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National/State Parks Worth Seeing (1 Viewer)

Haven’t read the thread yet but we’re making a few trips in the next couple months.

Mid March - lookout mountain, Ruby falls and generally around Chattanooga and NW Georgia. (Typo :bag:

Mid May - Mt Mitchell for a day and then smokies from pigeon forge for a day. Our HS senior picked this as his senior trip with his older brother and me. Looking forward to it!
 
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-OZ- said:
Haven’t read the thread yet but we’re making a few trips in the next couple months.

Mid March - lookout mountain, Ruby falls and generally around Chattanooga and NE Georgia.

Mid May - Mt Mitchell for a day and then smokies from pigeon forge for a day. Our HS senior picked this as his senior trip with his older brother and me. Looking forward to it!
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Where in NE GA?
 
AAABatteries said:
-OZ- said:
Haven’t read the thread yet but we’re making a few trips in the next couple months.

Mid March - lookout mountain, Ruby falls and generally around Chattanooga and NE Georgia.

Mid May - Mt Mitchell for a day and then smokies from pigeon forge for a day. Our HS senior picked this as his senior trip with his older brother and me. Looking forward to it!
Click to expand...

Where in NE GA?
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Typo - NW Ga. Ringgold - basically just outside Chattanooga.
Any tips?
We’ll explore Chatty for a day, Ruby falls for a day, probably elsie Evans for part of a day. The house we’re staying in has pool, foosball, and a few other game tables.
 
beer 30 said:
Seeing OZ's post mention NE Georgia reminded me, has anyone been to Providence Canyon State Park? Georgia's little Grand Canyon. Looks like a cool spot and has a neat story about how it ended up the way it did.
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We checked it out back in 1999 when we lived nearby (Phenix City, AL). I remember it being nice and we didn’t give ourselves enough time to really check it out.
 
AAABatteries said:
Down in central GA and not really near much else - always wanted to get down there but never have.
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I'm over by Charlotte. Always wanted to go but it's probably a 3 day trip for me so finding the right time has always pushed it to the backburner for me. Every time I remember it's Africa hot in the middle of the summer.
 
-OZ- said:
AAABatteries said:
-OZ- said:
Haven’t read the thread yet but we’re making a few trips in the next couple months.

Mid March - lookout mountain, Ruby falls and generally around Chattanooga and NE Georgia.

Mid May - Mt Mitchell for a day and then smokies from pigeon forge for a day. Our HS senior picked this as his senior trip with his older brother and me. Looking forward to it!
Click to expand...

Where in NE GA?
Click to expand...

Typo - NW Ga. Ringgold - basically just outside Chattanooga.
Any tips?
We’ll explore Chatty for a day, Ruby falls for a day, probably elsie Evans for part of a day. The house we’re staying in has pool, foosball, and a few other game tables.
Click to expand...

Ah - makes more sense. There’s a couple state parks in NE GA and I’m heading to Black Rock next weekend.

Love Chattanooga - Ruby Falls is ok, not sure I’d spend an entire day. Chattanooga Brewing is fantastic and so is Chatt Whiskey but you may not want to do that with kids. There’s a great burger place called Urban Stack we eat at and a few other places I could recommend if you are looking for food recommendations.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Going to tackle Zion/Bryce/Page the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping for decent weather!

Wondering though if Antelope Canyon at that time of year will be worth it. Sounds like the sunlight doesn't reach down there much.

Staying at the Parry Lodge in Kanab for the trip.
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Kanab is one of my favorite places in the world. We own two cabins there. Unfortunately we're all booked up for Thanksgiving already or else we'd give you the special FBG discount. But if you need any tips for the area I know it well.

If you're not going to be back in the area I would still do Antelope. It is just as cool in the shadows as the light, so you could always just lean into the darker version of it and do lower antelope.

There are also some other slots in the area that are less touristy including one right in Kanab. One of our neighbors operates one of the tour companies there so if you're doing any tours like White Pocket or the Great Chamber (used to be a locals secret, now more well-known) and don't have 4wd I can put in a good word for ya, though Zion/Bryce/Page will keep ya pretty busy already. If you can snag a permit for The Wave (difficult to get), that would definitely be worth it and it's on the way to Page.
 
