It turns out that the U.S. national parks are more popular than ever.

The National Park Service (NPS) this week revealed that a record-breaking number of visitors toured its sites in 2024. According to the agency’s , the 404 out of the 433 NPS sites that that report data鈥攊ncluding all 63 national parks鈥攕aw 331,863,858 individual visits last year.

That’s 6.36 million more visits than in 2023 and approximately one million more than the previous record, which was set in 2016 when the park service recorded 330,971,689 visits.

The report went up on the NPS website on Wednesday, March 5; however, the data was not distributed to media in a press release as in previous years. On Thursday, March 6, The听 that the NPS asked staff in an internal memo not to push the information via a release or social media to the public.

国产吃瓜黑料 reached out to the NPS for comment but did not hear back by the time this story was published.

Buried within the report are a handful of compelling takeaways: NPS sites experienced major visitation upticks in March and June compared to the five-year average, while visitation during the remaining months was consistent with that of previous years.

NPS sites also saw an increase in overnight stays鈥攖his includes camping and nights spent at concession-operated lodges and hotels鈥攋umping 2.6 percent from 2023. Overnight stays at lodges increased 11.7 percent from 2023 numbers.

According to the data, 28 of the 404 parks set records for visitation鈥攂ut some of the most popular U.S. National Parks did not. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which historically sees more visits than any national park, saw a slight downturn in visits: 12.1 million in 2024 compared to 13.2 million in 2023. The Grand Canyon attracted 4.9 million visits鈥攗p from 2023 numbers鈥攂ut far short of its 2018 record of 6.3 million. Yellowstone National Park recorded its second busiest year, with 4.7 million visits, and Yosemite National Park its fifth busiest听with 4.1 million visits.

Instead, a handful of the NPS-managed National Recreation Areas and National Historic Sites experienced surges in visitation. Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California recorded 17.1 million visits, topping the previous record of 15.6 million in 2022. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. also experienced a record year, with 8.4 million visits. Gateway Arch National Recreation Area in Missouri also broke records with 8.4 million visitors.

The news comes as the NPS is weathering a staffing crisis after losing approximately ten percent of its workforce since the start of the year. On February 14, the NPS fired 1,000 employees with probationary status鈥攁 designation given to all workers in their first 12 months of employment. An additional 700 NPS workers reportedly took early retirement buyouts, further weakening the agency’s staff size.

The cuts are part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to shrink federal spending.

鈥淭he National Park Service just reported the highest visitation in its history, as the administration conducts massive firings and threatens to close visitor centers and public safety facilities,” said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) in a press release.

On Thursday, March 6 the NPCA, a nonpartisan group that advocates for the parks, operated by the NPS. The collection includes visitor centers, rescue facilities, and offices of law enforcement.

Brengel said the information was released by the House Natural Resources Committee on Friday, February 28.

Included in the list of canceled leases are nine visitor centers and contact stations:

• Morris Thompson visitor center in Fairbanks Alaska
• Little River Canyon center in Center, Alabama
• New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park center in Louisiana
• Mississippi National River center in St. Paul, Minnesota
• Niobrara National Scenic River center in Valentine, Nebraska
• Salinas Pueblo Mission center in Mountainair, New Mexico
• Missouri National Recreation River center in Yankton, South Dakota
• Klondike Gold Rush center in Seattle, Washington.

鈥淎s peak travel season arrives, park visitors will have to contend with closed visitor centers and campgrounds, canceled ranger programs, and less search and rescue staff,” Brengel said in a release. “If building leases are cancelled, it will make these problems worse.”

The post America鈥檚 National Parks Set a Visitation Record in 2024 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Alex Wild, 35, has been a park ranger for 15 years, working seasonal National Park Service positions for five of the last six years. Then, in 2024, Wild landed his dream job as an interpretive ranger at California鈥檚 Devil鈥檚 Postpile National Monument. He was still within the 12-month probationary period that all NPS workers undergo when they start a new position when the Trump Administration began slashing NPS jobs on February 14. Like thousands of other federal workers, Wild was told that afternoon that he鈥檇 been let go.

鈥淚 was the one who interacted with the park鈥檚 visitors, who handed out the badges for the Junior Ranger program, who coordinated visits from churches and other community groups,鈥� Wild told 国产吃瓜黑料. He was also the park鈥檚 only EMT, and the first responder for emergencies, assisting in multiple incidents every week.

Like many cut NPS staffers, Wild to express his sadness. 鈥淢y heart is broken for all of the other people who lost their jobs and their housing,鈥� he wrote on Instagram. 鈥淢y heart is broken for the parks and landscapes that will be damaged. And my heart is broken for my country.鈥�

Wild is one of an estimated 5,000 employees working for public lands who have lost their jobs since February 14. About 1,000 of these were with the National Park Service鈥攁nother reportedly took buyouts and went into early retirement. The rest were with the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

 

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In the days since the massive layoffs, media outlets and the public have sought to understand how these cuts will impact specific National Parks. After all, the busy spring and summer travel seasons are on the horizon, and in just a few weeks millions of Americans will descend on America鈥檚 parklands and campgrounds for their vacations.

Most NPS site have yet to publish details on which jobs have been lost amid the culling, and the NPS’s national office has not distributed a list of fired employees.听国产吃瓜黑料 reached out to the NPS national office to inquire about specific jobs that were terminated, but the agency didn’t respond. 听鈥淭he National Park Service is hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management. We are focused on ensuring that every visitor has the chance to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of our national parks,鈥� read a statement released by the NPS on February 27.

Instead, the public has pieced together information via , , and crowdsourced information. This lack of details has caused headaches with the non-profit groups that work with the NPS and other agencies to assist with trail projects and fundraising.

鈥淭here hasn鈥檛 been any transparency from the administration about the layoffs or deferred resignations. The public is in the dark,鈥� said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of governmental affairs for the National Park Conservation Association. 鈥淭hankfully, many park rangers and staff who were laid off are speaking out and we are learning more about the positions lost. It should concern the public that maintenance technicians, wildlife biologists, interpreters, archeologists, ecologists who test water safety, fishery biologists, and EMTs were fired.鈥�

Amid the lack of information, social media posts like the one Wild published have helped media outlets and the general public get a sense of just how sweeping and damaging the cuts have been to the agency. This month, a non-profit group called the (ANPR) has shared crowdsourced information about how many layoffs have occurred at each park. The information was compiled by a seasonal ranger who has asked to remain anonymous. The ranger has maintained a detailed spreadsheet with the number of jobs lost at all 433 NPS sites, including the 63 national parks.

Bill Wade, the executive director of the ANPR, called the list “unofficial,” but said that the information has come from reliable sources.

“These numbers come from existing employees at national parks, or from friends groups that know what is going on at the park,” he told 国产吃瓜黑料.听Wade said that social media posts like the one Wild published have also helped his group tally the layoffs.

As of Friday, February 28, the group had charted 759 firings. 国产吃瓜黑料 was able to view the spreadsheet, and see how the layoffs impacted each national park. According to the ANPR鈥檚 data, these are the number of employees lost at each park:

• Acadia National Park: 8
• Arches National Park: 3
• Badlands National Park: 1
• Big Bend National Park: 5
• Biscayne National Park: 3
• Blue Ridge Parkway: 1
• Bryce Canyon National Park: 2
• Capitol Reef National Park: 1
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park: 14
• Channel Islands National Park: 6
• Congaree National Park: 1
• Crater Lake National Park: 1
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park: 4
• Death Valley National Park: 6
• Denali National Park and Reserve: 4
• Dry Tortugas National Park: 1
• Everglades National Park: 15
• Glacier National Park: 2
• Grand Canyon National Park: 10
• Grand Teton National Park: 4
• Great Basin National Park: 5
• Great Sand Dunes: 2
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 12
• Haleakala National Park: 7
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: 7
• Isle Royale National Park: 1
• Joshua Tree National Park: 6
• Kenai Fjords National Park: 1
• Lassen Volcanic National Park: 1
• Mammoth Cave National Park: 15
• Mesa Verde National Park: 2
• Mount Rainier National Park: 10
• National Capital Parks-East: 6
• American Samoa: 5
• North Cascades National Park: 6
• Olympic National Park: 5
• Petrified Forest National Park: 5
• Pinnacles National Park: 2
• Redwood National Park: 6
• Rocky Mountain National Park: 12
• Saguaro National Park: 2
• Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park: 10
• Shenandoah National Park: 15
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park: 2
• Virgin Islands National Park: 2
• Wrangell-St Elias: 1
• Yellowstone National Park: 7
• Yosemite National Park: 9
• Zion National Park: 11

 

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Other areas managed by the NPS have suffered major cuts as well, according to the ANPR data. Lake Mead National Recreation area in Arizona lost 13 staffers, including an aquatic ecologist who tests water safety. Gateway National Recreation Area in New York and New Jersey lost 11 staffers. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area lost 12, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area lost 10. The NPS鈥檚 Historic Preservation Training Center, a group that helps restore and maintain historic structures, let 34 people go.

The cuts have impacted a wide swath of jobs, from custodians and trail maintenance crews, to visitor center workers and听 fee collectors, as well as scientists and teachers. “We’ve been told that interpretive rangers and people who do education for kids and school groups were hit the hardest,” Wade said. “And people who are involved in collecting fees.”

Aubry Andreas, 29, was working as a visual information specialist at Rocky Mountain National Park when she became one of the park鈥檚 12 probationary employees fired on February 14.

Andres oversaw all of the park鈥檚 printed materials, which in 2023 was the fifth-most visited NPS site with 4 million visitors. Among her tasks were creating the annual visitor’s guide, maintaining the official park map and the area maps that get handed out to visitors, and helping with park signage.

At the time of her termination, Aubry was leading an initiative to develop a new accessibility guide to Rocky Mountain,听both for people with physical limitations as well as cognitive considerations. She was also redesigning the park鈥檚 junior ranger book using money from a grant.

鈥淭he crazy thing is, I鈥檓 the only Visual Information Specialist there,鈥� Andreas told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淣ow that I’m gone, all that work will either have to get dropped鈥攚hich obviously is going to impact visitors鈥攐r it’s going to get placed onto other people who already have their own full breadth of duties and responsibilities to carry out.鈥�

A group of former and current NPS workers plan to hold protests at more than 100 sites managed by the agency. The group is calling itself 鈥�.鈥�

Other Agencies Feel the Cuts

Thousands of employees with other agencies overseeing public land have also lost their jobs throughout February. estimates that the National Forest Service lost 3,400 positions. Throughout February, laid-off employees from these agencies have also posted about their plights online.

The day before she lost her job with the U.S. Forest Service, Arianna Knight, the Wilderness Trails Supervisor for the Yellowstone Ranger District in Montana, was working late. She traversed the backcountry adjacent to Yellowstone National Park by snowmobile, doing routine maintenance on one of her district鈥檚 ten public rental cabins. When Knight, 29, returned to the office, she received an ominous text from her boss. 鈥淭here were whisperings of the terminations starting,鈥� Knight told 国产吃瓜黑料.

At home that evening, Knight checked the /fednews page on Reddit and learned that probationary employees听were going to be fired. Since stepping into a management role earlier in the year, she had been given that designation.

鈥淚 went into the office the next day knowing it was a lost cause,鈥� Knight said.

Losing Knight will have a dramatic impact on the Yellowstone Ranger District. In 2024 her maintenance team鈥攕he managed between two and eight workers鈥攃leared 4,062 trees that had fallen across trails near Yellowstone. Knight believes her ranger district won’t have the manpower in 2025 to do the same job. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not enough support available from nonprofits and volunteers, and they’re not specialized enough to do the type of work that we do,” she said.

Nate Stickler, 25, who was a trails crew leader in Colorado鈥檚 San Juan National Forest, told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he was two months away from finishing his probationary period when the cuts came down. The San Juan trails crew is comprised of seasonal workers, mostly novices, and volunteers. At the start of the season, it was Stickler鈥檚 job to train the crew, on everything from how to use a radio for communications in the backcountry to how to use a chainsaw.

鈥淭his is absolutely going to affect people鈥檚 experience of our public lands,鈥� Stickler said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that people will speak up and contact their congress person before the situation gets completely out of control.鈥�

Wild contends that by opting to fire people on probationary status, the federal government will lose some of its best public land managers. 鈥淭hese are the people who鈥檇 just gotten promotions,鈥� he said. 鈥淥r who鈥檇 performed so well in seasonal roles that they were offered permanent positions.鈥�

Sam Oseroff, 34, is one. In 2024 he was hired by the Middle Fork Ranger District in Willamette National Forest as a seasonal employee. After several months, the NFS offered him a permanent job as a forestry technician, starting in January, 2025.

鈥淚t was bad timing,鈥� Osteroff said. Doubly so because he鈥檇 just purchased a house鈥攁 decision he鈥檇 made after getting the offer for permanent work.

When Osteroff was let go, he was in the midst of replacing rotted beams on the roof of a shelter in one of the district鈥檚 campgrounds. He鈥檚 not sure who will take over the project, or how the rest of the maintenance that happens during winter is going to get finished. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a hot springs, a couple dozen trailheads, and about 15 campgrounds,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd only two people left to take care of them.鈥�

He’s also worried about the portion of the national forest closest to Eugene, Oregon, where unhoused people sometimes set up temporary camps, leaving behind garbage and human waste. 鈥淚n the fall, we filled a pickup truck and 26-foot trailer full of gross stuff from a campsite we found along Salomon Creek,” he said.

Knight said what鈥檚 happening is a devastating loss. 鈥淣ot only was my career taken from me in a way that can’t be replaced, but an entire industry is being dismantled,鈥� she said.

The post Here鈥檚 How Many Employees Each National Park Is Losing appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Let me establish my tourist bona fides before we go any further. I am a 47-year-old white man who has lived in the suburbs for the vast majority of my existence. I have spent a grand total of one week camping. I consider emptying the dishwasher to be hard labor. I don鈥檛 know how to pitch a tent, build a lean-to, start a fire without matches or a lighter, or climb any rock higher than three feet tall. I am not hardy. The only other time that 国产吃瓜黑料 asked me to write for them, it was to review bathrobes, which are generally not worn outside. I own both cargo shorts and a fanny pack.

