwood logs, rocky sea stacks, and bold surfers braving the chilly Pacific Ocean. If you feel like stretching your legs, an easy three-mile (round trip) walk along the coast will bring you past tidepools crawling with life to Hole in the Wall, a volcanic outcropping with a natural arch that鈥檚 perfect for pictures.

Best Way to Reach This View: The beach is about 75 miles from Port Angeles. Once you reach Olympic, you鈥檒l be on Highway 101, the road that goes around the park. Exit onto La Push Road and drive eight miles. Then turn onto Mora Road, and after about five miles you鈥檒l find the parking lot for the beach.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

Though the park is best known for its logs of crystallized conifers, Petrified Forest is also home to some seriously colorful painted-desert hills. At Kachina Point, located just outside the 1930s-era Painted Desert Inn, the rich reds and tangerines of these undulating knolls are on full display. After a quick photo break, be sure to check out Hopi artist Fred Kabotie鈥檚 gorgeous murals on display inside the inn.

Best Way to Reach This View: The point is located about two miles from the north entrance of the park. Stroll on the accessible trail behind the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark to the overlook.

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

Pinnacles is a funny little sleeper park that鈥檚 often overshadowed by California鈥檚 celebrity public lands like Joshua Tree and Yosemite, but anyone who鈥檚 ventured into the park鈥檚 golden breccia spires knows that they鈥檙e a worthy road-trip destination. Condor Gulch Overlook gives guests a chance to enjoy an up-close view of the park鈥檚 famous pinnacles on a well-worn, family-friendly path. Bring your binoculars and try to spot an endangered California condor.

Best Way to Reach This View: The overlook is one mile from the Bear Gulch Nature Center.

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

When in Redwoods, it鈥檚 necessary to make a pilgrimage to Tall Trees Grove, a stand of old-growth sempervirens that protect the tallest trees on earth. Don your hiking shoes for a 4.5-mile (round trip) moderate hike around a lush forest of mossy coastal redwoods that鈥檒l have even the grinchiest people believing in fairies. The whole hike takes around four hours.

Best Way to Reach This View: First reserve a free for an access code to the area鈥檚 restricted road to the Tall Trees Trail. It鈥檚 an hour drive, parts of which are on a narrow and winding dirt road, from the park visitor center to the trailhead.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

On my first-ever trip to this national park, 国产吃瓜黑料 writer Brendan Leonard told me that if I only made it to one lake inside the park, it had to be Mills Lake, and boy, was he right. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hike 2.6 miles鈥攑ast rushing waterfalls and huge granite boulders鈥攂efore dipping your toes into the frigid snowmelt of Mills Lake, which overlooks the dramatic northern crags of Longs Peak.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head south on Bear Lake Road for about eight miles and park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Ascend the trail from there to Mills Lake. Arrange a vehicle reservation (or free park shuttle) if you鈥檙e traveling between May and October. For a hiking route to Mills Lake, check out .

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

When you鈥檝e had enough of Saguaro鈥檚 thorny, many-armed cacti from the vantage point of your car window and you鈥檙e ready to get your heart rate up, head to the commanding summit of 4,688-foot Wasson Peak, the tallest in the park鈥檚 western section. Keep your eyes peeled for petroglyphs as you ascend past saguaro, ocotillo, and prickly pear cactus. Once you reach the top, give yourself a high five and look out across the urban breadth of Tucson all the way to the park鈥檚 eastern Rincon Mountain District.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at the Kings Canyon Trailhead and then expect a strenuous four-mile hike (and nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain) to the summit.

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

Bearpaw Meadow is one of those miraculous, only-in-the-parks vistas that dreams are made of, and getting there is an adventure all its own. You鈥檒l be treated to soul-stirring views of the imposing granite domes and summits of the remote Sierra Nevada. Set up your tent at Bearpaw Meadow鈥檚 backcountry campground, or, if you鈥檙e feeling spendy, get a glamping tent and dinner at High Sierra Camp.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park鈥檚 iconic Crescent Meadow area, which hosts a grove of towering old-growth sequoias, hike for 11.4 miles to Bearpaw Meadow along the High Sierra Trail, taking in inspiring views of Moro Rock, the powerful Kaweah River, and the Great Western Divide.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

Rise before dawn and cruise along Shenandoah鈥檚 winding, 105-mile Skyline Drive to admire profound sunrise views from this east-facing overlook. An unusual outcropping of ancient granite makes the perfect ledge from which to enjoy Virginia鈥檚 rolling pastoral hillsides as the sky turns from apricot to bright blue.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the park at the Thornton Gap Entrance Station. The overlook is at mile 33 on Skyline Drive.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

The large stone shelter at River Bend Overlook, in eastern North Dakota, makes for a picturesque family portrait, with a backdrop of shrub-speckled badlands and a U-shaped swerve in the serpentine Little Missouri River. It鈥檚 a vast and gorgeous view out onto the river valley.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the north unit of the park on Scenic Drive. The overlook is about eight miles in. Park and walk up a short trail to the viewing deck. For a closer look at the park鈥檚 iron-impregnated sandstone and wavering grasslands, hop onto the 0.8-mile Caprock Coulee Trail and saunter away from the automobile crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

So much of Virgin Islands National Park, on the island of St. John, is about appreciating the scenery beneath the waves. But the Cruz Bay Overlook, on the moderate Lind Point Trail, is a great stopover between snorkeling trips. Pull off at the signed viewpoint for a commanding look at the boat traffic sailing to and from gorgeous Cruz Bay, the island鈥檚 main port. If you鈥檙e looking for a little more exercise, continue on to Solomon Beach for a secluded white-sand oasis.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Lind Point Trail starts just behind the park visitor center and ends at Honeymoon Bay or Solomon Bay. A spur off the trail leads to the Cruz Bay Overlook.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

Whether you鈥檙e just driving through Voyageurs or you鈥檙e renting a houseboat for the entire family, this wheelchair-accessible overlook on the edge of enormous Lake Kabetogama will provide a fantastic cross section of the area鈥檚 natural wonders. Tiny islets are freckled with boreal forest. White and red pines intersperse with fir and spruce trees. And the distant, mournful call of a loon can often be heard at dusk.

Best Way to Reach This View: It鈥檚 an easy 0.4-mile trail to reach the overlook. The trailhead is at the third parking area on Meadowood Drive near the Ash River Visitor Center.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

In the heart of White Sands, the Roadrunner Picnic Area offers guests a cozy resting place, surrounded by a vast expanse of glowing white gypsum dune fields. The site鈥檚 futuristic picnic tables, complete with corrugated metal awnings to protect against ferocious wind and sun, are a fabulous spot from which to enjoy and explore this New Mexico park as the sun sets beyond the Organ Mountains.

Best Way to Reach This View: The picnic area is located about six to seven miles on the main road from the fee station.

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

The historic fire tower atop Rankin Ridge dates back to 1956, and though visitors are not permitted to climb it, it sits on the highest point in Wind Cave (5,013 feet) and makes for an excellent photo backdrop. You鈥檒l look down at the park, which is home to some of the last preserved mixed-grass prairie in the country.

Best Way to Reach This View: From Custer, take Route 16A East for 6.5 miles and turn south on Highway 87. After 13 miles, look for an access road leading to the trailhead. It鈥檚 a short and easy half-mile hike through fragrant ponderosa pines to the top.

Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

Brave the bumpy, winding McCarthy Road all the way to the once thriving mining community of McCarthy and cross the footbridge to get to Kennecott, a historic town that serves as the center for all things Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias, including the majestic trail along the colossal Root Glacier. Bring your bear spray and go it alone, or hire a guide to learn more about the site鈥檚 copper-mining past. Spoiler alert鈥搚ou can also book a crunchy crampon trek atop the glacier. Either way, you鈥檒l be treated to awesome views of Mount Donoho and the 6,000-foot-tall Stairway Icefall.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Root Glacier Trail starts in Kennecott, and about 1.5 miles in you鈥檒l reach the glacier. If you plan to walk on the glacier, hire an experienced guide and wear crampons.

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

Named for its proximity to a famous oil painting by 19th-century painter Thomas Moran, Artist Point is the most stunning place from which to gaze at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its mighty waterfall. That being said, it does get crowded in summer months. If you fancy a short hike with similarly epic vistas, amble along the signed trail to Point Sublime (2.6 miles round trip) for an even better glimpse of the canyon鈥檚 multicolored walls.

Best Way to Reach This View: For a hiking route to Artist Point, check out .

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

After a yearlong closure in 2022 for road rehabilitation, travelers can once again drive to Glacier Point and see the broad panoramas of Half Dome, Nevada Fall, and Mount Hoffman. Wander around the accessible, paved pathways near the gift shop or hitch a ride onto a portion of the Panorama Trail for a similar view, sans the crowds at this very popular park.

Best Way to Reach This View: Drive 13 miles on Wawona Road from Yosemite Valley, then turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Hikers: Start at the Four Mile Trailhead in Yosemite Valley. It鈥檚 a strenuous 9.6 mile (round trip) hike to the point.

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

Canyon Overlook, in Zion鈥檚 eastern section, is one of the most impressive low-effort, high-reward hikes in the country. The reward is a breathtaking view of the cathedral-like golden spires of Towers of the Virgin, in the park鈥檚 main canyon.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park near the tunnel on the eastern side of the Zion鈥揗ount Carmel Highway, then take a series of stairs and sandstone slabs for a mere 0.5-miles (one way) until you reach the lookout on the edge of the cliffs.

As our 63 Parks columnist, Emily Pennington, visited and wrote about every single national park in the U.S. She鈥檚 also the author of the recent book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America鈥檚 National Parks.

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63 Parks Traveler started with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerd saved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road, practicing COVID-19 best safety protocols along the way. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and she wanted to see them before it鈥檚 too late. The Dry Tortugas is her 57th park visit.

A strong wind whipped the tops of the palms into a frenzy as I boarded the in Key West, Florida. is one of the country鈥檚 few island-centric national parks, and getting to its remote location, 70 miles due west, would be a challenge, even in good weather. I gritted my teeth and zipped up my wind shell as the boat rocked and rolled for nearly two and a half hours.

Like a mirage, the park appeared, a small series of islets surrounded by glittering, aquamarine seawater, with its main attraction鈥攖he Civil War鈥揺ra 鈥攕itting squat in the middle of Garden Key, massive and rust red.

Given the gales, as soon as I disembarked, I sprinted to the shelter of the fort for a guided tour. The hexagonal structure was enormous鈥攂uilt on 47 acres, with over 16 million handmade bricks, the project took over 30 years to complete鈥攁nd it inspired daydreams of pirates and frigate ships as I stood in its center. Our guide, a long-haired Floridian in cargo shorts and wraparound shades, led the group around the surprisingly green, overgrown fields within the citadel, past historic cannons and hallways that reminded me of an M.C. Escher drawing.

The Dry Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Le贸n on an expedition in 1513, named for their lack of fresh water and an abundance of delicious sea turtles, which sailors ate. Pirates frequented the area throughout the 1700s, often using the small islands as a base and attacking merchant ships en route to and from the Gulf of Mexico. But real development didn鈥檛 commence here until after the War of 1812; the U.S. government acquired the Dry Tortugas from Spain and decided to build a string of coastal forts from Maine to Texas, with Fort Jefferson to be the grandest of them all. The reasoning was that, as a budding superpower, it needed the Dry Tortugas to defend one of the most strategic deep-water anchorages in North America. Later, when the Civil War commenced, it was this fort that helped blockade southern shipping routes, strengthening the Union Army.

