U.S. National Parks thread

November is going to be cold at night in any of the best and accessible NPs.

Horos said:

Stopped by this one today.

We used to head up there once in a while when my folks were still alive and living in Medford.  Great spot.  Nice lodge too though I think the food there was a bit pricey.

Headed to Glacier National Park this August as part of the Missoula show. Super pumped. We won't be able to do our usual backcountry trips with the 10-month-old but car camping near Lake McDonald should do the trick!

And re: Whitney - I did a trip a few years ago via the High Sierra Trail to the top of Whitney and ending in Lone Pine. Absolutely fantastic trip.

Heading up to Nordhouse Dunes National Wilderness on Lake Michigan for a short backpack trip this weekend, wish me luck for good weather!

darwinstheory said:

^^Sounds like a great time. I think the weather is supposed to be good. Got some friends that are from Manistee who say that area is really nice.
Then again, I am in Northwest Indiana, soooo...not much to see here. But we do have Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore/Indiana Dunes State Park. That's a really good area for hiking and swimming.

I haven't been in any dune ecosystems yet so this is a new experience for us.  Also the first backpack trip since we had our son who is 3 now.

It's hard to have a vacation and not go to the mountains lol 

tempo_n_groove said:

darwinstheory said:

tempo_n_groove said:

rgambs said:

darwinstheory said:

^^Sounds like a great time. I think the weather is supposed to be good. Got some friends that are from Manistee who say that area is really nice.
Then again, I am in Northwest Indiana, soooo...not much to see here. But we do have Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore/Indiana Dunes State Park. That's a really good area for hiking and swimming.

I haven't been in any dune ecosystems yet so this is a new experience for us.  Also the first backpack trip since we had our son who is 3 now.

It's hard to have a vacation and not go to the mountains lol 

I would rather a beach than mountains all day long!

No way! Give me the mountains! So humbling and rewarding to hike and drive through!

*I may have a different tone if I weren't so pale, over weight and if I didn't have a girlfriend. Lmao

Give me a fishing pole any time of year and I'm still in the ocean...  I'm fishing for Stripers in November in the water.  My friends think I'm nuts...

I have fished for stripers nov-feb.  It gets freaking cold out there!!!

PJ_Soul said:

If anyone hasn't, watch Ken Burns' documentary series about America's National Parks. It is so good, and really brings home just how much history and work and energy and caring is currently being destroyed by the Trump administration.

I know I'm splitting hairs but isn't Trump admin reducing National Monuments?

rgambs said:

tempo_n_groove said:

rgambs said:

darwinstheory said:

^^Sounds like a great time. I think the weather is supposed to be good. Got some friends that are from Manistee who say that area is really nice.
Then again, I am in Northwest Indiana, soooo...not much to see here. But we do have Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore/Indiana Dunes State Park. That's a really good area for hiking and swimming.

I haven't been in any dune ecosystems yet so this is a new experience for us.  Also the first backpack trip since we had our son who is 3 now.

It's hard to have a vacation and not go to the mountains lol 

I would rather a beach than mountains all day long!

tempo_n_groove said:

rgambs said:

darwinstheory said:

^^Sounds like a great time. I think the weather is supposed to be good. Got some friends that are from Manistee who say that area is really nice.
Then again, I am in Northwest Indiana, soooo...not much to see here. But we do have Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore/Indiana Dunes State Park. That's a really good area for hiking and swimming.

I haven't been in any dune ecosystems yet so this is a new experience for us.  Also the first backpack trip since we had our son who is 3 now.

It's hard to have a vacation and not go to the mountains lol 

I would rather a beach than mountains all day long!

There are two kinds of people, mountain people and beach people.
The second group is wrong.

There is a 3rd: Mountain and beach people. That's why we are in VanCity. I sincerely can't imagine not living with both at the same time long term. I did live in the Rockies for just a handful of months once... It was so beautiful... but the Rockies need to be sitting in an ocean. Then they'd be perfect.

I don't think I've ever been to an American national park...? Or have I? Is the very northwest side of Washington State part of a national park? Where all those insanely beautiful beaches are, on the edge of forests? I thought it was actually First Nations land, so probably not? But the best National Park I've been to might be Banff National Park, especially since it includes the Columbia Glacier, which was awesome to walk up (and under!). Or maybe it's the Pacific Rim National Park on the west side of Vancouver Island .... that is certainly as beautiful as it gets!