The only thing better than waking up in a mountain town is overnighting within minutes of the destinationā€™s best trails, waterways, and ski runsā€”and I learned this firsthand on a June 2024 Alaskan getaway. Iā€™d spent several weeks hopping between national parks, including bear watching in Lake Clark and . I wasnā€™t ready for the adventure to end, and a stay at the new Chugach State Park-adjacent instead of downtown Anchorage, meant it didnā€™t have to.

I spent the 48 hours before my homebound flight strolling the propertyā€™s trails, hiking the Chugach-view loop around nearby Eklutna Lake, and crossing off an exciting wildlife spotting: the tripā€™s first black bear.

Thatā€™s just the start of this listā€™s adventure-centered digs. I scoured Airbnb for other incredible stays in the nation’s beloved mountain towns, from a waterfront abode in my lucky lower 48 aurora-hunting perchā€”Michiganā€™s Upper Peninsulaā€”to a postcard-worthy A-frame in my favorite fall hiking spot, the Adirondacks. Here are 12 canā€™t-miss mountain-town Airbnb homes to add to your bucket list.

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Watch Stars Shimmer Above the Chisos in Terlingua, Texas

From this dramatic Stardust Big Bend Luxury A-frame, youā€™ll be within minutes of Terlinguaā€™s old-western ghost town, not to mention the Maverick entrance to Big Bend National Park. But the cabinā€™s dramatic Chihuahuan desert surroundings, and the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook it, make it hard to leave the property. Watch from bed as the rising sun paints the Chisos peaks hues of pink and peach, or relax on the spacious deck or hammock as the desert transitions from golden hour to star-speckled nightā€”a signature of the regionā€™s enormous Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. Your hangout is one of 11 cabins on the property, and it feels like a home away from home with a full kitchen, one bedroom, two beds, and one bathroom, for up to four guests. Meet your neighbors in the community game room, but note, pets are not allowed.

Squeeze in Ample ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Within One Hour of Anchorage Airport, Alaska

This handicap-accessible cabin is part of BlueWater Basecamp, a new collection of eight Scandinavian-style abodes set near Alaskaā€™s Chugach State Park and roughly one hour from the Anchorage International Airport. With this proximity, you can spend your final days in Alaska hiking, biking, and wildlife watching instead of bopping between Anchorage gift shops. Teal-tinged Eklutna Lake, for example, is mere minutes from the property, with guided paddle trips and a 12-mile dirt loop around the water for biking and hiking. Wildlife such as moose and black bears are known to inhabit the area, and they may even stop by BlueWater BaseCamp for a porch safari. The pet-friendly property has three styles of abodes, including the handicap-accessible deluxe mountain cabin with room for up to six guests with two bedrooms, three beds, and one bathroom, as well as a full kitchenā€”a necessity given that the nearest main towns, Palmer and Eagle River, are 30 minutes away.Ģż

Stay in a Taos Earthship Within Minutes of Stunning, Uncrowded Trails in New Mexico

This eye-popping Taos Mesa Studio Earthship is more than a place to rest your head. Itā€™s a lesson in sustainable housing, with an off-grid design built to catch rainwater and generate its own electricityā€”all while staying 72 degrees throughout the year, even on chilly desert nights. The Earthship lies 10 minutes from the , an eight-mile out-and-back route that overlooks the Rio Grande del Norte National Monumentā€™s plains and peaks, with parallel views of the 800-feet-deep Taos gorge. Your one-bedroom, one-bathroom Earthship can welcome up to four guests thanks to a cozy, convertible daybed. Pets are welcome with a $50 fee, and the home comes with a full kitchen.

Snooze in a Snow Globe After Hitting the Breckenridge, Colorado Slopes

Enjoy endless fresh air among the Pike National Forest pines at The Deck at Quandary Peak, which allows for up to three guests. This backcountry Breckenridge home, which becomes its own glorified snow globe each winter, overlooks the Tenmile rangeā€™s highest peak, Mount Quandary. Youā€™ll have quick access to the Breck ski lift and town center within 15 minutes. The cabin, with its hygge-inspired aesthetic, includes one bedroom with two beds, one bathroom, and a full kitchen. Relax among the conifers on the fairy-light-adorned deck, or nap by the cozy indoor fireplace after a long day on the slopes. Youā€™ll need a 4WD vehicle to reach the home, and tire chains are required for winter visit. Pets are not allowed.

Overnight Beside a New York Adirondacks Lakeā€”Kayaks Included

New Yorkā€™s Adirondack Park is a four-season getaway, and few overnights immerse you in the changing landscape like this picturesque Lakefront A-frame Cabin on Stoner Lakes. Enjoy the mirror-still water from the fire ring, or hop aboard the kayaks that come with the property for a scenic paddle. The mountain town of Caroga Lake, set in the Adirondack foothills, is a 15-minute drive south. Head there for , fishing, or snowmobiling. Or, travel 10 minutes north of your cabin to tackle the steep 3.5-mile out-and-back up Good Luck Mountain. Royal Mountain Ski Areaā€™s 13 trails are a short 20 minutes south of you, too. Up to six guests (and pets) can enjoy this two-bedroom, three-bed, and one-bath getaway. (Note: this is a three-night minimum stay.)

Catch Shut-Eye in a Treehouse Near Park City, Utahā€™s Best Runs

Park Cityā€™s Dreamy Living Cabin puts the ā€œtreeā€ in treehouse, with a 200-year-old fir jutting up through its airy wood-paneled interior. The getaway, which glows with natural light from the 270-degree glass windows, sits at 8,000 feet elevation. Itā€™s just north of the protected woodlands, where hiking trails give travelers the chance to spot moose, porcupines, and eagles. Park City downtown and its many ski hangouts, such as , lie roughly 30 minutes south of your stay. The property is also less than one hour from the Salt Lake City Airport. Itā€™s a great getaway for two, with one bedroom, one bathroom, a full kitchen, and a large deck that overlooks the soaring Uintas. Pets are not allowed. (Note: this is a two-night minimum stay.)

Doze Beneath the Tetons in Jackson, Wyomingā€™s Dreamy Geodesic Domes

A sprinkling of 11 heated geodesic dwellings, known as Tammah Jackson Hole Domes, plunge guests into Wyomingā€™s jaw-dropping wilderness, with views of the jagged Tetons best enjoyed from your cozy king-sized bed. Overnights at this Airbnb include free breakfast, in-dome telescopes, and ensuite bathrooms. The property also has a shared sauna and firepitā€”the perfect way to share stories after a in Grand Teton National Park; its Granite Canyon entrance is five minutes north by car. For skiing and snowboarding, is also a five-minute drive away. Each 540-square-foot dome fits two guests maximum; pets are welcome.

Overnight in a Grain Silo in Kalispell, Montana

Add some farm feels to your mountain-town escape by sleeping in a converted grain silo with views of Montanaā€™s peak-laden Flathead Valley. These metal accommodations have it all: a kitchenette, loft bedroom, two beds, and one bathroom, not to mention an outdoor fire pit for watching the Rocky Mountain landscape change from blue-sky day to gold-tinged dusk. Donā€™t head to sleep early on the star-splashed night skies, either. Start the day with a stroll along the 80-acre farmā€™s walking trails, or, when the powder hits, try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing the farm routes. Glacier National Park is a 30-minute drive north, while 3,000 skiable acres are around 50 minutes northwest. Downtown Kalispellā€™s delicious breweries are a 10-minute drive from your silo. Pets are not allowed.

Crash Beside the Tennessee River in This Cozy Chattanooga Cabin with a Watchtower

Soak up the Tennessee River Gorgeā€™s grandeur from a pet-friendly waterfront cabin in the heart of this dramatic river canyon. The two-bedroom, five-bed, and one-bathroom Chattanooga-adjacent house can welcome up to eight guests with plenty of water adventures onsite, from angling on the Tennessee riverbank to paddling with the propertyā€™s rentable kayaks. Climb the cabinā€™s scenic watchtower to scout for wildlife like ospreys, bald eagles, and deer, or catch more flora and fauna from the nearby hiking jaunts, including six-mile out-and-back Snoopers Rock Trail, roughly a 30-minute drive away. Snag a view of the 100-foot-tall Julia Falls roughly 20 minutes to the east; itā€™s among the most scenic stops on the over 300-mile .

Bunk-Up Near Trailheads and Slopes in Picturesque Stowe, Vermont

Sleep within steps of your hiking path at the Cady Hill Trail House, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse in the quintessential New England town of Stowe, Vermont. The two-guest home, complete with a full kitchen, is surrounded by the charming , home to over 11 miles of trailsā€”and a profusion of color when the leaves change each fall. Stoweā€™s many breweries, cafes, and restaurants are just five minutes away; the 116 ski trails at are within 10 minutes driving, too. Guest have ample outdoor space to store gear like bikes, skis, and snowshoes. In addition to ambles, the Cady Hill trail network welcomes skiers, snowshoers, and mountain bikers depending on the season. Pets are not allowed. (Note: this is a two-night minimum stay.)

Sleep in a South Dakota Firetower Near Mount Rushmore

Play fire lookout for a nightā€”or weekā€”from this firetower-inspired getaway within minutes of South Dakotaā€™s Custer State Park, where bison now abound. An array of park trails are within a 25-minute drive of your tower, including , which weaves by dramatic van-sized boulders for three miles, or the take the route up , South Dakotaā€™s highest point. Cross Mount Rushmore off your bucket list while youā€™re here; itā€™s 30 minutes northeast by car. This one-bedroom, 1.5-bath tower, built for two guests, comes with a full kitchen, wrap-around deck, and a common area with a firepit and yard games. Pets are not allowed.

Catch Zzzs After Watching for Northern Lights Near Michiganā€™s Porcupine Mountains

One of Michiganā€™s best-kept secrets, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (better known as the Porkies), lies within 15 minutes of this Lake Superior Beach Houseā€”a two-bedroom and two-bath abode with a full kitchen and sweeping turquoise water views. The Porkies offer all sorts of Great Lakes adventures: ascending the worldā€™s tallest artificial ski jump, ; fishing or taking a dip in the photogenic Lake of the Clouds; or schlepping up the steep half-mile route to the , which offers views as far as Isle Royale National Park on a clear day. Back at the cabin, relax by the indoor fireplace or hang outside after dusk to watch for one of the Upper Peninsulaā€™s greatest treats: the aurora borealis. Select pets are allowed upon request. (Note: this is a four-night minimum stay.)

Want more of °æ³Ü³Ł²õ¾±»å±šā€™s travel stories? .

When sheā€™s not staying in cool places around the world, adventure and astrotourism writer Stephanie Vermillion chases comets and northern lights, and hunts the best stargazing in dark sky zones. Her upcoming book will be out December 3.

The post The 12 Coziest Mountain-Town Airbnbs in the U.S. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails donā€™t always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike, and on my adventures to all 63 U.S. national parks, I discovered that you donā€™t always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So Iā€™ve compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Trail name:

Distance: 2.1 miles

Iā€™ve raved about the Bar Island Trail for ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų before, naming it one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in the country. I still maintain that this gravel strip north of downtown Bar Harbor is one Acadiaā€™s most unique hikes, because itā€™s an utterly accessible stroll thatā€™s technically off-trail. Grab a , because the pathway trail is only water-free for 90 minutes before and after low tide, and say goodbye to those storybook cottages in favor of Bar Islandā€™s rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: Ģż1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bendā€™s Santa Elena Canyon in 2020, I rushed to get there just as the sun was setting, so I could watch that big fireball in the sky paint the limestone walls of the canyon in hushed, warm hues. But take your time driving the 30-mile to the trailhead, too. Itā€™s home to the aptly named Mule Ears rock formations, as well as impressive Chihuahuan Desert vistas.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails Iā€™ve hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah, this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. Start from Grand View Point Overlook and, if youā€™re not afraid of heights and cliff edges, meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail, with views stretching into a maw of the earth, where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name:

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldnā€™t create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor centerā€™s elevator, which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth, or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level). Then get ready to marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

July is my favorite month to summit 7,881-foot Watchman Peak, when the high-elevation wildflowersā€”purple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtonguesā€”are in full bloom. Not only will you glean better views of Wizard Island as you climb, but from the top, you can check out a .