Finally, I am an American. Nothing screams 鈥渢ourist鈥� more than being a big, stupid American.

And I am legion. The U.S. has a near-infinite supply of clueless tourists such as myself, much to the dismay of our National Park Service. Yellowstone, our most famous national park thanks to Kevin Costner, welcomes 4.5 million of us each year. Like all of our parks, Yellowstone takes in tourists not only for the revenue but to remind them that the physical country they reside in is a marvel well beyond their comprehension. As such, Yellowstone is set up to accommodate these hordes. And while park officials do their best to keep tourists in line, often literally, my kind still manage to do plenty of tourist shit. We . We get shitfaced and with animals ten times our size. And we hurt ourselves. According to NPS data, at least 74 people have died while visiting Yellowstone in the past 15 years. I could have been one of those people. I deserve to be one of those people.

This is why 国产吃瓜黑料 sent me to the park just a few weeks ago, during one of the busiest times of the year. They wanted me to observe our most basic tourists in the wild. Maybe I鈥檇 even get to see one die. Or, even better for my editors, maybe I would die while I was there. Maybe I鈥檇 look down my nose at the tourists around me only to end up as wolf food myself. Like most other Yellowstone visitors, I was not trained for the outdoors, I relish doing shit that posted signs yell at me not to do, and I often daydream about fighting bears (and winning!). I find danger tempting, which isn鈥檛 a good thing given that I can no longer swim a single pool lap without taking a break. Are people like me responsible enough to visit one of our national treasures without breaking it? Do we, as a population, know how to do national parks?

There was only one way to find out: by going into the park and behaving like an idiot.

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America has more than 828 million acres of public lands, an incredible boon to adventurers in every state. This month, when the crowds flock to the major national parks, we鈥檝e got our eye on trips to 13 public lands worthy of explorations that feel truly wild and free. From caving, canoeing, and camping to mountain biking, birding, and swimming, you can relish these areas without pressure or reservations.

Ansel Adams Wilderness

Location: Straddling the Great Western Divide of the Sierra Nevada, California

Why we chose it: When summertime crowds make a beeline for Yosemite Valley, serious hikers, anglers, and backpackers skip the more popular national park in favor of this 232,000-acre expanse of sky-high granite ridges, sparkling alpine lakes, and high-altitude meadows bursting with wildflowers.

Favorite adventures: I鈥檓 a massive fan of any trails leading toward the toothy spires of the Ritter Range, most of which lies within the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and this area boasts 350 miles of those trails. Looking for a workout to make your calves burn? Grab a permit and strike out on a seven-mile (each way) overnight trip to the serrated fins surrounding Minaret Lake, with a quick detour to marvel at Devils Postpile. Prefer a mellow afternoon stroll to an idyllic fishing spot? Motor up to Lake Thomas A. Edison for sweeping Sierra views and the hope of hooking some German brown trout.

Where to stay: If you鈥檙e driving up from the west, check out the quirky Mono Hot Springs Resort (open late May to early November), which boasts a restaurant serving buffalo and wild salmon, private soaking tubs, and a smattering of rustic 1930s-era cabins to rent (from $155). Most visitors stay in the eastern-side mountain mecca of Mammoth Lakes; try the Tamarack Lodge (from $99) or, if you鈥檙e feeling spendy, the elegant Westin Monache Resort (from $241). Alternatively, post up at the Forest Service campgrounds (from $28), usually open May through October and abutting phenomenal trails to Shadow Lake and equestrian-friendly Agnew Meadows.

Don鈥檛 miss: Go for the cheap and fantastic monster burritos at Latin Market Taqueria in Mammoth Lakes. 鈥�Emily Pennington

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For a lot of outdoorsy Americans, working for the National Park Service鈥攚hether as a ranger, an administrator, or one of their witty social media managers鈥攊s the dream. But according to a newly-released from the , the national parks might not be a dream job for applicants who value quality engagement and job satisfaction.

The group asked employees at agencies around the federal government questions based around three basic topics: Would they recommend their organization as a good place to work? How satisfied were they with their jobs? And how satisfied were they with their organization as a whole? The higher the agency鈥檚 engagement and satisfaction score, the more likely the employee intended to stay.

According to survey results, national parks ranked 371 out of 432 government agencies in 2022 鈥� or in the bottom 15 percentile. Those numbers were essentially flat compared to 2021 and 2020 survey results.

Increasing employee morale at the NPS, which has suffered from under-resourcing for decades, has been a main objective of the agency鈥檚 director, . During his confirmation hearings in 2021, he : 鈥淭he one thing I鈥檝e always learned in leadership is it鈥檚 the people that are most important,鈥� he added, 鈥淎nd therefore helping to improve the morale, listening to the staff, the long-term staff, and figuring out exactly what needs to be done to support them out in the field in order to be the good interpreters they are, to be able to take care of the parks in an appropriate way.鈥� But despite this sentiment, many park employees seem to have one foot out the door.

The biggest employee complaints pointed to an unsatisfying salary, a poor work-life balance, and a lack of workplace commitment to diversity. The park service鈥檚 best score was for mission matching, which ranked 187 out of 410 agencies.

One potential contributing factor to low employee morale could relate to the number of staff members that the park service currently employs. Between 2000 and 2010, the park service employed about 16,000 individuals every year. Since then, the agency has seen a 25% decline (with the exception of a brief surge in 2021), employing about 12,000 employees over the past decade despite surging park visitation.

Between , Capitol Reef National Park lost 15% of its staff members at the same time that visitation doubled. Similarly, Bryce Canyon National Park lost 10% of its staff and saw a 136% increase in park visitation over the same period of time.

Even when the budget allows national parks to hire new employees, the hiring process often takes months. And the hiring pool seems to be shrinking with employee morale.

Dissatisfied employees also indicated frustration with recognition for their efforts, with that measure dropping 9 points below the previous year鈥檚. Survey scores also ranked the park service a agencies when it came to 鈥渢he level of respect employees have for senior leaders, satisfaction with the amount of information provided by management and perceptions about senior leaders鈥� honesty, integrity and ability to motivate employees.鈥�

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Quinn Brett told her story to producer Paddy O鈥機onnell for an episode of The Daily Rally podcast. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Right before I took that cam out, I remember saying to myself, I shouldn’t have done that. I fell twice the rope length, and hit the big cliff of El Capitan.

And then at some point I came to consciousness and I said, I can’t feel my legs.

I work for the National Park Service, and I鈥檓 an athlete. I was a professional rock climber, and now I am a disabled athlete. Primarily, hand cycling, water sports, and the Worm. I’m still really good at the Worm.

I spend my time trying to be outside as much as possible. I can move all day, every day, pretty excessively, maybe annoyingly. You spend time outside and then you earn the ice cream or the IPA.听 In high school I discovered rock climbing and I wanted to learn more about it, and really dove into it. After college, I moved here to Estes Park, Colorado, and met an amazing amount of people who were into rock climbing, and they mentored me upwards into the sport.

The mental aspect is huge. How to overcome fears, how to stay calm. El Capitan is one of the quintessential iconic features of Yosemite National Park. It is a 3000-foot tall cliff, and the Nose is a rock climb in the center. It’s like a little prow feature.

In October 2017, my girlfriends Josie, Libby and I climbed a route on El Capitan in a day, setting a speed record for females. My headspace was a little off. My personal romantic relationship wasn’t doing so hot, and we got news that a good friend, Hayden Kennedy, and his partner had died in an avalanche. It struck all of our hearts, and climbing is something that we also fall back on, perhaps to distract ourselves from hardship, and so we decided we would still go climbing.

I am leading with placing gear, to a feature called the Boot Flake. That’s about 1500 feet up, but maybe 100 feet below the Boot Flake is another feature called the Texas Flake. It鈥檚 a big piece of rock that sticks out separately away from the main cliff of El Capitan. So I was on top of Texas Flake, and set sail on granite slab and clipped all of these bolts. The space between my gear was getting further and further apart. I was maybe 20 or 30 or 40 feet up from that last bolt. I had a cam in the crack, but I took the cam out for some reason, which is unusual for my protocol. I usually have two cams in, and in my rushedness or distracted brain, I took the cam out.

I reached across to my right hip to grab another piece of gear, and at that exact time, my foot or my hands or both slipped out of the rock. I just remember granite whooshing before my eyes as I fell.

I hit that Texas Flake with my back and my shoulder. I was just laying in the rubble, and my climbing partner Josie immediately initiated a rescue. My T-12 vertebrae shattered outwardly and inwardly into my spinal cord. I think I had four or five broken ribs. I had some internal bleeding, a punctured lung. My right scapula looks like a sledgehammer hit it. Fourteen staples in the back of my head. I had a pretty big swelling on the front of my head, like a hematoma. And paralysis, because of the shattered bone pieces in my spinal cord.

I vaguely remember people coming in and out of my ICU room. I was in the ICU for five days before my surgery, and I heard them say I was paralyzed. I remember laying in my bed and pointing at my toes and trying to wiggle them, and obviously nothing responded. It’s just fuckery. You have hope and you’re sad and you don’t get it, and you’re on drugs and you’re overwhelmed and you’re in pain. Of course I was in denial and of course I was mad and sad. I still have a lot of blame for myself, and disappointment and frustration. Where is that time travel machine? If I could only go back for that one second鈥hat the fuck was I doing.

I would rotate through friends, because with the bandwidth for friendships, the amount of listening that I needed, needed to be rotated and spread across different friends. It felt like it was too much if I were to go to one or three of them, I needed 10 of them to listen and console me and be there.

Use your community. You’re not alone as much as we feel like we are at times, because we are in our heads and we feel like nobody’s experienced this trauma or this grief, but somebody out there has. Talk to them. There’s somebody out there who maybe hasn’t experienced the exact same thing, but can share and corroborate on what you’re feeling.

I still struggle with it. I have a lot of shame still, being in public in my wheelchair. I get embarrassed about things like the amount of eyeballs I get when I hand cycle around Lake Estes. Or people being like, 鈥淵ou go girl.鈥� You don’t even know the shit that I was doing before; my heart rate is not even 100 right now. But I clearly still have that internal dialogue, and I talk to myself every day on the hand cycle. I’m like, What good does this do? Is it going to keep me inside? No. Get over yourself. Get outside. What is more important, being sulking inside and sitting on the couch and eating that ice cream, or going to fucking earn the ice cream? Why not try? That’s the human I’ve always been.

After I was injured in 2017, I returned to the National Park Service in a unique role. I’ve been educating on the type of mobility devices out there, opening doors for us to explore and be recreationally more adaptive on our trails in national parks. Also trying to measure our national park trails so we have more specific information, so the user can decide which trail works better for them rather than just being funneled to the one labeled accessible trail in our parks.

I’m gonna be an advocate louder than I can be for people with disabilities recreating in our national parks and in our public lands, and fo spinal cord research. Let’s amp it up, man. We got places to go, things to do.

Quinn Brett is an athlete, writer, public speaker advocate, and National Park Service employee. Her journey is documented in the film An Accidental Life. You can follow her adventures at and on Instagram .

You can follow听The Daily Rally听on听,听,听, or wherever you like to listen, and nominate someone to be featured on the show听.

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From Alaska鈥檚 remote bush to downtown Cleveland, our national parks provide us with millions of acres of public land to explore. We compiled a list of the best hikes in each park, according to the wilderness guides, park rangers, and hikers who know them.

Best Hikes in Acadia National Park

Maine

The Expert:听Pat Johnson, Maine Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料 Club trip leader
The Hike: Penobscot and Sargent Mountain Loop

Summit听two of the on this 9.5-mile loop through thick spruce forest that eventually gives way to pink-tinted granite crags. The route offers access to three carriage-road bridges, relics from John D. Rockefeller Jr.鈥檚 philanthropic work鈥攃onsider detouring less than a half mile听to the 230-foot-long Cliffside Bridge.

Best Hikes in Arches National Park

Utah

The Expert: John Tillison, former Washington State park ranger
The Hike: Devils Garden Loop

You鈥檒l see eight of the on this 7.9-mile tour through Devils Garden. It鈥檚 an easy stroll to the longest arch in North America, Landscape Arch, but then the gentle trail transitions to narrow ledges that involve some scrambling to reach Double O, Navajo, and Partition Arches.

Best Hikes In Badlands National Park

South Dakota

The Expert:听Kelsy Koerlin, Rapid City, South Dakota, hiker
The Hike: Notch Trail

An easy听1.5-mile round-trip, this trail tours the best of the otherworldly assortment of eroded rock and clay, splashed with a brilliant array of red, white, and black. Ascend a log ladder to a bird鈥檚-eye view of the rugged terrain and distant prairie of White River Valley.

Best Hikes in Big Bend National Park

Texas

The Expert:听Courtney Lyons-Garcia, Big Bend Conservancy executive director
The Hike: Lost Mine Trail

through the heart of the Chisos Mountains for 4.8 miles round-trip, past alligator junipers and pi帽on pines. The views听of the Sierra del Carmen mountains听in Mexico are spectacular. Visit in November or March to avoid the summer heat.

Best Hikes in Biscayne National Park听

Florida

The Expert: Sandra Friend, author of ‘The Florida Trail Guide’
The Hike: Spite Highway Trail

Only accessible by boat, is the largest island in the park, home to the 鈥�,鈥� a seven-mile sliver of forest that in the 1960s was flattened in opposition to a national-monument designation. It鈥檚 the park鈥檚 only hiking trail, and on it you鈥檒l be immersed in tropical forests, even as Miami looms to the north.

Best Hikes in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Colorado

The Expert:听Elaine Brett, North Fork Valley, Colorado, hiker
The Hike: North Vista Trail

At Exclamation Point, snag the best view of the from 900 feet above the rim. Continue to Green Mountain for a panoramic vista of the San Juan Mountains and Grand Mesa, a seven-mile round-trip.

