Our National Parks

[Stan and Carol]

Been watching a great series on the National Parks by Ken Burns on PBS this week. It incredible how much resistance there was to creating the National Parks, by the greedy wealthy and the Congress. Ken Burns does a great job of showing the history of our park system and the struggle it was to get these areas saved forever.
Every one of us campers that enjoy the wildness and beauty of the park system, have John Muir to thank for his dedication in preserving these beautiful lands for all of us to enjoy.
We bought our Oliver with the intention of visiting as many of the parks and forest lands as we could before we got too old, and so far we've been to The Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and The Everglades. All different, all beautiful.
As a ex TWA employee, we traveled in Europe, Africa, and lived in the Middle East, but now it's time to see this great land of ours, we call America.

Time to plan our next trip.

Stan

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Stan and Carol

Been watching a great series on the National Parks by Ken Burns on PBS this week. It incredible how much resistance there was to creating the National Parks, by the greedy wealthy and the Congress. Ken Burns does a great job of showing the history of our park system and the struggle it was to get these areas saved forever.
Every one of us campers that enjoy the wildness and beauty of the park system, have John Muir to thank for his dedication in preserving these beautiful lands for all of us to enjoy.
We bought our Oliver with the intention of visiting as many of the parks and forest lands as we could before we got too old, and so far we've been to The Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and The Everglades. All different, all beautiful.
As a ex TWA employee, we traveled in Europe, Africa, and lived in the Middle East, but now it's time to see this great land of ours, we call America.

Time to plan our next trip.

Stan

Thank God that in the past we had leaders like Teddy Roosevelt who thought about this county's long term good.

[Sid]

Vic and I have been glued to this series since it started. It is addictive!
When we started our family we decided to take every summer and visit as many national parks as possible with our little Palomino pop up. 34 years later, Vicki, our kids, and I have never been to Disney, but we have been to 38 national parks and counting. We love these national treasures.

[Carol and Mike]

Stan, we're doing the same thing. After 30 years in the Army, many of those overseas, it's time to see our National Parks. We lived 45 minutes south of Paris for a few years (Montargis) and I remember talking to a French neighbor and discovering he had never seen the Eifel Tower only 45 minutes away!

[emij]

This is a fantastic series! Our family has been on a mission to see every National Park as well. Our kids are 12 and 14 and as a family we have been to 25 of them. By the end of the summer, we will add three more to the list. They'll probably never make it to Disney on our watch, but experiencing all that this incredible country has to offer feels like a gift that we are giving them. We actively support funding for the National Parks Service and participate in conservation programs as well. John Muir left an incredible legacy, and it feels like those of us who love the outdoors have a responsibility to keep it intact for future generations.

[CamperBill]

Here's some photos taken last summer during a camping trip of National Parks/Monuments:

Badlands SD:







Yellowstone:



Road to the Sun Glacier:

[garycarolyn]

I grew up on Long Island and my mom, the Brownie Scout leader took our troop to the Statue of Liberty because so many of the girls had never been there! Bless her heart.

[garycarolyn]

Wonderful for you! In 1955 my family camped to many of your above favorites in a 1949 Packard. Now we have a Casita and are doing the same.

[Gordon in Idaho]

I love that series, and I've recommended it to lot's of friends. Bill, I've seen every vista you've shared in your fine photos. And like Dayton Duncan says, it belongs to us. By that, I don't mean citizens of the U.S. necessarily, because English seems to be a second language in the parks I've visited in recent years. Those parks belong to humanity, and I cherish those men of vision who stopped the greed and fought to save all that beauty for our future.

Another movie worth watching is "The Greatest Good" , created for the centennial of the Forest Service. The national parks are astounding, but the rules and the crowds will try your patience. When I'm in a national forest, I DO feel that it belongs to me, and you. It's not something I take for granted.

Gordon

[llinderman]

Not to get too political in this already overheated political season, but will someone explain to me how, while everyone loves the national parks and forests and monuments we keep electing people who want to privatize them. The Parks were meant to be enjoyed by everybody, but how many millions of US citizens can afford $350 a night in a lodge?

Larry

[Rob Outlaw]

Good subject, its a great series, but just for the record this documentary aired for the first time several years ago, probably going on 5 by now at least. But it really does provide a great historical backdrop to the story of how these parks came about.

Its also true our National Parks are being loved to death too. We just returned from a two week trip to southwestern Utah and while we camped for a few days on the BLM Colorado River corridors we never entered into Arches this time. A couple of years ago in May we are also in the region and did a few hikes in Arches. Big mistake. There were some hikes where people were parking literally 1 to 2 miles form the trailhead and if you could find a parking spot it was like marching with a heard of ants to the destination… in most cases. One of ours was up to Delicate Arch. Upon arrival at the arch there must have been some 100 to 200 people up there with the vast majority not speaking English. Don't get me wrong I welcome foreigners but it was a shock to the system to experience, totally unanticipated. We've been back since then but it was and will be off season from now on.

