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xzzy posted:Great Sand Dunes and RMNP are now local to me so I'm really looking forward to exploring the heck out of them. We already did RMNP twice before the summer reservation system kicked in and loved it. Take Old Fall River Rd up to Alpine Visitor Center instead of Trail Ridge Rd sometime, it’s a delight. There’s some good hiking from the Chapin Creek trailhead near the top, and with all of the rain and snow we’ve had this season the waterfalls should be nice and full. I think it opens in early July.  
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Jun 13, 2023 23:26
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https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/06/michigans-isle-royale-wolves-4-new-litters-of-pups-odd-wolf-pack-dynamics.html Good news about the wolves on Isle Royale
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Jun 19, 2023 15:38
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I still need to get to Isle Royale, it's embarrassing that I lived in Michigan for so many years and never made it out there.
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Jun 25, 2023 06:29
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We just got back from a two week trip to Yellowstone, grand Teton, wind cave and the badlands. What a great time, I wasn’t prepared for how awesome Yellowstone was. I thought it may be too ‘mainstream’ or popular or something, I don’t know, I was blown away though. We had 7 days at Yellowstone and I wish I had another 7 to do more fishing. Highlight of that trip was hiking to cascade lake with my father in law and catching tons of little cutthroat trout. And then we did a day of side by side rentals in island park Idaho and ran into a family of mountain goats that came and checked us out. Never thought I’d be like 10 yards away from a mountain goat! We may get down to gateway later this fall, we’re trying to bring the kids down there to see the City museum in St. Louis, which is about the coolest F’ing non-national park thing I’ve ever been too. And then w shave a family trip to St. John so we’ll check off Virgin Islands NP for the kids as well. A busy year for their passport books!
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Jul 3, 2023 21:50
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I can't wait to go back to Yellowstone. I've already seen most of the big tourist stuff, so it'll be great to spend more time in the backcountry. Totally different experience once you get half a mile from any road.
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Jul 4, 2023 17:31
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Oh, last week I visited some NPS sites in Puerto Rico (the Spanish forts in Old San Juan). And I hiked some miles through different parts of El Yunque, which is technically USFS, but it's operated more like a national park than any other national forest I've been to. Entirely designated as experimental forest, higher proportion of wilderness than any other national forest, and the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system. There were even some CCC sites that combined their typical stonework style with Spanish revival architecture. Really, really cool.
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Jul 4, 2023 17:39
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Oh, last week I visited some NPS sites in Puerto Rico (the Spanish forts in Old San Juan). And I hiked some miles through different parts of El Yunque, which is technically USFS, but it's operated more like a national park than any other national forest I've been to. Entirely designated as experimental forest, higher proportion of wilderness than any other national forest, and the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system. There were even some CCC sites that combined their typical stonework style with Spanish revival architecture. Really, really cool. The Spanish forts are cool as hell but man, is the graveyard in any better shape than when I went? It looked like people have broken into tombs and you could see bones in them when I was there (a really long time ago, but I can't imagine the hurricanes that have been through since have done it any favors).
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Jul 4, 2023 17:47
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The one between El Morro and La Perla? It was in really good shape. I have a picture of it, actually. I get the impression the whole area around La Perla has been sanitized and cleaned up in recent years.
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Jul 4, 2023 18:08
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Fitzy Fitz posted:The one between El Morro and La Perla? It was in really good shape. I have a picture of it, actually. I get the impression the whole area around La Perla has been sanitized and cleaned up in recent years. Wow yeah it looks totally different (for the better). I was there in...1999, jesus.
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Jul 4, 2023 19:17
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Acebuckeye13 posted:I actually visited Joshua Tree myself recently for the first time! I think my experience was somewhat atypical, though... I love this.
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Jul 5, 2023 04:41
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https://www.sfgate.com/yosemite/article/yosemite-court-house-crime-procedure-18355589.php A Yosemite themed courtroom wasn't something I expected to see. I have a trip planned to Phoenix later in the fall. I hope to get some day trips in for the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Saguaro, and maybe some other cool stuff in the area.