Wandering around with only a few dozen tourists behind me, it was hard to imagine that this bastion once housed nearly 2,000 men and women, many of whom were enslaved people tasked with the backbreaking labor of erecting the huge fortress.

When the tour concluded, I shuffled off with an armful of , bobbing up and down in the choppy, azure waves as I tried to make out the odd bit of coral or sea sponge. The park was the first marine area ever designated as a national monument, and with its abundance of Technicolor tropical fish, nesting sea turtles, and vast colonies of seabirds, it was easy to see why. I was adrift in an oasis of life.

I boarded the return ship feeling spacey and blissed-out, as though I鈥檇 just been tumbled through an ocean of time itself. The return trip was arduous, freezing, and unsteady, with salt water spraying over the ferry鈥檚 hull for hours. But I didn鈥檛 care. Lost in daydream, the long ride made me realize just how remote the park was and how much more remarkable that made it.

63 Parks Traveler Dry Tortugas Info

Size: 47,125 acres

Location: Southwest Florida, 70 miles from Key West

Created In: 1935 (Fort Jefferson National Monument), 1992 (Dry Tortugas National Park)

Best For: Boating, history buffs, snorkeling, diving, birding, lounging on the beach

When to Go: June through November (70 to 92 degrees) is considered hurricane season in this region, and ferry service is regularly canceled when storms strike. December (67 to 76 degrees) to May (75 to 86 degrees) are the most temperate months to visit and less prone to foul weather.

Where to Stay: Before and after your trip, you鈥檒l likely want to bask in the quirky beach town of Key West, home to , , and, of course, infinite slices of .

Mini 国产吃瓜黑料: All aboard the ! This high-speed catamaran jets up to 175 visitors per day to and from the park during high season. An is one of the best and most family-friendly ways to enjoy the Dry Tortugas; lunch, snorkeling gear, and a guided walking tour of Fort Jefferson are all included.

Mega 国产吃瓜黑料: To really enjoy the soul of a park, you often have to stay the night. Though reservations book up quickly, Dry Tortugas does offer for adventurous souls who want to bed down among the sand and surf. Stargazers will be rewarded: the Milky Way springs to life, as very little light pollution reaches this far-flung outpost.

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Recently, U.S. Representative Rob Bishop celebrated a victory. He managed to push bill HR 1459, the , through the House. Its aim is to weaken the President’s ability to designate public lands as national monuments, an authority assigned under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

The bill does not completely strip away this power, but it would require that any monument would need to undergo review through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Republicans (only 3 Democrats in the House support the bill) say this change is needed because the Presidential authority to declare national monuments without any formal review is overly broad and leads to unfair Federal snags of state land. The poster child for this argument is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Bishop’s home state of Utah. and without consulting local communities. (All four Utah Reps鈥攖hree Republicans and a Democrat鈥攂acked the bill.)

Whatever your opinion on that debate, the wider question here is whether the Antiquities Act鈥攚hich was created as a tool for Presidents to place expeditions protections on lands, especially those with cultural importance, that were being quickly settled during the Western Expansion鈥攕hould be modified.

, The Wilderness Society’s senior director of government relations, says the process of declaring National Monuments is not a one-man job. He notes that, in particular, President Obama has “gone through some pretty exhaustive public comment periods with local communities” to ensure the 10 monuments he has named during his time in office have been in the interest of the local communities that stand to benefit from them.

As for the bill’s assertion that NEPA should be used to designate National Monuments, Rowesome says, “It’s ironic that [Republicans] who have been systematically trying to eviscerate NEPA come to its aid when it could mean slowing conservation projects. NEPA is a bedrock law designed to give public input into decisions when land use planning or possible degradation of the land is threatened. It would not be necessary, or would be a waste of tax dollars, to do NEPA on a monument designation because there is little to no debate that setting aside land would be good for [that respective] ecosystem or landscape.”

It’s worth noting that many of the most treasured National Parks began their lives as national monuments, through Presidential decree. So were it not for the Antiquities Act, we might not have them. Here are five examples.

The Grand Canyon

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to designate the 1,279-acre Grand Canyon National Monument. In 1919, it was designated a National Park. As noted in : “Capitalists would have a difficult time figuring out how to profitably exploit the canyon, however, biding their time until pioneers had pointed the way to a promising export economy: tourism.”

Over time additional protections were made and eventually added to the park, including the adjacent which President Johnson designated as he left office in 1969 to address threats to dam the Colorado River inside the canyon. Today, Grand Canyon National Park encompasses nearly 1.2 million acres.

Olympic National Park

1. Havasu Falls, Supai, Arizona Hike two miles to this perfect turquoise pool, with year-round 72-degree water, in Havasu Canyon. 2. Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Reynolds County, Missouri Rock towers create dozens of small pools on the East Fork of the Black River. 3. Bass Lake, Point Reyes National Seashore, California Follow the Coast Trail two and … Continued

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1. Havasu Falls, Supai, Arizona Hike two miles to this perfect turquoise pool, with year-round 72-degree water, in Havasu Canyon.

All About H2O

The wet stuff is always there for us—it grows our food, puts splash and spirit in our adventure, and (by the way) keeps us alive.

2. Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Reynolds County, Missouri Rock towers create dozens of small pools on the East Fork of the Black River.
3. Bass Lake, Point Reyes National Seashore, California Follow the Coast Trail two and a half miles to a freshwater dunk hole that stays sunny even on the foggiest days.
4. Calf Creek Falls, Utah The perfect desert oasis: a perennial waterfall and round, shaded pool.
5. Redfish Lake, Stanley, Idaho Laze on the south-shore beach and enjoy huge views of the Sawtooth Range.
6. Barton Springs, Austin, Texas A chilly 1,000-foot-long spring-fed pool in Austin’s Zilker Park.
7. Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts After an impressive preservation effort, our most literary pond is definitely worth a dip.
8. Big Bend, Petersburg, West Virginia Try a lazy float on this hour-long river loop, on the South Branch of the Potomac.
9. Oregon Creek, California A stair-stepping series of pools in the Sierra, north of Nevada City, with plenty of natural, water-carved Jacuzzis.
10. Peekamoose Blue Hole, Sundown, New York Rondout Creek rushes through a gap in the rock to form this refreshing forest pond.

The Wild-Water Life List

We know you want your fair share of life’s peak moments—and you want to get good and wet along the way—so we’ve thoughtfully prioritized our ten favorite liquid adventures in the United States

Hot Commodity: Droplets

Amount of earth’s surface covered in water: 80%

97% of the earth’s water is saline

Water that is frozen in glacial ice: two percent

Only 1% of the earth’s water is fresh and available for human use

153 GALLONS (water used daily per capita in the USA)

88 in the UK // 23 in Asia // 12 in Africa

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; National Wildlife Federation

It’s number one! The Grand Canyon of the Colorado

1. Raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, Arizona Plunge into 277 miles of Class I-V whitewater and spectacular red rocks. Get on the 12-year waiting list for individual permits (800-959-9164, ) or sign up with an outfitter like Canyoneers Inc. (800-525-0924, ).
2. Paddle the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota Nearly a thousand interconnected lakes and streams dot this million-acre north-woods wilderness. For maps and permits, contact the BWCAW (877-550-6777, ).
3. Snorkel in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Set sail for seven white-sand islets and miles of coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Go with Ocean Voyages (800-299-4444, ).
4. Learn to Surf at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii It’s a kitschy and overdeveloped beach, yes, but punch your surf ticket on the slow rollers off Oahu’s leeward shore before braving Pipeline. Check out Hans Hedemann Surf School (808-924-7778, ).
5. Sea-kayak the San Juan Islands, Washington Island-hop among the orcas. Call Outdoor Odysseys (800-647-4621, ).
6. Paddle the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho Float 100 miles through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Check out Middle Fork Wilderness Outfitters (800-726-0575, ).
7. Sail the Maine Island Trail, Maine Explore spruce-shaded islands and craggy coastline on this 325-mile route from Portland to the Canadian border. For details, contact the Maine Windjammer Association (800-807-9463, ).
8. Raft and Fly-fish the Talkeetna River, Alaska Fish for king salmon, then hunker down for a 14-mile Class IV ride. Go with Keystone Raft and Kayak 国产吃瓜黑料s (907-835-2606, ).
9. Canoe the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia Float between gators in southeastern Georgia’s lush 400,000-acre wilderness. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (912-496-7836, ) can provide details.
10. Kayak the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin Paddle around 21 unspoiled Lake Superior islands. Try Piragis Northwoods Outfitting (800-223-6565, ).

The Sweetest Beaches

1. Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington One of the most remote wilderness beaches in the lower 48—it’s a 13-mile hike from Olympic’s Ozette River trailhead—these two miles of sand are studded with sea stacks, giant driftwood, and tidepools teeming with starfish.
2. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California Running along Ocean Boulevard, this wide, palm-lined strand is a great spot to set up a lawn chair, pop a lime in your Pacifico, and watch the pink-and-purple sun sink slowly into the sea.
3. Sanibel Island, Florida Periwinkles, whelks, calico scallops, and cockles abound on Sanibel, one of the best shelling grounds in the world.
4. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii Watch for monk seals, sea turtles, and loads of flashy fish at Hawaii’s premier snorkeling spot.
5. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina Some of the best windsurfing, fishing, crabbing, clamming, and sand dunes on the East Coast can be found here.
6. Jasper Beach, Machiasport, Maine You’ll find bald eagles, sandpipers, and puffins at this bird-watching hot spot. 7. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan Enormous sand dunes hundreds of feet high provide spectacular views across Lake Michigan.
8. Agate Beach, Patrick’s Point State Park, California Search for petrified wood, agates, coastal jade, and other semiprecious stones.
9. Bandon Beach, Oregon Rent a cabin for the night and watch the clouds gather at the storm-watching capital of the United States.
10. Barking Sands Beach, Kauai, Hawaii Welcome to the world’s noisiest beach, where the sand squeaks with every step you take.

Pure Perfection

Purity done the Oregon way

Trying to determine which U.S. lake is the cleanest is a nearly impossible task—there are hundreds of variables and no official databases. But we decided to give it a shot. And the crown goes to Oregon’s CRATER LAKE. Our reasons? For one thing, there’s the water clarity. On its best days, 1,943-foot-deep Crater is as clear as a shot of Tanqueray: You can peer down 142 feet into its blue depths. And since there are no tributaries flowing into or out of the 13,760-acre basin—which is fed almost exclusively by the 533 inches of snow caught by its namesake crater each year—little sediment or contamination gets in. Added bonus: The lake’s remote location, in southwest Oregon, keeps weekend warriors away from this national park. You won’t find jet skis here; only six boats—four tour ferries and two research vessels—are allowed on the water. Visitors can hike down from the crater rim to the shore for an icy dip (the lake hovers around 50 degrees in the summer), but the best way to experience the lake is to find a warm rock overlooking the water and let the view clear your mind.

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ONE OF The nation’s tiniest national parks—a diminutive 35,500 acres, smaller than any Ted Turner ranch—Acadia National Park ranks second only to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the dubious distinction of most tourists per square foot: 81.7 annually. However, adventure in Acadia isn’t an oxymoron. The park’s humpbacked Porcupine Islands are one of the most coveted paddling spots on the planet: Hop in your sea kayak and lose the crowds (most of them, at least).