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Trail name:

Distance: 2 miles

There arenā€™t many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if youā€™re on one of the parkā€™s famous hop-on, hop-off green transit buses that run between the entrance and the deep interior. In summer, enjoy the verdant tundra and views of the Alaska Rangeā€™s foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if youā€™re hiking in Denaliā€“this trail was closed to hikers when I visited in 2020, due to a surly mama bear.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular in Glacierā€“itā€™s shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfallsā€”the scene is like one from middle-earth. You can extend your trip into a six-mile journey if you stroll along the shoreline to escape the throngs at the turnaround point. Pro tip: if you plan to picnic at the lake, be sure to hide your food from crafty marmots out for a free lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to

Distance: 1.8 miles

When I first laid eyes on Ooh Aah Point, I chuckledā€”here was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that Iā€™d ever seen inside a national park. From this drop-dead gorgeous spot, located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead, youā€™ll be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Trail name: (also known as String Lake Loop)

Distance: 3.6 miles

For easy hikes in Grand Teton, Iā€™d stay near the parkā€™s shimmering , which boast impressive views of the immense, pointed mountains and but are home to trails that are relatively flat. This particular loop circumnavigates String Lake, with scene-stealing vistas of Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John along the way. Bring your SUP along and ply the lakeā€™s cool waters after your jaunt.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

When I hiked this path with my partner in late May 2020, we ended up breaking trail in thigh-deep snow, but from June through September, this is an easy trek to many of the oldest trees on earth. Meditate among these gnarled beauties in the shadow of Wheeler Peakā€”the stateā€™s second highest, at 13,065 feetā€”and its myriad boulders. Want a longer variation? Continue along the same path to the Wheeler Peak Glacier for a 4.4-mile trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Trail name:

Distance: 2.6 miles

Beat the heat in Americaā€™s most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. Youā€™ll likely spot salamanders near the cool creek as you stroll through an old-growth hemlock forest and end up at the 25-foot-high Grotto Falls. Dip your feet into the refreshing water before turning back the way you came.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island

Trail name:

Distance: 2.9 miles

Itā€™s rare to walk through a tropical rainforest, check out hissing steam vents, and witness an active volcano all in a single trail, but Hawaii Volcanoes is not your average national park. For the best experience, park near the visitor center, hike this well-maintained path at sunset, and try to spot the otherworldly pink glow of lava from the as it gets dark.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Trail name:

Distance: 4.3 miles

If youā€™ve only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main islandā€™s eastern edge, the trail travels in and out of boreal forest and across dark gray volcanic rocks until it reaches Scoville Point, with its sweeping views of Lake Superior. When youā€™ve had enough of feeling like youā€™re standing at the edge of the known world, return via the north side of the peninsula for even better forest bathing.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Trail name: Brooks Falls Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles

Yes, getting to Katmai is a long adventure that involves a floatplane from Anchorage. Iā€™ve had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, itā€™s a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means itā€™s one of the best places in the state to watch hungry grizzly bears fattening themselves up on the spawning fish. Stow your food at , then cross the Brooks River on an elevated boardwalk trail. Once you reach the falls, have that camera ready to snap photo after photo of the ornery beasts feeding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features, but donā€™t want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell, apart from having an amazing name, is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. After stretching your legs on the trail, take a dip in Lake Helen, just across Lassen National Park Highway, and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Trail name:

Distance: 4.7 miles

The Paradise area is my favorite section of this gorgeous park, and while I trekked along this moderate hike, I saw a huge, fluffy mountain goat and had terrific views of Rainierā€™s serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because itā€™s perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If youā€™d prefer an ever mellower day out, you can turn this trek into a simple stroll via the Golden Gate Trail.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Trail name:

Distance: 3.2 miles

Though New River Gorge is perhaps best known for its rock climbing and whitewater rafting, I thoroughly enjoyed hiking its many forested trails when I visited in 2021. This out-and-back to Long Point meanders through a forest of spruce and hemlock before popping you out onto a rocky ledge with one of the best New River Bridge photo ops in the park.

Redwood National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

Youā€™ll need to to hike this lollipop loop, which meanders through some of the tallest trees on the planet, but any hassle is well worth it. Drive down a washboard road just east of Orick for roughly 6 miles and park in the designated dirt lot before descending 700 feet to the Tall Trees Grove, keeping your eyes peeled for epic oyster mushrooms and sword ferns along the way. Iā€™d plan on spending at least an hour quietly perusing these ancient redwoods. This is forest bathing at its finest.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Technically, the Ute Trail is an eight-mile round-trip hike, but the best thing about one-way hikes is that you can make them as short as your heart desires. Beginning at the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at a lofty 11,796 feet, this trail winds along moderately graded tundra slopes and offers awesome views of the Never Summer Mountain Range. Hike it in the morning to avoid the dangerous afternoon lightning stormsā€”my partner and I once had to jam to find shelter on a too thrilling post-lunch trek.

Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

If youā€™re in Sequoia and planning on visiting the , which is the largest by volume on earth), I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop, it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. Best of all? A few hundred feet past General Sherman, youā€™ll escape the lionā€™s share of the crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Trail name:

Distance: 2.7 miles

Though this trail starts from an unassuming trailhead, right behind the parkā€™s Cruz Bay Visitor Center, it quickly redeems itself with incredible views of aquamarine water, following a brief climb to 160-foot-high Lind Point. From there, youā€™ll curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beachā€”but none of the crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

After taking obligatory pictures of the and its roaring waterfall, I made a random left turn onto an uncrowded trail and quickly uncovered one of my favorite hikes in the National Park System. This trip out to Point Sublime showcases the churning Yellowstone River, hundreds of feet below, while following a forested edge of the canyon whose crimson-and-marigold-colored slopes plunge toward the current for the entirety of the hike.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 1.5 miles

This is the trail that most people think of when they picture Yellowstoneā€™s most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, itā€™s pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the worldā€™s largest assortments of hydrothermal features on this flat, wheelchair-accessible loop. Be sure to download the app, which offers info on the predicted eruption times. My personal favorite geyser is Castle, which gushes up to 75 feet high and for as long as 20 minutes.

Yosemite National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 4.4 miles

Sure, this trek might not routinely crack the top tenĢżYosemite trail listicles, but itā€™s the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. Youā€™ll set off from the iconic Glacier Point viewing area and then enjoy second-to-none panoramas of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and 594-foot-high Nevada Fall for nearly the entirety of the hike. Itā€™s also an ideal way to remove yourself from the Glacier Point parking-lot crowds and fully immerse yourself in the surrounds.

Zion National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance:Ģż1 mile

Move over, Angelā€™s Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zionā€“Mount Carmel Tunnel, on the less traveled eastern side of the park; from there this path climbs 163 feet, past vermillion layer-cake-like hoodoos and scrubby pinƱon pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: youā€™re greeted with jaw-dropping views of the craggy Temples and Towers of the Virgin, sandstone monoliths that appear on park postcards. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep.

Emily Pennington is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Her book came out in 2023. This year sheā€™s tackling loads of short hikes in the Rocky Mountains to get ready for a trip to remote East Greenland.

The post 25 Easy, Scenic National-Park Hikes Under 5 Miles appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

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

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

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

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

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

While the top 10 or so most-visited parks see millions of people a year, the parks at the bottom of the list see only a few thousand. Alaskaā€™s Gates of the Arctic National Park has reclaimed the longtime title of ā€œLeast Visited National Parkā€ in the U.S. after the National Park of American Samoa displaced it in 2022. Congratulations?

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

Here are the 11 least visited national parks in 2023.

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

Recreational Visits: 11,045

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Backpack among the Arrigetch Peaks, a cluster of mountains known for steep, vertical spires deep within the Brooks Range. Itā€™s a that requires a series of bush plane flights.

2. National Park of American Samoa

Recreational Visits: 12,135

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: The national park facilitates a where visitors can stay with locals to learn Samoan customs and the South Pacific lifestyle.

3. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 16,728

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Backpackers should hit the 50-mile Telaquana Route, where you can follow in the footsteps of local Denaā€™ina Athabascans and fur traders who blazed the path between the shores of Lake Clark and Telaquana Lake.

4. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 17,616

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Take a bush plane into Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, camp, hike, and watch for caribou.

5. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Recreational Visits: 28,965

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Backpack the 40-mile , which crosses over the parkā€™s main island, connecting backcountry lakes and campsites. Or, hike an 8.5-mile stretch of the from Windigo Dock to Feldtman Lake, which includes a quick, .8-mile side trip to Rainbow Cove, where a rocky shoreline on Lake Superior offers long range views of Rock of Ages Lighthouse on a clear day.ĢżĢż

6. Katmai National Park and Preservation, Alaska

Recreational Visits: 33,763

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Katmai isnā€™t connected to any town by road, so most people show up via boat or float plane from King Salmon or Anchorage. That alone is an adventure. Visitors usually start by visiting Brooks Camp, home to the parkā€™s summer headquarters, to check in and get the required bear-safety orientation, then head to the various platforms that overlook the Brooks River. If youā€™re looking to dig deeper, consider paddling the 80-mile , which connects a chain of lakes through Katmaiā€™s backcountry. Starting at Brooks Camp, kayakers will paddle a circle around 3,183-foot Mount La Gorce, navigating two class I-II rivers and huffing a 1.5-mile long portage between open-water stretches of three different lakes.

7. North Cascades National Park, Washington

Recreational Visits: 40,351

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Hike , a steep, 9.4-mile ascent from the edge of Ross Lake that delivers sweeping views from a lookout tower of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

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

Recreational Visits: 78,305

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Climb Mount Bear, a 14,831-foot peak deep in the St. Elias Range that doesnā€™t require any technical climbing, but is a beautiful adventure.

9. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Recreational Visits: 84,285

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Dive the Windjammer Wreck, the remains of a ship that sank in 1907 off Loggerhead Key after running aground on the surrounding reef. The wreck is in shallow water (20 feet at the deepest point), so snorkelers and divers can explore it together. Or, bring a kayak and paddle around Garden, Bush, and Long Key, a trio of islands so close together, theyā€™re sometimes joined by sandbars. Youā€™re looking for nurse sharks and sea turtles in the clear water below and, above, any of the 300 species of birds that migrate through the park every year.

10. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Recreational Visits: 143,265

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Glimpse Nevadaā€™s last piece of permanent ice by hiking the 4.8-mile to the bottom of the two-acre glacier. Youā€™ll cruise through groves of ancient bristlecone, some estimated to be 4,000 years old.

11. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Recreational Visits: 220,825

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

One Big ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų: Head to the interior lakes, where marked canoeĢżtrails lead to primitive backcountry campsites you can only reach by boat. And you have to use the national park serviceā€™s boats; once you have a , you get a code to unlock one of the canoes that the NPS has staged at certain points for use to prevent the spread of invasive species. The Chain of Lakes are four small bodies of water on the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula that you can piece together via short portages and creeks to create a 13-mile hiking and paddling adventure. Each of the four lakes has its own campsite, one per lake, and most people will pick a single campsite as a basecamp and explore from there, so the mileage of your adventure will vary.

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national parks columnist. After researching these remote parks, heā€™s thinking it might be time to get his pilotā€™s license and invest in a float plane.

For more by this author, see:

7 Most Adventurous Ways to See the Total EclipseĢżof 2024

The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America

The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks

The post And the 11 Least Visited National Parks Areā€¦ appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

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

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

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

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

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

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

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

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

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

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

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

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

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

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

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

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

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

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

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

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

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

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

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

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

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

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

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

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

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

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

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

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

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

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

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

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

Years ago, we named Congareeā€™s Boardwalk Loop Trail one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in America, and Weston Lake Overlook is a phenomenal place to soak up the parkā€™s shady expanse of old-growth hardwood forest. Itā€™s also a great spot to birdwatchā€“keep your eyes peeled for the prothonotary warbler, American woodcock, and red-headed woodpecker.

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

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

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

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

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

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

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

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

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

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

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

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

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

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

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

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

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

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

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

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

Rising out of the treeless tundra, the towering granite fins of the Arrigetch Peaks, in northern Alaska, look more like gods than monoliths. Itā€™s a view worthy of the arduous journey to get to these reaches of the park, an area sometimes called the Yosemite of Alaska. The experts at Alaska Alpine ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųs offer guided trips (from $6,000), or if youā€™re fine seeing the razor-sharp summits from a plane window, Brooks Range Aviation (from $785) can arrange flightseeing tours.

