The mountains are muddy (or still socked in with snow), it鈥檚 raining in the woods, and rivers are about to overflow their banks with runoff. Winter has felt long this year, and you’re probably itching to spend some time in the sun, and maybe go on a camping trip. But where can you find comfort and solitude in this transitional time of year? The desert, of course. Here鈥檚 how to plan your first trip鈥攁nd make it a success.

Why The Desert?

Isn鈥檛 the desert just sand, rocks, and scrub? Only in movies and TV shows. Deserts support abundant, diverse plant and animal life that can’t be found anywhere else, provide speculator views, and offer a vast landscape free of other people. Deserts are also full of attractions like ghost towns, waterfalls, oases, rivers, hot springs and beaches. In short: all the ingredients necessary for an epic weekend outdoors.

And while deserts are incredibly fragile ecosystems, they鈥檙e also typically managed by the most lenient rules and agencies. So long as you鈥檙e able to be responsible and self-sufficient, you鈥檙e free to visit and enjoy them as you see fit.

But don’t forget: visiting the desert, and doing it well, is typically going to involve driving on unpaved surfaces, hiking or recreating in unforgiving temperatures, and doing all that a long way away from other people, which exponentially increases your consequences should something go wrong.

The solution to safely and responsibly visiting the desert lies in preparation. Let鈥檚 look at some different destinations, then I’ll walk you through how you can best prepare for them.

Somewhere in Idaho. Note the truck serving as a wind break for both the tent and fire. (Photo: Wes Siler)

For First Time Campers: Joshua Tree National Park

Home to many organized campgrounds (you must book ahead), accessible by paved roads, along with the (now somewhat reduced) presence of park rangers to fall back on should you need help, California’s Joshua Tree National Park听is easy to visit and enjoy.

Things To Do: The park offers incredibly accessible traditional climbing and bouldering. So if you鈥檙e looking to take your ascents out of the gym for the first time, Joshua Tree is a great place to learn the ropes. More experienced climbers will enjoy the slab and steep crack climbing challenges.

J-Tree is home to great hiking. 国产吃瓜黑料‘s听National Parks columnist, Graham Averill, assembled a list of 11 of the best just last December. The park also offers backcountry camping for backpackers prepared to venture into the desert on foot鈥攋ust make sure you book a permit in advance.

Joshua Tree’s ease of access will allow you to relax and enjoy time outdoors. You can birdwatch, listen to coyotes howl, spot rattlesnakes, and enjoy some of the best stargazing in Southern California.

What To Watch Out For: . Watch out for rattlesnakes, which tend to hide out during the heat of the day, but get more active at night. A lot of visitors get into trouble by venturing off-pavement in inappropriate vehicle or on inadequate tires. Bring at least one gallon of water per-person, per-day.

Make Sure You Bring: WAG bags. Should you encounter reduced bathroom services, prepare听to poop and pack it out on your own. This can be done simply using hand sanitizer, a roll of toilet paper, and doggie bags combined with a (black!) trash bag to toss them into.

For New Off-Roaders: The Old Mojave Road

Bought听your first 4×4 and want to test its mettle? Not far from Joshua Tree lies California’s听Mojave National Preserve, and following old wagon tracks through it will take you far away from other people, but within an easy drive from Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Things To Do: Make sure your navigation devices work without听cell reception, then air down your tires and hit the sand. Look for lava tubes and explore the vast emptiness of the Mojave Desert.

What To Watch Out For: Following rain, the water crossing on the route鈥檚 north side can get deep enough to flood your vehicle. Know the height of your truck鈥檚 air intake, make sure all your traction aids are switched on, and proceed with extreme caution. Exercise the care you should any time you鈥檙e off-road, sticking to the trails, avoiding damage to plants, and packing out anything you bring in, including human waste.

Make Sure You Bring: An air compressor, an air down tool, a tire repair kit, and a matching spare should be considered essential. An extra five gallons of gas will be nice to have.

For Hot Springers: Guadalupe Canyon Oasis

A 50-mile drive south of the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Mexicali, is managed by a friendly family that provides private sites, each with its own natural-spring fed tub, plunge, or swimming pool. This is a perfect first destination for the Baja-curious. The drive into the oasis is easy and accessible to vehicles as basic as economy crossovers.

Things To Do: In addition to soaking, check out hikes to view indigenous cave art. See native wildlife like bighorn sheep. Show up prepared to cook your own meals and provide your own drinks, but a little market on-site sells some essentials should you forget anything.

What To Watch Out For: While the dirt road in is pretty simple, you鈥檒l want to make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave Mexicali, and take care to avoid navigating across the dry lake bed. No matter how capable your truck, the soft mud there will absolutely get you stuck.

Make Sure You Bring: Download the , and plan your crossing back north accordingly. I’d way rather spend four to six hours enjoying tacos and shopping for cheap prescriptions in Mexicali than sitting in a traffic jam.

You鈥檙e going to ask this, so I might as well answer. Yes, it鈥檚 safe to visit. The oasis locks its entry gate after dark and the family is on-site to patiently assist with any problems you might have.

For Backpackers: The Topa Topa Mountains

Just north of Ventura and Ojai, California, the Topa Topas often get passed over for the more glamorous (and still very much snowed in) Sierra Nevada. They offer less crowded trails as a result, and are accessible year-round.

Things Do Do: Park at the Piedra Blanca trailhead, throw on your backpack, and start walking. You’ll find hidden waterfalls, secret swimming holes, backcountry hot springs, and an abundance of rare wildlife, including the California Condor.

What To Watch Out For: While water sources are abundant in the Topa Topas, water levels fall as summer approaches, pools become stagnant, and algae grows. Pollution from human waste is common. That鈥檚 to say: bring a water filter you can rely on. Both black bears and mountain lions are very active in the Topa Topas, and in my experience have lost their fear of us humans. Store food responsibly and keep an eye out around dawn and dusk. If you do see a bear or lion, group tightly, leash your dogs, and make noise.

Make Sure You Bring: A good map. While the main hiking trail from due east tends to lead to crowded destinations, there are many, many lesser-known attractions once you venture off the beaten path. Don’t be afraid to explore.

Gear You Need For Desert Camping Trips

Camping in the desert will ideally be a relaxed, low-effort experience. But as with any activity, there are ways you can improve it.

Shelter: As night begins to fall and temperatures begin to drop, winds will increase. These gusts can听destroy high-profile tents and shade structures, and even more commonly make those things noisy and nerve wracking to sleep in. I like to bring a low-profile backpacking tent instead. Once you鈥檝e divined the evening wind direction, pitch that behind a vehicle, boulder, or other windbreak.

To state the obvious, it will get hot during the day. Carrying a lightweight tarp for human-powered activities, or some sort of robust shade structure if you have your truck along, is essential. Make sure this a separate item from your tent so you can take it down as the sun begins to set and winds pick up.

Nights are always going to be cooler than you expect, and will feel even chillier with your new sunburn. Make sure you bring an insulated sleeping pad and a good sleeping bag with a comfort rating at least 10 degrees lower than the temperatures you expect to face.

For clothing, wear lightweight layers during the day, then plan to add insulation and wind protection at night. Real hiking boots are a good idea in this rocky and sandy terrain.

Water: If you鈥檙e traveling by vehicle, just bring water along with you. One gallon per-person, per-day is the rule of thumb. Don鈥檛 forget about your dogs. If you鈥檙e going human-powered, map out water sources using recent intel from other hikers who have traveled the area. A pump water filter complete with a lengthened intake hose (just take your filter to the local hardware store) can help you access hard-to-reach puddles and pools hidden in rocks and hillsides, or dip below surface algae for less murky water. An extra foot or two of length should be plenty.

Fire: Deserts are fragile ecosystems. If you鈥檙e not camping in an established campsite with a pre-existing fire-ring, don鈥檛 scar the landscape with a surface burn. Instead pack along a cheap home fire pit, or one powered by propane.

Food: Treating your camping trip like an outdoor dinner party is a sure recipe for good times. But out here, even organic substances can take a long time to degrade, while stuff like baby wipes and toilet paper may stick around for decades. Prepare to pack it all out with you.

Safety: While rare, snakes and scorpions do sometimes like to shelter in or under tents. For that reason, I like to bring along a proper tent to sleep in, rather than just a tarp or ultralight floorless shelter. Keep your zippers closed and tip your boots upside down overnight.

Coyotes should be a concern, especially if you own dogs. Coyotes are known to prey on very small and young dogs, so keep those leashed, especially at night. Coyotes are also prolific thieves of food, so keep anything edible in a cooler or car when it鈥檚 not in use.

And while desert weather may appear pretty stagnant to the uninitiated, it tends to be extreme when it does occur. Assume anything that can flood will flood, and avoid camping in dry washes or arroyos. Flash floods can wipe out seldom-traveled desert routes and render them totally impassible. Keep an eye out, and always have an alternate travel route planned should your way back to civilization suddenly disappear. Beware rock falls and mudslides any time there鈥檚 precipitation.

But the real problems come with exposure, and are most often caused or exacerbated by poor planning. Plan routes carefully and conservatively, don鈥檛 rely on worn out or inadequate equipment. And, when in doubt, travel in groups.

