The National Park Service recently released their annual , reporting the most guests in the system鈥檚 history, with almost 332 million people exploring our parks, preserves, recreation areas, and historic sites in 2024.

Unfortunately, this surge in popularity is coinciding with a staffing crisis within the park service, as the Trump Administration has dictated the organization cut 1,000 employees. In addition to the staff cuts, the Park Service was initially ordered to freeze the hiring of seasonal staff, a workforce that helps bolster park management and care during the busiest months of the year.

鈥淧arks have been understaffed for a long time, with the percentage of full-time employees on the decline while parks have been getting more popular every year,鈥� says Cassidy Jones, the senior visitation program manager for the (NPCA), a nonprofit devoted to advocating for our parks.

Before Trump鈥檚 round of cuts, the overall National Park Service staff had eroded by 20 percent since 2010, while visitation had increased by 16 percent in that same time period. Jones says this latest round of cuts, which eliminates another 9 percent from the overall Park Service staff, will only exacerbate the understaffed and overcrowded conundrum that plagues many of our popular parks. While the hiring freeze of seasonal staff was eventually lifted, the delay caused most parks to be two months behind on hiring the employees that visitors most often encounter鈥攖he teams that work the visitor centers, manages the gates, and clean the bathrooms.

As a result, Jones says visitors to national parks this summer might not have the same experience they鈥檙e used to, with reduced hours at certain visitor centers, bathrooms that are still closed from winter, longer lines at entrance stations, and some cancelled guided ranger programs. It鈥檚 possible that certain recreation facilities, like campgrounds or staffed boat ramps, will also be closed temporarily.

There鈥檚 been a lack of transparency from the federal government as to how many employees each park has lost, but the nonprofit Association for National Park Rangers has an unofficial tally that shows the hardest hit parks are also some of the most popular, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which lost 10 full-time employees during the initial round of layoffs. And this is likely just the beginning, as the Trump Administration has ordered the National Park Service to reduce its payroll by 30 percent.

鈥淓very park has experienced some staffing cuts, so all of the parks will be stressed this summer,鈥� says Jones.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean you should stay home. The 433 units that make up the National Park System are publicly owned, and we have the right to enjoy them. It鈥檚 also our responsibility to make sure they鈥檙e protected for future generations to enjoy. More than ever, it鈥檚 imperative that all visitors have a thoughtful approach to exploring our parks this summer. Here are four things to keep in mind.

1. Be Kind

We鈥檙e all looking for a parking spot. We鈥檙e all waiting in the entrance line. That ranger who doesn鈥檛 know the answer to your question is doing the best they can. A little kindness can go a long way in a crowded park when people are hot, tired, and just looking for a place to park.

2. Stay Prepared

What are you going to do if the snack shack is closed? What about the bathroom? This summer, more than ever, you need to practice when you visit a national park, which means you need to pack out everything you pack in. Bring the food and water you鈥檒l need, take all your trash with you,听 and consider packing a few in case the bathroom at the trailhead is closed.

3. Make a Plan

A ranger might not be around to ask for directions or suggestions for easy hikes that your 5 year old would enjoy. So research your trip before you enter the park and acquire the maps you鈥檒l need ahead of time.

4. Speak Up

Like visiting our national parks? Awesome. Follow up that visit by reaching out to your elected officials and let them know how much these places matter to you, and that they need to be fully staffed and funded for everyone to enjoy. The NPCA has a you can use to get your message across.

This is how staffing cuts and surging crowds might impact your favorite parks this summer.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to be the most popular national park in the system, attracting more than 12 million visitors in 2024. It also might be the park hardest hit by the Trump Administration鈥檚 cuts. In addition to the impacts from the initial hiring freeze, DOGE initially eliminated 12 employees from the park staff. It鈥檚 unclear how many of those have been hired back, but the staffing conundrum has already caused problems with managing park facilities, as GSMNP has announced temporary closures to a variety of facilities, including several campgrounds.

Abrams Creek, Big Creek, Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, Cosby, and Look Rock campgrounds typically open in the middle of April, but that date has been pushed back indefinitely because of staffing. The park typically offers , all of which are full on a regular basis. Six of those campgrounds are now closed until further notice. If you booked a site at any of those campgrounds, you will receive a refund.

The park is also postponing the popular Vehicle Free Days in Cades Cove, where the 11-mile loop road is closed to vehicles so cyclists and walkers could roam freely on certain days from May to September. That program will be delayed until June. Seven picnic areas are also closed due to lack of maintenance staff.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scramble to find camping alternatives, because there are only a handful of campgrounds open inside the park,鈥� says Vesna Plakanis, owner of , a guide service that runs trips inside the park. She says it鈥檚 not just the campgrounds that are closed, but access to many of the trails that begin at those campgrounds are also shut down for the summer. 鈥淏ecause those areas are closed, it鈥檚 putting pressure on other areas that generally aren鈥檛 as crowded. I鈥檓 seeing a lot more destruction of wildflower paths and people parking where they shouldn鈥檛.鈥�

Cutting the camping options in half will make spending the night inside the park more difficult this summer. Fortunately, there are plenty of privately owned campgrounds outside of the park that you can turn to if your trip has been impacted by the closures. And Nantahala National Forest borders the park in North Carolina, offering inexpensive and less crowded camping on public land.

Check out the Nantahala鈥檚 , which has 42 tent sites tucked into the woods on the edge of Lake Fontana near Bryson City, North Carolina. They鈥檙e all first-come, first-serve ($20 per night) and will give you relatively quick access to the quieter North Carolina side of the park.

Or you can treat yourself to a weekend at , which is located on the Tennessee side of the park, roughly 20 minutes to the popular hikes and scenic drives near Gatlinburg. The safari-inspired glamping tents sit on 182 acres complete with a restaurant and live entertainment on weekends (from $179).

Fortunately, it鈥檚 relatively easy to ditch the crowds in America鈥檚 most popular national park as the majority of the visitors tend to stick to the corridor surrounding Newfound Gap Road, in the heart of the park. And Plakanis says that spreading out is more important this summer than ever before.

鈥淭here are 900 miles of trails inside the park, so you don鈥檛 have to be relegated to the newfound gap corridor,鈥� says Plakanis. 鈥淛ust make sure you鈥檙e prepared with a good map, layers, plenty of water, and tell someone where you鈥檙e going.鈥�

To avoid the crowds, head to the Lake Fontana Area, a 29-mile-long finger lake that forms part of the southern border at GSMNP. From there, you can hike a piece of the Lakeshore Trail, which follows the shore of the lake for 30 miles. Or hit one of my favorite hikes in the park, the seven-mile out and back to , which includes a beastly 2,500-foot climb but ends with an incredible view from that tower overlooking the park, the lake, and the Nantahala National Forest.

Arches National Park, Utah听

According to the park service鈥檚 annual statistics, visitation to Arches increased 74 percent between 2011 and 2021, when it hit a record 1.8 million visitors. It hasn鈥檛 slowed down much, attracting 1.4 million people in 2024. That popularity led the Park Service to implement a for all visitors, which they鈥檙e extending through 2025.

While the reservation system will be consistent and help manage crowds, staff cuts and delayed hirings have caused some changes to the visitor experience in Arches. First, the park is removing some trash cans and picnic tables from day use areas to reduce the need for maintenance, so plan on packing out whatever you pack into the park.

The biggest loss to visitors this summer is the closure of the area, a maze of slot canyons that can only be explored on a guided ranger hike or with a Self-Guided Exploration permit. As of now, because of staff limitations, the park is not offering guided hikes or individual permits, so the entire Fiery Furnace area is closed until further notice.

Arches has no extensive backcountry hikes (and no backpacking), so Fiery Furnace is traditionally a visitor鈥檚 best chance for ditching the crowds and exploring the landscape in solitude.

The next best option is the , which climbs steep, sandstone slabs and sand dunes while passing between tall fins on its way to Tower Arch. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of the La Sal Mountains through the opening of that sandstone bridge. It鈥檚 a tough 2.6-mile out and back hike, but the crowds stay away because of the required eight mile drive on a four-wheel drive only road to reach the remote Klondike Bluffs area of Arches.

