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 itā€™s the greatest sunrise in the world. I wouldnā€™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 parksā€”starting with Arches in 2022ā€”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 youā€™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.

Iā€™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 weā€™re all going to have to get used to planning certain national park experiences well in advance.

Hereā€™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 yearā€™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 donā€™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 ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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 donā€™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 Archesā€™ 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, youā€™ll have a dedicated one-hour window to enter the park.

Backup Plan: You donā€™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 canā€™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 ā€œthe rest of the park,ā€ 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 ā€œthe rest of the parkā€ 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 ā€œrest of the parkā€ reservation window so narrow (9 A.M. to 2 P.M.) thereā€™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 Longā€™s Peak Trailhead for the 8.4-mile hike to Chasm Lake, a calm pool at the base of Longā€™s Peak where youā€™ll see a picture perfect view of the mountainā€™s 1,000-foot granite walls.

4. Zion National Park

You donā€™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 . Youā€™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 youā€™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 ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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. Youā€™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 isnā€™t the only summit inside Shenandoah. The 3,514-foot Maryā€™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. Ģż

6. Haleakala National Park

You donā€™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, youā€™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 donā€™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.Ģż

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 canā€™t compare the two, but it was gorgeous and we didnā€™t have to wake up at 2 A.M. to drive into the park. If youā€™re dead set on experiencing the sunrise but canā€™t get an advance reservation, consider booking a couple of nights in the Summit Districtā€™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 canā€™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 volcanoā€™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 hasnā€™t announced its plans for 2025 yet. But we do know that youā€™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 donā€™t want to see Horsetail Falls. Weā€™ll update this article with Yosemiteā€™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 youā€™re trying to get tickets for February 23, you can get reservations on February 21 at 8 A.M.. Thereā€™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. Thereā€™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: Youā€™ll need to score a reservation if you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain during the day time, but ³Ł³ó²¹³Łā€™s not the only good view inside Acadia. Check out Great Head, a 145-foot tall summit with a dramatic view of Acadiaā€™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. Weā€™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 canā€™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 donā€™t need a timed-entry reservation. Also, if you enter Sunrise Corridor on foot or bicycle, you donā€™t need a reservation. If youā€™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 ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™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 yearā€™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.

The post Timed-Entry Reservations Return to Our National Parks This Year. Here’s the Scoop. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Roads usually leave me lukewarm. I understand theyā€™re necessary, connecting us from points A to B, and they can be cool, but I donā€™t stay up late thinking about the adventures to be had on a two-lane blacktop. The exception, of course, is a road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Iā€™ve never driven the entire road, which passes right near my home in Asheville, North Carolina, but over two decades Iā€™ve traveled, hiked, and ridden my bike on most of it.

This 469-mile highway, also known as ā€œAmericaā€™s Favorite Drive,ā€ is a unit in our National Park System, running north and south, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. I get excited about this particular byway as an avenue of adventure, anchoring some of the best road cycling and hiking in the Southern Appalachian mountains.

I donā€™t even think of the Blue Ridge Parkway as a road, but a 469-mile-long park.

For the most part, the Blue Ridge Parkway (or BRP) is mountainous, hugging the ridge lines of some of the tallest mountain ranges east of the Mississippi, but it also drops down to river valleys and cruises through working farms amid rolling pastures. There are no stop signs or traffic lights on the entire route.

When Was the Blue Ridge Parkway Built?

Construction of the parkway started in 1935, as a Depression-era project meant to create local jobs but also to give the country a drivable destination in and of itself. In the 1930s, motoring around in a car was as much about fun as it was commuting, and the parkway was conceived of for recreation: stringing together scenic overlooks, picnic areas, and parks with hiking trails.

It took 52 years to finish the road, with the last section, the Linn Cove Viaduct, completed in 1987. But the intention is still obvious today, almost 90 years after the first mile of pavement was poured. I get excited about this road not because of the national parks on either end, but whatā€™s along the way.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a bit of a conundrum. Yes, it connects two well-known national parks, but itā€™s actually the slowest way to travel between those two points, thanks to low speed limits and near-endless curves. Yes, itā€™s the most visited unit in the National Park System, welcoming 16.7 million people last year, more than even its southern neighbor, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which had a huge 13.3 million. Still, many people outside of the Southern Appalachians have never heard of it.

Drive the parkway in the summer, and itā€™s a roll-your-windows-down-and-cruise experience. Hurrying is counterintuitive to the intent, which was for motorists to meander and enjoy. Hereā€™s a guide to my favorite adventures, from hopping into crystal-clear swimming holes to hiking to cranking out challenging road climbs.

The Best Time to Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway

Much of the parkway closes for winter, usually from November until April. Spring is fine if you want to beat the crowds, but the higher elevations can still feel wintry, as the hardwoods are bare until mid May. Summer is beautiful, particularly at the higher elevations, which stay cool even during July and August.

Everyone goes crazy for the rhododendrons, which will bloom pink and white anywhere from May into July, depending on the elevation (the higher the slope, the later it will bloom). Youā€™ll also find meadows of blueberries and blackberries that ripen in June and July, depending on the elevation. Show up in fall, and the entire landscape will be ablaze with the colors of the hardwoods. The foliage lights up early (late September, early October) at the higher peaks like Mount Mitchell.

Road Closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway at times shut down for maintenance. During my most recent trip, a portion traversing the Virginia/North Carolina line was closed, requiring an 18-mile detour. Keep an eye on the parkwayā€™s , which lists all active closures, while planning your trip. But donā€™t let one or two closures deter you; thereā€™s always roadwork going on here somewhere.

Logistics

The Blue Ridge Parkway has no entry fee, and while it has a beginning and an end, thereā€™s no need for a ā€œthru-drive.ā€ Multiple access points mean you can pick one section to explore, which is how Iā€™ve approached my parkway drives over the years. If you intend to drive the entire 469 miles in one shot, take your time. Give yourself several days, especially to hike, bike, and explore.

How to Explore the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Virginia contains just over 200 miles of the parkway. The road begins in Rockfish Gap, where Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park ends. There are some mountainous miles, but in this state the road is mainly pastoral, cruising through small ranches and family farms. With all of the wooden fences and country stores, this part of the road can feel like traveling back in time in the best way.

The Best Hikes Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Humpback Rocks (Milepost 6): Just six miles from the northern terminus of the parkway is one of the best short hikes in the state. The two-mile out-and-back climbs 740 feet to a protruding rock outcropping with views that take in the southern part of Shenandoah National Park, the mountains of George Washington National Forest, and the farms of the Shenandoah Valley.

Sharp Top Mountain (Milepost 86): This is a tough 2.8-mile out-and-back on which climbs 1,300 feet to the craggy peak of Sharp Top Mountain (3,875 feet), with a view of Abbott Lake and the historic Peaks of Otter Lodge below. The summit is a jumble of boulders, but youā€™ll also see an old, now shuttered, stone restaurant that sold concessions during the 1950s and ā€˜60s. The ascent is a mix of double track and stone steps, so you might feel like youā€™re on a Stairmaster. Itā€™s a popular hike, and thereā€™s even a shuttle that could take you most of the way to the top, but youā€™ll want to do the steps.

Rock Castle Gorge (Milepost 169): Looking for a challenge? This begins as an easy stroll through meadows interspersed with patches of forest, but quickly drops into a narrow canyon cut by Rock Castle Creek. Early settlers named the gorge ā€œRock Castleā€ not because of any notable formations, but for the six-sided crystals they found in the creek, which they thought looked like castle turrets.

The gorge offers steep walls full of rhododendron and ferns, with a ā€œjungle hikeā€ feel, rising for several hundred feet on either side of the creek. Thereā€™s designated backcountry camping roughly halfway through the full hike. My favorite part of the trail is the first two miles, with their broad, grassy pastures. Some of those meadows are still active cattle farms (watch for cow poop), while others are the sites of historic settlements that date back to the 1700s. Native Americans hunted and lived in and around the gorge for thousands of years before that.

The Best Road Rides Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

James River to Peaks of Otter (MP 64 to MP 86): Calling all Type 2 Fun cyclists out there; this out-and-back begins on the James River and finishes at Peaks of Otter, respectively the lowest point and one of the highest points on the parkway in Virginia. On it, youā€™ll tackle the longest sustained climb on the route in the state, gaining 3,500 feet in 12 miles.

Youā€™ll also get copious amounts of views from overlooks, can stretch your legs away from the bike to check out the 200-foot Apple Orchard Falls (itā€™s a 1.2-mile hike to the falls, so bring a bike lock if you want to go). After grabbing a bite at the Peaks of Otter Lodgeā€™s restaurant, you can turn around and enjoy the descent back to your car.

Mabry Mill to Fancy Gap (MP 176 to MP 200): For a mellower road ride, I really like this section, rolling through farms near the border of North Carolina. Youā€™ll enjoy the occasional long-range view, but mostly you’re pedaling through small cattle ranches and family farms with tunnels of hardwoods and rhododendron scattered between the pastures. There are climbs, but theyā€™re short, and the traffic is light.

Living off the parkway in Asheville, I regularly strike out to bike or hike different lengths of the road. During a recent midweek morning ride, I saw more deer than cars. And check out , a restored sawmill and blacksmith shop that history buffs go bananas over as a slice of Appalachian life from the early 1900s.

