The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes on first mention听in Death Valley National Park are a photographer’s playground. The golden mounds that rise 600 feet from the valley floor are framed by the red-and-white stratified sandstone of the Last Chance Mountains. Green lumps of prickly shrubs, called Eureka dunegrass, sprout up from the sand.

“People are in we the first time they see them,” says , a guide who leads photography hikes within the park. “They are downright incredible to photograph. It’s not an experience that’s easily forgotten.”

But the remote dunes are currently crisscrossed by a series of scars, the unmistakable marks of automobile tires. On Monday, January 13, the National Park Service revealed that a motorist had illegally driven onto the dunes sometime in late December or early January. A photograph distributed by the NPS showed the tire marks starting near the parking lot before going through a patch of dunegrass and then higher onto the sand.

In the news release, Death Valley superintendent Mike Reynolds asked the public to help rangers identify the culprit.

鈥淚 urge the public to come forward with any information that could help identify those responsible for driving on Eureka Dunes,鈥� said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. 鈥淚鈥檓 saddened that someone would disregard the survival of a rare species for a few minutes of joyriding.”

The park expressly forbids anyone from driving off marked roads. It also prevents visitors from sliding down the Eureka Sand Dunes on sandboards or sleds鈥攑opular activities at other dunes like White Sands and Great Sand Dunes national parks. That’s because the sand is the only known habitat of the Eureka dunegrass, which is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. According to the NPS, the driver damaged or destroyed听eight different Eureka dunegrass plants.

Gordon, 56, was at his home in Long Beach, California, when he saw the news. “It’s frustrating, maddening, angering,” he said. “There’s no way to claim ignorance because there are signs everywhere.”

Like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, Death Valley National Park must occasionally grapple with vandals and visitors who break the rules. On May 13, an irresponsible driver destroyed a 113-year old salt tram tower in Saline Valley while attempting to free his vehicle from mud.

In 2016, two and fences guarding Devils Hole, a water-filled cavern that is off-limits to visitors. One man proceeded to swim in the water.

Gordon first visited the Eureka Dunes in the late eighties, and he began leading guided photography tours inside the park two decades ago. These days, he takes small groups to snap shots of the park’s iconic salt flats and red rocks from mid-October until the temperatures begin soaring in April.

Many visitors stop and see the popular sand dunes at Mesquite Flat, which is located right off of Highway听190, the main road inside the park. But few ever venture to the park’s northwestern corner to see the Eureka dunes.

“I used to be able to show up and not even see another person,” Gordon says. “Still, just a fraction of visitors ever go to Eureka Dunes because the dirt road keeps them away.”

But Gordon has seen more signs of bad behavior at Eureka in recent years: people playing in the dunes with plastic toys, and the occasional tire marks in the sane. “I’ve chastised people and tried to educate them about the rules,” he says. “There’s a clear sign next to the bathroom explaining what they can and can’t do.”

Even more maddening, Gordon says, is the relatively close proximity of sand dunes that do allow off-road access. Nevada’s Big Dune Recreation Area, which does allow vehicles to drive on sand dunes, is located just 62 miles from Death Valley’s Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

The tire tracks in the Eureka Dunes will quickly disappear amid the shifting sands, and within a few weeks the golden mounts are likely to appear as they did before. But Gordon says he will continue to call out bad behavior when he sees it in the sand.

“Those of us who spend a lot of time in the park take it personally. It’s like you’re damaging my park,”听he says.

The post A Driver鈥檚 鈥淩eckless Joyride鈥� Damaged the Eureka Dunes in Death Valley appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Described as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 best idea,鈥� the National Park System was established in large part to protect the nation鈥檚 most precious landscapes, from the deepest canyons to the tallest peaks. Some of the parks are so dang beautiful, they鈥檝e been known to make people contemplate their own existence.

But not everyone traveling to a national park is moved to existential enlightenment. Some visitors come away angry, frustrated, or disappointed, and they turn to the internet to express themselves. Recently, for my annual end-of-year wrap up of the worst national-parks reviews,听I spent an unhealthy amount of time perusing visitor comments on national parks on Google Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to find the best of them.

I learned a few things in the process. I learned听that a lot of people don鈥檛 like the timed entry and reservation systems that many parks have put in place to combat overcrowding. Like, a lot of people; I saw thousands of complaints on that topic. Also, the general lack of parking gets people fired up.

I discovered some really interesting and funny one-star (out of a possible five stars) reviews that spanned quite a spectrum, from someone complaining about the weather (apparently Canyonlands is too hot and sunny) or questioning humanity鈥檚 fascination with nature in general (to this person, Joshua Tree听is just a load of big stones).

Here are my favorite bad national-park reviews of 2024. As ever, we nod to , grandmaster collector of such information, which, as autumn lit up the multitude of colors in the national forest of Vermont, noted this doozy: 鈥淣ot a memorable place to go.鈥�

(Note: Some reviews below were edited for brevity, but I left spelling errors and grammar mistakes intact.)听

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

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of mountains, rivers and historic farmland that is widely recognized as the most biodiverse landscape in North America. But not everyone loves it.

鈥淭his is the Walmart of national parks.鈥� 鈥�Google Maps

鈥淎 terrible experience! This national park is the largest and most popular park in the middle of the United States and famous for their beers (sic). Every staff of the park told us that beers (sic) were everywhere. However, this park was really disappointing that I did not see any beer (sic). I only saw many turkeys and one fox鈥S]ummer might not be a good time to visit here because beers (sic) or other wild animals could hide in trees and bushes.鈥濃��Google Maps

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

This 3.4 million-acre park, straddling California and Nevada, is known for its deep canyons, salt flats, and ghost towns. The first commenter reviewed it without ever having been there.

鈥淗aven’t gone yet, will go soon, sounds hot tho.鈥濃��Google Maps

鈥淒on’t go, nothing to see鈥�.The rock formation is not that great, quite dusty, hot, etc. Feels like an open pit mine. The only use case I can see is if you want to 鈥� test yourself or your car AC.鈥濃��Google Maps

3. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Designated a national park in 2019, Indiana Dunes protects dunes and forest on the edge of Lake Michigan, all less than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. But apparently the park has some policies on parties.

鈥淐an’t grille, can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t play loud music…who wants to just sit on sand.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

4. Redwood National and State Parks, California

This collection of state and federally protected parks houses the world鈥檚 tallest trees, with landscapes spanning from rugged coastlines to thick interior woodlands. Tree color may be a subjective thing.

鈥淐alifornia sucks so I don鈥檛 know why I was surprised when I was very disappointed. The trees aren鈥檛 as big as everyone says and they鈥檙e not red either, terrible name. The National park should just sell the land and turn the trees into paper.鈥濃��Google Maps

5. Joshua Tree National Park, California

One of my personal favorite units in the park system, Joshua Tree is home to gorgeous desert landscapes full of boulders that attract climbers and gawkers alike.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a load of big stones. If you go make sure to take a packed lunch and drinks, you鈥檒l certainly thank me.鈥� 鈥�TripAdvisor

6. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

The newest unit to be granted full park status, New River Gorge is a multi-adventure playground with world-class paddling, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Other than that鈥�

鈥淚f you hike or like white water rafting, this is a great place. Otherwise, not much else to do.鈥濃��Google Maps

7. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

I haven鈥檛 visited Dry Tortugas yet, but it鈥檚 on my list because these islands west of the Florida Keys offer some of the most remote spits of land in America, with beautiful snorkeling and paddling. Some feel waterlogged though.

鈥淚 paid full price for only 1% of land??? Park is literally 99% water….. my shoes got wet too like what????? More like the NOT dry Tortugas鈥濃��Google Maps

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Couple the tallest sand dunes in North America with long-range views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and you鈥檝e got鈥�

鈥淭he only reason people go here is to buy a piece of fudge or a T-shirt. That’s about it. This is literally a dumping area for the fine sand used to make volleyball courts. The funniest thing to do here is simply people watching. They act like they never seen dirt before.鈥濃��Google Maps

9. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades protects the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi. This review is close to being a haiku.

鈥淣o cocodrilos.

no crocodiles seen

money is lost.鈥濃��Google Maps

10. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

This national park encompasses the 14,000-foot peak Mount Rainier, which also happens to be an active volcano. The duality of the situation is driving one visitor crazy.

鈥淭hey market this place as a beautiful mountain paradise full of pastoral hikes and woodland creatures but at the same time remind you it is ready to kill you and your entire family and surrounding towns without a moment’s hesitation. Come here if you want to be gaslit by a mountain.鈥濃��Yelp

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Picture alpine lakes set beneath craggy, 13,000-foot peaks, and you鈥檒l have an idea of the scenery within Grand Teton National Park. Meh.

鈥淚’ve seen better in video games smh. Mother nature better step it up.鈥濃��Google Maps

12. Sequoia National Park, California

California鈥檚 jointly managed Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are famous for their groves of giant Sequoia trees, a species that only grows on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The drive in to reach them is irking some visitors.

鈥淎 road that is truly too long and winding鈥’m still recovering from the tiredness and motion sickness of the 5 hours driving around tight curves.鈥濃��TripAdvisor

13. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

I recently decided that Capitol Reef is the country鈥檚 most underrated park for adventure. It has arches, canyons, domes, rock climbing, and gravel rides galore. One reviewer seems to be upset that the park didn鈥檛 take enough of his money.

鈥淭HIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE A NP. It鈥檚 beyond mids and a waste of taxpayers money. Doesn鈥檛 even have a fee station to support itself鈥rotect the land no doubt but either charge everyone that comes through or make it a monument.鈥濃��Google Maps

14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited parks in the country, with more than 4 million people clamoring to experience it annually. The park is so popular that management deemed a timed-entry system necessary to mitigate crowds. A visitor was not psyched.

鈥淲hat kind of communist came up with this system and why? I thought I lived in America, land of the free …. For all the Americans that didn’t even protest at all, thanks for nothing.鈥濃��Yelp

15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

North Dakota鈥檚 Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the lesser-visited of our national parks, shown in the annual listings as attracting 750,862 visitors, when each in the top five attracts over 4 million (and Great Smoky Mountains NP receives over 13 million). So maybe it鈥檚 unsurprising that one visitor mixed it up with a different park.

鈥淢aybe I missed it but I didn鈥檛 see his face in any of the cliffs or mountains. Probably erosion. Time for a touch up.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

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

Is there a landscape more dynamic than what you find inside Yellowstone National Park, where water boils and shoots into the sky like the fountains in Las Vegas?

鈥淲ater bubbling out of the ground. Wow.鈥濃��Google Maps

鈥淪ame thing (e.g. geysers) everywhere. I got bored the second day.鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 Maps

17. Yosemite National Park, California

驰辞蝉别尘颈迟别鈥檚 granite peaks, valleys, and mountains might have captivated Ansel Adams, but nobody ever mentions how uncomfortable nature is, do they?

鈥淎ll the hikes are uphill, and you’re practically climbing cliffs. I got soaked by several incredibly large waterfalls just by standing at the bottom.鈥濃��Google Maps

18. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Dubbed 鈥渢he land of stone and light,鈥� Badlands holds 224,000 acres of vast prairie and striking geological formations that seemingly rise out of nowhere. That didn’t satisfy this reviewer.

鈥淣ot enough mountain.鈥� 鈥�Google

听19. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

This national park is known for its deep, steep gorge and rugged terrain, and it has a savvy reviewer who wants it all to himself.

鈥淛K. It鈥檚 the best spot in CO. I went one star so that everyone stays away and keeps it this way!鈥�鈥擥辞辞驳濒别 听

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He has complained about many ridiculous things during his life, but never once looked at the Teton Range and thought 鈥渧ideo games are cooler than that.鈥� See also his recent articles on ten years鈥� worth of awful reviews on the revered Grand Canyon, or what makes the perfect mountain town, loving surfing and surf towns, and why he plays golf two days a week and thinks about it even more.