Yosemite National Park, California听

Yosemite is the sixth most popular park in the system, with more than 4 million visitors last year. The park is also notorious for its traffic jams, as the majority of those visitors are funneled into Yosemite Valley via a few two-lane roads. The South Entrance to the park on Highway 41 is particularly slow, and park management tells visitors to expect up to a two-hour delay on weekends during the summer.

The crowds have resulted in park management implementing a temporary timed entry reservation system during the last few years. Park officials were planning to put a permanent reservation system in place in 2025, but the plan was scrapped by the Trump Administration. Instead, another temporary reservation system for spring and summer was just that includes mandatory reservations from June 16 to August 15 between 6 A.M. and 3 P.M., on weekends between 6 A.M. and 3 P.M. from May 24 to June 15, and from August 16 to August 31. Every park entrance but the Hatch Tetchy station will require reservations. However, the has not been activated on Yosemite National Park鈥檚 website at press time.

鈥淩equiring reservations is controversial because it throttles the amount of people coming through, but I鈥檓 a fan of it personally as a guide,鈥� says Gabriel Mann, owner of , which leads photography workshops, backpacking trips, and climbing adventures within the park. 鈥淗aving a governor on crowds makes a huge difference and gives visitors so much more room to breathe and take in the sights.鈥�

As to what visitors can expect once they鈥檙e inside the park? That鈥檚 still unclear as the seasonal hirings that park management depend on have been delayed by the Trump Administration. Yosemite also lost nine employees during the initial wave of firings. Oh, and Yosemite鈥檚 superintendent, Cicely Muldoon, retired in February. It鈥檚 already impacting the visitor experience, as Yosemite announced a in their reservation system for five of the park鈥檚 campgrounds (Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow).

Mann hopes visitors will step up to do their part to keep Yosemite running smoothly by packing their own trash out with them and helping to pick up trash they see in parking lots and along trails.

Fortunately, it鈥檚 not hard to avoid the crowds in Yosemite if you come prepared and bring a sense of adventure. 鈥淭he majority of visitors only see Yosemite Valley, and most of those visitors don鈥檛 go further than one mile on any trail,鈥� says Mann.

Instead of cruising for a parking spot in the valley, Mann suggests heading to higher elevations to explore Tuolumne Meadows, a subalpine meadow surrounded by the Sierra鈥檚 craggy, ice-capped peaks. A number of hikes traverse the area. is a full-day, 7-mile lollipop loop that leads you to a glacier-carved lake at the bottom of Unicorn Peak. The first mile is a climb, which helps reduce the crowds.

Tuolumne Meadows even has its own scenic drive, the 46-mile , which is only open from late May through October, passing through forests and meadows with views of granite domes and lakes. If you hit the meadows in the spring, you can expect snow on the trails even if Tioga Road is open. Being prepared and self-sufficient while exploring this area is key, especially during the staff shortage.

Zion National Park, Utah听

Zion National Park had 4.95 million visitors in 2024, earning the spot of the second-most visited national park in the country, edging out Grand Canyon National Park. Zion lost 11 employees in the first wave of layoffs, although it鈥檚 unclear how many of those have since been hired back. The park is currently planning to operate with a business as usual approach, with no disruption to facility hours, amenities, or ranger-led programs, but that鈥檚 largely because of the publicly-funded support system that supplements the management of the park.

鈥淶ion is unique in the fact that it has strong partnerships with nonprofits and private organizations that provide a ton of volunteers and funding that has helped float the park through the last couple of government shutdowns,鈥� says Xavier Velez, manager of , which provides guided adventures in and around the park.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean you won鈥檛 notice some hiccups this summer, particularly when it comes to entering the park. There is no timed entry reservation system at Zion, and this year, the popular pedestrian entrance is already seeing congestion because volunteers have taken over the staffing of that station and aren鈥檛 equipped to handle cash payments. Velez recommends buying your online before you get to the park to help streamline the process.

Crowds will continue to be an issue as Zion鈥檚 popularity grows, so visitors should expect lines at the entrance stations and other hikers on the trails. Xavier suggests looking just outside of the park if you want to ditch the crowds altogether. 鈥淭he national park covers a small portion of the greater Zion area. If you know where to go, you鈥檒l find landscapes that are just as stunning outside of the park with none of the crowds,鈥� he says.

Velez points people to the Water Canyon area on land outside the southern entrance of the park, which is packed with waterfalls, slot canyons, sandstone features, and views of the mesas. Water Canyon has a technical slot canyon that you could explore with a guide, but there is also a seven-mile that most could do on their own that follows a stream through the heart of a larger gorge complete with hoodoos, waterfalls, and domes.

Here are three more national parks that are impacted by the Trump Administration鈥檚 staffing cuts.

Pinnacles National Park, California听

Pinnacles, which is known for its rock spires and cave system, has cancelled all this summer.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico听

Carlsbad Caverns has suspended all until further notice. Visitors can still explore the cavern on their own.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado听

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is closing two of its three campgrounds (North Rim and East Portal Campgrounds) until . The South Rim Campground should open this spring, though no date has been determined yet.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 been covering adventure travel and national parks for more than 20 years and remembers when President Obama called for a massive increase in the national park budget. He recently wrote about the prettiest drives in our national parks.

The post How to Visit Crowded (and Underfunded) National Parks This Summer appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On Sunday, that the iconic Fiery Furnace hiking zone would be closed until further notice due to staffing shortages.

In February, the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired National Park employees and rescinded job offers for another 5,000 seasonal workers. Although the government reversed course on the temporary workers a few weeks later and a federal judge ordered the reinstatement of national park employees last week, most of those have been placed on paid leave, while national parks like Arches are still working to fill the temporary positions that manage day-to-day operations within park boundaries.

Best known for its towering sandstone slot canyons and semi-technical terrain, the Fiery Furnace garnered so much attention in the 1990s that park officials put a permitting system into place to ensure that no more than 75 people could enter the area per day.

In a normal year, Arches National Park receives nearly 2 million visitors. The park relies on seasonal employees to accommodate hikers and monitor the Fiery Furnace hike. However, both ranger-led programs and self-guided trips in the area are staff-intensive according to the park, which has left officials with no choice but to close the hike.

Karen Hanker, a spokesperson for Arches National Park told Backpacker that the park鈥檚 鈥渓imited team is doing visitor services, staffing the front desk, giving guided tours, etc.鈥�

Given the volume of visitation right now we鈥檙e at a level where if we don鈥檛 have our seasonal workers to help us manage the front desk and issue permits, we have to put our full time workers toward the basics,鈥� Hanker said. As a popular destination for spring break travelers, traffic starts to grow in March and April. Fiery Furnace generally opens on Presidents Day. Usually the park would offer permits at this time of the year, but without their usual team, there simply aren鈥檛 enough resources.

In addition to requiring more staff members to support permitting and ranger-led programs through Fiery Furnace, Hanker ,鈥淭here鈥檚 also the search and rescue component.鈥�

鈥淪hould something happen to someone in the Fiery Furnace, we would need to provide support,鈥� she aid. 鈥淩escues are incredibly staff intensive anywhere in the park, let alone a place as geologically complex as the Fiery Furnace.鈥�

The trail through Fiery Furnace takes hikers across slickrock and through canyons where it can be difficult to see a path. Without many conventional trail markers on the Fiery Furnace hike, it isn鈥檛 uncommon for visitors to become lost in the area. Staffing shortages not only make standard park operations challenging, but they also render officials unable to help in rescue situations, since a single rescue for a sprained ankle could require 10 employees.

The Fiery Furnace is also a beloved canyoneering area due to its technical terrain. It鈥檚 that same terrain that makes rescues in the area so complicated.

Even with federal orders are in place to reinstate employees across the NPS, many national parks face housing shortages, which can make the hiring process challenging even in normal times. With their future at the agency uncertain, some of those impacted by the layoffs have also acquired other jobs. (This week the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to to reinstate federal employees.)

鈥淥nce our seasonal staff are here and trained we look forward to resuming normal spring operations, including opening Fiery Furnace,鈥� Henker said. Officials aren鈥檛 yet sure when they鈥檒l be able to revert to normal operations.

With temperatures rising in the meantime, the park hopes that visitors will choose safe replacement activities.