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Sep 11, 2023 17:10
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Anyone ever done some hiking in the Everglades NP? Any opinions good or bad? I'm taking a trip to Miami in February and thought about doing a solo overnighter. I'm just wondering how dangerous it is at night and if my regular tent/pad/quilt is suitable.
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Sep 13, 2023 14:00
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Ulesi posted:Anyone ever done some hiking in the Everglades NP? so, This was before The Recent Unpleasantness, but the everglades is a giant river two inches deep and 60 miles wide. There are some interpretive trails and boardwalks in the park, and road accessible campsites at long pine key and flamingo beach. the rest of it is all by boat. you're going to have define what you mean by "Dangerous". most of the issues in the everglades are dumb tourists not hydrating or messing with gators.
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Sep 14, 2023 02:30
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Guy Axlerod posted:https://www.sfgate.com/yosemite/article/yosemite-court-house-crime-procedure-18355589.php YOu might still have a chance to see Grand Canyon north rim if you're early enough, it's much better.
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Sep 14, 2023 04:43
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Rick posted:YOu might still have a chance to see Grand Canyon north rim if you're early enough, it's much better. Counterpoint: Driving from Phoenix to the North Rim is at least a six hour drive, it is not in any way doable in a single day trip — though then again, even the South Rim or Petrified Forest would be pushing it from Phoenix — depending on your schedule, you really wouldn't have much time to do anything but get out and walk around at a handful of viewpoints. For stuff I would recommend that's within a more reasonable drive from Phoenix:
All this being said, I would be cautious when planning out any hiking or other outdoor activities. It's not as deathly hot as it is in the summer, but central/southern Arizona is still hot well into the fall. Northern Arizona isn't as bad due to the altitude, but still keep an eye on the forecast and bring plenty of water with you on any hikes you might take.
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Sep 14, 2023 05:17
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Thanks for that. The titan Missile museum is also on our list. We are going in November. I'm hoping things have cooled off by then but also not getting snow at GC. I'm trying not to plan too firmly until closer to the trip.
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Sep 14, 2023 13:33
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The Aardvark posted:We might take our 2yo to Joshua Tree later in the year. But we are definitely going to check out the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument. Dang I was just in San Diego all last week, didn't even think of Cabrillo. The USS Midway tour was pretty great though, easily 3 hours to see the whole ship.
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Sep 14, 2023 19:05
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would recommend 7 falls trail if you’re in tucson.
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Oct 27, 2023 14:34
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Thanks for the tips on Arizona area parks. Walnut Canyon was a surprise standout. The change of vegetation as you come around the bend in the canyon is impressive, and the real close view of the structures was really cool. Flagstaff was a good base for the parks nearby. I forgot the town we stayed in near Yosemite, but it was near the end of the season and kind of dead. I tried to talk my wife into a lodge in the park, but she wasn't into what was available. While not a NP, we also went to the "Hall of Fame" fire truck museum in Phoenix. I happened to meet the director in the parking lot, and he took us into their storage warehouse with 50-60 trucks parked inside.
