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Instead of Yellowstone National
Park, try Lassen
Volcanic National Park. While Yellowstone has the iconic Old
Faithful geyser and herds of buffalo, it also has herds of visitors in summer,
which can be as pleasant as a close encounter with some bison. In Northern
California, the under-visited Lassen National Park has an equally entertaining
collection of thermal features, including the always-popular “Bumpass Hell” and
“Fart Gulch.” For those with a hankering for buffalo, you can get your fill at
the rugged and remote Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
Instead of Maine’s Acadia National Park,
try White
Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire. With 2.2 million
visitors to Acadia National Park on the shores of Maine last year, it’s going
to take a lot of work to find some solitude. Peter Potterfield, author of Classic Hikes of North America,
recommends the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountain National Forest as
one of his all-time favorite hikes for its rugged beauty. The full hike can be
pretty extreme on the windswept peaks above tree line, but campgrounds that
abound in the area provide peace and spectacular views.
Instead
of Kaua’i’s Na
Pali Coast, try Waimea
Canyon. The fluted seaside
cliffs of the Na Pali Coast are spectacular, starring as background scenery in
King Kong, Jurrasic Park, and Lost. Because of this fame, the trails can be
packed, campground permits impossible to obtain, and approaching roads a mess
of rental cars. Waimea Canyon, in the center of the island, doesn’t have ocean
views, but instead during my visit, I was treated to a rain-forest version of
the Grand Canyon, discovering wildlife scampering along mountain ridges,
bubbling brooks, and hidden swimming ponds. I spent three days hiking and saw
two other people—locals on horseback. The only downside was when the daily
helicopter tours started, the incessant buzzing made it feel like I was an
extra in a Vietnam war movie. Please, when in Kauai, skip the heli-trips, and
go for a hike.
I'm going to have to disagree with the author of this article - You should see the Na Pali coast by boat and by helicopter. In Hawaii taking a helicopter is the only way to see the WHOLE island (an any of the islands). We saw Na Pali by boat, helicopter and we hiked to the lookouts in KoKe'e State Park. We only saw 2 other couples on our hikes and you can get a look at Waimea Canyon on your drive up!
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| {KoKe'e State Park hikes and Na Pali Coast via boat ride} |
Instead
of Michigan’s Mackinac
Island, try Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore. Mackinac is a quaint town on an island in
Lake Huron without cars, but plenty of visitors during summer, enough to feel
oppressive even when I was visiting on a family trip at age 7 (but I did enjoy
the fudge). The shores of Lake Superior are full of beauty and solitude that
comes as a pleasant surprise to visitors from the East or West coasts. Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore has 114 square miles of nature to explore, and as the
name suggests, the 42 miles of shoreline feature many photo-worthy rock
formations.
Instead
of Tennessee’s Smoky
Mountains National Park, try Ricketts
Glen State Park in
Pennsylvania: Smoky Mountain Park regularly ranks as the
most-visited park in America, with over 9 million people passing through the
area each year. For a more secluded experience, venture farther north to
Ricketts Glen State Park in central Pennsylvania, and enjoy a similar array of
waterfalls and woodlands, albeit on a smaller scale and with less prevalent
wildlife (and fewer camper vans).
Instead of the Grand Canyon, try Canyon de Chelly National Monument: The millions
of visitors at the Grand Canyon can make it feel like Disneyland at times, with
the associated costs and traffic. Take a detour instead to explore Arizona’s
Canyon De Chelly National Monument, which not only has beautiful sandstone
canyons, but also ancient cliff dwellings as well as the current homes of the
Navajo Nation (who help manage the park).
There are no entry fees, and Park Rangers lead free hikes and evening
programs.
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