鈥淲e appreciate [it] if folks can do their research about their plans and choose an activity that鈥檚 safe and appropriate for them. It can still get hot in spring, and with fewer folks to respond to calls it is important for visitors to look out for themselves and to avoid needing a rescue,鈥� Henker said.鈥�

Additional reporting by Frederick Dreier at 国产吃瓜黑料

The post One of Utah鈥檚 Most Popular National Park Hikes Closes Indefinitely Due to Staffing Shortage appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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 it鈥檚 the greatest sunrise in the world. I wouldn鈥檛 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 parks鈥攕tarting with Arches in 2022鈥攔esponded 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 you鈥檝e 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.

I鈥檓 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 we鈥檙e all going to have to get used to planning certain national park experiences well in advance.

Here鈥檚 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 year鈥檚 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 don鈥檛 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 park鈥檚 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 don鈥檛 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 Arches鈥� 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, you鈥檒l have a dedicated one-hour window to enter the park.

Backup Plan: You don鈥檛 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 can鈥檛 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 鈥渢he rest of the park,鈥� 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 鈥渢he rest of the park鈥� 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 鈥渞est of the park鈥� reservation window so narrow (9 A.M. to 2 P.M.) there鈥檚 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 Long鈥檚 Peak Trailhead for the 8.4-mile hike to Chasm Lake, a calm pool at the base of Long鈥檚 Peak where you鈥檒l see a picture perfect view of the mountain鈥檚 1,000-foot granite walls.

4. Zion National Park

You don鈥檛 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 . You鈥檒l 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 you鈥檒l 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 park鈥檚 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. You鈥檒l 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 isn鈥檛 the only summit inside Shenandoah. The 3,514-foot Mary鈥檚 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. 听

6. Haleakala National Park

You don鈥檛 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, you鈥檒l 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 don鈥檛 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.听

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 can鈥檛 compare the two, but it was gorgeous and we didn鈥檛 have to wake up at 2 A.M. to drive into the park. If you鈥檙e dead set on experiencing the sunrise but can鈥檛 get an advance reservation, consider booking a couple of nights in the Summit District鈥檚 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 can鈥檛 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 volcano鈥檚 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 hasn鈥檛 announced its plans for 2025 yet. But we do know that you鈥檒l 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 don鈥檛 want to see Horsetail Falls. We鈥檒l update this article with Yosemite鈥檚 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 you鈥檙e trying to get tickets for February 23, you can get reservations on February 21 at 8 A.M.. There鈥檚 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. There鈥檚 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: You鈥檒l need to score a reservation if you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain during the day time, but that鈥檚 not the only good view inside Acadia. Check out Great Head, a 145-foot tall summit with a dramatic view of Acadia鈥檚 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. We鈥檒l 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 can鈥檛 score a reservation, try entering the park before 7 A.M. or after 3 P.M. Also, visitors with camping, lodging, or wilderness permits don鈥檛 need a timed-entry reservation. Also, if you enter Sunrise Corridor on foot or bicycle, you don鈥檛 need a reservation. If you鈥檙e , 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 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 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 year鈥檚 (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.

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Utah is stacked when it comes to outdoor adventure. Not only does the state have some of the country鈥檚 most badass skiing and mountain biking, but it also boasts the nation鈥檚 third most national parks in any state, which include some of the world鈥檚 best hiking trails.

These protected meccas鈥�Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion, known as the Mighty Five鈥攃apture unique and stunning landscapes that represent the desert at its absolute finest, from striking sandstone arches to isolated slot canyons to lush oases. And over the years, I鈥檝e been fortunate enough to visit all of Utah鈥檚 national parks. Some, during my explorations as a nascent single dude traveling in a diesel VW Jetta with pink bumpers looking for adventure (true story), and others later in life with my wife and kids in tow.

Do I have a favorite? Absolutely. Arches. Wait, Bryce. Definitely Bryce. Or, actually Zion. Okay鈥� truth be told, I can鈥檛 pick one. They鈥檙e all breathtaking for different reasons, and for me, that鈥檚 an impossible task.

I did however pick my two favorite hikes in each park鈥攐ne for beginners and one for the more adventurous鈥攖hat you absolutely can鈥檛 miss when you go. Especially if you鈥檙e a first-timer to Utah鈥檚 national parks, consider these hiking trails the ultimate primer. And if you keep coming back as I do, maybe you鈥檒l discover which park you like best. (Good luck with that.)

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Arches National Park

As the name suggests, Arches is loaded with more than 2,000 rainbow-like curved sandstone features within its borders鈥攖he highest concentration of such outcroppings in the United States. You鈥檒l also find colorful cliffs, towering pinnacles, and balancing rocks that combine for a red rock landscape like no other.

Best Beginner Hike: Park Avenue

Yes, the national park is named Arches, but takes you through the center of towering cliffs and spires, so tall they鈥檙e reminiscent of New York City鈥檚 skyscrapers. It鈥檚 popular, and can get crowded, but it鈥檚 a must-do when you鈥檙e in Arches. The 2-mile out and back takes you through the middle of the park鈥檚 signature outcroppings, including Tower of Babel, a distinctive, freestanding fin that is part of the larger group of Courthouse Towers. (Some people shuttle themselves via two cars and make it a mile-long point to point.)

Best Advanced Hike: Primitive Loop Trail

The 7.9-mile , the park鈥檚 longest maintained trail, accesses a handful of distinctive sandstone features in the Devil鈥檚 Garden area and delivers the desert solitude you probably crave after navigating crowds at the park鈥檚 entrance. Its landscape-to-arches bang for buck, combined with the opportunity to ditch the masses, make this my favorite trail inside the park. Spur trails lead to Landscape Arch, which at 306-feet across, makes it the longest stone arch in North America. You鈥檒l also be able to see Double O Arch, Private Arch, and the weird Dark Angel, a black sandstone spike emerging from the sand.

Pro Tip: Arches now requires to enter the park (get them up to three months in advance) between April 1 and October 31. But show up after 4 P.M. and you can enter the park without advanced notice. Just bring a headlamp in case your hike goes longer than expected.

Canyonlands National Park

At 337,598 acres, Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, with three distinct regions; the day-hike-friendly Needles, Island in the Sky (which covers a plateau between the Colorado and Green Rivers), and the super remote Maze. The Needles has the most developed trails for hikers, as well as some of the park鈥檚 signature canyons and spires.

Best Beginner Hike: Mesa Arch

This .5-mile in the easy-to-access Island in the Sky District, delivers hikers to a 27-foot arch that鈥檚 perched on the edge of a cliff more than 1,000 feet above Buck Canyon. Peer through the arch and you can see some of Canyonland鈥檚 signature features, including the massive monoliths of Washer Woman and Monster Tower, as well as the La Sal Mountains beyond the park.

Best Advanced Hike: Chesler Park Loop

Hike some of the best scenery in The Needles District on this that delivers the slot canyons and arches most hikers come to the area to see. The tread is slickrock and sandy washes as you combine four trails (Elephant Hill, Druid Arch, Joint Trail, and Chesler Park), which will have you squeezing through boulders and scrambling through stone notches. Chesler Park itself is a circular valley surrounded by towering sandstone spires.

Pro Tips: First, try to time your visit to Mesa Arch for sunrise, when the red rock cliffs framed by the structure are set aglow by the emerging daylight. Second, there are no reliable water sources on the Chesler Loop hike, so make sure you bring plenty for a full day in the desert.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoos are a trip. These tall, stone spires look like huge versions of the drip castles you made as a kid on the beach, and Bryce Canyon National Park is full of them, as well as deep canyons, surprisingly lush forests, and elevations that top out at 9,100 feet.

Best Beginner Hike: The Rim Trail

The traces the edge of Bryce Canyon for 5.5 miles, connecting two popular overlooks, Bryce Point and Fairyland Point. A run by the park service hits multiple overlooks and access points along the Rim Trail, making it easy to treat this as a point-to-point, and there are three overlooks and trailheads along the way, so you can tailor the distance to your own ability. Do the whole thing and you鈥檒l only gain 200 feet of elevation, while the views into the canyon offer peeks of the park鈥檚 grandiose canyons and spires, including the appropriately-named Thor鈥檚 Hammer.