FreeBaGeL said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Going to tackle Zion/Bryce/Page the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping for decent weather!

Wondering though if Antelope Canyon at that time of year will be worth it. Sounds like the sunlight doesn't reach down there much.

Staying at the Parry Lodge in Kanab for the trip.
Click to expand...

Kanab is one of my favorite places in the world. We own two cabins there. Unfortunately we're all booked up for Thanksgiving already or else we'd give you the special FBG discount. But if you need any tips for the area I know it well.

If you're not going to be back in the area I would still do Antelope. It is just as cool in the shadows as the light, so you could always just lean into the darker version of it and do lower antelope.

There are also some other slots in the area that are less touristy including one right in Kanab. One of our neighbors operates one of the tour companies there so if you're doing any tours like White Pocket or the Great Chamber (used to be a locals secret, now more well-known) and don't have 4wd I can put in a good word for ya, though Zion/Bryce/Page will keep ya pretty busy already. If you can snag a permit for The Wave (difficult to get), that would definitely be worth it and it's on the way to Page.
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We booked a lower canyon tour, so I guess we got that one right.

We're looking for an afternoon something on Wednesday the 22nd. Thought about doing this:


www.epicadventurerides.com

Lake Powell Off Road UTV Tours | Epic Adventure Rides | (928) 614-4094

Create your own Epic Lake Powell off road UTV adventure with a UTV Tour. Experience the best tours in the backcountry of Page, Arizona. Call (928) 614-4094!
www.epicadventurerides.com www.epicadventurerides.com

Haven't reserved the vehicle yet. Flying into Vegas and need room for 5 adults so I was thinking of renting a van.
 
When hiking through Zion and Bryce is there really any benefit to having walking poles? Specifically thinking about hiking back down Walter's Wiggles as an example.
 
FreeBaGeL said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Going to tackle Zion/Bryce/Page the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping for decent weather!

Wondering though if Antelope Canyon at that time of year will be worth it. Sounds like the sunlight doesn't reach down there much.

Staying at the Parry Lodge in Kanab for the trip.
Click to expand...

Kanab is one of my favorite places in the world. We own two cabins there. Unfortunately we're all booked up for Thanksgiving already or else we'd give you the special FBG discount. But if you need any tips for the area I know it well.

If you're not going to be back in the area I would still do Antelope. It is just as cool in the shadows as the light, so you could always just lean into the darker version of it and do lower antelope.

There are also some other slots in the area that are less touristy including one right in Kanab. One of our neighbors operates one of the tour companies there so if you're doing any tours like White Pocket or the Great Chamber (used to be a locals secret, now more well-known) and don't have 4wd I can put in a good word for ya, though Zion/Bryce/Page will keep ya pretty busy already. If you can snag a permit for The Wave (difficult to get), that would definitely be worth it and it's on the way to Page.
Click to expand...
nice!

when is the best time of the year to go?
 
Orange&Blue said:
FreeBaGeL said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Going to tackle Zion/Bryce/Page the week of Thanksgiving. Hoping for decent weather!

Wondering though if Antelope Canyon at that time of year will be worth it. Sounds like the sunlight doesn't reach down there much.

Staying at the Parry Lodge in Kanab for the trip.
Click to expand...

Kanab is one of my favorite places in the world. We own two cabins there. Unfortunately we're all booked up for Thanksgiving already or else we'd give you the special FBG discount. But if you need any tips for the area I know it well.

If you're not going to be back in the area I would still do Antelope. It is just as cool in the shadows as the light, so you could always just lean into the darker version of it and do lower antelope.

There are also some other slots in the area that are less touristy including one right in Kanab. One of our neighbors operates one of the tour companies there so if you're doing any tours like White Pocket or the Great Chamber (used to be a locals secret, now more well-known) and don't have 4wd I can put in a good word for ya, though Zion/Bryce/Page will keep ya pretty busy already. If you can snag a permit for The Wave (difficult to get), that would definitely be worth it and it's on the way to Page.
Click to expand...
nice!

when is the best time of the year to go?
Click to expand...

Spring/fall are the high season because that is when the weather is best.

Winter can be nice if you don't mind the cold since the parks will be empty (other than around the holidays), and at Zion you can drive in to the whole park (you have to use the shuttle for most of the park the rest of the year). Grand canyon north rim is closed in the winter though.