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Nov 21, 2023 22:08
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NPS is so underfunded they gotta pay someone to clear a walkway with a leaf blower. I assume it's an accessibility requirement as he's cleaning the handicapped areas too. But come on, they can't dig up a snow plow in the middle of winter in Colorado? Nothing better than hiking and hearing that WHIRRRRRR from 2 miles out. (Great Sand Dunes)
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Dec 23, 2023 20:21
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So I'd always meant to write up and post a park update for everywhere I'd went in 2022, and got halfway through it... but then stalled out and never got around to finishing it and whoops now it's 2024. Oh no! But over the last two years, I've been fortunate enough to hit a lot of parks, almost too many to count! Since this thread is... pretty slow, let's be honest, what I'll do is post about a park I went to in 2022-2023, in chronological order, until I catch up. Let's see if I actually finish before 2025 rolls around... So, first up: Independence National Historical Park  Date Visited: January 2022 I have a lot of family in the Philadelphia area, so this was far from my first time visiting Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. But I hadn't been there in a while, and my partner had never been, so on a cold January day we decided to trudge through the wind and ice to the place where our country was officially founded.  I think one of the most striking things about Independence Hall is how small it is. The ground floor is divided into two large rooms, and that's pretty much it—on one side, you have a court, and on the other side, you have the meeting room that housed the Continental Congress as it debated and toiled over some of the most important documents in world history. It's not even a particularly large room — the Congress Hall next door is comparatively much larger. I'm not going to wax poetic and say you can feel the history, or hear the scratching of pens or the argumentation of representatives if you listen closely enough, I was too busy warming up after standing in line outside to care about that  But it is a very interesting and historically important building, and an obvious spot to visit if you're ever in Philly. The nearby Liberty Bell is also neat to visit, and as the pictures above indicate is conveniently positioned to allow for well-framed photos that will doubtlessly get you plenty of likes on social media.  In addition to the two big-ticket spots, there's a whole bunch of historic buildings and museums in the nearby area. Franklin Court, a museum built underneath the site of Ben Franklin's old estate, is particularly neat. The non-NPS affiliated Constitution Center is a bit on the "rah rah  " side of things, but does have some neat displays.  Next up: hot stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 2, 2024 22:11
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Death Valley National Park Date Visited: February 2022 Death Valley is an utterly spectacular and stark combination of desert and mountain landscapes. My partner and I went in February of 2022, which turned out to be pretty solid timing — both because of the temperature (~mid 80s at the hottest) and because we went before the devastating floods that wiped out a lot of the park's roads and infrastructure the following summer. An important thing to know is that Death Valley is a huge park. We did our best to try and see as much as we could over the better part of two days, and yet there were still a ton of things we didn't get to see or do. Climbing sand dunes, exploring ghost towns, hiking through slot canyons... it's all incredible stuff, and well-worth experiencing. Just make sure to visit in the winter, and not in other parts of the year when it's too hot to meaningfully experience most of the park.      Next up: Wet stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 3, 2024 21:00
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Death Valley is definitely on my list to visit, hopefully next winter! Or maybe sooner, if I can parley a job out there 
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Jan 4, 2024 00:17
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Man i love parks
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Jan 4, 2024 00:22
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death valley is very cool, but man, is the drive between there and lone pine super annoying. so curvy for so long. just exhausting. definitely get there from vegas if you can.
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Jan 4, 2024 00:23
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abelwingnut posted:death valley is very cool, but man, is the drive between there and lone pine super annoying. so curvy for so long. just exhausting. Yeah, we came from the Vegas side, staying overnight in Pahrump. It wasn't too far from the park which was nice, plus you get the added bonus of getting to say the town's name. Pahrump.
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Jan 4, 2024 01:13
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Acebuckeye13 posted:Death Valley National Park We were there in October after they had opened some things back up again, but the park was still mostly closed. We did get to see Badwater Basin with water in it, which was really special.
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Jan 4, 2024 01:43
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If you do come from or stay on the California side, the facilities at Manzanar are very good and well worth visiting. I don’t think many people do road trips along US 395 but it’s a spectacular drive pretty much the rest of its length to the north.
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Jan 4, 2024 02:42
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King Hong Kong posted:If you do come from or stay on the California side, the facilities at Manzanar are very good and well worth visiting. I don’t think many people do road trips along US 395 but it’s a spectacular drive pretty much the rest of its length to the north. 395 is hands-down my favorite road trip, and I love road trips. Death Valley, Mt. Whitney, Inyo Mountains, Manzanar, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mammoth, various random hot springs, June Lake, Mono Lake, Saddlebag Lake and eastern Yosemite, Bridgeport, Tahoe. It’s the “oops all bangers” of highways.