The post Plan a Desert Camping Trip to Beat the Winter Blues appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Joshua Tree National Park is my favorite desert landscape. There鈥檚 something magical about its collection of tan, monzogranite boulders, craggy peaks and hidden oases with lush palms and cool pools. I鈥檝e spent countless days in the park, knocking out short hikes close to paved roads, and rambling for hours off trail through a maze of rocks, canyons, and cacti. The park might be most famous for its rock climbing (the bouldering, in particular, is world class), but I鈥檇 argue it鈥檚 a hiker鈥檚 dream with endless opportunities to explore two unique desert landscapes within its borders; the low, flat, and hot Colorado Desert in the eastern section of the park, and the high elevation, mountainous Mojave Desert to the west.

The majority of the 800,000-acre park is designated Wilderness and free of established trails, and while I鈥檝e had a lot of fun 鈥渂ushwhacking鈥� my way across slices of this desert landscape, I鈥檓 going to stick with established trails to keep it easy. (There are plenty.) If you鈥檙e interested in a long off-trail journey, check out the local suggestion for a area of the park in this Backpacker story.

Pro Advice for Hiking in Joshua Tree

My advice for trekking through Joshua Tree: Don鈥檛 overlook the nature trails. Normally, I avoid hiking routes that are less than a couple of miles long because they鈥檙e the most crowded in any given national park, but the easy 鈥渘ature trails鈥� inside Joshua Tree travel through the 辫补谤办鈥檚 most interesting terrain, delivering you to boulder gardens, patches of wildflowers, and Joshua trees galore. And given the rocky nature of Joshua Tree, a 1-mile loop through a field of boulders can offer a day鈥檚 worth of scrambling potential. So tack one of these nature trails onto the end of your adventure, or better yet, spend an entire day driving around the park, knocking off 2-mile loops and out-and-backs until your legs quit.

And remember that you鈥檙e in the desert here. People visit in the summer (I鈥檝e done it myself) but expect triple digit temps, so plan your adventures for early morning or evening and carry plenty of water. Fall and spring are more civilized seasons, as the temps rarely exceed the 80s.

By Far and Away, Here Are the Best Hikes in Joshua Tree

It鈥檚 hard to pick 鈥渢he best鈥� trails in any park, because it鈥檚 a subjective concept. The truth is, I really like hard trails where there鈥檚 a high probability of getting lost, and Joshua Tree has plenty of those. But scrambling through the desert while rationing your last drops of water isn鈥檛 everyone鈥檚 bag, so I鈥檝e cast a wide net in curating my list below, considering a variety of abilities and interests. With that in mind, here are hands-down the 11 best hiking trails inside Joshua Tree National Park.

Arch Rock Trail

Distance: 1.4 miles
Why I Love It: It鈥檚 an easy hike to cool rocks with lots of optional scrambling.

One of the most popular trails in Joshua Tree, is a flat and easy 1.4-mile lollipop loop that crescendos at a small natural arch. Most of the trail to the arch is a straight forward, sandy walk through the desert, but I still like this hike because the area surrounding the arch is loaded with sandstone boulders and canals. It鈥檚 like an all-rock playground for scramblers and explorers.

Hidden Valley Trail

Distance: 1 mile
Why I Love It: It might be the coolest 鈥渘ature trail鈥� in this park.

You want to see some rocks? This 1-mile has stones galore, as it circles through a flat expanse of land enclosed in a ring of massive boulders forming imposing tan walls. It鈥檚 a flat cruise, with full 鈥渘ature trail鈥� status, complete with interpretive signage about the plants and animals that inhabit the Mojave Desert landscape, but it offers a short highlight reel of the terrain, including Joshua Trees, cactus, and often climbers sending the rock walls throughout the valley.

Split Rock Loop

Distance: 2 miles
Why I Love It: Lots of wildflowers in season, big rocks, and the chance to add on mileage.

This easy, wanders through clusters of tan, sandstone boulders, the most famous of which is Split Rock, a 20-foot tall, rounded boulder with a sinuous fissure right through its heart. The trail is also a great place to see wildflowers, including the orange desert mariposa lily, blooming in April and May, and the bright red desert paintbrush, in summer. You can combine this hike with Skull Rock Loop (see below) for a nearly 3.5-mile loop from the same trailhead.

Skull Rock Trail

Distance: 1.8 miles
Why I Love It: The namesake rock is cool, but the real fun happens on optional rock scrambles deeper on the trail.

This boulder, which does indeed look like a skull, might be the most iconic feature inside the park (you might find a line of people waiting for photos with the boulder on busy days). That skull is also visible from the main park road, so you鈥檙e not on this hike for the rock. You tackle it because this gives you a chance to explore so many other sandstone features as it passes through the Jumbo Rocks area of the park, cruising through tight canals and giving you the opportunity to scramble to the top of countless boulders. The whole area reminds me of the terrain from the Saturday-morning live action series from my childhood, 鈥淟and of the Lost.鈥�

Ryan Mountain

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: It鈥檚 a steep climb to a big-time view.

People might not automatically associate Joshua Tree with towering peaks with sweeping views, but delivers just that, rising to 5,456 feet in the center of the park. The 3-mile out and back is tough, gaining more than 1,000 feet to the summit. It鈥檚 a broad peak, with views in every direction taking in taller peaks beyond the park, including the 10,000-foot San Jacinto and 11,000-foot San Gorgonio, the highest peaks in the region. A pile of stones marks the true summit.

FortyNine Palms Oasis Trail

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: It leads to an actual oasis!

Yep, this is a legit oasis in the middle of the desert. The hike is moderate, climbing 300 feet over a ridge before descending into a desert canyon, which directs water into an oasis that supports surprisingly lush flora, including the eponymous palm trees. As you might imagine, the oasis attracts all kinds of animals, even bighorn sheep. Just don鈥檛 try to take a swim; the park asks you to stay out of the oasis to protect the habitat and the wildlife that depend on it. In fact, during the summer (from August to October) the trail is closed entirely to protect the sheep herds that rely on the surface water that can be found in the oasis.

Panorama Loop Trail

Distance: 6.5 miles
Why I Love It: It鈥檚 a longer trek that gets you away from the crowds.

Much of this , which begins on the edge of Black Rock Canyon Campground, has you climbing and descending the 4,000 and 5,000-foot ridges of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, where you鈥檒l find long range views of the 11,000-foot peaks within the Sand to Snow National Monument just outside the park, as well as the mountains inside the Mojave National Preserve. But you鈥檒l also hike through a dense grove of Joshua Trees, and enjoy it all without the crowds; this trail receives less hikers than many others inside the park because it鈥檚 difficult (more than 1,200 feet of gain) and just note there are no boulders that look like faces along the path.

California Riding and Hiking Trail

Distance: 37.5 miles (point to point)
Why I Love It: The challenge and the solitude of this long trail are enticing.

This is as close as you can get to a Joshua Tree thru-hike on a maintained path, as the forms a 37.5-mile horseshoe from Black Rock Canyon Campground, on the northwestern edge of the park, to the northern entrance of the park, traversing a valley on the edge of the Little San Bernardino Mountains through the heart of the park. Multiple access points and side trails allow you to go after pieces of the CRHT, but if you want to hike end to end, most people take at least two long days, staying at Ryan Mountain Campground as their overnight ($20, up to six months in advance). You鈥檒l get solitude, long range views into the park, and more Joshua Trees than you could possibly count. Bring water, or stash water caches beforehand, as there鈥檚 no water along the route.

Boy Scout Trail

Distance: 16 miles
Why I Love It: Mandatory scrambling, groves of Joshua Trees, and cool canyons await the hardy.

This is popular as an overnight backpack (get a and only camp in designated areas) that begins with an open desert landscape speckled with Joshua Trees before dropping into the Wonderland of Rocks, an area full of cliffs, canyons, and domes. The trail continues to descend into Indian Cove and will drop more than 1,000 feet before it鈥檚 over, so plan ahead for that climb back to your car. There鈥檚 some mandatory scrambling through the Wonderland area, and much of the descent and ascent is over sandy terrain, so it鈥檚 not an easy hike by any means, but the terrain is varied as you鈥檒l travel over broad desert, through slot canyons, and over boulders as you access the 辫补谤办鈥檚 remote backcountry.

Mastodon Peak

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: This short trail has a lot of diversity, from groves of palm trees to historic relics.

This could be one of the best short loops in the park, as the passes through a spring supporting an oasis before climbing to the top of the peak for a view of the southern portion of the park. Follow the Lost Palm Springs Trail from the Cottonwood Springs Oasis parking lot through the aforementioned spring where tall palms and wildflowers bloom. Once you branch off onto the Mastodon Peak Loop, you鈥檙e in for some stair climbing and switchbacks before an optional, but fun, scramble delivers you to the true summit. It鈥檚 a 360-degree view from the top, taking in much of the park and the surrounding mountain ranges. You鈥檒l also pass the remnants of a gold mine that was in operation until the 1970s.

Barker Dam Trail

Distance: 1.1 miles
Why I Love It: This easy trail leads to super cool rock art created by the original occupants of this land.