Best Hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park

Utah

The Expert:听Charlie Neumann, owner of Willow Canyon Outdoor, in Kanab, Utah
The Hike: Under the Rim Trail

At 23 miles one-way, is the longest in Bryce. Take two days to experience the best of the Paunsaugunt Plateau鈥檚 hoodoo rock spires. Tackle most of the 5,000 feet in elevation change early by starting at Rainbow Point鈥攜ou can arrange a shuttle there with the Park Service, free with your entry fee.

Best Hikes in Canyonlands National Park听

Utah

The Expert:听Cort Wright, Moab 国产吃瓜黑料 Center guide
The Hike: Grand View Point

Although this is only a two-mile round-trip, the trail leading to isn鈥檛 short on views鈥攜ou鈥檒l gawk at the maze of basins, dozens of canyons, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Arrive before dawn (and the crowds) to watch the sun cast the desert in an amber hue.

Best Hikes in Capitol Reef National Park

Utah

The Expert: Andrew Wojtanik, former Capitol Reef interpretive ranger
The Hike: Halls Creek Narrows

The beauty of the Halls Creek Narrows, a slot canyon with towering cliffs, is often compared to the famous Narrows of Zion, yet this 22.4-mile round-trip hike is much more . The unmarked route requires a topographic map and compass to navigate. Plan to spend two nights in the backcountry听and to get wet through several creek crossings.

Best Hikes in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

New Mexico

The Expert:听Colin Walfield, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, employee
The Hike: Big Room Trail

It takes about an hour and a half to encircle the Big Room鈥攖he largest chamber within 听and the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America. This听1.25-mile walk twists among giant stalagmites on a paved trail with handrails. A ranger-guided tour provides insight into the geologic history of the cave system.

Best Hikes in Channel Islands National Park

California

The Expert: David Begun, Channel Islands park ranger
The Hike: Lobo Canyon Trail

This 5.2-mile loop is marked by its ecological diversity鈥攎ore than a dozen grow in the park. You鈥檒l start in grassland bluffs, with sweeping views of the Pacific, before dropping into a canyon harboring native plants like the canyon sunflower. When you reach the coastline, look out for peregrine falcons and bald eagles.

Best Hikes in Congaree National Park

South Carolina

The Expert: Barbie Smrekar, Columbia Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料 Network organizer
The Hike: River Trail

Tour this park鈥檚 namesake river on a through bottomland and bald cypress forest, home to whitetail deer, otters, and feral hogs. In periods of low water, lounge near the river on exposed sandbars鈥攂ut keep an eye out for alligators.

Best Hikes in Crater Lake National Park

Oregon

The Expert: Erik Fernandez, Oregon Wild wilderness-program manager
The Hike: Garfield Peak Trail

Starting from the Crater Lake Lodge, at an elevation of about听7,000 feet, climb another thousand feet in 1.7 miles to Garfield Peak. From here听you鈥檒l have a view of , the deepest in the country at almost 2,000 feet. Go in July for peak wildflower viewing and early in the morning to miss the crowds.

Best Hikes in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Ohio

The Expert: Erik Baldwin, Cleveland Hiking Club member
The Hike: Buckeye Trail

You鈥檒l be hard-pressed to find another park quite like , nestled in the middle of Cleveland. This one鈥檚 for the trail runners and the hardcore hikers: a 12.6-mile section of the from Station Road Bridge to the historic village of Boston. Pass waterfalls and old homesteads dotting densely forested hills before looping back.

Best Hikes in Death Valley National Park

California and Nevada

The Expert: Alan Gegax, VegasHikers trip organizer
The Hike: Panamint City Ghost Town

was a mining town founded by outlaws in 1873 that quickly garnered a rough reputation, but it was leveled a few years later in a flash flood. Hike to its ruins from Chris Wicht鈥檚 Camp, five miles via Surprise Canyon, and admire听its flowing water and lush vegetation鈥攔arities听in Death Valley.

Best Hikes in Denali National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Amy Eckert, travel writer
The Hike: Savage Alpine Trail

Few trails exist in Denali National Park, but among the handful that do, offers a lot in only eight miles round-trip. Wind over听tundra and past Dall sheep before climbing a ridge that on a clear day offers a view of 20,310-foot Denali, North America鈥檚 highest peak.

Best Hikes in Dry Tortugas National Park

Florida

The Expert: Sandra Friend, author of ‘The Florida Trail Guide’
The Hike: Fort Jefferson Loop

You won鈥檛 find any wilderness hiking trails in , an island 70 miles west of Key West. The main attraction here is Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. A half-mile loop around the island is a great tour of the fort and overlooks听the Caribbean鈥檚 crystal waters.

Best Hikes in Everglades National Park

Florida

The Expert: Sandra Friend, author of ‘The Florida Trail Guide’
The Hike:听Snake Bight Trail

The Everglades are better known for swampy boat tours than hiking. But the best trail here is , 1.6 miles one-way through tropical forests. The terminus is a boardwalk that offers bird-watching near a bay鈥攍ook听for pink flamingos.

Best Hikes in Gates of the Arctic National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Carl Donohue, Expeditions Alaska guide
The Hike: Koyukuk River Route

Take a plane to a gravel bar on the North Fork of the Koyukuk River, which snakes for more than 100 miles between glacial valleys. Spend a week and follow three creeks鈥擪achwona, Wolf, and Fish鈥攗p to 40 miles听deep into the backcountry of the Brooks Range.

Best Hikes in Gateway Arch National Park

Missouri

At just 91听acres, Gateway Arch is the smallest National Park. There’s not really any hiking, per se, but you should stroll the Mississippi River waterfront and then take听the elevator to the top of the Arch.

Best Hikes in Glacier National Park

Montana

The Expert: Grete Gansauer, Montana Wilderness Association听northwest Montana field director
The Hike: Hidden Lake Trail

Hikers habitually gawk at bears and bighorn sheep along this alpine . In summer听you鈥檒l be surrounded by wildflowers as you gaze at Glacier鈥檚 jagged peaks. Descend to Hidden Lake via switchbacks to lounge on the beach, with Bearhat and Reynolds Mountains just over your shoulder.

Best Hikes in Glacier Bay National park

Alaska

The Expert: Adam DiPietro, former Glacier Bay trail-crew member
The Hike: Gustavus Plane-Crash Site

This park is celebrated for whale-watching and towering glaciers, and those are definitely must-do鈥檚, but so is this half-mile hike to a Douglas C-47 crash site鈥攊n 1957, the crew went down after clipping a tall tree. The trail takes you through woods smattered with mosses, like old man鈥檚 beard, and you鈥檒l likely have it to yourself.

Best Hikes in Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona

The Expert: Melanie Radzicki McManus, Arizona Trail thru-hiker
The Hike: South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails

The best hike in the听 combines two trails, which traverse听the mile-deep canyon, and takes听two days. From the South Kaibab Trailhead, descend seven miles via ridges and spend the night next to the Colorado River at the Bright Angel Campground. The next day, huff back up the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail for 9.5 miles.

Best Hikes in Grand Teton National Park听

Wyoming

The Expert: Amy Eckert, travel writer
The Hike: Lake Solitude

, follow the crowds to Inspiration Point, which offers听views of the Gros Ventre Mountains. As you enter Cascade Canyon, the masses dwindle as the Tetons鈥� jagged peaks flank the trail. Pass berry patches and boulder fields before reaching Lake Solitude at mile ten听for a secluded night in the backcountry, then trek back the next day.

Best Hikes in Great Basin National Park

Nevada

The Expert: Nichole Andler, Great Basin National Park chief of interpretation
The Hike: Timber Creek鈥揃aker Creek Loop Trail

You鈥檒l have this to yourself virtually any time of year, starting from 8,000 feet and walking uphill via Timber Creek, with expansive views of Snake Valley below. Climb another 1,600 feet or so to aspen groves and a meadow, with听11,926-foot Pyramid Peak just overhead.

Best Hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Colorado

The Expert: Ryan Kempfer, Salida Mountain Sports employee
The Hike: Sand Ramp Trail

Much more than sand dunes, creek crossings, wildlife viewing, and stunning shots of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Skirt the eastern edge of the dunes across undulating terrain for 11 miles one-way. Camp near Sand Creek鈥檚 cottonwoods before backtracking the next day.

Best Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

North Carolina and Tennessee

The Expert: Diane Petrilla, Smoky Mountains Hiking Club vice president
The Hike: Ramsey Cascades Trail

This was never logged, so it鈥檚 full of giant trees鈥攕ome tulip poplars reach seven feet in diameter. Through a jungle of rhododendrons, you鈥檒l ascend more than 2,000 feet over four miles to the tallest waterfall in the park, 100-foot Ramsey Cascades.

Best Hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Texas

The Expert: Cameron Hall, North Texas hiker
The Hike: McKittrick Canyon Trail

is often hailed as the most beautiful spot in Texas. It鈥檚 secluded, and in the fall, foliage bursts red and yellow. This 14.8-mile out-and-back takes you to Pratt Cabin听and then to a small cave with stalagmites. You鈥檒l ascend McKittrick Ridge on the steepest section of trail in the park, looking down on the canyon.

Best Hikes in Haleakal腻 National Park

Hawaii

The Expert: Joani Morris, Friends of Haleakala听National Park hike leader
The Hike: Sliding Sands Trail

Towering over Maui at 10,023 feet above sea level, the dormant resembles the surface of Mars. For a tour of the caldron, start at the Keoneheehee Trailhead, trekking across the crater鈥檚 floor. People flock to the summit to witness a spectacular sunrise (reservations are needed).

Best Hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii

The Expert: Barnard Griggs, member of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Corp. board of directors
The Hike: Napau Trail

On this 14-mile round-trip, you鈥檒l explore rainforests and recent lava flows to reach Napau Crater. In the distance, you鈥檒l see the Puu Oo听volcano, which听had been continuously erupting since 1983, quieting only last year.

Best Hikes in Hot Springs National Park

Arkansas

The Expert: Don Jackson, owner of Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters
The Hike: West Mountain鈥揗ountain Top Trails

From Whittington Park, ascend more than 400 feet on the before connecting with the West Mountain Trail, which听loops around a ridge鈥攜ou鈥檒l have great views of downtown Hot Springs. Afterward,听soak at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, in operation since 1912.

Best Hikes in Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana

The Expert: Jean-Pierre Anderson, Indiana Dunes National Park ranger
The Hike: West Beach Three-Loop Trail

The best hike in 听combines three loops totaling 3.4 miles. Start among the dunes on the Dune Succession Trail, also touring an oak savannah and wetlands. Connect with the West Beach Trail and then the Long Lake Loop Trail, where you鈥檒l encounter more undulating dunes.

Best Hikes in Isle Royale National Park

Michigan

The Expert: Amy Eckert, Greenstone Ridge Trail thru-hiker
The Hike: Greenstone Ridge Trail

can only be reached by boat, guaranteeing solitude on this remote 42-mile trail that spans the island. You鈥檒l be immersed in boreal forest home to moose and wolves, occasionally topping a bald ridge offering views of the island and Lake Superior.

Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park

California

The Expert: Tim Liddell, Hi-Desert Hiking Club trip leader
The Hike: Maze Loop

Combine the Maze, North View, and Window Trails for an eight-mile walk through mature desert vegetation like California juniper, yucca, and the park鈥檚 namesake Joshua trees. While trail signage has improved in recent years, navigation of this Joshua Tree National Park trail can still be difficult, so carry a map.

Best Hikes in Katmai National Park

Alaska

The Expert:听Dan Oberlatz, Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s owner and guide
The Hike: Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

In 1912, the erupted and destroyed 40 square miles of Alaska鈥檚 backcountry. Today听the valley resembles the desert Southwest, with red mineral deposits covering sections of exposed rock. From the Three Forks Visitor Center, circumvent the valley floor, ascending nearby Broken, Baked, Cerberus, and Falling Mountains. You鈥檒l trek more than 50 miles off-trail and spend over a week in the backcountry. Advanced navigation skills are a must.

Best Hikes in Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Kyle McDowell, Kenai Backcountry 国产吃瓜黑料s guide
The Hike: Harding Icefield Trail

A tough but rewarding 8.2-mile round trip hike that gains about 1,000 feet per mile and starts on the valley floor through cottonwoods and alder trees, and offers views of the Exit Glacier even a short distance in. Continue to climb above treeline for views of the Harding Icefield.

Best Hikes in Kings Canyon National Park

California

The Expert:听Benjamin Cumbie, Sequoia Parks Conservancy, philanthropy and membership manager
The Hike: Redwood Mountain Grove

Tour the largest intact grove of in the world on this 9.9-mile loop, which combines听the Hart Tree and Sugar Bowl Trails. The Sierra Nevada听is visible as you stroll past flower-filled meadows, and the lonely dirt road leading to the Redwood Canyon Trailhead deters throngs of visitors.

Best Hikes in Kobuk Valley National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Nick Allen, Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s guide
The Hike: Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

This remote part of the has no maintained trails, so you鈥檒l be route-finding in the Alaskan bush. Boreal forest gives way to tundra along the Kobuk River, where you鈥檒l find 25 square miles of sand dunes. Getting there requires a bush plane.

Best Hikes in Lake Clark National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Dan Oberlatz, Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s owner and guide
The Hike: Telaquana Route

This ten-day, roughly 40-mile trek from Telaquana Lake to Upper Twin Lake is only for those willing to bushwhack. is via听floatplane to听Telaquana Lake, and then you鈥檒l be route-finding with a compass and topo map. Pass glaciers, ford rivers, and navigate seemingly endless miles of remote forest and tundra until you reach Proenneke鈥檚 Cabin, a log structure built largely by hand in the sixties听by Richard Proenneke.

Best Hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park

California

The Expert: Sabrina Jurisich, Redding, California hiker
The Hike: Kings Creek Falls Trail

Walk along past California red firs that are permanently bowed from heavy snow in the winter (yearly snowpack can be as deep as 15 feet). The end of this 2.3-mile loop has an overlook of Kings Creek Falls, cascading 30 feet down.

Best Hikes in Mammoth Cave National Park

Kentucky

The Expert:听Michael Bunch, manager of听Nat鈥檚 Outdoor Sports in Bowling Green, Kentucky

More than 400 miles of have been explored, and the labyrinth boasts the title of world鈥檚 longest cave system. The best way to see it is on the three-mile Violet City Lantern Tour (tickets are required to enter the cave), where you鈥檒l re-create the experience of bygone explorers by walking with only the light from a lantern as a guide.