Best Advanced Hike: Under-the-Rim Trail

At 23 miles, you鈥檒l need at least a couple of days to complete this point-to-point highlight reel of Bryce Canyon. But you鈥檒l be glad you dedicated the extra time, as boasts serious backcountry goods, including views of towering orange cliffs, clusters of the park鈥檚 signature hoodoos, and even forests of ponderosa pines and aspens. It鈥檚 not an easy stroll as you鈥檒l gain 5,500 feet along the way, but primitive backcountry campsites enable you to break it up into a multi-day effort.

Pro Tip: Bryce has a free park shuttle, but it doesn鈥檛 access Rainbow Point Trailhead, so you鈥檒l need to hire a shuttle (, from $15 per person) or have two cars complete Under-the-Rim Trail, or if you鈥檙e planning to hike the entire Rim Trail.

Zion National Park

To say Zion protects a desert landscape would be too simple of a description. The 148,733-acre park actually encompasses an area where three distinct ecosystems, the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin come together. The result is terrain that鈥檚 rich with canyons, lush river valleys, and soaring peaks. It鈥檚 also one of the most popular national parks in the entire country, with five million visitors last year.

Best Beginner Hike: Emerald Pools Trail

There are three Emerald Pools in Zion, each of which is an actual oasis in the middle of the desert, located on different tiers of a stream, tucked into the base of a massive, sandstone amphitheater. The Lower Emerald Pool, which is actually a couple of separate pools fed by a small waterfall that tumbles over an alcove, is wheelchair accessible via a 1.2-mile . The Middle and Upper Emerald Pools are a little tougher to reach; a 2.5-mile loop accesses all three, but Upper is worth the effort, as the pool sits at the base of a massive sandstone wall. Show up in spring and all of the pools could be fed by seasonal waterfalls.

Best Advanced Hike: Orderville Canyon

Yes, The Narrows is the park鈥檚 most lauded hike, but offers a similar experience over more technical terrain that keeps the masses away. The first few miles are easy going, but as you descend deeper into Orderville, the canyon narrows and becomes a tangle of boulders you have to climb and repel over, interspersed with springs and waterfalls. It鈥檚 a 12-mile point to point through a lush playground that should take a full day, and you will need technical skills and gear to tackle it safely. You鈥檒l also need a ($10 per person). (If you鈥檙e not comfortable with canyoneering, hire a guide. Commercial guides can鈥檛 lead you through canyons inside the national park, but they can take you through similar canyons outside of the park鈥檚 boundaries.)

Pro Tip: Zion has a that begins at the Visitor Center and delivers you to popular trailheads, but you need to show up early to get a parking spot. During summer, the first shuttle leaves the Visitor Center at 6 A.M. Be on it.

Capitol Reef National Park

Natural arches and bridges, singular rock pillars, canyons鈥� the 241,904-acre Capitol Reef is home to all of the highlights you鈥檇 expect from a national park in the desert of Utah. All of these features are a result of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long 鈥渨rinkle鈥� in the earth鈥檚 crust made by an uplift of an underlying fault about 15 million years ago, which caused massive cliffs to rise and eventually erode into domes, towers, canyons, arches, and monoliths that are found throughout this park. Cool, right?

Best Beginner Hike: Grand Wash

gives you a taste of the narrow canyons that people go ape over, but via a flat hike that鈥檚 easy to follow and super family friendly. The entire hike is a 4.4-mile out and back, but if you start on the Highway 24 trailhead, you enter the canyon early, with 200-foot vertical rock walls on either side of you, and can turn back when you鈥檝e seen enough. After hiking a half mile over sandy terrain, the canyon begins to shrink and soon you鈥檒l hit the narrows, which has slot canyon vibes without getting so tight it causes claustrophobia (the walls are about 20-feet apart at their slimmest point). The tan, sandstone walls are pockmarked with holes and small caves, and even offer shade in the morning and late afternoon.

Best Advanced Hike: Sheets Gulch Slot Canyon

Capitol Reef has a bevy of canyons to explore, but might be the best non-technical option. There鈥檚 no official trail through the narrow gorge, which can be found 12.7 miles south of Highway 24 on the paved Notom-Bullfrog Road, but the occasional cairn and obvious route through narrow, sandstone walls make this journey relatively straightforward to navigate. (Bring a map, regardless.) While you won鈥檛 need ropes, you鈥檒l need to muscle up and over several chockstones and wade through the occasional pool to keep moving forward, but that鈥檚 half the fun. It鈥檚 a 9-mile point to point, but most hikers turn around when the canyon begins to open back up, roughly 6.5 miles from the trailhead, making it a long, 13-mile all-day adventure.

Pro Tip: Bring a 4WD rig. The hikes I mention here are accessible via paved roads, but if you have a high clearance, 4WD vehicle, the entire backcountry of Capitol Reef becomes your oyster, and you鈥檒l have options for free, primitive camping and an easier time getting into the remote Cathedral Valley鈥攁 backcountry district of the park where you can find a cluster of sandstone monoliths.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 fresh off of a trip to Utah, where he was able to hike portions of Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. He also just survived Hurricane Helene at his home in Asheville, North Carolina and wrote about it, and ranked the best national parks in the nation for fall foliage.

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A couple years ago, my husband, Dan, and I were trying to figure out what to do for Thanksgiving. Go to my mom鈥檚 house, an hour away, for dinner? Fly back east to visit his family for a few days? Invite friends over for a Friendsgiving feast? Every option sounded stressful. 鈥淲hat if we just ditched all that and went camping somewhere warm instead?鈥� I offered.

The idea of enjoying the holiday outside, instead of spending it indoors cooking and making small talk with distant relatives, sounded appealing. So that鈥檚 exactly what we did.

It鈥檚 not that I hate turkey and mashed potatoes. Or that I don鈥檛 like my extended family. But camping with my kids is the best quality family time we have. And, as we quickly learned, the long Thanksgiving weekend is an ideal time to enjoy incredible U.S. campgrounds without throngs of people. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e given up the notion of a traditional Thanksgiving鈥攁nd all the emotional and literal baggage that goes along with it鈥攁nd spend the holiday camping instead.

That first year, we drove our camper van from our home in Tahoe City, California, down to the sleepy central coast and , 15 miles west of San Luis Obispo. At 8,000 acres, Monta帽a de Oro is one of California鈥檚 largest state parks, with over and mountain biking as well as a picturesque beach that鈥檚 walking distance from the campground and seven miles of shoreline. In the summer months, the park鈥檚 47 campsites book up quickly, but in November, it鈥檚 relatively easy to score a site.

On Thanksgiving day, we spent the morning surfing mellow waves at Cayucos Beach and the afternoon hiking the four-mile Bluff Trail, accessed right from our campsite. We bought crab cakes from a local fish shop and green beans and squash from a roadside farm stand, so dinner was easy and delicious. I made a caramel-banana pie (from a recipe I tore out of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine) in a cast-iron pan over the fire. That evening, we FaceTimed our families from the picnic table, and they were thrilled to see us having a good time. Nobody鈥檚 feelings were hurt that we weren鈥檛 there.

Later that night, some kids at the site next to ours started kicking the soccer ball around and invited our two to join. Suddenly, we had friendly neighbors. They were the Petersens from a town not far away, and they go camping every Thanksgiving. They鈥檇 roasted a turkey all day in their Dutch oven over the campfire, while a second cast-iron pot was filled with potatoes and stuffing. (I took notes for my next Thanksgiving camp menu.) They welcomed us over for dessert, so we brought our pie and sat around the fire chatting amiably.

Our first Campsgiving was a success.

Last year we decided to camp with friends in Moab, Utah, over the holiday weekend. Arches National Park was surprisingly quiet鈥攖rails were empty once you got away from the parking lot鈥攁nd we had the slot canyons of the all to ourselves. (I reserved self-guided tickets for the Fiery Furnace for the four of us one week in advance.)

Finding an empty first-come, first-served campsite in , nine miles south of the park鈥檚 visitor center and close to the town of Moab, was easy. We just drove around until we spotted one we liked that was empty. Temperatures got down into the thirties at night, but it was nothing that s鈥檓ores around the campfire, a down jacket, and a flask of whiskey couldn鈥檛 fix.