The Best Gateway Towns in Virginia Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Access roads will deliver you to many small communities throughout the 200-plus miles of the parkway in Virginia, but the burgs below are my favorites.

Roanoke: More city than town, Roanoke has almost 100,000 residents, making it the biggest city on this path, with a vibrant beer and food scene. has a massive beer garden right in the heart of downtown. is the most lauded restaurant in town, with a constantly rotating menu that leans heavily into seafood, and offerings like lump crab cakes and BBQ shrimp.

Floyd: This tiny hamlet is the quintessential small farm town, complete with a lively country store, , open since 1910. You can grab a snack and even catch live music here on Friday nights. There are also breweries, wineries, and distilleries around. Check out for traditional German lagers.

How to Explore the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

After entering the state, the parkway quickly ascends to the ridge lines, and mostly stays up high all the way until its crescendo at the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The road contours around a series of 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks, even skirting the 6,683-foot Mount Mitchellā€”the highest mountain east of the Mississippi. There are so many big views from overlooks, you could almost grow bored of them. Almost.

The Best Hikes Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Tanawha Trail (MP 304): The entire runs for 13.5 miles along the flank of Grandfather Mountain, essentially paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway. The path is super technical, thanks to all of the rock steps and boulder hopping, and completing the whole thing would be very worthy, but you may not have time for a 27-mile out-and-back. Instead, focus on the five-mile round-trip slice of this trail that begins at the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center and climbs to Rough Ridge, where a granite outcropping provides 360-degree views that include the parkway below and a sea of green slopes.

One of the coolest views comes just a half-mile after you begin, when youā€™ll find a well-worn and obvious short side trail that leads to a boulder with an incredible view of the Linn Cove Viaduct, a sinuous bridge that curves around the rocky side of Grandfather Mountain.

Black Mountain Crest Trail (MP 355.4 ): Mount Mitchell State Park contains the tallest mountain on the East Coast. Standing on top of Mitchell is a must, and you can drive within 100 yards of the summit but would share that view with dozens of other people. Sure, do it (the Mount Mitchell Summit Trail is .2 miles long) and get the picture, but here is another option.

Begin at the trailhead for the 11.5-mile , which traces the crest of the Black Mountain Range, heading south from the Mount Mitchell summit parking lot, for the chance to bag a series of 6,000-foot mountains in one walk. This three-mile out-and-back from Mitchell on the Black Mountain Crest will take you across two more 6,000 footers, .

Graveyard Fields (MP 418.8): Give the giant views a break with this that takes in three waterfalls and a meadow with excellent blueberry picking in July. The highlight of the hike is the swimming hole at the base of Second Falls along the Yellowstone Prong River, but I always get a kick out of the section through the high-elevation meadow.

The trailhead parking lot may be crowded, but youā€™ll find solitude if you head up to Upper Falls, which most people skip, since Second Falls is much closer to the trailhead. You might want to bring your fly rod: on the way to Upper Falls are lonely stretches of the Yellowstone that house brook trout.

The Best Road Rides Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Craggy Gardens to Mount Mitchell (MP 364): Pedaling your bike up 6,683-foot Mount Mitchell is an accomplishment any cyclist cherishes. I try to knock it out once a year, starting from my home in Asheville. Thatā€™s a 68-mile day with 7,000 feet of climbing, but you can also decrease your mileage significantly and still hit the highlights if you begin at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and pedal north towards Mitchell.

The entire route is above 5,000 feet in elevation, and the overlooks on this 28-mile out-and-back are outstanding, giving you views of seasonal waterfalls and distant ridges while gaining a total of 3,500 feet. The real push comes at the end as you peel off the parkway and leg it up the five miles of Highway 128 to the summit of Mitchell.

Pisgah Inn to Black Balsam (MP 408): Another high-elevation romp that barely dips below 5,000 feet, this 26-mile out-and-back delivers some of the best views along the entire parkway. My favorite is the Looking Glass Rock Overlook at MP 417, with the 500-foot granite face of the nearly 4,000-foot mountain popping out of the lush forest below. This ride climbs more than 3,000 feet, so itā€™s no joke, but save some energy to hike the mile-and-a-half round trip on , which comes at the end of the road climb, leading to a grassy mountaintop with views that stretch for 100 miles. Itā€™s a great way to break up the road ride.

The Best Gateway Towns in North Carolina Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Blowing Rock: Nestled between MP 291 and MP 294, Blowing Rock is an upscale resort town known for its food and quick access to the outdoors. Main Street is packed with boutiques and restaurants, while wellness resorts dot the surrounding landscape. Grab a wood-fired pizza at , and meander over to for a beer.

Asheville: The parkway curves around Asheville, giving motorists quick access to one of the Southā€™s most beloved communities. The beer scene is off the charts here ( is my personal hometown favorite), and spend some time walking around downtown and see the various murals painted by Native Americans as part of the . If youā€™re feeling sore from all the hiking and cycling youā€™ve been doing, pop into for a sauna/cold plunge pairing.

Where to Stay Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

You can drop off the parkway into adjacent towns the whole way, but two lodges and eight established campgrounds are located directly on the road.

Peaks of Otter Lodge (MP 86): Sitting on the edge of Abbott Lake in Virginia, the offers quick access to miles of hiking trails (see Sharp Top Trail, above) and a good restaurant that serves three hot meals a day. Rates start at $138, and every room has a view of the lake.

Pisgah Inn: The offers a ridge-top experience, sitting on the edge of the parkway above 5,000 feet with views of Pisgah National Forest from its observation deck. Rates start at $250 a night, and reservations can be hard to get, so try to book six months in advance. Even if you donā€™t snag a room at the Pisgah Inn, try to have a meal at the restaurant, where most tables have amazing views.

Otter Creek Campground (MP 60): Sitting at the lowest elevation on the Parkway, gives you the chance to enjoy a lush valley floor complete with a babbling creek running between sites. There are 39 sites you can reserve six months in advance, and 29 spots available first-come, first-served ($20 a night).

Julian Price Campground (MP 297.1): You canā€™t go wrong with any campground on the parkway, but I like because it sits on the shores of Julian Price Lake, where you can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle the calm waters, which are surrounded by forested slopes. Itā€™s a large campground, with 115 sites available to reserve six months in advance, while 75 more are first-come, first-served ($20 a night).

Cycling Safety on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a bucket-list destination for road cyclists, and many of us dream about taking a week and riding the entire length. Mile for mile, the scenery canā€™t be beat, and while the road is full of elevation changes, no climb exceeds an eight-percent grade, which makes the ride challenging but not dire.

You will share the road with vehicles. Thereā€™s also no shoulder, which can be intimidating for some cyclists. But generally, the parkway is one of the safer bike routes in the Southern Appalachians. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour or lower, and drivers are accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists.

Still, ride with caution. Try not to pedal alone, make sure to have a tail light and headlight, and avoid earbuds, so you can hear traffic approaching.

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national-parks columnist. He spends a lot of time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, usually on his road bike, sweating uphill.

For more by Graham Averill, see:

Boating Turns Me Green. But I Couldnā€™t Miss a Chance to See the Channel Islands.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

You like to travel but you love history. Why not combine the two? Weā€™ve rounded up unique, off-the-radar destinations, both within the U.S. and abroad, that will appeal to history buffs who want to take a more active approach to discovery. Would you ski to a silver mine, or scuba dive to a shipwreck? Or how about walk the length of a half marathon to visit literary sites? From geologic to architectural history, weā€™ve got some great ideas for getaways that will spark your thirst for knowledge and satiate your adventurous spirit.

If Youā€™re Eager to Explore Old Shipwrecks

Hamilton, Bermuda

Named after Spanish explorer Juan de BermĆŗdez, this archipelago was colonized by pirates and its waters are home to more than 300 shipwrecks. Book an underwater excursion with one of the three outposts of to scuba dive or snorkel among various wreckage sites. The capital city of Hamilton boasts the oldest church in the New World and the oldest parliament in the British Commonwealth. Take a self-guided for a few hours of outdoor exploration, including a quad workout up to the tower of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, which dates back to 1905. Stay at the Hamilton Princess Hotel and Beach Club, a convenient base for all points on the island.

If Youā€™re into Architecture

MazatlƔn, Mexico

You should also pack your best road-running shoes for long strolls around this historic city center, famous for Neoclassical and French Baroque architecture, colorful houses, and charming old churches. Catch a play at the newly restored Angela Peralta Theater, which first opened in 1874, and walk through the stunning cathedral of Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. MazatlĆ”nā€™s 12 miles of beaches are also a main attraction, and those in the know climb the series of steep switchbacks (followed by more than 300 paved steps) to the top of Cerro Creston, mostly for the incredible 360-degree views but also to check out El Faro (the lighthouse), built in 1890. To round out your time here, stay at the nine-room , a midcentury property decorated with quirky antiques and designed with a pool overlooking the Pacific.