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Jan 4, 2024 06:20
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Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park   Entrance signs at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center (L) and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center (R) Date Visited: March 2022 Today's post is a triple threat! In March of 2022, my parents and sister went on a trip to the Florida Keys, and I decided to take advantage of the situation by driving out of my way to visit my great aunt, and, more importantly, visit some parks! Over the course of a few days, I managed to drive through Big Cypress National Preserve, and to visit the Thousand Islands and Flamingo sections of Everglades (Drove through too late to get to Shark Valley, unfortunately) Unlike many of the other parks I've visited, Big Cypress and Everglades aren't protected for their magnificent vistas or scenic landscapes. They are instead protected for the incredible diversity of plant and animal life that make their home in one of the world's most critical and endangered ecosystems.   Hermit crabs along the shore on the Gulf Coast (L), Alligator swimming through a stream in Big Cypress (R) That doesn't mean there aren't magnificent vistas to be had, of course — there certainly are! But the focus is much more on the sheer abundance of wildlife and plant life sustained by the ever-flowing "River of grass." And while in spite of my best efforts I was never able to see a manatee, I was still able to see other incredible sights — alligators floating lazily through the dark water, nesting ospreys, and even a seagull engaging in an aerial duel with a juvenile bald eagle over a freshly-caught fish. It's definitely a park I'd love to visit again, particularly if I had the chance to spend more time on the water — and especially if I was able to bring along a better camera for shooting wildlife. The Gulf Coast section in particular is really meant to be explored by boat, with (At the time of my visit) only a small visitor center and a short trail really available to check out.     But hey, they even have a Cold War-era missile battery! Truly there's something for everyone here  BONUS PARK Biscayne National Park  Speaking of getting out onto the water! Posting Biscayne is cheating a bit on my part (Hence why it doesn't get its own full post), since we weren't able to really do anything — almost the entire park is underwater, and we weren't able to get on one of the various boat tours. It's definitely on the top of the list for a real visit further down the line.  Next up: lake stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 5, 2024 04:36
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Acebuckeye13 posted:Big Cypress National Preserve I used to work at Biscayne! The eastern limit of the park isn’t determined by any geographic feature or landmark; it’s water depth. The park is literally 95% water and ends at 60ft depth, then it becomes NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS/Fuckin’ Ms). There are plenty of mooring buoys around what’s left of the shallow reefs, it’s shallow enough to snorkel and the Biscayne National Park Institute (an allied nonprofit for the park) used to run trips out to them, and I think they still do. At least, if the reefs survived the mass-bleaching event from last summer  Biscayne is one of the few places that alligators (freshwater) and saltwater crocs cross paths. I’ve seen both in the park before at varying times. We had a few pythons show up while I was there as well, wrestling with one on a 25ft boat is not an experience I want to repeat
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Jan 5, 2024 05:21
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Icon Of Sin posted:I used to work at Biscayne! The eastern limit of the park isn’t determined by any geographic feature or landmark; it’s water depth. The park is literally 95% water and ends at 60ft depth, then it becomes NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS/Fuckin’ Ms). There are plenty of mooring buoys around what’s left of the shallow reefs, it’s shallow enough to snorkel and the Biscayne National Park Institute (an allied nonprofit for the park) used to run trips out to them, and I think they still do. At least, if the reefs survived the mass-bleaching event from last summer That's awesome! And sad at the same time. Climate change is doing a hell of a number on the parks — I just hope I can get to Glacier while the glaciers are still there.