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

Some people book hotels for high-quality gyms; others prioritize al fresco bathtubs. For me, an astrophotographer, accommodation selection comes down to one thing: stargazing potential.

With the recent astrotourism boom, due in part to the amazing northern-lights viewing in the U.S. this year, many lodges have bolstered their night-sky offerings. But not all dark-sky retreats are created equally. Simply having a view of constellations or being located near a low-light-pollution park doesn鈥檛 necessarily make for a stellar stargazing hotel.

A true dark-sky retreat makes the nightscape a main attraction. I鈥檝e traveled to my fair share of properties that fit this bill, and others I can鈥檛 wait to check into for a night of cosmos-watching. Here are the ones I recommend in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Sky Village at Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch

Cortez, Colorado

Hidden among the mesas and grassy valleys of the arid Colorado Plateau lies one of my favorite Milky Way鈥搘atching lookouts on the continent: . The southwestern Colorado getaway, bookended between its namesake monument and the Ute Mountain Reserve, enjoys pristine night views best enjoyed from the new Star Tower, a two-story structure with views of Sleeping Ute Mountain that opened in 2023.

Its architecture is reminiscent of the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings found at nearby Mesa Verde National Park, located 30 miles east. You can spend days here bouncing between parks, hiking the nearby trails, and meeting the ranch鈥檚 farm animals. Come nightfall, all eyes are on the sky鈥攑articularly if you鈥檙e relaxing on the tower鈥檚 star-view deck. From $515

oTentik

Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan

As our northern neighbor鈥檚 inkiest dark-sky preserve, certified by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, nightscapes are about as star-speckled as they were when the dinosaurs tromped here鈥攁 history that draws fossil hunters and astrotourists alike.

Few accommodations exist in this 280-square-mile swath of mixed-grass prairie, but you can book Parks Canada鈥檚 , a collection of 12 cozy safari-style accommodations in the Frenchman Valley and Rock Creek campgrounds, designed with both sleeping and living-room spaces for up to six people. Based here, you can scour for fossils and admire the resident buffalo by day and gaze across 360 degrees of starry skies from your tent perch come dusk.

It鈥檚 worth mentioning that the park is ideally situated near the remote Saskatchewan-Montana border, a spot known for aurora sightings. Like many of our favorite contiguous U.S. aurora-hunting spots, lights viewing can occur here year-round. From $115

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon

Widtsoe, Utah

, lauded for its upscale, national-park-adjacent glamp sites, made an astrotourism splash in 2023 when it partnered with global light-pollution authority DarkSky International to turn a into the first DarkSky-certified resorts. At this especially incredible 50-tent outpost, located just 15 miles north of Bryce Canyon, an International DarkSky Park, the skies turn particularly dusky each night.

According to the nine-level Bortle Scale of , the property鈥檚 skies have the darkest rating: Class 1. Admire constellations from your private porch, join guided stargazing sessions, try meditative star bathing, or get hands on with community telescopes. The cr猫me de la cr猫me for space enthusiasts is the Stargazer tent, which features a large skylight to admire starry skies as as you doze off.

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon, is open from May through September. From $472

Fresh Coast Cabins

Eagle Harbor, Michigan

While I鈥檝e enjoyed northern lights sightings around the world, few places have been as lucky for me as , ten trendy, family-owned cabins on Michigan鈥檚 Keweenaw Peninsula. It ticks every box on my lower 48 aurora-hunting checklist: a clear, north-facing view across Lake Superior鈥攅ssential for catching the swirls since they appear closer to the horizon in lower latitudes鈥攁nd virtually no light pollution.

Its spacious campfire-gathering space draws guests outdoors at night for a few hours of star- and aurora-gazing, but I recommend that avid sky-watchers book Cabin Nine or the slightly pricier Aurora Major Suite. Both boast private porches with sweeping lake views. After a dose of astronomical awe, pop into the property鈥檚 new , a traditional Finnish construction, then trot the path down to the lake for a reinvigorating dip in its waters. Repeat as needed. From $300

Four Seasons Resort Lanai

Lanai City, Hawaii

The 213-room may be a five-star splurge, but for night-sky buffs interested in stargazing as well as authentic Native culture, it鈥檚 worth it. The resort, set on this small, palm-fringed island roughly an hour via ferry from Maui, runs that spotlights both the stars and the stories of the Indigenous Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders that long relied on them for navigation. The observatory is also open to residents during special community events and for STEM internship programs for local students.

Expert-led star talks delve into celestial navigation history, and you can peer through a 3.2-foot telescope for a closer look at the skies. Other evening activities at the resort include full-moon themed dinners and guided starlit meditations overlooking Holopoe Bay, where the crashing waves add a splash of sound therapy. From $1,500

Pleasant Acres Reindeer Ranch

Pleasant Valley, Alaska

Aurora hunting from , a new getaway some 30 miles east of Fairbanks, is like sky-watching from a holiday snow globe. The 18-acre property is about as North Pole as U.S. travel gets. There are four igloo-style domes, named after caribou herds in Alaska, and each with a private deck positioned just above a bustling reindeer hangout. That means endless nights of watching for the northern lights with Santa鈥檚 helpers lazing nearby. Another thoughtful perk is a kitchenette equipped with a microwave鈥攑erfect for warming cocoa during long nights awake.

Worried about dozing through the show? Sign up for the ranch鈥檚 complimentary aurora alerts so you don鈥檛 miss a second of the colorful swirls. Daytime adventures include reindeer hikes and dogsled rides. And if you visit during the summer, the ranch has room-darkening shades for snoozing despite the all-hours midnight sun. From $280

The Oasis at Death Valley

Death Valley National Park, California

There鈥檚 a reason stargazers flock to this national park. Its remote and arid landscape, named a Gold Tier Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International, delights with obsidian skies across its 3.4 million acres of salt flats, sand dunes, and rainbow-hued hills. Even on bright-moon nights at the , I could spy countless stars. That said, it鈥檚 best to visit around a new moon, particularly in the less toasty months of October to February, for after-dark festivities that spotlight the park鈥檚 spellbinding skies.

The Oasis, included in DarkSky International鈥檚 certification of the park in 2013, offers two hotels: the higher-end , with 66 rooms and 22 casitas, and the , with 275 rooms. You鈥檒l enjoy the park鈥檚 signature nightscapes from either landing pad, particularly during the annual in early March. Another great post-sunset adventure is the s offered by Furnace Creek Stables ($120 for one hour). Ranch rooms from $170; inn rooms from $356

Rancho La Concepci贸n

Los Manzanos, Mexico

A heaven full of stars awaits travelers willing to go off-grid to this small, sustainable, and Wi-Fi-free ranch in the wilderness of Baja California, some 115 miles southeast of Ensenada. offers three rustic-chic cabins near the mountainous Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro M谩rtir, an area so dark that astronomers decided to situate the country鈥檚 second-largest telescope here. You can visit , a 23-mile drive east, during select public events, including presentations the first Friday of each month.

That said, Rancho La Concepci贸n鈥檚 Bortle Class 1 skies make it hard to leave鈥攑articularly when the owners run space-sighting sessions with hot chocolate on hand. If there鈥檚 just one or two of you, book to watch the sparkly skies from bed. From $130

Thorny Mountain Fire Tower

Seneca State Forest, West Virginia

On the eastern side of West Virginia, a half-day鈥檚 drive from Washington, D.C., Seneca State Forest draws anglers and hikers eager to trek the area鈥檚 strech of the 330-mile Allegheny Trail. Come nightfall, there鈥檚 no better vantage point than the forest鈥檚 65-foot-high听, a refurbished accommodation and picturesque dark-sky retreat that juts well above the pines.

The two-bed tower can sleep up to four people and retains the rustic, low-frills aesthetic of its 1935 beginnings, with 360-degree windows and a wrap-around balcony that lets Mother Nature do the decorating. The digs, reached via 69 steps, are only available from April through October and get scooped up almost a year in advance. Once you鈥檙e there, staring up in wonder at the bright cosmos, it鈥檚 not hard to see why it鈥檚 so special. From $150

Compass Rose Lodge

Huntsville, Utah

The Ogden Valley isn鈥檛 solely for ski buffs. The eclectic 15-room illustrates the region鈥檚 astrotourism allure, starting with the on-site . The stargazing haven, roughly 45 miles north of Salt Lake City, is open to guests and the local community, with telescopes to peer into space and nightly guided observations.

Also worthy of your time is the , just 2.5 miles north of the Compass Rose.听 A 13-mile-long model of our solar system, the project includes sculptures and artistic renderings of the planets, best enjoyed on a ride along the (bike rentals are available at the lodge). From $279

Summit at Big Bend

Terlingua, Texas

At nine million acres, southern Texas鈥檚 Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest dark sky reserve in the world. It encompasses not only Big Bend National Park but the ghost town of Terlingua and its nearby astro hub, the . Its glamping accommodations, from domes to cave dwellings, offer jet-black Bortle Class 1 nightscapes across 1,000 private desert acres.

For astronomy fans, it鈥檚 tough to beat鈥攐r catch any shut-eye in鈥攖he property鈥檚 stargazing domes, where clear ceilings and front walls are optimal for watching the shrub-dotted desert transition from blue-sky day to shimmery polka-dotted twilight. Catch the cosmos from your dome or your own听 fire pit, or enjoy the reserve鈥檚 numerous other , including astro programming in nearby 鈥攊ts Maverick Junction entrance is 17 miles to the east. From $159

国产吃瓜黑料 and astrotourism writer Stephanie Vermillion travels the globe in search of the best night-sky views, from stargazing-themed hotels to aurora-hunting campsites. Her upcoming book 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World鈥檚 Ultimate 国产吃瓜黑料s After Dark will be out December 3.

The post These 11 Dark-Sky Retreats Are the Perfect Places to Look Up appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Our national parks are awe-inspiring and family-friendly destinations. That said, some are cheaper to get to and stay in or near than others. I know: from 2020 to 2023, I visited all 63 U.S. national parks as a columnist for 国产吃瓜黑料, in a van and on a shoestring budget. Then I wrote a book about it, called .

To come up with a list of the most affordable parks, I looked at the primary costs that go into a national park trip鈥攏amely proximity to a major airport, transportation and accommodation, and the top activities there. The results reflect the cost of lodging for three nights for an average-priced hotel room or Airbnb in May; park entrance fees and other ancillary fees included in my suggested itinerary; and a rental car for four days. I have not factored in airfare, food, and gas, which will vary pending where you’re based and h how much you dine out and drive.

These are the 10 most affordable parks to visit based on my research.

1. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Approximate total cost: From $204

• Average car rental for four days: $166
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $30 /听$363
• Park entrance fee: Free
• Lehman Caves tour: $8

How I鈥檇 do it: The nearest airport鈥擟edar City, Utah鈥攊s 142 miles away, so gas will likely be your main expense when visiting Great Basin. If you鈥檙e camping, try to snag a coveted free site at ; otherwise, post up in Ely, 55 miles west, which has more hotel and food options than tiny Baker, just outside the park gates.

Spend your first day admiring the 3,000-year-old trees on the Bristlecone Trail and picnicking near the , which is offering first-come, first-served sites for the rest of 2024 ($20).

On day two, reserve tickets for a tour of the (from $8 per adult and $4 per child) and learn about the region鈥檚 rich Native history at the (free).

Make day three all about big-mile hikes, either summiting 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak (the second-highest in Nevada) or traversing fragrant sagebrush slopes on a ten-mile round-trip up to shimmering . Fuel your post-hike hunger at in Baker.

Best Time to Visit: June through September

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Approximate total cost: From $235

• Average car rental for four days: $157
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $48 /听$297
• Park entrance fee: $30

How I鈥檇 do it: Most commercial flights in this region go to Las Vegas. From there it鈥檚 a 125-mile drive north to the Wild West town of Beatty, which is funky and close to noteworthy ghost towns, like Rhyolite. Camping is available inside the park and options range from free primitive sites to the full-service (from $30).

