Reader Participation Day: Help Us Name the Best Adventures In the National Park System, Lower 48 Edition

Published Date

September 29, 2010

Climbing the Grand Teton, which often entails a night spent in the camp on the mountain's Lower Saddle, is one of the best adventures in the National Park System in the Lower 48. NPS photo.

What are the best adventures in the National Park System in the Lower 48? For sure, three weeks floating the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park has to be one, and climbing the Grand Teton in its namesake park is another. But then what?

To help start this list, here are five great adventures in no specific order:

1. Colorado River trip, Grand Canyon National Park

2. Climbing the Grand Teton, Grand Teton National Park

3. Climbing El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

4. End-to-end on the Appalachian Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail

5. Wild cave tour, Mammoth Cave National Park

What else, travelers? Are there 50 great adventures? 100?

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Comments

Submitted by admin on September 29, 2010 - 4:51pm.

Camping on an island in the BWWCA - Boundary Waters Wildnerness Camping - in Northern Minnesota going out of Grand Marais off the Gunflint Trail. Even better is camping off Cache Bay in Canada.

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 29, 2010 - 4:55pm.

Great choice, Catherine. But, alas, BWWCA is not in the National Park System....though perhaps it should be!

Submitted by Rick Smith on September 29, 2010 - 5:21pm.

How about the Subway in Zion?

Rick

Submitted by Rick Smith on September 29, 2010 - 5:22pm.

Or hiking down Tenaya Canyon in Yosemite?

Rick

Submitted by admin on September 29, 2010 - 6:16pm.

Canoeing the Green River through Canyonlands National Park. It's my all time number one vacation.

Submitted by admin on September 29, 2010 - 6:27pm.

Hiking the Panorama Trail in Yosemite

Submitted by admin on September 29, 2010 - 7:21pm.

Ok, on a serious note, I'd put snorkeling at Dry Tortugas NP, around Fort Jefferson and amidst the surrounding reefs, barrier islands, and shipwrecks. Really makes you have second thoughts about your position on the food chain.

Submitted by admin on September 29, 2010 - 8:56pm.

4-wheeling on the north rim of Grand Canyon out to Point Sublime. Snowshoeing at Crater Lake. Early morning walk up to Mount Rushmore. Nothing like having a little of those great places all to yourself.

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