People like lists. No, check that, they love them. Particularly when they disagree with them and think they have a better list. So, here's my personal Top 10 list of national parks.* How does it match up with yours?
1. Yellowstone. Does this selection really need to be explained? It's the world's first national park, it features the world's greatest collection of thermal features (hot springs, fumaroles, geysers, etc.), has wolves, two species of bears, eagles, osprey, moose, bighorn sheep, streams for angling, lakes for paddling and angling, and an incredible backcountry for getting away from it all.
You could spend an entire vacation watching the surf at Acadia. NPS photo.
2. Acadia. Perhaps because this was the very first national park I ever visited, this deserves to be in my Top 10. That said, it can stand on its own. The wonderful mix of forests and surf, the carriage paths, the eclectic vibe that runs through Bar Harbor, the great B&Bs and cottages, and, of course, the fresh lawbsta make this park a crowd pleaser.
3. Olympic. One park, three vastly different experiences: Surf, rainforest, and alpine. Just one of those three would justify a visit to this park overlooking the Pacific Ocean from Washington state's peninsula. But when you have all three in one visit...well, it's a no brainer.
Great Smoky is rife with hiking options. Kurt Repanshek photo.
4. Great Smoky. Family friendly, rich in American history, fantastic hiking, it's all here. When the dog days of summer get hot and lazy, there are more than a few streams to cool off in. The historic structures found in Cades Cove, (Big and Little) Cataloochee, and Oconaluftee allow you to peer into an earlier, somewhat simpler, more self-reliant time.
5. Canyonlands. This park likely won't make everyone's list, but then, that's probably because they haven't visited. There's prehistory on display in the form of granaries, petroglyphs and pictographs, vestiges of cowboy history, bizarre geology, bucking rivers for white-water cowboys, and vast expanses to walk into.
6. Glacier Bay. Again, not likely to make everyone's list. But it's rich in glacial history, boasts a cornucopia of wildlife (both terrestrial and marine), and is most definitely wild. And the fishing is not lacking.
You want glaciers? Glacier Bay has glaciers. Kurt Repanshek photo.
7. Sequoia. Big trees, big backcountry, great backcountry and front-country trails, a kid-pleaser. A bonus is that it's connected by border, and administratively, to Kings Canyon National Park.
8. Yosemite. While the Yosemite Valley is the main attraction, if you spend all your time there with the millions of other visitors, you won't really get to know this park. The high country with its granite domes, peaks, and hiking trails is sublime.
9. Everglades. Sure, it's hot in summer, but show up between November and April and you've got a reasonable climate in which to explore the paddling trails, go birding, take in a hike or two, explore the largest officially designated wilderness east of the Rockies, and the fishing is waiting for you.
You haven't experienced Yosemite if you neglect the high country. Kurt Repanshek photo.
10. Virgin Islands. Another personal favorite that might not show up on many lists. But if you're looking for relaxation in the form of reclining in your beach chair on the park's sugar-sand beaches, want to explore some dazzling marinelife while snorkeling the park's coral reefs, or study Caribbean history, this is the place to head.
* For the purposes of this list, I considered just the 58 "national" parks.
Comments
After 36 US National Parks it is:
1.Yosemite 2. Grand Canyon 3. Zion 4.Yellowstone
5. Glacier 5. Mount Rainier 5. Kings Canyon
8. Capitol Reef 8. Arches 8. Bryce Canyon 8. Sequoia
If we include all North America Banff, Yoho, and Jasper make my list and it comes out to an even 10 as my 8's drop out. Sequoia has the most chance to move up among these as I have not hiked Mineral King yet.
Been sick so finally getting around to this but after 38 NPs in US. Rating on both enjoying visit and desire to go back.
1. Yellowstone
2. Glacier Bay
3. Sequoia/Kings Canyon (View these as more or less the same)
4. Mount Rainier
5. Olympic
6. Acadia
7. Hawaii Volcanoes
8. Mesa Verde
9. Arches
10. Yosemite
When I get to Denali, Glacier I might put them on this list and if I ever rafted Grand Canyon it might also make the list but w/o having been to the bottom I can't put it above those listed.
I am really surprised by the lack of mention of Denali or actually many other of the Alaskan Parks. I know that they get visited less but Wragell St. Elias was mentioned twice as was Glacier Bay. That got me to thinking if the Alaskan Parks I've visited would make my list.
1. Olympic
2. Arches
3. Rocky Mountain (I love being on top of the mountains)
4. Yellowstone
5. Grand Tetons
6. Zion
7. Mt. Rainer
8. Shenandoah
9. Glacier
10. Glacier Bay
I feel like I need to justify my list, so I'll say this. California NP's begin this summer. Some of these are just based on time spent there. Denali is awesome but it needs more time and you really have to hike it to get all of it. 3 days on buses won't do it.
Man, I'm ready hit the road again.
Rafting the Grand Canyon made a big difference in my rating. The Rims just do not do the place justice.
I am surprized that so many lists omit Glacier National Park! Glacier is wonderful! don't miss it! My list would include;
Glacier
Grand Canyon - rafting through it on the Colorado River (adventure and spiritual)
Acadia
Yosemite
Denali
Shenendoah
Yellowstone
Grand Tetons
Great Smokey Mountains
Sequoia
(Maybe Valley Forge should be on the list!!!)
I haven't been to all the national parks but my top 10 that I have been to would be
Yosemite
Glacier
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Great Smoky Mountains
Acadia
Shenandoah
Grand Canyon
Rocky Mountain
Arches
Honorable Mention: Fort Frederica National Monument, only because I used to work there.
I chuckled at Markus's list and his inclusion of Wind Cave, a very fine area. I think this shows the futility of this exercise. In my opinion, Wind Cave plays second fiddle to Custer State Park, just to the north, and lacks the spectacular spires of the Needles, to boot. When the Wind Cave underground system is finally fully mapped, doubtless some of the cave system will lie within Custer as well. I was tickled to see Canyon de Chelly on one list - again, just me, but CdeC has qualities, especially a certain intimacy, lacking in both Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon.
Trying to compress all the wonders of our country into a list containing merely ten entities just isn't useful. There are some amazing, worthy areas that aren't even parks.....
Have been to 30+
How about Big Bend!!!
Top ten:
1. Great Smoky Mountains (Clingmans Dome at sunrise and Cades Cove during early morning)
2. Big Bend (canyons, desert, and mountains) (best sunset in any park at the The Window)
3. Grand Canyon - Wow!
4. Yellowstone (West Thumb at sunrise, Riverside Geyser, and a 1000 other places)
5. Badlands (What a scenic drive, great short hikes too)
6. Carlsbad Caverns (The Big Room - I was blown away!)
7. Shenandoah (views and hiking)
8. Arches (great walking, don't miss Sand Arch)
9. Olympic (Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rain Forest, and beaches)
10. Capitol Reef (very colorful and scenic)
best other parks: Chaco Culture NHP, John Day Fossil Beds NM, Harpers Ferry NHP, and Edison NHP.
best non-national park: Bodie SHP.