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

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

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

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

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

Flip through any travelerā€™s photos from Glacier Bay, and youā€™re likely to see snaps of the icy, serrated teeth of the Margerie Glacier, dramatically calving into the Tarr Inlet from the Fairweather Mountain Range. Stay on the lookout for harbor seals and playful sea otters on recently separated icebergs.

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

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

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

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

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

Sure, Mather Point steals most of the attention when it comes to the Grand Canyonā€™s South Rim, but I prefer Desert View, near the parkā€™s eastern boundary, for its peaceful campground and dearth of visitors. Plus, the siteā€™s famous watchtower, designed by Parkitecture maven Mary Colter, was inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Colorado Plateau, and it makes a fantastic focal point when snapping photos of ā€œthe big ditch.ā€

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

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

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

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

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

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

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

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

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

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

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

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

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

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

Ask any ranger in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where to watch the sun set over the ā€œTop of Texas,ā€ and theyā€™ll tell you the remote Salt Basin Dunes, in the parkā€™s northwestern corner. Made of bright white gypsum, this sandy expanse showcases the unbelievable prominence of conifer-topped Guadalupe Peak, once a sprawling coral reef when the Delaware Sea covered a large swath of America roughly 275 million years ago.

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

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

Much like “”³¦²¹»å¾±²¹ā€™s Cadillac Mountain, youā€™ll need a special timed reservation to take in the sunrise atop Haleakalaā€™s 10,023-foot summit (reservable up to 60 days in advance), but after 7 A.M., day-use visitors can enjoy the show as well. From this incredible vantage pointā€”the highest on Mauiā€”you can enjoy top-down views of the huge, richly colored crater, as well as the Big Island if the weatherā€™s clear.

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

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

If youā€™re in Hawaii and eager to see some lava, head for this parkā€™s Kilauea Overlook, located near the southern end of the Big Island. A hike will allow you to take in the dramatic aftermath of the siteā€™s 2018 eruption and subsequent summit collapse, but if youā€™d rather not work up a sweat, park at the viewpointā€™s lot at sunset and stand in awe of the otherworldly pink glow emanating from the bowels of the earth.

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

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

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

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

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

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

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

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

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

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

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

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

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

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

Most travelers to Katmai National Park are there for one thing and one thing onlyā€”grizzly bear viewingā€”and the boardwalk overlook at Brooks Falls is perhaps the best spot in the U.S. to watch these 700-pound mammals fish. You wonā€™t be disappointed.

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

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

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

Best Way to Reach This View: I used Kayak ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųs Worldwide for my adventure to Aialik Glacier (from $489; trips available mid-May through early September), based in Seward. Youā€™ll first take a water-taxi trip south to Aialik Bay, a fantastic way to spot all kinds of wildlife, before suiting up at a beach and sliding into your kayak. Expect to paddle for three hours.

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

This oneā€™s for all my backpacking brethren. As a predominately wilderness-designated area (meaning that trails can only be used for hiking and horseback riding, and human development is extremely minimal), Kings Canyon is a mecca for trekkers whoā€™d rather don a pack for dozens of miles than motor around to car-friendly overlooks. The lake is a sparkling cobalt gem flanked by glacier-polished granite peaks. One thingā€™s for certainā€“youā€™ll find pristine solitude when you arrive.

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

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

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

Best Way to Reach This View: From the small town of Kotzebue, hop onto a flightseeing day tour with Golden Eagle Outfitters, or splurge on a 12-day hiking and packrafting trip with Alaska Alpine ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųs that starts and finishes in Fairbanks.

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

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

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

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

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

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

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

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

Best Way to Reach This View: Youā€™ll have to sign up for a tour at the visitor center and be able to descend and climb back up a series of stairs.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

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

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

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

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

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

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

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

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

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

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

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

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

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

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

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

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

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

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

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

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

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

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

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

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

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

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

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

On my first-ever trip to this national park, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų writer Brendan Leonard told me that if I only made it to one lake inside the park, it had to be Mills Lake, and boy, was he right. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hike 2.6 milesā€”past rushing waterfalls and huge granite bouldersā€”before dipping your toes into the frigid snowmelt of Mills Lake, which overlooks the dramatic northern crags of Longs Peak.

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

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

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

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

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

Bearpaw Meadow is one of those miraculous, only-in-the-parks vistas that dreams are made of, and getting there is an adventure all its own. Youā€™ll be treated to soul-stirring views of the imposing granite domes and summits of the remote Sierra Nevada. Set up your tent at Bearpaw Meadowā€™s backcountry campground, or, if youā€™re feeling spendy, get a glamping tent and dinner at High Sierra Camp.

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

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

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

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

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

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

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

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

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

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

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

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

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

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

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

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

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

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

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

Wrangellā€“St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

Brave the bumpy, winding McCarthy Road all the way to the once thriving mining community of McCarthy and cross the footbridge to get to Kennecott, a historic town that serves as the center for all things Wrangellā€“St. Elias, including the majestic trail along the colossal Root Glacier. Bring your bear spray and go it alone, or hire a guide to learn more about the siteā€™s copper-mining past. Spoiler alertā€“you can also book a crunchy crampon trek atop the glacier. Either way, youā€™ll be treated to awesome views of Mount Donoho and the 6,000-foot-tall Stairway Icefall.

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

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

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

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

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

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

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

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

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

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

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

The post The Best Scenic View in Every National Park appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

We in this country love our national parks. Last year the National Park Service logged nearly across all its units, from national historic sites to full-fledged national parks. I did the math and am happy to report that Iā€™m responsible for several of those visits. Hey, I even bought a T-shirt in one of the visitorsā€™ centers.

The problem is that we donā€™t love all of our parks the same. The disparity in visitation to the 63 national parks is striking. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was by far the most visited last year, with almost 13 million visitors. Other top contenders, such as Zion, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Acadia, had numbers in the 3 and 4 millions.

National Park of American Samoa was the least visited, with fewer than 2,000 visitors. I know what youā€™re thinking: National Park of American Samoa is probably lovely, but itā€™s kind of out of the way, being in the South Pacific and all. Similarly, Alaskaā€™s eight national parks are stunning, but most of us wonā€™t have the opportunity to visit Alaska this year.

But a lot of undervalued national parks right here in the lower 48 barely see any boots compared to the headliners we all know and love. While climbers and hikers sit in traffic jams in Yosemite, the rock spires and caves of Pinnacles National Park are relatively empty. Nearly 3 million people explored Olympic National Park, outside of Seattle, last year, but on the other side of the Space Needle, North Cascades National Park only saw 30,000.

Spending time in these lesser-visited parks not only gets you away from the crowds, it gives our most popular parks a chance to breathe.

Dawn Rodney, chief external affairs officer for the National Parks Foundation, says, ā€œWith annual visitation numbers increasing, some of the more well-known parks are facing overcrowding, which can lead to wear and tear of trails and visitor centers.ā€ She also cites increased strain on park services, and potential impacts to wildlife and natural habitats.

Rodney says there are plenty of other options. ā€œChances are good there is at least one hidden gem closer to home than you might imagine.ā€

We dug into the national-park statistics and found the eight least-visited national parks in the lower 48. Theyā€™re protecting some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, but lack the crowds at the top parks in our system.

Bonus: Most of the parks on this list are free to enter.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Visitors in 2022: 25,454

Is it strange that the least-visited national park in the lower 48 is actually in the middle of the country? Isle Royale is a group of 400 islands located in the northwestern edge of Lake Superior, snugged up against the Canadian border. The main island, which has most of the trails and facilities, is 50 miles long and nine miles wide, and full of mountainsā€”Mount Desor, the high point, is 1,394 feet, pretty good for an islandā€”secluded bays, and healthy populations of gray wolves and moose. The landscape is spectacular, but the fact that itā€™s only accessible by boat or seaplane keeps the crowds at bay. Fortunately, a ferry runs daily during the summer (starting in mid-May) from the aptly named Grand Portage, Minnesota. The park is only open from April 16 to October 31. Because itā€™s an island, there are no cars, so once youā€™re here, youā€™re getting around by foot or boat.

Signature adventure: Backpacking the , from the Windigo Harbor to Rock Harbor, will carry you across the heart of the island. The 40-mile trail takes most people five days to complete, and established campgrounds along the way make logistics easy. Youā€™ll get long-range views from atop exposed ridges and climb the Ojibway Tower, a lookout on the east end of the trail, to see the interior of the island, which is full of lakes and bays. Gaze at stars or chase the Northern Lights.

But donā€™t missā€¦the paddling. You can bring canoes on the ferry or rent one from Windigo or Rock Harbor ($40 a day). Because Lake Superior can be cranky, the park recommends paddling and portaging the islandā€™s , linked by established routes/trails on the northeast half of the island. You can do a full ā€œChain of Lakesā€ paddle and hike across most of the interior lakes on the main island, a trip that requires 22 miles of canoeing and portaging, or focus on one of the interior ponds, like Lake LeSage, which is full of northern pike and offers a quiet shoreline campground.

Where to stay: Isle Royale has quite civilized digs considering its remoteness. , a full-service lodge on the northeastern edge of Isle Royale, has 60 rooms. Washington Creek Campground, near Windigo Harbor on the southeast end of Isle Royale, is the largest of the islandā€™s campgrounds and offers a base close to the visitor center and store. Stays are limited to three nights from June 1 to September 17. are first-come, first-served and, yes, free.

Permits and fees: $7 per person entrance fee.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Visitors in 2022: 30,154

The lack of attention to North Cascades National Park is baffling. The 504,654-acre park is loaded with the kind of terrain that most of us salivate over: backcountry lakes, jagged peaks, and more than 300 glaciersā€”the most of any park outside of Alaska. Cute animals like pikas and marmots and big animals like mountain goats populate the mountains, and each summer the meadows are full of wildflowers. One factor in the solitude may be that there isnā€™t a lot for casual visitors to do here. Within the park is only one paved road, Highway 20, aka The North Cascades Highway, running along the Skagit River for 30 miles. Itā€™s a pretty drive, with plenty of overlooks, but other than that, you have to explore on foot. And the terrain is rugged, full of snow fields, glaciers, and towering granite peaks, so visitors need to come prepared for an adventure.

Signature adventure: Mountaineering. The North Cascades have a rich history of mountain climbing, and many multi-day objectives that involve long approach hikes, glacier traversing, and technical climbing. For a true classic, shoot for the 8,815-foot Forbidden Peak, a pyramid-shaped mountain with high-quality rock and beautiful views. The West Ridge pits you against glaciers and snowfields to gain a narrow ridge with lots of exposure to reach the summit. If you have any hesitation about your mountaineering chops, hire a .

But donā€™t missā€¦hiking Diablo Lake. The turquoise-hued water of Diablo Lake is probably the most recognizable landmark within the park. You can see it from an overlook along Highway 20, but hiking the 7.5-mile out-and-back will give you a close look as well as long views of the peaks deeper inside the park.Where to stay: The majority of frontcountry campgrounds are along Highway 20. Most are open from May through September. Colonial Creek North Campground has 41 sites on Diablo Lake with direct access to day hikes. Sites can be six months in advance and are $24 a night.

Where to stay: The majority of frontcountry campgrounds are along Highway 20. Most are open from May through September. Colonial Creek North Campground has 41 sites on Diablo Lake with direct access to day hikes. Sites can be six months in advance and are $24 a night.

Permits and fees: No fee to enter the park.

Dry Tortugas, Florida

Visitors in 2022: 78,488

Situated 70 miles west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park is a collection of seven small islands sitting inside roughly 100 square miles of protected open water. Itā€™s the most remote park in the national-park system and only accessible by boat or seaplane. Fortunately, a ($200 per person) will take you from Key West to Garden Key, the hub of Dry Tortugas, which holds the remnants of a 19^th century military fort as well as the only camping available inside the park. You can camp under palms, swim off the edge of sandy beaches, and snorkel or dive vibrant reef systems.

Signature adventure: Snorkeling and diving off Loggerhead Key. Reaching Loggerhead Key isnā€™t easy. If you donā€™t have your own power boat, youā€™ll have to paddle three miles from Garden Key, first filing your trip with the park service. But then you will find a 49-acre island complete with a lighthouse, coconut trees, and a white beach. From Loggerhead, you can snorkel Little Africa, a calm, shallow reef loaded with tropical fish and soft coral, or boat a mile south of the island to dive the Windjammer, a 19th-century shipwreck.