Best Hikes in Mesa Verde National Park

Colorado

The Expert: Betsy Fitzpatrick, Trails 2000 member
The Hike: Petroglyph Point Trail

From the , pass the Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling, constructed before 1278 A.D. with 130 rooms and eight听ceremonial chambers. At 1.4 miles, you鈥檒l see the petroglyph panel that researchers believe depicts two Native American clans returning to the place of their origin. Complete the 2.4-mile loop on the mesa top.

Best Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park

Washington

The Expert: Diann Sheldon, Discover Nature guide
The Hike: High Lakes Loop

The will take you to Reflection Lake, Mount Rainier glimmering on its surface. Veer onto the Lower Lakes Trail through wildflower meadows before hopping on the High Lakes Trail and then the Mazama Ridge Trail. Reconnect with Wonderland to complete the 2.5-mile loop.

Best Hikes in National Park of American Samoa

American Samoa

The Expert: Sarah Barmeyer, National Parks Conservation Association,听听senior managing director for conservation programs
The Hike: Tuafanua Trail

From , climb up switchbacks to a ridgetop through tropical rainforest that鈥檚 home to fruit bats. You鈥檒l descend via ladders and ropes to a rocky beach scattered with coconut crabs that climb trees and weigh up to nine听pounds. You鈥檒l spot Pola Island offshore before returning 1.1 miles to the trailhead.

Best Hikes in North Cascades National Park

Washington

The Expert: Anna Roth, Washington Trails Association hiking-content manager
The Hike: Thunder Creek鈥揚ark Creek Pass

Start this 55.2-mile out-and-back at the Colonial Creek Campground, and tour old-growth forest over the five-day trek to Park Creek Pass and back. You鈥檒l have fantastic views of the Cascade Mountains among meadows, with sporadic scrambling required in some sections.

Best Hikes in Olympic National Park

Washington

The Expert: Anna Roth, Washington Trails Association hiking-content manager
The Hike: Heather Peak

Begin on the Heather Peak听Trail in a second-growth forest of mountain hemlock adorned with bearded lichen. You鈥檒l be climbing steadily via switchbacks over five miles听toward 5,740-foot Heather Peak. Scramble along a rocky ridge to the peak, then trek another quarter mile to a saddle that affords听stunning views to the south before returning.

Best Hikes in Petrified Forest National Park

Arizona

The Expert: Patrick Fuchs, Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club member
The Hike: Blue Mesa Trail

This one-mile loop will take you past the multicolored sedimentary rock layers of . Hike at sunrise to witness the serrated edges of the mesa glow. Along the way, you鈥檒l pass numerous petrified trees with a geologic backdrop that resembles the moon.

Best Hikes in Pinnacles National Park

California

The Expert: Dave Wachtel, Monterey Bay Area Hiking Club organizer
The Hike: Chaparral Trailhead

On this nine-mile loop, start on the Juniper Canyon Trail from the ,听then detour to the Tunnel Trail, which brings you to the High Peaks Trail, where you鈥檒l have a chance to spot California condors. You鈥檒l connect with the Rim Trail, which听meanders to Bear Gulch Cave, a maze of building-size听boulders. From there, head west on the Bench Trail and connect with the Old Pinnacles Trail, which circles back to the trailhead.

Best Hikes in Redwood National Park

California

The Expert: David Baselt, Redwood Hikes creator
The Hike: Boy Scout Tree Trail

You鈥檒l be immersed in a large tract of on this 5.6-mile out-and-back. In Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (managed jointly with the National Park Service), start early in the morning from the Boy Scout Tree Trailhead. At mile 2.5, you鈥檒l encounter听the Boy Scout Tree, a massive double redwood discovered by a local troop leader. The hike ends at Fern Falls.

Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado

The Expert: Steve Bonowski, Colorado Mountain Club trip leader
The Hike: Crystal Lakes

From the Lawn Lake Trailhead, ascend toward the Mummy Range through aspens and pines. You鈥檒l be following the Roaring River for a stretch and will eventually break tree line, with views of 13,425-foot Mummy Mountain. Check out Lawn Lake at mile 6.2 before continuing another 1.2 miles to Little Crystal and Big Crystal Lakes.

Best Hikes in Saguaro National Park

Arizona

The Expert: Jocasta Houldsworth, Tucson, Arizona, hiker
The Hike: Garwood Dam Loop

Totaling 6.4 miles, this hike starts from the on the Garwood Trail. You鈥檒l quickly enter a saguaro cactus forest. Keep an eye out for a rare crested saguaro and its fan-shaped tip鈥攖here are only 25 in the park. You鈥檒l pass Garwood Dam, built in the 1950s, and swinging a left onto the Carrillo Trail will lead to views of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Best Hikes in Sequoia National Park

California

The Expert: Benjamin Cumbie, Sequoia Parks Conservancy membership manager
The Hike: High Sierra Trail

A great alternative to the John Muir Trail, this snakes through high mountain passes in the Sierra Nevada. Highlights include swimming in Hamilton and Precipice Lakes and Kern Hot Springs. Tack an extra 13 miles on the JMT to hit the summit of Mount Whitney.

Best Hikes in Shenandoah National Park听

Virginia

The Expert: David Bennick, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club鈥檚 Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter president
The Hike: Jones Run and Doyles River Trails

From the Browns Gap parking area, take the as it traces a ridge for 1.4 miles. A left on the Jones Run Trail switchbacks downhill to cascading Jones Run Falls. Take the Doyles River Trail past two more waterfalls back to the parking lot, completing a 6.5-mile loop.

Best Hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

North Dakota

The Expert: Nick Ybarra, Watford City, North Dakota, adventure guide
The Hike: Maah Daah Hey Trail

The 144-mile听, which cuts through the heart of the Badlands, is the longest singletrack mountain-biking route in the country. And it鈥檚 great for hiking, too. You鈥檒l go through three units of the park, including the remote Elkhorn Ranch, where Theodore Roosevelt had a cabin, and the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Expect solitude among swaying prairie grass and forests of juniper trees.

Best Hikes in Virgin Islands National Park

U.S. Virgin Islands

The Expert: Kim Powell, Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park
The Hike: Reef Bay Trail

Tour some of the tallest and oldest trees on this roughly six-mile out-and-back. On the way to Reef Bay, you鈥檒l see ruins of Danish sugar plantations, remnants of cattle ranches, and pre-Colombian Taino rock carvings.

Best Hikes in Voyageurs National Park

Minnesota

The Expert: Sam Brueggeman, staff member at Trailfitters in Duluth, Minnesota
The Hike: Cruiser Lake Trail

With more than 84,000 acres of water to explore, paddling is a great way to get around 鈥攂ut you can put your hiking boots to use on the Cruiser Lake Trail. Accessible via boat, the trail wends 9.5 miles one-way across wetlands and rocky cliffs.

Best Hikes in Wind Cave National Park

South Dakota

The Expert: Tom Farrell, Wind Cave National Park chief of interpretation
The Hike: Rankin Ridge Fire Tower

, nestled underneath the Black Hills of South Dakota, is one of the most complex cave systems in the world. But up above, miles of hiking trails zigzag across the prairie and hills. Trek to Rankin Ridge, the highest point in the park, where you鈥檒l find the Rankin Ridge Fire Tower. At only one mile round-trip, this one is accessible for all skill levels.

Best Hikes in Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias National Park

Alaska

The Expert: Greg Fensterman, Trek Alaska guide
The Hike: Seven Pass Route

is the biggest national park in the United States鈥�13.2 million acres鈥攁nd one of the most remote. On this eight-day, 40-mile backpacking trip deep in the backcountry, you鈥檒l start near Iceberg Lake, following a river to a glacier crossing. Expect to navigate more glaciers, along with high-ridge traverses, while you enjoy spectacular views of snowcapped mountains.

Best Hikes in Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

The Expert: Mike Rosekrans, Yellowstone Forever lead instructor
The Hike: Clear Lake Loop

From the Wapiti Lake Trailhead, you鈥檒l walk 6.7 miles past thermal-activity sites, with views of Mount Washburn. You鈥檒l skirt Clear and Ribbon Lakes鈥攏ear the latter, there鈥檚 a nice spur trail that鈥檒l bring you to Silver Cord Cascade, a waterfall that plunges more than 1,000 feet into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Best Hikes in Yosemite National Park听

California

The Expert: Frank Dean, Yosemite Conservancy president
The Hike: Valley Loop Trail

trails are chocked with听crowds, but you鈥檒l have the Valley Loop Trail to yourself for 11.5 miles. From Lower Yosemite Fall, the trail traces old wagon roads through meadows, with views of El Capitan.

Best Hikes in Zion National Park

Utah

The Expert: Rachel Ross, Zion 国产吃瓜黑料 Company guide
The Hike: Observation Point

You鈥檒l gain 3,000 feet in elevation in 3.4 miles, climbing through canyons toward . There听you鈥檒l have an excellent view of Zion Canyon, a few hundred feet higher than the busier Angel鈥檚 Landing viewpoint.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article recommended a trail in Kenai Fjords National Park that requires advanced navigation and trekking skills. The article has been updated with a hike on a more established and approachable route. Separately, trail conditions change often. Before you head out on your hike, visit for the latest information.

The post The Best Hike in Every National Park appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In a land of spectacular and diverse environments, curating 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 definitive list of the best park in every state is a tall order. To do so, I solicited recommendations from my colleagues and searched high and low for the spot that exemplifies the region鈥檚 natural features鈥攂e they precipitous cliffs, lush river valleys, or vast听icy expanses鈥攁nd does what an outdoor recreation area should do: get听you away from the hoi polloi and immerse听you in the landscape.

Our selections are not your Yosemites and Grand Canyons, where you have to elbow your way to the front of the pack at Tunnel View and Mather Point. Go to those if you want. But also carve out time to enjoy these less visited destinations, which are both especially scenic and well-rounded in their offerings. Whether you like exploring on foot, water, or two wheels, the picks on this list have something for everyone. We weren鈥檛 strict about whether it was a national or state park鈥攐r even a different type of recreation area altogether鈥攂ut we were strict about selecting the best destinations.

Alabama

Little River Canyon National Preserve

In the state鈥檚 northeastern corner, the 15,288-acre contains both the eponymous waterway鈥攏听in the Southeast鈥攁nd the 600-foot-tall Little River Canyon, one of the听deepest east of the Mississippi. Climb and rappel any of the overlooks.听Hike and bike backcountry roads. (Keep an eye out for Paleozoic fossils that date back up to 540 million years.)听And check out a handful of waterfalls situated amid an unusually diverse range of flora, like the endangered Kral鈥檚听water plantain and carnivorous green pitcher plant. You鈥檒l find听top-notch Class III鈥揤 whitewater and abundant fishing along the length of the Little River, which runs along the flat听top of Lookout Mountain.听Although camping is not allowed, you鈥檒l at DeSoto State Park, abutting the preserve.

Alaska

Kenai Fjords National Park

Denali is undeniably enticing. You鈥檒l experience the same sense of awe at one of Alaska鈥檚 less visited parks: , near the town of Seward in south-central Alaska. The rare fjord estuary ecosystem is found in only five other places on the planet (none of which are in North America). This massive 669,984-acre park on the Kenai Peninsula has ample mountaineering. There鈥檚听also a bucket list听hike: a听spectacular 8.2-mile听round-trip day hike that gains 1,000 feet of elevation.听The Harding Icefield, a听patch of听frozen water that鈥檚 nearly 714 square miles long and up to a mile thick,听offers hiking and mountaineering. Kayak glacial lagoons with clown-faced puffins for a day trip, and backpack or boat camp the coastal backcountry amid Sitka spruces and blooming fireweed.

Arizona

Red Rock Ranger District

Okay, so this one isn鈥檛 technically a park鈥攂ut you鈥檒l be hard-pressed to find a better playground in听Arizona. The 160,000-acre manages the portion of Coconino National Forest Arizona surrounding Sedona. The visitor center at Red Rock Ranger Station will tell you everything you need to know about the region, like where to find Sedona鈥檚 famously technical mountain biking, cinnamon-colored听spires for trad climbing, and even听fishing and swimming in Oak Creek鈥攁 rare treat in the otherwise parched desert landscape. There are four developed fee campgrounds in the district (no dispersed roadside camping), but backpacking is permitted as long as you venture at least a mile from trailheads.

Arkansas

Buffalo National River

In 1972, a 135-mile stretch of the became our country鈥檚 first nationally protected waterway. A local treasure, the river remains less known outside of northern Arkansas. It meanders, undammed, through the Ozark Mountains鈥櫶齥arst rock formations in one of the 听of the national park system. (More than 500 caverns attract a multitude of endangered bats.) In addition to water-based activities like floating past the massive limestone bluffs and angling for 12 species of game fish, such as smallmouth bass, visitors can hike the 95,000 acres surrounding the river, including almost 36,000 acres of designated wilderness.

California

Redwood National and State Parks

Comprising听131,983 acres, are scattered along the Northern California coast six听hours north of San Francisco.听This mix of federal and state land is home to some of the world鈥檚 tallest trees, as well as a sea stack鈥搇ined coast (keep your eyes peeled for whales and harbor porpoises) and three rivers, including the Wild and Scenic Smith, the largest free-flowing river system in California. While most national parks don鈥檛 allow mountain biking, the former logging roads here are an exception. Camping is available at four developed campgrounds, or hit the 200-plus-mile trail system to enjoy eight backcountry camping areas.

Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The Rockies are best known for soaring peaks, but the range is also home to the tallest dunes in North America, located in southern Colorado. Explore 鈥檚 30 square miles on foot鈥攂ackpacking is a great way to see the park鈥檚 alpine lakes and wetlands, too鈥攐r retire at one of the developed campgrounds after a day of fat biking, dune sledding, and splashing in the shallow, surging current of Medano Creek. In February and October, you鈥檒l see a sedge听of more than 20,000 sandhill cranes in addition to the park鈥檚 usual suspects, like pronghorns, yellow-bellied marmots, and bighorn sheep.

