Our family trip to Maui was full of surfing, waterfall treks, and snorkeling with turtles. Catching the sunrise from the top of the 10,023-foot volcano in Haleakala National Park was supposed to be the crowning jewel. Some say it’s the greatest sunrise in the world. I wouldn’t know, though, because I forgot to make reservations two months in advance of the trip, and the only way you can see the sunrise from Haleakala is with a timed-entry permit.

These mandatory timed-entry reservations in national parks have become a hot topic the last few years. During the pandemic, when visitation to national parks soared, a few parks—starting with Arches in 2022—responded by implementing the reservation systems, which require all visitors to get permits for specific entry times during the busy season. Since then, other park units have implemented similar systems.

I recently spent a lot of time studying national-park visitor comments online, and the reservation system was the second-most frequent complaint. But you know what was the most frequent complaint among national-park visitors? Overcrowding in parks, which leads to traffic jams and a lack of parking, not to mention more pressure on the natural resources.

The National Park System has implemented these systems as a direct response. If you’ve sat in near standstill traffic in Yosemite, or waited for your turn to take a photo in Glacier, then you know something has to be done to mitigate the crowds.

I’m notoriously bad at making reservations for dinner a week in advance, let alone for a vacation three months down the road, so I get user frustration with the new system. But until some bright mind comes up with a better way to handle millions of people wanting to hike to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, I think we’re all going to have to get used to planning certain national park experiences well in advance.

Here’s a look at the nine national parks that will require advance reservations for entry or on certain popular hikes in 2025.

1. Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is bringing back last year’s timed-entry vehicle-reservation pilot project for the popular west side of Going-To-The-Sun Road and the North Fork area. The reservations will be required from June 13 to September 28, 2025, daily between 7 A.M. and 3 P.M.

Going-To-The-Sun Road, which is only open during the warm months, usually mid June through September, is a 50-mile-long paved byway that cuts through the center of the park, delivering visitors to the most popular trailheads. West Glacier, near Whitefish, is the western entrance of the road, and St. Mary Visitor Center is the gateway to the eastern edge of the park.

How to Get a Glacier National Park Reservation: You can make reservations starting on February 12 on on a rolling basis, 120 days in advance of desired visitation dates, starting at 8 A.M. MST. Any remaining vehicle reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MDT for next-day entry for dates throughout the season starting on June 12, 2025. Reservations require a $2 processing fee.

In 2025, visitors can still access the park at the East Entrance of Going-To-The-Sun Road without a reservation, but entry might be restricted at certain times without advance notice if the road becomes too congested. You can visit the beautiful Two Medicine Valley, also on the east side of the park and with its own entrance, without a reservation. If you lack a reservation and don’t want to trek 100 miles to the east side of the park, vehicles can drive Going-To-The-Sun Road from the western entrance as far as Apgar Village, which is two miles inside the park’s west entrance.

Backup Plan: If you have a reservation for lodging, camping, transportation, or a commercial activity, you can access the park within the intended service area of Going-To-The-Sun Road without making a timed-entry reservation as long as you can show proof of that booking.

If you don’t have a reservation, you can enter the park before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Or take your chances and enter the park through the eastern entrance of Going-To-The-Sun Road, remembering that access might be restricted due to overcrowding on the road. Better yet, head to the east side of the park to Two Medicine Valley, which is full of trails leading to ice-blue backcountry lakes and towering peaks. The 9.6-mile hike to passes waterfalls and ends on the shore of the lake, which is flanked by the Continental Divide.

2. Arches National Park

Arches is bringing back its previous timed-entry reservation pilot program from 2022 to be used from April 1 to October 31, 2025, although this year you will not need reservations between July 7 and August 27. The program is a continuation of a reservation system that began as a direct response to Arches’ increased popularity; the park had seen a 73 percent rise in visitation from 2011 to 2021. Timed entry reservations will be required between 7 A.M. and 4 P.M. daily.

How to Get an Arches National Park Reservation: Reservations are released three months in advance in monthly blocks, so April reservations open on January 2, May reservations open February 1, June reservations open March 1, and so on. Tickets can be reserved at at 8 A.M. MST beginning January 2. Beginning March 31, additional next-day tickets will be released at 7 P.M. MST each evening. Cost for booking a reservation is $2. No tickets will be available at the park visitor center. Once you have a reservation, you’ll have a dedicated one-hour window to enter the park.

Backup Plan: You don’t need a reservation if you have camping, tour, or special-use permits.

You can also enter the park before 7 A.M. or after 4 P.M. without a reservation. Canyonlands National Park is only 27 miles southwest of Arches, and makes for a superb alternative if you can’t get inside Arches.

3. Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park has a two-tiered reservation system that, frankly, has confused a lot of people in the past couple of years. Still, it proved effective for mitigating crowds, so the park is bringing it back for 2025. Reservations will be required beginning May 23 through Oct. 14 or Oct 20 depending on the specific reservation you get.

Two types of reservations are available: one is a permit for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which will also include access to the rest of the park, with reservations required from 5 A.M to 6 P.M.. The other is a permit for what is known as “the rest of the park,” excluding this corridor, with reservations needed from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. daily. Bear Lake Road reservations are required from May 23 to October 20, but “the rest of the park” reservations are only necessary from May 23 to October 14. Why the distinction? The Bear Lake Road area is the most popular section of the park thanks to its collection of picturesque lakes and relatively easy hikes.

How to Get a Rocky Mountain National Park Reservation: You can get reservations through one month in advance, so reservations for June (and the last week of May) will be released at 8 A.M. MST on May 1. Reservations for July will be released June 1 at 8 A.M. MST. The park will also hold 40 percent of the permits for next-day reservations, releasing those at 7 P.M. MST the night before. The only cost for a reservation is a $2 process fee. Visitors with a reservation will have a dedicated two-hour window to enter the park.

Back Up Plan: The Bear Lake corridor is awesome, and the deeper you go on the trails in that area, the better it gets. But Rocky Mountain is a big park, and with the “rest of the park” reservation window so narrow (9 A.M. to 2 P.M.) there’s plenty of time to enter the park before or after those hours and still experience the iconic landscape. Driving Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the U.S., topping out at 12,183 feet, is memorable all on its own. But I say set your alarm for an early wake up so you can hit the park before 9 A.M. and head to the Long’s Peak Trailhead for the 8.4-mile hike to Chasm Lake, a calm pool at the base of Long’s Peak where you’ll see a picture perfect view of the mountain’s 1,000-foot granite walls.

4. Zion National Park

You don’t need reservations to enter Zion National Park in 2025, but you will to hike to Angels Landing. The extremely popular hike leads to one of the most photogenic spots in the entire park: a narrow, rocky perch hovering 1,500 feet above the Virgin River. Reservations are required year round and released in a seasonal lottery beginning two months in advance of your intended hike. Next-day permits are also released, on the day before your intended hike.

How to Get a Reservation to Hike to Angels Landing: All reservations are released on . You’ll enter the lottery and pick seven ranked days and times when you want to tackle Angels Landing. You can register for up to six people in the lottery. If you win the lottery, permits are issued on the 25th of the month that you registered.

Lottery-permit applications are $6 and if you score a reservation, the cost is another $3 per hiker. The park also releases last-minute permits for next-day hikers. The lottery opens at 12 MST and closes at 3pm MST each day. The same fees apply. The confirmation email from recreation.gov serves as your permit.

Backup Plan: Getting a reservation is the only way you can hike to the end of Angels Landing, but no permit is necessary to hike the up to Scout Lookout, a 4.5-mile out and back that encompasses most of the same trail, missing only the final push along the knife-edge ridge to Angels Landing. But you’ll still get to hike along the Virgin River and through the breezy Refrigerator Canyon, and end with a great view of Zion Canyon from Scout Lookout.

5. Shenandoah National Park

No reservations are necessary to enter Shenandoah National Park, but you do need a permit to hike any of the several routes up the park’s signature peak, Old Rag, which is topped by a granite outcropping with a 360-degree view. After a two-year pilot program, Shenandoah National Park has made the Old Rag day-use permit system permanent. You’ll need a day-use ticket from March 1 to November 30. A limit of 800 permits are allotted each day.

How to Get a Permit to Hike Old Rag: Every member in your hiking party needs a permit. Tickets are $2, purchased at . Half of the tickets are released 30 days in advance on a rolling basis and the other half are open for grabs five days in advance. The permits are good from 12 A.M. to 11:59 P.M. of the date of your hike.

Backup Plan: Old Rag isn’t the only summit inside Shenandoah. The 3,514-foot Mary’s Rock, which requires no permit (only Old Rag does), is topped by a granite outcropping with a gorgeous view west into the pastoral Shenandoah Valley. You can reach the summit via a variety of trails, from an easy 1.5-mile out and back to an arduous that includes a slice of the Appalachian Trail. Ìę

6. Haleakala National Park

You don’t need a reservation to enter Haleakala National Park, a 33,265-acre gem on the island of Maui, but if you want to see the sunrise from the summit of its central 10,023-foot active volcano, you’ll need to plan ahead and get a permit. Reservations are necessary to enter the Summit District of the park from 3 A.M. to 7 A.M. daily. The system has been in place since 2017 because catching the sunrise from the top of this volcano is supposedly a transcendent experience.

How to Get a Reservation to See the Sunrise on Haleakala: Reservations can be made on up to 60 days in advance of your desired day. All permits are released at 7 A.M. HST daily on a rolling basis. For those with less foresight, 50 permits are released 48 hours in advance on a rolling basis, but don’t count on scoring one: only 150 cars are allowed into the park during sunrise each day. You can only get one sunrise reservation per three-day period.Ìę

Backup Plan: I tried to get last-minute reservations for sunrise on my recent family trip to Maui but had no luck. Instead, we showed up for sunset. Was it as transcendent as a sunrise? I can’t compare the two, but it was gorgeous and we didn’t have to wake up at 2 A.M. to drive into the park. If you’re dead set on experiencing the sunrise but can’t get an advance reservation, consider booking a couple of nights in the Summit District’s Each booking comes with a sunrise permit. Snag a campsite up to 30 days in advance. Sites are $5 per night, with a three-night maximum.

Hiking the Summit District is a delight even if you can’t catch a sunrise. My family spent our time poking around easy trails, but the is an 11-mile point-to-point that drops through the volcano’s crater, traveling through rust-red and black lava rock terrain that many describe as otherworldly.

7. Yosemite National Park

For the last couple of years, Yosemite has gone back and forth with timed-entry reservations: mandating and enforcing them, then taking the system away, then bringing it back. In 2024, the park introduced a Peak Hours Plus system for spring, summer, and fall that required reservations from 5 A.M. to 4 P.M.

The park hasn’t announced its plans for 2025 yet. But we do know that you’ll need reservations from February 8 to February 23 on weekends because of the mass appeal of Horsetail Falls, which at that time of year glows when sunlight hits it. You need an even if you don’t want to see Horsetail Falls. We’ll update this article with łÛŽÇČő±đłŸŸ±łÙ±đ’s 2025 plans when they are released.

