Best National Parks: Outdoor Adventure Vacations - 2

5 Under-the-Radar National Park Gems

1. Grand Teton National Park

In the shadows of its more famous next-door neighbor, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming, offers singular scenery. The rugged peaks of the Teton Range rise straight from the valley floor, with no intervening foothills, and unlike other alpine areas of the world, the mountaintops don’t usually hide themselves behind cloud cover. Here, deciduous trees mix with evergreen stands, which in turn blend with meadows and valleys. Springtime brings a profusion of wild mountain flowers.

The park encircles a series of lakes, the largest of which is Jackson Lake, popular for fly-fishing. Another beloved body of water is the smaller, picturesque Jenny Lake, home to numerous moose and pronghorns.

For a fun and easy hike, take a small passenger boat from the visitor center across Jenny Lake to Cascade Canyon Trail, which, after a half-mile uphill, leads to the stunning Hidden Falls. Another half-mile on the trail will take you to Inspiration Point, which offers a lovely vista of the lake and a great site for picnicking. (Watch yourself during berry season, when bears come off the mountains to nibble on the abundant fruit. The memory of a too-close growl near a stand of overflowing blackberry bushes at Jenny Lake still raises the hair on the back of my neck.) This park is also a spectacular place to cross-country ski in the winter. www.nps.gov/grte

2. Shenandoah National Park

A little more than an hour’s drive from the nation’s capital, Shenandoah in northwest Virginia is a favorite destination of seasonal leaf-peepers. During the peak of autumn color (usually the last two weeks of October), the scenic Skyline Drive that runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the park is bumper-to-bumper.

 

• A woman gazes over Shenandoah National Park from Little Stony Man Cliffs, a popular viewpoint.

NPS Photo by John F. Mitchell

Visit any other season of the year, however, and experience solitude and panoramic views from dozens of Skyline Drive overlooks. Better still, hike the Appalachian Trail that runs the full length of the park, alongside a thriving population of friendly (and fearless) white-tailed deer.

The park also boasts 180 miles of horse trails, including easy pathways that wind near waterfalls, along streams and past the remains of former pioneer homesteads. Guests can bring in their own horses (trailer parking is available in several locations within the park) or rent one for the day from the park’s concessionaire. www.nps.gov/shen

3. Petrified Forest National Park

For a glimpse into the distant past, check out the fossils of this stark national park in northeast Arizona. It might as well be on Mars, given the scarcity of vegetation, the strange mineral formations and the otherworldly colors of the earth.

 

• The multi-hued badlands are just one of the many coloful attractions at Petrified Forest National Park.

Doug Dolde

The Petrified Forest is divided into two distinct sections. The northernmost portion encompasses the Painted Desert, a desolate yet striking wilderness that is washed with vivid shades of red, orange, yellow and blue-gray. Look for Pintado Point, a high spot along the rim of the desert that offers expansive views during the daytime and a spectacular vantage from which to stargaze at night.

The southernmost portion of the park is home to one of the largest concentrations of fossilized wood, remnants of ancient conifers that were once buried in silt and ash. After thousands of years, the wood tissue was gradually replaced with brightly hued quartz. The unusually beautiful petrified wood can be found in massive logs or in small bark-like chunks, which sadly are the target of many sticky-fingered tourists, who are said to (illegally) remove tons of the stuff every year. To see some of the finest specimens that remain, take the half-mile Giant Logs Trail, an easy hike that takes you past the largest fossil log, the familiarly named Old Faithful. www.nps.gov/pefo

4. Everglades National Park

The Everglades National Park is only a portion of the Everglades ecosystem, a subtropical habitat in southern Florida punctuated by mangrove swamps, sawgrass meadows, ponds and lakes, all of which are home to a bewildering number of species of plants and animals, including more than 365 kinds of birds. Other notable inhabitants include the endangered manatee, crocodiles, alligators and the elusive Florida panther.

 

• Visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park gaze upon the Temple of the Sun.

NPS Photo by Peter Jones

The best way to explore this park is on the water, either by kayak or canoe. Because of the extensive (and potentially dangerous) wildlife along the waterways, it’s best for visitors to employ a boating guide. A list of tour providers in the Everglades is available from the National Park Service. If you visit this park in the “wet” season (May through December), bring plenty of insect repellant—the mosquito population can be horrific. www.nps.gov/ever

5. Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico comprises 113 underground caves, formed some 200 million years ago when percolating sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone. In the intervening years, stalagmites (rising from the floor of the caves) and stalactites (growing from the ceiling) slowly took shape as a byproduct of the dissolving stone and created a collection of evocative natural sculptures that have a surprising amount of personality—like the sinister Witch’s Finger, the charming Doll’s Theater or the ponderous Cave Man.

Visitors to the park can take self-guided walks or ranger-led tours through a series of caves. First-timers should start out with the hour-long Big Room Tour, which begins with a nearly 800-foot descent by elevator, follows a paved and lighted pathway, and culminates in a viewing of the largest cave “room” in the park, which is roughly the size of six football fields. The largest formations are here as well, including the 62-foot stalagmite called Giant Dome, part of the impressive Hall of Giants grouping. To see evidence that the cave is still a work in progress, check out the Crystal Spring Dome, an active stalagmite that grows infinitesimally with each mineral-laden drop of water that washes over it.

True spelunkers should try the Slaughter Canyon for a more authentic experience—or for those who have no trace of claustrophobia and want to wriggle and crawl through tight quarters, the Spider Cave Tour is a favorite. Don’t miss the nightly exodus of bats from the Natural Entrance: At twilight, nearly 400,000 resident bats swarm the skies every minute as they begin their nocturnal feeding routine. www.nps.gov/cave