If You Want to Ski to Silver-Rush Sites

Park City, Utah

At Park City Mountain Resort, you can learn about the mountain townā€™s silver-mining past on a to historic mining structures. Post-slopes, hop a free city bus to the Park City Museum, whose exhibits and special lectures bring the stories of early settlers and prospecters to life. Come dusk, takes groups to the streets with animated tales of local murder and intrigue. Listed on the National Historic Register and built just five years after Park City was incorporated in 1884, the is now a lavish 12-room hotel popular with VIPs at the annual Sundance Festival. If ³Ł³ó²¹³Łā€™s too pricey, consider downtownā€™s Blue Church Lodge, a seven-condo vacation-rental complex in what was Park Cityā€™s first Mormon church, also listed on the National Historic Register.

If Youā€™re Captivated by the Geologic Complexity of the West

Gateway, Colorado

In the high desert of western Colorado, you can search for preserved dinosaur tracks, take guided hikes through 300-million-year-old red-rock canyons, and enjoy 26 miles of beginner-to-intermediate just outside this small town. Stay in a lodge room or a casita at the , where you can sign up for an excursion to Dolores River Canyon to study Native rock art, sit in on a lecture about how ancient astronomy was used by the Ancestral Puebloans, and spend a few hours climbing or bouldering the granite walls of Unaweep Canyon.

If Youā€™re Fascinated by the Timeline of Womenā€™s Rights

Rochester, New York

A little more than 100 years ago, women were given the right to vote across the U.S. Rochester hosted several early womenā€™s rights conventions and was home to the legendary suffragist Susan B. Anthony. Visit the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, where Anthony met with leaders of the civil rights movement and was arrested for voting illegally in 1872, then paddle the Genesee River, ride a bike along the Erie Canal, or enjoy a beer with a view of High Falls at the Genesee Brewhouse, which is also more than 100 years old. From there itā€™s just two miles to the Neighborhood of the Arts and the, at the center of stores and eateries.

If Youā€™re an Oenology Buff Who Likes to Bike

Healdsburg, California

Sure, Northern Californiaā€™s oenological history doesnā€™t date as far back as some other regions of the world, but its vineyards have a fascinating past nonetheless, one that started with prune farming in the 1920s and ended with winemaking. Stay at the 39-room , named after Healdsburg founder Harmon Heald, an Ohio businessman who left the mining industry for the agricultural bounty of these Sonoma County hills. The hotel has paired up with pro cyclist Peter Stetina to offer , and its sister property, , has a new “Wildflower Walks” package that gets guests outdoors for a scenic trail hike with a local health coach.ĢżIf floating is more your thing, book a guided paddle trip of the Russian River via kayak or SUP with (dogs are welcome along). Or spend your idle hours birding within the 155-acre Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve, home to more than 40 species, including turkey vultures, buffleheads, and cedar waxwings.

If You Classic American Literature

Baltimore, Maryland

Many of our countryā€™s literary greats once called Baltimore home, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Frederick Douglass, and Edgar Allen Poe. Take a to see landmarks around the city referenced in historic booksā€”youā€™ll log a respectable 12.4 milesā€”or stop into Edgar Allen Poeā€™s house or F. Scott Fitzgeraldā€™s favorite bar, . Other worthy walkable attractions include the pedestrian-only brick Waterfront Promenade that stretches from Fort McHenry, past the Visionary Arts Museumā€™s sculpture garden, and around the Inner Harbor. , in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, opened in 2018 in a site that was once a private mansion.

Megan Michelson is an ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų contributing editor and a fan of historical nonfiction, art and science museums, and any spot listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Pizza. At an Italian restaurant in a strip mall just outside an idyllic town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, seven teenage mountain-bike racers and two coaches crowd around a table. It was a busy Saturday in May 2022 at Virginiaā€™s interscholastic mountain-biking series, known as VAHS.

The team, the Richmond Cycling Corps (RCC), consists of sixth-to-twelfth-graders who attend a variety of schools, but all have lived in or near public housing in the same part of Richmond, Virginia. Iā€™m seated near the far end of the table. To my right, two eighth-grade boys talk excitedly: Chip, with his closely shorn hair and dimples, and Knowledge, a big, curious kid whoā€™s somewhat new to mountain biking. Chipā€™s trying to persuade Knowledge to participate in a highly competitive racing series ³Ł³ó²¹³Łā€™s part of the National Interscholastic
Cycling Association, or NICA.

Chip is serious about the idea. ā€œBro,ā€ he says. ā€œNICA?ā€

Knowledge enjoys mountain biking and loves being part of the team, but heā€™s on the fence about racing. ā€œThereā€™s college recruiters at NICA races. And Iā€™m not going to college,ā€ he says. ā€œIā€™m going to do four years of high school, then another four years of college?ā€

Chipā€™s giggling, twisting his soda straw. ā€œBro?ā€

Knowledge: ā€œIā€™m. Not. Racing NICA!ā€

Chip: ā€œBro. Bro. Bro. Bro. Bro.ā€

They both crack up.

Kamari, also in eighth grade and Knowledgeā€™s longtime bestie, looks up from her pizza crust with light hazel eyes and whispers to me, ā€œWhere all have you been?ā€ Sheā€™s shyā€”her sibling, Tawante, an RCC alum, told me, ā€œSheā€™s even shy with me, and Iā€™m her brother!ā€ā€”but sheā€™s eager to explore the world beyond her home. Kamari described a favorite trip sheā€™d been on with the RCC. ā€œWe went up to Bryceā€ā€”a skiing and mountain-biking resort about two and a half hours northwest of Richmondā€”ā€œand we made a campfire. We played this game centipede. Itā€™s kind of like hide and seek. The next day, we rode the bike park.ā€ They did downhill runs with big jumps and took the ski lift back to the top.

The older boys are squeezed in together on the opposite side of the table. One of the teamā€™s three coaches, 36-year-old Brad Kaplan, is across from me. He used to be a scout for the Oakland Raiders, but after 12 years he left pro football and decided to raise a family. In 2020, he and his wife and their new baby moved from the Bay Area to Richmond, closer to his wifeā€™s family, where their money would go further. Brad took graduate classes in nonprofit studies. Before working for the RCC, he knew nothing about mountain biking. But heā€™s comfortable working with young athletes.

Between greasy bites, Brad turns to Wop, a slender freshman with tightly twisted locks that fall just below his ears. ā€œI heard you lost someone this week,ā€ Brad says.

ā€œYeah,ā€ Wop replies. It was his older brotherā€™s friend, Keshon.

ā€œHow old was he?ā€

ā€œTwenty. Heā€™d just gotten out of jail.ā€ Keshon was shot in Creighton Court, the projects where Wop used to live, near a convenience store where a lot of kids get shot or shot at.

Wop doesnā€™t know if heā€™ll go to the funeral. Itā€™s May, and heā€™s already been to four this year.

The post The Kids from Cool Lane Just Want to Ride Bikes appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Get out the pack, Jack. Make a romantic plan, Fran. No time to be coy, Roy. OK, you get the drift.

With Valentineā€™s Day on the horizon, maybe youā€™re looking to impress someone with a night or two that will ignite the fire. Weā€™ve got you covered, with our favorite romantic getaways of all time. These trips are perfect for best buds and to save for future mates, too.

The ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų staff have pretty much ditched the roses-and-chocolate rigamarole in favor of road trips to remote Southwestern desertscapes, ridgetop hikes, and fly-fishing excursions followed by steamy soaks in hot springs. Because, for most of us, nothing cements a relationship likeĢżoutdoor appreciation. If your partner doesn’t share the awe of a spectacular sunset, the joy of a sweaty mountain-bike ride, or the seduction of fireflies on a porch in Appalachia, we ask: Is that person really for you?

Here are some of the best romantic getaways that have sparked ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų relationships and friendships over the years.

Isle Royale National Park

Location:ĢżLake Superior, Michigan

Price:Ģż$7 per person, per day for backcountry permits; one-way ferry and sea plane fares from $90 and $275, respectively

Why We Love It: In 2020, I met the love of my life at the Rock Harbor Trailhead in northeastern Isle Royale, a national-park archipelago in Lake Superior. Due to pandemic restrictions, the isle was accessible only by seaplane, so I , for a solo, seven-day, 75-mile-ish backpacking trip. I had no concrete plans other than to criss-cross the island southwest to Windigo, hitting the bays, ridges, Superior shoreline, and interior lakes along the way.

I had just snagged a permit from the ranger station, strapped my fly rod to my pack, and was about to set off when I noticed a tall, blonde guy stumble out of the bushes. He was dirty, bug-bitten, sunburned, and full of trekking beta. I struck up a conversation: Where had he gone? How about the coolest vistas? Must-stop camp spots? Trails to avoid or take?

We talked for 20 minutes, and parted ways with smiles but no phone numbersā€”me, to the trail; him, to catch a seaplane out. A month later, he tracked me down on Linked In to see how my trip went. Six months later, we met up for a trail run in Sedona, Arizona. A year later, we got engaged and married. But here’s where it gets good: We returned to Isle Royale for our honeymoon.