Your first day in the park, check out the narrow, multicolored Mosaic Canyon on foot. During the cooler early-evening hours, take in the sunset hues while hiking or boogie-boarding at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (don鈥檛 forget your snowboard or boogie board, which Reddit readers have reported using on these slopes).

The next day, wake while it鈥檚 still dark so you can snap some sunrise pics at Zabriskie Point, then move on to marvel at the bizarre geological formations along Badwater Road, stopping at Devil鈥檚 Golf Course, Artists Palette, Golden Canyon, and Badwater Basin (the lowest point in North America) along the way.

If you鈥檙e a peak bagger, you could spend your third day summiting 11,049-foot Telescope Peak, but for anyone less ambitious, I鈥檇 recommend a stroll around both and the free next door. Reminisce that night over a pint and a pizza at Beatty鈥檚 Sourdough Saloon.

Best Time to Visit: November through April

3. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Approximate total cost: From $244

• Average car rental for four days: $139
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $60 / $492
• Park entrance fee: $25
• Board rental: $20 per day

How I鈥檇 do it: A visit to Great Sand Dunes is really a visit to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost Rockies. You could fly into Denver and drive the 250 miles south, but flights into Alamosa, just 30 miles from the park, are relatively affordable.

Book a hotel or an Airbnb in quaint Crestone (or book a inside the park), rent a sand board at (four miles from the park entrance), then drive into the park and spend your first day amid the massive dune field鈥攖he tallest in North America鈥攎aking a point to top out on the and surf down the steep slopes. Afterwards, cool off in Medano Creek if the water is flowing steadily.

Day two, explore the woodlands and admire the incredible views of the imposing peaks along the 7.5-mile .

For your final full day, I鈥檇 opt for a visit to or a challenging hike to .

Best Time to Visit: May through October

4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Approximate total cost: From $246

• Average car rental for four days: $147
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $66 / $360
• Park entrance fee: Free
• Bike rental: From $15
• Railroad tour: From $18

How I鈥檇 do it: Look for an affordable vacation rental in Akron, which is 38 miles south of Cleveland and slightly closer to this 33,000-acre park鈥檚 top sites. Or check out ($22 for anyone not from the town of Stow), 15 minutes from the park.

Spend your first day trekking from the 19th-century Stanford House to the roaring Brandywine Falls, a 4.8-mile meander (see the Gaia GPS map of this route below). Before the sun sets, make your way to viewpoints along the .

Learn more about the Cuyahoga鈥檚 history of locks and canals on day two by renting a bicycle from and spinning your wheels along a stretch of the riverside Towpath Trail.

Take a chill pill on your last day and ride the from Akron to Peninsula, with the option of an elegant multi-course meal aboard a vintage car. Visiting in October? Good choice; that鈥檚 when a Technicolor display of epic fall foliage is everywhere you look.

Best Time to Visit: April through June and September through October

5. Carlsbad Caverns + Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, New Mexico and Texas

Approximate total cost: From $255

• Average car rental for four days: $150
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $60 / $441
• Park entrance fees: $15 and $10, respectively
• Lower Cave tour: $20

How I鈥檇 do it: Hit two national parks in one trip, flying into El Paso, Texas, and then basing yourself in the affordable hamlet of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Both Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains are economical parks and amazing in their own way, and the latter is home to an excellent .

Book a and spend your first day strolling Carlsbad, heading into its depths via its natural entrance (as opposed to an elevator down from the visitor center). If you鈥檙e visiting late May through October, stay after hours and take advantage of the free , led by a park ranger; this blew my mind as a nine-year-old.

Wake up early the next day, drive to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and summit the 鈥淭op of Texas鈥� on an 4.1-mile ascent of for jaw-dropping views of the vast Chihuahuan Desert.

Take it easy on day three and return to Carlsbad Caverns for the three-hour, ranger-guided Lower Cave tour ($20 per adult and $10 per child).

Best Time to Visit: March to June, September to November

6. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Approximate total cost: From $262

• Average car rental for four days: $172
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $60 / $465
• Park entrance fee: $30

How I鈥檇 do it: Fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and then plan to stay in Tacoma, an hour north of the park. Though it鈥檚 not as woodsy as Rainier鈥檚 gateway town of Ashford, Tacoma has loads of affordable motels and vacation rentals for park-goers who鈥檇 rather not in the wet Washington weather.

If you鈥檝e secured a timed-entry permit, spend your first day exploring the iconic of the park, hiking to the perfect photo op at Myrtle Falls or breaking a sweat on the 5.5-mile . Pop in and marvel at the fabulous architecture of the historic Paradise Inn, while you鈥檙e at it.

On day two, circumnavigate the glacier-capped peak by car, stopping at Martha Falls, Reflection Lake, and the adorable town of Enumclaw, making a pit stop at along the way.

On your last full day, get off the beaten path and brave the bumpy road up to sapphire . Picnic in a designated area near the lake, take a dip in the alpine tarn, or challenge yourself on the 7.5-mile hike (one-way) to the .

Best Time to Visit: June through September

7. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Approximate total cost: From $276

• Average car rental for four days: $151
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $42 / $282
• Park entrance fee: $30
• Trail ride: From $53

How I鈥檇 do it: Though it鈥檚 out of the way from a major airport鈥攖he nearest is in Bismarck, 135 miles east鈥擳heodore Roosevelt is fantastic for hiking and wildlife viewing. Plus, it boasts an uber-affordable ($14).

Savor the prairie- and badlands-filled drive to the park鈥檚 South Unit on your first day, then spend the remaining hours scouting for wild horses, herds of bison, and playful prairie dogs on the area鈥檚 48-mile . Stop at the Maltese Cross Cabin, a former home of Theodore Roosevelt himself, before taking in the sunset from the one-mile Painted Canyon Nature Trail.

If you鈥檙e not camping at the park, spend the night in Watford City, which is cheaper and only slightly farther away than the gateway town of Medora.

On day two, splurge on a morning through the colorful badlands, and check out the longer in the afternoon.

Reserve day three for the park鈥檚 , home to a 14-mile scenic drive where you might spy bison, coyotes, and longhorn cattle. But you don鈥檛 want to be driving around all day. I suggest a trail run along the easy, four-mile , which overlooks the Little Missouri River.

Best Time to Visit: May through September

8. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Approximate total cost: From $279

• Average car rental for four days: $189
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $60 / $396
• Park entrance fee: $30

How I鈥檇 do it: Fly into Montrose Airport (with daily service from four major U.S. airports) and pick up your rental car; from there it鈥檚 a mere 15 miles to the park鈥檚 south entrance. You鈥檒l be basing out of Montrose, which has affordable hotels and Airbnbs, but for even more of a savings, nab a site at the park鈥檚 ($20 per night).

On your first day in the park, stop at Tomichi Point for jaw-dropping views of the canyon鈥檚 dark gneiss before hitting up the South Rim Visitor Center, which has plenty of parking and is the starting point for the and the connecting Gunnison Route, together offering an easy few miles of wandering below the canyon鈥檚 steep rim. Motor along exploring the south rim鈥檚 seven-mile scenic drive, pausing at the Painted Wall Overlook and, if you鈥檙e up for it, another hike, this time out to .

On your second day, head to the less touristed north rim and enjoy equally less crowded viewpoints (the aptly named Exclamation Point is a must). Stretch your legs on a 7.2-mile trek up Green Mountain before exiting the park, making a beeline for Colorado Boy Pizzeria in Montrose and rewarding yourself with a slice and a cold one.

Maximize your trip by tacking on a detour to Mesa Verde National Park (142 miles from Montrose) on your final day, or go fishing for trout in the Gunnison River.

Best Time to Visit: May through October

9. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Approximate total cost: From $290

• Average car rental for four days: $169
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $63 / $435
• Park entrance fee in summer: $30
• Boat ride: $28

How I鈥檇 do it: Major airlines service Medford, 63 miles southwest of the national park, and accommodations in southern Oregon are relatively cheap, so I suggest basing yourself in Medford itself or in Klamath Falls, 45 miles southeast of the park. Itching to camp? Book early and grab a site in the park at ($21).

Go big on your first day and hike to the Watchman Peak fire lookout (see Gaia GPS map below) for second-to-none views of Crater Lake鈥檚 otherworldly deep blue. I also like the hike down to the lake鈥檚 chilly fresh water via the steep .

If you鈥檙e not interested in backpacking a segment of the Pacific Crest Trail鈥�33 miles of it run through the park鈥攗tilize day two to explore Wizard Island, near the lake鈥檚 western edge ( cost $28 per adult and $18 per child). The thrill of standing atop the lake鈥檚 only major island will wow you.

On day three, soak it all in on a scenic drive around the entirety of Crater Lake鈥攁 33-mile route鈥攕topping for snapshots at the park鈥檚 30 .

Best Time to Visit: July through September

10. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Approximate total cost: From $338

• Average car rental for four days: $184
• Average campground site / hotel for three nights: $75 / $339
• Park entrance fee: $25
• Museum fee: $30
• Colossal Cave tour: $24

How I鈥檇 do it: Saguaro straddles Tucson, an affordable and road-trip-friendly destination for desert lovers. Its eastern Rincon Mountain District is a mere 25-minute drive from the local airport, so drop your bags at your Tucson motel or a campsite in nearby (from $25), and then spend your first few hours craning your neck up at century-old cacti along . Next, get your heart rate going on the , either just a portion of it or the full eight miles one-way.

On day two, learn about the area鈥檚 flora and fauna at the before setting out for the Scenic Bajada Loop Drive in the park鈥檚 western Tucson Mountain District.

On day three, summit 4,688-foot Wasson Peak, and picnic at Mam-A-Gah, or branch out for a little something different: a tour of the nearby .

Best Time to Visit: October through April

Honorable Mentions

There were a handful of affordable national parks that scored just shy of making my list. But if you鈥檙e hungry for more budget-friendly park ideas, I recommend checking out Redwood National Park, in California; Congaree, in South Carolina; White Sands, in New Mexico; North Cascades, in Washington; and Gateway Arch, in Missouri.

Emily Pennington is a regular contributor to 国产吃瓜黑料 and continues to travel far and wide. This year she鈥檚 returning to Great Sand Dunes and looks forward to exploring every corner of her new home state, Colorado.

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On May 13, the National Park Service issued disclosing that a historic 113-year-old salt tram tower in Death Valley National Park had been pulled down by an irresponsible driver. Now, there鈥檚 video that may show the incident鈥檚 aftermath.

鈥淭he National Park Service (NPS) seeks information about recent damage to a historic salt tram tower in Saline Valley,鈥� reads the release. 鈥淚t appears the 113-year-old tower was pulled over while a person used a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud. The damage happened sometime between April 1 and April 24, 2024.鈥�

A video uploaded to YouTube on April 27鈥攕hortly after the incident took place鈥攁ppears to show the immediate aftermath of the event, and may identify the alleged perpetrators.听That video was taken down on May 15, but 国产吃瓜黑料听reviewed it in the days prior.

The National Park Service confirmed that they have seen and downloaded the video.

鈥淲hile we don’t comment on ongoing investigations, the response to this incident from the off-road community has been humbling,鈥� an NPS spokesperson told 国产吃瓜黑料. “We’ve received an overwhelming amount of information attempting to help identify the individuals responsible and help repair the damage. We will notify people of potential volunteer opportunities at the appropriate time.”

The video appears to have been recorded on a dash cam. At the two-and-a-half minute mark of the original 11-minute video, the the driver is narrating his encounter with a person wearing 鈥渄aisy dukes and a halter top.鈥�

The location of the tram tower is about 40 miles into Saline Valley Road鈥攁 rough 4×4 route鈥攆ar听from the nearest pavement at Highway 190. It鈥檚 an area I鈥檝e traveled through many times, and am very familiar with.