This easy, has the boulders and Joshua Trees that you might expect, but also visits a rock art site and a historic dam that was built by early ranchers, so you get a look at the human history of the park as well. The rock art consists of a collection of petroglyphs and pictographs found inside a small cave next to the trail. And of course, there鈥檚 a small pond trapped by the dam, collecting water, although the depth of water depends entirely on the amount of rain the area receives.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 Online鈥檚 national-parks columnist. He loves hiking in Joshua Tree and tries to get back to the park every chance he gets. He also recently wrote about the most beautiful towns in the southeast听and the听best ways to get outside in West Virginia, as well as an on-the-ground account of听what it was like to survive Hurricane Helene听in Asheville, and why he absolutely regrets not听visiting Capitol Reef National Park sooner.

The post The 11 Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park 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.

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Claire Nelson was more than a mile off the trail when she fell 30 feet in Joshua Tree National Park. As she lay there with a broken pelvis, she realized she had no cell service, and no one knew where she was. As three days alone and broken in the desert turned into four, she was forced to reckon with all of the choices that had brought her there, and ask: What does it mean to be truly alone?

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We get it鈥攏ot everyone wants to pitch a tent and forego showers when visiting our public lands. And honestly, because of a recent boom in new national-park lodging, you don鈥檛 have to. In 2020, I moved into my minivan and traveled to nearly every park in the U.S., penning dispatches about them for 国产吃瓜黑料. When I wasn鈥檛 catnapping in the back of my vehicle, I occasionally splurged on fun motels and lodges in gateway towns.

Whether you鈥檙e headed to the rust red maw of the Grand Canyon or the wooded summits of Great Smoky Mountains, loads of new hotels and glamping retreats are popping up to meet the demands of park visitors, whose numbers have exploded since the pandemic. From retro-futuristic roadside motels to Dolly Parton-themed resorts and remodeled national-park lodges, there鈥檚 a little something for everyone on this list.

1. Ofland Escalante

Closest national park: Bryce Canyon, Utah

Best for: Chic glamping, tiny homes, post-hike hot tubs

With its modernist cabins, spa-inspired bathhouses, and food truck that serves up Americana fare (like meatloaf patty melts and cornbread French toast), this newer outpost on Southern Utah鈥檚 stunning Highway 12 just rebranded and added deluxe cabins in 2024 and is a true outdoor-lover鈥檚 paradise. Situated a mere ten minutes from Hole in the Rock Road, the washboard byway leading to many of Grand Staircase Escalante鈥檚 top slot canyons, is the ultimate, pet-friendly base camp for exploring the Beehive State鈥檚 red-rock country.

An hour鈥檚 drive delivers you to the colorful hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, while a 90-minute car ride gets you up to my personal Utah fave, Capitol Reef. In the evening, enjoy a steamy outdoor shower, followed by a drive-in movie with free popcorn at Ofland鈥檚 own big-screen theater, or plop into the property鈥檚 pool and hot tub before enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of your personal fire pit. If it鈥檚 not too hot, spend an afternoon clambering around in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons.

2. Populus Hotel

Closest national park: Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Best for: Eco-friendly amenities, luxe dining, nearby art museums

Set in downtown Denver, a stone鈥檚 throw from the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, and Civic Center Park, is making history in 2024 as the nation鈥檚 first carbon-positive hotel. It has been designed from the ground up to utilize solar and wind power, highlight locally sourced ingredients from Colorado in each of its dining concepts, and closely monitor all emissions so that remaining carbon is balanced out by supporting projects that capture carbon elsewhere. The hotel has already planted over 70,000 trees (and counting).

A stay at Populus is ideal for the Denver-bound traveler who wants to experience the best of two worlds: city-focused creature comforts with the option to hike amidst the Rocky Mountain National Park tundra or scramble up . With the Wild Basin entrance roughly 66 miles away, it鈥檚 an easy day trip to the park. Rooms here are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and themed after the state鈥檚 famous aspen trees, with ultra-soft earth-toned bedding, natural forest sounds in the elevators, and eyelet-shaped windows overlooking the Denver skyline.

Chow down on post-hike grub with dreamy sunset views at the on-site rooftop restaurant Stellar Jay or enjoy fresh, seasonal Colorado fare at the downstairs restaurant Pasque, both helmed by executive chef Ian Wortham.

3. The Pathmaker Hotel

Closest national park: Acadia, Maine

Best for: Exploring downtown Bar Harbor, ocean strolls, simple elegance

With a primo location in downtown Bar Harbor, two blocks from the Bar Island Trail, whale-watching tours and the delicious, creamy rolls at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, opens in late 2024. Featuring suites, double queen, and classic king-sized rooms decorated in elegant neutral tones, this hotel also offers kitchenettes with mini-fridges and microwaves. What鈥檚 even better is that breakfast is included, making it easy to start your morning hike up neighboring or a stroll around Sieur de Monts鈥� historic gardens with a full belly.

It鈥檚 also worth noting that Acadia is home to 45 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads, which are all bike- and dog-friendly. Rent a bicycle at Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, a five-minute walk from the hotel鈥檚 front door, and spend a day zipping around the park without your car before relaxing with a pot of tea and freshly made popovers at Jordan Pond House鈥搃t was one of my favorite things I did on my giant parks road trip.

4. The Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa

Closest national park: Grand Teton, Wyoming

Best for: Spa getaways, Jackson ski and hiking trips, luxury mountain vibes

Just remodeled and reopened in early July, following a devastating 2019 fire, this Jackson Hole favorite is back and better than ever. rooms and suites boast a bit of a chic hunting-lodge feel, complete with stone fireplaces, tufted headboards, and the occasional pop of cowboy-themed art.

Fly fish in the Snake River, feel the leg burn on a hike up , or pop on over to the nearby National Elk Refuge for a . When you鈥檙e done exploring the toothy Teton Range, fill up on Idaho Trout Saltimbocca at the lodge鈥檚 Wild Sage Restaurant, or indulge in a CBD-infused herbal sugar scrub at its Body Sage Spa. Either way, you鈥檒l leave feeling full and rejuvenated.

5. Wildhaven Yosemite

Closest national park: Yosemite, California

Best for: Affordable glamping, Yosemite Valley exploration, communal hangs

is making waves this year as the newest glamping resort outside the Free Solo-famous Yosemite National Park. Situated 34 miles from the Arch Rock Entrance Station on 36 rugged acres of rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, the property offers 30 safari tents and 12 tiny cabins, well-appointed with amenities like fire pits and private decks.

A communal BBQ area boasts grills and shaded picnic tables, while glamping sites share communal bathrooms and showers. After a day of hiking and snapping photos of from Cook鈥檚 Meadow, recharge your electronics with electricity access in every tent.

Complimentary coffee and tea help start your day off, and every stay at Wildhaven includes access to on-site classes and events, like Yogasemite yoga classes and Sierra Cider tastings, for when you鈥檙e not huffing and puffing up Upper Yosemite Falls for those epic views. Looking for even more regional glamping news? A top national-park lodging purveyor, , has announced that it鈥檚 also opening a brand-new Yosemite location near Big Oak Flat in 2025.

6. Field Station Joshua Tree

Closest national park: Joshua Tree, California

Best for: Mountain bikers, large groups, pool hangouts

are designed with the intrepid outdoorsperson in mind. Bike racks for your hardtail are in every room, hooks for hanging packs are in ample supply, and an on-site gear shop makes it easy to grab any of the Ten Essentials you might have forgotten before speeding off and into the park, which is just 13 miles (a 20- to 25-minute drive) away by car. If you鈥檙e a diehard coffee drinker, you鈥檒l be thrilled that the lodge has a small espresso bar, Little Station Coffee & Kitchen, which serves everything from cold brew to toasted bagels to start your morning out right.

Choose between standard king-bed rooms and double-queen bunk rooms (which sleep up to 10) and have plenty of space for your whole crew to spread out and save cash, then head on over to the North Entrance (it鈥檚 the closest one) of Joshua Tree and enjoy epic trails like the or bouldering along the formation-filled .

When you鈥檙e not adventuring in the park, don鈥檛 miss the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum in town, which exhibits loads of large-scale found-object art, like TVs and rubber tires.

7. Dollywood鈥檚 HeartSong Lodge & Resort

Closest national park: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina

Best for: Families, pool time, East Coast hikers

Opened in November 2023, seems tailor-made for families traveling with young kids. Even the hotel鈥檚 standard-issue rooms offer fun extras, like murphy beds, sleeper sofas, clothing-storage space, and mini fridges. Lovely mid-century modern furnishings combine with a massive stone fireplace in the four-story, atrium-style lobby, where guests can chill out when they鈥檙e not splashing about in the large pool complex or dining at one of the lodge鈥檚 four restaurant options.

Though the resort is clearly geared towards travelers heading into the Dollywood theme park (there鈥檚 complimentary trolley service from the hotel), it鈥檚 also a brief 15-mile (20-minute) drive to Great Smoky Mountains鈥� Sugarlands Visitor Center. From there, visitors can easily drive to the exceedingly popular , or gaze out at verdant, forested hills at Newfound Gap, which marks the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Best of all, adjoining rooms and roomy family suites with cozy bunk beds make it easy for you and your loved ones to spend loads of time together, whether that鈥檚 in the lodge or trekking to the 辫补谤办鈥檚 many rushing waterfalls.