From our seaplane drop in Windigo, we backpacked for a week, averaging about 14-16 miles per day, charging through both fresh and familiar territory up toward Rock Harbor. We started with the 30-mile in the southeast, where we encountered bull moose with five-foot racks in marshy spits, fields of purple, yellow, and red wildflowers, and turquoise Superior vistas from the fire tower. Then, we pushed north to , where we hunkered down on the lakeshore with freeze-dried chili mac and cheese, and slept under the stars to a symphony of howling wolves. After, we climbed along the spine of the island via the , stopping at Lake Desor to soak aching feet and rest, before trekking to in the west for an orange-sherbet sunset. We polished off our trip playing cards and hiding from cheek-reddening wind at Moskey Basin in our tent, before plunging into Superior and cracking cold beers from Rock Harbor’s camp store. It was tough to board our seaplane out, but we’ll be back throughout our lives. I can’t think of a better, more meaningful place to celebrate getting hitched. ā€”Patty Hodapp, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų senior digital travel editor

Location: Southeast Utah

Price: Free

Why We Love It: When my wife and I discuss the formative months of our relationship, we inevitably begin to reminisce about a weeklong 2016 meander through southeastern Utah. A maiden road trip is the ultimate relationship test. Can we get along for hours on end in the car? Are our tastes in music compatible? Are we both comfortable with a blank itinerary and no clue where weā€™re going to eat or sleep each night? Pringles or Doritos? It was on the first day of that trip that we learned the answers: yes, yes, yes, Doritos. We were a perfect match.

If you were to ask us to pinpoint the location where everything fell into place, weā€™d also provide matching answers: , about two and a half hours south of Moab. Tucked between Bears Ears National Monument to the north and Goosenecks State Park to the south, this 152-square-mile plot of BLM-managed land is sometimes referred to as Little Monument Valley. Explore it via its 17-mile dirt access road and youā€™re quickly surrounded by the same massive sandstone spires youā€™ve seen in countless westerns and postcards, but with hardly any other visitors competing for the photo ops.

We turned onto that road around 4 P.M., drove six miles in, and turned again onto a short, dead-end spur road, where we pitched our tent just beside a massive wash. Then we cracked open some beers and sat on the back of my car to watch the sunset. There were no other sounds in the universe save for the whoosh of an occasional breeze, and the colors changed every two minutes. Most people probably wouldnā€™t describe Valley of the Godsā€™ rugged, barren landscape as romantic. But for a magic half hour each evening, I canā€™t think of a more romantic place on earth. ā€”Christopher Keyes, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Inc. vice president and general manager, Outdoors

Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Cost: From $350

Why We Love It: If a 25-acre lavender farm with wandering llamas, artisanal purple gin cocktails, and beautiful gardens and courtyards that the affianced dream of booking for their weddings doesnā€™t appeal to your romantic sensibilities, this place will change your mind. Los Poblanos is a lovely, quiet getaway from the whirrings of the world. I recommend it frequently to friends or generally anyone traveling through Albuquerque with time to spare.

My husband and I came here to celebrate an anniversary years before the media began bestowing it with awards, but we have returned a handful of times since, to enjoy family celebrations at its farm-to-table restaurant, Campo; sit down to a leisurely brunch (we canā€™t seem to order anything but the eggs Benedictā€”those homemade English muffins are worth the hourlong commute); and take part in the convivial that are quickly booked by local BurqueƱos and held at one or two very long tables.

Stay a night or two in a North Field room with a fireplace (make this request, as not all have them), but get there early enough to spend time out on the patio, surrounded by the rows of lavender, at their height in June, and watch the shadow of dusk fall slowly over the towering Sandia Mountains. If the weatherā€™s nice, and it tends to be in Albuquerque, borrow a bike and ride along the Rio Grande. Make sā€™mores at the fire pit. Wake up late and walk the farmā€™s fields, visit the chickens. Savor the relaxed pastoral atmosphere. Time with your partner in such a setting canā€™t but work wonders. It has for us. ā€”Tasha Zemke, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų associate managing editor

Lake Crescent Lodge

Location: InsideĢżOlympic National Park, Washington

Price: $211

Why We Love It: Lake Crescent is my happy place. Its perfectly clear, deep blue waters are ringed by majestic evergreens and framed by rolling mountains. The best spot along its perimeter is the , a white, Victorian-style property built in 1916. Thereā€™s a beautiful sunroom for grabbing drinks, and a verdant lawn rolls down to the waterfront, where Adirondack chairs are positioned perfectly for sunset viewing. There is also a sit-down restaurant on-site, but national park food always leaves something to be desired, so instead, my husband and I opt to grab takeout from Frugals, a burger drive-through in Port Angeles, and enjoy a picnic by the lake.

For my 25th birthday, we managed to snag a room in Lake Crescentā€™s historic lodge building. There are newer buildings and cabins on the premises that offer private bathrooms, but the original lodge, with its lace curtains and wood paneling, charmed us. Each year my husband grants me my birthday wishā€”a canoe paddle on one mountain lake or another. Itā€™s the only day of the year heā€™ll get in a watercraft with me, due to my hopeless paddling skills. After 20 minutes of me steering us in circles, he patiently does all the work to navigate us around the lake while I take pictures and eat sandwiches. It’s heaven.

That year we grabbed the earliest canoe rental possibleā€“7 A.M.ā€”and took off across Lake Crescent before any motorized boats ventured forth. The water was like glass, and early-morning fog rose from its surface. We peered down at submerged logs and skirted the shoreline to avoid the more than 600-foot icy depths with no sounds other than birdsong. ā€”Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips associate content director

Ojo Caliente and Taos Spa, Resort and Hot Springs

Location: Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Price: From $239 per night; from $45 for soaks on weekdays

Why We Love It: Angie knew what was coming when we left Denver for an extended weekend getaway in Taos, New Mexico, a few years ago. Weā€™d been together for three years and had spent the previous eight months discussing our future and The Big Question. It was time. Weā€™d already picked out the engagement ring and planned an itinerary:Ģż Dinner at . A hike in the Sangre de Cristos. An afternoon in downtownā€™s plaza.

But our most anticipated spot was , a well-known spa resort west of Taos. Weā€™d visited Ojo Caliente (Spanish for ā€œhot eyeā€) the year before, and it immediately became our favorite hot springs. Seven outdoor geothermal pools of varying warmth surround a cool soaking pool and mud bath. The smell of burning cedar and mesquite waft through the grounds. Staff ask everyone to keep conversations to a whisper. And the compound is tranquil, tucked in among the piƱon and cottonwood trees at the base of a rocky bluff andĢżsurrounded by a network of hiking trails.

We kicked off our getaway by spending a day in relative silence, soaking in the hot water, enjoying each other’s company, and unwinding with a massage. We booked a private pool and ate at Ojo’s restaurant that evening. Two days later, we hiked up 13,167-foot Wheeler Peak and exchanged rings at the top, just as we had planned. ā€”, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų articles editor

The Grand Traverse

Location: Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Price: Variable, depending on whether you do it yourself or use a guide company

Why We Love It: When my girlfriend and I started dating, we thought it would be a good idea to try the Grand Traverse, a 14-mile line across ten summits with 24,000 feet of vert. She had lots of experience climbing, but sheā€™d never been on a multi-pitch adventure before, let alone a multiday alpine effort. For some reason, we decided it was a good idea anyway. Over three days in July, with the help of , we traversed the Teton skyline, moving fast over complicated terrain, camping in a tiny tent on small ledges, and relishing in the splitter weather. It was the kind of trip that either demolishes a relationship or hardens it into something that lasts. We’ve been together for nearly a decade since. ā€”Matt Skenazy, former ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų features editor

Granite Park Chalet

Location: Glacier National Park, Montana

Price: From $140

Why We Love It: When my wife and I got married in September of 2000, our grandparents werenā€™t happy. Not because they didnā€™t like our choice of partner, but because they couldnā€™t attend the wedding. The 7.6-mile hike to the remote site weā€™d chosen to tie the knotā€”Glacier National Parkā€™s historic ā€”was just too much. But we were enamored with the century-old stone-and-wood structure, located just west of the Continental Divide, atop a hill with sweeping views of Glacierā€™s peaks and valleys, scenery made even more spectacular by the light show that happens when the sun dips below the jagged horizon.

Our wedding party, just under 30 strong, trekked to the chalet via the , which hugs the famed Garden Wall, a sharp ridge that at the time was laced with glittering streams and sprays of wildflowers. If you find romance sleeping at tree line in an alpine wonderland, miles deep in the wilderness, Granite Park Chalet is your spot. But full disclosure: room service is not one of the perks. Youā€™ll cook meals on the chaletā€™s propane stove and schlep water from a nearby creek.

Yes, we pressed our wedding guests into pack duty, asking them to help us haul in three daysā€™ worth of drinks and food. My mother-in-law-to-be baked a wedding cake on-site, and the bridesmaid decorated the chaletā€™s community dining room. But the collaborative spirit only added to the allure of holding our celebration here. How good was the reception? After seeing the pictures, even our grandparents were happy. ā€”Dennis Lewon, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Inc. director of content

Shenandoah National Park

Location: Near Sperryville, Virginia

Price: Variable, depending on whether you pitch a tent in the park (campsites from $30) or stay at a local Airbnb or hotel

Why We Love It: They say Virginia is for lovers. I havenā€™t traveled enough around the state to vouch for that, but Iā€™ve spent many weekends at this national park, and I think you could honestly say that the Shenandoahs are for soulmates. Just north of Sperryville, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, thereā€™s a dirt road that distances you from gas stations and billboards and delivers you to the base of a gorge known as . Each time my then-boyfriend and I set off on the modestly challenging two-mile trail, the hushed vibe instantly reset our moods and our rhythm.