How to Get a Reservation to See Horsetail Falls: Half of the reservations for the February Horsetail Falls were released in November of 2024. The other half will be released two days in advance of the target weekends at 8 A.M. PT on recreation.gov. So if you’re trying to get tickets for February 23, you can get reservations on February 21 at 8 A.M.. There’s a $2 reservation fee.

Backup Plan: If you want to see Horsetail Falls in its winter glory on a weekend, you need to score a reservation. There’s no way into Yosemite on a February weekend without that permit. Or you can hit the park on weekdays in February when no reservations are required.

If you make it inside the park in February and are looking for something else to do, head to the Bridge Pass Ski Area, which offers downhill skiing and is a hub of groomed and ungroomed cross-country trails. The is a 8.3-mile ski through meadows with a dramatic view into Yosemite Valley.

8. Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park did not require entrance reservations in 2024, but did require reservations for visitors wanting to drive Cadillac Summit Road from May 22 to October 27. The park has not announced its reservation plans for 2025, although Cadillac Summit Road permits are expected to be part of the management plan again.

How to Get a Cadillac Summit Road Permit: Last year, permits were required to drive the road from sunrise until sunset. The park released 30 percent of the permits 90 days in advance on on a rolling basis, while 70 percent of permits were released at 10 A.M. EST two days prior to desired dates. There was a $6 processing fee regardless of when you get the reservation.

Backup Plan: You’ll need to score a reservation if you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain during the day time, but that’s not the only good view inside Acadia. Check out Great Head, a 145-foot tall summit with a dramatic view of Acadia’s beaches and coast, via this adventurous .

9. Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier is the latest park to enter the timed-entry reservation game, introducing a pilot permit system last year for vehicles accessing the park via either the Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor. Reservations were needed daily from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. from May 24 through September 2 for the Paradise Corridor and July 3 to September 2 for the Sunrise Corridor. The park is still evaluating the results of that pilot program and has not yet announced plans for 2025. We’ll update this article when information is available.

How to Get a Reservation to Mount Rainier National Park: Advance reservations are made available on , and a small amount of next-day reservations are issued at 7 P.M. PT the day before on a rolling basis. A $2 processing fee is required for each reservation.

Backup Plan: If you can’t score a reservation, try entering the park before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Also, visitors with camping, lodging, or wilderness permits don’t need a timed-entry reservation. Also, if you enter Sunrise Corridor on foot or bicycle, you don’t need a reservation. If you’re , State Route 410 (Sunrise Road) climbs 3,650 feet in 20 miles from the park boundary to Sunrise, an overlook sitting at 6,400 feet in elevation that offers a big view of snowcapped Rainier and the surrounding valley.

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. He still regrets not scoring reservations for the sunrise in Haleakala National Park, and knows he needs to be better at planning ahead for such adventures. He recently wrote about the year’s (best) worst national park reviews; surviving a hurricane in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina; and his choice for the country’s best state for adventures.

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Described as “America’s best idea,” the National Park System was established in large part to protect the nation’s most precious landscapes, from the deepest canyons to the tallest peaks. Some of the parks are so dang beautiful, they’ve been known to make people contemplate their own existence.

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

I learned a few things in the process. I learnedÌęthat a lot of people don’t like the timed entry and reservation systems that many parks have put in place to combat overcrowding. Like, a lot of people; I saw thousands of complaints on that topic. Also, the general lack of parking gets people fired up.

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

Here are my favorite bad national-park reviews of 2024. As ever, we nod to , grandmaster collector of such information, which, as autumn lit up the multitude of colors in the national forest of Vermont, noted this doozy: “Not a memorable place to go.”

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

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

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

“This is the Walmart of national parks.” —Google Maps

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

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

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

“Haven’t gone yet, will go soon, sounds hot tho.”—Google Maps

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

3. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

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

“Can’t grille, can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t play loud music…who wants to just sit on sand.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

4. Redwood National and State Parks, California

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

“California sucks so I don’t know why I was surprised when I was very disappointed. The trees aren’t as big as everyone says and they’re not red either, terrible name. The National park should just sell the land and turn the trees into paper.”—Google Maps

5. Joshua Tree National Park, California

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

“It’s just a load of big stones. If you go make sure to take a packed lunch and drinks, you’ll certainly thank me.” —TripAdvisor

6. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

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


“If you hike or like white water rafting, this is a great place. Otherwise, not much else to do.”—Google Maps

7. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

I haven’t visited Dry Tortugas yet, but it’s on my list because these islands west of the Florida Keys offer some of the most remote spits of land in America, with beautiful snorkeling and paddling. Some feel waterlogged though.

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

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Couple the tallest sand dunes in North America with long-range views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and you’ve got


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

9. Everglades National Park, Florida

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

“No cocodrilos.

no crocodiles seen

money is lost.”—Google Maps

10. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

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

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

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

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

“I’ve seen better in video games smh. Mother nature better step it up.”—Google Maps

12. Sequoia National Park, California

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

“A road that is truly too long and winding
I’m still recovering from the tiredness and motion sickness of the 5 hours driving around tight curves.”—TripAdvisor

13. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

I recently decided that Capitol Reef is the country’s most underrated park for adventure. It has arches, canyons, domes, rock climbing, and gravel rides galore. One reviewer seems to be upset that the park didn’t take enough of his money.

“THIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE A NP. It’s beyond mids and a waste of taxpayers money. Doesn’t even have a fee station to support itself
Protect the land no doubt but either charge everyone that comes through or make it a monument.”—Google Maps

14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

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

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

15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

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

“Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see his face in any of the cliffs or mountains. Probably erosion. Time for a touch up.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

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

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

“Water bubbling out of the ground. Wow.”—Google Maps

“Same thing (e.g. geysers) everywhere. I got bored the second day.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

17. Yosemite National Park, California

łÛŽÇČő±đłŸŸ±łÙ±đ’s granite peaks, valleys, and mountains might have captivated Ansel Adams, but nobody ever mentions how uncomfortable nature is, do they?

“All the hikes are uphill, and you’re practically climbing cliffs. I got soaked by several incredibly large waterfalls just by standing at the bottom.”—Google Maps

18. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

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

“Not enough mountain.” —Google

Ìę19. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

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

“JK. It’s the best spot in CO. I went one star so that everyone stays away and keeps it this way!”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Ìę

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

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We get it—not everyone wants to pitch a tent and forego showers when visiting our public lands. And honestly, because of a recent boom in new national-park lodging, you don’t have to. In 2020, I moved into my minivan and traveled to nearly every park in the U.S., penning dispatches about them for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. When I wasn’t catnapping in the back of my vehicle, I occasionally splurged on fun motels and lodges in gateway towns.

Whether you’re headed to the rust red maw of the Grand Canyon or the wooded summits of Great Smoky Mountains, loads of new hotels and glamping retreats are popping up to meet the demands of park visitors, whose numbers have exploded since the pandemic. From retro-futuristic roadside motels to Dolly Parton-themed resorts and remodeled national-park lodges, there’s a little something for everyone on this list.

1. Ofland Escalante

Closest national park: Bryce Canyon, Utah

Best for: Chic glamping, tiny homes, post-hike hot tubs

With its modernist cabins, spa-inspired bathhouses, and food truck that serves up Americana fare (like meatloaf patty melts and cornbread French toast), this newer outpost on Southern Utah’s stunning Highway 12 just rebranded and added deluxe cabins in 2024 and is a true outdoor-lover’s paradise. Situated a mere ten minutes from Hole in the Rock Road, the washboard byway leading to many of Grand Staircase Escalante’s top slot canyons, is the ultimate, pet-friendly base camp for exploring the Beehive State’s red-rock country.

An hour’s drive delivers you to the colorful hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, while a 90-minute car ride gets you up to my personal Utah fave, Capitol Reef. In the evening, enjoy a steamy outdoor shower, followed by a drive-in movie with free popcorn at Ofland’s own big-screen theater, or plop into the property’s pool and hot tub before enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of your personal fire pit. If it’s not too hot, spend an afternoon clambering around in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons.

2. Populus Hotel

Closest national park: Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Best for: Eco-friendly amenities, luxe dining, nearby art museums

Set in downtown Denver, a stone’s throw from the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, and Civic Center Park, is making history in 2024 as the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel. It has been designed from the ground up to utilize solar and wind power, highlight locally sourced ingredients from Colorado in each of its dining concepts, and closely monitor all emissions so that remaining carbon is balanced out by supporting projects that capture carbon elsewhere. The hotel has already planted over 70,000 trees (and counting).

A stay at Populus is ideal for the Denver-bound traveler who wants to experience the best of two worlds: city-focused creature comforts with the option to hike amidst the Rocky Mountain National Park tundra or scramble up . With the Wild Basin entrance roughly 66 miles away, it’s an easy day trip to the park. Rooms here are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and themed after the state’s famous aspen trees, with ultra-soft earth-toned bedding, natural forest sounds in the elevators, and eyelet-shaped windows overlooking the Denver skyline.

Chow down on post-hike grub with dreamy sunset views at the on-site rooftop restaurant Stellar Jay or enjoy fresh, seasonal Colorado fare at the downstairs restaurant Pasque, both helmed by executive chef Ian Wortham.

3. The Pathmaker Hotel

Closest national park: Acadia, Maine

Best for: Exploring downtown Bar Harbor, ocean strolls, simple elegance

With a primo location in downtown Bar Harbor, two blocks from the Bar Island Trail, whale-watching tours and the delicious, creamy rolls at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, opens in late 2024. Featuring suites, double queen, and classic king-sized rooms decorated in elegant neutral tones, this hotel also offers kitchenettes with mini-fridges and microwaves. What’s even better is that breakfast is included, making it easy to start your morning hike up neighboring or a stroll around Sieur de Monts’ historic gardens with a full belly.

It’s also worth noting that Acadia is home to 45 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads, which are all bike- and dog-friendly. Rent a bicycle at Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, a five-minute walk from the hotel’s front door, and spend a day zipping around the park without your car before relaxing with a pot of tea and freshly made popovers at Jordan Pond House–it was one of my favorite things I did on my giant parks road trip.

4. The Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa

Closest national park: Grand Teton, Wyoming

Best for: Spa getaways, Jackson ski and hiking trips, luxury mountain vibes

Just remodeled and reopened in early July, following a devastating 2019 fire, this Jackson Hole favorite is back and better than ever. rooms and suites boast a bit of a chic hunting-lodge feel, complete with stone fireplaces, tufted headboards, and the occasional pop of cowboy-themed art.

Fly fish in the Snake River, feel the leg burn on a hike up , or pop on over to the nearby National Elk Refuge for a . When you’re done exploring the toothy Teton Range, fill up on Idaho Trout Saltimbocca at the lodge’s Wild Sage Restaurant, or indulge in a CBD-infused herbal sugar scrub at its Body Sage Spa. Either way, you’ll leave feeling full and rejuvenated.

5. Wildhaven Yosemite

Closest national park: Yosemite, California

Best for: Affordable glamping, Yosemite Valley exploration, communal hangs

is making waves this year as the newest glamping resort outside the Free Solo-famous Yosemite National Park. Situated 34 miles from the Arch Rock Entrance Station on 36 rugged acres of rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, the property offers 30 safari tents and 12 tiny cabins, well-appointed with amenities like fire pits and private decks.