This Thanksgiving, we’re again camping on California鈥檚 central coast, and guess who we鈥檙e camping next to? Yep, our new friends, the Petersens. They鈥檙e bringing the Dutch oven and the soccer ball; we鈥檙e bringing the pie. It鈥檚 going to be great.

Tips to Having an Equally Wonderful Campsgiving

Thanksgiving shouldn鈥檛 be something you dread. In a , 85 percent of those surveyed said they鈥檝e lied or come up with an excuse to get out of attending a family holiday. And in 2023, the American Psychological Association that 38 percent of people are more stressed during the holidays (only 8 percent of respondents said they felt happier). Why are we doing this to ourselves? My advice is to go pitch a tent in nature somewhere instead.

Here are a few things I鈥檝e contemplated when planning our family鈥檚 annual late-November camping trip.

Consider the Weather

Camping this time of year can mean you鈥檙e in for cold temperatures and variable weather, depending where you鈥檙e headed. If this doesn鈥檛 sound appealing, head south to warmer climes or rent a camper van or an RV so you have an indoor option if a storm rolls in.

is a great place to start for peer-to-peer camper-van or RV rentals, or check out for high-end Sprinter vans, with pick-up locations across the country. Usually, you can get better rates on these rentals during the colder seasons, too.

Book a Campsite in Advance

Campsite availability in late November is pretty wide-open鈥攊t鈥檚 much easier to book a popular site now than during the summer. That said, it鈥檚 still wise to make a reservation ahead of time if you鈥檙e headed to an in-demand spot.

Also keep in mind that many campgrounds close for the winter, so be sure to check that your campsite of choice is open before you get on the road. is the booking site for national park campgrounds, while sites like , , and are good resources for finding public and private campgrounds. I like for occasions when we鈥檙e looking for dispersed campsites on public lands.

Set the Scene

You can make a campsite festive with a few thoughtful additions. A tablecloth and picnic blankets draped over the benches can be a nice touch. Your holiday centerpiece can be pine cones or driftwood collected from around camp.

Remember that it gets dark early in November, so pack headlamps, solar-powered string lights, or LED lanterns to brighten up your campsite. I like these to hang from tree to tree and this rechargeable to set on the table.

Cook a Memorable Campfire Feast

There are no rules about what to whip up over your Thanksgiving camp stove. Anything goes. But you might keep it simple to maximize your day outdoors exploring.

I like to prep meals at home before we leave. These turkey meatballs are easy to make both at camp or ahead of time, and here鈥檚 a one-pot stuffing bowl that鈥檚 a cinch to put together. You could cook soup or chili at home and reheat it over the fire or stove. Or a box of pasta or mac and cheese and some tinned fish will get the job done, too.

Dessert can be marshmallows on a stick, or if you want to get fancy, check out these camp-friendly recipes for sweet potato pie听and apple crisp.

Finally, for a festive fall cocktail, I like this cranberry spritz (make the cranberry simple syrup in the recipe at home in advance).

Megan Michelson is an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing editor. S鈥檓ores are one of her favorite foods.听

The post I鈥檒l Pass on Thanksgiving. Give Me a Camping Trip Instead. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In my early 20s, I zigzagged across Europe by train. Fresh out of college and pinching pennies on a month-long backpacking trip in Italy and Switzerland, I went by overnight rail, combining the cost of a room with travel to wake up in a new country each morning. It was amazing.

Traveling long distance by train is on the rise again, as adventurers look for an eco-friendly and engaging alternative to flying. In Western Europe, night trains are seeing a post-Covid resurgence, with the new Nightjet network connecting major cities. Here in the United States, Amtrak has purchased 125 new diesel-electric locomotives, most for long-distance use. In the past several years, the company spent $580 million in station upgrades and put $28 million toward upgrading its overnight railcars鈥� seating, lighting, tables, and bedding, as well as reintroducing dining cars after a pandemic-forced hiatus.

Going by train isn鈥檛 about getting somewhere fast, or cheaply either: Amtrak and other operators in the U.S. and Canada can鈥檛 compete with the budget airlines. But train travel is more eco-friendly than flying, especially with the new diesel-electric locomotives. Trains, writes Andres Eskenazi of the , 鈥減ollute much less than airplanes, sometimes by as much as 73 percent, and they are more easily electrified than planes.鈥�

You can customize a train trip with layover days in any stop along the route, to explore an interim park or town. (Arrange the stops upfront when you book.)

Traveling by train听is fun and relaxing; you can read a book, stare out the window, walk around, play cards, or see a film. Just ask Hartwell Carson, who has ridden the rails with his daughter, 13-year-old Evan, multiple times since she was eight.

鈥淚t鈥檚 everything that is great about traveling,鈥� Carson says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e forced to slow down and spend quality time with your companions. My daughter and I read books, drew pictures, and went to the dining car. There is nowhere to go, so you slowly watch the landscape change. It takes you back to a time when the journey was as important as the destination.鈥�

We鈥檙e all about that. So here are six of the most scenic rail journeys in North America, and great things to do along the way, including in our national parks. (Note that costs given are for one-way trips.)

1. The Vermonter

The Route: Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, Vermont
Duration: 611 miles, 13 hours

Want variety? How about a train that travels through nine states, some of the largest cities in the country, lush farming valleys, and rugged mountains? The connects Washington, D.C., with the villages of Vermont right up to the Canadian border, and stops in Philadelphia and New York City along the way. The trip begins among towering skyscrapers, but once you pass New York City, you hit the estuary of Long Island Sound, with its islands and tall seagrass and the occasional lighthouse. Next come the hills and vineyards of the Hudson River Valley. As you reach New England proper, the scenery cedes to a mix of quaint villages (all those steeples), dense hardwood forests, and the lush Green Mountains of Vermont. The final stop is St. Albans, near Lake Champlain and the Canadian border, but you can end your journey anywhere.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Stop at the Waterbury-Stowe station, which is within walking distance of historic downtown Waterbury, a lovely place to stay the night. Stowe, home of the massive ski resort of the same name, is 10 miles away and reachable by bus or bike. Bring your skis in winter or your bike in summer (if a bike is under 50 pounds, with tires under 2鈥�, you can carry it on, but check bigger bikes at $20 per rig). The Stowe Recreation Path is five miles long, connecting various trail systems and more than 50 miles of singletrack from town. Check out the nearby , and opt for the super flowy .

The Fares: This isn鈥檛 an overnight route, so there are no sleeper cars. Choose coach (from $81) or go for business class (from $253), with its increased leg room and free non-alcoholic drinks. Amtrak鈥檚 Caf茅 has breakfast sandwiches, burgers, salads, and snacks. The food is tasty but pricey. Regular travelers may want to bring your own.

2. The Coast Starlight

The Route: Los Angeles to Seattle
Duration: 1377 miles, 35 hours

If Amtrak has a superstar route, it鈥檚 the , which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle along the western edge of the United States, hitting Portland, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. The train runs daily in both directions, with many adventure-prime stops along the way. If you begin in L.A. and travel north, the journey starts among the rocky outcroppings and farms of the San Fernando Valley before hugging the coast with its constant breakers and tall, rocky bluffs. You sleep through Northern California, and the next day gaze out on the dense evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest and views of the Cascade Mountain Range, including鈥攊f you wake up early enough鈥擟alifornia’s Mount Shasta, as seen from Oregon.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Just north of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo is the first stop after the train leaves L.A. (or, if you鈥檙e traveling south, the last stop before L.A.), and an ideal spot for a surf break. (Again, schedule any stops ahead of time). There鈥檚 no shortage of rental shops, but you can check your own surfboard on the Coast Starlight for just $10. Pismo Beach, 13 miles west and accessible from the station by an hourly bus, has one of the most consistent breaks on California鈥檚 Central Coast. The Pismo Beach Pier attracts the most surfers, and hosts a steady clip of contests, but there are several miles of quieter stretches to explore. Pismo鈥檚 sloping beach also means a softer wave鈥攂etter for beginner surfers鈥攖han those at some other California places.

The Fares: You can get coach tickets (from $100) or private sleeper cars (from $674). It’s a one-night trip, so you could save some money by roughing it in a seat just for the night. All passengers may use the observation car, with its glass dome ceiling.