Thereā€™s something different about this place, unlike other hikes Iā€™ve known, and how it sequesters you among the crowded trees, obscuring daylight. Away from the tensions of everyday life, it brought on an almost tangible expression of what filmmaker Jason Silva refers to as a ā€œ.ā€ We navigated moss-covered rocks and fallen trees, danced in a stream, gawked at what appeared to be bear tracks, geeked out at the geography, and paused solemnly at a cemetery.

We stayed at a rustic (and slightly terrifying) old cabin loaned to us by a friend. It had shoddy cell reception but was comfortingly close to the trail and replete with an outdoor shower, cast-iron cookware, firewood, and our hauled-in provisions. Sitting on the porch at dusk, we joked about DIY glampingĢżwhile sipping Champagne and watching fireflies the size of lanterns dance with the constellations. My memories have since outlasted that relationship, so ā€œsoulmatesā€ may not be entirely accurate. But then, as with pretty much anything in life, it is what you make of it in the moment. ā€”Renee Marie Schettler, Yoga Journal executive editor

Sun Mountain Lodge

Location: Winthrop, Washington

Price: From $172

Why We Love It:Ģż The magnificent views here have been awing guests for decades. Established in 1968 in central Washingtonā€™s Methow River Valley, the is an aerie atop a foothill boasting immense 360-degree vistas: the mountain terraces and spires of the North Cascades and thousands of acres of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Guest rooms and a dining room are built around those views. Iā€™ve been fortunate to stay here four times, teaching writing classes for the and hiking on glacially carved slopes where strong winds cause trees to grow sideways.

I have been here with friends and colleagues, but never a romantic partner: I wish! Instead, each time, I sent my husband and our two sons cascades of photos: Mount Gardner from my room, the horse ranch I can spy from my class, the nearby Lake Patterson, where people fish, and even the stuffed bison in the lobby (his name is Floyd) and the massive musk ox and caribou heads mounted above the fireplace. Every season has its charms: sunflowers and wildflowers in spring and summer, the brilliant red foliage of fall, and, in winter, snow (not to mention the annual , a 40K race that begins on the valley floor, continues on whatā€™s touted as North America’s largest ski-trail network, and finishes at the lodge).

My husband would love to skate-ski here. Weā€™d both like to tackle some of the daylong rock climbs around Mazama, 23 miles to the northwest. My friend Jill LaRue, a nurse who works the conference, mountain bikes the trails around the lodge. If you hadnā€™t packed for all of the recreational possibilities, you can square things away at the lodge’s sizable gear-rental shop. This being Washington, it is perhaps unsurprising that the salmon served at the lodge is always great. And if you have time for further exploring, you might try snacks and soup at the Rocking Horse Bakery and Little Dipper Cafe in the quintessential mountain town of Winthrop, ten miles east, or visit the funky cabin-like Mazama Store in Mazama. ā€”Alison Osius, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų travel editor

The Highlands at Harbor Springs

Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan

Price: From $200

Why We Love It: I am turning 40 this month, and to celebrate, my husband and I are spending our first weekend away from our three-and-a-half-year-old. We didnā€™t want to travel too far, and we also wanted something that both felt luxurious and had skiing. That last bit was importantā€”I was born and raised in Sun Valley, Idaho, and having recently relocated to northern Michigan from New Mexico, I thought our skiing options would be fairly limited.

But then I discovered the ā€œDeer Valley of the Midwest,ā€ (formerly known as Boyne Highlands). Booked! Weā€™re staying in a slopeside Gleneagles Ultra Luxury Suite in the resortā€™s historic and recently renovated main lodge, and Iā€™m looking forward to the soaking tub, Italian linen sheets, bidet, record player, included breakfast, and ski-valet service. And the highlight: a snowcat-accessed moonlight dinner at the resortā€™s mountaintop North Peak restaurant the night of my birthday.

Itā€™s not going to be the deepest skiing of my life, or even my season, but I canā€™t imagine a better way to turn 40 than a fancy, toddler-free ski weekend with my favorite ski partner. ā€”, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Inc. director of digital sales strategy

Red Cliffs Lodge

Location: Moab, Utah

Price: From $129

I didnā€™t actually go on a romantic getaway to just outside Moab with my partner. I went on a romantic getaway there with myself. But this lovely lodgeā€”recently acquired by Marriottā€”has been top of my list for a weekend with my husband soon.

Bonding over new experiences as a couple is awesome, and there are plenty of ways to do that at Red Cliffs. The lodge offers great amenities, and also serves as an adventure concierge. During my stay, I checked out the onsite and relaxed with a sound bath. The Lodge also arranged a guided canyoneering trip with , and an Arches stargazing photography tour at 1 a.m.

The lodge itself sits 25 minutes from the Arches entrance, 14 miles up Grandstaff Canyon alongside the Colorado River. And you donā€™t have to head into the town of Moab to go on a climbing, mountain biking, or hiking date. Climb at nearby Fisher Towers or boulder at Big Bend. Shuttle the Whole Enchilada. Take a hike on Grandstaff Trail. Or go for a scenic drive up into the La Sals.

No phone service, the pastoral setting, and the soothing sound of the Colorado River donā€™t hurt the romantic vibes either.

If youā€™re heading to Red Cliffs soon, keep in mind that the property is under renovation until early 2026, so some areas are closed and some offerings/amenities are temporarily on pause.Ģżā€”, Climbing editor in chief

Lake Creek Road Dispersed Camping Area

Location: Ketchum, Idaho

Cost: Free

Why We Love It: A few summers back, my boyfriend and I went on a quest for a weekend retreat in Idaho that led us just beyond Ketchum, to the Lake Creek Road camping area. Nestled along the eponymous creek, it became the perfect haven for a few days of mountain-biking adventures and tranquil post-ride relaxation. The beginner-friendly , which guided us to a mesmerizingĢżvista, was practically at our doorstep. The , weaving through sage and aspen, provided a captivating forested singletrack experience, revealing glimpses of the majestic Pioneer Mountains.

Also close by was Frenchmanā€™s Hot Springs, an idyllic setting for rejuvenating soaks, enhanced by the refreshing flow of the nearby Warm Springs Creek. What made the getaway truly special was the sense of being off-grid, with no interruptions from cell-phone service, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the weekend. Evenings were spent reconnecting by the campfire under the incredibly bright stars. It was a much needed escape from the ordinary. ā€”Sierra Shafer, Ski editor in chief

The New Mexicoā€“Colorado Borderlands

Location: The San Juan River and Pagosa Springs

Price: $500 for a day of guided fishing; rooms at The Springs Resort and Spa starting at $340

Why We Love It: Over Thanksgiving, my boyfriend booked a day of fly-fishing from a drift boat on the San Juan River, a fishery in northern New Mexico ³Ł³ó²¹³Łā€™s well-known for its absolutely massive trout. There are a few area outfitters with similar offerings, like and . Neither of us had ever fished with a guide, and after countless long days wading upriver and tying rig after rig, it was a treat to have someone else do the dirty work so we could just fish. Then we drove through a blizzard to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about an hour and a half away from the takeout, to stay at theĢż, where we soaked late into the night. The next day we caught little trout in the river below the resort and once again soaked until we were prunes. This is a good trip to take in the colder months, when there are smaller crowds on the (very popular) river. And the hot springs are that much sweeter when the weather’s unfriendly. ā€”Abigail Barronian, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų senior editor

Cape Alava, Olympic Wilderness Coast

Location: Olympic National Park, Washington

Price: $8 per person per night for a backcountry-camping permit; park-entrance fee additional

Why We Love It: The northern stretch of Olympic National Park coastline is pretty much my favorite place on earth, period. Itā€™s the place where I always feel totally present, which is the main reason Iā€™d take a partner there for some quality time. The ocean, the remove from roads and other people, and the terrible cell service make the rest of my life seem very distant, and the world shrinks to the rocky beach, the waves, and my companions. The tide pools full of anemones, starfish, and other sea life in the large intertidal zone at Cape Alava make it my preferred spot, and you can pitch a tent at dozens of campsites strung out along the rocky beaches.

Starting at the Lake Ozette ranger station, itā€™s a three-ish mile hike through windblown forests and peat bogs on a well-maintained trail to reach the cape. The effort-to-scenic-payoff ratio is unmatched, and the mellow route to campsites on the coast avoids a few backpacking pitfalls that can spoil the romanceā€”no one is going to bonk, itā€™s easy to loop back to the car for forgotten essentials, and the short distance means you can bring extra goodies like a bottle of wine or a small watermelon.

The downsides include the long drive to get there (five hours from Seattle, longer if you have to wait at the ferry), the hassle of , and potential storms and high winds once youā€™ve arrived. Full disclosure: Iā€™ve never taken a partner here, just friends, although one friend I brought along did leave the coast as more than a friend, so make of that what you will. But if I ever wanted to spend a few days with a sweetheart, to simply enjoy the picturesque surroundings and each otherā€™s company, Iā€™d take them to Cape Alava. ā€”Miyo McGinn, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų assistant editor

AutoCamp Joshua Tree

Location: Joshua Tree, California

Price: From $223

Why We Love It: Think of romance, and you might think of iconic destinations like Paris or Venice, but I feel most connected to my partner when we visit Joshua Tree. We recently stayed in for an overnight excursion to the high desert, and the amenities and proximity to the national parkā€”a quick six milesā€”made it one of our loveliest weekends together. The propertyā€™s Airstreams have been converted into trendy tiny homes but offer the novelty of vanlife. (And when youā€™re living out of your van in wintertime, thereā€™s no complimentary hot cocoa and cider bar, as there is here the entire month of December.)