Acadia at dawn

The Porcupines are a collection of four small islands in Frenchman Bay, off the larger Mount Desert Island, where much of Acadia proper is located. While Frenchman Bay can be calmer than the water in most bathtubs, there is lobster-boat traffic to contend with, and the weather here, even in summer, can change at the drop of a spray skirt. When it does, the winds pick up suddenly and the tides get muscular; there’s no choice but to find the quickest route possible back to port. These are reasons why a guide is a wise investment, especially for first-timers to Acadia. We threw in with David Legere, a gregarious and thickly accented Maine-iac who owns Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s. The outfit’s dock is right in downtown Bar Harbor, the little town on Mount Desert Island that is most convenient to the Porcupines.
You can easily see all four islands in one day. Burnt Porcupine and Bald Porcupine islands have the most dramatic features—steep ledges, pounding surf, bristling stands of thick spruce and fir. Getting to Burnt Porcupine, 1.25 miles offshore, involves an exposed open-water crossing with potential for extra-choppy seas and strong winds.
Acadia is silly with birds—273 species in all—and from the sound of it, most happily hang out on Long Porcupine. Look for peregrines, ospreys, blue herons, and guillemots. Sheep Porcupine Island hosts an active bald eagle nest—you may spot young eaglets poking out in early summer. In the water, keep an eye peeled for harbor seals and harbor porpoises.
No camping is allowed on the Porcupine Islands. So at day’s end, throw the boat on the car, drive 65 miles from Bar Harbor to the fishing town of Stonington, and hop the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. We like the lean-tos at Duck Harbor Campground, just off the south ferry landing. This 4,000-acre island is the perfect spot to bring your own craft for a second day of low-key island exploration.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Acadia National Park (207-288-3338, ) allows camping at Duck Harbor campground. The fee is $25 per campsite per night, and a permit is required; call the park or stop by park headquarters, three miles west of Bar Harbor.
OUTFITTER – Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s (207-288-0007) offers a two-and-a-half-hour paddle around Sheep Porcupine for $37 per person. Kids must be ten or older. Or David Legere will customize an Acadia sea tour for your family (price depends on number of hours).

Montana

Glacier National Park

I’d just finished breakfast and was checking out the gift shop at the West Glacier Restaurant (“Family Dining Since 1938”) when I bumped into my first bear bells. Were they kidding? There were handhelds (like sleigh bells) for sale, as well as walking sticks with tinkly bells. While bear bells might make charming souvenirs for some of Glacier National Park’s 1.8 million annual visitors—only a tiny percentage of whom come anywhere near actually bumping into a bear—I didn’t think I’d march my kids down the trail without at least stocking up on pepper spray.
The thing about Glacier is that although it may be bumper to bumper on the famed 52-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road, which spans the park between Lake McDonald and the town of St. Mary, step out of your car and there’s a serious wildernessful of adventures to be had. During a one-week visit last fall, I spent a few action-packed days in West Glacier, then drove across to the less-visited eastern side of the park before looping back on U.S. 2, along the southern boundary. I joined a family field seminar at the Glacier Institute and went mountain biking, rafting, fly-fishing, and horseback riding, but the most exciting thing, in the end, was plain old hiking.
Some 730 miles of maintained trails crisscross the park, all running through country that’s spine-tinglingly wild—just knowing that grizzlies are out there makes rounding each bend that much more interesting. It isn’t often you find yourself encouraging your kids to be noisier on the trail, but that’s what you need to do when you are, frankly, lower on the food chain and don’t want to surprise anyone outranking you.
We learned the ins and outs of hiking in Glacier from Bill Schustrom, a retired science teacher who’s worked in the park for 30 years and now gives campfire talks. During the summer months he plays the ukulele and sings songs like “Bats Eat Bugs, They Don’t Eat People.” The chorus, “Nothing in this park / Wants to eat you for a meal / Because if they do / They know how sick they’ll feel,” cracked us up and calmed our nerves. Another hit was communing with the park’s smaller denizens at the Glacier Institute, a nonprofit outdoor-education center that offers family field seminars. Our Teva-clad teacher, Chris Gibson, led us down to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and set up an impromptu classroom before outlining the basics of aquatic insects. “Here’s how to tell the difference between insects on the river: A stone fly has two tails and armpit hair. Mayflies have three tails and a hairy butt,” he instructed, eliciting giggles from preteens and parents alike. Looking for bugs turned out to be better than it sounds—sort of like a treasure hunt. What you do is crouch along the edge of a stream and turn over stones, looking for anything interesting hanging on. Once you find a live specimen, you shake it into a bucket to examine later under a microscope—and recall that the park has incredible diversity, from tiny stream creatures to large mammals. Glacier is one of the few places in the world, we learned, where all native predators and virtually all their prey still survive in the wild.
Our Glacier game plan was to mix a steady diet of hikes (which my husband and I love) and other outdoor activities with some requisite drives (which are so spectacular that even the kids stayed awake). Thus the field seminar was followed by an afternoon rafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead, ideal for families because it’s mostly flat, with a handful of Class III rapids. Another day we rented mountain bikes and cruised the banks of the Middle Fork on deserted trails, then drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the sweetest of rides: one of the park’s fleet of restored 1936 “Jammer” buses (nicknamed, it’s said, for the sound of drivers jamming their gears up and down the highway) with the canvas top rolled back and wool blankets tucked under our chins. Another morning was spent horseback riding before heading up to the Many Glacier region in hopes of spotting a grizzly.
Sure enough, we came across hopeful visitors with spotting scopes trained on two tiny specks that were supposedly bears (they looked like rocks to me). We had given up the search and started back when one of our young companions shouted, “There’s a bear!” A hundred yards up the scree field to our left, we saw a hefty, cinnamon-haired griz. It stood sniffing the air for a moment, then lumbered into a patch of huckleberries.
We wondered aloud about the sixty-something couple we’d just watched hike up the same slope. “What’s he eating in those bushes?” someone joked, laughing nervously.
Now that we’d encountered this truly wild thing roaming the park, an awestruck hush settled over the group. I thought about the bear talk that Bill, our Jammer driver, had delivered.
“Do you know what to do if we spot a griz? Gather together in a tight circle, and make sure your driver is in the middle!” he’d quipped.
Call me chicken, but I’m with Bill.
THE DETAILS
GETTING THERE – To reach Glacier National Park (406-888-7800, ), fly into Kalispell’s Glacier Park International Airport or drive 25 miles from Whitefish, Montana.
LODGING – Glacier Raft Company Cabins (800-235-6781, ) is a half-mile from the park’s west entrance. One-bedroom cabins, with log beds, kitchens with Franklin stoves, and front porches, sleep four and cost $195 per night in peak season. Doubles at the historic Glacier Park Lodge (406-892-2525, ) start at $135 a night. Doubles at The Resort at Glacier’s new Great Bear Lodge (800-368-3689, ) are $170. Along the southern boundary, the Izaak Walton Inn (doubles from $108; 406-888-5700, ), built for railway workers in the 1930s, is a great find—kids will love sleeping in a retrofitted railcar.
OUTFITTERS – Daylong seminars with the Glacier Institute (406-755-1211, ) cost $30 for adults, $20 for kids. Glacier Raft Company (800-235-6781, ) runs half-day ($40 adult, $30 child) and full-day ($65 adult, $48 child) rafting expeditions on the Flathead. Rent mountain bikes from the Glacier Outdoor Center ($29 per day for adults and $15 per day for kids 12 and under; 800-235-6781). Glacier Wilderness Guides (800-521-7238, ) runs top-notch fly-fishing trips on the Middle and North forks of the Flathead (from $225 for two people). For horseback riding outside the park, try Montana Ranch 国产吃瓜黑料s—their motto is “Real Cowboys Don’t Ride Single File” (half-day rides, $65 per person; 888-338-3054, ).
FOOD – Don’t miss the Two Sisters caf茅 (406-732-5535) on U.S. 89, outside Glacier’s east entrance, where the ceiling is hung with Elvis memorabilia, and the comfort food (spicy chili, burgers, buttermilk chocolate cake) is surprisingly great.

Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smokies, true to their moniker

Tennessee’s Goshen Prong Trail is so blissfully quiet you can hear twigs snap under your hiking boots and a creek, Goshen Prong, tumbling nearby. The leaves of the old-growth deciduous trees rustle softly; not another trekker is in sight. Ah, solitude. It’s only after a smack of open palm to forehead that you remember that this is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most heavily visited of our national parks.
Despite the Smokies’ bad rap (a daunting ten million visitors annually), most tourists are car-bound, leaving 512,000 acres of uncongested backcountry for hiking adventures. Vesna Plakanis, who owns the outfitter A Walk in the Woods with her husband, Erik, is a modern-day John Muir of the Smokies—smitten with the park and extremely knowledgeable about its ecology. Let her guide you on a hike; with a gifted naturalist on hand, the park’s astounding biodiversity (Great Smoky Mountains National Park is richer in flora and fauna than any other national park) springs to life.
Here’s an ideal two-and-a-half-day, 15-mile hike: Ditch the masses as they slog up the paved half-mile Clingmans Dome Trail, atop the park’s highest peak (6,643 feet). Instead, take the Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail. Few people use it, because it’s rocky, wet, and overgrown. Tread nimbly and enjoy the dearth of humanity and breathtaking views of North Carolina and Fontana Lake.
Watch for a rock outcropping where this path intersects the Appalachian Trail after a half-mile—look for raptors coasting overhead. While it may be tempting to turn off onto the AT and skip Clingmans Dome, now a third of a mile away, gird yourself for the mob in order to take in the sweeping multistate views.
Then double back to the AT and the ridge that is the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. You’ll see beech gaps, grassy balds, and some of the oldest trees east of the Mississippi River. You might also see some of the eccentrics who give the AT its personality. Vesna remembers one toting a large college flag on a mast and another packing his own Porta-Potti.
Go 2.5 miles along the AT and then peel off on the Goshen Prong Trail. A prong is a tributary, and this one is a delightful companion—an Appalachian stream with small cascades. Pitch your tent at backcountry campsite 23 and fall asleep to the sound of water. Next morning, continue northeast on the trail for 3.3 miles to the turnoff at Little River Trail. After about a mile of flat hiking in dense forest, grab the Husky Gap Trail and head north 2.1 miles to the Sugarland Mountain Trail. Campsite 21, ideal for night two, is less than a mile down Sugarland. Your reward: an awesome swimming hole, with a huge slanting rock that serves as a slide. Wake up for a low-key four-miler out on the overlook-rich Sugarland Mountain Trail.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Great Smoky Mountains National Park (865-436-1200, ) requires free permits for its 114 backcountry camping sites. Reservations are required for campground 23 but not for campground 21. Call 865- 436-1231 to book.
OUTFITTER – A Walk in the Woods (865-436-8283) leads guided walks starting at $20 per adult and $16 for kids; a guided trip for a family of five runs $250 per night and includes meals and cooking gear.