The historic tram towers were constructed in 1911 to ferry salt from the remote Saline Valley, over the rugged Inyo Mountains, and into Owens Valley, 13 miles away, in a straight line.

鈥淭he tramway climbed over 7,000 vertical feet at steep grades up to 40 degrees,鈥� stated an NPS official in a release. 鈥淪aline Valley Salt Tram is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered nationally significant because of its age, length, steepness, preservation, and scenic setting.鈥�

鈥淭ram tower #1 is the tower closest to Saline Valley lakebed,鈥� the release continued. 鈥淣earby tracks show that a vehicle drove a short distance off the legal roadway and got stuck in mud. Park rangers believe that someone used the nearby tower as an anchor to pull their vehicle out of the mud. The tower toppled over, pulling its concrete footings out of the ground.鈥�

鈥淲e need a winch,鈥� the woman tells the filming driver at the original 2:35 time stamp. 鈥淲e went a little too far into the mud, and there鈥檚 nothing to press the winch onto. See that last tower? Honestly, you guys can get into maybe like 20 feet easily, we just need something to latch onto, we鈥檝e got nothing.鈥�

The driver then pulls down the access road that runs along the old tram line, and pulls into the turn around at the end of the road. The delineation between terrain that can safely be driven and impossibly deep mud is, in my experience, very clear at that point. But visible is a truck stuck up to its axles, about 20 feet beyond that point.

At this point in the video, the tram tower is already toppled. We have no way of knowing if this is the vehicle or the drivers who pulled it down. But, at 3:45 in the original video, we can see someone disconnect the truck鈥檚 winch cable from the damaged tower, and drag it back to the truck.

A close up shortly after shows the vehicle in detail. It鈥檚 a white Toyota Tundra, of the generation made between 2006 and 2021. It appears to be extensively modified with a Topo Toppers Mesa camper,听a roof rack, a high clearance front bumper, and a winch.

The driver of the dash cam-equipped vehicle then goes onto attempt a straight winch pull. Vehicles stuck in deep mud can create resistance equivalent to two to three-times the weight of the vehicle itself, and that Tundra鈥檚 gross vehicle weight rating is 7,200 pounds. So it鈥檚 no surprise that attempt fails. Most winches on mid-size 4x4s are rated for a capacity of 12,000 pounds, or less.

At 5:30 in the original video, we can see the drivers attempt to attach a second winch line from another vehicle. The drivers then reposition the winch lines to separate recovery points, and attach a third line, which eventually frees the stuck Tundra. At no point are pulleys or dampers involved, which could have respectively reduced forces, and reduced the risk created by a broken line, shackle, or attachment point. The forces here must have been huge鈥攁t least 20,000 pounds鈥攕o any equipment failure would have resulted in potentially deadly consequences.

At 10:10 in the source video, the truck is eventually pulled to dry ground. Judging by the amount of phones seen in the video, this is likely not the only video or photos of the incident.

鈥淭he NPS already had a salt tram stabilization project planned before this damage happened, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act,鈥� concluded the NPS. 鈥淭he project manager has not determined if that funding can be used to re-anchor tower #1.鈥�

鈥淧ark rangers ask that anyone with information on this incident contact the NPS-wide tip line at 888-653-0009 or听.”

鈥淚 hope the person responsible for this damage will contact us so we can discuss restitution,鈥� says Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds.

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Why did the spider cross the road?

That鈥檚 what officials at Death Valley National Park are asking themselves this week, following an automobile accident involving a motorcycle, a camper van, and yes, an arachnid.

On Saturday, October 28, a 24-year-old motorcyclist from Canada collided with a camper van driven by two Swiss tourists along a stretch of California Route 190 east of Towne Pass. According to a on the park鈥檚 Facebook page, the Swiss duo had slammed on the brakes to avoid a hairy tarantula on the roadway.

The motorcyclist suffered injuries and was transported to Desert View Hospital in the town of Pahrump.

鈥淧lease drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,鈥� park superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. Apparently, Reynolds was the first park employee on the scene of the accident. 鈥淥ur roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out,鈥� he said.

Indeed, fall is a special time for tarantulas鈥攁nd no, not just because of Halloween. Having spent much of their lives underground, adult males (between 8 and ten years old) venture to the surface during the late-season monsoons to mate. The Desert Blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) lives across the American southwest, from Colorado, through the Sonoran deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, and into the Southern California. The Brown tarantula lives in parts of Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma. Stroll the grasslands in this region from late August through October and you might see one of the species searching for a female.听Officials in Colorado call it a 鈥�.鈥�

The abundance of tarantulas crossing sidewalks, parking lots, and yes, roadways, has caused problems in some states. In 2022, arachnid advocates asked Colorado鈥檚 Department of Transportation under several highways in the southeastern corner of the state to prevent the animals from being squashed. Think of the project as a freeway wildlife crossing鈥攋ust for creepy crawlies.

Richard Reading, the vice president of science and conservation at Colorado鈥檚 Butterfly Pavilion insect zoo, helped lead the charge.

鈥淪o what we wanna do, is avoid tarantulas from getting squished and other little things, so if we produce a lot of culverts or underpasses, things like tarantulas, box turtles, other reptiles and amphibians can use those culverts as well as other insects and not get squished,鈥� Reading told local media in 2022. The Butterfly Pavilion led the charge, and Reading said that he hoped to create a pilot program of culverts and fences for tarantulas in 2023.

But Amber Shipley, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation鈥檚 Southeast division, told me this week that state officials and biologists are still in talks about the project. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if they鈥檝e decided whether or not spiders are amenable to the crossings,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have not proceeded with the plan yet.鈥�

Perhaps we now know why the spider crossed the road. That鈥檚 the only way it knows to get to the other side.

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When officials partially reopened Death Valley National Park on October 15, a rare spectacle was awaiting visitors: a brand-new lake in Badwater Basin.

Badwater Basin is a large salt flat that鈥檚 North America鈥檚 lowest point at 282 feet below sea level. Nearby Furnace Creek holds the record for being the on Earth after temperatures reached 134.1-degrees in 1913. (Though some scientists have cast doubt on that figure, almost all agree that Death Valley currently owns the heat record.)

Typically, Badwater Basin is extremely dry. But after Death Valley National Park in August, water inundated the area. The storm dropped about a year鈥檚 worth of precipitation in a single day, prompting the park鈥檚 closure and causing road and infrastructure damage across the region. The closure was in effect for two months鈥攖he longest that the park has been closed since the U.S. established it.

Rangers the depth of the lake, but estimates suggest there could be as many as two feet of water in the basin. The last time the basin accumulated such a significant amount of water was nearly 20 years ago, in 2005.听

鈥淭his is a really special time,鈥� Death Valley National Park鈥檚 Superintendent, Mike Reynolds, . 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty rare to see a lake in Death Valley.鈥�

In addition to hosting a new lake, Badwater Basin is also experiencing unseasonable flower blooms, surrounding the lake with yellow and orange pops of color. While the basin isn鈥檛 totally inhospitable to life鈥攊t even has its own species of endemic snail鈥攊t鈥檚 very uncommon for the basin to support flowers after spring ends due to rising temperatures and a shortage of water.听

Ranger Shelby McClintock told the that the park is particularly buggy, and the flowers 鈥渁re really confused, and they鈥檙e in bloom.鈥�

If you鈥檙e hoping to see the lake, however, you鈥檒l need to hustle: In addition to being extremely hot, Badwater Basin has one of the highest evaporation rates in the world, which means that the lake will be short-lived. It could disappear in a matter of weeks.

Park officials remind visitors that Death Valley National Park is , and to expect delays and lowered speed limits until the damage can be fully addressed.听

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For much of last week, the southwestern U.S. and parts of Mexico 听braced for a Category 4 hurricane that the World Meteorological Organization called 鈥淗ilary.鈥� After making landfall on Sunday, August 20, in Mexico鈥檚 Baja California peninsula, as he attempted to cross a stream, Hilary鈥攚hich was downgraded to a tropical storm鈥攂arreled on toward California. On Monday, August 21, officials downgraded the storm again, labeling it听a . Still, the weakening storm鈥攚hich has already slammed California with heavy rain and flooding鈥攃ould still cause significant damage as it moves northward into Nevada.

Anticipating dangerous conditions this weekend, officials closed California鈥檚 Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Nevada鈥檚 Lake Mead National Recreation Area.听

Here鈥檚 what to know about the closures.

Death Valley National Park

By 1:30 P.M. on Sunday, August 20, America鈥檚 鈥渉ottest, driest, and lowest鈥� national park had recorded one inch of rain, enough to cause flash floods and prompt officials to close the park.听听听

鈥淧ark rangers are reminding travelers to 鈥楾urn around, don鈥檛 drown,鈥欌�� the park service said . 鈥淔lash floods are rivers of mud and rocks that can easily sweep cars off roads. Emergency responders may not be able to reach people in need.鈥澨�

An additional one to three inches of rain were expected overnight. During an average year, Death Valley only receives 2.2 inches of rainfall.

Joshua Tree National Park

On Saturday, August 19, Joshua Tree National Park closed to visitors. A flash flood watch is in effect at the park until 5 P.M. on Monday, August 21, with six to eight inches of rain expected.

鈥淛ust a few inches of water can be strong enough to move cars,鈥� officials said in a Facebook post. 鈥淲ashes can quickly turn into streams and rivers after heavy rainfall.鈥�

Mojave National Preserve

The Mojave desert is being hit with torrential rains just after sections of it were burned by the York Fire, which ravaged more than 80,000 acres of its delicate ecosystem. The park service closed Mojave National Preserve on Friday, August 18, anticipating historic flooding. , the preserve was open to visitors, but many roads and facilities remained closed.

鈥淭he storm is expected to cause substantial debris flows and washing out of road shoulders in the preserve, making roadways dangerous and impassable,鈥� officials said . 鈥淥f particular concern is erosion and sediment mobilization exacerbated by the recent York Fire.鈥�

Manzanar National Historic Site

closed to visitors on Sunday, August 20, and is under a flash flood watch until 5 A.M. on Tuesday, . Located six miles south of Independence, California, the site is one of ten former concentration camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.听听

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

On Monday, August 21, park rangers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area were out assessing overnight storm damage, . 鈥淲e will be doing assessments and bringing operations back online in an orderly fashion throughout the day, and we expect the park to re-open and return to normal operations Tuesday,鈥� officials said.

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Sure, our national parks protect stunning landscapes that are the backdrop to countless fond memories for families and adventurers alike. But these parks have also been the scene of baffling crimes and strange scenarios, from gangster-owned moonshine operations to unexplained disappearances.

There are an estimated in our parks, according to the National Park Service. Most of those are accidental鈥攄rowning is the number-one cause鈥攂ut the odd murder does occur.

People occasionally just seem to vanish. The Park Service even maintains a with information about cold cases of people who went missing or were killed on park property, with clues or remains sometimes found but what happened still unknown. The oldest case on the site鈥�the murder of a 10-year-old boy whose remains were found in Rocky Mountain National Park鈥�has been open for 65 years. (If you have information about any of these, you can submit it through the site.)

I鈥檝e compiled some of the most puzzling unsolved mysteries in our national park system.

Yosemite National Park, California

A Severed Hand

Yosemite National Park: Steep granite. Tall waterfalls. Traffic jams in the valley鈥攁nd a severed hand found in a scenic meadow. In 1983, a family was exploring Summit Meadow off Glacier Road when one of the children discovered a severed hand and forearm. In spite of consistent searches from investigators, no other body parts were found, and authorities were unable to identify the victim or make progress on the case. In 1988, a skull was found across the street from the site, but the Park Service still couldn鈥檛 attach a name to the victim.

It wasn鈥檛 that the Park Service, using a DNA profile from the remains, named the victim: Patricia Hicks, a woman linked to a local cult leader who allegedly used LSD to weaken and disorient sexual victims. The man had been convicted of assaulting women in the 1980s, but disappeared before he was incarcerated.