8. Flamingo Lodge

Closest national park: Everglades, Florida

Best for: Birders, paddlers, Tropical Florida ambiance

Initially opened in the 1960s as part of the National Park Service鈥檚 retro-futuristic Mission 66 Project, Flamingo Lodge was forced to shut its doors in 2005, after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma, when storm surges swelled up to nine feet. Thankfully, , which is named after the distinctive pink birds that once migrated to the area in droves, before plume-hunters nearly poached them out of existence, has been fully rebuilt and reopened in October 2023.

It鈥檚 the only non-camping, non-houseboat option for accommodations inside the parklodging available inside Everglades National Park, and given the 辫补谤办鈥檚 enormous acreage (at 1.5 million acres, it is roughly twice the size of Yosemite), creates a welcome bastion for beachgoers exploring the state鈥檚 coastal prairie and boaters enjoying the sunshine and warm, tropical air of the Florida Bay.

Inside the lodge鈥檚 four eco-friendly container buildings are 24 spacious guest rooms, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, in clean neutral hues with the occasional pop of tropical jewel tones. Also onsite are a restaurant serving organic, locally sourced cuisine (think breakfast burritos and pineapple pulled-pork sandwiches) and a marina, where visitors can rent anything from bicycles to double kayaks and pontoon boats. Spend a day cycling the and keep your eyes peeled for huge herons.

9. Americana Motor Hotel

Closest national park: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Best for: Travelers with dogs, EV road trips, hipster pool scene

There鈥檚 so much to love about the Jetsons鈥�-style that it鈥檚 hard to fit it all into a single paragraph, but we鈥檒l do our darndest. Set in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, one hour from the Grand Canyon and 90 minutes from Petrified Forest, this vintage-style motor lodge should check every box on your Route 66 daydream list. First of all, there are EV chargers aplenty, free morning coffee, and communal fire pits with outdoor hang space.

But this site truly goes above and beyond the standard-issue motel amenities by offering loaner telescopes for optimized night-sky viewing, year-round heated pool, and a fenced-in 鈥渂arkyard鈥� with a dedicated dog-wash station to rinse off your muddy trail pooch. They鈥檝e even got free hotel bicycles for those wishing to take a spin around Flagstaff.

The interiors of the rooms are just as fabulous as the resort鈥檚 exterior, with space-age d茅cor (think astronaut sculptures and galaxy wall art), walk-in showers, and disco balls. Hungry? After a trek down to or a stroll along the Grand Canyon鈥檚 South Rim, fill up at the Americana鈥檚 Pacific Mexican seafood truck, Baja Mar, which dishes out badass shrimp ceviche and battered fish tacos to hungry hikers.

Emily Pennington is a freelance journalist specializing in outdoor adventure and national parks. She鈥檚 traveled to public lands on all seven continents and visited all 63 U.S. national parks. Her book, , was released in 2023. This year, she鈥檚 getting more acquainted with her new backyard, Rocky Mountain National Park.

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This is your sign to get behind the wheel and go on your dream desert getaway. With their Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+, Freida Pinto and Cory Tran took full advantage of everything Joshua Tree has to offer: thrilling mountain bike trails, scenic rock climbs, jaw-dropping hikes, and beautiful vistas for stargazing.

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Here鈥檚 the dream: Quit your job and hit all 64 national parks in one huge multi-month road trip where you live mostly in a van and finally see all of these iconic landscapes for yourself. To call that dream unrealistic is an understatement, at least for me, for a variety of reasons (see 鈥渜uit job,鈥� above), though it鈥檚 been accomplished by an 国产吃瓜黑料 writer.

The closest I鈥檝e ever come was in my 20s, spending a month driving around the Rocky Mountains and American Southwest in my VW Jetta during summer break from graduate school. A decade or so later, I re-created that trip with my wife and our then four-year-old twins. Both experiences were awesome. One of them had more tantrums.

You can plan a great park trip that captures the open-road spirit on a smaller scale. Below, I鈥檝e outlined five itineraries that take in multiple parks, all within a week. I picked a variety of terrain鈥攍onely desert basins, ice-cold swimming holes, perfect hikes, and cultural wonders. There are one or two classic routes.

But mostly, I chose these because they go to parks that don鈥檛 get the massive amount of attention some of their cousins receive. So gas or charge up and go.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway, from Shenandoah to Great Smoky Mountains

Virginia/North Carolina

Distance: 470 miles

Duration: Four-plus days

This trip is in my backyard, so I鈥檓 biased, but it鈥檚 also awesome, because the entire 470-plus-mile route is within a national-park unit. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles along the peaks and valleys of the Southern Appalachian mountain range, connecting two of the country鈥檚 most-visited national parks, Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina/Tennessee and Shenandoah in Virginia.

Driving the entire length of the parkway is slow (speed limit is between 25 and 45 miles per hour) and full of curves in the road, and also overlooks,听 side hikes to swimming holes, and mountain hikes through a lush landscape with elevations that top 6,000 feet. And that鈥檚 just the road between the two great national parks.

Heading south on the parkway, you will find picnic areas, trailheads, and scenic views. Give yourself at least a couple of days to complete the road alone, making sure to hike the three-mile out-and-back in the Peaks of Otter area near Bedford, Virginia, which leads to a panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley and the Allegheny Mountains. When you get to North Carolina, hit Grandfather Mountain State Park, where you can climb the 7.6-mile out-and-back , scrambling along outcroppings and climbing ladders to the summit of the 5,964-foot Callaway Peak.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Shenandoah: Located just 70 miles west of Washington, D.C, Shenandoah National Park is home to 200,000 acres of 4,000-foot peaks, dense hardwood forest, waterfalls, and historic farmland. The most popular hike is also one of the 辫补谤办鈥檚 toughest; is a 9.2-mile loop that requires rock scrambling with some use of your hands to reach Old Rag Mountain, which offers 360-degree views of the park and surrounding farmland. You need a permit to hike the mountain between March 1 and November 30. It鈥檚 only $2, but permits are limited to 800 a day, so get them up to .

If you鈥檙e looking to cool off, hike the , an 8.1-mile loop that gains 3,000 feet while traversing two tight gorges packed with waterfalls and swimming holes. Lower and Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls are the highlights, as Upper Falls drops 86 feet between narrow canyon walls, and Lower Falls has a primo plunge pool.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Great Smoky Mountains: The Smokies comprise a mix of rocky streams stacked with waterfalls and swimming holes, and steep slopes thick with vegetation. It鈥檚 hard to get across just how green this park is. On the northern end, you鈥檒l find Midnight Hole, a deep, cold swimming hole at the base of a small waterfall. The pool is lined with 15-foot boulders, and locals like to jump from them into the deep part. Access is via the easy three-mile out-and-back . If you want to ditch the crowds (GSMNP gets 14 million visitors a year), hike deeper into the park. Ramsey Cascades Trail is an eight-mile round trip through stands of old-growth tulip poplars to the 100-foot Ramsey Cascade, the tallest waterfall inside the park.

A few historic fire lookout towers still stand inside the park, but the most scenic is Mount Cammerer, a circular wooden building perched on a rocky outcropping, nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, offering views of 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks as well as the Pigeon River Gorge. from Big Creek Parking Area, and you will do a piece of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying scenic stretches along Big Creek before climbing to the ridgeline.

Stay: In Shenandoah, Big Meadows is a historic stone-and-chestnut lodge in the middle of the park. Choose from lodge rooms or rustic cabins (from ), and wander the mile to Big Meadow after dark for stargazing. Lodges and campgrounds are spaced all along the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, so it鈥檚 easy to break the journey up into chunks if you鈥檙e not in a hurry. is one of the most popular overnights ($20 per night, reserve six months in advance). The 190-site facility sits next to Julian Price Lake, where you can . has a glamping resort on 182 acres of hardwood forest near the Gatlinburg entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each fully furnished safari-style tent has a private bathroom, and the place features live music, campfires at night, and yoga in the morning, not to mention an on-site restaurant with seasonal dishes and craft beer.

2. Joshua Tree to Death Valley, California

California

Distance: 250 miles

Duration: At least three days

This route will take you to an underappreciated gem.

Is it weird to spend several days in Southern California and not go to the beach? Well, this desert romp is packed with so much wild terrain you won鈥檛 miss the Pacific Ocean. Joshua Tree National Park is 800,000 acres of sandstone boulders, crusty desert floor, and stands of the eponymous trees, while 250 miles north, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48, at 3.5 million acres. Inside are 14,000-foot peaks, expansive craters, dunes, and slot canyons.

Weather is a factor with this itinerary because both parks are in the desert and hot as hell in the middle of summer (temps can reach 120 degrees). So consider this a late-spring or early-fall trip. (If you ever go in summer, do all of your adventures at dawn, take a ton of water, and be back at your place or camp before lunch. Also tell someone exactly where you are going.)