Connecticut

American Legion and Peoples State Forests

Combined, the total just over six square miles鈥攂ut they pack in a lot of activities. In Connecticut鈥檚 wild northwest corner, the West Branch of the Farmington River divides the two areas and provides some of the best freshwater fishing in Connecticut. This Wild and Scenic River鈥攁 national designation granted to less than 0.25 percent of U.S. waterways鈥攊s a natural hub for float trips. Base out of Austin F. Hawes Memorial Campground and spend your days biking forest roads, , and hiking a 14-mile network of rugged trails that yields views of waterfalls and the river valley below. During the winter months, there鈥檚 cross-country skiing and even an at the Falls Cut-Off Trail.

Delaware

Cape Henlopen State Park

听ocean-based activities abound: swimming, boating, surf fishing, kayaking, clamming, paddleboarding, and windsurfing are all on the table. The park is home to two surf breaks, and . On land, hike or bike up to five听miles within the park, or use it as a launch point for the nation鈥檚 first nonmotorized transcontinental path, the听American Discovery Trail,听which听begins here and passes through cities, towns, farmland, and wild areas en route to Point听Reyes National Seashore in Northern California. Camp among pine-studded sand dunes, or venture to the nearby Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve, Delaware鈥檚 only publicly owned wild beach, which contains undeveloped dunes听and marsh habitat.

Florida

Biscayne National Park

combines the best of southern Florida. You鈥檒l find the Everglades鈥� famous mangrove swamps鈥擝iscayne鈥檚 are also packed with alligators and crocodiles鈥攁s well as the spectacular coral reefs and abundant sea life you鈥檇 expect to find in the keys, such as manatees, sea turtles, dolphins, and rays. Since 95 percent of the park is water, you鈥檒l want to rent a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe from the visitor center (or launch your own craft for free). There are multiple marine trails for , and the Maritime Heritage Trail guides snorkelers and divers past six diverse shipwrecks that span nearly a century. Although the park is far from remote鈥攄owntown Miami is听visible鈥攜ou can still get adventurous. Experienced paddlers can cross the seven-mile expanse of Biscayne Bay and pay $25 to roll out a sleeping pad on one of two island campgrounds听on Elliott and Boca Chita Keys.

Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore

The largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia is good for more than just swimming and beachcombing. features 17 miles of undeveloped beaches, as well as pristine maritime forests and marshland. Walk 50-plus miles under live oak and saw palmetto groves, keeping your eyes peeled for wild horses, alligators, and sea turtles. To get there, take the ferry from St. Marys, or kayak to the island. (Leave from town, from nearby Crooked River State Park, or from Amelia Island, which is just over the Florida border.)听Three听campgrounds听are situated in designated wilderness areas; you can bike to two others. (Rent some wheels on the island or bring your own via ferry.)听Sea kayaks can be pulled ashore for camping by the Plum Orchard dock,听behind the Sea Camp Ranger Station, and in the Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campground.

Hawaii

Wai驶腻napanapa State Park

Bypass the hordes at Haleakal腻 and watch the sunrise from black sand Pa驶iloa Beach at . The drive along Maui鈥檚 southeast coast is epic听on its own, and while the park does draw a good number of pit-stopping tourists听on the Highway to Hana, most just want to snap a photo of the lava tube and stroll to the freshwater pools before going on their way. Unpack your tent and you鈥檒l find there鈥檚 more to explore. Several hiking trails traverse through dense flora鈥攕tands of guava, coconut, and breadfruit trees and the largest pandanus grove in Hawaii鈥攁nd pass natural听and cultural attractions like rocky coves, ruins, a haiau (or temple), blowholes, and jagged rock arches. On a calm day, swim 200 feet into Pa驶iloa Bay听to climb a听freestanding sea stack听where you can leap from听about听35 feet鈥攐r听45 feet if you鈥檙e feeling bold.

Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Straddling the Oregon-Idaho border, the Snake River cuts North America鈥檚 deepest river gorge. At nearly a mile and a half tall, Hells Canyon is taller than even Grand Canyon by almost 50 percent. The 650,000-acre听 includes 217,000 acres of wilderness, where you can backpack along isolated ridges in exchange for epic panoramas. The 8,000-foot Seven Devils Mountains tower above Class II鈥揑V whitewater and plenty of .

Illinois

Kickapoo State Recreation Area

At , you鈥檒l find 22 ponds and access to the Middle Fork River amid 2,842 acres of sycamore and maple forest. There are also launch ramps at nine lakes, and you can angle for large- and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, redear sunfish, and sizable rainbow trout. Ice fishing is available in the winter, as is cross-country skiing. In the warmer months, camp at one of 184 sites and spend your days biking 12 miles of the state鈥檚 best singletrack (ranging from easy to very technical) or running past wild cherry trees and vibrant wildflowers on 35 miles of trails. (Get a good workout on the difficult听7.6-mile .)

Indiana

Brown County State Park

Sure, the Hoosier State just got its first national park, but Indiana Dunes is already getting close to 2 million visitors a year鈥攁nd听unlike ,听it doesn鈥檛 have nearly 30 miles of flowy singletrack听ranging from cruisey to white-knuckling.听This park听in central Indiana鈥檚 Little Smokies is actually slightly larger than its shiny new neighbor to the north. At nearly 16,000 acres, Brown County is the biggest in Indiana鈥檚 park system. Hike more than 18 miles of trails through flowering dogwood and sweet gum trees (read: gorgeous fall color). Or connect to the greater , which has 260 miles of trails for hiking and backpacking, including the 13,000-acre .

Iowa

Backbone State Park

Designated in 1920, Iowa鈥檚 first park听is still its best. Named for a steep, narrow, 80-foot-tall ridge of bedrock cut by the Maquoketa River,听,听in northeastern Iowa, is 2,000 acres of oak and maple woods packed with dolomitic limestone outcrops. The ample rock makes for great top-roping and trad climbing, as well as varied hiking on a rugged 21-mile multiuse trail system. Cyclists will enjoy the Barred Owl, Bluebird, East Lake, and West Lake Trails鈥攐r hit the 130-mile Northeast State Park Bike Route connecting Wapsipinicon and Pikes Peak State Parks on county highways. Explore Backbone Cave and the reservoir, Backbone Lake, which offers boating and some of the Iowa鈥檚 best trout fishing. You can crash at two campgrounds within park boundaries.

Kansas

Wilson State Park

The Sunflower State isn鈥檛 all flat prairie. Situated in the Smoky Hills region of central Kansas, 听features听rolling hills that give way to prominent sandstone bluffs. Tire yourself out on the challenging or at Wilson Reservoir, which makes for pleasant SUPing, swimming, kayaking, and fishing for bass and walleye, before adjourning to one of the campsites. The adjacent Wilson Wildlife Area has 8,000 acres of hiking and habitat for deer, pheasants, Canada geese, and coyotes.

Kentucky

Big South Fork National River and听Recreation Area

On the southern border of the Bluegrass State, Big South Fork Gorge makes a 40-mile cleft in the Cumberland Plateau. Although ranges well into Tennessee, it has Kentucky鈥檚 characteristic sandstone arches鈥攚ithout the crowds of the better-known听Red River Gorge. At Big South Fork, you鈥檒l find sport climbing, Class IV paddling, bike-only trails, and bluff hikes overlooking scenic gorges and oak woodlands.

Louisiana

Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex

Set amid western Louisiana鈥檚听old-growth hardwood and pine,听 has 17 primitive walk-in camp sites (and one drive-in site). It also has a boat launch for nonmotorized vessels, which makes for peaceful fishing for bass, perch, sunfish, and catfish. Ensconced in the 600,000-acre Kisatchie National Forest, you鈥檒l have access to more than 100 miles of multiuse trails for running, hiking, and backpacking;听opportunities for 听on roads and trails;听and swimming at Kincaid, Caney, and Stuart lakes.

Maine

Baxter State Park

At听200,000 acres,听 is a no-brainer. The difficult decision is narrowing down its recreation options: 200 miles of trails for hiking and backpacking, including the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, on Mount Katahdin; 337 campsites; mountain, road, and fat-biking routes; paddling on backcountry Wassataquoik Lake and Webster Stream, which includes Class I鈥揑II rapids and a Class V drop at Grand Pitch; and some of the most remote and challenging mountaineering in New England鈥攏ot to mention .

Maryland

Assateague Island National Seashore

A dynamic barrier island that鈥檚 constantly reshaped by weather, is different every time you visit. Play in the surf and wander 37 miles of white sand beach in search of the isle鈥檚 famed wild ponies. Registered over-sand vehicles can rove a designated segment. The nearby island of Chincoteague is connected via a paved听four-mile bike path. At the end of the day, there are drive-in, walk-in, and backcountry campsites鈥攜ou can even kayak to .

Massachusetts

Mount Greylock State Reservation

It can be tough to find room to sprawl in one of the most densely populated parts of the nation. But 12,000-acre , in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts, fits the bill. Named for the 3,491-foot peak鈥攖he state鈥檚 tallest鈥攖he park has 70 miles of trails, including 11.5 miles of the AT听and the historic Thunderbolt Ski Trail, good for hiking, mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and more. Backpackers will find primitive camping and trailside shelters amid the sylvan charm of the Berkshires.

Michigan

Isle Royale National Park

With only 25,000 annual visitors to its 132,018 acres, 听has one of the lowest area-to-visitors ratios听on this list. To get there, you have to take a ferry from Houghton, Copper Harbor, or Grand Portage. Famous for its , this off-the-grid archipelago features 165 miles of trails and 36 campgrounds (some accessible only by boat) to serve as your base camp for a few days of听running, hiking, fishing, and diving on shipwrecks. Canoes and kayaks are excellent means of transportation within the park, though the former is better suited for the islands鈥� inland lakes than for open waters.

Minnesota

Voyageurs National Park

Named for the French Canadian travelers who explored what鈥檚 now the Minnesota-Ontario border, is best seen from its plentiful waterways. The 218,000 acres are听almost half water, including four major lakes and 26 smaller ones for kayaking and canoeing the interior of the park. That said, there鈥檚 also plentiful forest hiking with numerous overlooks, as well as听snowshoeing or cross-country skiing during winter months. Choose sections of the 30-mile Kab-Ash Trail, an interconnected system of four trailheads, or do the whole trail for a tour of the park. The numerous campsites include backcountry options. Brings binoculars to see the park鈥檚 moose, gray wolves, beavers, bald eagles, and river otters, and empty your pockets for wild berries and hazelnuts.

Mississippi

Gulf Island National Seashore

Stretching for 160 miles along the coast, extends all the way into the Florida Panhandle. Its ecosystems range from sultry bayous to gorgeous white-sand barrier islands, and you鈥檙e liable to see everything from dolphins and sea turtles to American black bears and armadillos. Explore the wild islets on foot, by boat, and in the water鈥攖he snorkeling and diving are prime. On shore, the 15.5-mile round-trip Live Oaks Bicycle Route connects the Davis Bayou Campground to the town of Ocean Springs, where you can resupply. Boat-in backcountry camping is available on the gorgeous Perdido Key.

Missouri

Johnson鈥檚 Shut-Ins State Park

In the heart of the St. Francois Mountains, is worth a visit just for its eponymous maze of rocky wells that form a veritable playground of shallow pools to dip in and rocks to scramble over听in the East Fork Black River. But there are also 150-plus miles of trails within a 20-mile radius of Johnson鈥檚 Shut-Ins, including some of Missouri鈥檚 best singletrack. A section of the Ozark Trail听connects to neighboring Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and is lined with a string of natural wonders, such as Mina Sauk Falls and the Devil鈥檚 Tollgate rock. Johnson鈥檚 Shut-Ins is one of only five state parks in Missouri that allow climbing. Check out the rare forest seeps, where water wells up from holes in the ground, as well as the dolomite glade, which is representative of the Ozarks but rare in this particular region.

Montana

Flathead National Forest

Glacier National Park is spectacular, yes, but its 3 million annual visitors aren鈥檛 as pretty. The nearby has similar high-alpine terrain and fewer people. Diverse听recreational听opportunities听are endless: run some whitewater, mountain bike, or go backpacking. To narrow down the massive tract into something more manageable, check out , a splendid 15,000-acre hiking area in the Hungry Horse Ranger District. Camp and ski in the backcountry, or bring your rods鈥攎ore than 20 lakes in the immediate vicinity provide听excellent lake fishing for cutthroat trout.

Nebraska

Smith Falls State Park

Home to the Nebraska鈥檚 tallest waterfall, is a perfect adventure base camp. Sleep there and use it as a launch point for paddle trips on the 76-mile Niobrara River, a National Scenic River that wends through dramatic bluffs. Hikers can walk to the 45-foot Fort Falls within nearby Fort Niobrara Wilderness Area, as well as Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, a 19,131-acre parcel that鈥檚 home to bison, elk, prairie dogs, and other critters. Just a few more miles down the road, the 321-mile Cowboy Trail鈥擜merica鈥檚 longest rail trail鈥攖akes off. Be sure to bring your gravel bike.

Nevada

Great Basin National Park

Near the Utah border lies the Silver State鈥檚 most underrated treasure: . There鈥檚 no entrance fee to this 77,000-acre park, which sits at around 10,000 feet in the high desert. Be sure to summit the state鈥檚 second-tallest mountain, 13,000-foot . You鈥檒l have to stick to lower elevations to walk among the park鈥檚 4,000-plus-year-old bristlecone pines and . You鈥檒l need a guide to take you through most of the caverns, although one wild cave, Little Muddy, is open to independent cavers with permits.听With the exception of the short trail between Baker and the Great Basin Visitor Center, bikes are allowed only on roads in the park. However, you can connect to adjacent BLM and Forest Service land to bike trails that smell听of sagebrush. Backpacking is free听on the 60-plus miles of trails in this International Dark Sky Park鈥攐ne of six听designations granted by the International Dark Sky Association to help听preserve听dark sites as a natural resource.