But according to a 2022 report by the San Francisco Gate and a 2022 episode of the ABC News show , investigators think the cult connection was incidental and that Hicks was actually killed by the notorious serial murderer Henry Lee Lucas, who confessed to hundreds of slayings across the nation. Lucas, at the time of his arrest, revealed details about the Summit Meadow crime scene that had not been released in the media.

Still, the details that Lucas gave regarding the incident and victim were deemed circumstantial, so the murder remains unsolved. Lucas died in prison in 2001, and the question of who was behind the murder of Patricia Hicks may never be solved.

听Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Newlyweds Who Disappeared

The Grand Canyon might be best known for its 5,000-foot walls, but the rapids at the bottom of that gorge are huge as well. The Green River and Colorado River descend for more than 270 miles in a torrent of class IV and V whitewater, with multiple massive waves and many boulders to maneuver around. Native Americans likely traveled the Canyon for hundreds of years, but the first European American documented as navigating it was John Wesley Powell, in 1869. Since then, roughly 100 people have drowned in the rapids.

Arguably the most famous and mysterious drowning or incident happened in 1928, when the newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde听attempted to paddle the Grand Canyon on their honeymoon. They were in a boat that Glen had built, attempting a speed-record paddle through the canyon that would also have made Bessie the first woman to run it. (Rubber rafts wouldn鈥檛 become common until after WWII.) The Hydes were last seen on November 18, and their boat was found intact with all of their supplies a month later, on December 19. The boat was in perfect condition, with all of the contents, including Bessie鈥檚 diary, intact.

Search parties scoured the canyon, but their bodies were never found. It鈥檚 possible (and probable) that the couple was washed out of the boat during one of the rapids, and the vessel continued downstream without them. But Glen and Bessie were both experienced rafters.

A popular theory has emerged over the years that Bessie murdered her new husband somewhere deep in the canyon. Another river runner, Emery Kolb, encountered the couple deep in the canyon and noted Bessie鈥檚 hesitance to continue the journey, and that they didn鈥檛 have life jackets.

In 1971, a woman named Elizabeth Cutler claimed to be Bessie Hyde, alleging that she stabbed her husband during a fight and had been living a different life ever since. Cutler eventually denied the claim, and it was later rumored that the pioneering river runner Georgie Clark, the first woman to own a commercial rafting business in the Grand Canyon, was actually Bessie Hyde.

After Clark died in 1992, the Hydes鈥� marriage license was found in her home, as well as a birth certificate identifying Clark as Bessie DeRoss, according to an account by . DeRoss was her birth name; why she changed her first name to Georgie is unknown. Georgie Clark was married twice, and had a daughter who died in a bicycle accident. We don鈥檛 have enough info to say Clark was the Bessie who disappeared in the Grand Canyon, and some historians have discounted the idea.

Everglades National Park, Florida

A Lost City

Everglades National Park is a large, jungle-like expanse of mostly water covering 1.5 million acres in Southern Florida. It鈥檚 also mysterious as hell, the site of more than 175 unsolved murder cases since 1965. Blame the remote nature of the park and its large population of man-eating beasts like alligators and bull sharks; a section of U.S. 41 running through the park, known as Alligator Alley, is a notorious place for murderers to dump bodies.

There are even theories of supernatural shenanigans. In 1945, a group of five Navy bombers took off from Fort Lauderdale on a routine two-hour training flight off the coast of Florida, but the leader of the crew radioed back to the control tower that they were lost. After several increasingly frantic communications, contact ceased entirely. A rescue air ship released to search for the bomber also disappeared.

These missing planes spawned the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, where many ships and planes have disappeared without explanation and which touches a corner of the Everglades. The planes have never been found, but one theory is that the bombers were well off course and crashed in the Everglades.

My favorite Everglades mystery, though, concerns a three-acre island in a remote section of the park south of Alligator Alley known as 鈥淭he Lost City鈥� that at various times throughout history has reportedly been a Seminole settlement, a Confederate soldier hideout, and a moonshine operation. The island doesn鈥檛 appear on any maps, and no roads or known trails lead to it. But according to an article published in the , it is registered as an archeological site in the Florida State Archives and has been studied by state archeologists and wildlife officers, who uncovered ruins of wooden shacks, a canoe, Native artifacts and a large iron kettle, the type often used to distill moonshine out of sugar cane.

Some artifacts were hundreds of years old, but most came from the Prohibition era, when the island was likely used as the hub of a bootlegging operation. Historians aren鈥檛 sure why the original Seminole residents abandoned the settlement. As for the Confederate soldiers, who were supposedly hiding out after stealing Union gold, archeologists believe they were killed by Native Americans for trespassing on sacred ground.

The most recent legend surrounding the island has to do with Al Capone, who reportedly owned a speakeasy in a nearby town during Prohibition and may have run a moonshining operation on the island. Since both the speakeasy and the still were illegal operations, there鈥檚 no paper trail linking the gangster to The Lost City, so we may never know whether this part of his famous tale is true.

Death Valley National Park, California

Missing Tourists

Death Valley National Park is a notoriously inhospitable landscape. It鈥檚 known as the hottest place on earth, with the world-record highest air temperature of 134 degrees recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. The desert, which sits in a basin almost 300 feet below sea level, gets an average of just two inches of rain a year, and when precipitation does come, flash floods are common.

Obviously, summer is one of the most dangerous times to visit the hottest place on earth, which might help explain what happened to four German tourists who in July 1996. The visitors, 34-year-old Egbert Rimkus and his 11-year-old son, and Cornelia Meyer, 27, and her 4-year-old son, were in the U.S. exploring California and the Southwest for a month. They rented a minivan in Los Angeles and entered Death Valley on July 22, scheduled to fly back to Germany on July 27.

But they never made it out of the park. The minivan was found in October of that year by a ranger flying over the southern portion of the park looking for illegal drug labs. He spotted the vehicle in Anvil Canyon, a federally protected wilderness area of the park with no active roads. The van was stuck in the sand, the doors were locked, and three tires were flat.

Investigators linked the minivan to the Germans after tracking down the rental info and were able to trace their itinerary through receipts and wire transfers. After entering the desert on July 22, they camped in Hanaupah Canyon, when temperatures were hitting the mid 120s. Based on a logbook signed by the Germans, rangers believe the group was attempting to cross Mengle Pass鈥攁 rough, 4WD-only road at the end of Butte Valley鈥攃ouldn鈥檛 make it, and tried to reroute through the roadless Anvil Canyon.

Rangers dispatched teams to search for the Germans after discovering the minivan, but were only able to find a single Bud Ice beer bottle located 1.7 miles east of the site. After four days and more than 250 people involved in the effort, the search was called off.

Getting lost in the desert and dying of heat stroke is the most plausible answer to the fate of the Germans, but the fact that they disappeared without a trace is puzzling. Some suspected foul play (possibly regarding illegal drug operations), and others suggested the Germans staged their disappearance to start a new life. Or could the Germans have seen something they weren鈥檛 supposed to at a nearby military institution? This area of the park was also near a ranch associated with Charles Manson and his cult.

Theories circled the lost Germans for more than a decade. It wasn鈥檛 until 13 years later that two avid hikers and search-and-rescue members from Riverside County, California, who had been researching the disappearance found the remains of the adult Germans in a remote and rugged portion of the park, four miles from the border of the China Lake Military Facility and eight miles from their minivan. More bones were found on subsequent searches, but there wasn鈥檛 enough DNA to connect the remains to the children.

Evidence seems to point towards the visitors making a series of fatal mistakes, like using outdated maps and traveling in the desert without sufficient emergency supplies, then attempting a shortcut (Mengle Pass) on unknown terrain. The fact that four people, including young children, were able to leave the van and hike for miles without leaving a trace, save for a single beer bottle, is still odd. In the end, so much time passed between the Germans going missing and the partial remains being found, that investigators will likely never have a complete picture.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

A Child Disappears

Great Smoky Mountains is probably best known as a drive-through park鈥攁 place where most people stick to the roads, established viewpoints, and short nature trails starting within a few feet of parking lots. But there are remote sections of the park, and the forest is dense, with a thick understory of rhododendron obscuring terrain beyond the trail. That鈥檚 the terrain that the Martin family was camping in when their six-year-old son, Dennis, .

Over Father鈥檚 Day weekend, the Martins and two other families camped out in Spence Field, a backcountry meadow of roughly five miles from the nearest road. Dennis, his older brother, and a few other boys wanted to play a prank on their parents, hiding in the bushes and jumping out to scare them. Dennis鈥檚 father saw his son step off the trail into the bushes鈥攁nd it was the last time anyone ever saw him.

When the other boys jumped out of the bushes a few minutes later, Dennis was absent. The family searched for him for four hours before hiking to the nearest ranger station to alert authorities. A massive search commenced, with more than 1,000 people involved, but no sign of the missing child was found.

To this day, the search remains the largest ever deployed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it influenced the way in which national parks undertake modern searches. It鈥檚 now widely accepted that the sheer volume of inexperienced people looking for Dennis probably obscured any clues that professional search-and-rescue crews might have uncovered. Now, when a person goes missing inside a park, a few experienced trackers are deployed first. Only hours or days later are larger search parties engaged in the effort.

The FBI suspected no foul play in the case of Dennis Martin. A number of false reports initially gave hope for some closure for the Martin family, but none panned out. Early in the investigation, a witness reported hearing a child scream and seeing a strange man drive away in a white Chevy, but investigators ruled the incident unrelated because it was too far from the last place Dennis was seen. In the 1980s, a hiker looking to harvest ginseng illegally inside the park reported finding the skeleton of a child roughly 10 miles from Spence Field, but when rangers searched the area, they found nothing.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

A Murder

National parks rely heavily on seasonal employees, who generally occupy jobs during the busy, warm months, often living in employee housing. That was exactly what Sheila Kearns was doing in Mount Rainier National Park in 1996. Sheila Kearns, age 43, was hired to work in the park鈥檚 Paradise Inn in August, and by all was so good at it that she was hired to stay on through the winter.

Employees at Mount Rainier mark the end of a season with a bonfire and party. The last time anyone saw Kearns was at one of those parties, on October 4, 1996, when she told a coworker how excited she was to stay on. Kearns was in the process of moving into her new employee housing unit over the next few days when she disappeared. On October 6, she didn鈥檛 show up to work. Her possessions were in her new room, but there was no sign of Kearns.

A three-day search in the park revealed nothing. As the Seattle Times wrote in 1997, 鈥淧ark officials at first believed Kearns might have become lost on a trail but later said she might have been abducted.鈥� Winters are rough in Mount Rainier, and within weeks of the search, snow set in. Seven months later, in May 1997, after the spring thaw, a volunteer who was setting up a navigation course for park rangers found skeletal remains at the community building in the old Longmire campground, about a mile from the inn. The remains were scattered around a 300-yard area.

Almost 40 years later, the question of who or what killed Kearns remains unanswered. At the time the FBI investigated possible suspects but to this day does not have a person of interest.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 easily spooked and admits that researching these mysteries made him think twice on multiple occasions recently when out in the woods on his own. But even after exploring these unfortunate events, he knows that the national parks and forests are arguably the safest places in the country.

The post The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There鈥檚 nothing better than rolling up to an incredible panorama in one of our storied national parks. The following views, of high-desert mesas, moss-cloaked redwoods, vast mountain ranges, and more, have something to stoke the inner wonder of just about everyone.

I鈥檝e visited every national park in America, and some the most awe-inspiring experiences in each are the stunning overlooks. So I鈥檝e selected a list of my favorite vistas in all 63 parks, with a keen eye for easy access and geological diversity. Of course, I threw in a couple of leg-busting treks and arm-churning paddles for those among us who like to sweat to earn their views, too.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

When a national park institutes a vehicle-reservation system, it can feel like a giant red flag to head elsewhere in search of solitude. Not so with Acadia鈥檚 famed Cadillac Mountain, which can get quite crowded. From October through early March, this granite dome receives the first rays of sun in the continental U.S., and view-seeking visitors can gaze out at a smattering of wooded islets dotting Frenchman Bay as the sky lights up in hues of rose and coral.