The 250-mile drive is mostly two-lane highway that offers a mix of desolate beauty (you鈥檒l drive between Leghorn Lakes Wilderness and Sheephole Valley Wilderness) and California weirdness (the World鈥檚 Largest Thermometer is on this route). Want more adventure? As you drive between these two standout parks, try a pitstop at Mojave National Preserve, which has the largest grove of Joshua Trees in the world, natural springs, and towering dunes.

You can fly into Las Vegas or Los Angeles. L.A. to Joshua Tree is about 150 miles and not terribly interesting, so let’s just go straight to the park.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Joshua Tree: J-Tree is a bucket-list rock-climbing destination, but the hiking is easily as good, and just being in the place is amazing. The 2.5-mile gives hikers a chance to see and scramble on some of the park’s signature boulders, including Split Rock, a 20-foot-tall formation with a fissure in the middle, and to explore a few small caves. If you want to see a lot of Joshua Trees (who doesn鈥檛?), hike the in Black Rock Canyon, a 6.5-mile lollipop that traverses one of the densest groves of Joshua Trees in the park, or sections of ridgeline trail, with long-range views of the 11,000-foot peaks inside the nearby Sand to Snow National Monument.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Mojave National Preserve: Just 70 miles north of Joshua Tree, Mojave NP offers a convenient diversion on your way to Death Valley. Stretch your legs by hiking the three-mile out-and-back trail into , a 45-square-mile field with mounds of sand that rise 650 feet from the valley floor. The Kelso Dunes actually produce 鈥渂ooming,鈥� which is a deep, rumbling vibration that you can hear and feel from the crest of one. Be aware that hiking in dunes is tough, as the sand shifts below your feet with every step.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Death Valley: You hiked dunes in Mojave, so in Death Valley National Park, let鈥檚 focus on the canyons and peaks. is a six-mile out and back through a slot canyon so narrow that at points you can touch both sides from the middle.

If it鈥檚 your first time to the park, you鈥檙e obligated to visit Badwater Salt Flats, the lowest and hottest point in the U.S. There鈥檚 no designated trail through the flats, so wander at will through the flat, crispy valley, flanked by the Panamint Mountains and Black Mountains.

Stay: The is a historic lodge located inside the park, with five-star accommodations. Consider this an oasis in the desert, complete with a spring-fed swimming pool (from $359 a night). At Joshua Tree, try to reserve a spot at , which has sites tucked between massive boulders. There are no hookups, but RVs are allowed ($25 a night). If you can鈥檛 score an advance reservation there, has first come/first serve sites ($15 a night). Also, is opening a new location outside of Joshua Tree in May, with campsites for van-lifers and private rooms, all of which have access to the property’s gear shop, coffee shop and communal spaces (rooms from $127 a night).

3. White Sands National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park

New Mexico and Texas

Distance: 300 miles

Duration: Four to five days

Want variety? This trip has a trio of national parks that are close geographically, but a world apart in terms of terrain. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is all about the subterranean, protecting 119 caves, the biggest of which are open to exploration. Guadalupe Mountains National Park covers a swath of 8,000-foot peaks in West Texas, and those include eight of the 10 tallest in the entire state. White Sand Dunes National Park is home to a 275-square-mile gypsum dune field that rolls towards the horizon in a series of white tidal waves.

All three parks are within a couple hundred miles of each other, and El Paso serves as an ideal starting point to fly into the area and rent a car. These parks don鈥檛 see the crowds that some of the big-ticket units draw in summer, so there鈥檚 a better chance for quiet and good campsites. The three also have totally different climates. White Sand Dunes is hot (but not like J-Tree or Death Valley), Carlsbad is underground, and Guadalupe is chilly.

Other than a brief period where you skirt around the edge of El Paso, you鈥檙e driving mostly two-lane highways with a real 鈥渕iddle of nowhere鈥� vibe between the parks. Think sand and scrub brush for as far as the eye can see.

国产吃瓜黑料s in White Sand Dunes: is a five-mile loop through the heart of the sand dunes, following red trail markers. You鈥檙e climbing and descending 60-foot dunes the entire time, so pace yourself and expect your legs to be worked at the end. Bring a sled (sold at the visitors鈥� center if you don鈥檛 have your own), as you鈥檙e allowed to slide down the steepest slopes along the route.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Guadalupe Mountains National Park: The signature adventure is hiking the 8,751-foot , with a craggy, treeless summit, the tallest in the state of Texas. The views stretching east over the plains are endless, but to earn them you will climb 3,000 feet in just over four miles. Bring a jacket, as the summit is notoriously windy. But the real treat of Guadalupe Mountains is , a four-mile out-and-back that鈥檚 rocky with mandatory scrambling to traverse a dry river wash. Towards the end, you鈥檒l climb Hiker鈥檚 Staircase, an easy hand-over-hand natural rock ladder out of the wash and into a narrow slot canyon.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Carlsbad Caverns: Start with a self-guided tour of the Big Room, the largest single-cave chamber in the U.S., loaded with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. An elevator could deliver you into the cave, but instead walk the switchbacks down via the Natural Entrance, and feel what it鈥檚 like to go from the surface into the cold, dark underground. The full hike down the Natural Entrance and into the Big Room is 2.5 miles and should take a few hours; without the walk in, the hike is 1.25 miles, with a .6-mile shortcut also possible, and parts of the Big Room are . If you want something spicier, sign up for a ranger-led tour of , which requires descending 60 feet of ladders and ropes to a series of smaller rooms with crazy rock features, like the skinny, tall 鈥淭exas Toothpick鈥� or 鈥渃ave pearls,鈥� which look like clusters of eggs ($20, reservations required).

Where to Stay: Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns are close enough that one campground works as a base camp to explore both. Check out in Guadalupe Mountains, which has 20 tent sites and 13 RV sites you can reserve in advance ($20 a night). A number of hiking trails (including Devil鈥檚 Hall) begin here. The closest campground to White Sands is in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, which has private desert sites ($10 per night). The backcountry campsites in White Sands are closed indefinitely, but nearby Alamogordo has a variety of chain hotels.

4. Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska

Distance: 400 miles

Duration: Five-plus days, but if you鈥檙e flying all the way to Alaska, take your time

Alaska is an awe-inspiring collection of giant mountains, permanent ice fields, and jagged coast, and Denali and Kenai Fjords national parks encapsulate choice slices of that unique topography. Denali National Park covers more than 6 million acres of Alaska鈥檚 interior, including the 20,310-foot Denali, but also the tundra and spruce forest that surround it and attract big-time wildlife like caribou and brown bears. Kenai Fjords National Park couldn鈥檛 be more different; instead of forest and towering peaks, it鈥檚 home to 600,000 acres of glaciers, inlets, bays, and islands. More than half of the park is covered in snow and ice year round, and the majority is accessed by water. While much of Alaska isn鈥檛 conducive to road trips because of a lack of roads, these two parks are less than 400 miles apart and connected by highways.

The two-lane blacktop between the main destinations rolls out like a highlight reel of Alaska, offering views of Denali鈥檚 snow-capped peaks at one point and the Cook Inlet at another. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales, which live and breed in the inlet. Chugach State Park, with its 3,000-foot mountains, is also on the route.

A visitor can fly into Anchorage, halfway between the two parks. You鈥檒l basically have to ditch the car at each destination, as car travel is limited in both parks. There are few roads in Kenai, and the main road through Denali is limited to shuttle traffic to minimize impact on the landscape. But that鈥檚 part of the charm here.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Denali: Denali isn鈥檛 a 鈥渄rive through鈥� park. In fact, private vehicles aren鈥檛 allowed past mile 15 of the scenic Denali Park Road, though bikes get the green light. To ride in, start at the Savage River Visitor Center (mile 15) and bike to Sable Pass between miles 37 and 42, where the final 1,500-foot climb to the pass is rewarded by views that stretch all the way to Denali itself. But Sable Pass is best known for its wildlife. Mostly treeless and full of berry bushes, it attracts brown bears, caribou, and Dall sheep, which often graze in the tundra near the road. From the top of the pass, you can turn around and bike back, or, if you pre-arrange it, hop on the free , which has bike racks. offers rentals (starting at $75 per day).

Or consider a guided rafting trip on the Nenana River, a glacier-fed stream that forms the eastern border of Denali. Book a mild or wild day trip with . The 11-mile canyon run is packed with class IV rapids with names like 鈥淐offee Grinder,鈥� and the full ride, for ages 12 and up, is a brisk two hours. A different short option, the two-hour-long Wilderness Run, is ideal for young families, as it contains mostly class I-II rapids and offers a good chance to see wildlife like moose and caribou. (From $130 a person, May through September).

国产吃瓜黑料s in Kenai: Kenai is a coastal park with most of its goods accessed via boat, but land lovers have options, too. Hike on the edge of the Harding Ice Field, the largest permanent ice field in the U.S., stretching for 700 square miles and feeding Exit Glacier, which forms a half-mile-wide river of ice that melts into Exit Creek. Start at the Exit Glacier Nature Center and hike the 8.2-mile out-and-back , which climbs a total of 3,000 feet through the surrounding forest to gigantic views of the icefield. If you really want to throw yourself into the landscape, book an intro-to-ice climbing trip with , exploring crevasses and climbing pitches of vertical ice with use of rope, crampons, and axes ($249 per person).