New Hampshire

Franconia Notch State Park

centers on a dramatic pass through the White Mountains, but that鈥檚 hardly its only attraction. The southeast face of Cannon Mountain has long been a hotspot for alpine and trad climbing in New England, and the park also has plenty of options for hiking and running. Walk through old-growth forest or moss-covered , a 90-foot-tall granite canyon that has narrow sections with only a 12-foot gap between its walls. Sleep听at Lafayette Campground or Lonesome Lake Hut, the latter of which looks across a glacial lake and Franconia Ridge on the other side of the pass. Did we mention there鈥檚 skiing nearby at , too?

New Jersey

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The undammed听Middle Delaware River separates the Garden State from neighboring Pennsylvania with a 1,000-foot-deep chasm听through the Appalachian Mountains. Ranging from a quarter-mile wide at river level to a mile across听from听the top of one mountain to the opposite side, to say the Delaware Water Gap is impressive would be an understatement. The surrounding 70,000-acre is听also impressive, with its听waterfalls, hemlock-filled ravines, and nearly 200 lakes and ponds. You can hike more than 100 miles of trails, 28 of which are on the AT. Bring a gravel bike for the 32-mile McDade Recreational Trail and your climbing gear for trad missions on Mount听Tammany and Mount听Minsi. Or set off on a multiday trip on the Middle Delaware River. In the winter months, a Nordic ski setup and ice-climbing gear will come in handy.

New Mexico

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

In southwestern New Mexico, is contained within the Gila Wilderness: 558,014 acres of unspoiled听mountainous terrain. The nation鈥檚 first wilderness area, Gila features more than 400 miles of trails for day hiking and backpacking. In addition to learning about the Mogollon Native American history听of the area, visitors will enjoy two hot springs within walking distance of the visitor center at the national monument. Mexican gray wolves roam the region, as do javelinas, a听medium-sized听pig-like mammal. In the surrounding Gila National Forest, you鈥檒l find fly-fishing and free camping at Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of only four International Dark Sky Association鈥揷ertified sanctuaries in the world.

New York

Adirondack Park

A patchwork of public and private lands, upstate New York鈥檚 is colossal. Of the 6 million acres originally protected听in 1894鈥攚hich still shape the park鈥檚 boundary鈥�2.6 million acres known as Adirondack Forest Preserve remain firmly in the state鈥檚 hands. The remaining 3.4 million acres are privately owned but regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency to minimize the effects that these hamlets and agricultural and industrial areas might otherwise have on听the park鈥檚 natural features. Adirondack Park is deservedly famous for its wealth of hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting, lake paddling, fly-fishing, and climbing. The Adirondack Forest Preserve听contains nearly 20 different sweeps of wilderness, including Saint Regis Canoe Area, the largest wilderness canoe zone in the northeastern United States听(and the only one in New York). If you鈥檙e up for portaging, pond-hop a classic route known as the Nine Carries.

North Carolina

Cape Lookout National Seashore

On the southernmost tip of the Outer Banks, off North Carolina鈥檚 Crystal Coast, the 56-mile听 is part of a paper-thin strand of barrier islands. Comparable to the more popular to the north鈥攁lbeit a bit more difficult to reach鈥擟ape Lookout gets a fraction of Hatteras鈥� millions of annual visitors, even though it鈥檚 equally听beautiful. Climb 207 steps up Cape Lookout Lighthouse (equivalent to scaling a 12-story building), try your hand at crabbing or clamming, go windsurfing, or just splash around in the warm Atlantic waves. While there are only two trails, many people hike and backpack the islands in search of wild horses. (Remember to follow these .) With 112 miles of shore, Cape Lookout has also become a go-to sea kayaking destination on the mid-Atlantic coast.

North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

South Dakota isn鈥檛 the only place 听in the United States that you鈥檒l find badlands geology. Clocking in at well over 70,000 acres, 鈥檚 plains give way to caprocks and colorful layers of stone and bentonite clay. Roam in search of bison and elk鈥攈ikes range from ten听minutes to 12 hours鈥攐r grab a paddle and take a multiday float trip down the Little Missouri River. There are two official campgrounds, but with nearly half the park designated as wilderness, you can also camp in the backcountry amid wild roses.

Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The Buckeye State鈥檚 sole national park, 33,000-acre , is the largest protected natural area听in Ohio. Visitors can enjoy day hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and paddling the Cuyahoga River amid evergreen forests, sedge-dotted wetlands, and prairies. One of the park鈥檚 largest grasslands was once the site of Richfield Coliseum, a large-scale event venue that was home听to听the NBA鈥檚听Cleveland Cavaliers; it was torn down in 1999,听and 327 acres of asphalt were replaced with native plants. The Palace on the Prairie site now attracts ochre-colored monarch butterflies and rare birds like Henslow鈥檚 sparrows.

Oklahoma

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

You鈥檇 be forgiven if you didn鈥檛 expect to find top-notch granite in the Great Plains. Welcome to the , a 59,020-acre preserve in southwestern Oklahoma. The rugged Wichita Mountains protect mixed-grass prairies and oak forests from howling winds and provide multipitch trad and sport climbing, as well as top-roping and bouldering. Hike past fauna such as bison, elk, burrowing owls, and river otters, and go fishing for largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie, and channel catfish. Keep your eyes peeled for the state reptile:听the striking turquoise Oklahoma collared lizard. has 90 sites, but if you鈥檙e looking for a little more seclusion, backcountry camping is available in the 8,570-acre Charon鈥檚 Garden Wilderness Area for just two bucks.

Oregon

Oswald West State Park

Two hours west of Portland, the 2,484-acre is not nearly as expansive as many of the parks on this list, but its wild scenery will make you feel like you鈥檙e far from society. The rugged cape epitomizes seaside Oregon鈥檚 allure: temperate rainforests filled with salmonberries and ferns populate the inland areas, while surf batters volcanic basalt and sandstone cliffs. Although this stunning park no longer allows camping, there鈥檚 plenty to keep you busy on a day trip. A good surf break,听Short Sands Beach (aka听Shorty鈥檚)听is also听a favorite with beachgoers for its seclusion and protection from the stiff coastal breeze. Offshore, protects a variety of aquatic species. Opt for a run or hike on the nearby Oregon Coast Trail, or do an eight-mile round-trip up Neah-kah-nie Mountain, one of the state鈥檚 most prominent coastal peaks.

Pennsylvania

Ohiopyle State Park

Pennsylvania has a lot of parks, but none exhibit the same combination of size and recreational diversity as . With more than 25 miles of听mountain bike听trails in its 20,000 acres and high-quality whitewater on the Youghiogheny River (including a set of falls you can drop during a few weeks out of the year), there鈥檚 no shortage of adrenaline-inducing activities. Slip down natural water slides, view the deepest gorge in Pennsylvania from Baughman Rocks, and explore rare plants and fossils on the Ferncliff Peninsula, which has a distinctly mild and humid microclimate. Spend the night under the stars at Kentuck Campground, or hit the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a 70-mile trail accessible year-round for backpacking.

Rhode Island

Arcadia Management Area

Rhode Island鈥檚 largest recreation area, the 14,000-acre 听proffers more than a dozen hiking trails, tons of bouldering, and 40 miles of technical singletrack for mountain bikers. It also features swimming, some of the state鈥檚 best freshwater fishing, and the Wood River, which has Class I鈥揑I whitewater suitable for both kayakers and canoeists. All tuckered out? There are walk-in campsites where you can pop up a tent away from civilization.

South Carolina

Congaree National Park

Part of the Congaree International Biosphere Reserve (a UNESCO designation granted to areas of exceptional biodiversity, natural resources, and cultural heritage), central South Carolina鈥檚 features the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Hikes through the floodplain forestland range from less than a mile, like the boardwalk loop, to more than ten miles. is accessible on foot or by paddle. Hit the Congaree River Blue Trail, a 50-mile designated recreational paddling trail that reaches downstream听all the way from Columbia.

South Dakota

Custer State Park

When in South Dakota, head for the Black Hills. 鈥檚 71,000 acres boast more than 500 climbing routes, miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and Sylvan Lake, a picturesque destination for swimming and paddle boarding beneath granite crags. The area is also known for its abundance of wildlife: birds, bison, and trout all flourish. You鈥檒l find nine campgrounds as well as primitive camping in French Creek Natural Area, a sheer gorge surrounded by 2,200 acres of undeveloped pine and hardwood forestland.

Tennessee

Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park

Perched atop the eastern Cumberland Mountains in southern Tennessee, the linear follows the trail of the same name from the Cumberland Gap to Signal Point, near Chattanooga.听It encompasses more than 210 miles of trail听and adjacent lands (and it鈥檚 growing!), with access to vistas, waterfalls, and deep gorges. and are popular sections for day hiking and climbing, while backpackers can reach remote campsites along the length of the trail. The 31,500-acre Cumberland Trail Park intersects three NPS territories, including the Obed Wild and听Scenic River,听three major wildlife zones,听and six locally managed natural regions, for a combined total of more than 330,000 acres of public lands.

Texas

Big Bend National Park

doesn鈥檛 get nearly the same visitation numbers as other parks in the system, perhaps due to its out-of-the-way location on the Mexico border, hours from the nearest major city. However, the park鈥檚 main attractions are jaw-dropping.听Follow the Rio Grande back into the quiet depths of Santa Elena Canyon, and hike through fields of fragrant wildflowers while gazing up at听towering red rock formations like Mule Ears. Bring a boat to float the Rio Grande, and听toss your passport into your backpack鈥攜ou can cross the international border to visit the Mexican town of Boquillas by ferry or walk across when the water level is low enough. During peak periods, escape into mountainous backcountry to backpack, or just post up at designated primitive car-camping sites, which are removed from the lion鈥檚 share of park traffic. End a long day in the Chihuahuan Desert Biosphere Reserve with a stroll down a pictograph-covered trail to take a dip at the hot springs under starry skies.

Utah

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Skip the at the darlings of Utah鈥檚 park system鈥擜rches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion鈥攊n lieu of . While the听Mighty 5鈥檚 rocks are more famous听(Delicate Arch, for example, or Bryce鈥檚 otherworldly spires), you鈥檒l听see many of the same听types of formations听at GSE. Get your fill of , bridges, hoodoos, and badlands as you hike, backpack, and camp the monument鈥檚 1 million-plus acres. Its namesake, a 200 million-year-old geological staircase, separates the park into a series of cliff plateaus and has the most extensive network of slot canyons in the country. More popular, though, is the less remote Escalante Canyons area in the east, where visitors will find slickrock and swimming holes, like the 130-foot听Lower Calf Creek Falls.

Vermont

Smugglers鈥� Notch State Park

Christened for a narrow, 1,000-foot-tall rift through the Green Mountains, 听feeds into the less dramatic but much larger Mount Mansfield State Forest. Its听40,000听acres have hiking鈥攊ncluding the difficult climb up 4,400-foot Mount Mansfield, the state鈥檚 highest point鈥攁s well as bouldering, ice climbing, caving, and mountain biking.听The area is听part of the greater Mount Mansfield Natural Area, a national landmark that听features extensive alpine tundra听and arctic plant life听that鈥檚 rare in the Northeast.

Virginia

Shenandoah National Park

At 200,000 acres, dwarfs听all other parks in Virginia.听Bike the 105-mile听Skyline Drive, which traces the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the park.听Check out the area鈥檚 renowned and bouldering, or go fly-fishing on more than 70 streams. There are 196,000 acres of backcountry and wilderness, as well as 500-plus miles of trails leading through听oak-hickory forest. When you get tired, pitch a听tent听at one of five campgrounds or in the backcountry.

Washington

North Cascades National Park

听is听the most heavily glaciated听area in the lower 48, with more than 300 glaciers in its arsenal. Its听rugged terrain is home to elusive wildlife like lynx and wolverines, but people love it听too. Find听excellent backpacking, numerous long road-biking routes鈥攖here are even two bicycle-specific campsites:听site A3 at Newhalem Creek Campground and site 115 at Colonial Creek South鈥攁nd all types of climbing, from mountaineering to bouldering and sport climbing.听Book听boat-in听or car-camping sites 听if you don鈥檛 want to听carry听everything on your back.

West Virginia

New River Gorge National River

is renowned for its whitewater, from the demanding Class III鈥揤 sections of the Lower Gorge to the canoe-friendly Class I rapids of the upper area. But the 70,000 acres of protected land adjacent to 53 miles of the New River are听also optimal for land-based sports. There are 1,400-plus climbing routes, tons of options for , almost 100 miles of hiking trails, great fishing, and primitive campsites. Keep an eye out for wildlife like raptors, southern flying squirrels, kingfishers, and great blue herons.

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Comprising听12 square miles听of mainland and 21 islands, is home to 50 miles of maintained trails. In addition to striking sandstone cliffs and sandy beaches, the archipelago has rocky 听that support unique ecosystems听and听caves that ice over in winter, creating a walkable attraction when Lake Superior freezes (though access is sometimes ). View lighthouses and scenic vistas on foot or by boat, or go diving听in Lake Superior. Camping is available on 19 of the Lakeshore鈥檚 21 islands听and at one campsite on the mainland. You might see bears, beavers, red foxes, mink, and otters.

Wyoming

Bridger Wilderness Area

While the Tetons get millions of visitors, the Wind River Range, just southeast, is a wilder gem. is truly spectacular, with more than 40 named peaks over 13,000 feet, including Gannett Peak (Wyoming鈥檚 highest) and Gannett Glacier, the largest听in the American Rockies. About 600 miles of trails crisscross the area, and while vehicles (including bikes) are not allowed in the wilderness zone, there鈥檚 plenty of room to ride in the surrounding Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Editor’s Note: We frequently update this parks guide, which was originally published on June 6, 2019.

The post The Best Park in Every U.S. State appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

No wonder Teddy Roosevelt called the Grand Canyon 鈥渢he one great sight which every American should see.鈥� Walk to its edge, and the earth falls away into an expanse of peaks, plateaus, and gorges so vast it can be disorienting. Descend below the rim, and the sense of awe only grows. The canyon is essentially an inverted, 6,000-foot, 277-mile-long mountain range, where you are dwarfed by sheer stone walls stacked to the sky and vistas that multiply with every turn. In the desert landscape, the water can be the most astonishing sight. Turquoise streams rush whole out of rust red cliffs听and cascade through travertine pools. At the bottom of the canyon, of course, lies听the engine of this great geological conundrum鈥攖he thrumming, persistent Colorado River, which听carved the gorge over millennia. If there鈥檚 a better place to gain听perspective on our own relative insignificance, I don鈥檛 know it.