But donā€™t missā€¦exploring . The 16-acre island is the closest to Garden Keyā€”so close that at certain times itā€™s accessible via a 50-yard-long sandbar. Otherwise, itā€™s a short paddle to reach Bushā€™s sandy beach and clear waters. Keep in mind Bush Key is closed periodically to protect nesting birds.

Where to stay: Garden Key offers the only camping, with campsites just south of Fort Jefferson. You will have to bring everything, including drinking water, youā€™ll need. The campsiteā€™s location is ideal, though, with access to narrow beaches, plenty of swimming opportunities, and the chance to explore Fort Jefferson, a military post built in the mid-1800s to protect a then busy shipping channel. are $15 a night, first-come, first-served.

Permits and fees: $15 entrance fee; If you take the ferry, the cost is included in the $200 boat fee.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Visitors in 2022: 142,115

is in the middle of nowhere, and thatā€™s a good thing. Sitting in the high desert of Eastern Nevada, near the Utah border, the 77,180-acre park is 300 miles north of Las Vegas and almost 400 miles due east of Reno, so itā€™s not the sort of place you just happen upon. You have to make a point to go there. But if you do, youā€™ll be greeted with a magnificent landscape both above and below ground. Great Basin has incredibly diverse terrain, from 13,064-foot Wheeler Peak to an expansive cave system. You can also explore Nevadaā€™s only remaining glacier, alpine lakes at 10,000 feet, and bristlecone-pine forests that are estimated to be some of the oldest known trees on the planet, or stargaze in this designated International Dark Sky Park.

Signature adventure: Going underground. The most popular experience in Great Basin is traversing the Lehman Caves, a system of spacious limestone chambers beneath the surface that are packed with stalagmites and stalactites, also the more rare helictites: curved calcite features that look like giant shields. The only way to explore the cave is on a . You can see most of the system on the Grand Palace tours, which are 90 minutes long and travel more than a half mile through the caves. Multiple tours take place each day. Reserve a spot up to 30 days in advance ($15 per adult).

But donā€™t miss: hiking Wheeler Peak and its glacier. Starting from Wheeler Peak Campground, you can choose hikes that take you to backcountry alpine lakes, or the last remaining glacier in Nevada, or the top of Wheeler Peak, the second-tallest mountain in the state. Make the your priority. The 4.8-mile out and back leads you to the bottom of Wheeler Peak Glacier, a 2-acre patch of ice in the cradle of a cirque of towering granite peaks. The trail also passes through a bristlecone-pine grove, with trees estimated to be more than 4,000 years old.

Where to stay: There are four campgrounds with reservable sites inside Great Basin National Park. puts you in the thick of the action, with direct access to the 2.7-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail (passing two high lakes), Glacier Trail, and the Wheeler Peak Summit Trail. Get reservations a month in advance on a rolling basis ($20 a night). If you hit the park without scoring a reservation, is first-come, first-served and free.

Permits and Fees: No entrance fee.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Visitors in 2022: 204,522

is smallā€”just over 26,000 acresā€”but it protects one of the largest contiguous tracts of old-growth bottomland forest in the country. What that means is the trees are massive, with loblolly pines that stretch to 167 feet, creating one of the tallest canopies in the country, and tupelos and bald cypress growing out of the swamp with massive ā€œkneesā€ (protruding roots) that give the whole scene a primordial vibe. Blame the rivers; the Congaree and Wateree, which flood about 10 times a year, deliver nutrients to the forest that work like Miracle Grow.

Signature adventure: The paddling. Because Congaree protects what is essentially a swamp, itā€™s a paddlerā€™s park, with more than 50 miles of marked boating trails throughout its 26,000 acres. Most visitors focus on the 15-mile , which runs through the heart of the park to connect with the Congaree River. Out and backs of any distance are possible from Cedar Creek Landing because of the imperceptible flow of the creek, with dark, tannin-stained water through a forest of bald cypress in either direction. For a 20-mile overnight, get a free at the visitor center, put in at Cedar Creek Landing, and paddle downstream to hook up with the slow-moving Congaree River, which forms the border of the park. Youā€™ll spend the night at a dispersed backcountry campsite of your choice and pull out at the 601 landing. Bring your own canoe, or rent one from an in nearby Columbia.

But donā€™t missā€¦hiking Oakridge Trail. Hiking is secondary in Congaree, with the trails often closed because of flooding. You can check the status on the parkā€™s website per above. When theyā€™re open, a number of hikes take you through the old-growth forest. The 6.6-mile leads past some of the largest, oldest trees in the park to small, natural lakes where birds and wildlife like otters gather.

Where to stay: There are two frontcountry campgrounds inside Congaree, both requiring a walk from the designated parking lot to reach your site. Go for the small Bluff Campground, which requires a mile-long hike but sits well above the floodplain. You can book a up to six months in advance on a rolling basis ($10 a night).

Permits and Fees: Entrance to the park is free.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Visitors in 2022: 219,987

In west Texas, about 115 miles east of El Paso, protects 86,367 acres of mountains and canyons. Thatā€™s not a particularly large expanse, especially by Texas standards, but the landscape is stunning. Eight of the 10 highest peaks in the state are located here, not to mention 1,000-foot-tall limestone cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and 2,000 acres of snow-white sand dunes. Thereā€™s no scenic drive, though. To experience the best of Guadalupe Mountains, ditch the car and explore on foot.

Signature adventure: Summiting the 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak, the tallest mountain in Texas. The 8.4-mile out and back climbs 3,000 feet, passing off-white sandstone cliffs and stands of douglas firs. The summit offers 360-degree views of the park, including (this areaā€™s) El Capitan, a 1,000-foot limestone cliff to the south.

But donā€™t missā€¦the Salt Basin Dunes, a 2,000-acre tract of gypsum dunes up to 60 feet tall. The four-mile round-trip will deliver you to the north side of the dune field, where you can scramble some of the tallest mounds of sand. Make time for another short but tough day hike to , a narrow slot formation within Pine Springs Canyon. The 4.2-mile out and back will test your route finding (watch for the cairns) and requires rock scrambling.

Where to stay: The park has three developed campgrounds with sites you can reserve up to six months in advance. The is the most scenic of the three, with sites tucked into a forested canyon. The higher elevation ( 6,300 feet) and the shade from overhanging cliffs keep the campground cooler in the summer, too ($20 per night).

Permits and Fees: $10 per person.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Visitors in 2022: 221,434

, in northeastern Minnesota, is so far north itā€™s almost in Canada. Itā€™s so far north that you can often see the aurora borealis from inside the park. Voyageurs protects a lush boreal forest full of conifers and deciduous trees, amid rocky outcroppings deposited by glaciers, all of which is inhabited by moose and wolves. More than a third of the 218,054-acre park is comprised of water, dominated by four large border lakes and 26 smaller interior lakes, so you will spend most of your time in the hull of a canoe, sea kayak, or motor boat.

Signature adventure: Boating, of course. Voyageurs contains more than 60 miles of interconnected water trails. The big lakes alone have 500 islands and 600 miles of shoreline to explore. Most people catch a water taxi or take a ranger-led tour to the Elsworth Gardens, a series of terraced stone rockworks and flower beds planted by a carpenter in the ā€˜40s on Lake Kabetogama. But we say head to the smaller, 8,869-acre Sand Point Lake, which has more than 100 islands to explore. The coolest destination is Grassy Bay Cliffs, which rise 125 feet from the edge of the lake. You can rent boats in the gateway community of .

But donā€™t missā€¦Ģżthe Northern Lights. The shimmering, green-hued beams occur sporadically in the night sky over the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, and when theyā€™re active, you can see them from all over the park. You can check the for the lights up to a month in advance of your visit. Even if you donā€™t see the Northern Lights, youā€™ll see plenty of stars. Voyageurs is designated an and one of the best places in the country to gaze at the galaxy overhead. You can take in the view from anywhere inside the park, but the Meadwood Road Day Use Area is a ā€œdesignated dark sky location,ā€ offering an unobstructed horizon and with no artificial light nearby.

Where to stay: Voyageurs offers an intriguing mix of water-based camping and ā€œhouseboatingā€ opportunities. There are 137 developed campsites, all of which are only accessible by boat. The backcountry sites require paddling across a lake and then hiking to reach each spot. All sites are $10 a night, with available six months in advance. But take your chance to rent a houseboat, which can be your place to stay and mode of transportation. All houseboat rentals are operated by companies outside of the park, but youā€™ll need to get an overnight through the park ($15 per night per boat).

Permits and Fee: No entrance fee

Pinnacles National Park, California

Visitors in 2022: 275,023

Of all of Californiaā€™s national parks, probably gets the least attention, likely because it didnā€™t achieve full national-park status until President Obama upgraded it from a national monument in 2013. The 26,000-acre park protects the remains of ancient volcano flows in what is now Central California. After millions of years of erosion and tectonic-plate activity, those flows have formed a collection of massive monoliths, spires, and steep canyons. The park is divided into East and West districts, divided by the rock formations in the middle, but connected by more than 30 miles of trails that wind through oak forest, gorges, towering cliffs, and talus caves (formed by rockfall or rubble shed).

Signature adventure: Hiking the caves. There are two main areas, the Bear Gulch Caves in the East District and the Balconies Caves in the West District, both accessible to hikers without the need for climbing gear, thanks to the trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and complete with stairways and bridges. A variety of trails traverse the park and lead into the caves. For a big hike through diverse terrain, try the 8.4-mile , which will take you through the heart of Pinnaclesā€™ rock formations before dropping into Balconies Cave, requiring a bit of scrambling in the belly of the system.

But donā€™t missā€¦the rock climbing. The Pinnacles holds hundreds of routes, from toproping options to multi-pitch routes on Machete Ridge. The rock can be chossy, so be careful, but overall thereā€™s something for everyone to do and enjoy. For a mild classic, check out , a 5.4, four-pitch trad climb on solid rock that stays mostly in the shade. Hire a if youā€™re not confident in your trad skills. The bird-watching is spectacular too: the cliffs are home to impressive birds of prey, including peregrine falcons, eagles, and the California condor.

Where to stay: Pinnacles has a single campground located on the east side of the park. Itā€™s a great campground, complete with a swimming pool and tent cabins if you want to go glamping light ($119 a night for tent cabins; $40 a night for standard tent sites). Make up to six months in advance.

Permits and Fee: Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

All visitation numbers are from the National Park Serviceā€™s

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national-parks columnist and freely admits that he needs to do a better job exploring lesser-known destinations among the units. Most of his national-park visits are to the two busiest in the country, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, both of which happen to be in his backyard from Asheville, North Carolina.

The post The 8 Least-Visited National Parks in the U.S. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Expecting yet another sea of dark skies, I unzipped my tent doorā€”but this time, the scene looked different. My heart rate quickened. Wait, is that a green glow?

It was May 2021. My husband, Frank, and I were camped on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, in the middle of Lake Superior. Weā€™d taken a hellacious four-hour detour from our intended route up and over the rock-strewn islandā€™s spine to get here. It was a gamble. Catching the northern lights in the lower 48 states is tricky: it requires near-perfect conditions, an unobstructed view to the north, minimal clouds, and an active aurora.

An avid northern-lights chaserā€”I have now hunted them (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Arctic Circleā€”I had already been nerding out on solar activity for three years when we visited Isle Royale. Yet with no cell service to monitor my northern-lights apps, I didnā€™t know whether we might get skunked ā€¦ or see something.

I knew it was possible: Iā€™d witnessed the lights on a road trip in the Upper Peninsula the previous summer, but the bright-green swirls had been largely obscured by cloud patches. That night on the remote Isle Royale, I crossed my fingers and waited.

The northern lights, predominantly associated with the northern latitudes, are beams of green, violet, and even red lights caused when charged particles from the sun interact with our atmosphere. Few night sights thrill national-park travelers like spotting the aurora borealis; scroll the hundreds of comments on the Park Serviceā€™s latest from Denali for proof.

But you donā€™t have to catch a flight to Iceland or Greenland, or brave the winter cold in Alaska, to experience that bright-green glow. You can see it in the national parks of the contiguous U.S. as well.

Better yet, your chances of seeing the lights are increasing. The sun travels through 11-year cycles of activity. During the stretch known as solar minimum, which last hit in late 2019, northern-lights activity wanes.ĢżRight now weā€™re marching toward what is known as solar maximum in , with every year improving as we move into peak aurora activity.

