TrailManor Owner's Forum  

Go Back   TrailManor Owner's Forum > TrailManor Camping & Lifestyle > Recommended Campgrounds and Places to Visit
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-02-2015, 10:38 AM   #1
Lesherp
Site Sponsor
 
Lesherp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 412
Default National parks visited and favorites

After we retired and started traveling we have visited a number of national parks and have plans to see a few more. We especially like the hiking in Utah parks and the wildlife in Yellowstone. I think we loved each one for its own reasons but I put a * by the ones we found special enough to return to or will return to. We will be going to Glacier National Park this summer and would love to hear about other parks people have visited and found memorable.

National Parks visited

Acadia National Park (spectacular scenery and hiking)*
Arches National Park (unique scenery and short hikes)*
Badlands National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Bryce National Park (spectacular scenery and hiking)*
Canyonlands National Park (been to north and south, liked south best it has spectacular scenery and hiking) *
Capitol Reef National Park (spectacular scenery and hiking)*
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Crater Lake National Park
Grand Canyon National Park (north rim)
Grand Teton National Park (we usually camp in Lizards tail when visiting Yellowstone, the campsites are bigger and less crowded; it is a two for one deal) *
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Mesa Verde National Park (I liked this park a lot more than I thought I would and think about it often) *
Redwood National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park (we just did a stop over here but want to go back and explore)
Saguaro National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Yellowstone National Park (if you have not been here it is a must see we have been there about 6 times it is just amazing) **
Zion National Park (spectacular scenery and hiking)*
__________________
Roger and Patty
TM:2006 2720SL
TV: 2010 Tundra w/ tow pac.

Dealer Options:swing tongue, sink cabinet, awning, air conditioning, tile

Modification: 15“ tires & monitor system, WDH, Prodigy B.C., 2-6 V. batteries & clipper monitor, LED's. Additional modifications can be seen in albums.
Pictures of campsites and places we visited can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/101899116@N06/sets/.


Lesherp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 11:29 AM   #2
rvcycleguy
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: New Braunfels, Texas
Posts: 919
Default

Yosemite NP**
Big Bend NP **
Rocky Mtn NP **
Grand Canyon NP ( south rim)
Los Padres NF
__________________
rvcycleguy

TM-2002 3124KB
TV-2003 Toyota Tundra V8 4.7L. Fact. Tow Pkg, air bags
2006 Suzuki Boulevard C50c Motorcycle- crashed- parted out
1956 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Motorcycle-sold
2006 Harley Road King
rvcycleguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 12:11 PM   #3
Bill
Site Team
 
Bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,088
Default

By my count, there are 47 or 48 National Parks in the continental US, plus 7 in Alaska, 2 in Hawaii, 1 in American Samoa, and 1 in the US Virgin Islands. We have been in 23 of them, and our list closely parallels yours. The only significant difference is that you have missed the California parks! How did that happen? Can you find a month and go see them?

There are 8 (now 9) National Parks in California, more than any other state. We have missed Channel Islands, but the other 7 are absolutely stunning. If I had to choose favorites, they would be Kings Canyon and Yosemite. Yosemite has gotten horribly crowded in the high season, so we won't go back. But we've been there 3 times and loved it each time. Death Valley and Joshua Tree are desert parks, and are pretty tough in the summer. We've camped in both in the shoulder seasons, and will go back to Joshua Tree as soon as we can. (B&D, chime in on these parks.)

Channel Islands National Park
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Redwood National Park
Sequoia National Park
Yosemite National Park
plus a new one, Pinnacles, created a year ago by President Obama. Anyone know anything about it?

By the way, the count of 47 (or 48) came from several Internet sites, all of which appear to count Great Smoky Mountains twice because it straddles the border of NC and TN. I'm not sure I get that, but we hope to get there this spring for the first time. On the other hand, they do not count Pinnacles National Park.

Bill
__________________
2020 2720QS (aka 2720SL)
2014 Ford F-150 4WD 5.0L
Bill's Tech Stuff album
Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 12:19 PM   #4
Lesherp
Site Sponsor
 
Lesherp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 412
Default

Here is a list of NP's and links. Not sure how up to date it is. Pinnacles is on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._United_States

We plan to go to the Calf. parks but are trying to figure out how to do it when there are the least people there. We just have not been down that way yet. We went to Great Smoky last fall. Just so you know it is the most visited NP. We stayed in a nice campground on the left hand side of the road going in. It had the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen in a campground. Don’t remember the name but just before the road splits going into the park. Office down by the road campground up above.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Great Smoky 2.jpg
Views:	315
Size:	20.1 KB
ID:	11188   Click image for larger version

Name:	Great Smoky.jpg
Views:	360
Size:	20.1 KB
ID:	11189  
__________________
Roger and Patty
TM:2006 2720SL
TV: 2010 Tundra w/ tow pac.