We had a great time in ours: the beds are plush, the bathrooms are large, and thereā€™s heating and A/C. Also, every airstream unit comes with a private outdoor fire pit and dining area with a table and chairs, so you can cozy up next to your beau and toast with sā€™mores while stargazing up one of the darkest, most decorated skies in the world. Not interested in sleeping in a converted Airstream? Check out its cabins. AutoCamp is so romantic that it literally hosts weddings on-site at its large gathering space. It also hosts loads of activities, day and night, from themed hikes and new-moon soundbaths to concerts and cultural tours. ā€”Emma Veidt, Backpacker associate editor

Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout

Location: Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana

Price: $73

Why We Love It: More than 8,000 fire towers perched on high points across the U.S. at their peak in the 1950s, giving lookouts a vantage to spot the telltale curl of a wildfire start before it could spread. Today, only a fraction of those still stand. But at a few of them, backpackers can spend the night, enjoying panoramic views and stellar mountaintop stargazing for themselves.

For the first anniversary of our first date, the woman who is now my wife and I ventured up to one of thoseā€”, elevation 8,245 feetā€”to try and claim some of that magic. From Bozeman, itā€™s a 26-mile drive to the Ģżand from there it was a 3.5-mile hike to the summit, through a conifer forest and wide-open mountain meadows that still held late-spring snow on their western faces. Before long weā€™d settled into the fire tower, a squat, two-story building with a woodshed on the bottom and a full wraparound porch surrounding the square living quarters on top. Furnishings were solid but spartanā€”a small pantry, a propane burner and wood stove, a table, and four bunks, each just big enough for two determined lovebirds to squeeze into. But when that nightā€™s sunset lit the hills, I would have taken it over any palace. ā€”Adam Roy, Backpacker executive editor

International Bonus: Hvammsvik Hot Springs and Northern Lights

Location:ĢżMosfellsbƦr, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Price: Soak from $38

Why We Love It: A couple of years ago, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I cruised around southwest Iceland for six days. We love a thermal-springs soak after hard hikes and trail runs, and prefer to dodge crowds and drive less, so this smallish outdoor mecca was a no-brainer addition to the end of a stint in Ireland.

We rented a Dacia Duster 4X4 with a rooftop tent in ReykjavĆ­k ($900 for five days, tricked out with sleeping and cooking essentials and a hot spot for GPS, via ) and headed out with no agenda except to explore the country’s remote terrain rich with waterfalls, lava fields, alpine valleys, and camping spots. A few days in, we decided we needed a geothermal soak. So we headed west along offshoot F-roads (FĢżforĢż“ŚĀįƤ±ō±ō, which means ā€œmountainā€ in Icelandic) to on the Snaefellsnes fjord. There, we spent hours hopping from one pool to the next, mowing down salads from its on-site bistro, and sipping champagne from its swim-up barā€”glorious rewards after miles on backcountry trails. After we plunged into the Atlantic to scrub our dirt and sweat away, we scored a campspot nearby, made pasta on the stove, and kicked back to watch the most dazzling five-hour northern lights show we’ve ever seen. All told, we’ve been lucky to share lots of romantic moments in stunning places worldwide, but this memory tops our list. ā€±÷.±į.

International Bonus: Kasbah Tamadot

Location: Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Price: From MAD 7,550 per night (roughly US $775)

Why We Love It: As a couple, it can be tempting to take the easy route when traveling overseas, the road more traveled. Relationships are adventurous enough. Why add more blind corners?

Sometimes, though, it pays to explore the back roads.

Such was the case for my wife and I during a delayed honeymoon to Morocco, two years after we were married. Neither of us had been to the North African country when we decided to spend a week in Marrakech, a well-trodden tourist destination that somehow remains as mystical as it must have been when 16th century sultans ruled it. Today, the medina is full of souks selling Berber rugs, piles of spices, and elaborate kaftansā€”not to mention a long list of bougie hotels. Basically, you know itā€™s going to be comfortable, even for my wife, Keren, whose idea of roughing it is an outdoor massage.

Me, Iā€™m a sop for ā€œoff-the-beaten pathā€ experiences. I canā€™t think of anything more boring than an afternoon massage, which is why I insisted on spending at least a few nights in the mountains outside of Marrakech. So I decided unilaterally, because I was in charge of reservations, to book us into , a private home turned remote retreat overlooking a river valley in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

The resort, an hour and a half outside of Marrakech, is centered around a large 1920s riad, a traditional Moroccan house with rooms surrounding a central, tiled courtyard. The grounds of Tamadot include gardens, an oversized pool, fancy Berber tents for glamping, and a little farm with camels, donkeys, and chickens, among other critters. Thereā€™s even a Turkish bath and spa. Despite the extensive grounds and long list of upscale amenities, everything about Tamadot feels intimate, like being welcomed into a family home, one with multiple fountains covered in floating flower petals.

Oh, it also happens to be owned by Richard Branson, whose mom fell in love with the riad years ago, so he bought it and transformed it into the oasis it has become. Letā€™s be clear, this isnā€™t exactly the road less traveled, despite its surroundings, but Tamadot was my concession to my wife, so I could do all the other things I wanted to do.

The end of the valley, for example, is a popular launch point for trekking in the mountains, including to the summit of Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. With Kasbah Tamadot as our base camp, we were easily able to explore the valleyā€™s upper villages, including Imlil, which is often referred to as the Moroccan Chamonix. After a hike on our first full day, we were welcomed into a local’s home that doubled as a makeshift restaurant. We sat next to a low table on elaborately-sewn cushions and were served a traditional vegetable tagine, heated over a wood fire in the backyard. The vegetablesā€”carrots, potatoes, peas, and zucchiniā€”were cooked to perfection, and served with a platter of steaming couscous. Keren, as a vegetarian, had been struggling to find food she liked for days, even in Marrakesh. Here, after a long hike, we finished even the last bite.

The following day, we visited a woman-owned cooperative producing and selling argan-oil productsā€”soaps, moisturizers, and other cosmetics. We bought a bag-full of their wares. In the afternoon, I hiked up a ridgeline while Keren visited the animals at the farm. On our final day, I arranged a motorcycle tourā€”set up through the tourism company ā€”that would take us through the mountains to the Agafay Desert.

In the U.S., Keren wouldnā€™t get on a motorcycle if ashes from a volcano were about to rain down on us. ā€œThose things are death traps,ā€ she kept saying in advance of the day. But when our driver, Hussein, pulled up to Tamadotā€™s front gate on a Chang Jiang 750, a vintage Chinese bike outfitted with a leather-seated sidecarā€”one that happens to be stylish as hellā€”the magic of the moment took over. We both saddled up and spent the entire day on the motorcycle, careening down dirt roads, visiting a small village in the desert with an ancient mosque, and walking through a narrow, ancient souk. The vendors and locals stared at us every step of the way, as if we were the first foreigners theyā€™d even seen. We bought candy and shared it with local kids running on the streets.

Halfway through the day, we stopped at the home of a prominent Iman now occupied by his great-grandson. Our host served us wild mint tea and cookies, pouring the kettle from high above his head into small cups held below his waist. It was the traditional pouring style, he explained, a sign of hospitality and respect, because the long pour created foam on top of the tea to catch the dust in the desert air. Iā€™ve never felt a more welcoming gesture.

Back at the resort that evening, the staff of Kasbah Tamadot had left a bottle of Moroccan grenache and glasses on our nightstand, along with rose petals on the bed. The forced romance might have felt mawkish, but after a long day on the bike, we sat silently on the terrace with a glass each, watching the sun disappear.

After two years of marriage, it was clear we had both fallen in love againā€”with a new country, slightly expanded versions of ourselves. A simple willingness to explore, despite our reservations, brought us together in a way that no ceremony could.

The next morning, I even ventured over to the spa, hand in hand with my wife. ā€”Ryan Krogh, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų contributing writer

The post 18 Romantic Getaways That Are Far Better than Roses or Chocolate appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

As someone whoā€™s visited all 63 national parks and counting, Iā€™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 Glacierā€“you name it, Iā€™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 countryā€™s national parks are reaching a tipping point, in terms of visitation. Something needs to change, if weā€™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 ā€œPeak Hours Plusā€ 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. ā€œWe applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences,ā€ Cassidy Jones, Senior Visitation Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, She cited at Arches and Glacier as proving that ā€œreservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors.ā€

*Since this article was published on January 2, Mount Rainier National Park has implemented a new timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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

ā€¢ For the first time ever, Mount Rainier will implement a pilot timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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.
ā€¢ 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.
ā€¢ 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.
ā€¢ 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.
ā€¢ In the area and donā€™t have an entry permit? Brave the bumpy road to the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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 youā€™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 youā€™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 ā€œrest of the parkā€ 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 ā€œlow effort, high rewardā€ 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 ā€œPeak Hours Plusā€ 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 ā€œFirefallā€ 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 canā€™t score a sunrise permit, donā€™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 ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™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 bywayā€“Sunrise and Daytimeā€“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 ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųā€™s award-winning travel coverage? .