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Jan 5, 2024 07:11
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Indiana Dunes National Park Date Visited: April 2022 Situated on the shore of Lake Michigan between a steel plant on one side and a power plant on the other, Indiana Dunes was designated as a National Lakeshore in 1966 and redesignated as a National Park in 2019. If I were to put on my park snob flat hat, I'd say it probably should have stayed a National Lakeshore — compared to most of the other capital N capital P National Parks, it's pretty small and lacking in ecological diversity and scenic views.  But despite this, there's a reason it is one of the most visited parks in the system, on par with Yosemite, Glacier, and Joshua Tree. Located less than an hour from downtown Chicago, the dunes are an easily accessible stretch of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline with soft sand, pleasant breezes, and cool water. No less a Chicago native than Stephen Mather himself advocated for the creation of the park in the 1910s, and it's not a bad place to stop by for those who live in the Chicago area. But it's also not a place I'd recommend going out of your way to visit, unless you're already driving through the area.   Next up: board stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 6, 2024 06:26
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Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Date Visited: April 2022 Another site where, sadly, I wasn't able to do too much. I got there just before sunset, long after the building was closed, and was only able to read the outdoor displays and chat with some fellow visitors. Which was honestly disappointing, as it's a site that is arguably just as important as Independence Hall, if not more so — because it was here and at places like Little Rock Central High School where the words of the Declaration of Independence, that "All men are created Equal," were finally put into practice. And unlike the events of 1776, the events that happened in Topeka and in countless other schools across America are still well within living memory. You can feel the weight of history at sites like this, and it is a heavy weight indeed.  Next up: sandy stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 7, 2024 07:04
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Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is in Topeka, Kansas for anyone else who doesn’t remember their history class. (Oops it does say that, I missed it on first read.) I’ve never been in Topeka personally.
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Jan 7, 2024 15:59
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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Date Visited: April 2022 Nestled within the Rocky Mountains is an immense sandbox, the size of which is difficult to convey in pictures. Formed over countless years of erosion, the Great Sand Dunes appear like they would be better-suited to the Sahara, rather than the snow-capped peaks of Colorado. After being underwhelmed by Indiana's so-called "dunes," it was hard not to say "aw yeah, now this is the good stuff!" when I arrived.  The dunes themselves reach up to and over 700 feet tall, and are wide-open for exploration. But climbing and hiking through the shifting sands is much more easily said than done, especially if you do it barefoot (Like I did). But it is an incredibly cool and very unique hike, however, and when you get to the top you're free to gaze out around at towering mountains above and level plains below. There's also, unsurprisingly, plenty of hiking to be had in the surrounding mountains. A very, very cool and unique park.   Next up: tree stuff Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 10, 2024 03:00
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Great Sand Dunes on Christmas Eve:
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Jan 10, 2024 03:17
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Those dunes indeed look great. It's definitely on my to-see list. I really like the Imperial Sand Dunes but I hear that the Great Sand Dunes are a whole other level.
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Jan 10, 2024 04:38
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Kings Canyon National Park Date Visited: April-September 2022 I'm gonna be biased towards Kings, since it's where I spent most of my summer in 2022. Though often overshadowed by its neighbors Sequoia to the south and Yosemite to the north, Kings Canyon is an awesome, awesome park — and despite spending the better part of five months there, I still didn't do everything I wanted to do. It's hard for me to even begin talking about it, since... well, where do you even start? The majestic sequoias of Grant Grove? The stunning scenic drive into one of the deepest canyons in North America? The beauty of the canyon itself? The endless miles of sublime backcountry, towering mountains, and alpine lakes? There's so much there, and it's all incredible.    Of course, you can't talk about Kings without talking about the tragedy of 2021, when the majestic Redwood Canyon was ravaged by the KNP Complex Fire. The fire left deep scares on the park and its personnel, and greatly damaged what was the world's largest intact grove of giant sequoias. Though the damage was not total, the fire still wiped out huge numbers of the big trees. As was explained to me, Kings Canyon rangers used to say we had more sequoias than Sequoia — but now, that's likely no longer true.  Even with the damage caused by KNP and other recent fires, the park is an absolutely incredible place, and one that should be on everybody's bucket list — especially if you enjoy backcountry camping. Just mind the bears!   Next up: even more tree stuff
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Jan 12, 2024 01:24
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Anyone driven from Denver to Cortez to go visit Mesa Verde? Curious what the drive is like (would be solo) and if I should bother with anything bigger than the little flavor rental car. June trip. I like driving, so long as I have a stereo! Flights are pretty cheap midweek.
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Jan 21, 2024 22:36
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