To spot auroras, youā€™ll need luck, an understanding of the phenomenon, and some planning legwork. That includes finding an aurora-hunting spot with minimal obstructions to the northern horizon (where those green ribbons dance); a strong geomagnetic stormā€”the stronger the storm (measured via the Kp index of Kp 0 to Kp 9), the likelier the auroras; and clear skies or minimal clouds.

The lights youā€™ll witness in the lower 48 may look a bit more muted than those in Iceland because youā€™re viewing them from farther awayā€”thatā€™s why they often appear closer to the horizon. But down in the U.S. northern-border states, there is a perk: You can hunt auroras in every season, as, unlike Alaska, this stretch of the U.S. experiences nighttime darkness all year. And the quest is getting easier and easier thanks to the powerful new solar cycle.

Weā€™re already enjoying a boomā€”as evidenced by 2022ā€™s news report upon news report (upon news report) of lower-48 shows to watch for, the giddy dialogue in the increasingly popular , and my own increasing views.

Take that night on Isle Royale. After waking up every half hour to check the skies from my tent, I finally saw the lime hueā€”and scrambled from my sleeping bag, parked myself on a lakeside boulder, stabilized my camera, and watched the lights dance for three hours amid a symphony of loon howls. I caught those lights once more from Saint Ignace on our drive home from the Isle Royale ferryā€”and then more than half a dozen times on a three-week trip through Iceland and Greenland this past fall.

Ready to play those increasing aurora odds? Here are seven of the best national parks in which to chase the northern lights, including tips on when, where, and how to see them.

1.ĢżĢż Acadia National Park, Maine

“”³¦²¹»å¾±²¹ā€™s craggy shores and spruce-forested trails feel otherworldly under a green glow. This far-flung getaway offers the perfect aurora recipe: dark skies, open horizons, and a northern locale that often sees auroras between Kp 4 or Kp 5. Even without the lights, deliver pristine Milky Way and constellation viewing.

You have a few options here. The southern end of provides a clear, largely unobstructed view to the north; when winter conditions are right, daytime visitors can even ice skate or ice fish here. From spring through fall, drive up , the islandā€™s tallest peak, for vistas that on clear days stretch as far as Mount Katahdin. This birdā€™s-eye view is ideal for spotting the lights, but note: are required. Booking a hotel with unobstructed north-facing views makes aurora hunting a breeze. Try waterfront digs like or in Bar Harbor.

2.ĢżĢż Glacier National Park, Montana

When northern lights are forecast, aurora hunters flock to Glacier National Park. This northern-border state boasts some of the regionā€™s darkest skies, due in large part to a cross-border dark-sky partnership between Glacier and Canadaā€™s Waterton Lakes National Park, which have collaborated to minimize light pollution and protect their shared dark skies. Now, the parks make up the International first transboundary dark-sky park. This means Glacierā€™s north horizon has little, if any, light pollution. You will need a minimum of a Kp 4 to see the lights here.

Letā€™s heed some advice from the Montana landscape photographer Christina Adele. After a particularly vibrant northern-lights show this fall, she took to to share her two favorite scouting spots: the North Fork in the parkā€™s northwest end and Lake McDonald, the parkā€™s largest lake. For the latter, the and , both located on the southern end of Lake McDonald, are two great options for aurora-hunting overnights.

3.ĢżĢż Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Northern Minnesotaā€™s Voyageurs National Park has all the makings of an ideal scoping site: dark skies, by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) in 2020; clear horizons, with four large lakes and 26 smaller lakes; and one of the farthest-north locales in the lower 48. Even better, local experts you can see auroras here up to 200 times per year; theyā€™re often visible with a Kp 4 or higher.

The park is also part of a movement to elevate Indigenous astronomy, including the local Ojibwe star knowledge, via resource sharing and in-person experiences. Read the Ojibwe artist and astronomy expert Carl Gawboyā€™s book Talking Sky before your trip, and see chapter nine on auroras to understand how Indigenous communities have long interpreted those eye-popping lights.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center, Ash River Visitor Center, Voyageurs Forest Overlook Parking Lot, and Woodenfrog Beach for viewing. You can also book a stay at the aptly named, on the southern shore of the parkā€™s Lake Kabetogama, which has cabins and lofts available year-round.

4.ĢżĢż Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Lakes arenā€™t the only option for horizon views. The vast, open prairies across Theodore Roosevelt National Park are perfect for lower-48 aurora hunters. So, too, is the parkā€™s northern-border geography. A Kp 5 here is ideal, but if youā€™re here during a Kp 4 storm, itā€™s worth heading out.

Theodore Roosevelt park is open 24 hours a day; virtually any stop-off with open views to the north horizon is fair game. The NPS recommends, with panoramas of the parkā€™s unearthly badlands, to admire the skies. The hill-perched hotel is an optimal northern-lights-hunting basecamp. It provides quick park access and elevated vistas, including a deck with views to the north.

5.ĢżĢż Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

After that dazzling show in May 2021, Isle Royale remains my favorite national park for aurora hunting. Its far-flung locale in Lake Superior promises inky skies, but does make access tricky. This island park is only reachable by boat or seaplane from Michiganā€™s Upper Peninsula or northern Minnesota; the parkā€™s limited-run season is April through October. As for solar storm intensity, a Kp 4 is ideal.

Given Isle Royaleā€™s dense forests and high center ridge, the north Lake Superior shore is the best spot for wide, open views north. If youā€™re arriving through the, try Lane Cove campground, where I caught the display. Starting at the islandā€™s? Head to, another north-shore overnight site on the waterfront.

6.ĢżĢż North Cascades National Park, Washington

Given the towering mountains and thick forests, northern Washingtonā€™s North Cascades National Park is a tricky spot for aurora hunting, but low light pollution and a position on the northern border make sightings possible. When the Kp is highā€”think Kp 5 or upā€”and the clouds clear, youā€™re in for quite a Cascade mountain treat.

The off North Cascades Highway, open 24 hours, is a proven spot for northern-lights views. Access to the viewpoint closes in the winter, according to the, but , just west of Ross Lake Overlook, is another strong option, and remains open year-round.

7.ĢżĢż Denali National Park, Alaska

Unlike the contiguous U.S. parks, Denali National Park experiences light displays during even small solar storms of Kp 1, Kp 2, or Kp 3, but there is one big limitation: darkness, or the lack of it. You wonā€™t see northern lights here from late spring through August because of the midnight sun (when the light continues well past typical sundown time). That leavesā€”fall, winter, and early springā€”for aurora hunting. While you can see auroras in all Alaska national parks, we chose Denali for this list because itā€™s the most reachable in winter, particularly for independent travelers.

You can enjoy a quintessentially Alaskan northern-lights-hunting trip on an overnight dog-sledding tour with. The Alaska-based team has access to several huts throughout the park. That means dog-sledding by day and backcountry-lights chasing by night. Alternatively, join a with a local guide in the Denali area. The park is open 24 hours, so you can try aurora hunting on your ownā€”but the dramatic weather, with temperatures down to -40 F, and the parkā€™s minimal winter resources and accessibility require serious preparation. Stop by the at mile 1.4 on the park road to speak with a ranger if you have any questions while planning.

Note to readers: the Denali Park Road is closed for repairs after milepost 43 (the halfway mark); construction is anticipated to last until 2024, according to the . During warm-weather seasons, this closure restricts access to the parkā€™s backcountry, although it wonā€™t have much effect on winter travelers, as the park after milepost three every winter. Follow for construction and detour updates.

How to Be a Conscious Traveler

Please adhere to and responsible national-park travel principles, including but not limited to: be prepared for the conditions, watch for and steer clear of wildlife, stay on trails, never trespass, and never set up your aurora-hunting post in the middle of a road or parking lot.

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel and astro-tourism journalist and photographer whoā€™s chased auroras from Iceland, Norway, and Greenland to Minnesota, Michigan, and New England. Her most recent excursion was a three-week lights-hunting trip through Greenland and Iceland this fallā€”with not one but seven nights beneath those green swirls.

The post The Best National Parks for Northern Lights Hunting appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

The Park Service website for Michigan's describes it as “a rugged, isolated island where wolves… abound.” Rugged and isolated, yes. Wolves abounding? Not quite. Only 8 wolves live on the 133,000-acre island today, down from 24 in 2009, according to . The pack's isolation, and resulting lack of genetic diversity, is causing its decline.Ģż

But the deep freezes accompanying this winter have have brought more to the upper Great Lakes that ice caves, it has formed ice bridges between the island and the nearest mainland, around 20 miles away. This is a rare event, not seen since 2008. That time, no new wolves came to the islandā€”in fact, two collared wolves are believed to have to used the bridge leave it. Prior to 2008, the water had remained open since 1997, when an alpha male came to the island via the frozen lake. All the island's wolves alive today descend from that animal.

Rolf Peterson, a Michigan Technological University researcher who has studied Isle Royaleā€™s wolves and moose for more than 40 years, told Bencomo that he predicts that, by 2040, Lake Superior simply won't have significant ice cover in the winter.

This might be one of the wolf pack's last chances to stem its declineā€”and if temperatures continue to rise as they have this week, the window is quickly closing.

Meanwhile, a major debate is brewing around whether biologists should intercede by introducing new wolves and deepening the genetic pool. Nearly the entire island is Wilderness with a capital W, and thereby protected by the Wilderness Act, so the short answer is “that's not legal.”

But hereā€™s the thing: the reason the wolves are suffering is tied directly to the fact that cold winters are exceedingly rare. So, the only way to effectively and sustainably help the island's wolves is to, basically, reverse climate change. This makes the whole argument over the legal implications of the Wilderness Act rather inconsequential.

Writes Bencomo: “Rolf [Peterson] contends that humans have already significantly impacted Isle Royale through climate change and other influences, so wilderness preservation today requires active human assistance, not merely drawing up park boundaries and stepping away. 'The 20th century notion of ā€˜wildernessā€™ is not immutable.' He argues that intervention is essential to fulfilling the NPS mission of conservation.”

I expect that we are going to see more and more instances where land managers are stuck between preserving ecosystems (by leaving them alone) and trying to somehow preserve them by helping them adapt to a changing climate.

As Isle Royale's superintendent Phyllis Green said: ā€œWhen you get these really large effects that are more indirect, I mean, climate change is so huge, itā€™s not like a situation where people went in and trapped out a species. You have this very insidious effect thatā€™s going to happen over time to multiple species. So trying to sort out our role in that is why this decision process is taking the time it is.ā€

Read more about the decades-long Isle Royale wolf and moose study , and sign up for email dispatches during the winter study.

UPDATE: An Isle Royale wolf that escaped via the ice bridge . Nicknamed “Isabelle,” the collared adult female had been injuried previously in attacks by other wolves. It's not clear what ultimately killed Isabelle. She was not shot, and cause of death was not immediately apparent.

The post Why The Polar Vortex is Good for Wolves appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Pacific Brewery Binge

San Francisco, CA to Portland, OR Road Trip Map

Oregon to California Road Trip Map

There are more than 20 worthy breweries between San Francisco and Portland. Your mission: Find a driver and hit as many as possible. Start out at the Marin Brewing Company (), in Larkspur, California, for a medium-bodied Mt. Tam Pale Ale. Thirty miles up the coast, in Petaluma, a cold Sirius Ale from the Lagunitas Brewing Company () is the ideal lubricant for canine schadenfreudeĀ—the World’s Ugliest Dog contest takes place here in late June. Three hours to the north, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company () makes one of the world’s best pale ales, and its concert stage consistently hosts alt-country A-listers such as Gillian Welch. After cutting through Mendocino National Forest’s dirt roads for chilly surf and the Lost Coast Brewery’s crisp Great White beer () in Eureka, head for Portland. Try not to get a stiff neckĀ—the westward views of sea lions and Pacific surf are spectacular. Miles : 810 Days : 4 Theme Song: “Hands on the Wheel,” Willie Nelson

WISE GUIDE
Packing: Keep your stuffĀ—bins, stoves, bags, boxesĀ—in cubes, such as Mountainsmith’s zip-top cubes (), whenever possible. Bikes and fishing rods go in last. Truck stops: Are for truckers (and those desperate times when you need a WHY RATION PASSION? I’M A LOVE MACHINE! hat). Traveling with pets: Bring valerian root. It smells terrible, but tests performed by editors show it puts a barking dog to sleep. Gas mileage: To conserve energy, keep to freeways, accelerate slowly, and limit braking by staying two car lengths behind the vehicle in front of you. On the highway, windows up with A/C on is more efficient than windows down with no A/C. Radio: Stick with your iPod radio converterĀ—or Pioneer’s new iPod-and-satellite-radio-compatible stereos ()Ā—until Clear Channel updates its classic-rock playlist. (Note to Clear Channel: Songs from the seventies aren’t classic anymore. They’re oldies.) Maps: Google Maps is great, if you can get Google; for back roads, don’t forget paper.