Emily Pennington is a journalist specializing in the national parks, a longtime ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų 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

The post These 10 National Parks Will Have Timed-Entry Reservations This Year appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Virginiaā€™s McAfee Knob is arguably the most famous view on the Appalachian Trail, a jutting diving board of stone overlooking a miles-long panorama of forested ridges and valleys that thousands of hikers drink in every year. Now, much of that view will be protected permanently, thanks to a new deal that will see a partnership of two conservation organizations acquire 850 acres of the land below.

In a , the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) said that it and The Conservation Fund had finalized a deal to purchase the landā€”which it has dubbed the McAfee Vista Preserveā€”from six different landowners. Besides preserving the view from the trail, the ATC said it would use the land to support wildlife restoration efforts.

ā€œAssembling these properties into a contiguous, protected landscape under McAfee Knob was a labor of love for all involved,ā€ Heather Richards, The Conservation Fundā€™s mid-Atlantic regional director, said in the statement. ā€œIn working with our partners at ATC and the landowners who demonstrated a remarkable commitment to conservation and a strong land ethic, we celebrate now that this land will remain undeveloped as it contributes to the hiker experience along one of Americaā€™s greatest trails.ā€

Even on one of Americaā€™s most-hiked long trails, McAfee Knob stands out for its popularity. Visit Virginiaā€™s Blue Ridge estimates that 50,000 visitors come to the spot every year, whether as thru-hikers or day-trippers making the 8-mile round trip. It is so iconic that when Google featured the Appalachian Trail in the Doodle on their homepage in October, they used an illustration of McAfee Knob.

At times, the popularity of the spot has become problematic. Last year, the National Park Service for the ā€œVirginia Triple Crown,ā€ which includes McAfee as well as nearby Tinker Cliffs and the Dragonā€™s Tooth; among other ideas, officials floated the possibility of adding new campsites, rerouting the trail, ā€œactively managingā€ parking, and adding hiker shuttles. And in 2021, the Roanoake Appalachian Trail Club that ā€œthe large amount of food garbage left in the McAfee Knob areaā€ had begun to attract bears.

This weekā€™s acquisition is just the latest in a series of purchases that the ATC has made to conserve the views from McAfee and other nearby viewpoints. The organization said that, along with The Conservation Fund and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, it had purchased roughly 1,300 acres from 10 different landowners over the past four years, including a 243-acre tract known as Hogan Hollow in 2019.

The ATCā€™s purchase of the McAfee Vista Preserve hasnā€™t been without controversy. Much of the money for the deal came from the company behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), an under-construction, 300-mile project that would cross the Appalachian Trail and run near it for hundreds of miles. The pipeline faced challenges in court from organizations including the Sierra Club, and suffered some initial setbacks before a federal budget deal in June fast-tracked the MVPā€™s completion by barring courts from reviewing most potential permit violations connected to the project.

While the ATC initially vocally opposed the MVP, in 2020 the group entered into a with the pipelineā€™s developers, which included a deal to fund the ATCā€™s conservation efforts to the tune of $19.5 million. (The ATC has so far declined to make the text of the agreement public, stating that the group had agreed during negotiations to keep the details confidential and that releasing it would damage their credibility.)

In published in 2018, Andrew Downs, the ATCā€™s senior regional director for the south, said that the organization had entered talks with the MVPā€™s developers after a court decision that year made it clear that their concerns about potential impacts to the trail were unlikely to stop the pipelineā€™s construction.

ā€œThat kind of told us, ā€˜Hey, the AT will bear some impact from the pipeline and we canā€™t stop it. ā€¦ If all we are going to get is nothing, letā€™s get the best deal we can,ā€™ā€ he said. ā€œThis is not necessarily where we wanted to end up from the beginning.ā€

Besides funding from the MVP, the ATC said that Virginia Outdoors Foundationā€™s Forest CORE Fund and donations from their and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Clubā€™s members had made the purchase possible.

The post One of the Appalachian Trailā€™s Most Iconic Views Is Now Protected Forever appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Shenandoah National Park officials closed two trails on Saturday after the Quaker Run Fire breached a containment line and entered the park. The entire Wilhite Wagon Trail and the Graves Mill Trail from Staunton River Trail to the Rapidan Fire Road are closed until further notice.

The Quaker Run Fire ignited on October 26, just outside of the park boundary. It began as a 20-acre brush fire but slowly grew to a size of about . As of Monday, of the park were engulfed by flames.

Although the fire has been slow to grow, high wind and drought conditions have made it difficult to contain. Kevin Dawson, a spokesman with Virginiaā€™s Department of Forestry : ā€œWhen we originally started with this, we were hoping to keep this as small as possible, but the terrain on the side of the mountains, the steep terrain and the amount of rock, made it difficult for our crews to reach it.ā€ He added: ā€œThe perimeter has gotten larger because of that.ā€

On Friday, November 3, the fire drew close to a powerline on the east side of the park, prompting officials to shut off the power. The Big Meadows area was most impacted by the shutdown, causing early seasonal closures and limited services. The Big Meadows Lodge, restaurant, and retail outlet is now closed for the season, nearly two weeks earlier than expected. The remaining end-of-season reservations have been canceled.

The Big Meadows Wayside, Visitorā€™s Center, Skyland Resort, and Lewis Mountain Cabins remain open and operational through the use of generators, although some services may be suspended until further notice.

While no structures have been impacted by the fire, the Madison County Sheriffā€™s office is encouraging nearby residents to evacuate the area.

In addition to the trail closures, officials issued a hiking advisory for Whiteoak Canyon and the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™s most popular peak, Old Rag. A states: ā€œVisitors will encounter smoke in some areas of the park due to a fire burning on private, public, and park land on the eastern boundary near Whiteoak and Old Rag. Please avoid the area.ā€

While the trails are currently open, smoke levels could reach unhealthy to very unhealthy levels. Since both trails require a fair amount of exertion, officials are encouraging visitors to stay away. On Tuesday, the park also announced it was .

Currently, smoke levels are thickest in the central area of the park and in the surrounding communities. Those who venture into the park are encouraged to take precautions and to evaluate the air quality via the . Updates to the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™s operations and closures can be found .

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Maybe your college had a great hiking club, . Maybe it had an outdoor center where you could borrow tents, snowshoes, and other equipment free or on the cheap. Maybe it had a robust outdoor education department where you could take classes on everything from winter camping to skiing. But weā€™re willing to bet it didnā€™t go as far to get students to go outside as Virginiaā€™s Emory and Henry College, which will let students hike the Appalachian Trail for credit in 2024.

Students who join the Semester-A-Trail program have the option of hiking either the southernmost 470 miles of the AT from Springer Mountain to Damascus, or shooting for a full thru-hike of the trail by enrolling through the summer. The program is fairly selective, accepting just 10 students, and is open to sophomores through seniors both at Emory and Henry and from other colleges. As Virginia public radio station , the program is actually a few years old; Emory and Henry paused it in 2023 to reevaluate it and hire a new professor.

ā€œItā€™s really an incredible physical tax on the body,ā€ Jim Harrison, director of outdoor programs for the college, told WVTF. ā€œWeā€™re preparing students physically.ā€

While students in the program can expect a break from their college routine, they wonā€™t get to put their schoolwork on pause entirely. According to , Semester-A-Trail students take 12 to 15 credit hours, either finishing them on an intensive 7-week schedule before their departure or completing their final projects after they return from the trail. All participants take courses on nature writing, long-distance backpacking, and ā€œStories of Memory, Place, and Justice.ā€ In addition, tuition covers a set of brand-new backpacking equipment, first-aid and skills training, and on-trail support from the collegeā€™s staff. Student hikers also receive a budget for on-trail expenses.

Want to be part of the Semester-A-Trail program? The is August 1. Early applicants get priority, so the sooner you apply, the better.

The post This College Lets Students Get Credit for Hiking the Appalachian Trail appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

In early June three years ago, waiting in line for a table at Flyers Bar and Grill on a marina in St. Croix, I looked on in amazement as a group of kayakers gathered at the waterfront for a tour. Watching them paddle off into the dusk, I wondered what was so interesting that people would skip dinner in exchange for insect bites and navigating barely visible waters. Bioluminescence was not yet a word in my vocabulary.

Iā€™ve since warmed right up to nighttime sights outdoors, having witnessed the Northern Lights dancing in Iceland or the Milky Way above a remote cabin in New Hampshire. While I had begun experimenting with astrophotography during a 2018 trip to Virgin Islands National Park, these once haphazard sessions have now become a full-fledged hobby.

If my growing fascination with the natural world after sundown has taught me anything, itā€™s that the night sky offers endless adventure. Our national and state parks and other organizations are working to protect dark skies and host events to engage people of all ages and abilities to see nighttime landscapes, nocturnal critters, and to stargaze and contemplate UFOs.

The park nighttime activities below offer curious minds a chance to explore moonlit paths and bays that glow.

1. Stargazing and UFOs

Trade an evening of Netflix for a chance to gaze at galaxies and be reminded that, like those stars above you, earth is just a tiny dot. The big question is: could it really be the only life-supporting dot?