A communal BBQ area boasts grills and shaded picnic tables, while glamping sites share communal bathrooms and showers. After a day of hiking and snapping photos of from Cook’s Meadow, recharge your electronics with electricity access in every tent.

Complimentary coffee and tea help start your day off, and every stay at Wildhaven includes access to on-site classes and events, like Yogasemite yoga classes and Sierra Cider tastings, for when you’re not huffing and puffing up Upper Yosemite Falls for those epic views. Looking for even more regional glamping news? A top national-park lodging purveyor, , has announced that it’s also opening a brand-new Yosemite location near Big Oak Flat in 2025.

6. Field Station Joshua Tree

Closest national park: Joshua Tree, California

Best for: Mountain bikers, large groups, pool hangouts

are designed with the intrepid outdoorsperson in mind. Bike racks for your hardtail are in every room, hooks for hanging packs are in ample supply, and an on-site gear shop makes it easy to grab any of the Ten Essentials you might have forgotten before speeding off and into the park, which is just 13 miles (a 20- to 25-minute drive) away by car. If you’re a diehard coffee drinker, you’ll be thrilled that the lodge has a small espresso bar, Little Station Coffee & Kitchen, which serves everything from cold brew to toasted bagels to start your morning out right.

Choose between standard king-bed rooms and double-queen bunk rooms (which sleep up to 10) and have plenty of space for your whole crew to spread out and save cash, then head on over to the North Entrance (it’s the closest one) of Joshua Tree and enjoy epic trails like the or bouldering along the formation-filled .

When you’re not adventuring in the park, don’t miss the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum in town, which exhibits loads of large-scale found-object art, like TVs and rubber tires.

7. Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort

Closest national park: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina

Best for: Families, pool time, East Coast hikers

Opened in November 2023, seems tailor-made for families traveling with young kids. Even the hotel’s standard-issue rooms offer fun extras, like murphy beds, sleeper sofas, clothing-storage space, and mini fridges. Lovely mid-century modern furnishings combine with a massive stone fireplace in the four-story, atrium-style lobby, where guests can chill out when they’re not splashing about in the large pool complex or dining at one of the lodge’s four restaurant options.

Though the resort is clearly geared towards travelers heading into the Dollywood theme park (there’s complimentary trolley service from the hotel), it’s also a brief 15-mile (20-minute) drive to Great Smoky Mountains’ Sugarlands Visitor Center. From there, visitors can easily drive to the exceedingly popular , or gaze out at verdant, forested hills at Newfound Gap, which marks the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Best of all, adjoining rooms and roomy family suites with cozy bunk beds make it easy for you and your loved ones to spend loads of time together, whether that’s in the lodge or trekking to the park’s many rushing waterfalls.

8. Flamingo Lodge

Closest national park: Everglades, Florida

Best for: Birders, paddlers, Tropical Florida ambiance

Initially opened in the 1960s as part of the National Park Service’s retro-futuristic Mission 66 Project, Flamingo Lodge was forced to shut its doors in 2005, after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma, when storm surges swelled up to nine feet. Thankfully, , which is named after the distinctive pink birds that once migrated to the area in droves, before plume-hunters nearly poached them out of existence, has been fully rebuilt and reopened in October 2023.

It’s the only non-camping, non-houseboat option for accommodations inside the parklodging available inside Everglades National Park, and given the park’s enormous acreage (at 1.5 million acres, it is roughly twice the size of Yosemite), creates a welcome bastion for beachgoers exploring the state’s coastal prairie and boaters enjoying the sunshine and warm, tropical air of the Florida Bay.

Inside the lodge’s four eco-friendly container buildings are 24 spacious guest rooms, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, in clean neutral hues with the occasional pop of tropical jewel tones. Also onsite are a restaurant serving organic, locally sourced cuisine (think breakfast burritos and pineapple pulled-pork sandwiches) and a marina, where visitors can rent anything from bicycles to double kayaks and pontoon boats. Spend a day cycling the and keep your eyes peeled for huge herons.

9. Americana Motor Hotel

Closest national park: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Best for: Travelers with dogs, EV road trips, hipster pool scene

There’s so much to love about the Jetsons’-style that it’s hard to fit it all into a single paragraph, but we’ll do our darndest. Set in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, one hour from the Grand Canyon and 90 minutes from Petrified Forest, this vintage-style motor lodge should check every box on your Route 66 daydream list. First of all, there are EV chargers aplenty, free morning coffee, and communal fire pits with outdoor hang space.

But this site truly goes above and beyond the standard-issue motel amenities by offering loaner telescopes for optimized night-sky viewing, year-round heated pool, and a fenced-in “barkyard” with a dedicated dog-wash station to rinse off your muddy trail pooch. They’ve even got free hotel bicycles for those wishing to take a spin around Flagstaff.

The interiors of the rooms are just as fabulous as the resort’s exterior, with space-age dĂ©cor (think astronaut sculptures and galaxy wall art), walk-in showers, and disco balls. Hungry? After a trek down to or a stroll along the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, fill up at the Americana’s Pacific Mexican seafood truck, Baja Mar, which dishes out badass shrimp ceviche and battered fish tacos to hungry hikers.

Emily Pennington is a freelance journalist specializing in outdoor adventure and national parks. She’s traveled to public lands on all seven continents and visited all 63 U.S. national parks. Her book, , was released in 2023. This year, she’s getting more acquainted with her new backyard, Rocky Mountain National Park.

The post The Best New Hotels with Easy Access to U.S. National Parks appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails don’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 don’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 I’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

I’ve raved about the Bar Island Trail for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű 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 Acadia’s most unique hikes, because it’s an utterly accessible stroll that’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 Island’s rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: Ìę1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bend’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. It’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 I’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 you’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 couldn’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 center’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 wildflowers—purple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtongues—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 aren’t many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if you’re on one of the park’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 Range’s foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if you’re hiking in Denali–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 Glacier–it’s shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfalls—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 chuckled—here was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that I’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, you’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, I’d stay near the park’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 lake’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 Peak—the state’s second highest, at 13,065 feet—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 America’s most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. You’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

It’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 you’ve only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main island’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 you’ve had enough of feeling like you’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. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, it’s a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means it’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 don’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 Rainier’s serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because it’s perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If you’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

You’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. I’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 storms—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 you’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, you’ll escape the lion’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 park’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, you’ll curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beach—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 Yellowstone’s most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, it’s pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the world’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 tenÌęYosemite trail listicles, but it’s the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. You’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. It’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:Ìę1 mile

Move over, Angel’s Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zion–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 pinñon pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: you’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 she’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 șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

We are ready for summer. We’ve got our lightweight tents and Tevas out, spend our free time examining trail maps, and have been outdoors soaking up the longer days in preparation for all sorts of adventures. Where are we going this summer? Some of us have plans to escape to tropical Caribbean ports and the high peaks of South America, while others are simply road-tripping one county or one state over for a long weekend escape.

Haven’t nailed down the specifics of your summer vacation yet? It doesn’t have to be spendy, and you can go with friends, family, or solo. Just pick a place that will offer a sense of wonder, a disconnect from your routine, preferably in nature, which has been shown to improve everything from our psyches to our relationships and even heal heartbreak. Here are the trips we’ve booked.

Northern New Mexico

When the heat hits the country with full force in July, my husband and I will head from our home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, up north to cooler climes near Taos. We’re eager to stay at , which isn’t a hotel at all but a grouping of vintage Airstreams all decorated differently. We’ve rented Castor, built in 1972, our best friends have rented the adjacent Pollux, from 1967, and we’ll share a deck. Each trailer has a queen bed, a full kitchen, a bathroom, and views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The hiking around Taos is incredible, too, with trails in nearly every direction.

From Luna Mystica, you can walk to the Taos Mesa Brewery’s mothership location, which has a stage and live music many summer nights. Early in the mornings we’ll drive the quick 13 miles to the Black Rock Hot Springs on the Rio Grande; my husband will fly-fish from the wide banks while I soak and enjoy the July traffic through the canyon: dragonflies, swallows, kayakers, hawks, and bright-yellow butterflies.

One day we want to tour the nearby , self-sufficient off-grid homes that look like futuristic dwellings. I’m fascinated by their modern sustainability efforts but also love their incorporation of beautiful, unique design elements—walls made of used tires and earth or accents of recycled glass bottles that glimmer colorfully in the sun. —Tasha Zemke, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű managing editor

Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming

At some point over the winter, I decided I sucked at climbing. As I dragged my feet out of the gym, devoid of stoke and prepared to suck again the next day, I had no idea how to cure my melodramatic self-diagnosis. But that changed two months ago when I started climbing with the , a mentor program in the Denver area led by big-wall athlete Jordan Cannon. A dozen of my peers and I have attended clinics, trainings, lectures, and meet-ups to define and achieve our climbing goals, and it all culminates in a final trip in June to Ten Sleep, Wyoming.

Why Ten Sleep? This tiny cowboy town in the north-central reaches of the state happens to be the base camp of a massive limestone canyon 15 miles away with more than a thousand sport routes for climbers of every skill level. One of last year’s mentees called it “Shelf Road on steroids”—a reference to a popular Front Range climbing mecca—and noted how the population of the local campground, when filled with climbers, seems bigger than the actual town itself. —, National Park Trips digital content producer

Saint Lucia

My fiancĂ© and I are taking our honeymoon this summer on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, best known for two mountains called the Pitons—Gros Piton and Petit Piton. While we’re eager to lounge on the white-sand beaches, snorkel, eat jerk chicken and breadfruit, and enjoy a mud bath at Sulphur Springs, in the dormant SoufriĂšre volcano, we’re most looking forward to guided hikes. I’m especially excited to tackle the Gros Piton Trail (see Gaia GPS map below), which is three miles round-trip, with a little more than 1,800 feet of elevation gain.

We’ve been told this is challenging, but the view from the top of the island and the sea is said to be spectacular. Plus, I plan to set my alarm for an early-morning run just as the sun rises over the sea. —Mallory Arnold, Run associate editor

Machu Picchu, Peru

I’m an editor at Backpacker, and the biggest hiking goal of my life has always been Machu Picchu. I first learned about the ruins in Peru in my middle school history class, and the combination of hiking and Indigenous history intrigued me. A trip to South America seemed like a long shot, but I kept dreaming. Flash forward to the end of May: my college friends and I are going international on our annual reunion trekking trip. We’ll fly into Cuzco and spend two days acclimatizing to the altitude—a little more than 11,000 feet—while touring the city before hitting the Inca Trail with , a sustainable-tourism company.

For four days we’ll hike between 7,218 and 13,780 feet before ending at the famous Inca site. With porters carrying our belongings and chefs cooking our meals, this is going to be a lot more glamorous than my usual excursions to the backcountry. I can’t wait. But there’s a more personal reason why this trip is particularly meaningful to me: I recently learned that a suspicious mole was actually stage-one melanoma and was sidelined for weeks in between procedures. I can’t imagine a better place to celebrate being cancer-free. — Emma Veidt, Backpacker associate editor

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

My theme for the summer is: Stay local, but get far, far away. From our home in Boulder, Colorado, my wife and I can drive to Rocky Mountain National Park in less than two hours, and we’ve exploited that proximity to visit many of the park’s peaks, lakes, and trails. Not surprisingly, popular spots are often packed with other nature lovers. So this year we’re taking advantage of a little-used type of wilderness permit to escape the crowds. We’ve reserved long weekends in four of Rocky’s 23 , remote areas without developed trails or campsites, where we’ll likely see more elk and moose than people.