3. The Canadian

The Route: Toronto to Vancouver
Duration: 2,775 miles, four days, four nights

VIA Rail, Canada鈥檚 national rail service, operates a number of incredibly scenic train routes throughout the country (you can take a train to Churchill, the polar-bear capital of the world), but the is the crown jewel, sampling diverse landscapes from Toronto to Vancouver. The first two days of the trip pass through eastern Canada, known as 鈥渢he Great Canadian Shield,鈥� a sparsely populated area loaded with thousands of natural lakes and forests full of spruce and pine. East of Winnipeg, the terrain shifts to vast prairie for a day before hitting the jagged, ice-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies and crossing the Athabasca River amid a dense fir forest. In Jasper National Park, you’ll see the blocky-topped 7,500-foot Roche Miette mountain on the horizon, as well as Mount Yellowhead, Mount Robinson, and Pyramid Falls. Make your way early to one of the glass-dome viewing cars to get a spot.

The train runs twice a week, hitting the towns of Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Jasper. The regularly scheduled stops are short (only a couple of hours at each town), but you can arrange for a multi-day itinerary through VIA Rail.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The town of Kamloops sits in the Thompson River Valley, known for its sandstone canyons, rolling hills, and a vast , comprised of both the largest municipal bike park in North America (the Bike Ranch) and lift-served downhill trails at Harper Mountain, a ski and snowboard resort. The trails are fast, flowy, and technical. Start with the Bike Ranch, which has a mix of downhill trails, a massive jump park, and a few intermediate and beginner lines for good measure.

The Fares: Prices for the full trip start at $514 for economy class, but you鈥檒l be sleeping in a reclining seat and eating from a take-out counter. The Sleeper Plus fare (from $1,387) gets you a private cabin, access to the dining car, and community showers. Splurge for the Prestige class (from $6,261) and you get your own shower as well as a concierge, who changes your bedding and helps you with any requests during the trip.

4. The Denali Star

The Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks
Duration: 356 miles, 12 hours

Alaska Railroad operates a handful of train routes throughout the Last Frontier, but the is the flagship, running daily during the summer (May 9 to September 19), connecting Alaska鈥檚 two biggest cities and hitting Denali National Park along the way. The scenery couldn鈥檛 get more Alaskan: the train crosses the Knik River, which forms a broad valley full of alpine meadows that stretch to the bases of glaciers and the Chugach Mountains, then picks up views of Denali above the Susitna River before dipping into the roadless backcountry, where you look out on the Alaska Range and Healy Canyon. The route stops for 30 minutes at Denali National Park and Talkeetna, but if you really want time to explore around the tallest mountain in the U.S., turn this into a multi-day trip with overnights along the way.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Sure, you might want to climb the 20,310-foot mountain for which Denali National Park is named, but that adventure isn鈥檛 for everyone, especially on a whim during a train trip. Instead, you can hike up 4,400-foot Sugarloaf Mountain. The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail begins behind the Grande Denali Lodge and ascends 2,700 feet in two miles to the above-tree line summit with views of Mount Fellows and Mount Dora, two peaks in the Alaska Range. You could also sign up for a , a full-day adventure led by a park ranger. The location changes daily, but a Discovery Hike day is typically eight to ten hours and includes off-trail trekking.

The Fare: Choose from 国产吃瓜黑料 class (from $215) and Goldstar class (from $432). If you opt for Goldstar, you ride in glass-dome cars and have access to an outdoor viewing platform. The price also includes meals in the dining car and two free cocktails per day.

5. Rocky Mountaineer: Rockies to the Red Rocks

The Route: Denver to Moab
Duration: 375 miles, two days with an overnight in Glenwood Springs

Amtrak isn鈥檛 the only company running trains in the U.S. The Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train service formerly used for scenic routes through the Canadian Rockies, debuted its first U.S.-based trip in 2022. The connects Moab with Denver in a two-day journey along the Colorado River, passing remote, roadless canyons only visible from the train. You see the 25-mile-long Ruby Canyon, winding through towering sandstone cliffs on the Utah-Colorado border, and watch the lights flicker off the rock walls in the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel as the train cuts through the Continental Divide. The trip takes two days, but instead of offering sleeper cars, the Rockies to Red Rocks puts you in a two- to three-star hotel (the specific hotels change) within walking distance of the Glenwood Springs station. On board, you receive a three-course breakfast and lunch each day.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: You鈥檙e staying over in Glenwood Springs, so soak in one of the town鈥檚 developed hot springs; Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has a big lap- and crowd-sized pool kept at 90-93 degrees, and a smaller pool that stays at 104 degrees (day passes start at $32). Iron Mountain Hot Springs has 16 geothermal pools of varying temperatures (passes start at $40). Further, in Moab, Arches National Park is a must. Hike to Landscape Arch, at 306 feet the longest natural arch in the country, on the 7.6-mile . This trail is a gem even among great hikes in our national parks.

The Fares: Prices start at $1599 per person, and include on-board meals and your hotel room in Glenwood.

6. The Empire Builder

Route: Chicago to Seattle
Duration: 2,206 miles, 48 hours

Think two full days on a train is too much? Not when you鈥檙e traveling through eight different states, tracing the U.S./Canadian border, and hitting Glacier National Park. The begins with views of Chicago鈥檚 skyline, and then crosses the Mississippi River, which is surprisingly wide (several hundred feet) even though you鈥檙e close to the headwaters. You鈥檒l see the bright lights of Minneapolis and St. Paul, enter the Great Plains at night, and wake up in North Dakota looking out on pastures of wheat shimmering gold in the sun. Make sure to be in the glass-domed lounge car as you approach Glacier National Park, the train winding along the Flathead River with views of snowfields clinging to the steep granite peaks of the Lewis Ranges. Before the final destination of Seattle, you can detour into Spokane and head south into Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge, where you鈥檒l get views of Mount Hood.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The climax of this trip is Glacier National Park. If you time a spring trip perfectly, you can pedal Going-to-the-Sun Road after it鈥檚 plowed but before it opens to vehicles. offers rental bikes and shuttles to the start of the ride (from $45). Your other best bet is to hike. Check out the 10.6-mile out and back , which passes waterfalls and backcountry lakes before delivering you to the glacier of that name, one of the few in the park you can actually walk across.

The Fares: This train has a number of options. Coach (from $160) will get you a doss in a reclining chair, while First Class fares with private rooms start at $979 and include all meals on board and access to the lounge and communal showers. For $3,405, the First Class Superliner Bedroom Suite includes a full bedroom with its own bathroom. Amtrak also offers a comprehensive, 10-day package deal ($3499 per person) with multiple days in Chicago, Glacier, and Seattle, and activities and lodging planned for you.

Onboard with all of that? Pick your route, plan your stops, and ride the rails to adventure.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He loves the idea of being able to drink a beer, eat snacks, and play poker while traveling from point A to point B.

For more by the same author, see:

The 10 Best Backpacking Trails in Our National Parks

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines鈥攁nd 国产吃瓜黑料 Locales They Go To

The post The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As someone who鈥檚 visited all 63 national parks and counting, I鈥檝e 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 Glacier鈥搚ou name it, I鈥檝e 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 country鈥檚 national parks are reaching a tipping point, in terms of visitation. Something needs to change, if we鈥檙e 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 鈥淧eak Hours Plus鈥� 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. 鈥淲e applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences,鈥� Cassidy Jones, Senior Visitation Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, She cited at Arches and Glacier as proving that 鈥渞eservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors.鈥�

*Since this article was published on January 2, Mount Rainier National Park has implemented a new timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park鈥檚 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

鈥� For the first time ever, Mount Rainier will implement a pilot timed-entry reservation system for vehicles entering the park鈥檚 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.
鈥� 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.
鈥� 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.
鈥� 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.
鈥� In the area and don鈥檛 have an entry permit? Brave the bumpy road to the park鈥檚 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 you鈥檙e 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 you鈥檙e 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 鈥渞est of the park鈥� 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 鈥渓ow effort, high reward鈥� 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 鈥淧eak Hours Plus鈥� 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 鈥淔irefall鈥� 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 can鈥檛 score a sunrise permit, don鈥檛 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 park鈥檚 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 byway鈥揝unrise and Daytime鈥搘ith 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 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 award-winning travel coverage? .

