What's your favorite National Park?

absolutely. off-season everglades is on my list as well

 

mentioned more parks to the girl last night, and we just decided over coffee this morning "let's go to yellowstone today" it's cold enough, won't be many visitors



she volunteered to drive first

 

we just did Gibbon, Upper, Lower, and Tower Falls today. the road to Virginia Cascade is already closed, and the road to Tower closes next week.

perfect timing, no crowds, traffic wasn't too infuriating, weather was great, and lots of visible wildlife

 

Freaking sweeet man!! that water looks freezing!!

 

Very cool! Nice time of year to visit.

 

this needs a pole

 

nah

It just needs more photos

here ya go

Craters of the Moon National Monument, today.



at first you just think it's just miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles



but there's some real pretty views here, kinda like god used this place as a piece of scratch paper while he's figuring out the rest of the countryside



for some reason trees think they can live out here, and some do. they're even kinda pretty after they're just bones


this place was formed by a very old pyroclastic event, ejecting millions of tons of material out of the ground. that rock out there? it's easily the size of a very large house... or a small office building



the contrast between fine material and the larger rocks just hints at how much violence was used to make this place look the way it does


and over all of this you're continually being spied on by parts of the Sawtooth Mountains. they already have snow on the peaks this time of year



anyhow, that's all I'm willing to share. this isn't meant to be a photo-tour, just something to motivate you to get out and visit the parks in your area.

and remember, the Grand Canyon celebrates 100 years as being a National Park this year. Go see it.

I've visited or lived on most of the continents on this planet and the United States has easily some of the most beautiful and well-preserved national parks. and whether they're big ones that are popular and well-known or smaller ones that aren't as popular... they're yours

so go and visit, they're there for you.

 

if you need a hiking partner just let me know

it'd be a great excuse for me to do it again

 

Appalachian trail lets go! Be at your place by 5pm today!

 

i have to lead a boy scouts meeting tonight so, I'll... be late?

 

I’ve enjoyed the pictures! Someday I’ll make it down there!

 

On the other hand, you have some amazing stuff up where you are

I have my eye on the lower three in your state: Glacier Bay National Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, and Sitka National Historic Park

and that pretty much means I'm forced to fly to them, but I'm gonna do it. mostly because totem poles are awesome.

 

How often do you camp? I've been going every 2 months lol....

 

i usually sleep under the stars once a week if the weather isn't terrible. more if it's nice out

no, I'm not homeless

i walked the AT before I graduated high school, and the year I graduated I walked the PCT before it became an "official" trail. I just like being outside

 

any tips on cleaning a tent fast and easy lol? My tent smells like a boys locker room LOL

 

I’ve been to the Sitka historic.. and of coarse Denali. But finding time is difficult haha, I would like to get to the others.

 

hot and soapy water, air dry out of direct sunlight

 

Fantastic idea!

 

I recently visited Craters of the Moon and really enjoyed it! I do enjoy many of the small, out of the way Parks and Monuments.

 

here's what happens with polls:

it turns into an assignment, a box to tick and move past. and that's not the point of a forum, which is... by-definition, a place to discuss matters

the same thing with stickies, they get hit once, gain popularity for a while, then slope away into oblivion.

the natural course of life for a conversation isn't marked by a worksheet, it's not accompanied by a census worker, there's no competition. it's just a conversation