Hidden in some of the park’s most rugged terrain, typically at elevations of 9,000 to 11,000 feet, these zones require expert navigation skills and total self-reliance. Expect rangers at the backcountry desk to quiz you on bear safety, Leave No Trace ethics, orienteering know-how, and prior wilderness experience before issuing your permit, and expect challenging bushwhacking through dense forest. But the reward is worth the effort: the crisp, star-filled nights, high-country wildflowers, and Alaska-worthy solitude will make you feel much farther from civilization than you actually are.

Fair warning: the park provides scant information about the zones, and trip reports are few and far between. Your best bet is to download the and subscribe to the Premium edition so you can access detailed topo maps for offline use (there’s typically no cell reception in these zones). Study the terrain closely before you go, and don’t expect to cover more than one mile per hour. —Jonathan Dorn, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, Inc., chief entertainment officer

Switzerland

When I realized I’d be spending my 30th birthday in Europe, I only had two nonnegotiables: Alpine hiking and cheese. Switzerland, specifically the Lauterbrunnen Valley, perfectly fit that bill. My husband and I are planning to spend four nights in the central Jungfrau region: one in a village hotel at each end of the valley, and two at the remote , an off-grid hut that’s only accessible by foot through forests and wildflower-filled pastures. (See Gaia GPS map to the hut below.) Reservations can only be made by phone, a charming and slightly confusing experience that secured us a bed in a private room, breakfast, and dinner for two days for about $106 per person per night.

We’ll fill our days ascending the area’s many trails in the shadow of imposing peaks, past some of the valley’s 72 waterfalls, and our evenings eating hearty meals, including Obersteinberg’s homemade cheese. I’m crossing my fingers that raclette is served–my favorite Swiss dish, it consists of melted cheese scraped over potatoes–but if not, I’ll indulge back in town with a celebratory pot of fondue.

We’re traveling to Switzerland by car but will leave it parked in Interlaken to take advantage of the valley’s excellent public transportation (think: trains, trams, and gondolas), as many of the hamlets are otherwise inaccessible. —Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips editor in chief

Victoria, British Columbia

Last year my husband and I became rooftop-tent converts in Iceland. I’ve pitched and slept in backpacking tents my whole life, and I never thought I’d be into a roof rig until our European rental experience went right. We realized it can take us two minutes, instead of twenty, to set up or break down camp. Plus, memory foam is so much comfier than the ground, and our gear stays a helluva lot more organized inside the vehicle.

So we scored an open-box deal on a , and this summer we’re taking it for a spin from New Mexico up through the Pacific Northwest to Canada. We’ll hit campsites near Olympic National Park along the way, before ferrying to Victoria, British Columbia, to hang out at an oceanside apartment along a 70-mile bike path for six weeks. We’re stoked to beat the heat, enjoy the nearness of open water, and work from a place that’s new to us both where we can trail-run through the backcountry.

On our way home, we’ll swing through Banff, in Alberta, then Glacier National Park, in Montana—two bucket-list areas I’ve been dying to check out. The best part? My husband is the king of finding last-minute camping reservations, so I barely had to lift a finger to map it all out. —Patty Hodapp, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online interim digital director

Paris and Annecy, France

I’m heading to Paris for the Summer Games! I’ve been a huge fan of the Olympics for as long as I can remember, and about a year ago I haphazardly put my name on an email list for the ticket lottery. I didn’t put much thought into the idea of actually attending, until I beat out thousands of other eager fans (a process that saw me awake at 3 A.M., repeatedly refreshing my browser) to secure two tickets to men’s rowing in late July.

This will be my third time to the French capital, so after the event concludes and I’ve gotten my fill of Olympic pride, I plan to head southeast to Annecy, a town on the French-Swiss border, for a long weekend in the fresh Alpine air. I’ll brave the frigid temperatures of Lake Annecy, stroll Jardins de ’Europe, and of course do some hiking. Routes to the Citadel of Lake Annecy and the Parmelan Plateau have already caught my eye, but like most things, there’s something to be said for going in with half a plan and figuring out the rest later. —Jamie Aranoff, Ski digital editor

British Columbia’s West Coast Trail

Ever since writer Scott Yorko pitched me on the deadly history of Canada’s (see Gaia GPS map below) a number of years ago, I’ve wanted to see the area’s storied shipwrecks, beaches, and wildlife for myself. Yorko wrote not only of the dramatic rescue attempts that led to this 48-mile path’s construction along British Columbia’s rugged coast but also of sandy campsites, verdant rainforest walks, tide pools brimming with sea life, and a floating crab shack that caters to hungry hikers.

In June, I’ll finally experience the trail for myself. I’m prepared for slow miles through boot-sucking mud, rickety wooden ladders, cable cars, and changing tides. With any luck, my partner and I will spot sea lions, whales, and otters; bears, cougars, and wolves are also known to wander the shore. The salty air and marine views should be a welcome departure from the alpine hikes I usually gravitate toward in the summer, and I couldn’t be more excited. —Zoe Gates, Backpacker senior editor

The Andes, Chile

In 2013, I spent five months living in southern Chile. But that was before I was a skier. In the intervening decade, I’ve spent 100 days on snow almost every year. I rarely travel away from my home in the eastern Sierra to ski these days, but my ultimate dream trip is a ski trip to Chile and Argentina. This is the year that becomes a reality. In August, when the austral winter is in full swing, my fiancĂ©e and I will fly from Los Angeles to Santiago and enjoy the change of scenery while sipping pisco sours, sightseeing at the Pablo Neruda museum, and checking out the mountaintop zoo. The following day we’ll take a bus to Portillo, a resort nestled among the Andes that’s famous for runs that empty out at Laguna del Inca, for three days on the slopes, and after that, we’ll travel southeast to Las Leñas, in Argentina, for a final two days of skiing above wine country. I never much cared for summer anyway. —Jake Stern, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online digital editor

The post Seize the Summer! 10 Incredible Trips Our Editors Are Taking. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

As someone who’s visited all 63 national parks and counting, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the (sometimes very) ugly that can come from having and not having timed entry reservations at the most popular natural landmarks. Hour-long waits to get into Joshua Tree, bumper-to-bumper traffic in Yosemite Valley, bear jams in Yellowstone, full parking lots at 8 A.M. in Glacier–you name it, I’ve been stuck in it.

Not everyone is stoked on timed-entry reservations and additional permits as the solution, but the stark reality is that our country’s national parks are reaching a tipping point, in terms of visitation. Something needs to change, if we’re intent on preserving the pristine wilderness experience that the parks were founded on.

Great Smoky Mountains hit in 2021, and 2023 was the year of all time for Yellowstone. In August, the Department of the Interior announced that park visitor spending hit a new record of , supporting roughly 380,000 jobs.

Unfortunately, stats like these also mean that last-minute trips, at least to the most popular national parks, are a thing of yesteryear. Timed-entry reservation systems have become par for the course at four parks in particular: Arches, Yosemite, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain. Several other parks, including Zion and Acadia, are maintaining years-long reservation systems for popular hikes and sunrise vistas.

Now, the big question: Are timed-entry reservations systems here to stay? The short answer is, maybe.

Though companies in Moab have reported losing business since installation of a timed-entry program in Arches (the resort manager at Red Cliffs Lodge told the that the hotel lost over 2,000 bookings in 2022, the first year of the reservation system), the Moab City Council in November publicly voiced its support of a .

Rocky Mountain, which through December 14 for four proposals on how best to manage overcrowding in the coming years, may be facing a similar scenario. The proposed options range from returning to pre-2020 management practices, in which no entry reservations would exist, to requiring timed-entry reservations for both the park and the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which serves as a gateway to its most popular trails.

In mid-December Yosemite launched a similar , in which the park is assessing entrance data and asking for public comment. The plan comes after a , at the end of which the park brought back reservations after dropping them for the year, but then experiencing crowding. In 2024, the park is bringing back a “Peak Hours Plus” reservation system. Less stringent than those of the past, it will allow 20 percent more people into the park than in 2022, when roughly 3.7 million visited.

Likewise, Glacier officials report that the park will from 2023 for vehicle reservations on the roadways of Many Glacier, North Fork, and Going-to-the-Sun, the most scenic route in the park.

Though the timed-entry permit systems have been controversial among travelers, public lands officials have lauded them. “We applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences,” Cassidy Jones, Senior Visitation Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, She cited at Arches and Glacier as proving that “reservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors.”

*Since this article was published on January 2, Mount Rainier National Park has implemented a new timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park’s popular Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor. See details below. We will update this story as we hear more timed-entry news.

Which National Parks Will Require Reservations in 2024?

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

‱ For the first time ever, Mount Rainier will implement a pilot timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park’s popular Paradise Corridor (from both the Nisqually and Stevens Canyon Entrances) and Sunrise Corridor (from the White River Entrance). Timed-entry permits will be valid for one day, for one vehicle and its occupants.
‱ These new restrictions will be in place from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. for both areas. The Paradise Corridor reservations will be required from May 24 through September 2, and the Sunrise reservations will be needed July 3 through September 2.
‱ Visitors with a camping, lodging, or wilderness permit will not need this additional timed-entry reservation, but those with hotel and campground reservations will not be permitted to enter until 1 P.M. on the day of their first night.
‱ Planning a last-minute getaway? The park is open 24/7 and guests are welcome to enter before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Next-day entry reservations will also be available, beginning at 7 P.M. Pacific Time, from May 24 (for the Paradise Corridor) and July 3 (for the Sunrise Corridor), on a daily rolling basis.
‱ In the area and don’t have an entry permit? Brave the bumpy road to the park’s Mowich Lake area and hike to Spray Park for soul-stirring views of Mount Rainier, or enter near the Ohanapecosh Campground and hike the moderate Silver Falls Loop to witness a powerful, forested cascade.

Arches National Park, Utah

• Arches will maintain the same parameters of its 2023 pilot program in 2024, with needed from April 1 through October 31, 2024. This system will help eliminate long lines stretching from Moab towards the park gates.
• Entry permits will not be required for visitors who already have camping, backpacking, Fiery Furnace, or commercial tour bookings, so entering with a guide is a great option if you’re planning a last-minute vacay.
• Visitors will be able to book reservations on a first-come, first-served basis through beginning at 8 A.M. MT on January 2, 2024.
• Reservations will be released three months in advance, on a rolling basis. For example, on January 2^nd, all reservations for the month of April will open up. On February 1^st, all reservations for May will open up.
• Last minute next-day reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MT, starting on March 31, 2024, on a daily rolling basis.