Florida

Dry Tortugas National Park

Fort Jefferson

Any fool living in Maine would seize the opportunity to sail with his family in the Florida Keys in November. Any fool, even if his wife, Lisa, was seven months pregnant and had suffered a near-deadly case of bacterial meningitis a week earlier and had been told by her doctors that she absolutely could not leave the state. Even if this were his crew: Helen, age five, a hellcat whose greatest desire is to own a pig; Anabel and Eliza, six-year-old twin acrobats with no understanding of the word no. And even if he’d be guiding a 36-foot sybaritic catamaran 70 miles west of Key West with only a modicum of captaining experience so his family could fulfill his desire to visit Fort Jefferson, a 150-year-old red-brick monolith set on Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park that is known mainly for housing Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was serving a life term for helping John Wilkes Booth evade capture.
We’re talking the Dry Tortugas. Even its name sounds exotic. It’s been a national park for just ten years and is known mostly to sailors and a few tarpon-chasing sportfishermen. Located on a major migratory flyway, the Dry Tortugas are visited by about 300 species of birds in the fall and spring and shelter the only U.S. nesting ground for the magnificent frigate bird. Its angular, six-foot wingspan is easy for young birders to spot as it glides across this collection of seven islands, the least disturbed and southwesternmost outpost of the Florida Keys.
Vibrant, colorful reefs and wrecked ships lie a mere five feet beneath the surface, almost as if they’ve been placed there for little kids to see more fish than they ever imagined. Even the guy at the charter-boat place agreed: “There’s no finer place in Florida for snorkeling,” he bragged. “You’re gonna love it.”
Clearly, we had to visit Dry Tortugas National Park, and so we set out with an itinerary I’d worked on for weeks. We started by traveling to Key West, the closest bit of developed land to the park, to pick up our vacation vessel at Oceanside Marina. It was then, during a precharter talk with Robin Rule, a partner in Southernmost Sailing, that our voyage began to take an unexpected course. She used the p-word. Yachtsmen love to bandy that word about—it’s a verbal secret-society handshake and is the antithesis of my very being. But Robin used it, and that was that. “This time of year, with the sun setting so early, it’d be prudent to anchor by 4 p.m. And your plan to reach the Dry Tortugas? Not prudent. Five days isn’t enough time. You’re here to have fun, and if you bite off more than you can chew, it’s no fun.” Hmmm.
Five hours later, we were sailing downwind in a rolling sea as blue and blissful as my wife’s suddenly sparkling eyes. I’d set my sights on sailing to Boca Grande Key, about 18 miles out to sea, with a few small keys en route. From there it would be an easy two-day sail to Dry Tortugas. We were making seven knots and the skies were clear. Never mind the fact that one of the boat’s two 25-horsepower engines—used as backup if we couldn’t sail—had quit on us as we motored out of the marina. To hell with it! We were bound for the Dry Tortugas, where kids turned angelic and parents felt at peace. I just needed the right time to tell Lisa.
We reached Boca Grande an hour before sunset, near a curving white beach that disappeared into mangroves. Great white egrets and a Helen-size osprey watched us anchor. A gentle wind whirred in the rigging, and mullets leaped like shimmering Baryshnikovs above the Atlantic’s surface. We went ashore in the burnished glow of dusk on the edge of protected land—most of Boca Grande is a wildlife refuge. Stingrays stealthed into the sandy bottom, and the girls learned that sponges aren’t really fluorescent rectangles manufactured for washing dishes, but are actual living creatures. Dozens lay washed up on shore; Anabel kept one as a hat.
The next morning we sailed on to the Marquesas Keys, a ring of islands about eight miles west and the only atoll in the Atlantic. My plan was to spend the afternoon there, snorkeling above a shipwreck, and then head across to the Dry Tortugas once the kids were asleep at 9 p.m. We could sail 45 miles and be anchored beside Fort Jefferson by 4 a.m. I decided to let Lisa in on my thoughts while we negotiated our way into the Marquesas. “Are you crazy? What happened with being prudent?” she asked, uttering the p-word for the first time since we left Oceanside Marina. I interrupted her, yelling, “Coming about!” She jumped up, cranked in the starboard sheet, and—huffing like a mama bear—turned her full attention to me.
“Are you even thinking about the kids?”
“I can handle this boat, sweetie,” I answered, and then saw that something was amiss. The sails stalled, backed, and then headed us toward some rocks 100 yards away. “Let the sheet go! We didn’t make it.” We fell off the wind, sped up, came about, and failed to make it again. I cranked the remaining working engine, but it notched us up only a knot or so, no aid in getting us anywhere. We spent the next four hours trying to get a mile upwind. By this time, the girls were crying for a swim but wouldn’t go in unless I did. Lisa wasn’t really talking to me.
So I plunged into the five-foot-deep water, entering a forest of turtle grass. I repeated things like “have fun” to myself.
The girls jumped in. Lisa joined us, floating toward me.
“You know I love adventures. If it were just us—” she began.
“No, no. You’re right. The p-p-p-prudent thing to do would be to return to Key West.”
We didn’t make it to the fort—we didn’t even try. We did, however, do everything the girls wanted to do—swim, beachcomb, climb in the mangroves, and eat lots of crackers and goat cheese. We snorkeled in 40 feet of water that was visible to the bottom. And we made it back to Oceanside Marina. In other words, we were prudent and—to my surprise—we still had fun.
What did we miss? I don’t know this from experience, but they say Fort Jefferson remains a marvel, though its facade of 16 million bricks needs replacing, and that just a mile from Garden Key an outcropping of staghorn coral is flourishing—just waiting for some fool in a sailboat escaping the North.
THE DETAILS
GETTING THERE –There are several ways to reach Dry Tortugas National Park (305-242-7700, ) from Key West, including a charter catamaran, high-speed boat, and floatplane. Two companies offer round-trip boat service; both leave Key West at 8 a.m. every day and return at 5:30 p.m. Both cost about $100 and include breakfast, lunch, drinks, a tour of the fort, and snorkeling gear. For prices and reservations, contact Sunny Days Catamarans (800-236-7937, ) or Yankee Fleet (800-634-0939, ). Seaplanes of Key West (800-950-2359, ) makes the trip in less than an hour. Price is roughly $180 for a half-day trip, $300 for a full day, and includes drinks, a fort tour, and snorkeling gear.
LODGING – Seven islands, including Garden Key, make up the park. Some are day-use only or are closed to visitors because of nesting birds and the fragility of the land. The park’s 13-site campground on Garden Key, the only accommodation offered, costs $3 per site per night. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis, except for the group area, which has to be reserved. There are no boat moorings or slips for the public; overnight anchorage is limited to a designated area off Garden Key’s eastern shore.
OUTFITTERS – To charter a sailboat, you have to prove your seaworthiness with a bareboat-school certificate or by listing your captaining history and passing a sailing test. Monohulls cost around $1,200 for a week; catamarans, up to $2,800. Contact Southernmost Sailing (888-352-7245, ). We got a $200 refund on our charter because of the engine problems.
FOOD – There is no food service in the park, so stock up in Key West at Fausto’s Food Palace (305-296-5663, ), a Cuban market. You must bring everything you need, including water.

Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park

The magnificent elk, best seen during the September rutting season

High-altitude Rocky Mountain National Park, bursting with 74 peaks over 12,000 feet, serves as an adventure training ground for my family. Our ultimate ambition is to summit 14,255-foot Longs Peak—our team, including my 12-year-old daughter, Cleo, and her middle school pals Emma and Celeste, should be ready for this expedition in a summer or two. In preparation, we’re working our way steadily higher on the park’s 355-mile trail system.
We live in nearby Boulder, with plenty of good climbing and hiking a few blocks from home. The national park, with 266,240 acres of spectacular views and Lake Granby nearby, makes a favorite weekend destination. We start with the 4.7-mile hike through Glacier Gorge—perfect for kids because you can take it in easy stages and use Mills Lake, Jewel Lake, or Black Lake as your turnaround point, depending on the strength of your team. If they’re really in shape, you can push onward, up a mile of steep switchbacks, all the way to Green Lake, at 11,550 feet. That’s the next stage in our training course.
The first half-mile, from the 9,240-foot Glacier Gorge Junction trailhead to silvery Alberta Falls, is an easy 140-foot climb doable even by four-year-olds. Then the trail levels out to wind around Glacier Knobs, a pair of immense granite outcrops. It was here, during our most recent excursion, that the kids learned a lesson in noise control: They suppressed giggles so as not to frighten a chipmunk stealing a two-inch cube of Emmentaler cheese right off my lap. (But it’s a mistake to shush kids up on these trails—you don’t want to surprise a puma.)
As we continued hiking, the girls chattered back at colonies of pikas in the granite scree fields and conquered a gentle climb onto bedrock scoured by a glacier 10,000 years ago. We spotted plenty of birds—everything from mountain chickadees to golden eagles.
The first puddle is Mills Lake, where marmots gazed gravely back at us from rocks above. We skirted the rocky east shore, then climbed to marshy Jewel Lake. From there, the trail’s last mile is a switchback climb alongside Ribbon Falls to Black Lake, at 10,620 feet, where we nearly popped our necks staring at the overhanging rock walls. They form an immense amphitheater, with six peaks soaring over 13,000 feet. We ate lunch with our sweaty feet dangling in the cold lake, and watched for jumping fish.
When it comes to camping, the kids like the spartan Moraine Park or Glacier Basin campgrounds, because from there (a short drive from the Beaver Meadows entrance) it’s a quick walk to see elk gathered at dusk and dawn, especially during rutting season in early fall (that’s when traffic is light on the trails, too). Around the campfire, I get to be a backwoods gourmet; Meredith, Emma and Celeste’s mom, tells South African ghost stories from her childhood.
The day after our training hike we often drive over Trail Ridge Road to Lake Granby, in the Arapaho National Recreation Area, just past the park’s southwest boundary. There we rent a sloop and sail with the mountain wind, a unique experience for our landlocked, high-altitude kids. From the boat we can plan our assault on Longs Peak, visible as it towers into the clouds, 13 miles away.
THE DETAILS
GETTING THERE – Rocky Mountain National Park (970-586-1206, ) is reached by driving U.S. 36 northwest from Denver and Boulder.
LODGING – A tent site at Moraine Park or Glacier Basin, or any of the three other roadside campgrounds in the park, costs $18 a night. Call 800-365-2267 to make a reservation (recommended between Memorial Day and Labor Day). The park also offers 267 backcountry campsites; for full information on campsites, see . The romantic Stanley Hotel (800-976-1377, ) was built in 1909 by F. O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, and was Stephen King’s inspiration for The Shining. The front rooms command a magnificent view of the peaks. Doubles start at $149 per night.
OUTFITTERS – Rent sailboats from Captain Spongefoot Sailing Company (970-887-1043) on Lake Granby, in the Arap-aho National Recreation Area. A 24-foot sloop costs $145 for four hours. For powerboat rental (about $150 per day), call Highland Marina on Lake Granby (970-887-3541).
FOOD – Kids like the burgers and sandwiches at Penelope’s World Famous Burgers in Estes Park (229 W. Elkhorn Ave., 970-586-2277) and the hearty chicken and deli specialties at Mountain Home Cafe, also in Estes Park (533 Big Thompson Ave., 970-586-6624).

