Favorite National Parks groupings for family trip

[Chip]

I'm starting to plan a trip out west for my family and a friend's family next summer. I saw most of the National Parks as a "yute" but my wife and kids and the other family have not. It'll be a 10 day 3 or 4 park trip where we fly out, rent a vehicle or RV and spend two to three days in each area.

I have my prejudices about what I'd like to do but want to make this a great trip for the others primarily. So I'm wondering what is your favorite "grouping". Feel free to add suggestions including different groupings with state and local points of interest. Thanks.

Edit: You can vote for more than one and your identity apparently will be viewable.

 

[audrey]

Summer? I'd stay out of the desert, which is my favorite place otherwise. That's why I voted for Olympic et al. Frequent wet weather might be a drawback, though.

 

[sardog1]

I'm going to vote against Olympic, North Cascades and Rainier. I love these places, but I don't think of them as chockful of experiences that kids would enjoy, in comparison with the others. You have a much better chance of seeing a wide variety of animals elsewhere, for example. (Unless the kids are wilderness freaks, then these three win hands down, IMO.)

Rushmore is interesting, usually crowded and sits at the southern end of all that is good, bad, and ugly about South Dakota tourism -- the Black Hills. (Be still, you Corn Palace fans.) Crazy Horse Memorial is still a work in progress. Devils Tower is interesting. (EDIT: Ignore the earlier errant nonsense about distance to Devils Tower. It's nearer than I remember it.) If the kids are of an age to enjoy some history, then these three (along with the Hills) can be packaged together in really meaningful ways. Also note that my nephews have always loved Terry Peak from a young age. If the history angle is interesting to you, PM me and I'll help point you toward resources.

 

[spaddock]

I just got back from the Banff & Jasper area. I've pretty much decided I'll be spending a week or two there every year for the rest of my life, hence my vote.


-Shayne

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I seem to recall reading something the last time I was at Yellowstone that it was the most popular park? Maybe because it's the first/oldest? If you end up going there, don't miss the wolf exhibit in West Yellowstone, the town on the Wyoming border immediately after leaving the park on the NW corner. It's not part of the NPS, but it's a very interesting place.

 

[Roxi]

If you end up going there, don't miss the wolf exhibit in West Yellowstone, the town on the Wyoming border immediately after leaving the park on the NW corner. It's not part of the NPS, but it's a very interesting place.

West Yellowstone also had a restaurant that served great pancakes. I wish I could remember the name of it, but it was right in the middle of town on the main street. There was a line coming out the door because people were willing to wait....anyone know if it's still there and what the name of it is/was? Names and dates I forget, but food I remember!

Mount Rushmore was ok. Devil's Tower was cool because of seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Crazy Horse was a work in progress when I saw it. I would think the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and other canyon/desert areas would be hot and uncomfortable. Yosemite is crowded. Yellowstone has Old Faithful and beautiful hot springs and many other geysers as well as various trails. I haven't been to Banff so I can't comment, but I LOVED the Grand Tetons! In addition to cycling there, and all the hiking trails they offer, the lake is fun to canoe, we took a river raft trip one morning (watching the sun rise and hit the mountains first was awesome!), and we rode horses through part of the park/trails. We literally wore ourselves out with different activities before getting back on our bicycles to leave. And the coup de gras was seeing a full double rainbow! It's such a beautiful park with lots to offer! We even got our laundry done while there, and the restaurtant was good too. I'd easily go back to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons AFTER I go see Glacier for the first time....

 

[DougPaul]

All times are a suggested minimum. One can spend a lot more time in some of these places...

* Yellowstone, Grand Tetons
- Yellowstone is very unique. A good variety of things to do and see. Crowded. 2 days.
- Grand Tetons: Spectacular. Good hiking. 1 day.

* Rocky Mountain, Dinosaur
- Rocky Mountain: very nice. Nice drives and hikes. 1-2 days.
- Dinosaur: also includes some nice desert scenery and historical sites. 1 day. Kind of far from things...

* Glacier and up into Banff
- Glacier: Spectacular. Nice drives and lots of hikes. 2 days.
- Banff (+Jasper & Yoho, Canadian Rockies): Spectacular squared. (See Glacier first--otherwise it will be anticlimactic.) 2 days driving. Lots of hikes too.

* Olympic, North Cascades, Ranier
- Olympic: very nice, mountains, rainforrest, and shore. 1-2 days.
- North Cascades: haven't been there.
- Ranier: very nice: drive and some short hikes from Paradise: 1 day. Mt St. Helens is close by.
- Also don't miss the Columbia River Gorge.

* Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion
- Mesa Verde: nice Indian dwellings and artifacts: 1 day min
- Canyonlands: spectacular. Drive + short walks min 2 days (add Arches, 3 day min.) Also add Dead Horse State Park.
- Bryce: very nice--rock formations and some short hikes. 1-1.5 day min
- Zion: very nice--rock formations, walks, and some short hikes 1-1.5 day min
- Natural Bridges, Goblin State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Capitol Reef are in this area. All are worth visiting.

* Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Rainbow Bridge
- Grand Canyon: Spectacular. 1-1.5 days S Rim. 1 day N Rim. Add a full day hike down into the canyon.
- Petrified Forest: nice. small. .5-1 day
- Rainbow Bridge: Nice, but will take a full day to visit (boat trip or multiday desert hike). I found Lake Powell depressing--a beautiful canyon, drowned.

* Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley
- Yosemite: spectacular. Valley crowded. Nice hikes of various lengths. 1-2 day min.
- Sequoia-Kings Canyon: the big trees are amazing. (Also groves in Yosemite, Muir Woods)
- Death Valley: never been...

* Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devils Tower
- Mt Rushmore: ok. an afternoon.
- Crazy Horse: never been
- Devil's Tower: never been
- Don't forget Wind Cave, Jewell Cave, and the Badlands. (I'd skip Rushmore and Crazy Horse if time is tight.)

The desert Southwest stuff is best visited in March, April, and May--my first vists were in August--temps up to 113 or so... The northerly stuff is best visited late summer (eg late July and August) so the snow has a chance to melt off the roads and trails. The snow threatens to return in Sept or so in the higher or more northely locations. Some roads are not plowed, except to clear them in spring.

You are likely to need reservations between Memorial and Labor days--too many other people enjoying the parks...

Doug

 

[AntlerPeak]

I'm starting to plan a trip out west for my family and a friend's family next summer. I saw most of the National Parks as a "yute" but my wife and kids and the other family have not. It'll be a 10 day 3 or 4 park trip where we fly out, rent a vehicle or RV and spend two to three days in each area.

I have my prejudices about what I'd like to do but want to make this a great trip for the others primarily. So I'm wondering what is your favorite "grouping". Feel free to add suggestions including different groupings with state and local points of interest. Thanks.

Edit: You can vote for more than one and your identity apparently will be viewable.

Chip you ask about nearby points of interest to entertain kids etc. Not too far from Rainier near the city of Eatonville WA is a theme park called Northwest Trek. If you are familiar with Parc Safari in Quebec it is along those lines, The difference is that it offers Animals native to the west, Buffalo, Elk, etc. There is also an aviary featuring birds of prey, eagles, hawks etc. You can spend a full day there.

A bit further away in Tacoma there is a city run water park featuring whales dolphins and northwest birds, such as puffins. Park personel offer demonstrations and informative talks etc. A good half day can be spent there.

In the Seattle Center as you gaze at the Space Needle with Key Arena straight ahead to the left is the Pacific Science Center. The PSC is worth the trip alone. It is a science based museum that is hands on and very kid friendly and inexpensive. Hands on is exactly what they mean, the last time I was there they let you sit inside the space shuttle Enterprise and actually play with the controls. On another day that we were there they let visitors build their own three dimentional holograms. Kids seem to love the place and it is fun for adults as well. They have their own website look them up.

Of course the must drive is paved FS road 25 south out of Randle to FS road 99. Paved road 99 leads up to Windy Ridge where you have a full on view into the crater of St Helens. You are at 4000 plus feet and drive through the blast zone. The sight is beyond description pictures can't do it justice.

I just took a quick look at the Pacific Science Center's present hands on exhibits. A very interesting list.
http://www.pacsci.org/exhibits/#feature

 

[Raymond]

I'll second what AntlerPeak said, although I voted for Yellowstone/Tetons because I've never been to Wyoming.

We visited Mount St. Helens, Rainier, Route 20 between the North Cascades units, and Olympic (Hoh rain forest) back in 1997, just before my son's sixth birthday. Great trip, and I didn't think it was particularly crowded considering it was August.

Spent a couple nights camping in Mount Rainier National Park despite arriving without reservations. I think there was an announcement about something changing about the camping there in '98, but I can't recall the details now. Watch out for crossing snowfields, if you go.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I won't actually vote, because I've only been to one of the selections.

My wife and daughter and I spent a little time in Olympic and Rainier last week doing really easy hikes and just taking in the views.

At Olympic, we stopped by Staircase and hiked along the river admiring the huge cedars and firs with moss dripping from their limbs.

At Rainier, the Longmire Visitor Center has a nice 4-mile hike up Rampart Ridge through the enormous doug firs. The Paradise VC has trails through the alpine meadows that are paved (but steep) for the first mile with views that include the Tatoosh Range with glimpses of Adams and Mt. St. Helens.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

I would normally say the Southwest, but too hot in the summer.

I have not been to Olympic/North Cascades/Ranier but I've been to most of the other places on the list and I think for scenery the Canadian Rockies is the most spectacular. As for famliy destinations, do you plan on hiking most days or do you want other attractions as well?

There are some nice side visits outside of Yosemite like Mono Lake and Bodie Ghost Town. Yosemite Valley is nice to see the famous landmarks and there are other things to do (float down the river, rent bikes, etc), but it's so crowded. SEKI parks are beautiful, but I personally think they are better for backpacking.

If you do plan on going to SD, let me know. I grew up in the general area (northwest Nebraska) and give some more info.

Yellowstone & Tetons would have some nice variety with the mountains, geothermal features, and wildlife. I think there are also a lot of things to see that are fairly accessible from the road (i.e. shorter walks, hikes).

fyi, we have pics/notes on our webpage from Tetons, Glacier, Canadian Rockies, Yosemite, and the Southwest if you want to take a look.

 

[dvbl]

I would think any park in which the primary attraction is based on geology (Grand Canyon, Bryce, etc) will get old real quick for kids. I can stare at the Grand Canyon for hours (literally) and not get bored. But for many kids, I've seen it go something like this: "Wow, that's cool. Where's my iPod?"

Yellowstone, with all the wildlife, would be my choice for kids. As you know, kids want variety.

By the way, Chip, very nice of you to want to plan the vacation based on their preferences over your own. Good karma.