Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None. I have loved all I've been to, from Shenandoah to Yosemite to Denali.

I'm even willing to pay $70 if I'm going on a vacation to one, but hate that the fee hike is being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts.

The fee hike is not being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts. The fee hike has been in the works a long time -- back into the Obama Administration. The National Parks have over ten billion $$ in deferred maintenance. Meanwhile, the Park Service has done studies that show that visitors to National Parks spend around $18 billion a year in the "Gateway Communities" around National Parks. It only makes sense to try to capture a small part of that money to maintain the Parks themselves (which are the draw, in the first place). Even at $70, the Park entrance fee is a minor portion of the expense of a trip to visit Yellowstone.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm

I’m not opposed to fee hikes per se, but $20 to $70 (regardless of whether you’re visiting for a day or a week) is a huge jump. I’d rather see a smaller raise (or introduce a 1-day option for less) and give NPS more funding in the budget.

PP here -- I probably should have also added that the Park Service would not be sad at all if fewer people go to the parks that have had the big fee hikes. Those parks are overcrowded, and they have described those parks as being "loved to death." I do think part of the plan is to try to get those people to go to some of the other parks, instead. One thing most people don't realize about the Park Service is that they see their primary mission as being the "preservation of the resource," not entertaining people.

Anonymous wrote:I'll probably get flamed for this but I thought Zion was kinda meh. It might be because I went there right after Canyonlands, Brice and Arches so Zion's lack of super cool scenery seemed to be a letdown. YMMV.

I won't flame you. I'll just say we went last summer and hiked to the top of Angel's Landing, and then hiked 12 miles of the Narrows. I would hardly call either of those "meh." I conquered my fear of heights on the top of Angel's Landing. But YMMV as you say.

We also went to Canyonlands, Bryce, Capitol Reef, and Arches. Loved all of them - they all have amazing things to offer.

I think the parks are what you make of them. They can all be super crowded if you go at peak times - but I have found that all you have to do is hike a mile away from the main areas and you're in paradise. Smokey Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the country. However, if you get off on a hiking trail, you can easily get away from the crowds and enjoy the beauty and solitude of the nature.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grand Canyon. So much driving, so crowded, and it’s the same view basically everywhere. Shenandoah is also a ton of driving but on slow narrow roads and truly underwhelming outside of fall

My favorites are Joshua tree, capitol reef, glacier and Yellowstone

For Grand Canyon, hike to the bottom and camp/lodge then hike back up is the only way to do it.

I think that isn’t feasable for many people. I can understand why those just viewing from the top and battling crowds to get there might be a bit underwhelmed.

First, how can anyone be "underwhelmed" by the view of the grand canyon??????? That is an oxymoron!

SEcondly, should have gone to the north rim if you didn't want to be near that much of a crowd. But, even when there are crowds, doesn't that tell you that it is something really cool that so many people want to see? I can understand not likely crowded places, but that doesn't reflect on the impressiveness of the site.

I have to wonder about the judgment of anyone who would say Grand Canyon is "overrated."

After Hoover dam,Grand Canyon was very underwhelming. It's not serene either unlike Sedona views. It is a personal preference. Crowds take away from any experience as they create stress, I don't understand how people can go in season to any of those crowded places.

Oh I don't know. Maybe because it is probably the most spectacular vista in the natural world?

Even if one thinks that, why not go off season.

Most people have kids in school and can't go places off season.

This. I'd love to go to Zion in the Fall, but not in the Summer. It will probably have to wait until our kid is in college. Spring Break only other option, but good chance of Narrows hike being flooded.

We went to Zion just this past summer from Aug 16-18 and it was totally fine. It too busy at all. I think this was because the west Coast schools are already back in session and so are universities. After that, we did the Grand Canyon and crowds were not a problem at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None. I have loved all I've been to, from Shenandoah to Yosemite to Denali.

I'm even willing to pay $70 if I'm going on a vacation to one, but hate that the fee hike is being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts.

The fee hike is not being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts. The fee hike has been in the works a long time -- back into the Obama Administration. The National Parks have over ten billion $$ in deferred maintenance. Meanwhile, the Park Service has done studies that show that visitors to National Parks spend around $18 billion a year in the "Gateway Communities" around National Parks. It only makes sense to try to capture a small part of that money to maintain the Parks themselves (which are the draw, in the first place). Even at $70, the Park entrance fee is a minor portion of the expense of a trip to visit Yellowstone.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm

I’m not opposed to fee hikes per se, but $20 to $70 (regardless of whether you’re visiting for a day or a week) is a huge jump. I’d rather see a smaller raise (or introduce a 1-day option for less) and give NPS more funding in the budget.

I'll probably get flamed for this but I thought Zion was kinda meh. It might be because I went there right after Canyonlands, Brice and Arches so Zion's lack of super cool scenery seemed to be a letdown. YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grand Canyon. So much driving, so crowded, and it’s the same view basically everywhere. Shenandoah is also a ton of driving but on slow narrow roads and truly underwhelming outside of fall

My favorites are Joshua tree, capitol reef, glacier and Yellowstone

For Grand Canyon, hike to the bottom and camp/lodge then hike back up is the only way to do it.