California

Channel Islands National Park

Humpback whales breach the surface to feed

No way! muttered Chelsea as we paddled our sea kayak toward a 20-foot arch on Santa Cruz Island. With waves roiling through the rocky opening—at the base of a massive cliff called The Elephant on the island’s east coast—kayaking through the arch must have seemed challenging, if not downright impossible, to even the most daring ten-year-old.
Our paddle beneath The Elephant was part of a three-day weekend in Channel Islands National Park, off the Southern California coast 70 miles west of Los Angeles. The park’s five islands—Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Anacapa—are pockmarked by hundreds of arches and caverns, roughly two-thirds of them along shore. As we discovered, each of these wave-forged openings in the coastal cliffs presents a unique navigational challenge. Seal Cave, with its rocky beach, is a refuge for harbor seals. Shipwreck Cave preserves the rusty remnants of a barge. Painted Cave, at nearly a quarter-mile long, is one of the world’s largest sea caves.
Kayaking these marine caverns wasn’t possible when I was growing up in Southern California: Most of the Channel Islands were privately owned, used as sheep and cattle ranches or hunting preserves. In 1980, the islands collectively became a national park.
Although they have similar natural histories, the islands are distinct. Anacapa is tiny, a razor-thin wedge of vertical rock topped by a lighthouse. Santa Rosa is known for its hundreds of ancient Chumash Indian sites and the remains of pygmy mammoths that lived almost 13,000 years ago. More than 50,000 seals and other fin-footed mammals—one of the world’s greatest concentrations of pinnipeds—gather on San Miguel near Point Bennett. Isolated Santa Barbara Island, southeast of the main cluster, is for those who want to escape even the most minimal vestiges of civilization. And Santa Cruz, with its deeply indented topography, is ideal for cavers and paddlers.
The Channel Islands are called the American Gal谩pagos because of their variety and volume of wildlife. Humans, however, are more scarce. Although 30 million people dwell on the adjacent mainland, only about a quarter-million people make the trip out to the islands each year.
Chelsea and I have made the voyage several times. We’ve scrambled up grassy peaks and trekked richly wooded valleys in search of creatures, such as the island fox, found nowhere else on earth. We’ve snorkeled kelp beds to see garibaldi (the bright-orange state fish), cruised through pods of several hundred dolphins, and glimpsed three humpback whales. And we’ve camped along an isolated beach, the waves lulling us to sleep with notions that the entire California coast used to be this way: wild, remote, utterly unspoiled—and ripe for kayak adventures.
Despite her initial trepidation, my daughter maintained her cool as we slipped beneath The Elephant. She kept the jagged walls at bay with her paddle, and I carefully guided us through the swell. As we breached daylight again on the other side of the arch, she whirled around with a grin of triumph and an idea: “Let’s go again!”
THE DETAILS
GETTING THERE – Channel Islands National Park (805-658-5730, ) is accessible only by boat or private plane. Island Packers (805-642-1393, ) runs ferries from Ventura Harbor on the mainland, where the park’s visitor center is located, to all five islands. Round-trip fares range from $37 per adult and $20 per child for Anacapa to $62 per adult and $45 per child for Santa Rosa. Service to Santa Rosa and San Miguel runs May to November.
LODGING – Camping is the only overnight accommodation in the Channel Islands. Campers must obtain a permit ($10 per night; 800-365-2267, ). Each island has seven to 40 campsites; backcountry beach camping is allowed on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.
OUTFITTERS – Aquasports (800-773-2309, ) offers single- and multi-day sea-kayaking trips along the Santa Cruz coast that include sea-cave exploration and hiking. Trips leave from Ventura Harbor; fees range from $189 for a day trip to $359 for a three-day trip with overnights at Scorpion Ranch, a camping area on the east side of Santa Cruz Island. Horizons West 国产吃瓜黑料s (562-799-3880, ) offers fly-in camping on Santa Rosa Island. Three-day trips cost $485 per person, including airfare, meals, and tents.
FOOD – Christy’s Deli (1559 Spinnaker Drive in Ventura Harbor, 805-642-3116) prepares box meals for trips to the islands. Groceries are available at the adjacent Village Market (805-644-2970).

California

Yosemite National Park

El Capitan and the Merced River

With its 360-degree views of the Tuolumne backcountry, the 10,940-foot summit of Cathedral Peak is the best place to fully appreciate the majesty of Yosemite National Park. There’s the granite spire of Eichorn Pinnacle, sapphire-blue Cathedral Lake, and—way off in the distance—the unmistakable bald pate of 8,842-foot Half Dome. Of course, getting there involves rock climbing up at least 22 pitches.
Just because you don’t climb now doesn’t mean you can’t learn. “People are surprised by how quickly they progress in our classes,” says Doug Kerr, who has been with the Yosemite Mountaineering School for 20 years. Keep expectations reasonable—there’s no way you’ll be leading your kids up Yosemite routes after a week. But clawing up a face while safely tied into an experienced guide’s belay line? No problem. (Kids should be, at minimum, a mature ten years old.)
Schedule your Yosemite climbing adventure for July or August, when the Yosemite Mountaineering School expands its operation from the crowded Valley (the park gets 3.5 million visitors annually) to the alpine meadows of Tuolumne. If your only experience with rock is through the speakers of a stereo, begin with the intro class; plan on a six-hour day of climbing instruction. You’ll be scaling heights up to 60 feet by day’s end. Even more fun, you’ll experience the rush of rappelling down.
Subsequent classes teach increasingly sophisticated techniques such as crack climbing, multipitch climbing, and self-rescue. Reserve some of your vacation fund to hire a guide from the school after you graduate—it’s the most expedient way to see parts of Yosemite that most people only dream about.
Pitch your tent at Tuolumne Meadows Campground, convenient to both the school and some of the West Coast’s most memorable backcountry hiking. Get the ground perspective of Cathedral Peak, one of John Muir’s favorite mountains: Just 3.5 miles from the campground at the Cathedral Lake Trailhead, there is a simple seven-mile out-and-back hike to stunning views at Upper Cathedral Lake.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Yosemite National Park (209-372-0200, ) maintains 304 campsites at Tuolumne Meadows, with flush toilets, drinking water, and a general store. Half the sites can be reserved in advance for $18 a night; call 800-436-7275.
OUTFITTER – Classes at Yosemite Mountaineering School (209-372-8344, ) average about $90 per person per day, including equipment (shoe rental is extra). Private guides start at $100 per person per six-hour session.

Maine

Acadia National Park

Acadia at dawn

ONE OF The nation’s tiniest national parks—a diminutive 35,500 acres, smaller than any Ted Turner ranch—Acadia National Park ranks second only to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the dubious distinction of most tourists per square foot: 81.7 annually. However, adventure in Acadia isn’t an oxymoron. The park’s humpbacked Porcupine Islands are one of the most coveted paddling spots on the planet: Hop in your sea kayak and lose the crowds (most of them, at least).
The Porcupines are a collection of four small islands in Frenchman Bay, off the larger Mount Desert Island, where much of Acadia proper is located. While Frenchman Bay can be calmer than the water in most bathtubs, there is lobster-boat traffic to contend with, and the weather here, even in summer, can change at the drop of a spray skirt. When it does, the winds pick up suddenly and the tides get muscular; there’s no choice but to find the quickest route possible back to port. These are reasons why a guide is a wise investment, especially for first-timers to Acadia. We threw in with David Legere, a gregarious and thickly accented Maine-iac who owns Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s. The outfit’s dock is right in downtown Bar Harbor, the little town on Mount Desert Island that is most convenient to the Porcupines.
You can easily see all four islands in one day. Burnt Porcupine and Bald Porcupine islands have the most dramatic features—steep ledges, pounding surf, bristling stands of thick spruce and fir. Getting to Burnt Porcupine, 1.25 miles offshore, involves an exposed open-water crossing with potential for extra-choppy seas and strong winds.
Acadia is silly with birds—273 species in all—and from the sound of it, most happily hang out on Long Porcupine. Look for peregrines, ospreys, blue herons, and guillemots. Sheep Porcupine Island hosts an active bald eagle nest—you may spot young eaglets poking out in early summer. In the water, keep an eye peeled for harbor seals and harbor porpoises.
No camping is allowed on the Porcupine Islands. So at day’s end, throw the boat on the car, drive 65 miles from Bar Harbor to the fishing town of Stonington, and hop the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. We like the lean-tos at Duck Harbor Campground, just off the south ferry landing. This 4,000-acre island is the perfect spot to bring your own craft for a second day of low-key island exploration.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Acadia National Park (207-288-3338, ) allows camping at Duck Harbor campground. The fee is $25 per campsite per night, and a permit is required; call the park or stop by park headquarters, three miles west of Bar Harbor.
OUTFITTER – Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s (207-288-0007) offers a two-and-a-half-hour paddle around Sheep Porcupine for $37 per person. Kids must be ten or older. Or David Legere will customize an Acadia sea tour for your family (price depends on number of hours).

Cr猫me de la Canada

Northern Exposure

Acadia at dawn

ONE OF The nation’s tiniest national parks—a diminutive 35,500 acres, smaller than any Ted Turner ranch—Acadia National Park ranks second only to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the dubious distinction of most tourists per square foot: 81.7 annually. However, adventure in Acadia isn’t an oxymoron. The park’s humpbacked Porcupine Islands are one of the most coveted paddling spots on the planet: Hop in your sea kayak and lose the crowds (most of them, at least).
The Porcupines are a collection of four small islands in Frenchman Bay, off the larger Mount Desert Island, where much of Acadia proper is located. While Frenchman Bay can be calmer than the water in most bathtubs, there is lobster-boat traffic to contend with, and the weather here, even in summer, can change at the drop of a spray skirt. When it does, the winds pick up suddenly and the tides get muscular; there’s no choice but to find the quickest route possible back to port. These are reasons why a guide is a wise investment, especially for first-timers to Acadia. We threw in with David Legere, a gregarious and thickly accented Maine-iac who owns Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s. The outfit’s dock is right in downtown Bar Harbor, the little town on Mount Desert Island that is most convenient to the Porcupines.
You can easily see all four islands in one day. Burnt Porcupine and Bald Porcupine islands have the most dramatic features—steep ledges, pounding surf, bristling stands of thick spruce and fir. Getting to Burnt Porcupine, 1.25 miles offshore, involves an exposed open-water crossing with potential for extra-choppy seas and strong winds.
Acadia is silly with birds—273 species in all—and from the sound of it, most happily hang out on Long Porcupine. Look for peregrines, ospreys, blue herons, and guillemots. Sheep Porcupine Island hosts an active bald eagle nest—you may spot young eaglets poking out in early summer. In the water, keep an eye peeled for harbor seals and harbor porpoises.
No camping is allowed on the Porcupine Islands. So at day’s end, throw the boat on the car, drive 65 miles from Bar Harbor to the fishing town of Stonington, and hop the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. We like the lean-tos at Duck Harbor Campground, just off the south ferry landing. This 4,000-acre island is the perfect spot to bring your own craft for a second day of low-key island exploration.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Acadia National Park (207-288-3338, ) allows camping at Duck Harbor campground. The fee is $25 per campsite per night, and a permit is required; call the park or stop by park headquarters, three miles west of Bar Harbor.
OUTFITTER – Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s (207-288-0007) offers a two-and-a-half-hour paddle around Sheep Porcupine for $37 per person. Kids must be ten or older. Or David Legere will customize an Acadia sea tour for your family (price depends on number of hours).

The Ultimate Classroom

Best Educational Parks

Acadia at dawn

ONE OF The nation’s tiniest national parks—a diminutive 35,500 acres, smaller than any Ted Turner ranch—Acadia National Park ranks second only to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the dubious distinction of most tourists per square foot: 81.7 annually. However, adventure in Acadia isn’t an oxymoron. The park’s humpbacked Porcupine Islands are one of the most coveted paddling spots on the planet: Hop in your sea kayak and lose the crowds (most of them, at least).
The Porcupines are a collection of four small islands in Frenchman Bay, off the larger Mount Desert Island, where much of Acadia proper is located. While Frenchman Bay can be calmer than the water in most bathtubs, there is lobster-boat traffic to contend with, and the weather here, even in summer, can change at the drop of a spray skirt. When it does, the winds pick up suddenly and the tides get muscular; there’s no choice but to find the quickest route possible back to port. These are reasons why a guide is a wise investment, especially for first-timers to Acadia. We threw in with David Legere, a gregarious and thickly accented Maine-iac who owns Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s. The outfit’s dock is right in downtown Bar Harbor, the little town on Mount Desert Island that is most convenient to the Porcupines.
You can easily see all four islands in one day. Burnt Porcupine and Bald Porcupine islands have the most dramatic features—steep ledges, pounding surf, bristling stands of thick spruce and fir. Getting to Burnt Porcupine, 1.25 miles offshore, involves an exposed open-water crossing with potential for extra-choppy seas and strong winds.
Acadia is silly with birds—273 species in all—and from the sound of it, most happily hang out on Long Porcupine. Look for peregrines, ospreys, blue herons, and guillemots. Sheep Porcupine Island hosts an active bald eagle nest—you may spot young eaglets poking out in early summer. In the water, keep an eye peeled for harbor seals and harbor porpoises.
No camping is allowed on the Porcupine Islands. So at day’s end, throw the boat on the car, drive 65 miles from Bar Harbor to the fishing town of Stonington, and hop the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. We like the lean-tos at Duck Harbor Campground, just off the south ferry landing. This 4,000-acre island is the perfect spot to bring your own craft for a second day of low-key island exploration.
THE DETAILS
LODGING – Acadia National Park (207-288-3338, ) allows camping at Duck Harbor campground. The fee is $25 per campsite per night, and a permit is required; call the park or stop by park headquarters, three miles west of Bar Harbor.
OUTFITTER – Aquaterra 国产吃瓜黑料s (207-288-0007) offers a two-and-a-half-hour paddle around Sheep Porcupine for $37 per person. Kids must be ten or older. Or David Legere will customize an Acadia sea tour for your family (price depends on number of hours).