Summer is the worst imo because it is both crowded and extremely hot (commonly 100+), but that's when kids are out of school so the only option for a lot of people.
 
The Dreaded Marco said:
Andy Dufresne said:
When hiking through Zion and Bryce is there really any benefit to having walking poles? Specifically thinking about hiking back down Walter's Wiggles as an example.
Click to expand...
I really wished I'd had some at the time while coming down from Observation Point. But I have bad knees to begin with.
Click to expand...
Bryce has a TON of switchbacks on some of the trails if you’re up for it. I did the Navajo/Peekaboo loop in 2022 and hiking poles definitely saved my knees.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
When hiking through Zion and Bryce is there really any benefit to having walking poles? Specifically thinking about hiking back down Walter's Wiggles as an example.
Click to expand...
If you have good hiking boots, no. Bryce is actually the one that’s a little more tricky/slippery especially if you do some of the longer hikes through the hoodoos, but nothing that requires poles (just a lot of up and down on potentially slickish dirt). If you’re doing the East Mesa trail to observation point…that’s almost entirely flat.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
When hiking through Zion and Bryce is there really any benefit to having walking poles? Specifically thinking about hiking back down Walter's Wiggles as an example.
Click to expand...
andy i hike a lot as in i went over 1000 miles last year because i am a trout fisherman and the further you get from roads the better the fishing and then when you are done you walk back to the car anyhow i recommend walking poles and wading staffs all the time its just good especially as you get older to have something to put a little weight on if you get unsteady notably if you are not used to long hikes because by the end your legs wont be what they were at the start of the hike and you use a lot of muscles you never knew you had when you are walking on uneven terrain i am sure you know all this but just saying it anyhow in case anyone doesnt take that to the bank brochachos
 
Andy Dufresne said:
When hiking through Zion and Bryce is there really any benefit to having walking poles? Specifically thinking about hiking back down Walter's Wiggles as an example.
Click to expand...
Neither of us are huge hikers, but my wife and I were both floored by how much of a difference trekking poles made for us, even on flat terrain. Obviously they're great if it's slippery or if you're going up or down, but even just the little bit of work the poles did on flat ground made a modest difference in perceived effort. YMMV.
 
Ugh. My daughter has a stress fracture in her big toe. We're hoping she's healed by Thanksgiving. :sadbanana:

Anyone tried e-biking around Zion/Bryce?

How about 4 wheeling or dune buggy stuff in Page/Grand Staircase?
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Ugh. My daughter has a stress fracture in her big toe. We're hoping she's healed by Thanksgiving. :sadbanana:

Anyone tried e-biking around Zion/Bryce?

How about 4 wheeling or dune buggy stuff in Page/Grand Staircase?
Click to expand...

While I've never done it myself, they both actually seem pretty good for biking.

At Bryce there is a bike path for the first 5 or so miles of the park, which is were the majority of the "main" viewpoints are. There is also an area right outside the park called Red Canyon that is really cool and has a dedicated bike path through it. Note that you drive through this canyon on the way to Bryce if you're coming from the west side so might want to ride it first if you don't want "spoilers". It's about 15 miles from Red Canyon to the Bryce Canyon entrance so not sure what kind of distance you're looking for if you'd rather have it broken up into two separate rides or one epic long day.

Zion I believe you are allowed to bike anywhere in the park, even the shuttle restricted areas. A lot of people actually do it by choice to avoid having to use the crowded shuttles. The shuttles have bike racks too so if you got tired and wanted to jump on a shuttle on the way back you could. There aren't dedicated bike paths and I wouldn't recommend the east side of the park (less popular side) on a bike due to traffic, but the shuttle only areas are both the most scenic and have very little vehicle traffic.

4-wheeling there are lots of outfitters from St George to Page and everywhere in between. Last time we were at Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park (between Zion and Bryce) there was someone having some fun on the dunes with one. It's never really something that's clicked with me personally (I did one of the 4-wheel tours outside of Zion once and found it to be just okay) but a lot of people love it. This one was more of a "tour" where you're driving along getting blasted in the face with dust for an hour to get to an (admittedly cool) viewpoint. The ones that are more "play" oriented might be more fun. I bet there are some that go out to White Pocket as well which is a really cool area between Zion and Page, and once you're out there you can just walk around and explore.
 