Glacier National Park, Montana

• From May 24 through September 8, 2024, at Glacier will be required on the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork, from 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. Pro tip: if you’re entering via North Fork, grab a huckleberry bear claw from the historic Polebridge Mercantile.
• From July 1 through September 8, 2024, reservations will be required for Many Glacier, one of the most stunning sections of the park, from 6 A.M. to 3 P.M.
• Visitors with camping, lodging, or commercial-activity bookings (such as boat rides and guided tours) will not need an additional timed-entry ticket.
• Beginning on January 24, 2024, a portion of vehicle reservations will become available 120 days in advance, on a daily rolling basis.
• Next-day reservations will be available at 7 P.M. MT, starting on May 23, 2024, on a daily rolling basis.
• In accordance with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members throughout the park.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

• Rocky Mountain will require timed-entry in 2024, with a Bear Lake Corridor permit window from May 24 through October 20 (for those entering between 5 A.M. and 6 P.M. MT), and a “rest of the park” permit window from May 24 through October 15 (for those entering between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. MT). In my experience, some of the best “low effort, high reward” hikes are found in the Bear Lake area, so nabbing a permit early is well worth the effort.
• Reservations will be available roughly one month in advance, on a one-month rolling window. For example, on June 1, all reservations for the month of July will become available.
• The park will also reserve 40 percent of timed-entry permits for next-day reservations, which can be booked starting at 7 P.M. MT on May 23, on a daily rolling basis.

Yosemite National Park, California

• After dropping entry permits for 2023, but then experiencing significant backups, Yosemite is modifying and bringing back a “Peak Hours Plus” in spring, summer, and fall from 5 A.M. to 4 P.M. Reservations will be required on weekends from April 13 to June 30 and seven days a week from July 1 to August 16. From August 17 to October 27, weekend reservations will also be required. Each reservation is valid for three days after the date of entry.
• Most Peak Hours Plus reservations go on sale at 8 A.M. Pacific Time on January 5, 2024. Additional reservations will become available seven days before the arrival date (for example, book on July 20 for a July 27 entry).
• The park is also bringing back reservations for its February “Firefall” weekends, when the angle of the setting sun lights up Horsetail Fall, with entry permits required February 10 to 11, 17 to 19, and 24 to 25. Regular weekday visitors will not need a permit. Reservations for all three weekends opened at 8 A.M. PT on December 1, 2023.

• During all reservation windows, visitors entering with a tour group or on a public bus and those with in-park camping or lodging reservations will not need the additional entry reservation. Similarly, those with wilderness or Half Dome permits will not need an additional entry reservation.
• Fifty percent of the available reservations will be released two days prior to a day-use reservation date for last-minute travelers. For example, at 8 A.M. on February 8, reservations for February 10 will become available.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

• As in years past, Haleakala, where seeing the sunrise from the top of the dormant volcano is a visitor tradition, will require sunrise vehicle for year-round visitors entering from 3 A.M. to 7 A.M.
• Limited entry reservations will be available two days in advance of a visit, beginning at 7 A.M. HST, on a two-day rolling basis. If you can’t score a sunrise permit, don’t fret. I went at sunset and was just as wowed.

Zion National Park, Utah

• In 2024, Zion will continue its pilot lottery to hike Angels Landing, five miles up and back on switchbacks to a famous viewpoint. Beginning two months in advance of an intended hike date, the lottery will open for hikers hoping to tackle this iconic trail.
• A next-day permit lottery will also be available for last-minute hiker hopefuls, opening at 12:01 A.M. and closing at 3 P.M. MT on a daily rolling basis. Winners will be emailed at 4 P.M. MT if they have received a permit.
• It costs $6 to apply for an Angels Landing permit, plus $3 per person once the permit is confirmed. Make sure your entire group has zero fear of heights before hopping on the trail. When I hiked Angels Landing, we nearly had to turn back when one of my friends had a mild freakout at Scout Lookout.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

• As in 2023, Great Smoky Mountains will require that visitors purchase a daily, weekly, or annual if they wish to park anywhere within the park’s boundaries for more than 15 minutes. No advance reservations are needed for parking locations, once the tag is bought and displayed.
• Parking tags at a variety of visitor centers and automated kiosks, as well as online. Daily tags are $5, weekly tags are $10, and annual tags are $40.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

• Shenandoah is expected to renew its Old Rag Mountain day-use from March 1 through November 30, 2024. This system is generally considered a good thing, because, in years past, hikers needed to arrive around 6 A.M. to nab one of the coveted spaces.
• A total of 400 tickets will be released 30 days in advance of the reservation date, and the remaining 400 tickets will be released five days before a given reservation date. Tickets go on sale at 10 A.M. EST and cost $1 per person.

Acadia National Park, Maine

• In 2024, Acadia will require vehicle for Cadillac Summit Road, three miles to the top of the highest peak in the park and an island-studded ocean view.. The exact dates of the reservation program have not been announced yet, but in 2023, the park required permits from May 24 through October 22.
• The park will offer two different types of vehicle reservations for this storied byway–Sunrise and Daytime–with the start times varying by month, depending on the forecasted sunrise time.
• During the summer and early fall months, 30 percent of reservations are made available 90 days in advance of a reservation date. Seventy percent of the reservations are available for last-minute purchase at 10 A.M. ET two days in advance of the reservation date.

Want more of °żłÜłÙČőŸ±»ć±đ’s award-winning travel coverage? .

Emily Pennington is a journalist specializing in the national parks, a longtime șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű contributor, and the author of the memoir See an excerpt here. She has visited all 63 of our national parks and is currently expanding her horizons to journey to international parks, too.

For more by the same author:

The 13 Best Hut-to-Hut Hikes in the World

The Best Scenic View in Every National Park

The Most Underrated Park in Every State

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Visitors come from across the globe to set foot in our national parks. But some people are simply unimpressed.

The internet gives these people a place to air their grievances. Some now-classic bad national park reviews have made their way further, into illustrations, T-shirts, and needlepoints. “There are bugs, and they will bite you on your face,” they say. Or, “Trees block view and there are too many gray rocks.” “The water is ice-cold,” someone griped about Acadia National Park in Maine, making it onto a poster made by , which documents bad reviews.

The complaints keep coming. I searched Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google for the best and worst reviews of our national parks in 2023. To be fair, most of the complaints were about excessive crowds, traffic jams, and new reservation systems. But some visitors had, uh, more nuanced grudges regarding lackluster scenery or were shocked by the lack of amenities. Here are my favorites.

1. Yosemite National Park, California

In California’s Sierra Nevada, Yosemite offers giant granite monoliths, waterfalls, and Sequoia trees up to 3,000 years old. But not everyone sees the beauty.

“Really annoying that it is the same way in and same way out. Scenery is not breathtaking.” —TripAdvisor

“I need someone to explain to me the hype of this place. This place looks like any place with mountains and trees. Too many people, not enough stores, not enough places to buy food.” —Yelp

2. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

On Hawaii’s Big Island, this park stretches from sea level to 13,680 feet, boasting two of the world’s most active volcanoes. It is not known for its racquet sports, though.

“Absolutely horrible disappointment. There wasn’t a single pickleball court in sight. You’d think with it’s [sic] extreme length of 2.93 mi (4.72 km), an extreme width of 1.95 mi (3.14 km), a circumference of 7.85 mi (12.63 km) and an area of 4.14 sq mi (10.7 km2) they’d find some space for one.”—Yelp

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

Straddling two states, GSMNP is 500,000 acres of towering mountains, remote streams, and the most biodiverse wilderness in America. That doesn’t keep the young ’uns from doing their thing.

“Some falls/streams had nothing but toddlers peeing & pooing in the water.”—TripAdvisor

“Can’t say this is one of my fave national parks. No bear sightings but that’s not the park’s fault. 
 [T]he haziness of it gave me huge headaches.” –TripAdvisor

4. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion offers towering sandstone cliffs and some of the most famous slot canyons in the world. But if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all.

“The mountains are beautiful, but most of the different formations looked redundant to my untrained eye, so I didn’t see the value in trying to hike around all of them.”—T°ùŸ±±èŽĄ»ć±čŸ±ČőŽÇ°ù

“Noxious weeds everywhere.” —Yelp

5. Glacier National Park, Montana

Originally dubbed “the place where there is a lot of ice” by the native Kootenai, Glacier contained 80 glaciers in 1850. Today there are fewer than 30. Yes, sad.

“Where are the glaciers? It was disappointing to stand at lookouts with glaciers in the distance and signage showing glaciers 50 years ago near where I was standing.”—Yelp

6. Arches National Park, Utah

This park holds the largest concentration of sandstone arches in the country, along with countless towering cliffs and towers. But the park’s new timed entry process really annoyed this visitor.

“It’s bad enough every time I turn around the government is bending me over, but having to pay a $2 timed entry to a national park is ridiculous even if we have a yearly pass. Government sucks balls. I hate every last one of you.”—Yelp

7. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah is known for its lush forests and rocky peaks as well as hosting a long section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail. The shrubs are also pretty cool, I guess.

“It was a mountainous area with trees, and some nice shrubbery [sic], but unfortunately it wasn’t that entertaining. Underwhelming.”Ìę—T°ùŸ±±èŽĄ»ć±čŸ±ČőŽÇ°ù

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

The tallest dunes in North America sit at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. That didn’t impress this reviewer.ÌęÌę

“It’s $25 to get in and it’s basically just a lot of sand. There are not a lot of amenities or other things to do. You can basically walk up the sand dunes and use boogie boards or sleds to spice it up a little. 
 I just didn’t feel like it was really worth the long drive and money to see a bunch of sand. —TripAdvisor

9. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Death Valley is the lowest point in the United States, below sea level and characterized by a vast salt basin, deep canyons, and historic ghost towns. The wildlife can be rude at times.

“It was boring, a ghost town really. I was charged 23 dollars a night just to be harassed by snake while walking around.” —Yelp

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

America’s first national park, Yellowstone might be the most dramatic and unusual landscape in the country–a place where the water boils and shoots straight up into the air at regular intervals. But the geysers aren’t for everyone.

“I was excited before I got there, but it wasn’t at all what I expected
I saw a picture of it, but it was taken by a drone and when I looked at Yellowstone from up close I had no idea what was there at all with the steam and angles. —Google

“The whole place smelled like farts.” —Google

11. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

The 3.3-million acre Glacier Bay is a frozen wonderland where the sea meets the ice in a tangle of fjords, glaciers, and snow-capped peaks. Is it any better than what you’d find in your Frigidaire?

“It’s like some ice cubes got scattered on a hill.” –Google Maps

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. He loves pickleball, but has never left a bad review because a national park didn’t have courts.

For more by this author, see:

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

Spooky Tales from Haunted National Parks

The Best Budget Airlines—and șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Locales They Go To

The post The Worst National Park Reviews of the Year appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

One of the most popular national parks in the United States is seeking public comment on a plan to make its three-year-old timed entry permit system permanent—and several others parks aren’t far behind.

Between 2012 and 2019, Rocky Mountain National Park experienced a percent increase in visitation; in 2021 alone, boosted in part by the well-documented pandemic-driven spike in interest in outdoor participation, the park hosted 4.4 million visits. In response, officials began implementing a timed entry pilot program in 2021. The program required visitors to secure a visitation slot in advance, and allowed them to enter the park during a 1-hour period on their selected date. Even with the pilot program in place, visitation stayed high, with the park recording some of its busiest seasons ever.