But all this comes with a downside. The park gets crowded. visited in 2021 alone. Don鈥檛 let that stop you from planning a trip, though. Just a fraction of visitors bother to descend into the canyon itself, which means it鈥檚 easy to find solitude. But with 595 miles of established trails, 278 miles of river to float, and countless panoramas, historic sites, and overlooks to explore, it鈥檚 hard to know where to start. Here鈥檚 how to make the most out of an adventure to one of our country鈥檚 most rugged and iconic places.

What You Need to Know Before Visiting the Grand Canyon

Beware of the heat.

The interior of the canyon averages triple-digit highs June through August, and those temperatures contributed to in 2017 alone.听So unless you鈥檙e a reptile or riding in a raft, plan your visit for the other nine months of the year.

If a summer trip is your only option, head to the North Rim.

The North Rim gets about a听tenth of the visitors听and,听at an elevation of 8,297 feet,听runs nearly ten degrees cooler than the South Rim.听In fact,听all park amenities on the North Rim are closed November through April, and the听road into the park closes in December鈥攐r earlier if enough snow falls鈥攎eaning you can only access the North Rim听by听hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing with a backcountry permit.

Be prepared for some paperwork and hope for some luck.

Many of the park鈥檚 best adventures, like camping in the backcountry, running your own trip down the Colorado鈥檚 rapids, or spending the night at the Phantom Ranch at the canyon鈥檚 bottom, require winning a lottery to land the necessary permits.

Rafting Permits in Grand Canyon National Park

If you know your way around an oar rig, the odds of winning a permit for a noncommercial river trip are notoriously difficult, especially for popular times like autumn and spring. For example, there were 459 applications to launch on September 18, 2019, alone. On the other hand, some days in December, when the days are short and the nights are cold, see no applicants at all. No matter your launch date, it costs $25 to apply for a permit. If you win, a 听must be paid immediately and听is applied to your听trip鈥檚 final price tag, which will depend听on the size of your group.

Backpacking Permits in Grand Canyon National Park

Your odds for scoring are much better and only cost $10 per permit, plus $12 per person per night in the canyon or $12 per group above the rim. A word of note on this, though: the park鈥檚 reservation system is still dependent on pre-Y2K technology, meaning you have to apply via fax, regular mail, or in person. Your best chance for landing your dream hike is sending in a written application a little over four months before your planned trip during what鈥檚 called the earliest consideration period, which starts on the 20th of every month and runs through the first of the next. Trip applications submitted during this time are rewarded through a lottery. After that it鈥檚 first-come, first-served. Don鈥檛 fret if you don鈥檛 snag the spot you want, and definitely don鈥檛 cancel your trip. Most people don鈥檛 know it, but once you receive your permit, you can call the backcountry office to try and modify it. The nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust has a good explainer of the .

How to Get There

Grand Canyon National Park is split into two distinct zones divided by, well, the actual canyon. It鈥檚 a long four-and-a-half-hour drive to get from one rim to the other, so plan carefully. If you鈥檙e visiting the North Rim, it鈥檚 quickest to fly to Las Vegas, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from the park. If you are bound for the South Rim, from Phoenix it鈥檚 a three-and-a-half-hour drive, or you can splurge on one of the few daily flights into Flagstaff, Arizona, just an hour and a half south of Grand Canyon Village, the main hub for exploring the park. No car, or prefer not to drive? runs vans from Flagstaff to the village three times a day from May 15 to October 16.

Where to Stay In or Near the Grand Canyon

South Rim

is a landmark, not only for its location just steps from the canyon rim but also for its iconic architectural style, which influenced many of the National Park lodges that followed. Built in 1905, it鈥檚 worth taking a look at the log-sided lobby, even if you aren鈥檛 staying there. Like most NPS lodging, rooms are basic, expensive, and hard to come by (from $394). You鈥檒l want to book a year in advance, especially if you covet one of the three balcony suites on the canyon side, which cannot be reserved online. You鈥檒l have to听call听the hotel directly, and they鈥檒l cost you double the regular room rate. There are , all pretty basic, and another half dozen in the town of Tusayan, just outside the park, about six miles from the rim.

For camping on the South Rim, your best bet is to head听25 miles east of Grand Canyon Village for the prized sunsets at . It runs $18 per night but is first-come, first-served, so plan to snag a site midmorning when campers are clearing out.

North Rim

Go for the Western Cabins at the听. With nothing between your front porch and the canyon but a few pine trees, cabins 301, 305, 306, and 309 are some of the best accommodations in the park ($271, open May 15 to October 15). If those are booked, grabbing an Adirondack chair from the main lodge鈥檚 veranda and settling in as the sunset washes the Deva, Brahma, and Zoroaster Temple buttes in flaming alpenglow is a solid second choice.

You can catch the same west-facing views at the ,听a mile or so north of the lodge. Book sites 14 to 19, right on the rim, if you can, though they鈥檙e often reserved听a year in advance.

Canyon Floor 听

The Phantom Ranch, tucked into a shady cottonwood grove at the bottom of the chasm, in 2018, and entries are due a whopping 15 months ahead of your desired dates. If you don鈥檛 make the cut, try for a spot at the adjacent Bright Angel Campground, which requires a backcountry camping permit. You can still order meals from Phantom Ranch, which will lighten your load for the hike in.

The Best 国产吃瓜黑料s in Grand Canyon National Park

Most park visitors never leave the developed enclave of Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim. They roll up in their rental car, park, stroll to the guardrail听rim, browse the gift shops, and then head to the next national park on their checklist. That鈥檚 not an exaggeration: the park estimates that the average听visit lasts less than four hours. Even hopping on the free shuttles that stop for fresh views along the South Rim every mile or so is听enough to leave most of the horde behind. The farther you get from the visitor听center, the more the crowds thin out.

Biking Routes

Rent bikes from , located听next to the visitor center, and cruise the South Rim. The Hermit Road winds seven miles along the rim from the village and is closed to private cars March through November, making it one of the most scenic cycling paths in the world. Or head east from the visitors center and link the bike path with the car-free Yaki Point Road. Jutting far into the canyon, Yaki Point is a popular spot to catch the sunset splash听rosy light across a 42-mile swath of canyon all the way from the Palisades of the Desert, 25 miles to the east,听to Havasupai Point, 17 miles west.

Hiking Trails

For day outings, skip the South Rim鈥檚 well-trampled Bright Angel Trail, which drops into the canyon right at the village, and take the shuttle bus from there听to the South Kaibab Trailhead. The seven-mile path, one of the best hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park, descends 4,780 feet all the way to the river, but many people merely opt for the 1.8-mile round-trip to the comically named Ooh Aah Point. On the North Rim, the mild five-mile Widforss Trail winds along the rim and then ducks through ponderosa pine and aspen groves to Widforss Point, where you can catch views of sheer, jagged buttes like Wotans Throne and the Zoroaster Temple or the battlements of Transept Canyon.

Backpacking Trips

The remote, arduous may well be the Grand Canyon鈥檚 most astonishing backpacking trip. Start the 21-mile, three-day loop from the Bill Hall Trailhead at Monument Point (which shaves 2.5 miles off the traditional Indian Hollow Trailhead route), 34 miles down a sometimes impassable road from the North Rim town of Jacob Lake. It passes by Thunder River itself, a large creek that pours straight out of cave midway up the red canyon wall and tumbles down tiers of lush, vegetated pools. Don鈥檛 miss the chance to spend an afternoon exploring the twisting Deer Creek Narrows, or detour down the rafter鈥檚 trail to the river to check out the outlet of the narrows, 80-foot-high Deer Creek Falls.

The granddaddy of Grand Canyon hikes is going rim to rim, dropping all the way to the river, crossing the bridge at Phantom Ranch, and then climbing out the other side. Some break up the journey with a night at Phantom Ranch. Others prefer to knock it out in a day鈥攖he current record is two hours and 39 minutes.听To preserve knee cartilage, most people start at the lower South Rim, descend听4,460 feet on the Bright Angel Trail, and then听ascend听5,850 feet on the North Kaibab Trail to the North Rim Lodge, for a total of 21 miles. Some of the听more ambitious hikers and runners go听rim to rim to rim, but for the one-way trip, you鈥檒l need transportation back. If you can鈥檛 talk a friend into picking you up on the other side (a four-and-a-half-hour drive one-way), you can drop听a car off yourself and catch a ride back with the for $120.

Boating and Paddling

There are two ways to boat the Colorado River: by motorized raft听or in a human-propelled oar or paddle raft. I can鈥檛 recommend the former. The outboard engines feel like a violation of the river鈥檚 stretches of sublime silence, and the huge听30-foot rafts鈥攑acked shoulder to shoulder听with passengers鈥攎ute even the formidable whitewater.

The best way to experience the river is at its own pace,听taking on the towering waves of famous rapids like Crystal and Lava Falls in an 18-foot oar rig. You鈥檒l drift for days through face-melting scenery, blast down hundreds of galloping rapids, and camp each night on sand beaches beneath a lane of bright stars. Plus听you can pack听steaks and fresh veggies in coolers, chill beers beers听in drag bags in the river, and best of all, enjoy the complete lack of cell-phone reception. If you don鈥檛 have the experience or a permit to DIY, more than run river trips through the Grand Canyon, ranging in length from three to 18 days and costing around $2,000 to $6,000.

Where to Eat and Drink Near the Grand Canyon

If you鈥檙e driving up from Phoenix, stop in Flagstaff, a college town with a burgeoning food and brewery scene. For lunch, pop by for locally sourced beef patties served on English muffins, and grab a Blake, which features homemade Hatch-chile mayo, roasted green chilies, and sharp cheddar. Staying for dinner? The folks at say their fare is good for the soul鈥攃ast-iron cornbread, jambalaya, and slow-smoked barbecue are all on the menu.

Inside the park, dining options are mainly limited to large-scale concessionaires who win service-contract bids. , which runs most of the Grand Canyon鈥檚 restaurants, now sources 40 percent of its ingredients from sustainable or local vendors. At the El Tovar dining room, the signature prime-rib hash鈥攚hich features Arizona-grown beef, cage-free eggs, bell peppers, and chipotle hollandaise sauce鈥攕hould set you up for a descent into the canyon听and back.

听in Grand Canyon Village听sells Flagstaff-made baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee. The cinnamon pound cake is worth stashing in your pack for a midride snack.

Across the canyon, the view from听the veranda at the听 makes for some of the best alfresco dining on the planet. From the dinner menu, try the wings, which are braised in spicy prickly pear cactus juice. Wash it down with Flagstaff-brewed beers named after park features, like the Phantom Ranch Red.

Just outside the park, the Meadows Edge Coffee Trailer, beside the , serves a blueberry-pomegranate smoothie and the canyon鈥檚 best latte. A little farther on, at the junction of 89A and Highway听67, the Jacob Lake Inn is famous for its听. There are听15 varieties on offer, including chocolate parfait and lemon zucchini with pecans.

If You Have Time for a Detour

While getting a permit to float through the Grand Canyon takes some doing, paddling 15 miles upstream from听the park into Marble Canyon requires no permits, fees, or reservations. Dogs are also allowed, so you can finally let the pups out of the van.

For camping, part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (the section of river between Lee鈥檚 Ferry and Glen Canyon Dam)听contains first-come, first-serve听sites. Or relatively strong paddlers can rent a kayak from in nearby Page, Arizona, and head upstream to camp听in the听Instagram mecca that is . From the beach, you can just make out the silhouettes of the hordes on the rim.

Want to mountain bike at the park? You can鈥檛. But the , on Forest Service land abutting the North Rim, has become the听go-to destination for fat-tire听riders wanting to cozy up to America鈥檚 favorite abyss. Twenty-two miles of singletrack wind through ponderosa pine forests and meadows, occasionally popping out at the rocky rim for eyefuls of the Big Ditch. Most cyclists post up for a few days听at dispersed car-camping spots like Locust Trailhead, midway on the route.

Editor’s Note: We frequently update this National Parks guide, which was originally published on Dec 4, 2018.

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It鈥檚 embarrassing to admit, but ten years ago, when I first started going to Joshua Tree National Park, I got lost. I鈥檇 been shuffling along, marveling at the sheer magnitude of the fractured monzogranite towers, when I realized that the trail had vanished. I clambered atop the nearest pile of boulders听and took stock of the situation: an endless, undulating desert sparkling in the midday heat鈥攁nd thankfully, a familiar beige ribbon in the not too far distance.

I offer this anecdote not to dissuade a visit, but to say that Joshua Tree is so mesmerizing that it鈥檚 pretty easy to get turned around out there. It鈥檚 also pretty听damn vast. Originally home to the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave,听Serrano, and Western Shoshone peoples, the park contains nearly 800,000 acres, more than a third of them designated wilderness, and many of those trail-free, a siren call to anyone who might enjoy a little desert solitaire.

But this is no lonely swath of sand. The whole place is riddled with snaking canyons, hidden oases, and bulbous rocks听hosting a variety of wildlife, including bobcats, coyotes, jackrabbits, and the threatened Mojave desert tortoise. In addition, the Southern California park receives nearly three million visitors a year who fan across its dual regions鈥攖he more arid and remote Colorado Desert, to the east, and the higher-elevation and more heavily developed听Mojave Desert, to the west. The latter is where you鈥檒l find the highest concentration听of the park鈥檚 Seussian namesake, which is not a tree at all听but a monocot, a flowering plant that鈥檚 related to yucca.

What You Need to Know Before Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

Beware the spiky chollas.

During one of my earliest Joshua Tree hikes, a spindly segment of pencil cholla pierced through the thick rubber of my boot soles. Not long after plucking it out, I accidentally kicked a hefty wad of Teddybear听Cholla into my tender calf. This is to say: pay attention to your surroundings. Long sleeves and pants help prevent contact with pointy pests, but the importance of a kit featuring听a beefy set of pliers to pry off stems from shoes听can鈥檛 be underestimated.