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Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!

Day 1 - Zion
Hike Taylor Creek
Sunset Canyon overlook
Watchman if there's time

Day 2 - Bryce
Queens/Navajo/Peek-a-boo
Mossy cave for sunset

Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)

Day 4 - Zion
Scouts View (or Angels Landing if we get a permit)
Riverside Walk
Kayenta trail to Emerald Pools

Day 5
Caramel scenic drive
Big bend & Weeping Rock
Watchman (if not done on Monday)
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!



Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)
Click to expand...
Just did this a few weeks ago (not Wire Pass though) - incredible scenery. We went to Page along with Monument Valley (a few hours west) as well as Moab, UT.

Sounds like you have a packed itinerary, but can't recommend Monument Valley and Moab enough.

You bought the America The Beautiful pass, right?
 
zamboni said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!



Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)
Click to expand...
Just did this a few weeks ago (not Wire Pass though) - incredible scenery. We went to Page along with Monument Valley (a few hours west) as well as Moab, UT.

Sounds like you have a packed itinerary, but can't recommend Monument Valley and Moab enough.

You bought the America The Beautiful pass, right?
Click to expand...
We went to Monument Valley a few years ago as part of a trip to Sedona and Canyon de Chelley - which is a not talked enough about gem of a National Park.

Yes, we have the pass.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
zamboni said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!



Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)
Click to expand...
Just did this a few weeks ago (not Wire Pass though) - incredible scenery. We went to Page along with Monument Valley (a few hours west) as well as Moab, UT.

Sounds like you have a packed itinerary, but can't recommend Monument Valley and Moab enough.

You bought the America The Beautiful pass, right?
Click to expand...
We went to Monument Valley a few years ago as part of a trip to Sedona and Canyon de Chelley - which is a not talked enough about gem of a National Park.

Yes, we have the pass.
Click to expand...
Nice - highly recommend Arches and Canyonlands in Moab next time you're out there, if you haven't already.
 
zamboni said:
Andy Dufresne said:
zamboni said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!



Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)
Click to expand...
Just did this a few weeks ago (not Wire Pass though) - incredible scenery. We went to Page along with Monument Valley (a few hours west) as well as Moab, UT.

Sounds like you have a packed itinerary, but can't recommend Monument Valley and Moab enough.

You bought the America The Beautiful pass, right?
Click to expand...
We went to Monument Valley a few years ago as part of a trip to Sedona and Canyon de Chelley - which is a not talked enough about gem of a National Park.

Yes, we have the pass.
Click to expand...
Nice - highly recommend Arches and Canyonlands in Moab next time you're out there, if you haven't already.
Click to expand...
Any and all the other Utah parks are way worth it too. Escalante, Capitol Reef, Zion, Bryce
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!

Day 1 - Zion
Hike Taylor Creek
Sunset Canyon overlook
Watchman if there's time

Day 2 - Bryce
Queens/Navajo/Peek-a-boo
Mossy cave for sunset

Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)

Day 4 - Zion
Scouts View (or Angels Landing if we get a permit)
Riverside Walk
Kayenta trail to Emerald Pools

Day 5
Caramel scenic drive
Big bend & Weeping Rock
Watchman (if not done on Monday)
Click to expand...
Good choice on lower antelope. We did it this summer and it was awesome.
 
Last edited:
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!

Day 1 - Zion
Hike Taylor Creek
Sunset Canyon overlook
Watchman if there's time

Day 2 - Bryce
Queens/Navajo/Peek-a-boo
Mossy cave for sunset

Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)

Day 4 - Zion
Scouts View (or Angels Landing if we get a permit)
Riverside Walk
Kayenta trail to Emerald Pools

Day 5
Caramel scenic drive
Big bend & Weeping Rock
Watchman (if not done on Monday)
Click to expand...
Awesome itinerary.

It’s not on your list and there are lots of good reasons for it not to be (which I’ll start with), but I’ll try to sell you on Observation Point via the East Mesa trailhead anyway.

The trailhead is out of the way (actually outside the park on private land) and a bit funky to get to. The trail is fairly long at about 7 miles/3 hours round trip. A large part of the hike is not overly interesting, though I enjoyed it more than most people seem to.