For a water-borne adventure, head to Bear Glacier Lagoon, 12 miles south of Seward, where a thin beach separates a glacier-fed lake from the Gulf of Alaska. The lake sits in a deep bowl rising to green ridges, and the water is littered with house-sized icebergs. offers fully outfitted day trips to the lagoon ($550 per person).

Where to Stay: In Denali, book a spot at , which has 32 sites tucked into a spruce forest ($49 a night). Located on mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, it鈥檚 easy to reach with a car (some campgrounds in Denali are only accessible by shuttle bus), but the real prize is access to Savage River and incredible views of Denali via a short gravel-road walk. Reservations are recommended, but not required. In Kenai, has 12 walk-in tent sites, first-come, first-served. They鈥檙e free, but fill up most nights during July and August. The , in the middle of downtown Seward, is a seven-room mid-century-era motel with renovated rooms located just minutes from the edge of Kenai ($190 per night, two night minimum).

5. Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks

Colorado

Distance: 160 miles

Duration: Three days

Rocky Mountain National Park gets most of the love in Colorado, and while it鈥檚 incredible, the Centennial State has other unforgettable national-park units. Mesa Verde National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are nestled into the southwest corner of the state, proximal enough to make for an ideal weekend road trip. Mesa Verde is a cultural treasure, containing more than 5,000 archaeological sites, including the early cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is altogether different, enveloping a nearly 2,500-foot-deep gorge surrounding the Gunnison River. It鈥檚 a deep, dark chasm with sheer vertical walls, rugged hiking and climbing, boating, and world-class trout fishing.

You can fly into Durango to kick the trip off, and Telluride is smack dab in the middle of the route between parks if you want to throw in a visit to a classic mountain town. The , a locals’ favorite and handy but fantastic afternoon outing, offers views of the ski area and entire valley on varied and forested terrain.

The majority of this road trip cruises through San Juan National Forest on a highway with views of some of Colorado鈥檚 tallest and most iconic peaks, including the 14,158-foot Mount Sneffels and 14,023-foot Wilson Peak. You鈥檒l pass right through Telluride, but you can also make a 22-mile roundtrip detour to Ouray to soak in the hot springs.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Mesa Verde: Get your bearings by driving the six-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, which winds along past excavated mesa-top villages, with overlooks to see cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which archaeologists believe could house up to 100 people. There are 30 miles of hiking trails inside the park, so you can see a lot of the area in a day. If you鈥檙e limited on time, hike the 2.4-mile , which will have you squeezing through boulder passages and traversing cliffside singletrack to a large petroglyph panel. To see the cliff dwellings up close, reserve a spot on a ranger-led ($8 per person, reservations possible 14 days in advance). The Balcony House Tour is the most adventurous: you ascend a cliff face into the 700-year-old dwelling via a series of ladders, then worm through a narrow tunnel that connects rooms.

国产吃瓜黑料s in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: The BCOG is a tough canyon to navigate, as there are no bridges connecting the North Rim and South Rim, so it鈥檚 a circuitous two-hour drive between the two sides of the park. The South Rim is the more developed, with a dozen overlooks, a visitors鈥� center, and an 88-site campground. The North Rim is more primitive, with a gravel road providing access to a few developed trails and a handful of overlooks. Both sides are stunning, but I鈥檓 pointing you to the South Rim for its hiking and scrambling routes. If you want to stretch your legs and enjoy the view, stroll the two-mile for shots of the canyon and river below. But you鈥檙e here for the scramble to the bottom of the gorge via the unmarked , which drops 1,960 feet in just one mile (the park allows use of the trail and offers a about it). There鈥檚 a lot of down climbing and loose rock, but at the bottom you鈥檒l have the Gunnison River all to yourself. Bring a fly rod; the Gunnison is a gold-medal trout stream. This is a full-day adventure, and you鈥檒l need a permit (free) to descend into the canyon. Get one at the South Rim Visitor Center.

Where to Stay: Both parks have large campgrounds, if you want to keep it simple and budget friendly. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison鈥檚 is convenient (only a mile from the visitors’ center), but don鈥檛 expect a ton of privacy ($20 a night, reservations recommended). The North Rim has a smaller , with 13 sites separated by pi帽on and juniper trees ($20 a night, first-come, first-served). , in Mesa Verde, is large, with 267 sites within a broad, grassy canyon ($38 a night, reserve in advance).

If you want to spend a night in Telluride, check out , an upscale hostel with private or shared rooms that caters to road trippers (from $40 per night).

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 currently trying to convince his 15-year-old twins to re-create the national parks road trip they undertook a decade ago. It鈥檚 not going well.

For more by this writer:

The 9 Most Fun 国产吃瓜黑料 Lodges in North America

The 9 Best Gateway Towns to U.S. National Parks

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is 鈥�

11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

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Put off by summer鈥檚 heat, crowds, and high prices, many of our editors pushed their big travel plans to fall this year. They鈥檙e also not explicitly headed to do any leaf-peeping but rather are intent on bagging a peak or two in the Berkshires, surfing the swell in Maine, forest-bathing in Japan, and giving van life a go in New Zealand (where it will soon be spring), among other active pursuits.听One editor was so excited about her upcoming trip, she guiltily confessed she’d been 鈥渢rying not to wish away the summer.鈥� Here’s what’s in the works.

Keeping the Love Alive in Savannah and Surrounds

My husband and I will听head to Savannah, Georgia, to celebrate our first anniversary. I was skeptical when he suggested it鈥擲avannah is flat, and I imagined climbing a massive mountain near our home in Taos, New Mexico鈥攂ut after Google revealed a shocking amount of wilderness nearby, I got on board. Here鈥檚 why I鈥檓 stoked: We鈥檒l post up at the downtown Kimpton Brice Hotel (a sweet splurge for us, as we’re听chronic campers), where we can walk to several city parks and the Savannah River. The hotel offers free bikes, so we plan to cruise the cobblestone streets and then hit Truman Linear Park Trail and Lake Mayer Park, stopping for fresh seafood听(a luxury we don鈥檛 have in the high desert). On the day of our anniversary, we鈥檒l ferry to Tybee Island, a paddling mecca just 18 miles east. We鈥檒l rent kayaks from , scope out sheltered waters between the 1,200 or so surrounding barrier islands, and picnic from the boats before renewing our vows at the Tybee Island Lighthouse. Then it鈥檚 back to town and the bar to wrap up the trip. One of the many reasons I married this wonderful man is because he plans unexpected adventures that wouldn鈥檛 otherwise be on my radar. 鈥擯atty Hodapp, 国产吃瓜黑料 Online interim digital director

Freewheeling on New Zealand鈥檚 South Island

My son is studying in New Zealand, so I鈥檓 inspired to do something I’ve always dreamed of: live the van life, if only for a while. I’m headed to the South Island in mid-October and have reserved a sweet rig from for about a month. Other than that, my plans are loosey-goosey. I鈥檒l road-trip around in search of the best 鈥渇reedom-camping鈥� spots: some 500 locations that are free but offer basic amenities.听My friend Patrice La Vigne wrote a book about her exploration of the country, 听and听I鈥檝e already cherry-picked some of her favorite spots, including the Queen Charlotte Track and the Nelson Lakes and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Parks, to name a few. I’ll hang in Wanaka for a few days鈥攁 supercool mountain town, kind of like the Chamonix of New Zealand鈥攁nd I鈥檒l check out Queenstown and probably indulge in a or two (according to Patrice, the city鈥檚听iconic fast-food joint is not to be missed). When my son finishes up his semester in mid-November, I’ll pick him up in Christchurch and we’ll hit the Kepler Track, one of the country鈥檚 ten Great Walks. 鈥擪ristin Hostetter, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc. head of sustainability and contributing editor

Getting Off the Tourist Track in Japan

Japan has long been on my bucket list, but I didn鈥檛 want to take a group tour and was afraid the language barrier would prevent me from adequately planning a trip myself. How wrong I was鈥攜ou don鈥檛, in fact, need a travel agent or tour operator to build your own trip to this country, but you will need time for research. In mid-October, my brother and I are flying into Osaka and will stay two nights at a ryokan in Kyoto, then fly south to the island of Yakushima, a Unesco World Heritage site whose ancient cedar forests set the scene for Studio Ghibli鈥檚 film Princess Mononoke. (I highly recommend the outfitter , whose staff promptly emailed responses and booked our accommodations, a guided hike and stand-up-paddleboard river tour, and a rental car). After roaming around there, we鈥檒l hop an hourlong flight to the city of Fukuoka to pick up another rental car,听and then off we’ll drive to the onsen community of Kurokawa, two hours southeast, for forest bathing while we soak听in various hot springs. I鈥檓 looking forward to wearing the yukata (a casual kimono) as we walk from bathhouse to bathhouse. We鈥檒l return to Fukuoka, board the bullet train to Osaka (a limited-service that runs this route is just the cutest), and spend our last days hiking two sections of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. Props to the tourism bureau that maintains this for English speakers: it answered all of our questions, on baggage transfer, nightly stays, bus service, altitude gain and loss, and estimated hiking duration. Aside from feeling anxious about driving on the opposite side of the road, and possibly getting lost, I鈥檓 fully confident that this is going to be a bucket-list adventure for the books. 鈥擳asha Zemke, 国产吃瓜黑料听magazine associate managing editor