Southern Dip

Wilmington, NC to St. Augustine, FL

Wilmington, NC to St. Augustine, FL Road Trip Map

Southern Dip
Yes, the Southeast is obscenely hot in July. That’s why you should stick to the water. Start in Wilmington, North Carolina, and follow the coast into South Carolina on U.S. 17, which practically dunks you in the ocean near the tiny town of Pawleys Island. Stop in Tybee Island, Georgia, and before crashing at the DeĀ­Soto Beach Hotel (doubles, $160; ), feast on blue crab. The Crab Shack () serves it, but it tastes better when you’ve caught it yourself off the rocks at the end of the beach. (Bring a net and use raw chicken for bait.) Two hours down the road, at Jekyll Island, hop into a sea kayak to explore tidal marshesĀ—herons and egrets flock to the island’s western shore (guiding from Tidelands Nature Center; ). At trip’s end, bypass the packed beaches in St. Augustine, Florida, and drive 2.5 miles south to Anastasia State Park, just past the local alligator farm. Cast some live shrimp into the surf and you should catch redfish for dinner (tackle available at Island Joe’s camp store; 904-461-9322). Miles: 500 Days: 3 Theme Song: “UnĀ­clouĀ­dy Day,” Willie Nelson

Take Two

Drive that 4×4 500 miles to a national forest and it’ll run you more than $200 in gas, round-trip. My advice: Opt for an on-/off-road motorcycle. They’re comfortable on highways, thanks to their upright riding position, and are more nimble on dirt than any truck. Kawasaki’s KLR 650 ($5,200; ) stretches a gallon 60 miles. Besides, riding a bike is just more fun. I’ve driven a Bentley through Tuscany, and it didn’t compare to the thrill of working my $500 BMW R90/6 through ten miles of curves outside San Jose. Find a motorcycle driving school through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation ().

Lake Loop

Duluth, MN and Michigan’s UP

Lake Loop
Stretched out, Lake Superior’s twisty coastline would extend from New York to Los Angeles. Lucky for you, the circumnavigational route we’ve picked is considerably shorter. Starting in Duluth, Minnesota, cruise east along Wisconsin’s coastal wetlands and into Michigan’s pine-covered Upper Peninsula. After hiking in the surprisingly rugged Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, spend a night in one of the park’s rustic cabins ($60; ). (Call ahead and request the private, waterside Buckshot Cabin.) On the Ontario side of the lake, Pukaskwa National Park is home to 75 miles of coastlineĀ—almost all of it deserted. Pitch a tent on the yellow-sand beaches at the mouth of the Willow River (backcountry camping permits, $10; pc.gc.ca). Back in Minnesota, be sure to stop at Palisade Head, a 300-foot cliff rising directly from the shores of Superior in Tettegouche State Park. Put your kayak in at Silver Bay, paddle beneath the cliff, observe the climbers dangling above, and hitchhike back. Before driving the last 50 miles to Duluth, fuel up at Our Place, in Finland (5195 Hefflefinger Rd.), where a bartender who calls himself the Moose Whisperer serves up the best pancakes in the worldĀ—or at least in northern Minnesota. Miles: 1,090 Days: 4 Theme Song: “In the Garden,” Willie Nelson

Heading for Trouble

Jackson, WY to Las Vegas, NV

Jackson, WY to Las Vegas, NV Road Trip Map

Heading for Trouble
The best way to work off the feel-good vibes of a mountain-town eco-retreat? Gambling in Vegas. After soaking in a solar-heated hot tub at Hotel Terra (doubles, $320; ), in Jackson, WyoĀ­ming, hit the road with a fly rod in tow and mischief on your mind. The Green River is your guideĀ—find it, follow it, and then fish it in the town of Dutch John, Utah. Stay in a cabin at the top of Flaming Gorge (doubles, $105; ). Below, the river swirls between 2,000-foot red-rock walls, holding as many as 14,000 trout per mile (guiding from Trout Creek Flies; ). After turning south and white-knuckling it on “the Hogsback,” a narrow ridgeline on Scenic Byway 12, stop for a hike in Zion National Park. Now you should be ready for a few martinis in Vegas. Stay at Red Rock Casino (doubles, $180; ), the only joint in town offering guided river trips on the Colorado, from Hoover Dam through the Black Canyon. After floating, gamble and listen to old rock stars on the casino circuitĀ—Peter Frampton plays July 11. Miles: 1,055 Days: 5 Theme Song: “The Troublemaker,” Willie Nelson

DIY AAA

Mechanics are great, when they’re nearby. But when they’re many dirt miles away? Heed these tips from Bob Burns, lead instructor at the Land Rover Experience Driving School. 1. Get a tune-up before you go. 2. Learn to read a mapĀ—GPS doesn’t always work (start at , a free online tutorial). 3. Bring a tire kit. A patch kit can fix small holes from nails or bolts and is more reliable than self-patching goo (Stop & Go Tire Mobility Kit, $130; ). 4. To learn how to fix a leaking gas tank with bar soap, sign up for a course with Burns (from $200; ). 5. If that’s too hardcore for you, buy a Haynes Repair Manual for your vehicle’s make and model ().

High-Desert Drift

Santa Fe, NM to Texas

Santa Fe, NM to Texas Road Trip Map

High-Desert Drift
You’ll want two things as you drive through the stark, beautiful desert of West Texas and southern New Mexico: Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy and air-conditioning. After steaking it up in El PasoĀ—the $14 filet mignon at Billy Crews () is arguably the best deal in TexasĀ—make a beeline to Big Bend National Park. July’s 100-degree temperatures make a flatwater float down the Rio Grande your best option (guides available from the Far Flung Outdoor Center; ). Next stop, Marfa, the country’s funkiest artists’ enclave. Tour the Chinati Foundation’s land-art installations, which loom surreally over vast parched fields (). Thirty miles south of town, stay at Cibolo Creek Ranch, a group of luxurious yet rugged Civil WarĀ–era adobe forts equipped with private Jacuzzis (doubles, $475; ). Then cruise north through the yucca-studded Chihuahuan Desert and the dusty Guadalupe MountainsĀ—U.S. 62 tops out at 5,534-foot, see-forever Guadalupe Pass. After crossing into southern New Mexico, hit Roswell’s International UFO Museum, and if it happens to be July 4 weekend, sign up for the Alien Chase 10K (), where chances are good you’ll get passed by an alarmingly fit dude in a chartreuse unitard. Miles: 750 Days: 4 Theme Song: “Across the Borderline,” Willie Nelson

Dirty Driving

Driving a sedan doesn’t mean you can’t navigate the occasional dirt road. Here’s a thinking man’s primer to light off-roading.1. Get the right tires: For all-wheel-drive wagons, like Subarus and Volvos, go with the slim, sturdy All-Terrain T/A (from $150; ). 2. Don’t straddle obstacles: Place your tires on rocks, not around them. 3. On sand: Slightly deflate your tires. 4. Bring a jack: A five-foot Hi-Lift jack and tow chain can help you change a tire and can jerk most cars out of a ditch ($68; amazon.com). 5. Don’t drive straight up hills: If you ascend diagonally, you won’t drag your bumper. 6. Listen up: If you hear a funny sound, get out and checkĀ—or risk spooning with your travel buddy all night, the way executive editor Michael Roberts and senior editor John Bradley swear they didn’t after puncturing an oil pan just outside New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness last summer.

Appalachian Trail Cheat

Hanover, NH to Rockland, ME

Hanover, NH to Rockland, ME Road Trip Map

Appalachian Trail Cheat
Be honest with yourself: You’re not taking the summer off to hike the Appalachian Trail. The next best thing? Drive it. Start in HanĀ­over, New Hampshire, where the AT begins to trace the White Mountains, drive to Lincoln, and follow the 37-mile Kancamagus Highway through scenery that’s more Rockies than New England. In Jackson, avoid the line of cars ascending Mount Washington. Instead, take a real climbing lesson with North FaceĀ–sponsored guide Mark Synnott, who leads multi-pitch climbs up 700-foot Cathedral Ledge (). Crash at the Wildcat Inn and Tavern (doubles, $80; ), unless it’s TuesdayĀ—open-mike nightĀ—in which case you’ll want to stay in nearby North Conway. July is prime feeding time in Maine, and blueberry stands are ubiquitous as you make the 80-mile drive up the coast on Route 1 along Penobscot Bay. Stop in Rockland for the Maine Lobster Festival (), in late July. Once you’ve overdosed on crustacean, head five minutes south to the 183-year-old Owls Head Lighthouse. From the tower, look out on the rugged coastline; from the rocky beach below, kayak out to the Muscle Ridge Islands, where seals play in the shallows (rentals at Water Walker Sea Kayaks; ). Miles: 305 Days: 3 Theme Song: “The Party’s Over,” Willie Nelson

Fine Cheese

In a world of corn palaces, two roadside clichƩs stand out. Both are so awesomely awful that they must be seen. And both, bizarrely, involve big rocks.

The House on the Rock

Legend has it that the House on the Rock, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, started as an F-You to Frank Lloyd Wright, who once slandered builder Alex Jordan, saying he wasn’t fit to design a chicken coop. In retaliation, Jordan’s son built a Wright parody atop a rock six miles south of Wright’s home. Today, a half-century of construction has morphed the original 14-room house into a 17-building, 2.5-mile-long test of mental health. The HOTR’s path winds through shag-carpeted halls crammed with immense collections of beer steins, cogs, firearms, armor, and model angels; a building crammed with ailing dolls; and a hall dedicated to tarnished pipe organs. Push on and you’ll find the world’s largest carousel, a 14-foot cannon, and a school-bus-size sea monster fighting a giant squid ().

The Hole ‘n the Rock

This 14-room, 50,000-cubic-foot cave home in Moab, Utah, was blasted by ex–con artist and taxidermist Albert Christensen as a Sisyphean labor of sorrow after his Mount Rushmore–scale carving of FDR was dynamited by government agents in 1941. The place remains intact 50 years after Christensen died (he was laid to rest out front, by the parking lot). On display are his stuffed donkey, sundry oil portraits of Jesus, and a bathtub purportedly chiseled from sandstone by his wife, Gladys. I go to jelly when the teenage tour guide says, “On your left is Albert’s Sermon on the Mount, his most famous work.” Albert never made it into the Louvre, but his monument endures, a Watts Tower of the canyons, one man’s lonely trudge toward immortality. Admission is five bucks, and that includes the emu petting zoo ().

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Really, most any kind of tent you can imagine will work, Sharen. Neither weight nor size is a terribly crucial issue. Not that you want a tent big enough to house Cirque du Soleil, but there’s no reason to pack yourself into a nylon sardine can.

Seedhouse 3

So even though there’s two of you, think in terms of a three-person tent. One excellent choice: the Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 ($239; www.bigagnes.com), a well-made, well-priced tent that has lots of mesh for good ventilation (I assume it’s a summer or early autumn trip that you’re planning) and 39 square feet of floor spaceĀ—very comfortable for two. And it happens to be both light (about six pounds) and compactable, so it won’t take up much room in your bow compartment or wherever you want to stash it in the boat.

Another excellent tent is the Mountain Hardwear Alcove 3 ($295; www.mountainhardwear.com), a new design for 2005. One appealing feature is that it has a door on each side, so it’s easy to get in or out without disturbing your tentmate. And it’s really bigĀ—52 square feet of floor space, with very tall walls that are as good as vertical for a feeling of spaciousness. Lots of mesh but not quite as airy as the Seedhouse, so it’ll be a little warmer in colder conditions. Its eight-pound weight would be a turnoff if you had to lug it for a backpacking trip, but this one is a perfect solution for a boat trip where counting ounces isn’t quite as crucial. A similar tent is the Sierra Designs Comet ($300; www.sierradesigns.com), although the Comet has just the one door, marginally limiting access.