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Best Surfing Waves

BATHSHEBA, BARBADOS: Soupbowl, a reef break with a powerful right on the island’s undeveloped east coast, has been hosting wintertime surfing competitions for 20 years, but thanks to an Atlantic exposure, good waves can be found year-round. The Soupbowl scene heats up in November, when the Independence Pro (celebrating Barbados’s 1966 break from Britain) draws surfers hoping for southwest winds and deep barrels. Kelly Slater won last year. For details, contact the Barbados Surfing Association (246-228-5117, ).

HALEIWA, OAHU, HAWAII: Its exposure to huge swells makes Oahu’s North Shore (a.k.a. the Seven Mile Miracle) the most epic surf magnet in the universe. Winter storms generate rolling monsters made famous at spots like Pipeline and Sunset Beach, but beginners can enjoy Chuns Reef and Puaena Point, where weaker currents and a softer bottom make for a gentler entr茅e to the sport. For lessons ($65 for a three-hour group lesson) and rentals ($24-$30 per day) contact the Surf-N-Sea shop (808-637-7873, ).
PUERTO ESCONDIDO, MEXICO: The “Mexican Pipeline” is a legendary beach break with left- and right-hand tubes at Zicatela Beach. In March, the Central Surf Longboard Invitational is held here, kicking off the summer season of big southern swells. If the Pipeline’s too gnarly for you, walk a bit farther south to La Punta, where you’ll often find an easier point breaking left—a slower, rounder learner’s wave. For classes, check in with the Central Surf Shop ($50 per two-hour lesson and $10-$12 for all-day board rentals; 011-52-954-582-2285, ).

Best Hipster Hangouts

JAKE’S JAMAICA: Eclectic Jake’s, part of the super-chic Island Outpost group (owned by Island Records’ Chris Blackwell), is an intimate jumble of adobe buildings脗鈥攁ccented by a thumping reggae soundtrack脗鈥攁top a south-coast cliff near Treasure Beach’s dark sands. Denizens of cool are many here脗鈥攜ou could bump into Bono in the mosaic-tiled saltwater pool if you’re not lazing about in Seapuss, Sweetlip, or one of the 11 other brightly painted gingerbread cottages done up with island paintings. Be sure to try Jake’s pumpkin soup at the restaurant (doubles from $95; 800-688-7678.

HOTEL DESEO, MEXICO: Pack the Gucci shades脗鈥攖his “hotel and lounge” on Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue places a heavy emphasis on the lounge part of the equation. Note the Euro-tinged accents wafting through the air as bronzed gods and goddesses sun away last night’s party on daybeds lining the upstairs deck. Grab a cerveza at the bar, then hop in the outdoor Jacuzzi. The 15 elegantly sparse guest rooms脗鈥攇rooviest on the Mayan Riviera脗鈥攆eature marble toilets and clawfoot tubs (doubles from $118; 011-52-984-879-3620, ).

LALUNA, GRENADA: Sixteen airy villas脗鈥攅ach with a Balinese four-poster bed and an expansive private deck that includes a plunge pool脗鈥攃over a hillside above Laluna’s secluded beach. Welcome to an Italian-owned and -designed enclave of fabulousness near Morne Rouge. When you’re not diving or kayaking, sample the fresh Mediterranean pasta in the beachside restaurant and keep an eye peeled for former megamodel Jerry Hall (doubles from $270; 473-439-0001, ).

Best Beaches

SECRET BEACH, KAUAI, HAWAII: At the base of 150-foot cliffs west of Kilauea, this two-mile stretch of gold-glowing sand draws its name from its remote location (and the presence of nude sunbathers). To get in on the Secret, you have to drive two miles west from Kilauea to Kalihiwai, go a half-mile down a muddy road to the trailhead, then walk five minutes on a rocky path. Once you’re there, you’ll want to comb the beach and lounge around, but it’s best not to swim: From October to May, swells can be quite large, and currents are always strong. The folks at Kayak Kauai are knowledgeable and can help with directions (800-437-3507, ).

SANDY CAY, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: This uninhabited 14-acre nirvana southeast of Jost Van Dyke can be reached only by boaters, namely yachties, but its crystalline waters and gleaming white sand make it well worth chartering a ride yourself. Daytrippers are welcome to anchor on the island, owned by Laurance Rockefeller, and bask on his beach or hike the 20 minutes it takes to circle Sandy Cay or venture up the trail through its interior. Call Caribbean Connection for charters (284-494-3623).
ST. JOSEPH PENINSULA STATE PARK, PORT ST. JOE, FLORIDA: Rated America’s best beach by Dr. Beach himself (Stephen Leatherman, a coastal geologist who assesses the health of the nation’s sandy stretches), the 2,516-acre park is bounded by St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, with 14 miles of coastline. Highlights include snowy sand dunes, wildlife (this is a primo spot for spotting hawks and monarch butterflies), and the bliss of seeing nary another soul (campsites, $15 per night; 800-326-3521 for reservations, 850-227-1327 for information).

Best Eco-Lodges

LODGE AT PICO BONITO, HONDURAS: The 8,000-foot peak of Pico Bonito sets the backdrop for this 200-acre nature resort close to the Caribbean coast, where 21 cabins (constructed from hurricane-felled timber) are tucked among a grove of cacao and coffee trees. A poolside bar serves fresh grapefruit juice straight from the orchards on the property, while a restaurant with an outdoor patio offers Meso-American cuisine. Pico Bonito National Park is next door, and the Class II-IV Cangrejal River flows nearby. For a less frothy adventure, paddle a canoe through the mangroves of Cuero y Salado Park, near La Ceiba. Watch for 275 species of birds, including the long-tailed manakin, as well as jaguars, kinkajous, and monkeys (doubles from $155; 888-428-0221, ).

EXOTICA, DOMINICA: The lodge’s eight wooden cottages overlooking the sea on the slopes of 3,683-foot Morne Anglais have a genuine eco-pedigree—they’re run by the president of the Caribbean Conservation Society, Athie Martin. The units have tropical-hardwood verandas, pine-paneled living rooms, and fully equipped kitchens with gas stoves and solar-heated water. Guests can prepare their own meals with fresh-picked produce from an adjoining organic farm or dine at the lodge’s caf茅. Aside from soaking in the get-back-to-the-land vibe, there are diversions: Wander old hunting trails through forests looking for bananaquit birds, hike an hour up to Middleham Falls near Cochrane, or go play in the sea (doubles from $140; 767-448-8839, ).

HOTELITO DESCONOCIDO, MEXICO: Here’s proof that a stay at an eco-resort doesn’t have to be an exercise in austerity. Sixty miles south of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast, Desconocido is as plush as environmentally oriented accommodations come: Think Mexican fishing village meets luxury safari camp. Palafitos (wood-floored bungalows with palapa roofs) are set up on stilts around a stunning lagoon and a 100-acre beach reserve where sea turtles nest from June to January. Use the lodge’s equipment to windsurf, or take a horseback ride along the beach, then head back to one of the 30 rustic-chic guest rooms, which feature canopied beds, open-air showers, and embroidered linens—but no electricity. Solar energy powers the resort, and countless candles provide soft lighting (doubles from $215; 800-851-1143, ).

TIAMO RESORTS, SOUTH ANDROS, BAHAMAS: Sea kayaking, sailing, diving, snorkeling, and a quiet beach are all a coconut’s throw away from Tiamo’s lodge and eight bungalows on stilts with views over South Bight’s teal waters. The resort is supremely eco-friendly—it’s solar-powered and uses composting toilets; guests are asked to pack out their plastic goods for recycling. Bring your fly rods—bonefish are abundant in the flats right out the front door. Afterward, head to the main lodge for Chef Jared’s seared tuna with red-pepper-and-mango sauce (doubles from $205; 800-201-4356, ).

KANANTIK, BELIZE: Situated on 300 private acres (with an airstrip) in southern Belize, Kanantik Reef and Jungle Resort redefines “isolated”: The only neighbors are the jaguars and toucans that haunt the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, four miles south, and the whale sharks that migrate offshore. Ancient Mayan building traditions have been updated to 21st-century cush in the 25 spacious caba帽as that line the palm-fringed beach, where you can launch a sea kayak. You can also dive, fish for bill- and bonefish, sail one of the resort’s Hobie Cats, or tour the temples at Xunantunich ruins, near the Guatemalan border. Refuel with the restaurant’s Creole-Mediterranean fare (doubles from $265; 800-965-9689, ).

Best Dive Destinations

Into the Caribbean’s clear blue wonders

DRIFT DIVING LITTLE CAYMAN’S BLOODY BAY WALL MARINE PARK: Bloody Bay is a notch every diver wants to carve into his or her weight belt, with good reason—gliding over the edge of a mile-deep vertical drop as the wall disappears into the depths of the Caribbean Sea is an unbeatable thrill. Orange and brown sponges jut from all directions, and sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and groupers swim about. Three-night packages, including lodging, meals, and diving, start at $645 at the clubby Little Cayman Beach Resort (800-327-3835, ).

VIEWING WHALE SHARKS OFF UTILA, HONDURAS: Your best bet for encountering 25- to 40-foot whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea (don’t worry, they eat plankton, not humans), is to sign up with Princeton, N.J.-based Shark Research Institute. During a weeklong visit at their field station at Utila Lodge, on one of the Bay Islands off Honduras in the Caribbean Sea, you’ll learn how to find the mammoth spotted creatures, dive with them, and help researchers with population studies. Seven-night packages, including lodging, meals, and diving, cost $1,150 per person (609-921-3522, ).

DIVING THE SHORES OF BONAIRE: The shore-diving capital of the world has outstanding dive sites just duck walks from the beach. (Salt and Old Town piers are favorite spots.) The strictly regulated Bonaire Marine Park surrounds the island—a 111-square-mile Dutch outpost off the Venezuelan coast—and protects its coral, sea turtles, and fish. Buddy Dive Resort (866-462-8339, ) offers eight-day, seven-night packages, including rental car and six days of unlimited air fills, starting at $965 per person.

DIVING PINNACLES IN SABA MARINE PARK: Saba—a five-square-mile mountainous outcrop in the Netherlands Antilles—is legendary for its underwater pinnacles and seamounts, including Third Encounter and Twilight Zone. Covered in red and orange fans and sponges, they rise from the floor of the Caribbean Sea to within 85 feet of the surface, and are frequented by six varieties of shark. Sea Saba Advanced Dive Center (800-883-7222, ) offers three-day, six-dive packages starting at $399 per person at the eco-funky El Momo Cottages.

