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Reader Survey Day: What National Parks Are On Your 2016 Calendar?

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Published Date

January 6, 2016
View from Brinkerhoff Lodge deck/DOI

Where in the National Park System where you find yourself in 2016?/NPS

Ok, travelers, the blush is still on the new year, but that doesn't mean we can't plan, right? With that in mind, what national park adventures are on your 2016 calendar?

I know I'll be visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in May to attend the World Ranger Congress, floating through Dinosaur National Monument in June, exploring Grand Teton National Park by kayak in July, and heading through Cataract Canyon in Canyonlands National Park in September, but the rest of the year is wide open right now. And with all the crowds that turned out in some of the bigger parks last year, I'm thinking park visits this year would best be enjoyed in some of the relatively under-the-radar parks.

A backpacking trip to Saguaro National Park in Arizona would be nice. Ditto with one at Great Basin National Park in Nevada. I've also wanted to explore Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin by kayak and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota by canoe. Roamining the landscape of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas to see if creating a "buffalo commons" really can be done would be an adventure, too.

So, what about you? Where do you plan to go in 2016?

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Comments

Submitted by Gila Monster on January 6, 2016 - 11:09am.

Freycinet NP

Tasman NP

Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair NP

Mt. Field NP

Kalbarri NP

Nambung NP

Millstream-Chichester NP

Karijini NP

... and hopefully some others in Western Australia.


Submitted by tomp2 on January 6, 2016 - 12:54pm.

I'm taking a bussman's holiday with my Annual Leave!

I hope to get out to Joshua Tree and maybe Mojave & Death Valley this spring, especially if they get lots of rain.  I'm resigned to using AL to do my own science.

But late spring / early summer, I'm hitting Mountain Home State Forest (not park), then Sequoia / Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Lassen, Lava Beds, and maybe more.  I may try to time things to line up with colleagues' fieldwork to get backcountry with local knowledge (ok, that may be wishful thinking).

 

ps: Tallgrass Prairie is _way_ too small for a buffalo commons, but it was beautiful 20+ years ago and it should be even nicer now with the restoration efforts.


Submitted by capitolover on January 6, 2016 - 1:31pm.

Crater Lake, Lassen Volcano, Redwoods, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Great Smokey Mountain.


Submitted by Auntsuey on January 6, 2016 - 2:10pm.

Every park in Utah this summer. Can't wait. 


Submitted by Rick Farber on January 6, 2016 - 4:41pm.

I will be going with my brother to Yosemite for 5 days in the spring and MT Lassen NP in the summer.

Maybe Channel Islands and Joshua in the spring.


Submitted by R. Wiener on January 6, 2016 - 5:19pm.

Badlands, Devils Tower Nat. Monument, Little Big Horn Nat. Monument, Yellowstone, Grand Teton.


Submitted by R. Wiener on January 6, 2016 - 5:20pm.

Badlands, Devils Tower Nat. Monument, Little Big Horn Nat. Monument, Yellowstone, Grand Teton.


Submitted by Raphael on January 6, 2016 - 6:57pm.

It's not a national park, but if you're in California and want to see desert wildflowers, don't overlook Anza Borrego State Park. It's a stunner!


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