Dealer Options:swing tongue, sink cabinet, awning, air conditioning, tile

Modification: 15“ tires & monitor system, WDH, Prodigy B.C., 2-6 V. batteries & clipper monitor, LED's. Additional modifications can be seen in albums.
Pictures of campsites and places we visited can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/101899116@N06/sets/.


Lesherp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 03:40 PM   #5
Bill
Site Team
 
Bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,088
Default

And as you visit each park, it is fun to get the WPA postcard and assemble into a display, framed like this.

Bill
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	NPS cards stretch (Custom).jpg
Views:	407
Size:	201.2 KB
ID:	11192  
__________________
2020 2720QS (aka 2720SL)
2014 Ford F-150 4WD 5.0L
Bill's Tech Stuff album
Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2015, 09:08 PM   #6
LoveToCamp
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Centennial, Colorado
Posts: 885
Default

Went to Glacier three summers ago. It was great! Stayed in Going to the Sun campground, on the east side, by St. Mary Lake. Fewer people on the east side, and still lots to see and do. Good hike on the Divide, back to Hidden Lake.

Also took the "Red Bus Tour". It was worth it, more so I could look at the scenery without worrying about staying in my lane or on the road. Narrative was nice, also.
LoveToCamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2015, 09:05 AM   #7
Lesherp
Site Sponsor
 
Lesherp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 412
Default

Thanks for the input on Glacier. I have seen pictures of the Red Buses it sounds like a worthwhile excursion. We loved using the shuttle buses in both Zion and Acadia. It is nice when no one has to be responsible for watching the road.

Will have to check out the hike and campground you mentioned. I am considering checking out No. Cascades NP as it appears to be the least visited in the lower 48. We will also be going into Canada on this trip as we have not done the west side yet and hear outstanding things about it. We had a amazing trip out east last fall. The only negatives were the cost of gas and booze.

What time of year were you there? I am thinking maybe July so it will be a little warmer, but wonder about the bugs.
__________________
Roger and Patty
TM:2006 2720SL
TV: 2010 Tundra w/ tow pac.

Dealer Options:swing tongue, sink cabinet, awning, air conditioning, tile

Modification: 15“ tires & monitor system, WDH, Prodigy B.C., 2-6 V. batteries & clipper monitor, LED's. Additional modifications can be seen in albums.
Pictures of campsites and places we visited can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/101899116@N06/sets/.


Lesherp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2016, 09:16 AM   #8
uurider
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Western New York State... Chautauqua County
Posts: 2
Default Yellowstone NP query

I hope you can advise me. My wife and I are planning a trip West (from Western New York State) and would hope to camp in Yellowstone from September 12-18. I am a bit nervous about bears so would like to camp in whichever campground has the lowest bear visitation rate. But on the other hand we must have 110v electric to power some medical equipment at night. Any recommendations? Thanks.
uurider is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2016, 10:42 AM   #9
LoveToCamp
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Centennial, Colorado
Posts: 885
Default

My bet is that bear visitation rates change year-to-year, and season-to-season. Hard to say now where the bears will be in September.

I frequent the Good Sam/RV.net forum, and there are a few recent threads on Yellowstone. There are mentions that most Yellowstone campgrounds are without power.

Check the threads, and be sure to check the Nat'l Parks reservation system for details of each campground. They will say whether there are sites with power, and if they are available for reservations.

Good luck, and enjoy your trip!
LoveToCamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2016, 12:47 PM   #10
rmcconnell44
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Marysville, Ohio
Posts: 6
Default

National Parks visited:
Acadia
Everglades
Great Smoky Mountains
Mammoth Cave
Shenandoah
Joshua Tree
Badlands
Grand Teton
Rocky Mountain
Glacier
Wind Cave
Yellowstone
North Cascades
Olympic
Plan on some of the Utah parks this fall and Alaska in 2017. We will be going up the Rocky Mountain route and coming back down the Cassair highway.
Favorites are Glacier and Grand Teton/Yellowstone.
Red Bus tour in Glacier is well worth the time and many trails are outstanding for views. We camped at Fish Creek and Two Medicine. Visited Bowman Lake, Apgar, Avalanche Creek, St. Mary and Many Glacier. Hard to go wrong on any but higher usage at Apgar and Avalanche Creek. There were showers at Fish Creek.
Just got back after 40 days and 11 National Parks
Going west we stopped at Theodore Roosevelt NP, South Unit, Glacier NP, North Cascades NP, Mount Rainier NP, Great Basin NP, Zion NP, Bryce NP, Capitol Reef NP, Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, and Mesa Verde NP.
Our Favorite park was Glacier. Our best vista/view was Mount Rainier. Our best park for hikes was Zion. Our best overall experience was a phenomenal opportunity to watch a wild life and death scene where two wolves were trying to take a 10 point whitetail buck at Lake Howe in Glacier. After failing, they gathered their pups. We were in the middle of all of this with no threat to us. Documented this event with pictures.
Still think favorite parks are Glacier and Grand Tetons
rmcconnell44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 2022 Trailmanor Owners Page.