Best Archaeological Sites

TIKAL NATIONAL PARK, GUATEMALA: The overused term “lost world” finally feels appropriate when you first glimpse the Mayan ruins of Tikal, once a thriving metropolis of 100,000 people that peaked around a.d. 700. Temple IV, Great Plaza, and South Acropolis, the major ruins in this 143-square-mile park in northern Guatemala, poke out of a mist-shrouded canopy, while toucans flutter, monkeys chatter, and coatimundis cross your path. Visit when the park opens at dawn—trails of vapor rise from the ruins like departing spirits. You’ll find the rustic, backpacker-friendly Jaguar Inn (doubles, $48; 011-502-926-0002, ) near the entrance to the park.

FORT JEFFERSON, DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK, FLORIDA: The seven islands that make up the Dry Tortugas National Park—70 miles west of Key West—were discovered by Europeans in 1513, when Ponce de L茅on arrived and named them after the sea turtles that fed his sailors. The islands are still known for their marine life, but the ruins of Fort Jefferson, on 16-acre Garden Cay, are the main attraction. Construction on the red-brick fort began in 1846 but was never completed. Reach Garden Cay by seaplane ($179 per person round-trip; Sea Planes of Key West, 800-950-2359, ) or boat ($109 per person; Yankee Fleet, 800-634-0939, ). As you approach it, the six-sided, three-story fort hovers over the Atlantic like a mirage. In 2003, camping will be available on the beach ($3 per person; 305-242-7700, ).
RIVER OF RUINS TRIP THROUGH MEXICO AND GUATEMALA: This Indiana Jones-style river tour of Mayan ruins begins in Palenque, Mexico. You’ll fly to Tikal National Park in Guatemala, and then ride back to Mexico by river on 20- to 80-foot plank boats called lanchas. During your cruise along the Pasion, Petexbatun, and Usumacinta rivers, you’ll frequent 1,500-year-old sites like Aguateca and Yaxchilan, accessible only by hiking. A ten-day trip with Ceiba 国产吃瓜黑料s (800-217-1060, ) costs $2,550 per person.

Best Fishing

Walk this way: stepping into Cuba’s Cayo Largo

BONEFISH脗鈥擫A TORTUGA IN JARDINES DE LA REINA, CUBA: Combine live-aboard and lodge fishing in these pristine flats 40 miles off the island’s southwest coast. A lack of commercial fishing and a dearth of people mean you can cast a fly into waters few others have ever fished. Avalon Fishing and Diving Center is based at a floating lodge脗鈥攖hree large boats with 17 cabins脗鈥攁nd uses a fleet of skiffs for fishing. Expert Cuban guides pole you through shallow water around cays as you cast for the elusive fork-tailed torpedoes. Eight-day trips cost $2,400 (011-39-335-814-9111, ).

TARPON脗鈥擱脙O COLORADO, COSTA RICA: With howler monkeys screeching at you from the trees onshore while a 100-pound tarpon hurls itself out of the R脙颅o Colorado at the end of your line, it’s hard to imagine a more intense fishing spot than here in northeastern Costa Rica. But just keep concentrating and you’ll be reeling in tarpon aplenty at this spawning ground where the river meets the Caribbean Sea. Base yourself at Archie Field’s R脙颅o Colorado Lodge, which offers 18 plain but comfortable rooms on stilts, right on the riverbanks ($380 per person per day, including guides, meals, and boat; 800-243-9777, ).

PERMIT脗鈥擜SCENSI脙鈥淣 BAY, MEXICO: In the heart of the Yucat脙隆n’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a 1,304,688-acre UNESCO World Heritage site, this massive expanse of saltwater flats is one of the world’s best places to catch a permit on a fly. Your odds of hooking a bonefish or a tarpon are pretty good, too脗鈥擜scensi脙鲁n Bay is often called the Grand Slam Capital of the fishing world. Most anglers situate themselves in or near the tiny fishing village of Punta Allen; the best place to stay is a four-bedroom guest house, SeaClusion Villa, five miles from town ($2,500 a week, per person, including transport from Canc脙潞n; 888-829-9420, ).

Best (Affordable) Beachfront Resorts

HOTEL HANA-MAUI, MAUI, HAWAII: When you get a load of the sea crashing practically right into this place, you won’t be surprised that scenes from Fantasy Island were shot on the 66-acre grounds. Sure, there’s tennis on site, hiking in Haleakala National Park, cycling along the winding coastal roads, and snorkeling nearby at Hamoa Beach, but after soaking in the stars and the ocean views from the hot tub on your room’s huge deck, you won’t feel like doing much else. The resort’s 47 plantation-style cottages, all with ocean views (and surrounded by a 4,500-acre ranch), are situated near the little town of Hana on Maui’s east coast. A main dining room, with streamers dangling from the ceiling to diffuse light, serves scrumptious meals with local produce (doubles from $275; 800-321-4262, ).

NUEVA VIDA, MEXICO: This tiny resort’s Swiss Family Robinson-style rooms, with mucho wood and palm thatch, are housed in bungalows built ten feet off the ground to maximize the sultry ocean breezes and gorgeous ocean views. What to do? Tulum’s sweep of white-sand beach and one of the Yucat脙隆n’s most dramatic clusters of Mayan ruins are right outside your door (you can also explore the nearby ruins of Cob脙隆 and Chich脙漏n Itz脙隆)脗鈥攐r let the hotel’s massage therapist noodle you silly. Leave the blow-dryer at home: The sun and wind power the lights and aren’t up to the task of drying your hair (doubles from $65; 011-52-984-877-8512, ).

EDEN ROCK, ST. BART’S: If you want a whiff of Saint-Tropez in the Caribbean, try this red-roofed resort, which crowns a rocky promontory jutting into Baie de St. Jean. You’re more likely to see guests wearing Prada than Patagonia脗鈥攎ost of the 16 rooms cost at least $600 per night脗鈥攂ut the common denominator is a love for the luxe beaches that stretch out below the hotel. The trick: Reserve the Captain’s Cabin at about half the cost of a room. When you tire of snorkeling around the reef surrounding Eden Rock, you can gorge on French cuisine, pamper yourself in the spa, sip fruity cocktails in the beach bar, or laze on the topless beach (cabin rental is $375 per night from January to April and less during the summer and fall; 877-563-7105, ).

WINDMILLS PLANTATION, SALT CAY, TURKS AND CAICOS: On laid-back Salt Cay, you’re in the company of wild donkeys, windmills, and migrating humpback whales; the perfect place to slow yourself down is this eight-room, plantation-style hotel overlooking a 2.5-mile stretch of beach. The hotel has a saltwater pool and snorkeling off the beach; divers can explore the coral walls and the Endymion, an 18th-century wreck, with Salt Cay Divers. At day’s end, repair to rooms whose colorful walls and dark wooden antiques from colonial-era plantations take you back to the days when those donkeys hauled salt from mines to ships bound for distant ports (doubles from $325; 800-822-7715, ).

Best Hikes

PICO DUARTE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Hike from steamy jungle to cool forest on this strenuous 29-mile trek to the top of the Caribbean’s highest peak, Pico Duarte (10,128 feet). Traverse Parque Nacional Armando Berm煤dez, which typically sees fewer than 200 tourists a year, and listen to your guide spin stories around the campfire. On the trail, look out for wild boar and the rare Hispaniola parrot. Iguana Mama’s three-day trip costs $450 (809-571-0908, ).

PARQUE NACIONAL DARI脡N, PANAMA: This 1.2-million-acre UNESCO World Heritage site, stretching almost the entire length of the Colombian border, is home to 6,000-foot mountains, Ember谩 Indians, and 450 species of birds, like macaws and the green-naped tanager. Fly into a renovated gold mining camp (sleeps eight) at Cana, a valley in the Pirre Mountains, for day hikes. The five-mile Pirre Mountain Trail climbs 1,000 feet to a cloudforest camp; the two-day Boca de Cupe Trail is the only way out of the park by land. Ancon Expeditions offers a 14-day Dari茅n Explorer Trek ($2,495; 011-507-269-9415, ).
PU’U KUKUI, MAUI, HAWAII: Each year, 5,788-foot Pu’u Kukui Mountain receives buckets of rain (about 30 feet), but few visitors (about 12). The 8,661-acre nature preserve is owned by the Maui Land and Pineapple Company, which one day a year, in August, helicopters up a dozen hikers (at $1,000 bucks a pop!) for a three-mile tour and lunch, led by the Kapalua Nature Society. The cloudforest hides 12 of Hawaii’s 150 indigenous plant communities and the nearly extinct i’iwi bird. Contact Kapalua Nature Society (800-527-2582, ).

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ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

The Narrows in Zion National Park

Moab, Utah / 76,519 acres
Your best (and perhaps only) bet for solitude in this popular park: Get up at dawn and HIKE the six-mile Devil’s Garden loop trail over slickrock and sagebrush scrub—and past five of the park’s namesake sandstone arches—to see 306-foot-tall Landscape Arch illuminated at sunrise.
435-719-299,

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Interior, South Dakota / 242,756 acres
Make the Sage Creek Campground in the west end of the park your base for DAY HIKES in the trailless, 64,000-acre Sage Creek Wilderness Area—the park system’s largest mixed-grassland prairie, filled with pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and bison.
605-433-5361,
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
Big Bend, Texas / 801,163 acres
The ten miles of prickly-pear-and-cholla-cactus-lined trails atop Mesa de Anguila, in the park’s rugged western reaches, are a BACKPACKER’S DREAM—challenging and remote. Unless you’re a rattlesnake, avoid the scorching summer sun.
915-477-2251,

BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK
Homestead, Florida / 172,924 acres
DIVE or SNORKEL the 85-degree waters off quiet Shark Reef in the southeastern corner of this marine playground (the park is 95 percent water), and you’ll spot corals, Kool-Aid-colored parrot fish, and the occasional harmless nurse shark.
305-230-1144,

BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK
Montrose, Colorado / 29,927 acres
CROSS COUNTRY-SKI the six-mile South Rim Road from Gunnison Point to High Point Overlook (it’s closed to traffic December-March) for dizzying views of the 2,000-foot-deep, marblelike gneiss canyon—but none of the RVers that swarm the park each summer.
970-641-2337,

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Bryce Canyon, Utah / 35,835 acres
Gawk at the multicolored sandstone spires and pinnacles towering up to 150 feet from the seldom-traveled Riggs Spring Loop, a nine-mile HIKING trail from Yovimpa Point, over sun-bleached plateaus, and through a Ponderosa pine forest, to Rainbow Point.
435-834-5322,

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Torrey, Utah / 241,904 acres
You’ll MOUNTAIN BIKE past sandstone monoliths and high-desert prairie grasses on the Cathedral Valley Loop, a challenging, 60-mile network of jeep trails in the park’s northern end. Be prepared to share the road with 4WD vehicles and other experienced cyclists, though it’s doubtful you’ll see many of either.
435-425-3791,

CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK
Carlsbad, New Mexico/ 46,766 acres
Want to get your belly dirty? Venture beyond the Big Room and snag a spot on the Sunday-afternoon ranger-guided SPELUNKING tour of Spider Cave, a three-mile-long maze of wormlike helictites, giant blue-green stalactites, and ver-r-ry tight squeezes.
505-785-2232,
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Ventura, California / 249,561 acres
Paddle a SEA KAYAK through 80-by-40-foot Painted Cave on the north shore of Santa Cruz, the largest of the five wildlife-rich Channel Islands, and quietly shine your headlamp on multicolored rock formations, lichens, and algae while sea lions bark in the shadows.
805-658-5730,