Despite the park’s growth in popularity, the program was effective enough at managing congestion and cutting down waits at entrance stations, leading officials to implement the same program again in 2022 and 2023. Now, officials want to make it permanent.Ìę

Like the timed entry pilot program, the long-range visitor management plan aims to maintain quality of the visitor experience, staff safety, and the protection of the park’s terrain, which includes delicate alpine tundra and essential wildlife habitat. “This plan is needed to provide day-use visitor access in a way that protects resources while creating opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences,” officials wrote.Ìę

Pending public feedback, the future program would look similar to the pilot program, enforcing two timed entry systems (one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, and one for the remainder of the park) that give visitors a one-hour window to enter the park.Ìę

Rocky Mountain National Park isn’t the only park that may make its reservation program permanent. Visitation to Utah’s Arches National Park increased by 73% between 2011 and 2021, making the park one of the most rapidly growing outdoor destinations in the country. When the park service’s decision to implement a reservation system at Arches cut crowding and wait times in 2022, the agency announced it would extend the program by another year. And last month, Arches officials announced that they, too, were seeking public feedback on a long-term visitor management plan.

“We have learned a lot from these past two years of pilot timed-entry programs and now we’d like to hear from the public about what has worked, where there are still challenges, and what longer-term visitor use management could look like.”ÌęÌę

Like Rocky Mountain and Arches National Park, the future of the park’s visitor management system, although it isn’t yet clear if those efforts will translate into a permanent timed entry program. At the moment, officials are gauging the public experience to determine how to move forward in 2024.Ìę

Meanwhile, Yosemite, which ended its timed entry pilot program earlier this year, is considering bringing it back after visitors this summer to enter this park.

While there’s nearly universal agreement that crowding at many national parks is hurting the visitor experience, determining the best way to maintain access to these destinations while protecting resources isn’t a simple matter.Ìę

Organizations like the National Parks Conservation Association claim that limiting the number of visitors in the park has already contributed to a healthier environment. Last year, the association’s outreach and engagement coordinator, Cassidy Jones, : “Thanks to managed access, visitors to Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain saw more wildlife and wild [sic] lands than brake lights and traffic jams the last several years.” But not everyone agrees that limiting the usage window is the best strategy. In places like Yosemite National Park and Mountain Rainier, rock climbers have historically expressed frustration at such systems, citing an increase in early-morning traffic from those who are trying to get around the timed entry system as a reason for concern. Organizations dedicated to diversifying outdoor participation also argue that reservation systems effectively remove access to public lands for those who don’t have the means or ability to snag a slot in advance.Ìę

Those who are on Rocky Mountain National Park’s future visitor management plan can do so until December 14.

The post Should Timed Entry Systems Become Permanent in National Parks? appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Any number of concerns are on our radar as we plan our next trip, from serious issues like how destinations are working to mitigate tourists’ environmental impact to inconveniences like months-long passport wait times. In this column, our travel expert addresses your questions about how to navigate the world.Ìę

All the good campsites are already taken! I want to go camping in one of the big national parks or seashores this summer, but I guess I should have booked a site long ago. (I’m not a planner.) Do I have to write off this idea entirely? —Spontaneous Sally

I, too, grew up thinking camping was meant to be spontaneous. As a kid, my parents would decide on a whim to stuff me and my two siblings in the station wagon with a tent, some fishing rods, and a cooler filled with beer, juice boxes, and everything to make burgers and hot dogs, and drive from our home on the Jersey Shore to a state park in the Poconos or upstate New York. There was never any worry (even from my type A mother) that we wouldn’t find a campsite.

When I moved to Colorado as an adult, however, my friends laughed when I suggested a last-minute camping trip over Fourth of July weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park. “You need to plan months out for that,” they told me.

If you’re hoping to head to the holy grails of national parks (read: Yosemite, in California, or Yellowstone, in Wyoming), you should know that reservations open four to six months in advance and sites get snatched up quicker than tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Also, the pandemic-fueled surge of new campers has created a campsite shortage, making it more difficult than ever to score a spot, even if you do plan ahead.

According to a from The Dyrt, a campsite-finding app, 2022 was the hardest year yet to land an available campsite—perhaps not that surprising when you look at the numbers: there are an estimated 80 million Americans who consider themselves campers, 15.5 million of whom only began camping over the past two years. As a result, those surveyed reported it was five times more difficult to find openings compared with 2019, and that sites were twice as scarce as they were in 2021.

But enough with the discouraging stats. Don’t abandon your camping dreams just yet. With a little patience, persistence, tech savvy, and a bit of luck, you can still pitch a tent in a national park or seashore this summer, even the bucket-list ones. Here’s how to snag that last-minute site this late in the game.

1. Just Go and Hope for the Best

If you aren’t a planner, your next best chance of getting a great campsite during high season is to trust you’ll have good travel karma and reap the benefits of a no-show. Super planners often book sites six months in advance, knowing they may need to cancel, says Jeremy Puglisi, author of and cohost of the podcast Campground of the Week. This results in lots of last-minute availability when those planners back out. John Tillison, creator of the site Park Ranger John, says that during his two decades as a ranger in Washington State, it was very common for Friday-night bookings to never check in. “People staying just outside the park could often come in and scoop up a no-show spot on Saturdays,” he says.

2. Sign Up for Cancellation Alerts

Sure, you can stalk campgrounds for vacant sites, call a park over and over, or stare at your phone constantly, refreshing a campground reservation page. But most of us have busy lives. Fortunately, a number of apps have removed these time-consuming hassles and when a spot opens, they’ll send you a text or in some cases an email alert. For the following sites, you simply insert where you’d like to go, when, and how often you want a scan conducted; how much you’re willing to pay for a scan will increase that frequency. With all of these, the earlier you know your dates and plans, the better your chances.

, which launched in 2017, scans reservation calendars at over 350,000 campsites in over 3,000 state and federal campgrounds across the U.S., as well as provincial campgrounds across Canada, to search for cancellations. You pay a fee to get a text message when the campground or backcountry permit of your choosing has an opening on the dates you requested. Pay-per-use scans are a great option for the occasional camper; they watch for vacancies at a specific park for a specific date and range from $10 to $20 each based on whether you want a scan run every 60, 20, or 5 minutes. Camping enthusiasts can purchase memberships ranging from $10 to $50 a month that request a scan of multiple parks and/or dates simultaneously. Depending on your membership level, the app will scan every 15, 10, or 5 minutes. The Mega and Awesome plans will scan every two minutes for extremely popular parks.

, a website that shows images of more than 2,000 campsites within U.S. national parks, state parks, and Forest Service lands, has a campsite-assist featureÌęthat scans for cancellations and sends email and text alerts with a reservation link when a booked campground has an opening. For a one-time fee, users can plug in an exact arrival date and length of stay for a specific campground or use a matrix-scan feature that allows scans for availability at one campground within a set date range of up to seven days. Depending on the scanning fee you select ($20, $15, or $10), the app will search every 3, 13 or 33 minutes, respectively, for specific scans, or every 15, 45, or 90 minutes for Matrix scans for three to six months.

Newcomer , which launched this year, scans a database of more than 12,500 campgrounds at 4,900-plus state and national parks—including Glacier, Yosemite, and Yellowstone—for last-minute openings, alerting members as they become available. A basic membership at $39 a year allows up to five concurrent scans, checking cancellations every 15 minutes, whereas the premiere membership, $79 a year allows up to 15 concurrent scans that are checked every five minutes.

And the free camping app called The DyrtÌęrecently launched , which searches a database of over 4,000 state and federal campgrounds across all 50 states. Single scans are based on the time frame of your arrival and allow you to choose up to five campgrounds in an area from pre-populated choices. Fees range from $9 to $24, and scans check availability every 5, 20, or 60 minutes for up to 12 months. The upgraded version of the app, the Dyrt Pro, costs $36 a year; it includes added features like offline search capabilities, plus two free scans and 50 percent off additional single scans.

An alert doesn’t guarantee a site though, cautions Eric Karjaluoto, cofounder of Campnab. It’s simply a signal to beeline to the campsite’s booking page to secure your reservation.Ìę covers a lot of parks, but not all of them; a number of state campsites are booked on . Still others use different systems and have stand-alone booking pages, including Florida State Parks, Reserve California, Arizona State Parks, and so on. In Canada, national parks are booked on Parks Canada Reservations, and each province, like B.C. Parks and Ontario Parks, has its own booking site.

A newly canceled spot at a national park like Yosemite will get rebooked in less than a minute, Karjaluoto says, so you need to act fast. He suggests setting up a custom ringtone for alerts, so you can pull to the side of the road and make a booking ASAP. He also notes that different states handle cancellations in different ways. “Some canceled sites get released immediately, but some aren’t released until the next day, and even if the park website says they’ll be released at 8 A.M., it might be 7:30 or 8:10 A.M.,” he says.

Additionally, the savvier you are with your booking parameters on these apps, the more likely you are to find a site, says Karjaluoto, who reaches out to each Campnab user to help them optimize their search. “If you get super granular and say you only want a minimum of eight nights at Yosemite at one particular campsite over July 4 versus saying, ‘I’m willing to stay anywhere in Joshua Tree during the first two weeks of July,’ then your probability decreases,” he says. “When you’re searching 100 campsites versus one, it’s easier to find a cancellation.”

Another pro tip from Karjaluoto: when considering when and where to stay, note that shorter stays at parks farther from major urban areas often yield the best results.

3. Travel Midweek and Consider Skipping July

In a remote-work world, summer is no longer just about the weekends. If you can escape midweek, you’ll face less competition for a site and increase your odds when booking further out. According to The Dyrt’s 2023 report, Wednesday is the best day for camping availability, closely followed by Tuesday.

That’s not to say you should give up on weekends. When I did a quick search on June 30 for sites in Rocky Mountain National Park—America’s fourth most visited national park last year—Recreation.gov showed a handful of openings for the Timber Creek Campground (the only campground on the park’s west side) throughout July, even over a weekend.

Still, Puglisi says that July is the worst time for impromptu camping trips. The entire country is out of school, so it feels like every family in America is traveling. He and his family always take their national-park trip the last week of August. “We could have landed a plane at Old Faithful last year—Yellowstone felt half empty, and we had astonishingly good luck getting sites,” he told me.

4. Combine Sites and Stays

Reserving a prime site for an entire week or longer at the last minute requires strategizing. Consider moving between campsites once in a campground to lengthen your stay. Sometimes a friendly request to extend your stay once you’re already checked in can be accommodated, notes Ashley Rossi, managing editor at , a website and free app for campsite research and reviews. Also look into camping alternatives, like a houseboat at Lake Powell or a tent cabin at Curry Village in Yosemite; researching all the options will increase your likelihood of a longer stay in your preferred area.