But the viewpoint at the end is an incredible payoff and worth it IMO. One of the top 3 scenic views of anywhere I’ve been. You look down on the entire park basically. It’s way above Angels Landing. Absolutely breathtaking.

Here are a few shots I took to give you an idea:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
 
Just another reminder that if you have a 4th grader, they get a free America the Beautiful Pass for a full year (Sept thru Aug). Nice little perk from your US Gov. I'm sure most of you have kids that are older but just in case a millennial stumbles in here one day.....
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Here's our game plan for our trip. Anything to add or take out? As you can tell, we get after it on our vacations!

Day 1 - Zion
Hike Taylor Creek
Sunset Canyon overlook
Watchman if there's time

Day 2 - Bryce
Queens/Navajo/Peek-a-boo
Mossy cave for sunset

Day 3 - Page
Lower Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Wire Pass (if we get a permit)

Day 4 - Zion
Scouts View (or Angels Landing if we get a permit)
Riverside Walk
Kayenta trail to Emerald Pools

Day 5
Caramel scenic drive
Big bend & Weeping Rock
Watchman (if not done on Monday)
Click to expand...
Recommend Canyon Overlook trail if you have time- fun little hike and takes less than an hour. Youll have to drive right past it coming in from the East……
 
I rented a UTV with a couple of friends in Sand Hollow State Park/Warner Valley a couple of years ago. We were able to download this thing that basically turned Google Earth into an off road GPS which was cool. We had a lot of fun but I’d say there were a few things to be aware of:

-Size matters. The seats on some of them are not all that big. Especially the rear seats. They’re also not all that comfortable

-It will probably stop being fun sooner than you’d think. We were all excited because the place we rented from made it easy to add extra time or even keep overnight if we wanted. We ended up returning it an hour early.

-There are a lot of limitations on a rental. If you expect to be out there jumping dunes, just forget that

-Sand gets everywhere. Long pants, long sleeves, and renting googles or having sunglasses with good coverage is important.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Bryce Canyon is amazing!
Click to expand...
But I think we might have killed our 20-something year old kids. We went a LONG way today. The Peek-a-boo trail is not for the faint of heart! Actually, it's the Navajo Trail back up to the top that's the real test.

Peekaboo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov www.nps.gov

This was on top of Watchman's Trail at Zion yesterday. Which was also awesome. The weather has been perfect for hiking.

Lower Antelope and Horseshoe Bend tomorrow for a bit of an easier day
 
Last edited:
Andy Dufresne said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Bryce Canyon is amazing!
Click to expand...
But I think we might have killed our 20-something year old kids. We went a LONG way today. The Peek-a-boo trail is not for the faint of heart! Actually, it's the Navajo Trail back up to the top that's the real test.

Peekaboo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov www.nps.gov

This was on top of Watchman's Trail at Zion yesterday. Which was also awesome. The weather has been perfect for hiking.

Lower Antelope and Horseshoe Bend tomorrow for a bit of an easier day
Click to expand...
The Peek-a-boo to Navajo is an awesome hike! Glad you guys did it. But yeah, those last set of switchbacks at the end are absolutely murder on the calves after you’ve done so many up and down already :lol:
 
How do more people not plummet to their death at Horseshoe Bend? People are crazy!

It may sound strange but I actually think it's skippable. But it is quite a sight.

We all really liked Lower Antelope Canyon.
 
Last edited:
Thursday we first walked the path in the Temple of Sinawava up to the entrance to The Narrows.

Then went to lower and middle Emerald Pools which offered some stunning views of the park.

In general though, we all liked Bryce Canyon a good bit more than Zion. Not that the latter isn't amazing - just that Bryce had more "zip" to the views. We may have had a different opinion had we been able to do Angels Landing. Maybe next time.

Finally - shout out to The Parry Lodge in Kanab. It's no 5 star place but as one that loves the movies I really enjoyed it's history. We stayed in Dean Martin's room. Found out that their pool is 10 feet deep because that's what John Wayne wanted and paid for. :lol: Their $8 breakfast is a bargain. And their New York Strip dinner was fantastic. Comfortable beds too.

Will return to the parks again!
 