Running the Desert in Perfect Weather in Joshua Tree

I’m heading to Joshua Tree National Park to race a half marathon with my mom in November. Fall is a great time to visit this national park in California, as the weather cools down from the scorching summer heat, so you can enjoy exploring without feeling like you’re melting. And while the nights can get a little chilly, it鈥檚 nothing a cozy jacket can’t handle. We鈥檝e chosen to stay at , a chic and modern cluster of spacious Airstream campers and cabins. A hike around the park is a must! You’ll come across crazy Joshua trees that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, cool rock formations, and even hidden oases that you won’t believe exist in the desert. (I like the , a three-mile out-and-back.) Oh, and the sunsets here are mind-blowing. Joshua Tree is also a hub for bouldering, with loads of granite formations to climb, no matter your skill level. In town, don’t miss the Joshua Tree Coffee Company, just a block from the 辫补谤办鈥檚 visitor center. Its espresso con panna will wake you right up. 鈥擲ierra Shafer, Ski magazine editor in chief

Hiking the Hills over a Wedding Weekend in Williamstown

Over Labor Day, my husband, Mike, and I will travel to Williamstown, in northwestern Massachusetts, for the wedding of a dear former coworker. It will be a reunion, with others from the old crew at Big Stone Publishing coming in from London, Las Vegas, and Asheville, North Carolina. Mike and I will fly into Albany, New York, 40 miles west, on Friday. I always figure that you can hike鈥攐r walk, in a city or a park鈥攊n most places, even if a trip is not recreational. Of course, it helps that we鈥檙e headed to a hiking haven like the Berkshires. For Saturday I鈥檝e pegged , a three-to-four-mile out-and-back up 1,893-foot Pine Cobble Mountain, where we can look out over historic Williamstown (once Mohican hunting grounds, and settled by others in 1749) and the Hoosic River valley. I hope to rally friends! Before the ceremony, we have a window where we could walk around the Clark Art Institute, with its marble gallery, backdrop of rolling green hills, and 140 acres of wooded trails. Mike also wants to head up 3,491-foot Mount Greylock, the highest peak in the state, boasting a 90-mile view; for Greylock, we could fit in the 2.6-mile before flying home late Monday afternoon (the 5.5-mile also looks great but would necessitate way too early a start). And we might as well pack climbing shoes in case of available bouldering. (I wonder if we could pass as students at the Williams College wall?) The town has a good farm-to-table scene, and my friend recommends Mezze, though pricey. Another option, the Barn looks casual, just right. 鈥擜lison Osius, 国产吃瓜黑料听magazine senior editor

Celebrating the End of a National 国产吃瓜黑料 in Hawaii

This fall I鈥檓 completing a challenge a quarter-century in the making. I grew up going on a bunch of road trips (the most notable being a 19-day, 5,000-mile adventure with my parents and brother in the family Prius), and before I was even able to drive, I鈥檇 already visited 30 states. So I turned my penchant for road trips into a project to visit all 50 states before my 25th birthday. The only criteria: I had to do something fun or memorable in each state, and layovers didn鈥檛 count. Everyone always asks what my least favorite states have been; I don鈥檛 have a least favorite, because there鈥檚 something in every state for everyone. That said, I do have two favorites: Utah and Vermont. I love hiking through red rocks and dense hardwood forests, and I鈥檝e gone back many times just to hit my favorite trails in both locales. As the clock ticks closer to my birthday in mid-November, there鈥檚 only one state left to check off: Hawaii. I thought it fitting to visit the 50th state as my 50th and final one. I have big plans to fly to Kauai and hike the in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. Because it won’t be听peak season, wasn鈥檛 too hard. My dream is to cap off that day with a hefty scoop of Hanalei Sunrise ice cream at Pink鈥檚 Creamery. Or maybe two scoops. It is my birthday, after all. 鈥擡mma Veidt, Backpacker assistant editor

Anticipating a Homecoming听in Asheville

My mom grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and has always wanted to show my brothers and me around her hometown. My boyfriend has ties there, too鈥攈is sister moved there from New Mexico several years ago. So I鈥檓 headed to this popular outdoor destination in October with both my parents, my siblings, and my partner for four days. We鈥檝e rented a home on a nice plot of land just outside of town, where we’ll be able to have campfires and soak in a hot tub under the stars. Hopefully our trip will happen right as the leaves are firing in all their fall colors. It’s an active bunch, so we’ll hike, maybe ride some singletrack, or fly-fish for trout in the streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beyond that, we’re excited to sample the highly touted food and drink scene. My boyfriend’s sister runs The Garden, a food truck that often posts up at one of three Wedge brewery locations around town, so we’ll definitely check that out. 国产吃瓜黑料 has also run some great stories about Asheville recently, with recommendations from singer Angel Olsen on her favorite hangouts and tips from other locals, so we’ll consult those when planning our day-to-day. 鈥揂bigail Barronian, 国产吃瓜黑料听magazine senior editor

Larch-Peeping Beneath the Peaks of the Dolomites

For part of a longer trip to Europe this fall, I鈥檝e carved out a weekend in the Italian Dolomites when the larches change color. As deciduous conifers (which feels like an oxymoron but surprisingly isn鈥檛), larches听have needles that turn yellow before dropping听off each autumn. I鈥檝e been obsessed with these weird and wonderful trees since I first saw a photo of them in Washington鈥檚 Cascades, and was delighted to learn that they grow thickly near the Italian ski town of Cortina d鈥橝mpezzo. My husband and I听booked a bed-and-breakfast in town鈥攖he options are many, and quite affordable in the autumn off-season鈥攁nd plan to spend a few days in late October hiking through the forests under the towering peaks. While I have more trails on my list than I know we鈥檒l be able to accomplish, I鈥檓 most excited for the 7.8-mile Croda da Lago circuit. The highlight of this moderate day hike is Lago Federa, a larch-ringed lake beneath the face of one of this area鈥檚 most distinct peaks.听Lunch at Rifugio Palmieri, one of the only mountain huts in the region that stays open through October, is a no-brainer. 鈥擬ikaela Ruland, National Park Trips associate content director

Surfing and Kayaking in Maine

I grew up visiting Maine almost every summer, but next month I鈥檒l be traveling to Portland for the first time, for my older brother鈥檚 wedding. Both my brother and his fianc茅e also went to school in Maine (she鈥檚 a many-generation Mainer), so听it feels bizarre that I haven鈥檛 been to the state’s largest city听yet. We鈥檙e staying in an Airbnb close to the wedding-party venue鈥�, an old church turned restaurant鈥攊n between the West End and Old Port districts. The neighborhood is a ten-minute walk from the harbor, where we plan to rent some sea kayaks and explore the plethora of islands that dot Casco Bay. So far my summer has mostly consisted of outings on rivers and lakes, so I can鈥檛 wait to get some ocean time in. And if I can swing it, I鈥檒l go surfing at Higgins Beach, nine miles south of Portland. Fall is the best time to surf in New England, and by mid-September there should be some good swells. I also can鈥檛 wait to check out Portland鈥檚 burgeoning food scene. My friends tell me the is a special low-key place to get a lobster roll overlooking the ocean. 鈥擪elly Klein, 国产吃瓜黑料听magazine associate editor

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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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In early June three years ago, waiting in line for a table at Flyers Bar and Grill on a marina in St. Croix, I looked on in amazement as a group of kayakers gathered at the waterfront for a tour. Watching them paddle off into the dusk, I wondered what was so interesting that people would skip dinner in exchange for insect bites and navigating barely visible waters. Bioluminescence was not yet a word in my vocabulary.

I鈥檝e since warmed right up to nighttime sights outdoors, having witnessed the Northern Lights dancing in Iceland or the Milky Way above a remote cabin in New Hampshire. While I had begun experimenting with astrophotography during a 2018 trip to Virgin Islands National Park, these once haphazard sessions have now become a full-fledged hobby.

If my growing fascination with the natural world after sundown has taught me anything, it鈥檚 that the night sky offers endless adventure. Our national and state parks and other organizations are working to protect dark skies and host events to engage people of all ages and abilities to see nighttime landscapes, nocturnal critters, and to stargaze and contemplate UFOs.

The park nighttime activities below offer curious minds a chance to explore moonlit paths and bays that glow.

1. Stargazing and UFOs

Trade an evening of Netflix for a chance to gaze at galaxies and be reminded that, like those stars above you, earth is just a tiny dot. The big question is: could it really be the only life-supporting dot?