Best Way to Reach This View: Don a headlamp for the predawn pedal 3.5 miles up to the 1,530-foot summit. Or hike the 2.2-mile (one-way) Cadillac North Ridge Trail, with an elevation gain of approximately 1,100 feet. For a hiking route up the North Ridge Trail, check out .

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

The next time you鈥檙e in Arches National Park, skip the masses at Delicate Arch and instead drive west to the labyrinth of striated red-rock pinnacles at Fiery Furnace, a scenic pullout that overlooks Utah鈥檚 La Sal Mountains. Serious hikers who want to get up close and personal with this vermillion jumble of rock need to nab a day-hiking permit ($10), or vie for the very popular ranger-guided tour ($16), bookable a week in advance.

Best Way to Reach This View: Motor the 14 miles north from the entrance station and follow the signs to the viewpoint. For a hiking route of the Fiery Furnace Loop鈥攁 valuable resource, as the Park Service warns visitors of the dangers of getting lost in the landscape鈥攃heck out .

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

Take a morning to enjoy a drive on Badlands Loop Road via the park鈥檚 northeast entrance and pull off at the first signed viewpoint, Big Badlands Overlook, for a sweeping panorama of the eastern portion of the park鈥檚 Wall Formation. Geology enthusiasts will marvel at the clay-colored stripes of the Oligocene-era Brule Formation and the charcoal gray of the Eocene-era Chadron Formation.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Wall, take Highway 90 southeast for 20 miles, then turn south on Route 240 and continue for another five miles. The overlook is located just past the northeast entrance station.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

Big Bend is a park that defies Texas landscape conventions, encompassing the verdant Chisos Mountains as they rise over 7,000 feet from the Chihuahuan Desert below, and the South Rim Trail is the best way to experience the majestic scenery. The southern tip of this 12.9-mile loop is where the viewpoint lies, with a vista of sprawling arid hilltops that spill into northern Mexico.

Best Way to Reach This View: Start at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. At the fork, head either southwest toward Laguna Meadows or southeast toward the Pinnacles (the steeper pick). Expect an elevation gain of 3,500 feet and about six and a half hours to finish the entire thing. For a hiking route of the South Rim Trail, check out .

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

One of the most scenic keys, Boca Chita is also one of the most interesting, home to a fascinating history of lavish parties thrown by wealthy entrepreneurs in the early 1900s. Legend has it that an elephant was once brought to the island for a wild soiree. These days the raucous festivities have died down, but the 65-foot lighthouse and its observation deck still offer a pretty swell view of shimmering Biscayne Bay, mangrove-lined lagoons, and the hazy Miami skyline.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a guided boat trip with the Biscayne National Park Institute for an expert-led journey through the keys, with a stop at Boca Chita. Call in advance to find out whether a Park Service employee will be around to open the observation deck.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

If you make it to Black Canyon and don鈥檛 want to dirty your hands on the 1,800-foot scramble down into the maw of its craggy cliffs, make a beeline for Painted Wall Overlook, which peers out at the tallest cliff in the state (a whopping 2,250 feet from river to rim). If you鈥檙e lucky, you might even spot a few intrepid climbers scaling the face of dark gneiss and rose-tinted pegmatite.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the South Rim Campground, drive or bike five miles north on Rim Drive Road (closed November through April) until you reach the parking lot for the overlook; from there it鈥檚 a five-minute walk.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

With its many-layered view of crumbling Technicolor hoodoos and a singular limber pine tree with roots akimbo, Sunrise Point is a fantastic place to start a day in Bryce Canyon. From here, you鈥檙e at a fantastic jumping-off point for exploring the rust-colored sandstone of Bryce鈥檚 namesake amphitheater via the Queen鈥檚 Garden Trail.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park鈥檚 visitor center, it鈥檚 just 1.2 miles to the Sunrise Point parking lot. The walk to the lookout is another half-mile farther and is both pet- and wheelchair-friendly.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

There鈥檚 a little something for everyone in this area of the park (Island in the Sky), whether you鈥檙e simply craving thoughtful moments gazing at the panorama at Grand View Point, or want to immerse yourself even more amid the natural surrounds with a mile-long cliffside stroll to a second viewpoint (Grand View Point Overlook) with even more jaw-dropping scenery, followed by class-two scramble if you鈥檙e so inclined. Whichever you choose, you鈥檒l be wowed by the amber and crimson mesa tops of the Canyonlands as you gaze down at White Rim Road and the churning Colorado River.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, head 12 miles to the end of Grand View Point Road for the initial viewpoint. It鈥檚 an easy amble to the second viewpoint, though unpaved.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

Easily overlooked in favor of crowd-pleasing hikes to Chimney Rock and Cassidy Arch, Panorama Point is at its viewpoint best when the sun starts to set and the stars twinkle into being. The highlight is the cathedral-like red-rock towers that comprise the park鈥檚 famous Waterpocket Fold Formation, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth鈥檚 crust.

Best Way to Reach This View: Panorama Point is a mere 2.5 miles west of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center. From its parking lot, it鈥檚 just 0.1 mile to the viewing area.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

It鈥檚 tough to pick the most notable view in a cave-centric park that actor Will Rogers once called 鈥渢he Grand Canyon with a roof over it,鈥� but Carlsbad Cavern鈥檚 Temple of the Sun, with its mushroom-like stalagmite surrounded by thousands of spindly stalactites, takes the cake. Accessible via a ranger-led tour or a self-guided jaunt along the wheelchair-friendly Big Room Trail, these miraculous natural limestone sculptures are a bucket-list-worthy detour on any road trip.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the natural entrance, it鈥檚 1.25 descent to the Big Room via a paved pathway. Alternatively, you can drop deep into the cavern via an elevator, and then make our way to the Temple of the Sun.

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

In spring, tiny Anacapa Island bursts into bloom, and Inspiration Point is the best place for photographers and flower aficionados to admire the display of brilliant orange poppies, pale island morning glories, and canary-yellow sunflowers. Because the point faces west, head up to see the sun dip into the Pacific.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a day trip to the islands with Island Packers, keeping an eye out for migrating gray whales en route. Inspiration Point is located at the halfway point of its namesake 1.5 mile loop, a flat route that begins at the Anacapa Visitor Center.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

Years ago, we named Congaree鈥檚 Boardwalk Loop Trail one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in America, and Weston Lake Overlook is a phenomenal place to soak up the park鈥檚 shady expanse of old-growth hardwood forest. It鈥檚 also a great spot to birdwatch鈥搆eep your eyes peeled for the prothonotary warbler, American woodcock, and red-headed woodpecker.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Sims Trail, branch off on the 4.4-mile Weston Lake Trail (marked by yellow blazes) and continue 2.4 miles along the wooden planks to the lookout.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

Featuring one of the most spectacular views of Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone at the western end of Crater Lake, Watchman Overlook and its eponymous observation station are must-see sites on any trip to this southern Oregon park. Look out for lilac-tinted phlox and delicate yellow buckwheat blossoms in the summertime. When you reach the summit, it’s everything you鈥檇 hope for: a 360-degree view of the deep sapphire tarn.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head out from the Watchman Overlook parking lot. You鈥檒l ascend 413 feet to the observation station and encounter a series of switchbacks near the top. The 1.6-mile out-and-back takes about an hour to complete.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

Tucked away between the urban centers of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley is a locally renowned national park full of lichen-splotched sandstone ledges, riverside biking paths, and picturesque waterfalls, of which Brandywine Falls is the most famous. Fall is a spectacular time to visit, when the 60-foot-tall cascade is surrounded by a fiery collage of foliage. Hikers who want more of an outing can stretch their legs on the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop to take in bright red sugar maples against the smoke-hued ravine.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there is a designated parking lot for the falls, it鈥檚 often full, so plan to arrive before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M. for a spot. From there, the upper viewing point is just a few hundred feet away via a boardwalk trail.

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

Catching the sunrise at Zabriskie Point is the stuff of photographers鈥� dreams. Undulating ripples of golden and umber badlands stretch out all the way to Badwater Basin, a staggering 282 feet below sea level. In the distance, 11,049-foot Telescope Peak (the highest in the park) rises like an apparition as the morning鈥檚 first rays paint the summit of Manly Beacon in honeyed tones.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, within the park, drive five miles south on Highway 190 to the viewpoint.

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

With only one byway through its 4,740,091-acre wilderness, Denali is a place where it pays to spend a little extra time exploring. Wonder Lake is about as close as you can get to the High One (as Native tribes refer to North America鈥檚 tallest peak) without donning a pack and making that arduous trek, and it鈥檚 the best spot to nab a photo of Denali reflected in a pool of mirror-clear water. Pro tip: Plan ahead and book a campsite at Wonder Lake Campground to enjoy dreamy morning vistas and evening ranger programs.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park entrance, drive 85 miles west along the 92.5-mile-long Park Road.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

An enormous structure built with 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson was a key defensive structure during the Civil War, used to protect Union shipments heading to and from the Mississippi River. Nowadays it鈥檚 the defining feature of Dry Tortugas National Park. From its cannon-dotted rooftop, you can spot shallow reef systems and admire the sandy beaches and endless aquamarine ocean.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take the daily from Key West to Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson; entrance to the fort is included in the price of your ferry ticket (from $200). Head up to the uppermost tier during a guided ranger tour or on your own.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

In a mostly flat park full of sawgrass slough, slow-moving brackish water, and tangles of mangrove trees, choosing a memorable view in the Everglades is a tricky task. Wildlife is the real showstopper, and along the Anhinga Trail, animal-savvy guests have a high chance of spotting purple gallinules, great blue herons, nesting anhingas, and the park鈥檚 most notorious resident鈥攖he alligator. Take a break in the shaded observation deck (and don鈥檛 forget the binoculars).

Best Way to Reach This View: The 0.8-mile (round trip) paved Anhinga Trail starts and ends at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. It is wheelchair accessible.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

Rising out of the treeless tundra, the towering granite fins of the Arrigetch Peaks, in northern Alaska, look more like gods than monoliths. It鈥檚 a view worthy of the arduous journey to get to these reaches of the park, an area sometimes called the Yosemite of Alaska. The experts at Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s offer guided trips (from $6,000), or if you鈥檙e fine seeing the razor-sharp summits from a plane window, Brooks Range Aviation (from $785) can arrange flightseeing tours.

Best Way to Reach This View: Visitors headed to the Arrigetch Peaks will do so via bush plane, landing on a gravel riverbank. Then it鈥檚 an eight-mile hike to set up camp in the valley below the peaks.

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

Gateway Arch is a park rife with human history, from the once massive Native city of Cahokia to the famed Dred Scott court case, which hastened the Civil War when the Supreme Court judged that no Black people were entitled to citizenship. The best vantage point from which to take it all in is Luther Ely Smith Square, which, in addition to boasting a sky-high view of the iconic chrome arch, overlooks the historic Old Courthouse.

Best Way to Reach This View: The square, a downtown St. Louis greenspace, is located between the Old Courthouse and the Mississippi River.

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

Flip through any traveler鈥檚 photos from Glacier Bay, and you鈥檙e likely to see snaps of the icy, serrated teeth of the Margerie Glacier, dramatically calving into the Tarr Inlet from the Fairweather Mountain Range. Stay on the lookout for harbor seals and playful sea otters on recently separated icebergs.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a ($262.44) for the best access to this rapidly changing river of ice.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

The Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park is such a coveted road-trip stop that the Park Service instituted a new vehicle-reservation system for it this year. The most striking panorama of Grinnell Point, Mount Wilbur, and Angel Wing鈥攁ll visible from the 鈥攊s worth any extra entry-permit effort.