I think that isn’t feasable for many people. I can understand why those just viewing from the top and battling crowds to get there might be a bit underwhelmed.

First, how can anyone be "underwhelmed" by the view of the grand canyon??????? That is an oxymoron!

SEcondly, should have gone to the north rim if you didn't want to be near that much of a crowd. But, even when there are crowds, doesn't that tell you that it is something really cool that so many people want to see? I can understand not likely crowded places, but that doesn't reflect on the impressiveness of the site.

I have to wonder about the judgment of anyone who would say Grand Canyon is "overrated."

The Grand Canyon just isn't everyone's cup of tea. If you aren't into rocks, desert, brown/orange, etc. then it's not really a beautiful scene. I enjoy the ocean far more than lakes. Next I enjoy lakes far more than mountains. I enjoy mountains more than forests. Desert rocks would land at the bottom.

Shenandoah.

The only national park that I thought was overrated is Badlands. There are a few lovely areas, but most of it is pretty bleak.

Anonymous wrote:None. I have loved all I've been to, from Shenandoah to Yosemite to Denali.

I'm even willing to pay $70 if I'm going on a vacation to one, but hate that the fee hike is being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts.

The fee hike is not being imposed to balance out corporate tax cuts. The fee hike has been in the works a long time -- back into the Obama Administration. The National Parks have over ten billion $$ in deferred maintenance. Meanwhile, the Park Service has done studies that show that visitors to National Parks spend around $18 billion a year in the "Gateway Communities" around National Parks. It only makes sense to try to capture a small part of that money to maintain the Parks themselves (which are the draw, in the first place). Even at $70, the Park entrance fee is a minor portion of the expense of a trip to visit Yellowstone.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm

Anonymous wrote:The Grand Tetons. We loved Yellowstone and we're lucky enough to be able to camp on the Western side and then stay 3 nights at Roosevelt where we saw bears, wolves, bison. It was pristine and not commercialized. Then we went to the Grand Tetons and the first day we passed by a river that was dammed then went to a lake that smelled like gasoline from the loud motorboats with water skiers. It was a totally commercialed place.

??? How long were you there and what did you try to do?

We did a wildlife viewing/slow float on a raft, === the picture is our xmas card picture this year!
We rented bikes and biked with mountains for a backdrop.
Kayaked (mountains for a backdrop)
Took the ferry to Jenny Lake -- so gorgeous. Then hiked to a waterfall and then hiked back to the ferry start point (saw our first bear along the way... WAY too close for comfort, but something we will always remember).
Had the best pizza and calzones.

Tetons is for people who are ACTIVE. It's all about getting out and moving. If you didn't do that, you missed it. I would go back in a heartbeat!

I was the poster who first mentioned Acadia. It is 100% worth the trip and cost. The hiking is amazing, with plenty of easy access for little kids. I liked the Shore Path. My husband liked the more strenuous hikes. The carriage roads are fun if you bike. The tidal path to Bar Island is great. Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain is a must-see. The scenery is just amazingly breathtaking. And Mt. Desert Island is a cool place to be.

I don't care for any of the crowded destinations. We buy our annual pass and enjoy less accessable locations. Even if we don't use the whole value by visiting destinations that charge an entry fee, we consider it's a small price to pay as we use BLM a lot.

Interesting thread. I have liked most national parks. The best way to experience them, IMHO, is to park your car and explore. I've been to the Grand Canyon a couple times and am blown away each time I visit. The North Rim is the best side to visit if you want to avoid the crowds. That said, it's harder to access and only open about half of the year. As much as I have enjoyed all the National Parks I have been to, the one that impressed me the least was Yellowstone. I wouldn't say it was "overrated," but I didn't find the landscape as impressive as other national parks. Lots of wildlife and bison jams on the road, but for that part of the country I find Rocky Mountain and Glacier National Parks more spectacular.

Anonymous wrote:The Grand Tetons. We loved Yellowstone and we're lucky enough to be able to camp on the Western side and then stay 3 nights at Roosevelt where we saw bears, wolves, bison. It was pristine and not commercialized. Then we went to the Grand Tetons and the first day we passed by a river that was dammed then went to a lake that smelled like gasoline from the loud motorboats with water skiers. It was a totally commercialed place.

We were just in Tetons and I feel like we must have gone to different parks. We stayed near Lake Jackson and the water was crystal clear with almost no one out on it. We saw bison, bears (including one from about 4 feet away...), and a number of other animals. I thought it was prettier than Yellowstone and smelled better, although I liked Yellowstone too.

Just chiming in with random opinions:
1. This $80 annual pass for some people
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
2. that fancy pass gets you into more than just national parks. Some states have programs that allow you in. I went to a LOT of parks in California with this pass one year.
3. The Grand Canyon looks great from the sky, if you can somehow pull that off. I was on a comercial flight to CA once and just saw it. AMAZING.
one edge is flat but the other is not...sort of like a big blue ox slid and messed upthe land...

My favorite park was probably a state park and I like alligators.
https://www.stateparks.com/alligator_river_national_wildlife_refuge_in_north_carolina.html

I loved seeing the gators but the big a$$ while bore scared the life out of me. I really thought they were going to try to kill me and they are HUGE!
It was a very cool visit pre-kids.