Learn About the Cosmos鈥攁nd UFOs鈥攁t Joshua Tree National Park, California

There鈥檚 a lot to marvel about in Joshua Tree National Park, known for its lunar landscapes and energy vortices. Located in the Morongo Basin, a hotbed for claims of UFO sightings, and a certified International Dark Sky Park site, Joshua Tree regularly attracts stargazers and truth seekers. In fact, it鈥檚 the 2013 birthplace of the annual Contact in the Desert Conference, the 鈥淲oodstock of UFO conferences,鈥� which draws thousands of attendees.

Though the conference has since moved to Indian Wells, California, you can still seek signs of extraterrestrial life while in Joshua Tree by joining a 90-minute Stargazing and UFO Tour run by ($150) using Gen 3 military-grade night-vision binoculars. This technology delivers an even more captivating stargazing experience than is available to the naked eye, so you can see stars, nebulas, planets, and distant galaxies in a way that far surpasses what was observable even to our ancestors gazing at pitch-black skies a thousand years ago.

Attend a Star Party at Glacier National Park, Montana

Far from the brightness of big cities, Glacier is a go-to destination for visitors who not only want to see the Milky Way but also the elusive northern lights, visible any time of year but especially September through April.听Also an International Dark Sky Park,听Glacier embraces its role as a steward of the night sky.听Events like are held every year to make visitors aware of the ecological and cultural importance of dark skies, offering a chance to gaze at our galaxies through high-powered telescopes while learning about the solar system from park rangers, astronomers, and members of the Big Sky Astronomy Club.

Star parties are held on select summer nights from 10 P.M. until midnight and cost $5 per vehicle (in addition to the park entrance fee). Unable to attend? See the above link for other astronomy programs in the park throughout the year.

2. Bioluminescence

If you don鈥檛 believe in magic, you鈥檝e never witnessed the blue-green glow of microorganisms in a dark saltwater bay.

Paddle a See-Through Kayak in the Salt River Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Enjoy one of nature鈥檚 most wondrous displays with a glass-bottom kayak tour of one of St. Croix鈥檚 bioluminescent bays.听Salt River Bay National Historic Site and Ecological Preserve, which for two millennia served as an entry point for Indigenous people and colonizers, is home to one of just seven full-time bioluminescent bays in the world.听 tour ($55) sets out at dusk and heads about three-quarters of a mile past the mangroves to Salt River Bay, where kayakers paddle around in amazement, watching as the water disturbance triggers a chemical reaction in plankton known as dinoflagellates, which light up beneath them. Children ages eight and up (who must be accompanied by an adult) are welcome to explore these rare ecosystems. No prior kayaking experience is necessary.

Paddle the Magical Waters of Castine Harbor, Maine

Combine time in the quaint seaside town of Castine with an epic evening adventure exploring what local tour operator Castine Kayak 国产吃瓜黑料s refers to as a 鈥渇loating planetarium鈥濃�攁 bioluminescent bay located just one hour from Acadia National Park. These waters鈥攍ocated between the Penobscot and Bagaduce waterways鈥攁re off the radar for most tourists, and offer an awe-inspiring glow, thanks to the nutrient-rich silt floor of Castine Harbor.

An hour after sundown, visitors can join on a tour ($90) that leaves from the harbor to watch these waters come to life. Children ages ten and older are welcome (and must be accompanied by an adult), and prior kayaking experience is recommended as tidal currents can be strong. For first-timers, the company offers a day-and-night kayak package ($155) from May through mid-October for those who would prefer to learn paddling basics in the daylight.

Note: To protect these fragile ecosystems for future generations, participants are asked to avoid the use of bug spray, deodorant, perfume, or sunscreen out of an abundance of caution, as they often contain harmful chemicals that kill the bioluminescence.

3. Night Hikes

Whether you鈥檙e interested in a moonlit stroll or one in the darkness of the new moon, exploring at night affords a different experience of landscape viewss.

Follow the Ram Head Trail in Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

This 2.3-mile out-and-back trail on a peninsula in Virgin Islands National Park covers mostly exposed terrain, with the sound of crashing waves. You鈥檒l have expansive views across sea and sky as you approach the Ram Head, a rocky abutment at the trail terminus, to watch the moonrise over the endless horizon. This hike is self-guided and does not require prior registration, so take extra precautions. The peninsula has some small rocky cliffs, so stay on the trail, bring a headlamp or flashlight, and consider a daytime familiarization hike.

Hike Under the Full Moon in White Sands National Park, New Mexico

This monthly ranger-led hike shows off the 辫补谤办鈥檚 famous white sands illuminated under the light of the moon. Hikers cast shadows onto the bright landscape as they follow the 1.3-long, moderately difficult Dune Life Nature Trail loop, an adventure that can last up to two hours round trip. The path is initially flat but then ascends up the steep sand dunes鈥攁 boost in difficulty eased by listening to the guide鈥檚 tales about the park. Guests must , and ticket sales open up two months before each scheduled hike. Cost is $8 (or $4 for children under 15), not including the park-entry fee.

Hike Under the New Moon in the Valley of Fire, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park offers monthly guided or self-guided new-moon hikes (see the guided here, although hikes may not be published until about a week ahead, or check on a rotating array of trails. Located an hour northeast of Las Vegas, the 辫补谤办鈥檚 red-rock landscapes are obscured at night, but the setting offers a reprieve from the bright lights of the Strip in exchange for a wander under the Milky Way. Hikes start at 6:30 P.M. and distances range from one to two and a half miles. These excursions are family-friendly and open to all ages. A red-light flashlight is suggested to safely navigate the trails without impairing your night vision, and expect to pay a $15 park fee ($10 for Nevada residents).

See Twilight in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

This guided three-hour mountaintop amble through Shenandoah National Park鈥檚 Big Meadow sets out at the golden hour and ends under the stars. Watch the colors of sunset erupt across the sky as an expert guide identifies signs of wildlife and points out seasonal plants. Twilight hikes ($25) run from May through August and are scheduled in . Each covers about one mile round trip, with frequent stops for discussions of unique flora and fauna. All ages and abilities are welcome. Preregistration is required, and the fee does not include park admission.

Stay safe on nighttime hikes with Gaia GPS maps for and (recent excursions include Fire Wave and White Domes Loop).

4. Nighttime Nature Tours

Discover creatures that roam the night and other wonders that otherwise lie hidden.

Tour El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

While many visitors to the island are heading out for dinner and drinks to wrap the day, the nocturnal residents of the El Yunque Rainforest are only just starting up. For the richest wildlife experience here, visit in the evening, as 60 percent of its inhabitants are nocturnal. A guided evening walk with ($55) departs close to sunset and ends just after dark. With expert help, you鈥檒l be able to identify various species of tree frogs, glimpse screech owls, and see scorpions and tarantulas just before they scurry into the shadows. Expect to be out for two and a half hours and cover minimal ground (about three-quarters of a mile out-and-back).

Go Yooperlite Hunting in the听Upper Peninsula, Michigan

What in the world is a Yooperlite, and why should you care?听Two words: glowing rocks.听 Discovered by Erik Rintamaki in 2017, Yooperlites are syenite rocks rich in the fluorescent mineral sodalite, which causes them to glow neon shades of orange and yellow at night when subjected to UV light.听No two rocks are the same. Some are merely speckled with the luminescent mineral, while others display brilliant patterns or emit an all-over radiance.听Rintamaki offers on select dates from July through October along Lake Superior to hunt for Yooperlites, which you otherwise might overlook as eemingly ordinary gray rocks.

Watch Synchronous Fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

These magical summertime creatures come in a variety of species, some of which even have the ability to synchronize their flashing patterns. One of the few viewing spots on earth to observe synchronous fireflies is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Elkmont area near the Little River and Jakes Creek Trailheads, which are temporarily closed off to ordinary visitation. An annual is held in April for permits for people in 960 cars over eight nights to witness the only American species of synchronous firefly during its brief annual appearance. The lottery costs $1 and allows applicants to select two potential viewing dates. Those people selected are automatically charged $24 and assigned a specific evening to view the fireflies between late May and mid-June.

Search for Scorpions in Maricopa County, Arizona

Scorpions are known as fearsome, venomous creatures to avoid. So it might come as a surprise that various parks around this county, which contains the state capital of Phoenix, hold summertime events where families can go looking for the pincered predators. Sound unsettling? Rest assured that scorpions are far more likely to run from humans than sting them, and that people are unlikely to die from scorpion venom.

To take part in these outings, join rangers at Lost Dutchman State Park, in Apache Junction, or McDowell Mountain Regional Park, in Fountain Hills, on select summer nights ($5).听Bring your own flashlight to illuminate the path, as well as a black light to spot the tiny scorpions scurrying through the dirt (the UV light gives them a fluorescent green glow).听To find an upcoming scorpion hunt, check the Lost Dutchman State Park , or head to the Maricopa County Regional Parks and select the Animals filter on the events calendar.

Author Bio: Always a lover of quiet and fresh evening air, Theresa McKinney (see ) has a growing appreciation for the night sky. In annual trips to Virgin Islands National Park, she has expanded her adventure repertoire from snorkeling and hiking to include late-night astrophotography sessions and pitch-black beach walks. On her second visit to Iceland, she proudly achieved her bucket-list goal of seeing the northern lights.

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