Best Way to Reach This View: Lace up your boots for an easy 2.7-mile hike that circumnavigates the lake. Better yet, book a room at Many Glacier Hotel so you鈥檒l have the view all to yourself when the day crowds disperse.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

Sure, Mather Point steals most of the attention when it comes to the Grand Canyon鈥檚 South Rim, but I prefer Desert View, near the park鈥檚 eastern boundary, for its peaceful campground and dearth of visitors. Plus, the site鈥檚 famous watchtower, designed by Parkitecture maven Mary Colter, was inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Colorado Plateau, and it makes a fantastic focal point when snapping photos of 鈥渢he big ditch.鈥�

Best Way to Reach This View: For the most scenic route, head 23 miles east along Desert View Drive from Grand Canyon Village.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

Go early to skip the Grand Teton鈥檚 throngs and park at Jenny Lake Overlook to admire second-to-none views of craggy Cascade Canyon and the razor-like protrusions of igneous granite that rise sharply from its depths. From here, visitors can take in the sheer enormity of the Teton Crest, with outstanding photo ops of Mount Moran and Teewinot Mountain. If you鈥檙e up for a hike, try the seven-mile Jenny Lake Loop, which offers even more epic lake scenery, as well as potential sightings of moose and bald eagles.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Moose, within the park, head nine miles north on Teton Park Road to the lake.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

Nearly every national park has a Mather Overlook, named after the first director of the National Park Service, and at Great Basin, in eastern Nevada, his namesake viewpoint offers a grand perspective of 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, the second highest in the state. Flanked by ancient bristlecone pines, which can live up to 5,000 years, the mountain is split dramatically in two, with the breathtaking Wheeler Cirque crumbling into a sepia-stained bowl beneath the prominent summit.

Best Way to Reach This View: This is an overlook that can only be accessed between June and late October due to hazardous conditions that close roads in winter. From the eastern park entrance, head west along the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. A pullout for the overlook is about halfway.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

Though it鈥檚 the most popular day-hiking objective at Great Sand Dunes, in southeastern Colorado, the trek up to High Dune is sure to leave even the most seasoned hiker huffing and puffing. With a lofty elevation of over 8,000 feet, and the effort required to plod uphill against the drag of sand, be prepared for burning calves and bring plenty of water for the 2.5-mile slog to the summit. The view from the top is truly spectacular, however, with awesome sights to the听 towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains鈥揾ome to ten fourteeners.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no trails in the entire park, but you鈥檒l see the High Dune from the main parking lot. Cross Medano Creek and then start making your way up to the top, logging an elevation gain of 700 feet. For most hikers, getting up and back takes two to four hours.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

The four-mile (one way) hike to Charlies Bunion is one of the most thrilling in Great Smoky Mountains, due to the sheer number of iconic sights along the way. You鈥檒l be wowed by rolling, verdant mountains and wend through northern hardwood forests and past rhododendron shrubs before topping out at 5,565 feet.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at Newfound Gap, on the Tennessee鈥揘orth Carolina state line, then hitch a left onto the Appalachian Trail and proceed to the summit. For a hiking route up Charlies Bunion, check out .

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

Ask any ranger in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where to watch the sun set over the 鈥淭op of Texas,鈥� and they鈥檒l tell you the remote Salt Basin Dunes, in the park鈥檚 northwestern corner. Made of bright white gypsum, this sandy expanse showcases the unbelievable prominence of conifer-topped Guadalupe Peak, once a sprawling coral reef when the Delaware Sea covered a large swath of America roughly 275 million years ago.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Pine Springs Visitor Center, it鈥檚 a 47-mile drive to the Salt Basin Dunes parking area; from here, hike a mile and a half to reach the actual dunes.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

Much like Acadia鈥檚 Cadillac Mountain, you鈥檒l need a special timed reservation to take in the sunrise atop Haleakala鈥檚 10,023-foot summit (reservable up to 60 days in advance), but after 7 A.M., day-use visitors can enjoy the show as well. From this incredible vantage point鈥攖he highest on Maui鈥攜ou can enjoy top-down views of the huge, richly colored crater, as well as the Big Island if the weather鈥檚 clear.

Best Way to Reach This View: The drive to the top from the Summit District entrance takes up to three hours and sees a change in elevation of 3,000 feet, so get ready to rise early and be fully awake before you attempt the narrow, winding road.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

If you鈥檙e in Hawaii and eager to see some lava, head for this park鈥檚 Kilauea Overlook, located near the southern end of the Big Island. A hike will allow you to take in the dramatic aftermath of the site鈥檚 2018 eruption and subsequent summit collapse, but if you鈥檇 rather not work up a sweat, park at the viewpoint鈥檚 lot at sunset and stand in awe of the otherworldly pink glow emanating from the bowels of the earth.

Best Way to Reach This View: Trek the flat, 2.5-mile (one way) Crater Rim Trail, which can be accessed from a handful of popular tourist spots along Crater Rim Drive.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

Much of the joy of a visit to this national park is relaxing in the town鈥檚 historic Bathhouse Row. If, however, you鈥檙e willing to get in a bit of exercise on your spa-cation, there are some sincerely stellar views to be had of this quaint Ouachita Mountains community鈥攁nd the hike to this pavilion is at the top of my list. (Many also buy a ticket and ride a 216-foot elevator to the top of Hot Springs Tower for expansive vistas of the surrounding Diamond Lakes area after reaching the initial viewpoint.)

Best Way to Reach This View: Take in the stately architecture of thermal-bath palaces on the Grand Promenade, then ascend the 0.6-mile Peak Trail, just off the promenade, until you reach the pavilion, which faces south.

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

Right next to the park鈥檚 Century of Progress Homes, a gaggle of experimental houses left over from the 1933 World鈥檚 Fair in Chicago, is Lake View Beach, which gazes out from the southern tip of Lake Michigan. On a fair-weather day, visitors can make out the right angles of the Windy City鈥檚 high-rises, but at sunset, the sky turns to breathtaking shades of fuchsia and the waves crashing along the sandy shore feel more like an ocean than a Great Lake.

Best Way to Reach This View: It鈥檚 55 miles from the center of Chicago to the town of Beverly Shores. Look for the parking area dedicated to the beach.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

Named some of the best 100 miles of trail in the entire national park system by , the day hike to Scoville Point showcases this region鈥檚 boreal forest at its best. Not only does the path run parallel to the shoreline for near constant views of Lake Superior, it also boasts some striking scenery. Hunt for moose munching among stands of balsam fir, and at the end of the trek, feast your eyes on rocky islets dotted with conifers, a trademark of Isle Royale鈥檚 archipelago.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there鈥檚 more than one way to arrive at the point via the Stoll Memorial Trail and then the Scoville Point Trail, the easier (and shaded) way is to amble adjacent to Tobin Harbor to the tip of the peninsula.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

Named after the Keys family, who built and maintained one of the most successful homesteads in Southern California鈥檚 arid Joshua Tree desert, Keys View is a thrilling destination for road-tripping travelers who want to feel as though they鈥檙e standing at the edge of the known universe. A 500-foot, fully paved loop allows guests to savor a vista of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley, and Salton Sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, drive 21 miles south to the terminus of Keys View Road.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

Most travelers to Katmai National Park are there for one thing and one thing only鈥�grizzly bear viewing鈥攁nd the boardwalk overlook at Brooks Falls is perhaps the best spot in the U.S. to watch these 700-pound mammals fish. You won鈥檛 be disappointed.

Best Way to Reach This View: Following a brief, ranger-led bear orientation, take the 1.2-mile (round trip) Brooks Falls Trail to a wooden platform overlooking a roaring waterfall, which, if you鈥檙e lucky, will give you the experience you came for鈥攗rsine creatures hungrily snatching salmon from the air. For a hiking route to Brooks Falls, check out .

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

It takes effort to get out to Aialik Glacier (typically a two-hour boat ride, followed by three miles of kayaking), but along the way, you can search for wriggling sea otters, playful Dall鈥檚 porpoises, spouting humpback whales, and soaring bald eagles. Once face to face with this moving sheet of ice, the most rapidly calving in Kenai Fjords, paddlers have the opportunity to watch and listen for 鈥渨hite thunder,鈥� the sound huge hunks of ice make when they crash into the sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: I used Kayak 国产吃瓜黑料s Worldwide for my adventure to Aialik Glacier (from $489; trips available mid-May through early September), based in Seward. You鈥檒l first take a water-taxi trip south to Aialik Bay, a fantastic way to spot all kinds of wildlife, before suiting up at a beach and sliding into your kayak. Expect to paddle for three hours.

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

This one鈥檚 for all my backpacking brethren. As a predominately wilderness-designated area (meaning that trails can only be used for hiking and horseback riding, and human development is extremely minimal), Kings Canyon is a mecca for trekkers who鈥檇 rather don a pack for dozens of miles than motor around to car-friendly overlooks. The lake is a sparkling cobalt gem flanked by glacier-polished granite peaks. One thing鈥檚 for certain鈥搚ou鈥檒l find pristine solitude when you arrive.

Best Way to Reach This View: The lake can be accessed via the 211-mile John Muir Trail, a 36-mile loop departing from Bishop, or a pack-animal trip out of Muir Trail Ranch.

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley often rounds out the list of least-visited national parks, but there鈥檚 a small landing strip situated at the edge of its most noteworthy geological feature, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, that makes this far-out park accessible for anyone who can tolerate bush planes.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the small town of Kotzebue, hop onto a flightseeing day tour with Golden Eagle Outfitters, or splurge on a 12-day hiking and packrafting trip with Alaska Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s that starts and finishes in Fairbanks.

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

Flanked by 8,000-foot peaks and a colorful array of tundra plants like crowberry and reindeer lichen, Turquoise Lake is a quintessential example of an outrageously teal, glacially fed tarn. It鈥檒l take a bit of extra effort to get there (compared to commercial-flight-accessible Port Alsworth), but expert guiding services offering kayaking and hiking trips will handle all the logistics for you, so you can relish the extraordinary ridges and ravines of the Alaska Range.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no roads in the park. You鈥檒l have to take a small plane in to reach the lake. We suggest going on an outfitted trip, again with .

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

After a hamstring-busting two-mile ascent to the top of Cinder Cone, in Northern California鈥檚 often overlooked Lassen Volcanic National Park, hikers have a chance to view one of the most eye-catching geological features in the entire park system. The aptly named Fantastic Lava Beds surround the park鈥檚 incredible painted dunes, a series of warm-toned hills of oxidized volcanic ash. Grab a site at Butte Lake Campground to revel in marvelous night skies, just a short jaunt from the trailhead.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take Highway 44 about 24 miles from the park鈥檚 northwest entrance to a six-mile dirt road that leads to the Butte Lake Day Use Area. Cinder Cone Trailhead is located near the boat ramp.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

Home to the longest known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave, in central Kentucky, is not a park that鈥檚 typically recognized for its naturally sculpted cave formations (like those found in Carlsbad Caverns). However, guests who embark on the ranger-led Domes and Dripstones tour can witness remarkable stalactites and stalagmites, plus wavy drapery-style limestone formations that look like a canopy on a princess鈥檚 four-poster bed.

Best Way to Reach This View: You鈥檒l have to sign up for a tour at the visitor center and be able to descend and climb back up a series of stairs.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

No visit to Mesa Verde is complete without a trip to Cliff Palace Overlook, which offers a majestic view of the largest Ancestral Puebloan dwelling in the park. With over 150 rooms and 21 kivas (ceremonial spaces), this site was thought to be a vibrant gathering place with a population of roughly 100 people. You鈥檒l see and learn about 800-year-old stone structures. Ranger-guided tours are also available for a closer glimpse of Ancestral Puebloan architecture.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head down Chapin Mesa to the six-mile Cliff Palace Loop and pull off at the designated parking area.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

The imposing face of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48, looms perfectly above the idyllic cascade of Myrtle Falls, creating a postcard-worthy photo op for passing hikers. Along the hike in, learn about the park鈥檚 remarkable wildflower displays and try to spot purple penstemon, crimson paintbrush, and porcelain bear grass from the path.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take a 0.8-mile stroll (round trip) along the Skyline Trail, located in the park鈥檚 popular Paradise area.