Lastly, if budgets are an issue, you can save money without losing much in the way of performance with the REI Taj 3 ($229; www.rei.com). This tent has a design I rate highly, with doors on each side of the tent’s “nose” so they’re right by your head and easily accessible. Two vestibules, as well. Fifty square feet and six pounds, so lots of room and a weight that won’t punish you as you’re making the final push to your night’s cove.

Have a great trip!

Check out ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų‘s Gear of the Year winners in the

, then get yourself a copy of the issue, on newsstands now!

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Maine:

national parks, state parks

American Splendor: Canyonlands National Park

Utah:





Michigan/Minnesota:





Tennessee/North Carolina:





Colorado:





Washington:





California:





PLUS:

Acadia National Park, Cutler Coast Public Reserve Land

national parks, state parks

The coastal calm of Acadia National Park

ACADIA
THE NORTHEAST’S ONLY NATIONAL PARK, Acadia manages to shoehorn some 2.8 million annual visits into its compact landscape, mostly on Mount Desert Island (with smaller tracts on Isle au Haut and nearby Schoodic Peninsula). The finest way to lose the crowds and take in the park’s cymbal-crash surf, craggy stone-shored islets, and requisite clifftop lighthouses is to venture out of bounds by SEA-KAYAKING. Put in at the public boat ramp in Manset, located on the southern end of Mount Desert Island, and mosey up Somes Sound, the only bona fide fjord in the lower 48, for a five-hour voyage through the Maine that sets watercolorists’ hearts aflutter. Watch for porpoises, seals, and the mountains, which rise more than 400 feet in elevation from the shore. (And do yourself a favor, Cap’n: Time it so that you’re paddling in and out of Somes Sound with the tides.) Another day’s ocean ramble begins at Seal Harbor beach and aims south for the Cranberry Isles; Little Cranberry, with the Islesford Historical Museum and classic seafood served at the Islesford Dock restaurant, makes a fine spot to stretch your sea legs. The most reliable marine-mammal ogling goes down in Frenchman Bay, off Bar Harbor, where you can paddle around Bar Island and the magnificent and uninhabited Porcupine Islands. Keep a polite distance from the seal ledges, please. Hazardous conditions in these parts can include 55-degree water, 12-foot tides, persistent fog, and currents; unless your kayak schooling includes a master’s in wet exits, hire a guide. For group trips and boat rentals, contact an outfitter: Try Acadia Bike and Coastal Kayaking (800-526-8615, www.acadiafun.com) or Aquaterra ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųs (207-288-0007, ). Post-adventure, the Inn at Bay Ledge (doubles, $160–$375; 207-288-4204, ), perched atop an 80-foot cliff overlooking Frenchman Bay, makes a most civilized base camp.

CUTLER COAST PUBLIC RESERVE LAND
Acadia’s watery splendors are a mere warm-up for the astounding sea views you’ll encounter on the Bold Coast, two hours north of the park on routes 3, 1, and 191. Spend two days BACKPACKING one of the East Coast’s longest seaside trails, the ten-mile Fairy Head Loop, opened seven years ago. Few people take in the raw beauty of this unpolished coast. See for yourself on a figure-eight loop that combines the Coastal Trail with the Inland Trail. The path meanders through blueberry heaths and boardwalked swamplands before opening up atop 70-foot cliffs jagging out over Cobscook Bay. You’ll hike through fog-nourished spruce woods, in and out of seal coves, and to Black Point Beach, littered with sea urchins, a good spot for a 50-degree cold plunge (beware of currents). Watch for eagles overhead and sprays on the horizon from the whales that cruise past from May to October. At Fairy Head, the farthest point of the loop, you’ll find three designated campsites tucked into the woods atop the cliffs. From here, Canada’s Grand Manan Island looks otherworldly in the orange blush of sunrise. Maps are at the trailhead, and you can pick up supplies in Machias.

Canyonlands National Park, Goblin Valley State Park

national parks, state parks

Utah’s Labyrinth: Canyonlands National Park

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK RENAISSANCE FUNHOGS, BRACE YOURSELVES: This trip, combining three days of MOUNTAIN BIKING with five days of WHITEWATER RAFTING on the Colorado River, may be the tastiest pairing since chocolate and cabernet. It takes you straight into the heart of Canyonlands’ high-desert rock garden, defined by the goosenecking canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers and an almost hallucinogenic symphony of spires, buttes, mesas, hoodoos, fins, arches, and slickrock. Phase one: a two-wheeled thrill ride on most of the 100-mile White Rim Trail, a celebrated track that requires a four-wheel-drive support vehicle to tote food and gear. Aim counterclockwise, along the Green River in the Island in the Sky district, and take a side trail at Lathrop Canyon or Potash to your prearranged meeting with your rafting guides. Here you embark on phase two: epic Southwest whitewater. A few miles below the confluence of the Green and the Colorado roars Cataract Canyon, a chain of about 25 Class III–V rapids that some claim trump those in the Grand Canyon, at least in the high-water months of May and June. O.A.R.S. Moab guides raft trips ($1,227, return flight from Lake Powell included; 800-342-5938, ).

GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK
Now for the soft side of your adventure: NARROWS HIKING. While you might feel hoodooed out, you’ll be awestruck anew by the whimsical sandstone gargoyles and skull-shaped gremlins of this state park. Goblin Valley, less than two hours from Canyonlands via U.S. 191, I-70, and U.S. 24, noses up to the southern end of the San Rafael Swell—an oval-shaped 3,000-foot fold of sandstone and shale wedged onto the northern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The land is so fantastic that it’s siphoning Moab loyalists—fast. These are the salient geological features: a 75-mile-long by 30-mile-wide rock dome, riddled with red-wall canyons, which meets a reef, a ring of nearly vertical eroded strata studded with slot canyons. Your hike into this alien land: the seven-mile Ding and Dang Loop, which in some sections carves through the reef via a slot that’s only as wide as a person. There’s plenty of scenic camping to be had all along the swell—if you travel light and can squeeze your backpack through the narrows. A more comfortable alternative is to do the route as a day hike and then set up your tent at the park’s 24-site campground (for reservations, call 800-322-3770).

Isle Royale National Park, Superior National Forest

national parks, state parks

Floating Kingdoms: Isle Royale National Park

ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK
Kayakers come to this roadless, carless Lake Superior island for its rocky shoreline; fishermen and canoeists, for its 47 inland lakes; and backpackers, for its wooded basaltic ridges populated by moose and timber wolves. A savvy and intrepid handful of park visitors know how to really get lost here: Venture below the lake’s forbidding surface for SHIPWRECK DIVING. Ten major vessels have come to rest in park waters in the last 127 years, and the same frigid 40-degree water that forces divers to don drysuits has drastically slowed the wrecks’ decomposition. Visibility is often so good you can survey a ship’s exterior 40 feet down without a light. The shallower remains are most popular, such as the America, a package freighter that sank in 1928 and whose bow lies just a few feet below the surface. Others sit deeper; the Kamloops, a Canadian freighter not located until 50 years after it succumbed to a blizzard in 1927, lies between 175 and 260 feet under. Join an outfitter—Superior Trips (763-785-9516, www.superiortrips.com) or RLT Divers Inc. (507-238-4671, www.rltdivers.com)—and spend a week diving and living off a boat. Isle Royale is open mid-April through October; the ferry from Grand Portage, Minnesota, takes three hours.

SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST
Just as Isle Royale island fever sets in, the ferry hops you back to Grand Portage, on the doorstep of the wet wonderland of Superior National Forest. This vast two-million-acre area is home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and its 1,500 miles of routes on silvery lakes and streams choked with northern pike and walleye. But here’s the surprise: Superior also hosts some fine MOUNTAIN BIKING, particularly in the rolling, moose-trodden highlands above Tofte and Lutsen. Minnesota’s Cook County is composed almost entirely of public lands, which translates to more than 500 miles of rideable forest gravel roads, two-track logging roads, and ski trails. (You may want to carry an inflatable pool toy to float your bike across deep water.) Start by driving an hour from Grand Portage on Highway 61 south to Grand Marais, your base for fat-tire fun; the Pincushion Bed & Breakfast (doubles, $95–$120; 800-922-5000, ) is a piney retreat overlooking Lake Superior. Try the 25-mile Devil’s Track Lake Loop, which starts out from the nearby campground on County Road 8. Superior North Outdoor Center (218-387-2186) has rentals and maps, and outfits inn-to-inn rides.

Great Smoky Mountains, Nantahala National Forest

Appalachian Adrenaline: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
IN THE SMOKIES, THE NUMBERS TELL good news and bad: 800 miles of trails, almost 700 miles of fishable streams, hazy blue ridges topping out above 6,000 feet (some of the highest east of the Rockies), 5,600 species of plants, more than 60 of native mammals … and upwards of nine million humans every year. So head where the masses aren’t—the Greenbrier area, on the Tennessee side—for three sweet and soothing days of HIKING and FLY-FISHING. Start hoofing it at the Porters Creek trailhead, reached by entering the park off U.S. 321 east of Gatlinburg. Follow the wide creek for 3.6 miles until you reach Campsite 31, gaining about 1,500 feet of elevation in the process—good reason to stop and wet a line along the way. Casting is easier here than in many of the park’s cramped, brush-banked streams, and you can catch rainbow trout. Next morning, backtrack 2.7 miles from your campsite to the Brushy Mountain Trail. You’ll cross trout streams and roam through tulip trees, hemlocks, rhododendrons, and mountain laurels. Bunk that night at the Mount LeConte shelter, a three-sided stone structure at 6,440 feet (free; reserve through the backcountry office at 865-436-1297). Or book a slot at the LeConte Lodge, a rustic haven reachable only by trail and lit by kerosene lamps (cabins and group lodges start at $83.50 per adult per night; 865-429-5704, ). On the third day, march six more miles on the Boulevard Trail, encountering many a heart-stopping mountain vista, to another shelter, at Icewater Springs near the Appalachian Trail (70 miles of which traverse the park). Finally, a 2.7-mile taste of the AT takes you to Newfound Gap Road, where you thoughtfully arranged for a shuttle to pick you up ($32 for up to five people; A Walk in the Woods, 865-436-8283).

NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST
Shake off the quiet of the past few days with high-intensity WHITEWATER RAFTING on the Chattooga near Nantahala National Forest. South of the national park, off highways 441 and 76, there’s easy access to the river’s sections three and four, a rumble strip of phenomenal Class III-V rapids. You’ll see nary a trace of man except your paddle mates, and it’s easy to get Deliverance-spooked while navigating rapids that ribbon through hemlock forest and echoing gorges, and dipping into holes ringed with eerie rock formations. After taming the first ten miles, set up camp at Woodall Shoals, where diversions include rope-swing acrobatics. Day two gets burlier, with 4.5 romping miles graciously followed by two calming miles of lake waters. Old Creek Lodge (cabins for two, $89–$229; 800-895-6343, ), in the artsy town of Highlands, is your post- paddle roost. Spin out your rafting legs by MOUNTAIN-BIKING the 6.6-mile, rhododendron-choked Blue Valley Loop Trail; from Highlands, access the trailhead via Clear Creek Road and Forest Road 367. Squeeze in a two-mile hike to the gray-cliff summit of 4,986-foot Whiteside Mountain, off Highway 64 between Highlands and Cashiers, for views of the rolling hills of North Carolina and Georgia. The Nantahala Outdoor Center (800-232-7238, ) leads overnight trips on the Chattooga and rents mountain bikes.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Routt National Forest

national parks, state parks

Colorado Sick-Track: Rocky Mountain National Park

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
JUST AN HOUR AND A HALF’S DRIVE from Denver and less than an hour from Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park draws legions of Front Range residents with its elk meadows, hikes to chilly alpine lakes, and Trail Ridge Road, the Divide-straddling highway. Less appreciated is that when it comes to CLIMBING, the park’s got something for every subculture: alpine routes, sport climbs, bouldering, and ice climbs. At 14,255 feet, Longs Peak is “the granddaddy of the fourteeners,” says Jim Detterline, a ranger who’s summited Longs 220 times and counting. Thousands of other people also reach the top each year, most of them by the Keyhole Route (the most popular path), and most in July or August. Very few brave the Stettner’s Ledges route on the mountain’s east face. Their loss. Rich with alpine history, the climb, rated a Grade III, 5.7-5.8, was first ascended in 1927 by a pair of German-American brothers from Illinois; at the time, it was among the country’s toughest routes, and it’s still no gimme, even for those acclimatized to high altitude. Stettner’s entails a pre-climb backcountry bivouac, a glacier crossing, and six pitches over fractured granite, chimneys, cracks, and ledges, all capped by another 600-foot scramble to the top. Typically, this means six to eight hours of heroics after a 4 a.m. start to avoid afternoon lightning. But you’ll still want to pause to catch your breath and take in your surroundings, which include a close-up view of the Diamond, an 800-foot-tall face. Contact the Colorado Mountain School in Estes Park (970-586-5758) for lessons and guided climbs.