Need a little FBG help. Planning out our summer, we want to hit as many NPs as we can in a 3 week vacation. This will be centered around a full week in the Phoenix area for a family gathering, which wasn't my destination of choice for July but it does give us an opportunity to see a bunch of National Parks.

I'd love to get some recommendations on where to camp inside the parks and would prefer campgrounds with facilities vs dispersed camping or 'roughing it'. Not required, but nice to have with kids. Any suggestions, hikes, must see natural wonders, please let me know!

National Parks we'd like to visit on the trip from Portland to Phoenix:

1) Lassen Volcanic National Park. About a 7-8 hour drive from our home in the Portland area. Never been, but I've heard it's fantastic. Ideally, we'd like to tent camp here 2 nights so we have a full day to explore.

2) Yosemite. Seems like the most logical 'next step' on our journey. I know this is a crown jewel for NPs but would love some suggestions on where to tent camp and how best to maximize our time.

3) Kings Canyon. Have heard this is a spectacular spot that doesn't get the traffic of the others. All suggestions welcome.

4) Sequoia. Ditto above.

My cousin has a house in Big Bear, CA that we have access to during our vacation, so we can use this as a base too. I know this is close to Joshua Tree which we're definitely going to hit.

This is for the way down.....on the way back, I think we might try to hit the big boys in Utah, but will pause here for any tips, ideas, suggestions, experiences, etc.

THANK YOU!
 
For Christmas my oldest bought me & the youngest a National Parks tumbler for Christmas so naturally, the competition started. We live in SC so NP's around here are fairly limited compared to out West. It just so happened we were close to Congaree NP in December so stopped by and began to formulate a plan to hit 4 of them around us over a couple of weeks when we head back to OH for a family visit. The youngest even put together a power point outlining the route, where to stay, estimated times & mileages, it was pretty impressive. We've already hit Cuyahoga Valley NP so on the list is Shenandoah NP, New River Gorge NP, Mammoth Cave NP and Great Smoky Mountains NP.

I happened to be in Chicago this week for work so the last day rented a car and drove to Indiana Dunes NP just so I could put another sticker on the tumbler. Indiana Dunes is not a great visit in January in case anyone is planning a trip soon but I got a sticker she don't so #winning.
 
beer 30 said:
For Christmas my oldest bought me & the youngest a National Parks tumbler for Christmas so naturally, the competition started. We live in SC so NP's around here are fairly limited compared to out West. It just so happened we were close to Congaree NP in December so stopped by and began to formulate a plan to hit 4 of them around us over a couple of weeks when we head back to OH for a family visit. The youngest even put together a power point outlining the route, where to stay, estimated times & mileages, it was pretty impressive. We've already hit Cuyahoga Valley NP so on the list is Shenandoah NP, New River Gorge NP, Mammoth Cave NP and Great Smoky Mountains NP.

I happened to be in Chicago this week for work so the last day rented a car and drove to Indiana Dunes NP just so I could put another sticker on the tumbler. Indiana Dunes is not a great visit in January in case anyone is planning a trip soon but I got a sticker she don't so #winning.
Click to expand...

I'd love to hit more NPs but like you say - the southeast is relatively limited. With no work travel I'm stuck with trying to do this for vacations and the wife isn't nearly as enthused.
 
General Malaise said:
Need a little FBG help. Planning out our summer, we want to hit as many NPs as we can in a 3 week vacation. This will be centered around a full week in the Phoenix area for a family gathering, which wasn't my destination of choice for July but it does give us an opportunity to see a bunch of National Parks.

I'd love to get some recommendations on where to camp inside the parks and would prefer campgrounds with facilities vs dispersed camping or 'roughing it'. Not required, but nice to have with kids. Any suggestions, hikes, must see natural wonders, please let me know!

National Parks we'd like to visit on the trip from Portland to Phoenix:
Click to expand...
I don't know anything about the trip from Portland to Phoenix, but if I were going the other direction (to the east-ish/north from Phoenix) the other direction I'd probably do something like this:
Sedona (not a national park, but still great)
Canyon de Chelly (really beautiful and doesn't get enough press)
Monument Valley, UT
Bryce Canyon/Zion

For your route, that might be out of your way I suppose.
 
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