Emily Pennington is a journalist specializing in the national parks, a longtime 国产吃瓜黑料 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 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Visitors come from across the globe to set foot in our national parks. But some people are simply unimpressed.

The internet gives these people a place to air their grievances. Some now-classic bad national park reviews have made their way further, into illustrations, T-shirts, and needlepoints. 鈥淭here are bugs, and they will bite you on your face,鈥� they say. Or, 鈥淭rees block view and there are too many gray rocks.鈥� 鈥淭he water is ice-cold,鈥� someone griped about Acadia National Park in Maine, making it onto a poster made by , which documents bad reviews.

The complaints keep coming. I searched Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google for the best and worst reviews of our national parks in 2023. To be fair, most of the complaints were about excessive crowds, traffic jams, and new reservation systems. But some visitors had, uh, more nuanced grudges regarding lackluster scenery or were shocked by the lack of amenities. Here are my favorites.

1. Yosemite National Park, California

In California鈥檚 Sierra Nevada, Yosemite offers giant granite monoliths, waterfalls, and Sequoia trees up to 3,000 years old. But not everyone sees the beauty.

鈥淩eally annoying that it is the same way in and same way out. Scenery is not breathtaking.鈥� 鈥�TripAdvisor

鈥淚 need someone to explain to me the hype of this place. This place looks like any place with mountains and trees. Too many people, not enough stores, not enough places to buy food.鈥� 鈥擸elp

2. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

On Hawaii鈥檚 Big Island, this park stretches from sea level to 13,680 feet, boasting two of the world鈥檚 most active volcanoes. It is not known for its racquet sports, though.

鈥淎bsolutely horrible disappointment. There wasn’t a single pickleball court in sight. You’d think with it鈥檚 [sic] extreme length of 2.93 mi (4.72 km), an extreme width of 1.95 mi (3.14 km), a circumference of 7.85 mi (12.63 km) and an area of 4.14 sq mi (10.7 km2) they’d find some space for one.鈥濃��Yelp

3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Straddling two states, GSMNP is 500,000 acres of towering mountains, remote streams, and the most biodiverse wilderness in America. That doesn鈥檛 keep the young 鈥檜ns from doing their thing.

鈥淪ome falls/streams had nothing but toddlers peeing & pooing in the water.鈥濃��TripAdvisor

鈥淐an’t say this is one of my fave national parks. No bear sightings but that’s not the park鈥檚 fault. 鈥� [T]he haziness of it gave me huge headaches.鈥� 鈥�TripAdvisor

4. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion offers towering sandstone cliffs and some of the most famous slot canyons in the world. But if you鈥檝e seen one, you鈥檝e seen 鈥檈m all.

鈥淭he mountains are beautiful, but most of the different formations looked redundant to my untrained eye, so I didn鈥檛 see the value in trying to hike around all of them.鈥�鈥擳谤颈辫础诲惫颈蝉辞谤

鈥淣oxious weeds everywhere.鈥� 鈥�Yelp

5. Glacier National Park, Montana

Originally dubbed 鈥渢he place where there is a lot of ice鈥� by the native Kootenai, Glacier contained 80 glaciers in 1850. Today there are fewer than 30. Yes, sad.

鈥淲here are the glaciers? It was disappointing to stand at lookouts with glaciers in the distance and signage showing glaciers 50 years ago near where I was standing.鈥濃��Yelp

6. Arches National Park, Utah

This park holds the largest concentration of sandstone arches in the country, along with countless towering cliffs and towers. But the park鈥檚 new timed entry process really annoyed this visitor.

鈥淚t’s bad enough every time I turn around the government is bending me over, but having to pay a $2 timed entry to a national park is ridiculous even if we have a yearly pass. Government sucks balls. I hate every last one of you.鈥濃��Yelp

7. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah is known for its lush forests and rocky peaks as well as hosting a long section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail. The shrubs are also pretty cool, I guess.

鈥淚t was a mountainous area with trees, and some nice shrubbery [sic], but unfortunately it wasn鈥檛 that entertaining. Underwhelming.鈥澨�鈥擳谤颈辫础诲惫颈蝉辞谤

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

The tallest dunes in North America sit at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. That didn’t impress this reviewer.听听

鈥淚t’s $25 to get in and it’s basically just a lot of sand. There are not a lot of amenities or other things to do. You can basically walk up the sand dunes and use boogie boards or sleds to spice it up a little. 鈥� I just didn’t feel like it was really worth the long drive and money to see a bunch of sand. 鈥�TripAdvisor

9. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Death Valley is the lowest point in the United States, below sea level and characterized by a vast salt basin, deep canyons, and historic ghost towns. The wildlife can be rude at times.

鈥淚t was boring, a ghost town really. I was charged 23 dollars a night just to be harassed by snake while walking around.鈥� 鈥�Yelp

10. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

America鈥檚 first national park, Yellowstone might be the most dramatic and unusual landscape in the country鈥揳 place where the water boils and shoots straight up into the air at regular intervals. But the geysers aren’t for everyone.

鈥淚 was excited before I got there, but it wasn鈥檛 at all what I expected鈥 saw a picture of it, but it was taken by a drone and when I looked at Yellowstone from up close I had no idea what was there at all with the steam and angles. 鈥�Google

鈥淭he whole place smelled like farts.鈥� 鈥�Google

11. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

The 3.3-million acre Glacier Bay is a frozen wonderland where the sea meets the ice in a tangle of fjords, glaciers, and snow-capped peaks. Is it any better than what you’d find in your Frigidaire?

鈥淚t鈥檚 like some ice cubes got scattered on a hill.鈥� 鈥�Google Maps

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He loves pickleball, but has never left a bad review because a national park didn鈥檛 have courts.

For more by this author, see:

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

Spooky Tales from Haunted National Parks

The Best Budget Airlines鈥攁nd 国产吃瓜黑料 Locales They Go To

The post The Worst National Park Reviews of the Year appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn鈥檛 it be something to stay there?We do, too鈥攁ll the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

In late November, I ran a 50K trail race in Moab, Utah. I planned to spend most of the week posted up with my family in a campsite on the outskirts of town, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted a nice shower and a comfortable bed before and after the event.

Which is how I ended up staying the weekend at , the coolest new hotel in this popular adventure town. The property opened in April on a 2.6-acre lot just north of downtown with 139 rooms and seven sites for van campers who want access to amenities like Wi-Fi, showers, and the outdoor hot tub and pool. Owned by the same group that runs AutoCamp (a national chain of Airstream glamping resorts),听Field Station Moab was the perfect base camp for a tired runner like myself.

Completely redesigned with a minimalist, industrial feel, not to mention a welcoming, easygoing vibe, this is a place where you can walk through the bustling lobby and grab an espresso in muddy bike shorts without getting any stares. In fact, the lobby itself resembles more of a chic outdoor gear shop than a hotel, with local topo maps spread across tables, shelves stocked with guidebooks, and a store where you can pick up energy bars, a reusable water bottle, or a rain jacket in case you forgot your own.

When I checked in, the friendly woman behind the counter was wearing a name tag that read, 鈥淎sk me about skydiving,鈥� and she immediately greeted my dog with a treat. We were able to bring our mountain bikes right into our room鈥攁 nice feature for security鈥攁nd she pointed us toward the bike-tuning station out back if we needed it. A gear-rental closet has loaner daypacks, children鈥檚 backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags, as well as a luggage room to store your stay-put belongings if you鈥檙e headed into the backcountry for a few days.

Accommodations are simple but thoughtful, appointed with quiet nods to the outdoors, such as sporty coolers instead of fridges, bite-size energy bars left on your bedside table, and climbing rope looped through the roll of toilet paper. After running 30 miles, I soaked my sore legs in the hot tub and struck up a conservation with another guest, a woman who had spent the day mountain biking for the first time ever. In that moment, Field Station felt like exactly what an outdoorsy hotel should be: a community gathering place to swap stories about your adventures. Instead of hanging out in our room, I found myself drawn to the outdoor fire pit to enjoy a post-race beer, and the next morning, I lingered over coffee and a breakfast sandwich in the lobby鈥檚 comfy seating area. If you like the concept here, Field Station is scheduled to open a second outpost in Joshua Tree, California, in May.