And there in lies the rub, peak season for most of these grandiose parks are inundated with way too many people, but I can also remember being in Glacier just a few years ago in Mid Oct camped with my T@b at the time. I had the entire Apgar campground to myself and the weather and season was beautiful too. I've also been there in early June during the monsoon season and darn near had the place to myself, perhaps 3 or 4 other campers max. Went for hike around Bowman lake on that trip during an all day drizzle but it was very serene, quiet and beautiful in its own right. Not another soul could be found for miles around.

The moral of the story is, if you have the option, visit the national parks during off season. You'll most likely find rewards not often experienced by most by doing this.

That said, sadly there is movement afoot to sell off all public lands to the highest industrial bidders or whomever. Don't take any of our public lands, BLM, Forest Service or Parks for granted, ever.

[Rob Outlaw]

Originally Posted by llinderman

Not to get too political in this already overheated political season, but will someone explain to me how, while everyone loves the national parks and forests and monuments we keep electing people who want to privatize them. The Parks were meant to be enjoyed by everybody, but how many millions of US citizens can afford $350 a night in a lodge?

Larry

Probably not many, but you don't have to spend that kind of money to enjoy our National Parks or any of our public lands for that matter. Likewise I just made a comment regarding selling off these lands in my previous post, and there are politicians who would do it in a heartbeat too.

[Stan and Carol]

Rob, We have been thinking of a trip to SW Utah in June, but not sure if it will work out.

Stan

[WaltP]

I'm not much of a record keeper and don't know how many National Parks I've been to, but I never miss a chance to visit them.
I've been a member of the National Parks Conservation Association for over 20 yrs, and they are in my will.

Walt

[Rob Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Stan and Carol

Rob, We have been thinking of a trip to SW Utah in June, but not sure if it will work out.

Stan

Stan, hopefully you can make it. It will be hot then, make no mistake but if you've never been there even with the heat I doubt you would regret it. We had unseasonably cool weather on this trip by a long margin at that. Some really nice days but also quite a few that were not, rain, heavy winds and freezing temps on a few nights. But we never got below 96% on our battery drain and it was fully recharged by mid morning even with full overcast and or rainy days.

Let me know if you would like some suggestions on places to camp, hike and visit while avoiding the crowds too. Be glad to make some suggestions.

[steve dunham]

With all the retired or soon to be retired baby boomers , myself included , the off season for National and State Parks is getting smaller and smaller . We visited the Arches last October well after school had started and it was packed.
The current trend to make parks totally self sustaining by counting on user fees or volunteers to cover expenses is not working well. Many of the parks we have visited show obvious signs of deterioration from lack of maintenance. Many parks have little monitoring / supervision due to inadequate park staff. My state recently cut all general funds for the parks and cut the maintenance / improvement budget by 20%.. The States stated goal is that if the parks can't go it alone then the parks should be sold to private concerns.
I wonder what our National and State parks system would look like today if years ago the same sentiment prevailed.
We are short changing our children and grandchildren ! IMHO

[emij]

Originally Posted by Rob Outlaw

The moral of the story is, if you have the option, visit the national parks during off season. You'll most likely find rewards not often experienced by most by doing this.

To this day, hands down our kids' favorite National Park is Yellowstone. We went in late September and there honestly wasn't a soul around. We tent camped and got snowed on overnight two nights in a row. The wolves howled lonely sounds all night. We were alone at every attraction. Hikes were solitary affairs. It was incredible and it was because we were alone in a vast and beautiful place.

We've been to many, many other amazing parks, but this one holds a special place in their hearts. They'd love to go back, but doing again in the off season hasn't worked out, and I refuse to dilute that magic for them by going with the crowds during summer

[CamperBill]

We take too many photos, but here's a few more of National Parks taken on camping trips:









Took this one before buying a fiberglass camper, Jungle Jack Hanna while visiting folks at the campground, took a photo with my Wife Debbie, close to Glacier NP:

[emij]

Bill, your photos are fantastic! Thank you for sharing!

[ljswanson53]

I too love our national parks. Right now we're in Utah just outside Capitol Reef National Park after having spent 3 nights in the park. Woke up to snow/rain mix with about 4 inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground currently. We moved to an RV park with full hookups to wait out the winter storm. Any advice on keeping our hookups operating in freezing weather? Our first time camping in the snow! New memory created! Highly recommend Capital Reef with Scenic Byway Route 12 down to Bryce National Park, Escalante Grand Staircase, and of course Zion National Park! It's another world around here!