Prepare to put your navigational skills to the test.

Despite all the thorny traps, my favorite way to experience Joshua Tree is to ramble cross-country; for this, a good map and solid backcountry听skills are crucial. Spend a day finding your way to Quail Mountain, the park鈥檚 high point at 5,814听feet, and nearby , neither of which have developed trails to their summits. The latter is named for a woman who lobbied Franklin D. Roosevelt to designate the area as a national park; while it was first protected as a national monument, Hoyt鈥檚 wish was granted in 1994, almost 50 years after her death. The peaks are located several miles west of the Hidden Valley Picnic Area as the crow flies; several established off-trail routes exist from the north and the east, so dig into some research and consult a topo map before committing to a plan.

Embrace the golden hours.

Joshua Tree is pure magic during the wee hours. Light pollution is minimal, so the night skies absolutely sparkle.听August is a stargazer鈥檚 delight during the Perseid meteor shower. Set your alarm to catch sunrise the next day.听The , located on Pinto Basin Road at听the park鈥檚 center, and 听(boasting sight lines to the glittering Salton Sea and beyond), farther west at the end of Keys View Road, are especially picturesque at this time.

How to Get There

The nearest airport is , located less than an hour from the park鈥檚 quiet south entrance off Interstate 10. There鈥檚 not much in this area besides tumbleweeds and highway traffic, but you’ll find听听seven miles from the park’s southern entrance. Its听62-site听听is a less in-demand听option than听lodging within the park听during high season (from the end of August through early June, when it accepts reservations only, from $25), and has several hiking trails. Detour to , 25 minutes southeast of听the airport,听for a thick date shake to sweeten the drive.

The small听but colorful community of Joshua Tree is home to the west entrance and its namesake visitor center, although the park鈥檚 most popular features are about a 30-minute drive into the park. It鈥檚 most frequently used by visitors coming from Los Angeles.听The 听from Los Angeles International听Airport听offers plenty of diversions; it鈥檚 practically required to stop and snap a photo beside one of the famous 鈥攜ou鈥檒l know them when you see them, especially if you鈥檙e a Pee-wee Herman fan.

The north entrance is located just below the city of听, known for its Marine Corps base and vibrant听public murals. Enjoy the sights, then cool down with a stroll through the shady and adjacent . During high season, use this entrance to avoid long waits, and pay park fees at the visitor center for even faster entry.

What鈥檚听the Best Time of Year to Visit Joshua Tree?

While hearty locals and curious visitors cruise the park year-round (even during its sultry summer season, when temperatures often hit 100 degrees),听crowds swell in the more temperate fall and spring months, which maintain a range听of 50 to 85 degrees, dipping only during the harshest winter conditions, when it can get as low as 35 degrees.

Fall

Prime time begins in October, when temperatures downshift from summer鈥檚 triple-digit highs and visitors begin to pour in. You鈥檒l likely have to jockey for parking at most established trailheads, so arrive early in the day. Campgrounds also fill up quickly, at least over the weekends, so have a backup plan鈥攕ay, or springing for a hotel room鈥攊f you鈥檙e rolling up without a reservation.

Winter

The months of December and January听are mercurial: one day you鈥檙e playing lizard on a sunny rock, and听the next听you鈥檙e swaddled in a pile of down. Layers are key. Biting winds, rainstorms, and snow showers aren鈥檛 uncommon, but the upside for those prepared for the finicky elements is that cold temperatures and precipitation keep the shoulder season鈥檚听larger crowds at bay (though you won鈥檛 be completely alone on trails or at camp).

Spring

Thanks to abundant wildflowers and mild temperatures, spring is the most popular season in Joshua Tree.听Joshua trees begin sprouting their creamy blossoms in February, and bright splotches from blooming cacti and wildflowers鈥攊ncluding the desert lily, sand verbena, and ocotillo鈥攄ot the desert floor through April.

Summer

A visit between May and September grants more solitude听but not without significant cost: temperatures often top 100 degrees. Come prepared with ample water, protective clothing, and perhaps even an umbrella or shade structure for your campsite. And take it easy鈥攈eat-related illnesses are common and sometimes prove fatal.

Where to Stay in Joshua Tree National Park

In the Park

Snagging a campsite in Joshua Tree is a competitive sport during peak seasons; no day of the week is easy, though the odds improve midweek. The Indian Cove, Black Rock, Jumbo Rocks, Ryan, and Cottonwood Campgrounds (from $20) are Hidden Valley, Belle, and White Tank are first-come, first-served (and some, including Belle and Ryan, with the latter two closed during the summer (from $15). My favorite of these is , a small and somewhat remote campground that鈥檚 a 20-minute drive from the park鈥檚 Twentynine Palms entrance on Pinto Basin Road. From camp, it鈥檚 a short walk along a half-mile nature trail to find excellent sunrise views at nearby Arch Rock. Dirtbags frequent the more centrally located for its proximity to primo climbing at massive Intersection Rock. Expect to make friends if you have climbing gear lying around.

Beyond the Park

If you strike out in the park, there鈥檚 (from $15), about 20 minutes north of the main entrance. It鈥檚 an affordable option that lacks the park鈥檚 iconic boulder piles but makes up for it with a small, serene fishing lake. Alternatively, you can set up on a checkerboard of BLM parcels scattered just below the southern entrance, off of Cottonwood Springs Road and Interstate 10. For less sandy digs, book a room at the charming (from $138), or bunk down in one of ten themed rentals at (from $115), something of a summer camp for adults thanks to amenities that include an archery range, Ping-Pong table, and mini-golf course. Both are a ten-minute drive from the park鈥檚 west entrance. Twentynine Palms boasts far more lodging. The (from $140) is one of its most unique, with lush landscaping, rustic cabins, colorful adobes, and an organic garden that鈥檚 harvested for an on-site restaurant. And Instagrammable Airbnb rentals abound along Highway 62, from rustic desert cabins听to geodesic dome houses.

The Best 国产吃瓜黑料s in Joshua Tree National Park

While driving around to ogle Joshua Tree鈥檚 iconic rock formations is a noble pursuit in itself, this playful landscape is best experienced on foot.听Be sure to pack in all the water you鈥檒l need,听because听there鈥檚 very little available in the park beyond at the visitor centers and . And download any maps or apps ahead of time as听cell service is effectively nonexistent.

Hiking

The around Barker Dam, located off its namesake road in the north side of the park, is a family-friendly option that passes one of Joshua Tree鈥檚听few watering holes, a pond that nurtures plant life and rises听during winter rains, which makes it one of the best sites to view migrating birds. At the dam site, look for an inscription in the concrete and a spiral-shaped trough below, remnants of the area鈥檚 cattle-ranching history. Farther ahead, an obvious turnoff leads to a cave decorated with petroglyphs.

Ten minutes south, on Park Boulevard, the popular to Ryan Mountain leads to can鈥檛-miss views of the park鈥檚 western half, including the massive boulder piles that form the Wonderland of Rocks. For more solitude, depart from on the park鈥檚 quieter western edge for a 6.3-mile out-and-back hike to the summit of Warren Peak, a craggy promontory that offers front-row views of two SoCal听gems鈥擲an Gorgonio Mountain and Mount San Jacinto, often snowcapped from fall through spring.

Of course, no Joshua Tree experience is complete without a trip through its gold-loving past. The moderately difficult to Lost Horse Mine, located off Keys View Road, features the well-preserved remnants of a听successful mine that听generated the modern equivalent of $5 million worth of gold and silver ore during its heyday听as well as听expansive vistas across the park鈥檚 southernmost reaches. For a longer alternative, set up a car shuttle to day-hike or backpack the 16-mile roundtrip Boy Scout Trail, which skirts the impressive Wonderland of Rocks and offers a side trip just over a mile from its southern terminus to visit Willow Hole, a seasonal water source and wildlife draw that rings its famed tree.

Climbing

The rock here is world-famous鈥攁nd famously sandbagged鈥攕o听check your ego before chalking up. Winter and spring offer the grippiest rock, but that iconic grit will also chew the flesh right off your fingers, so pack plenty of tape and antibiotic ointment.

While it doesn鈥檛 have much to offer sport climbers, the park boasts thousands of slabby boulder problems and crack-laden trad routes spread far and wide.听A听bike, car, or opposable thumb is necessary to get around. The Hidden Valley area is popular, due to its proximity to its namesake , but no matter where you climb, bring plenty of sun protection, approach shoes, and a level head.听Runouts are common,听as are surprisingly spicy walk-offs.

Robert Miramontes鈥檚听 is the book to carry if you鈥檙e dragging a crash pad.听 rents well-worn copies. For more hands-on instruction, consider taking a class or springing for a private guide from . You can also snag beta from rangers and fellow dirtbags at the Climbers Coffee听sessions offered weekend mornings at during the high season.

Horseback Riding

While riding across an exposed, waterless desert isn鈥檛 for everyone, well-prepared equestrians (including those who hire the knowledgeable guides at , from $135 for 90 minutes) will be able to access over 250 miles of 鈥orse-friendly paths, including a 37-mile chunk of the much larger California Riding and Hiking Trail, which stretches from Black Rock Campground in the park鈥檚 northwest corner to its north entrance near Twentynine Palms.

Bird-Watching

Pack your binoculars, bird nerds. Thanks to its location along the famous Pacific Flyway migration route, the park hosts over 250 species of songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors. Year-round, you鈥檒l likely spot听quail, roadrunners, egrets, osprey, red-tailed hawks, and bald eagles. But visit in spring for max avian stoke.

Cycling

While singletrack is off-limits, bikes are allowed on all of Joshua Tree鈥檚 public roads. Stick to the dirt roads听for more solitude and adventure. Queen Valley Road, which begins just south of the , is a relatively chill cruise that leads to the trailhead for Desert Queen Mine. Lock your bike at the trailhead and hike in 1.5 miles to view the remains of historic stone buildings and mining equipment.听Farther west, climb some 400 feet on remote Eureka Peak Road to reach its eponymous summit and excellent views. Check in with the folks at for additional recommendations and rentals.

Where to Eat and Drink Around Joshua Tree

The community of Joshua Tree, ten minutes north of听the park鈥檚 west entrance, is small听but mighty when it comes to eats; plus, everything is within walking distance of the town鈥檚 sole stoplight. I鈥檝e spent more mornings than I can count hunched over a strong cup of joe (roasted by ; snag an excellent bag of beans at their storefront across the road) and a plate of salsa-slathered eggs and polenta at .

For lunch听I pull up a stool (and order a pint), then sink into a portobello burger at the . For lighter fare, it鈥檚 over to the听听for a smoothie. On the rare occasion I鈥檓 not scarfing dinner by headlamp, I head straight to (these multitasking entrepreneurs also own a convenience store next door) for a belly full of curry.

Twentynine Palms offers a more expansive selection of eateries, including fast-food joints you won鈥檛 find in the town of Joshua Tree. Skip those in favor of , a cozy and creative eatery with Caribbean-inspired food听located on Mesquite Avenue; it鈥檚 also a great place to hammer away at your keyboard if the need should arise. You don鈥檛 need to be a guest to enjoy an evening at ; grab a seat at the poolside bar and restaurant for cocktails and upscale comfort food, much of it crafted from its听on-site garden.

If You Have Time for a Detour

South Entrance

If entering from the south, it鈥檚 worth the mileage to drop 30听minutes down to the Salton Sea, a highly saline (and rapidly disappearing) lake formed accidentally at the turn of the 20th century when the Colorado River flooded an existing irrigation system. There鈥檚 a visitor center and campground on its north shore at the , which offers great bird-watching, with several hundred species of feathered friends making their way through on their winter migrations. Forty minutes southeast of here sits , a vibrant folk-art installation with religious overtones and pop-culture connotations. The site served as a听backdrop for a memorable scene in the film adaptation of Into the Wild.

West Entrance

The long stretch of Highway 62 between Morongo Valley and Twentynine Palms offers plenty of diversions and deserves at least a full day of your itinerary. Heading east, begin with a saunter around the lush , a major stopover on the Pacific Flyway and part of the , to enjoy the very rare sight of desert wetlands. From there, drive ten minutes to caffeinate at 鈥檚 rustic , then veer north听a few minutes more to sit a spell at the rustic , equal parts dive bar, BBQ joint, and world-class music venue (I highly recommend making dinner reservations and scoring show tickets as its听outdoor stage is unforgettable, no matter who鈥檚 playing). Farther north, in tiny Landers,听make an appointment well ahead of time to align your chakras to the dulcet tones of a sound bath at the (from $50), a domed structure that sits on a geomagnetic vortex in the Mojave Desert. Closer to the park鈥檚 Joshua Tree entrance, trace a series of dusty roads to arrive at the (free of charge, open sunrise to sunset), an immersive homage to its namesake creator, who used discarded materials to concoct fantastical sculptures.

How to Be Conscious

Judging from the news coverage of vandals running amok, you鈥檇 think Joshua Tree was overrun with trash and criminals. While some damage has occurred over the years, the impacts were mitigated by local groups, including and the , which听take stewardship seriously, and aside from occasional sprays of graffiti, most visitors do听as well.

The park鈥檚 ecosystems are fragile, so enter with a spirit of respect, and research seasonal restrictions. If you venture off-trail, take care to avoid trampling underfoot. This dark and delicate crust, which traps rainfall and provides structural stability, is comprised of living organisms and can take years to rebuild once crushed.

In more well-traveled areas, look out for climbing and overnight-camping restrictions, which are frequently enacted to protect nesting raptors and desert bighorn sheep听as well as听allow wildlife unfettered access to precious water resources. On the subject of climbing: any bolting, even the replacement of existing hardware, requires permits, and power drills are not allowed in the wilderness. The place is packed with traces of human history鈥攑etroglyphs, pictographs, shelters, mines, mills, and beyond, which endure damage over time just from human touch.

Editor’s Note: We frequently update this National Parks guide, which was originally published on Oct 28, 2019.

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