国产吃瓜黑料 Intel

Moab has an endless array of options for outdoor adventures, from canyoneering to rafting. It鈥檚 a mountain-biking and rock-climbing mecca and the gateway for exploring nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I came to Moab mostly to trail-run and mountain-bike, but I did spend time wandering around Arches with my kids.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to do one thing in Arches National Park, go to the ,鈥� Stephen Wojciechowski, Field Station鈥檚 assistant general manager, told me. 鈥淓veryone who goes into Arches wants to go to Delicate Arch, the busiest spot in the park, but there鈥檚 a lot more to see.鈥�

I took Wojciechowski鈥檚 advice and got a to visit the Fiery Furnace, a maze of deep canyons with steep walls and hidden arches, and it was my kids鈥� favorite activity of the week. (During the busier season, you can also reserve a two-hour ranger-led hike; both it and self-guided permits are available up to seven days in advance.)

Wojciechowski also recommended exploring Arches鈥� , at the end of the park road, walking the Primitive Trail in a clockwise loop. 鈥淵ou can do up to eight miles of hiking and see up to ten arches,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat gives you a perfect afternoon in the park.鈥�

You can spot arches outside the national park, too. Wojciechowski likes the three-mile round-trip hike to , west of Moab, which we did. It was both dog- and family-friendly. My kids scrambled up a metal ladder while gawking at the amazing view of the arch.

Fascinated by ancient petroglyphs? For a history lesson, we headed up Kane Springs Road and stopped by what鈥檚 called the , an accessible boulder with petroglyphs on all sides that鈥檚 thought to be sketched by Ancestral Puebloans and Native Ute Tribes more than 800 years ago.

The mountain biking in Moab is incredible in its vastness, offering a wide range of technical rides and more flowy singletrack. I rode the relatively new Trail twice, and with my kids I pedaled a section of the and a loop of the . If you want a guide, Bighorn Mountain Biking leads private guided rides of varying lengths in Dead Horse State Park, or you can book a lift with Hazard County Shuttle to the start of downhill trails like the new or the classic .

Choice Room

At Field Station, my husband and I opted for a spacious group-friendly room with two queen beds and bunk beds for our two kids. If you don鈥檛 need much space, standard rooms with a queen bed or two are also available. And starting this fall, Field Station is debuting select rooms with king-size beds designed with built-in portaledges, so you can get a feel for how big-wall climbers sleep.

Eat and Drink

Field Station Moab has a convenient grab-and-go caf茅 in the lobby, with breakfast pastries, coffee, smoothies, and snacks. Otherwise, is just up the road and offers an extensive burger menu, which is where we ate our first night in town. After the race, I refueled on tacos at the , and later in the week, we had lunch on the 鈥檚 outdoor patio. Sit-down breakfast at is hard to beat. Woody鈥檚 Tavern is a legendary dive bar with live music, and about once a month or so, local scientists show up to share their insight on anything from mosquitos to climate change during a series called .

When to Go

Spring and fall are busy in Moab, as visitors tend to avoid the scorching heat of midsummer. If you plan to visit Arches National Park during peak season, from April to October, you鈥檒l need to reserve a time-stamped entry ahead of time. Better yet, come in the off-season, from November through March, and you鈥檒l be treated to smaller crowds and more room to roam. Winters here are mild in terms of weather and snowfall, but temperatures can get chilly; expect averages in the forties in December and January.

How to Get There

Most travelers fly into Salt Lake City, then drive four hours south to Moab. Field Station is located a mile and a half north of downtown. Hotel staff can help book you a seat on one of the mountain-bike shuttles to the popular area trails, but most likely you鈥檒l need a car to get around to various locales.

Don鈥檛 Miss

Watching the sun set at is a Moab highlight. This lesser-known state park has plenty of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and fewer visitors than the nearby national parks. Another worthy mention is Back of Beyond Books on Main Street; it鈥檚 just the place to pick up a travel-inspiring novel and browse its impressive collection devoted to local history and quirkier aspects of the outdoors.

Details

To Book:

Price: Rooms from $159; van sites $29

Address: 889 N Main St.
Moab, UT 84532

Megan Michelson is an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing editor and avid traveler who鈥檚 originally from a small town in Northern California. She loves visiting desert landscapes in the Southwest because they are so different than the environment she鈥檚 used to, and because the sunsets are so much more colorful.听

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Under a midday sun, when the mercury rises above 100 degrees, a person can begin to suffer from heat-related illness in just a few minutes. With most of the southern United States鈥攁nd now the Pacific Northwest鈥攂aking under two months of unrelenting heat, this summer has been deadly for hikers, even on well-traveled terrain.

Among the most recent of these deaths is James Hendricks, 66, who in Utah鈥檚 Arches National Park. Hendricks had been on a cross-country road trip to celebrate the life of his late father鈥攈e planned to scatter his dad鈥檚 ashes on a peak outside Reno, Nevada. A retired carpenter from Austin, Texas, Hendricks had spent the week before his death hiking through the Southwest, before going missing on a day that hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Officials said it appeared that .

Like the rest of the United States, Utah has experienced prolonged, life-threatening heat this summer. Temperatures went as in mid-July, breaking a series of records. And summers like this one are going to become the norm as the planet warms, creating a new kind of risk in national parks and elsewhere.

The National Parks Service on potential cases of heatstroke in the Grand Canyon, and has found that for every degree the temperature increases, 3 percent more people will experience heat illnesses. Depending on how much the planet warms, a recent paper predicted that cases of heat illness at the Grand Canyon could more than double by 2100.

And that鈥檚 before you take into account skyrocketing attendance. According to data released by the Park Service, Arches saw its annual visitorship grow by 600,000 between 2010 and 2019, to roughly 1.6 million people. In 2021, the park was so crowded that it had to shut its entrance on 120 different days after hitting capacity. This summer, it has implemented a timed-entry system.

The firehose of parks goers and the risks of extreme heat mean that more people are more likely to be out of their element. Across the Park Service, officials are coming up with ways to combat extreme heat. Big Bend National Park in Texas, which has seen three heat-related deaths this summer, warns visitors with signs posted at all park entrances. Grand Canyon National Park maintains an updated webpage with trail and weather conditions, and tips on how to avoid the heat.

Five people have died at Arches over the past year. All have been older men, the demographic most likely to die under any circumstances at a national park. Only Hendricks’ death appears to be directly related to heat, although it may take weeks before an official cause of death is released. The rest appear to have had sudden medical events, some on trail, some in campgrounds.

But outside of Arches, heat has killed a shocking number of outdoor tourists, many of them young. And more may have died due to heat that we don鈥檛 know about. Determining whether a person died from heat, or a different medial event, can pose challenges to medical professionals. And there is no nationwide agency that documents heat deaths鈥攁nother challenge for determining just how dangerous extreme heat can be.

But heat deaths do tend to involve similar situations: a person who went hiking, biking, or running on a day when the temperature was above 100 degrees, and either got lost or ran out of water. That鈥檚 how Steve Curry, 71, likely died during a July outing in Death Valley. It鈥檚 how Kai Torres Bronson, 24, died in Southern California in July; Torres Bronson who were dehydrated, and he gave them his water. He later collapsed and died.听At least 13 other hikers are believed to have died from heat across the Southwest this year: A teenager in Big Bend National Park, a pair of women under 35 in Nevada, and ten people in Arizona ranging from 19 to 33, all caught off guard while hiking or biking in temperatures over 100 degrees. 鈥淎ll of this is 100 percent avoidable,鈥� a Tucson-area sheriff told . And heat isn鈥檛 just deadly for people pursuing recreation. On August 16, officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, said that 89 people in the greater Phoenix area had likely died from heat in 2023. That鈥檚 up from 66 in 2022.

Once heatstroke sets in, it can overwhelm even experienced athletes in minutes. Hendricks, the Arches man, died while hiking a 2.3-mile loop, his second short hike of the day. He鈥檇 spent his whole life hiking, and through his road trip, had posted panoramic views from Texas mountaintops. But his that security footage from the day of Hendricks鈥� death shows him stumbling in the early morning air, which was already in the 80s. His remains were found off the trail, suggesting that he became confused as he overheated and lost his way.

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