ROUTT NATIONAL FOREST
ONE OF Colorado’s greatest untrampled MOUNTAIN-BIKING play spots is tucked away in the northernmost reaches of high-elevation Routt National Forest, two hours from Rocky Mountain National Park. For three days of wheeled heaven, head west from the park on Highway 40 (you’ll hit the Continental Divide at Rabbit Ears Pass) and continue north of Steamboat Springs to Routt, named for the state’s first governor. The formidable Nipple Peak/Lopez Creek Loop, accessed via Forest Road 487, near Hahn’s Lake will humble even hardcore riders. This 16-mile burner follows nappy Trail 1156 through dense conifers and lupine-sprinkled meadows before a four-mile grind to the saddle near 10,324-foot Nipple Peak. Then it’s up over a divide, down along Willow Creek, and onto Trail 1147. Call it a day at the Hinman Park Campground, next to the Elk River, east of the town of Clark. It’s a delightful, lodgepole-pine-dappled camp, somewhat less used than its neighbor sites in the area. The following day, your riding agenda focuses on the Big Red Park/Manzanares Trail, which wraps along Big Red Park, a large mountain meadow, and has stellar views of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area next door. If you’ve got juice left, there’s still the Hinman Trail, also known as Trail 1177, near your campsite, which unleashes seven miles of aspen-fringed, rolling singletrack studded with roots, rocks, downed trees, and—just for extra credit—a couple of stream crossings. In Steamboat Springs, Sore Saddle Cyclery (970-879-1675, ) has bikes and maps.

Olympic National Park, Rose Lake National Recreation Area

national parks, state parks

Washington’s Never-Never Land: Olympic National Park

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
FEW NATIONAL PARKS MAKE PICKING your poison so gut-wrenching as Olympic does: Should you light out for the 7,000-foot-and-higher peaks and sparkling lakes of the Olympic Peninsula’s interior? The rugged headlands and tide pools of the 65-mile Coastal section, a lengthy ribbon of primitive coastline? Or the moist air and brooding old growth of the temperate rainforest? Tough call, but this should help: For a gratifying combo of remoteness, adventure, and greenery so lush you’d swear you can hear the plants breathing, set aside three or four days to BACKPACK part of the 15-mile out-and-back Queets River Trail, in the park’s southwestern area. To reach the trailhead, drive 45 minutes from Highway 101 along a one-lane gravel washboard, and then ford two rivers, the shallow Sams and the trickier Queets. (Use caution on the Queets; the riverbed is rocky, uneven, slimy in spots, and unpassable at times in spring and early summer.) The trail wanders among Sitka spruces and red cedars, with riverside sandbars inviting quick dunks in the martini-cold Queets and well-situated tent sites. Elk herds have been known to make a cameo. Pick up your wilderness permit ($5, plus a camping fee of $2 per person per night) at any ranger station or information center.

ROSS LAKE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Shortcut across Puget Sound to your second destination: Ross Lake National Recreation Area, hard by the Canadian border. Drive north on Highway 101 along the coast to Port Townsend, where it’s a 30-minute ferry ride to Whidbey Island and the cozy Captain Whidbey Inn (doubles, $150–$295; 800-366-4097, ). Next day, drive three hours on State Route 20 to 24-mile-long Ross Lake and the captivating Ross Lake Resort (doubles, $92–$197; 206-386-4437, ). First, there’s one more transportation leg: Ditch your car at milepost 134 on State Route 20 and hike a mile to the water, where a resort boat will ferry you to one of 15 floating cabins. Mellow Ross Lake, home to beavers and beatniks, has premier LAKE PADDLING, with 20 designated boat-in campsites if you want to sleep out (pick up a free backcountry permit at the Wilderness Information Center on State Route 20 on your way in; 360-873-4590; the resort rents canoes and kayaks). Afternoon winds tend to blow strongly uplake, so move in the morning. Your warm-up: Paddle the four miles up and down the Ruby Arm inlet. Or ride a motorboat to the trailhead for 6,100-foot Desolation Peak. It’s a 4.7-mile, 4,300-foot billy-goat hoof up to the lookout, where Jack Kerouac is rumored to have camped for 63 days. The views—of glacier-capped peaks and glistening Ross Lake—are nothing short of majestic.

Olympic National Park, Rose Lake National Recreation Area

national parks, state parks

Oh Capitan, My Capitan: Yosemite National Park

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
QUICK—TRY TO THINK OF A NATIONAL PARK whose icons are more familiar than Yosemite’s masterpieces of rock and water: Half Dome, El Capitan, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Falls. No park comes close to this one’s abundant glacier-polished granite, a veritable shrine of ROCK CLIMBING. For those with aid-climbing skills, the tip of Lost Arrow Spire is an electrifying place to rise above the fray, quite literally, with outrageous views of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley. The spire is a tapering finger of rock that parallels the main Yosemite Falls wall, with an adrenalinizing twist: Although you climb only 200 feet on the spire, there’s some 2,500 feet between you and the valley floor below, more than enough to get you mumbling incoherently about your own mortality. By the numbers the climb is Grade III, 5.7, C.2; if any of that sounds like quantum physics, you’re not ready for Lost Arrow. (Instead, scamper up classic but less serious climbs like two-pitch Bishops Terrace, a 5.8.) There are two ways to approach the spire; we suggest making it a weekend trip either way, camping off-trail the nights before and after the climb. If you have ample sweat to spill, hike the four steep miles from the Valley on Yosemite Falls Trail via Yosemite Point. (Payoff: At about 6,500 feet, upper Yosemite Falls makes spectacular trail company.) For details of Yosemite routes and great climbing history, check out climber Chris McNamara’s Web site at . For lessons or guided climbs, contact Yosemite Mountaineering School (209-372-8435, ).

STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST
Hugging Yosemite’s northwest shoulder is the strikingly similar terrain of the Stanislaus National Forest, with more than 800 miles of rivers and streams, 1,470 designated campsites, and plenty of wilderness access points for sublime RAFTING and MOUNTAIN BIKING. Allow two hours to drive from Yosemite to a choice stretch of unpopulated whitewater, the North Fork of the Stanislaus, a steep, narrow canyon best run in May and June. Here await six miles of relentless whitewater, California’s longest continuous Class IV stretch. En route to this trove, spend a night at Murphys Historic Hotel in Murphys, a charismatic Gold Rush town off Highway 4 (doubles, $65–$100; 800-532-7684). Then start the wild ride at Sourgrass Crossing, about 20 miles from Murphys, navigating massive drops, boulder slaloms, and stair-step waterfalls, into Calaveras Big Trees State Park. O.A.R.S. offers daylong rafting adventures ($117–$143 per person; 800-346-6277, ). Next up: Continue on Highway 4 to Bear Valley, trade your paddle for knobbies, and tackle the Bear Valley/Lake Alpine route, ten miles of rock-hopping singletrack. Bear Valley ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Company (209-753-2834) has maps, guides, and rentals. With a sunset-facing deck and knotty timbered cabins, Lake Alpine Lodge (one-bedroom cabins from $120; 209-753-6358, ) is your serene base camp. Don’t dawdle: Highway 4 could be the state’s next scenic byway.

Ramp It Up

BMX: Lake Ferris, California

Brandon Nicholls, now 14 years old, got his first for-real BMX bike on his seventh Christmas. “I just started riding from there,” he says in a voice so newly dropped to baritone that he uses it slowly and carefully. Where he rode to was BMX glory. Last December, Brandon became the number-one–ranked amateur rider in the American Bicycle Association, BMX’s leading sanctioning body.

At five-foot-nine and 170 pounds, Brandon is fast growing into his voice. On a Sunday after lunch in Moreno Valley, California, 70 miles east of L.A., he wheels his $1,900 aluminum-frame GT Speed Series UltraBox, provided as part of his sponsorship deal with the GT/Panasonic Shock Wave BMX Team, to the family minivan. Brandon, his parents, and his brother Kyle are about to decamp to the nearby Lake Perris BMX course, as it has on nearly every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years. Brandon’s parents, Bill and Marci, will help officiate while their boy cranks out lap after lap in a local-level race, hurdling dirt-packed jumps and 25-foot-long stretches of dirt lined with 15 one- to two-foot bumps.

Once rolling, the Nicholls van takes on the glow shared by all family vehicles on the way to uplift and togetherness. “I think it’s important to do things with them, not just drop them off and pick them up later,” says Marci, a zaftig motherly sunbeam who works as a state truck inspector. (In lieu of a nametag, she’s wearing a T-shirt that proclaims her to be Brandon’s Mom.) Bill, a contractor who grew up in nearby Huntington Beach, brags about the preeminence of BMX here in the suburbifying drylands of Riverside County, the sport’s Fertile Crescent. In fact, BMX was born in these parts in the early 1970s as bicycle motocross, a nonmotorized version of motocross that pits eight torso-armored racers against one another in one-lap heats, or “motos,” on the 1,100 to 1,300-foot-long tracks.

Bill’s own recreational background—he used to race Baja buggies and motorcycles—says a lot about why this is BMX country. Daddies here share a predilection for things that burn gas and go like hell. Motorless kiddie motorsport, then, is a natural. Some dads turn to BMX when their kids get hooked, and the 60,000-member-strong ABA is more than accommodating: Age groups range from five-and-under to 56-and-over, with the 13-and-14-year-old division the biggest. Yet despite its competitive bent, BMX boasts a thriving recreational side, too: Nonracers flock to homemade dirt courses—outfitted with short, swooping downhills and steep jumps—in parks all across the United States.

Today at Lake Perris, Brandon Nicholls is in his element. He rockets down the starting hill, looking like a steelhead swimming with catfish. “Check this moto right here,” machine-guns the announcer, somebody’s dad being unhinged. “Check out Brandon Nicholls!” Kids who hope for BMX fame can see it in their midst, while parental hope is spelled out on the side of the Chevy pickup that belongs to the guy who runs the track: Keeping kids clean in the dirt.

The Dirt: More than a dozen L.A. suburbs have BMX tracks. Armoring up for your first moto requires ABA membership ($35 per year). At the Lake Perris track, practice times and races are scheduled throughout the week; call 909-657-4917 for details.

SPECIALIZED FATBOY HEMI

VITALS: $600; 800-245-3462;
WEIGHT: 4 pounds frame, 24.7 pounds complete
FRAME: No tubes, just an aluminum monocoque
FORK: Stout, chrome-moly unicrown
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: A smattering of Specialized’s own parts (cranks, tires, handlebars) built to handle the high-flying rigors of the BMX track
THE RIDE: Whether you’re perfecting a gate-start at the track or simply hamming it up on the local trails, at $600 the Fatboy Hemi is cheap enough that you and Junior can think about getting matching bikes to work on your double-jumps together. (Sure beats hucking fastballs at each other.) The Hemi’s trademark monocoque construction makes it stiffer than most BMX frames, and it comes adorned with nice touches like a built-in pad on top of the frame—which, when you come up short on that double-jump, means Junior won’t necessarily be an only child.

S&M KRIS BENNETT

VITALS: $915; 714-835-3400;
WEIGHT: 6.95 pounds frame; 25.7 pounds complete
FRAME: Chrome-moly steel
FRAME: Stout, chrome-moly unicrown
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: Pricey Profile three-piece cranks are worth every penny for their balance of durability and light weight
THE RIDE: Show up at any BMX street scene or dirt-lot jump astride the Bennett—named after the famed racer—and the local competition will immediately classify you as one of two breeds: dark horse threat or witless poser. You are, after all, riding the signature bike of one of the best “dirt-jumpers” in the country. Haven’t heard of Bennett or his niche MTV-style sport? You’re obviously not a threat. But that’s OK because the Bennett, with construction and componentry designed to handle the impact of the occasional flat landing on hardpacked dirt, is tough enough to be ridden away from all but the worst rookie-beaters. —ANDREW JUSKAITIS

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