If your priority is experiencing a national park, combine camping a few nights inside the park with a few nights at other nearby National Park Service sites. For example, if you can only get a night or two at a campground within Utah’s Arches or Canyonlands National Parks, you might try Colorado and Natural Bridges National Monuments, which also have fantastic scenery and first-come, first-served sites year-round. Try Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service sites, as most operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Sites on private land or glamping properties can be pricier but still offer a camping-like experience. , located within Utah’s Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument and 45 miles east of Bryce Canyon National Monument, is a good example. Hipcamp offers a collection of and will help you find reservations available tonight or this weekend, for instance, or camping within a two-hour radius of your location. , a private-land option with annual memberships starting at $99, offers options for RV camping at thousands of farms, wineries, and breweries across the country; it’s a great option for a single-night stay en route to a park, says Patrick Buchanan, director of partnerships for the site RV Life.

5. Be Realistic About Camping in an Iconic Park

A camping trip in one of America’s most famous national parks can take a year of planning, says Puglisi. “Booking a site is intense and competitive. You can always luck into something, but if you focus your energy on lesser-known parks, you’ll improve your chances,” he advises.

Yosemite, with its waterfalls, giant granite cliffs, and campgrounds nestled beneath towering ponderosa pines with views of Half Dome, is arguably the toughest park in America to land a reservation, he says. People will set alarms, enlist friends and family, and take off work to sit at their computer and constantly refresh their screen hoping to secure a booking the day reservations open for their preferred arrival date. Demand is so high, in fact, that the park is currently testing a new in an attempt to level the playing field.

But cancellations happen even at Yosemite. Lisa Cesaro, a spokesperson for Aramark Destinations, a hospitality partner that manages the 266-site Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite Valley, says people have up to seven days prior to arrival to cancel without penalty. Cancellations can occur in summer but are more frequent in fall, so if you’re flexible, you can still score a prime spot near Merced River in September or October or a room at the Yosemite Valley Lodge, convenient to Yosemite Falls.

Puglisi considers Utah’s Mighty Five—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, and Capital Reef National Parks—tough tickets, too. “Demand generally exceeds the number of campsites available, especially in the summer,” says Zion spokesperson Jonathan Shafer, who notes the variety of public lands nearby offering camping options.

Many hot spots like North Cascades National Park, in Washington, and Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming, offer walk-up backcountry-camping permits the day of or day before a trip on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll need to pay the park-entrance fee and show up in person at a ranger station to enquire. Naaman Horn, a spokesperson for the National Park Service’s Intermountain Regional Office, highly recommends showing up well before 8 A.M. to get one of the first spots in line. He also suggests having a back-up plan. For example, Grand Teton is surrounded by National Forest Service land, including Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests, both of which welcome campers.

6. Expand Your Horizons

Try going to some BLM andÌęlesser-knownÌępublic lands. With , you can enableÌęprivate-public land layers on top of Gaia Topo to findÌędispersed camping sites. Points of interest are included, too, like the best photo opportunity or water sources. (Disclosure: Gaia GPS is owned by șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Inc., which also ownsÌęșÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűÌęmagazine.)

“Dispersed camping simply means camping outside of a designated campground,” says Gaia GPS’s Abby Levene.ÌęTypically, dispersed campsites don’t includeÌęcommon campgroundÌęamenities such as running water, bathrooms, and a camp host. But they do generally afford more privacy and seclusion. Plus, you can find a dispersed campsite at the last minute—and it’s free.

“If you don’t mind foregoing amenities, BLM and other public land provide a trove of private and peaceful campsites for you to enjoy,” says Levene. “Gaia TopoÌęnow clearly shows all 248 million acres of BLM-managed public land, as well as expanded state public lands. With itÌęyou can navigateÌęforest roads, avoid trespassing, and find the best dispersed camping.”

Dispersed campsites on Gaia GPS are usually marked by a fire-ring icon. Be sure to check theÌę, call the field office, or inquire at the ranger’s station to make sure dispersed camping is allowed in the area.

7. Check Out These Alternatives to the Most Popular National Parks

If your search for a campground in a major national park starts making you frustrated, remember that America has 63 national parks and more than 6,600 state parks. Sanna Boman, editor in chief of , a global road-trip planning tool, shared her list of excellent alternatives to the national parks everyone flocks to, based on similar scenery.

Death Valley, California and Nevada
Alternatives: Big Bend National Park, Texas; Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado; Bruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho

Yosemite, California
Alternatives: Kings Canyon National Park, California; Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, California and Oregon

Rocky Mountain, Colorado
Alternative: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Glacier, Montana
Alternatives: North Cascades National Park, Washington; Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho
Alternatives: Lassen Volcanic National Park, California; Custer State Park, South Dakota

Joshua Tree, California
Alternatives: Mojave National Preserve, California; Saguaro National Park, Arizona; Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Grand Canyon, Arizona
Alternatives: Badlands National Park, South Dakota, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

Zion, Utah
Alternatives: Monument Valley, Arizona and Utah; Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona

8. Still Can’t Decide Where to Head? Use This Cheat Sheet.

Earlier this year, The Dyrt created a list of the . After I interviewed founder Sarah Smith for this story, she went back to the report data and curated a list of 15 sites with a rating of 4.2 or higher out of 5 on The Dyrt. Each has some of the highest number of bookings per year, but also report vacancy for more than half of their high season. Surely you’ll find an idyllic spot at any of the places listed below, Sally, where you can pitch your tent, pull out your cooler, finally turn off your phone and all of those alerts, and simply enjoy some downtime in nature.

• , Pennsylvania
• , Tennessee
• , California
• , Arkkansas
• , North Carolina
• , Virginia
• , North Carolina
• , Texas
• , Texas
• , Maine
• , California
• , Georgia
• , North Carolina
• , Arkansas
• , Virginia

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű correspondent Jen Murphy has been camping since before she could walk. Family-tent adventures ended around age five, however, after an unfortunate incident involving a flooded campground and a sister who threw up in her sleeping mother’s hair in the middle of that rainy night. Luckily, Murphy was unphased and still loves camping. She’s set up app alerts in hopes of scoring one of the three backcountry cabins in Haleakala National Park in Maui this summer.Ìę

The post How to Find a Last-Minute Campsite appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That is mostly true. Outdoor beauty, though, as found in nature, is far less subjective. I don’t think anyone has stood on the lip of the Grand Canyon, peering down 5,000 feet, and thought, Meh. With that sense of scientific objectivity in mind, I’ve developed a list of the 11 most beautiful hikes in our national parks.

This list is about grand beauty—heart-stopping vistas and otherworldly landscapes that would make even the most jaded screen-ages look up from their phones and say, “Cool.” I also considered geography diversity and a range of landscapes to highlight something for everyone. Same with difficulty—you’ll find short half-mile loops and full-day efforts.

I am °żłÜłÙČőŸ±»ć±đ’s national parks columnist, fortunate enough to have hiked a number of these trails myself, and have dragged my kids to many. The rest of the trails haunt my bucket list for when the opportunities arise.

1. Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance: 5.1-mile loop

I knew Yosemite National Park was gonna make this list because of the 1,200-square-mile park’s abundance of fertile valleys, dramatic waterfalls, and really big rocks. But choosing which ridiculously scenic hike to feature was agonizing. In theory, all of the best options look at the same stuff—Yosemite Valley and its granite towers—so I picked the hike with my favorite angle of that view. Tunnel View is probably the best-known vista, but it’s just a roadside overlook, so I nixed it. Half Dome is arguably the most coveted (and badass) hike and leads to banger views of Yosemite Valley. But you know what you can’t see from the top of Half Dome? Half Dome itself. So, ixnay.

Finally, I settled on the because it offers two grand but distinct views of Yosemite Valley on the same hike. I had the opportunity to include a piece of this hike during a multi-day backpacking trip through Yosemite and was awestruck. The summit on Sentinel Dome has 360-degree views of the entire park, including west where Half Dome and a large chunk of Yosemite Valley are displayed in all their glory. From the vertigo-inducing Taft Point, you’ll see El Capitan and Yosemite Falls.

The hike itself is moderate, with the only steep section coming as you approach the summit of Sentinel. It’s less crowded than Glacier Point, too.

When to Go: This year late summer or early fall is best because Glacier Point Road is closed until July for snow plowing and road rehabilitation. If you’re dying to see these views before the road opens, you can hike the 12.9-mile (one way) Pohono Trail, which climbs to Glacier Point from the Tunnel View Parking Area. It’s a journey, and you’ll get a series of breathtaking views of the Valley from Taft Point, Dewey Point, Crocker Point, Stanford Point, and Sentinel Dome.

Logistics: Yosemite is not requiring reservations to enter this summer, but you have to pay the park entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The trailhead for this loop is off Glacier Point Road. Check the status of the road opening .

2. Precipice and North Ridge Trails, Acadia National Park, Maine

Distance: 3.2-mile loop

Do you want to walk along the wild Atlantic Ocean coastline, or take in the entire scene from above? That’s the question when visiting Acadia National Park. Ocean Path is the most popular trail, and some say the most scenic. This 2.5-mile romp along the edge of Mount Desert Island has you traversing the beaches and rock outcroppings that help define this national park. But I’m disqualifying it here because you can drive the Park Loop Road and catch most of the views from pullouts at overlooks.

Instead, climb the difficult to the top of Champlain Mountain for a bird’s-eye view of the coastline, the Atlantic, and the many forested islands that rise from the water. It’s a burly hike, climbing 1,000 feet in just .9 miles, that will have you scaling the sides of granite cliffs using metal rungs. You’ll get a variety of coastal views, and see the vast New England coastline from the top of the trail. Take the Champlain North Ridge Trail off the mountain and the views will continue.

When to Go: Summer is the most popular season, but show up in the fall, and the forest leading from the base of the mountain to the water’s edge will be aflame with red, orange, and yellow.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle. If you’re planning to drive Cadillac Summit Road while visiting the park, make in advance.

3. Watchman Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip

There isn’t a bad view anywhere from the rim of Crater Lake, a 2,000-foot-deep lake nestled inside the bowl of a volcano sitting 7,000 feet above sea level. It sounds like the setting for a diabolical mastermind’s secret base, but simply creates one of the most spectacular national parks in the country. The lake is considered among the most pure in the world, as the water is sourced completely from rain and snow.

The views from the edge of the volcano are one of a kind. is a little harder than “nature walk” territory—it gains 420 feet in under a mile to a historic fire lookout tower—but it gets the same kind of volume of visitors as a paved overlook trail, and the view is why. This is one situation where the hike isn’t about the journey, only the destination, because at the crest of the trail you can see the entire lake from a stone platform below the woodend fire tower. The view encompasses Wizard Island, a smaller volcano set inside a larger volcano. If you want a good view with fewer neighbors along the way, hike the 3.7-mile round trip to Garfield Peak, which takes in most of the lake from a different angle. Bonus for the Garfield Peak hike: In the summer, the hillsides are blanketed in wildflowers.

When to Go: Crater Lake is covered in snow most of the year, so summer and early fall are your best bets. Sunset is stunning, but you definitely won’t have the view to yourself.

Logistics: You’ll have to pay an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle. As of early summer 2023, portions of Rim Drive are still closed for snowplowing. The road is usually cleared by mid-July. Keep an eye on road conditions .

4. Bright Angel to Plateau Point Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Distance: 12 miles out and back

The Colorado River has carved out quite the ditch as it makes its way south across the Kaibab Plateau, and Grand Canyon National Park protects the most dramatic slice of the 277-mile-long gorge. Because this national park is so damn big, there are amazing views all over. The sights from various easy-to-access overlooks along the rim are awe-inspiring, but the views get even better, if that is possible, as you hike deeper into the gorge. A few trails drop off the rim, but for views, I like the . Based on the number of people who hike it every year, so does everyone else.