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Crater Lake, Oregon / 183,224 acres
HIKE the Pacific Crest Trail and steep Union Peak Trail 12 miles round-trip to the summit of Union Peak, at 7,709 feet one of the highest points in the park, to find sweeping vistas of the crater rim and Southern Cascades—and a fraction of the foot traffic you’d encounter on neighboring Mount Scott.
541-594-3000,

CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Brecksville, Ohio / 32,859 acres
A HIKE on the gently sloping eight-mile stretch of Ohio’s 1,200-mile Buckeye Trail from the Station Road Bridge to the Cuyahoga River is about as strenuous as it gets in the state’s only national park, established in the fall of 2000. Catch peak foliage in mid-October.
216-524-1497,

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Death Valley, California / 3.3 million acres
Bring a full CamelBak when you MOUNTAIN BIKE the 26-mile end-to-end Titus Canyon jeep road through the northeast corner of this arid park. After two 5,000-foot climbs in the Grapevine Mountains, things flatten out in The Narrows canyon. The temps are coolest from November to April.
760-786-2331,

DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Denali Park, Alaska / 6.1 million acres
Explore some of the most remote glaciers in Denali on a six-day basic MOUNTAINEERING course with the Alaska Mountaineering School (from $1,350 per person; 907-733-1016, ). You’ll cover route finding, ice climbing, and crevasse rescue.
907-683-2294,

DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK
Key West, Florida / 64,701 acres
Load a KAYAK and your binoculars onto the ferry from Key West. You’ll spot nesting sooty terns and soaring frigate birds, but very few other paddlers, as you explore this remote cluster of palm-covered keys and shallow reefs some 240 miles southwest of Miami.
305-242-7700,

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
Homestead, Florida / 1.5 million acres
Spend seven to ten days CANOEING or KAYAKING the mangrove-lined, 99-mile Wilderness Waterway, which winds north-south through southern Florida’s marshlands and is filled with gators, snowy and great egrets, and manatees. Hate skeeters? Go in January or February.
305-242-7700,

GATES OF THE ARCTIC NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE
Bettles, Alaska / 8.5 million acres
Fly from Bettles to Circle Lake, in the park’s southwestern corner, and spend a week BACKPACKING (and bushwhacking) among the granite spires of the isolated, 7,000-foot Arrigetch Peaks. Backcountry navigation skills are a must.
907-457-5752,
GLACIER BAY NATIONAL AND PRESERVE
Gustavus, Alaska / 3.3 million acres
The only sounds you’ll hear as you sea kayak among 5,000-foot peaks in the fjords of icy Muir Inlet are lapping waves, barking sea lions, and the occasional crash of ice calving off the Riggs and McBride Glaciers. Go June through mid-July, when the northern end of the Inlet is closed to motorboats.
907-697-2232,

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Grand Canyon, Arizona / 1.2 million acres
Hone your backcountry skills on one of 50-plus educational trips offered March-November by the Grand Canyon Field Institute (). Try the eight-day North Bass to Modred Abyss trip and you’ll backpack and canyoneer some of the toughest terrain in the park.
928-638-7888,

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Moose, Wyoming / 309,995 acres
CLIMB ten-pitch, 5.7-rated Serendipity Arete on 12,928-foot Mount Owen and get jaw-dropping views of the Grand Teton’s southwest face. Bonus: The full-day hike in to Valhalla Canyon keeps the rock-monkey masses at bay.
307-739-3300,

GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK
Baker, Nevada / 77,180 acres
Spend two days BACKPACKING the glacier-carved highlands. From Baker Creek Trail, head south across the isolated ridgelines of Mount Washington (11,676 feet) and Lincoln Peak (11,597 feet), then into Decathon Canyon. You’ll need good navigation skills—there are few trails—and enough sense to take cover during storms.
775-234-7331,

GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Salt Flat, Texas / 86,416 acres
HIKE the steep (you gain 3,000 feet), rugged Guadalupe Peak Trail to the highest point in Texas—8,749-foot Guadalupe Peak—for hundred-mile views of the West Texas canyonlands. It’s an eight-mile round-trip. Go in April and May, when the cacti are in bloom.
915-828-3251,

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK
Makawao, Hawaii / 29,830 acres
The two-day, 18.4-mile end-to-end HIKE on the Sliding Sands and Kaupo Gap Trails takes you from the barren Haleakala summit, at 6,380 feet, through four wildly different ecosystems to the verdant oceanside hamlet of Kaupo (elevation 240 feet) outside the park. Hard on the knees—but worth it.
808-572-4400,

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Volcano village, Hawaii / 209,695 acres
HIKE across hardened mounds of black lava and through forests of tree ferns and koa on the Napau Trail—with views of the Pacific below and Mauna Loa above. Camp at Napau Crater under the glow of Puu Oo, an active, dangerous cinder-and-spatter cone. It’s a seven-mile hike, one-way.
808-985-6000,

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK
Hot Springs, Arkansas / 5,500 acres
Yellowstone it ain’t—44 of the park’s 47 thermal springs have been channeled into reservoirs that feed turn-of-the-century bathhouses. Take the requisite SOAK, then hightail it ten miles to the top of 1,405-foot Music Mountain via the Sunset Trail.
501-624-2701,
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Twentynine Palms, California / 1.02 MILLION acres
With dozens of granite buttresses and two hulking domes, the Comic Book area, 600 yards west of the Barker Dam turnoff, offers plenty of CLIMBING routes, from Welcome to Joshua Tree, a two-pitch 5.10c with a view, to Alice in Wonderjam, a splitter 5.9 crack. And there’s no waiting in line.
760-367-5500,

KATMANI NATIONAL PARK PRESERVE
King Salmon, Alaska / 4.1 million acres
You don’t book a cabin at Kulik Lodge, on the shores of 51-square-mile Nonvianuk Lake, to be pampered. You come to ANGLE for 45-pound king salmon (July) and ten-pound rainbows (September). For reservations, call Katmailand Inc. (800-544-0551).
907-246-3305,

KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
Seward, Alaska / 669,983 acres
KAYAK with harbor seals and orcas, or fish for monster halibut if you dare (they grow up to 400 pounds) on the glassy waters of Nuka Bay, a 45-minute flight southwest from Seward. Reserve the area’s primitive, lone cabin, on the North Arm.
907-224-3175,

KOBUK VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Kotzebue, Alaska / 1.8 million acres
The hundred-foot-tall Great Kobuk Sand Dunes offer bird’s-eye views of migrating caribou in August and September. Reach them on an 80-mile, ten-day RAFT or CANOE trip down the Class II Kobuk River from the native village of Ambler.
907-442-3890,

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK
Mineral, California / 106,372 acres
An easy, 4.4-mile round-trip HIKE on the Devil’s Kitchen Trail takes you past the weird geothermal features Lassen is known for—cinder cones, hissing fumeroles, and boiling mud pots—without the crowds you’ll find on the Bumpass Hell Trail.
530-595-4444,

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky /52,830 acres
Skip the too-tame subterranean walking tour. Instead, rent a CANOE and CAST for crappie and black bass on the Class I Green River, 26 miles of which flow through the beech- and hickory-shaded park. Camp on small islands and sandbars along the way.
270-758-2328,

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Mesa Verde, Colorado / 52,122 acres
Most tourists stick to the paved walkways. You, of course, hit the dirt. HIKE the rarely traveled Petroglyph Point Trail, a 2.8-mile out-and-back starting at the Spruce Tree House, and you’ll stand eye-to-eye with dozens of 900-year-old Anasazi petroglyphs.
970-529-4465,

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
Ashford, Washington / 235,625 acres
Summit 14,410-foot Rainier via the pristine, little-traveled Tahoma Glacier route on the mountain’s southwestern slope. Grade II-III MOUNTAINEERING skills are required; the technically challenged can stop just below 11,000 feet at St. Andrews Rock, from which, on a clear day, you can see Seattle.
360-569-2211,
NATIONAL PARK OF AMERICAN SAMOA
Pago Pago, American Samoa / 9,000 acres
Camping is not permitted in this lush South Pacific wilderness. But the park’s homestay program lets you sleep in a fale, an open-air thatch-roofed hut, with a native Samoan family, who’ll teach you to weave palm baskets and fans—or just show you the best spots for DIVING and SNORKELING.
011-684-633-7082,

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK
Sedro-Woolley, Washington / 504,781 acres
Your reward for hauling your MOUNTAIN BIKE on the ferry for the 50-mile trip up Lake Chelan to the Purple Point Visitors Center: a stunningly beautiful ride past gorges and glacier-fed waterfalls on the gravel Stehekin Valley Road (23 miles one-way). Stay at one of several primitive campsites along the route.
360-856-5700,

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Petrified Forest, Arizona / 93,533 acres
No trails, no tourists—just you, your backpack, and miles of psychedelic wilderness. The red-, purple-, and white-banded spires and stonelike, sculpted trees in the 45,000-acre Northern Wilderness Area are a six-mile HIKE from the Kachina Point parking lot.
928-524-6228,

REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK
Crescent City, California / 112,613 acres
There’s no gnarly singletrack—this is a national park—but you’ll get off the busy paved hiking trails and see groves of 300-foot-tall, thousand-year-old redwoods when you PEDAL the 11.5-mile Holter Ridge Trail, an old logging road that switchbacks along the park’s eastern boundary.
707-464-6101,

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
Tucson, Arizona / 91,445 acres
It’s just outside Tucson’s urban sprawl, but few city dwellers HIKE the 16.5-mile Tanque Verde Ridge Trail, which rises 5,600 feet from the desert floor (home to 20-foot-tall saguaros) to the cooler, wetter Rincon Mountains.
520-733-5153,

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS
Three Rivers, California / 864,411 acres combined
Sign on for a six-day HORSEPACKING trip with Horse Corral Pack Station (from $195 per day; 559-565-3404) and you’ll trot through craggy Cloud and Deadman Canyons and camp near the trout-filled Roaring River.
559-565-3135 (Sequoia), 559-565-4307 (Kings Canyon),

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK
Luray, Virginia / 199,016 acres
Lose the auto-tour crowd at mile 25.3 on Skyline Drive to HIKE a 12-mile loop through rolling hardwood forests on the connecting Thornton River, Hull School, Piney Branch, and Appalachian Trails. Afterward, slurp a wild mountain blackberry shake in nearby Elkwallow.
540-999-3500,

VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK
International Falls, Minnesota / 218,200 acres
Pitch your tent at the primitive Cruiser Lake Campsite, far from the motorboats and floatplanes that plague most of this North Woods park’s 30 glacier-carved lakes. Borrow an on-site CANOE, CAST for three-pound lake trout, and listen for loons.
218-283-9821,
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK
Hot Springs, South Dakota / 28,295 acres
Squeeze into ten-inch passages and check out Wind Cave’s famous boxwork—a rare, honeycomb calcite formation that makes geologists giddy—on the guided, four-hour Wild Cave Tour. Basic SPELUNKING experience is recommended.
605-745-4600,

WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL AND PRESERVE
Copper Center, Alaska / 13.2 million acres
See the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias—tumbling tidewater glaciers, spruce forests, and jagged coastal mountains—on a 13-day, 200-mile RAFT trip on the Class II Copper River in July or August with St. Elias Alpine Guides (from $2,800 per person; 888-933-5427).
907-822-5234,

ZION NATIONAL PARK
Springdale, Utah / 146,592 acres
Slither through three-foot-wide slot canyons and rappel down 12- to 20-foot ledges in the 12-mile-long Orderville Canyon (accessed from the North Fork Road, outside the park’s east entrance). Basic canyoneering skills and neoprene socks are essential.
435-772-3256,

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