Now this could help planning too! We may do Glacier NP next summer
In no order but close
1. Yosemite NP this you have to see on the trails, even the short trails
2. Yellowstone NP animals galore
3. Grand Tetons NP see above
4. Grand Canyon NP Its more than a big ditch
5. Lake Ouachita SP Arkanasas, (had to have one state park)
6. Any park where the sun shines, its warm and the stars shine bright in Texas
1. Yellowstone NP-the most amazing place on earth
2. Grand Tetons NP-views, hkes, lake
3. Big Bend NP-in Texas, solitude, hikes,
4. Great Sand Dunes NP-amazing
5. Caddo Lake SP-mysteriously beautiful unique.
1. Big Bend NP - From Maxwell Drive; We'd camped at SW-4 in the snow on the South Rim the previous night. Found this place on our honeymoon over thirty years ago and get back as often as we can.
2. Cape Lookout National Seashore -Sunrise over the Atlantic from just outside our tent on Portsmouth Island (NC Outer Banks).
3. Guadalupe Mountains NP - Lost Peak Trail looking back into Dog Canyon
4. Palo Duro Canyon SP - Our campsite this past Easter; It was great to hear the coyotes again
5. Seminole Canyon SP - Didn't get a chance to explore as much as we wanted here - We'll be back.
You guys are so lucky to have such great natural beauty in your backyards - thanks for sharing it with us. If any of you ever get back east, look us up. We've got a few special places as well.
Hi Troup198, your're right, we both love the desert and the southwest. I think maybe because its much easier to find places there with minimal human impact (or at least modern humans - I like what the old folks did to the place ). We have a lot of Texas SPs on our bucket list but those in the more isolated areas are at the top. I somehow missed your Big Bend Ranch SP in my previous posting. I'm an old farm boy that grew up with livestock but had never seen wild burros much less a calico one until our visit there - neat place.
We day hike in the Smoky Mtns several times each year but usually camp in Nantahala NF when in that area. Most of the NPS campgrounds are over crowded on weekends and we're out your way if we have a week or more off. Oh, we do like trees - creek that runs beside our campsite in the Slickrock Wilderness.
For national parks I guess it would largely depend on what you're looking for. There's a lot of good ones for solitude and others that represent a chapter in our history. Good ones for hiking/backpacking and others where spectacular sights can be seen from the car. These are the ones I like the most:
1) Isle Royale National Park - My personal favorite for backpacking.
2) Yellowstone National Park - One of the most diverse.
3) Big Bend National Park - Good for solitude and desert hiking.
4) Bryce Canyon National Park - Great scenery.
5) Mesa Verde National Park - Lots of ancient history there.
State Parks:
1) Big Bend Ranch State Park - Just like it's neighbor Big Bend NP.
2) Lost Maples State Natural Area - The best overnight backpacking trip in the park system, especially in the fall.
3) Devil's River State Natural Area - The best for solitude.
4) Caprock Canyons State Park - Excellent dayhiking.
5) Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Good for dayhiking as well.
To Camp or Not to Camp -Lets go Camping- Have Fun
). We have a lot of Texas SPs on our bucket list but those in the more isolated areas are at the top. I somehow missed your Big Bend Ranch SP in my previous posting. I'm an old farm boy that grew up with livestock but had never seen wild burros much less a calico one until our visit there - neat place.
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