Don’t let the crowds dissuade you, though, as this hike is a life-changer, dropping 3,200 feet in six miles as it switchbacks down the side of the Grand Canyon. The views are fantastic the whole way, and you’ll walk through the vibrant Havasupai Garden, an oasis that once supported a Native American population. It’s also quite the challenge; I hiked the full Bright Angel as an out and back in my early 20s and it’s still one of the toughest hikes I’ve ever done. Most people make the full Bright Angel a multi-day hike, staying at either Havasupai Campground or Bright Angel Campground, but I wasn’t able to score a at the time.

The best vista is at Plateau Point on the edge of Tonto Plateau, roughly 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Reach the overlook by taking a short spur trail at mile 4.5 and hiking the 1.5 miles for a front-and-center view of the inner gorge, as well as the aqua waters of the Colorado River, roughly 2,000 feet below.

When to Go: The South Rim is open year-round, but most agree spring and fall are the best time to visit because of milder temperatures. If you’re visiting in the summer, start your hike as early as possible to avoid the heat.

Logistics: You have to pay the entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The hike begins at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim’s Desert View Drive. Bring more water than you think you’ll need as the temperature will rise as you drop deeper into the canyon. Remember, the 6-mile way down to Plateau Point is easy, but the 6-mile climb back up to the rim is hard.

5. Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee

Distance: 3.6 mile out and back

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of the Southern Appalachians along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. The terrain is a mix of pastoral valleys with historic homesteads and steep, rugged peaks rising to 6,000 feet above sea level. This region is a temperate rainforest, with a lush canopy and dense woods, so long-range views can be tough to find. That’s one of the reasons I love , which ends at Andrew’s Bald, a high-elevation pasture once used to graze livestock, giving the 5,906-foot mountain an above-treeline vibe. Hike Forney Ridge Trail from the Clingman’s Dome parking lot and you’ll travel through a thick forest until reaching the bald proper, where several acres of tall grass offer long-range views of the southern mountains of the park and Fontana Lake. I’ve hiked this trail a couple of times over the years and I’m always amazed to be the only person on the path. Clingman’s Dome can be a zoo of people, especially in the summer, but most of those people stick to the concrete lookout tower and never venture on the actual trails.

When to go: You can hike the Smokies year-round. In the winter you’ll have the park more or less to yourself, and in the fall, the forest blazes with color. But knock out this hike in June and early July and you will find the Rhododendron and flame azaleas in full bloom.

Logistics: The hike begins at the parking lot for Clingman’s Dome, a concrete lookout you will want to spend a few minutes climbing. There’s no entry fee to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but you have to purchase a parking tag ($5) to park at any trailhead.

6. High Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Distance: 2.5 miles out and back

Great Sand Dunes National Park is wild, encompassing 30 square miles of off-white mounds of sand within the Rocky Mountains. These are the tallest dunes in North America, rising up to 741 feet. The sheer volume of sand here makes for other-worldly photo opportunities.

There are no established hiking trails throughout the dune field, but most visitors head towards , a 693-foot “peak” on the first ridge beyond the main parking lot here). From the top of High Dune, you can see the rolling hills of sand spread across the landscape, all flanked by the 13,000-foot Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You might feel like you’re in a vast desert, but in the spring and early summer, the hike actually begins with a stream crossing, as Medano Creek runs wide and several inches deep with the snowmelt. Pack an innertube in your car. The crumbling sands send waves down the creek that you can tube, and access is a short walk from the parking lot.

When to Go: The dunes can be covered in snow in the winter, and the sand can get really hot in the summer. Spring and fall are your best bets, but if you do show up in the summer, cool off in Medano Creek.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle. You can park near the visitor center.

7. Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Distance: .5-mile loop

I know, all the great sandstone arches are across the street in Arches National Park, right? Wrong. The 258,000-acre Canyonlands has plenty of fascinating sandstone features throughout, and while isn’t the largest natural bridge in the region (it’s 27 feet across), it’s perched on the edge of a cliff, 1,200 feet above Buck Canyon. As a result, the natural bridge provides the perfect frame for peering into (and photographing) the belly of Canyonlands.

Looking through the arch, you can see Washer Woman and Monster Tower, two distinct Wingate formations that are popular with climbers, the White Rim Trail (a classic multi-day mountain-bike route), and off in the distance, the La Sal Mountains. The walk is an easy .5-mile lollipop loop, which makes it extremely popular, but also a great option if you’re toting along children. My wife and I took our twins on this hike when they were age four. They probably had more fun scrambling on the sandstone outcroppings that surround the trail, but Liz was pretty pleased with the family photos of us at the arch. So everyone wins.

When to Go: Any time is a good time to visit Canyonlands, but summer is hot and crowded, and winter can be snowy and empty. Spring and fall can offer ideal weather and fewer crowds. Regardless of the season, show up at sunrise, and the red cliffs below the arch practically glow as the sun hits the sandstone.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle. While Arches has brought back timed-entry reservations, you don’t need them to visit Canyonlands. The Mesa Arch Trailhead is located in the Island in the Sky district, off Grand View Point Road.

8. Highline Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana

Distance: 12 miles, one way

Glacier National Park is packed with scenery. Hidden Lake might be one of the prettiest in the country, Going-to-the-Sun Road lives up to all the hype, and yes, as the park name suggests, there are glaciers too. Set in that context, at Glacier National Park makes our cut because of the accumulation: it’s not one vista that makes this trail so damn beautiful, it’s the collection.

The highlights start right out of the gate as you traverse along a narrow ledge half way up the side of a cliff, peer back over Going-to-the-Sun Road below, and catch long-range views of Mt. Cannon, Mt. Oberlin and Heavens Peak to the west. The next few miles deliver you into pocket forests and meadows full of wildflowers in the lush area known as the Garden Wall. The wildflowers are nice, but the views deep into the park are even better, and they just keep coming as you climb to Haystack Pass and begin your descent towards Granite Park Chalet, a backcountry lodge with its own views. Take the spur trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook, and climb a mile to the Continental Divide to see the teal lake at the bottom of the Grinnell Glacier, where Grinnell Falls tumbles over a rock wall.

A forested bowl below the cirque surrounding Upper Grinnell Lake holds a series of alpine lakes. This is arguably the best view on the trail, and some would say in the park as a whole. Backtrack to the Highline Trail and it’s a mile to Granite Park Chalet, and then four miles through mostly forested terrain to the Loop, where you can take the free shuttle back to Logan Pass.

When to Go: Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from October to early June, so you’re relegated to late summer and very early fall for this hike.

Logistics: Highline Trail starts at Logan Pass, off Going-to-the-Sun Road. This summer, you have to make advance to drive the road between 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. daily ($2). If you didn’t make a reservation four months in advance (when the majority are released), you can roll the dice and try for a slot 24 hours in advance. You’ll also have to pay the entrance fee of $35.

9. Glacier Gorge Trail to Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Distance: 8.5 miles out and back

Rocky Mountain National Park is full of high-elevation peaks and backcountry alpine lakes, and the 9.5-mile out and back to shows you a lot of both. There are more popular lake hikes in RMNP, and certainly easier lakes to reach, but the remoteness of Sky Pond is part of the draw, as is the water itself, mirroring the granite cirque that surrounds it.

On the hike, you will pass the 30-foot Alberta Falls as they drop through a gorge on Glacier Creek; then traverse the shores of Loch Vale, a small lake at 10,190 feet with views of 13,000-foot Taylor Peak and Taylor Glacier on the horizon; and end at Timberline Falls, rushing 100 feet over a granite cliff. Towards the end of the hike, a mandatory rock scramble leads you to the Lake of Glass, which sits beneath a trio of granite peaks (the Sharkstooth, Taylor Peak, and Powell Peak). You think you’re done, but you’re actually hiking to the even prettier lake, Sky Pond, on the other side of those peaks. Sky Pond is surrounded on three sides by sheer granite walls, which descend directly to the edge of the lake.

When to Go: Considering the elevation, summer or early fall is your window. It’s a long, difficult effort, so start early if you can.

Logistics: The hike starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Bear Lake Road. Between May 26 and October 22, you have to ($2) to visit Bear Lake Road between 5 A.M. and 6 P.M., which will give you a two-hour window to enter the road. You’ll also need to pay the $35 entrance fee to the park.

10. Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Distance: 8.2 miles out and back

There are glaciers, and then there’s the Harding Icefield, a frozen tundra that stretches for 700 square miles connecting 40 separate glaciers, which act as drains. This giant, changing ice cube is the central feature of Kenai Fjords National Park, and the largest icefield in the United States. Mountain peaks, called nunataks, rise from the ice. It’s a tough hike to reach the edge of the , climbing 3,000 feet in just over four miles, but the massive expanse of ice isn’t the only reason to tackle this journey.

The views throughout the trail are outstanding, from the cottonwood forests and meadows in the first portion of the adventure to the Cliffs Overlook at mile 2.4, which shows the Icefield above Exit Glacier. Even the view back towards the trailhead, where the wide Exit Creek bisects the green Outwash Plain, is stunning. Continue across patches of snow to the end of the trail at a rocky outcropping hovering over the edge of the Harding Icefield. A massive expanse of snow and nunataks, black against the white icefield, stretches towards the horizon.

When to Go: The upper portions of the trail can be covered in snow into July, so aim for late summer, and check before your hike.

Logistics: Park at the end of Herman Leirer Road, the only road in Kenai Fjords National Park. There’s a visitor’s center with restrooms at the parking lot. Entrance to the park is free.

11. Hole-In-the-Wall, Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

Distance: 3.4 miles out and back

You want landscape diversity? Olympic National Park has landscape diversity. This million-acre park in Washington covers a variety of ecosystems, from glaciated peaks to lush rainforest to wild coastline. You can’t go wrong with any hike inside the park, but the coast, where Washington hits the Pacific Ocean in an abrupt line of rock and forest, is gorgeous. There are 70 miles of coastline to choose from, but I like the hike along to the Hole-in-the-Wall, a large sea stack just off the beach with a small arch forming in its flank.

The hike is a beach walk along a stretch of black sand peppered with big rocks and ghost-white driftwood. Start at Rialto Beach Trailhead, seeing forested islands off the coast to the south, and head north as sea stacks rise from the water beyond the breakers and an impossibly green forest edges the beach to your right. After two miles you’ll hit Hole-in-the-Wall.

When to Go: Summer is your best bet if you’re looking for warm temps and the chance to get in the water (the ocean will still be cold, though). If you time your arrival for low tide, you can scramble up the sea stack and explore the small arch. There’s also a primitive trail that climbs an outcropping on the forest side of the beach, offering a panoramic view of the sea stack, beach and ocean to the south.

Logistics: Entrance to the park is $30 per vehicle. Park at the Rialto Beach Trailhead and walk north.

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. In his early twenties, with no training and very little hiking experience, he thought it was a good idea to hike Bright Angel Trail down to the Colorado River and back on the same day. It wasn’t.

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