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

Near the tiny village of Vatia, on the northern shore of Tutuila Island, the forested 0.1-mile Pola Island Trail boasts a jaw-dropping view with minimal effort. Park in the shade near a sign marking the well-worn, easy path, then hop over a boulder-strewn beach to soak up incomparable views of ragged Pacific coastline, swaying palm trees, and the craggy cliffs of Pola Island, one of the park鈥檚 most important nesting sites for seabirds like boobies and frigates.

Best Way to Reach This View: To reach the trailhead, drive past the last house at the end of the road in Vatia. The road then turns to dirt, and you鈥檒l come upon a small parking area. You鈥檒l see a sign for the short trail leading to the beach.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

Yes, you could drive up to New River Gorge鈥檚 namesake bridge for kickass views, but my favorite photo op of the famous roadway lies at the end of the 1.6-mile (one way) trail to Long Point. Not only will visitors here get to meander through a forest of hemlock, beech, and white oak, but they鈥檒l also glean outstanding glimpses of rafters floating down the New if they time their outing just right.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Long Point Trailhead is off of Gateway Road, about two miles from the town of Fayetteville.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

One of the most memorable things about North Cascades (apart from its generally crowd-free hiking trails) is its plethora of hanging glaciers, strung between high alpine summits. The moderate 3.7-mile (one way) trek to Cascade Pass will wow you with sensational panoramas of granitic cliffs plunging into Pelton Basin, but for a real showstopper, plan an overnight backpacking trip and continue up the broad shoulder of Sahale Mountain, pitching a tent at Sahale Glacier Camp and enjoying its bird鈥檚-eye view of the Triplets, Mount Baker, and Mount Shuksan.

Best Way to Reach This View: You鈥檒l reach the starting point for the Cascade Pass Trailhead at the end of Cascade Pass Road. For a hiking route to Sahale Glacier Camp, check out .

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

Consult a tide chart before heading out, then motor over to Rialto Beach, on the northwestern shoreline of Washington鈥檚 Olympic Peninsula. There you鈥檒l find enormous driftwood logs, rocky sea stacks, and bold surfers braving the chilly Pacific Ocean. If you feel like stretching your legs, an easy three-mile (round trip) walk along the coast will bring you past tidepools crawling with life to Hole in the Wall, a volcanic outcropping with a natural arch that鈥檚 perfect for pictures.

Best Way to Reach This View: The beach is about 75 miles from Port Angeles. Once you reach Olympic, you鈥檒l be on Highway 101, the road that goes around the park. Exit onto La Push Road and drive eight miles. Then turn onto Mora Road, and after about five miles you鈥檒l find the parking lot for the beach.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

Though the park is best known for its logs of crystallized conifers, Petrified Forest is also home to some seriously colorful painted-desert hills. At Kachina Point, located just outside the 1930s-era Painted Desert Inn, the rich reds and tangerines of these undulating knolls are on full display. After a quick photo break, be sure to check out Hopi artist Fred Kabotie鈥檚 gorgeous murals on display inside the inn.

Best Way to Reach This View: The point is located about two miles from the north entrance of the park. Stroll on the accessible trail behind the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark to the overlook.

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

Pinnacles is a funny little sleeper park that鈥檚 often overshadowed by California鈥檚 celebrity public lands like Joshua Tree and Yosemite, but anyone who鈥檚 ventured into the park鈥檚 golden breccia spires knows that they鈥檙e a worthy road-trip destination. Condor Gulch Overlook gives guests a chance to enjoy an up-close view of the park鈥檚 famous pinnacles on a well-worn, family-friendly path. Bring your binoculars and try to spot an endangered California condor.

Best Way to Reach This View: The overlook is one mile from the Bear Gulch Nature Center.

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

When in Redwoods, it鈥檚 necessary to make a pilgrimage to Tall Trees Grove, a stand of old-growth sempervirens that protect the tallest trees on earth. Don your hiking shoes for a 4.5-mile (round trip) moderate hike around a lush forest of mossy coastal redwoods that鈥檒l have even the grinchiest people believing in fairies. The whole hike takes around four hours.

Best Way to Reach This View: First reserve a free for an access code to the area鈥檚 restricted road to the Tall Trees Trail. It鈥檚 an hour drive, parts of which are on a narrow and winding dirt road, from the park visitor center to the trailhead.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

On my first-ever trip to this national park, 国产吃瓜黑料 writer Brendan Leonard told me that if I only made it to one lake inside the park, it had to be Mills Lake, and boy, was he right. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hike 2.6 miles鈥攑ast rushing waterfalls and huge granite boulders鈥攂efore dipping your toes into the frigid snowmelt of Mills Lake, which overlooks the dramatic northern crags of Longs Peak.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head south on Bear Lake Road for about eight miles and park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Ascend the trail from there to Mills Lake. Arrange a vehicle reservation (or free park shuttle) if you鈥檙e traveling between May and October. For a hiking route to Mills Lake, check out .

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

When you鈥檝e had enough of Saguaro鈥檚 thorny, many-armed cacti from the vantage point of your car window and you鈥檙e ready to get your heart rate up, head to the commanding summit of 4,688-foot Wasson Peak, the tallest in the park鈥檚 western section. Keep your eyes peeled for petroglyphs as you ascend past saguaro, ocotillo, and prickly pear cactus. Once you reach the top, give yourself a high five and look out across the urban breadth of Tucson all the way to the park鈥檚 eastern Rincon Mountain District.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at the Kings Canyon Trailhead and then expect a strenuous four-mile hike (and nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain) to the summit.

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

Bearpaw Meadow is one of those miraculous, only-in-the-parks vistas that dreams are made of, and getting there is an adventure all its own. You鈥檒l be treated to soul-stirring views of the imposing granite domes and summits of the remote Sierra Nevada. Set up your tent at Bearpaw Meadow鈥檚 backcountry campground, or, if you鈥檙e feeling spendy, get a glamping tent and dinner at High Sierra Camp.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park鈥檚 iconic Crescent Meadow area, which hosts a grove of towering old-growth sequoias, hike for 11.4 miles to Bearpaw Meadow along the High Sierra Trail, taking in inspiring views of Moro Rock, the powerful Kaweah River, and the Great Western Divide.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

Rise before dawn and cruise along Shenandoah鈥檚 winding, 105-mile Skyline Drive to admire profound sunrise views from this east-facing overlook. An unusual outcropping of ancient granite makes the perfect ledge from which to enjoy Virginia鈥檚 rolling pastoral hillsides as the sky turns from apricot to bright blue.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the park at the Thornton Gap Entrance Station. The overlook is at mile 33 on Skyline Drive.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

The large stone shelter at River Bend Overlook, in eastern North Dakota, makes for a picturesque family portrait, with a backdrop of shrub-speckled badlands and a U-shaped swerve in the serpentine Little Missouri River. It鈥檚 a vast and gorgeous view out onto the river valley.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the north unit of the park on Scenic Drive. The overlook is about eight miles in. Park and walk up a short trail to the viewing deck. For a closer look at the park鈥檚 iron-impregnated sandstone and wavering grasslands, hop onto the 0.8-mile Caprock Coulee Trail and saunter away from the automobile crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

So much of Virgin Islands National Park, on the island of St. John, is about appreciating the scenery beneath the waves. But the Cruz Bay Overlook, on the moderate Lind Point Trail, is a great stopover between snorkeling trips. Pull off at the signed viewpoint for a commanding look at the boat traffic sailing to and from gorgeous Cruz Bay, the island鈥檚 main port. If you鈥檙e looking for a little more exercise, continue on to Solomon Beach for a secluded white-sand oasis.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Lind Point Trail starts just behind the park visitor center and ends at Honeymoon Bay or Solomon Bay. A spur off the trail leads to the Cruz Bay Overlook.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

Whether you鈥檙e just driving through Voyageurs or you鈥檙e renting a houseboat for the entire family, this wheelchair-accessible overlook on the edge of enormous Lake Kabetogama will provide a fantastic cross section of the area鈥檚 natural wonders. Tiny islets are freckled with boreal forest. White and red pines intersperse with fir and spruce trees. And the distant, mournful call of a loon can often be heard at dusk.

Best Way to Reach This View: It鈥檚 an easy 0.4-mile trail to reach the overlook. The trailhead is at the third parking area on Meadowood Drive near the Ash River Visitor Center.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

In the heart of White Sands, the Roadrunner Picnic Area offers guests a cozy resting place, surrounded by a vast expanse of glowing white gypsum dune fields. The site鈥檚 futuristic picnic tables, complete with corrugated metal awnings to protect against ferocious wind and sun, are a fabulous spot from which to enjoy and explore this New Mexico park as the sun sets beyond the Organ Mountains.

Best Way to Reach This View: The picnic area is located about six to seven miles on the main road from the fee station.

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

The historic fire tower atop Rankin Ridge dates back to 1956, and though visitors are not permitted to climb it, it sits on the highest point in Wind Cave (5,013 feet) and makes for an excellent photo backdrop. You鈥檒l look down at the park, which is home to some of the last preserved mixed-grass prairie in the country.

Best Way to Reach This View: From Custer, take Route 16A East for 6.5 miles and turn south on Highway 87. After 13 miles, look for an access road leading to the trailhead. It鈥檚 a short and easy half-mile hike through fragrant ponderosa pines to the top.

Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

Brave the bumpy, winding McCarthy Road all the way to the once thriving mining community of McCarthy and cross the footbridge to get to Kennecott, a historic town that serves as the center for all things Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias, including the majestic trail along the colossal Root Glacier. Bring your bear spray and go it alone, or hire a guide to learn more about the site鈥檚 copper-mining past. Spoiler alert鈥搚ou can also book a crunchy crampon trek atop the glacier. Either way, you鈥檒l be treated to awesome views of Mount Donoho and the 6,000-foot-tall Stairway Icefall.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Root Glacier Trail starts in Kennecott, and about 1.5 miles in you鈥檒l reach the glacier. If you plan to walk on the glacier, hire an experienced guide and wear crampons.

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

Named for its proximity to a famous oil painting by 19th-century painter Thomas Moran, Artist Point is the most stunning place from which to gaze at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its mighty waterfall. That being said, it does get crowded in summer months. If you fancy a short hike with similarly epic vistas, amble along the signed trail to Point Sublime (2.6 miles round trip) for an even better glimpse of the canyon鈥檚 multicolored walls.

Best Way to Reach This View: For a hiking route to Artist Point, check out .

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

After a yearlong closure in 2022 for road rehabilitation, travelers can once again drive to Glacier Point and see the broad panoramas of Half Dome, Nevada Fall, and Mount Hoffman. Wander around the accessible, paved pathways near the gift shop or hitch a ride onto a portion of the Panorama Trail for a similar view, sans the crowds at this very popular park.

Best Way to Reach This View: Drive 13 miles on Wawona Road from Yosemite Valley, then turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Hikers: Start at the Four Mile Trailhead in Yosemite Valley. It鈥檚 a strenuous 9.6 mile (round trip) hike to the point.

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

Canyon Overlook, in Zion鈥檚 eastern section, is one of the most impressive low-effort, high-reward hikes in the country. The reward is a breathtaking view of the cathedral-like golden spires of Towers of the Virgin, in the park鈥檚 main canyon.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park near the tunnel on the eastern side of the Zion鈥揗ount Carmel Highway, then take a series of stairs and sandstone slabs for a mere 0.5-miles (one way) until you reach the lookout on the edge of the cliffs.

As our 63 Parks columnist, Emily Pennington, visited and wrote about every single national park in the U.S. She鈥檚 also the author of the recent book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America鈥檚 National Parks.

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