Learn About the Cosmosā€”and UFOsā€”at Joshua Tree National Park, California

Thereā€™s a lot to marvel about in Joshua Tree National Park, known for its lunar landscapes and energy vortices. Located in the Morongo Basin, a hotbed for claims of UFO sightings, and a certified International Dark Sky Park site, Joshua Tree regularly attracts stargazers and truth seekers. In fact, itā€™s the 2013 birthplace of the annual Contact in the Desert Conference, the ā€œWoodstock of UFO conferences,ā€ which draws thousands of attendees.

Though the conference has since moved to Indian Wells, California, you can still seek signs of extraterrestrial life while in Joshua Tree by joining a 90-minute Stargazing and UFO Tour run by ($150) using Gen 3 military-grade night-vision binoculars. This technology delivers an even more captivating stargazing experience than is available to the naked eye, so you can see stars, nebulas, planets, and distant galaxies in a way that far surpasses what was observable even to our ancestors gazing at pitch-black skies a thousand years ago.

Attend a Star Party at Glacier National Park, Montana

Far from the brightness of big cities, Glacier is a go-to destination for visitors who not only want to see the Milky Way but also the elusive northern lights, visible any time of year but especially September through April.ĢżAlso an International Dark Sky Park,ĢżGlacier embraces its role as a steward of the night sky.ĢżEvents like are held every year to make visitors aware of the ecological and cultural importance of dark skies, offering a chance to gaze at our galaxies through high-powered telescopes while learning about the solar system from park rangers, astronomers, and members of the Big Sky Astronomy Club.

Star parties are held on select summer nights from 10 P.M. until midnight and cost $5 per vehicle (in addition to the park entrance fee). Unable to attend? See the above link for other astronomy programs in the park throughout the year.

2. Bioluminescence

If you donā€™t believe in magic, youā€™ve never witnessed the blue-green glow of microorganisms in a dark saltwater bay.

Paddle a See-Through Kayak in the Salt River Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Enjoy one of natureā€™s most wondrous displays with a glass-bottom kayak tour of one of St. Croixā€™s bioluminescent bays.ĢżSalt River Bay National Historic Site and Ecological Preserve, which for two millennia served as an entry point for Indigenous people and colonizers, is home to one of just seven full-time bioluminescent bays in the world.Ģż tour ($55) sets out at dusk and heads about three-quarters of a mile past the mangroves to Salt River Bay, where kayakers paddle around in amazement, watching as the water disturbance triggers a chemical reaction in plankton known as dinoflagellates, which light up beneath them. Children ages eight and up (who must be accompanied by an adult) are welcome to explore these rare ecosystems. No prior kayaking experience is necessary.

Paddle the Magical Waters of Castine Harbor, Maine

Combine time in the quaint seaside town of Castine with an epic evening adventure exploring what local tour operator Castine Kayak ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųs refers to as a ā€œfloating planetariumā€ā€”a bioluminescent bay located just one hour from Acadia National Park. These watersā€”located between the Penobscot and Bagaduce waterwaysā€”are off the radar for most tourists, and offer an awe-inspiring glow, thanks to the nutrient-rich silt floor of Castine Harbor.

An hour after sundown, visitors can join on a tour ($90) that leaves from the harbor to watch these waters come to life. Children ages ten and older are welcome (and must be accompanied by an adult), and prior kayaking experience is recommended as tidal currents can be strong. For first-timers, the company offers a day-and-night kayak package ($155) from May through mid-October for those who would prefer to learn paddling basics in the daylight.

Note: To protect these fragile ecosystems for future generations, participants are asked to avoid the use of bug spray, deodorant, perfume, or sunscreen out of an abundance of caution, as they often contain harmful chemicals that kill the bioluminescence.

3. Night Hikes

Whether youā€™re interested in a moonlit stroll or one in the darkness of the new moon, exploring at night affords a different experience of landscape viewss.

Follow the Ram Head Trail in Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

This 2.3-mile out-and-back trail on a peninsula in Virgin Islands National Park covers mostly exposed terrain, with the sound of crashing waves. Youā€™ll have expansive views across sea and sky as you approach the Ram Head, a rocky abutment at the trail terminus, to watch the moonrise over the endless horizon. This hike is self-guided and does not require prior registration, so take extra precautions. The peninsula has some small rocky cliffs, so stay on the trail, bring a headlamp or flashlight, and consider a daytime familiarization hike.

Hike Under the Full Moon in White Sands National Park, New Mexico

This monthly ranger-led hike shows off the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™s famous white sands illuminated under the light of the moon. Hikers cast shadows onto the bright landscape as they follow the 1.3-long, moderately difficult Dune Life Nature Trail loop, an adventure that can last up to two hours round trip. The path is initially flat but then ascends up the steep sand dunesā€”a boost in difficulty eased by listening to the guideā€™s tales about the park. Guests must , and ticket sales open up two months before each scheduled hike. Cost is $8 (or $4 for children under 15), not including the park-entry fee.

Hike Under the New Moon in the Valley of Fire, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park offers monthly guided or self-guided new-moon hikes (see the guided here, although hikes may not be published until about a week ahead, or check on a rotating array of trails. Located an hour northeast of Las Vegas, the ±č²¹°ł°ģā€™s red-rock landscapes are obscured at night, but the setting offers a reprieve from the bright lights of the Strip in exchange for a wander under the Milky Way. Hikes start at 6:30 P.M. and distances range from one to two and a half miles. These excursions are family-friendly and open to all ages. A red-light flashlight is suggested to safely navigate the trails without impairing your night vision, and expect to pay a $15 park fee ($10 for Nevada residents).

See Twilight in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

This guided three-hour mountaintop amble through Shenandoah National Parkā€™s Big Meadow sets out at the golden hour and ends under the stars. Watch the colors of sunset erupt across the sky as an expert guide identifies signs of wildlife and points out seasonal plants. Twilight hikes ($25) run from May through August and are scheduled in . Each covers about one mile round trip, with frequent stops for discussions of unique flora and fauna. All ages and abilities are welcome. Preregistration is required, and the fee does not include park admission.

Stay safe on nighttime hikes with Gaia GPS maps for and (recent excursions include Fire Wave and White Domes Loop).

4. Nighttime Nature Tours

Discover creatures that roam the night and other wonders that otherwise lie hidden.

Tour El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

While many visitors to the island are heading out for dinner and drinks to wrap the day, the nocturnal residents of the El Yunque Rainforest are only just starting up. For the richest wildlife experience here, visit in the evening, as 60 percent of its inhabitants are nocturnal. A guided evening walk with ($55) departs close to sunset and ends just after dark. With expert help, youā€™ll be able to identify various species of tree frogs, glimpse screech owls, and see scorpions and tarantulas just before they scurry into the shadows. Expect to be out for two and a half hours and cover minimal ground (about three-quarters of a mile out-and-back).

Go Yooperlite Hunting in theĢżUpper Peninsula, Michigan

What in the world is a Yooperlite, and why should you care?ĢżTwo words: glowing rocks.Ģż Discovered by Erik Rintamaki in 2017, Yooperlites are syenite rocks rich in the fluorescent mineral sodalite, which causes them to glow neon shades of orange and yellow at night when subjected to UV light.ĢżNo two rocks are the same. Some are merely speckled with the luminescent mineral, while others display brilliant patterns or emit an all-over radiance.ĢżRintamaki offers on select dates from July through October along Lake Superior to hunt for Yooperlites, which you otherwise might overlook as eemingly ordinary gray rocks.

Watch Synchronous Fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

These magical summertime creatures come in a variety of species, some of which even have the ability to synchronize their flashing patterns. One of the few viewing spots on earth to observe synchronous fireflies is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Elkmont area near the Little River and Jakes Creek Trailheads, which are temporarily closed off to ordinary visitation. An annual is held in April for permits for people in 960 cars over eight nights to witness the only American species of synchronous firefly during its brief annual appearance. The lottery costs $1 and allows applicants to select two potential viewing dates. Those people selected are automatically charged $24 and assigned a specific evening to view the fireflies between late May and mid-June.

Search for Scorpions in Maricopa County, Arizona

Scorpions are known as fearsome, venomous creatures to avoid. So it might come as a surprise that various parks around this county, which contains the state capital of Phoenix, hold summertime events where families can go looking for the pincered predators. Sound unsettling? Rest assured that scorpions are far more likely to run from humans than sting them, and that people are unlikely to die from scorpion venom.

To take part in these outings, join rangers at Lost Dutchman State Park, in Apache Junction, or McDowell Mountain Regional Park, in Fountain Hills, on select summer nights ($5).ĢżBring your own flashlight to illuminate the path, as well as a black light to spot the tiny scorpions scurrying through the dirt (the UV light gives them a fluorescent green glow).ĢżTo find an upcoming scorpion hunt, check the Lost Dutchman State Park , or head to the Maricopa County Regional Parks and select the Animals filter on the events calendar.

Author Bio: Always a lover of quiet and fresh evening air, Theresa McKinney (see ) has a growing appreciation for the night sky. In annual trips to Virgin Islands National Park, she has expanded her adventure repertoire from snorkeling and hiking to include late-night astrophotography sessions and pitch-black beach walks. On her second visit to Iceland, she proudly achieved her bucket-list goal of seeing the northern lights.

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