Thomas Funke Hastings Michigan USA All Rights Reserved (c) 1999-2003 |
Big Parks but not big crowds . . . if you know where to go Do backpacking in our national parks intimidate you because there are too many people? In general, if you get more than 500 feet from a paved surface, you eliminate over 95% of the riff raff. See, people are addicted to asphalt. Here are some tips on where not to go and where to enjoy a backcountry experience in our busiest national parks. 1) Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina/Tennessee) 9.1 million visitors, only 102,000 backcountry stays (1% venture from the parking lot and paved surfaces in general) Where not to go: Avoid US 441 Where to go: North Carolina Far Western part of park 2) Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) 4.6 million visitors, only 257,000 backcountry stays (6%) Where not to go: South Rim!! That's where 90% of the parks visitors go. Grand Canyon Village Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab. Hermit, Boulder, and Grandview Trails Where to go: North Rim 3) Yosemite National Park (California) 4.0 million visitors, 110,000 backcountry stays (3%) Where not to go: Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, High Sierra Camps Loop Where to go: Pacific Crest Trail 49 mile loop trail: Start at White Wolf Trailhead/Tuolumne Peak, Polly Dome Lakes Trail. 4) Olympic National Park 3.7 million visits, 156,000 backcountry stays (4%) Where not to go: Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Lake Crescent area, Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center Where to go: Southern half of park, trails starting at Dose-wallips Ranger Station. 5) Yellowstone National Park 3.1 million visits, 46,000 backcountry stays (1%) Where not to go: Old Faithful, Canyon and Mammoth areas Where to go: Thorofare Country BEFORE YOU GO OVERSEAS US Bureau of consular affairs www.travel.state.gov Hot spots. Airsecurity.com Travelsafe: www.itravelsafe.com ($30 for three months) --daily email intelligence report on 190 countries and a registry that will allow the company to pass on your location to the State Department during an earthquake, coup, or other crisis Great Hikers and their Hikes Micheal Fay: Hiked across central africa through untamed wilderness Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle 1680 Sue Lockwood, Peter Wolfe, Carolyn Hoffman, Chet Fromm, Ed Talone: only people to have hiked the entire North Country Trail Brian Robinson: First person to hike Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT) in one year Karen Berger: First woman to hike Triple Crown Benton McKaye Founder of Appalachian Trail Weird place names you just gotta check out! Paul Bunyan's Potty. Canyonlands National Park, UT Lick Log Creek, Bartrum Trail, SC Hairy Root Spring, Appalachian Trail, NH Hell For Sure Pass, John Muir Wilderness, CA Bumpass Hell, Lassen National Park, CA Six Husbands Trail, White Mountains National Forest, NH Touch-me-not Trail, Catskill Park, NY Poop Out Hill, San Bernardino National Forest, CA Lickskillet Trail, Lake Guntersville State Park, AL Tearbritches Trail, Cohutta Wilderness, CA Trapp Hills, Ottawa National Forest, MI* Packs, Boots, Bags etc., it is all here! Backpackers rate their favorite National Parks 1) Glacier, MT 2) Yellowstone, WY 3) Denali, AK 4) Rocky Mountain, CO * 5) Olympic, WA 6) Isle Royale, MI * 7) Voyagers, MN 8) Mt. Ranier, WA 9) Sequoia/Kings Canyon, CA 10) Great Smoky Mountains, TN NC National Geographic Adventure's Top 100. How many have you done? 5) Hiking the Narrows, Zion National Park, UT 8) Presidential Range Traverse, NH 16) Dark Canyon Wilderness, UT 17) Northern Loop, Glacier National Park, MT 19) Hells Canyon, OR 20) Cirque of Towers, WY 54) Outer Mountain Loop, Big Bend National Park, TX 58) Keyhole Route, Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 67) Boulder Grand Traverse, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 72) Loowit Trail, Mt. St. Helens, WA 73) John Muir Trail to Mt. Whitney, CA 81) Minong Ridge Trail, Isle Royale National Park, MI * 83) 100 mile wilderness, Appalachian Trail, ME 88) Buffalo River Trail, AK 94) Southern Virginia, Appalachian Trail, VA Career Destinations. Have you thought of becoming . . . Environmental Lawyer www.vermontlaw.edu USFWS agent www.sso.org/iafwa Smokejumper www.smokejumpers.com Forester www.sfnet.org Avalanche Forecaster www.avalanche.org Ski Patroller www.nsp.org Expedition Doctor www.wms.org Bush Pilot www.aopa.org Geologist www.geosociety.org Marine Biologist www.sfos.alaska.edu Ethnobotanist www.cieer.org Archaeologist www.saa.org Zookeeper www.aazk.org . |
Backpacking Destinations |
Big Parks but not big crowds . . . if you know where to go Do backpacking in our national parks intimidate you because there are too many people? In general, if you get more than 500 feet from a paved surface, you eliminate over 95% of the riff raff. See, people are addicted to asphalt. Here are some tips on where not to go and where to enjoy a backcountry experience in our busiest national parks. 1) Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina/Tennessee) 9.1 million visitors, only 102,000 backcountry stays (1% venture from the parking lot and paved surfaces in general) Where not to go: Avoid US 441 Where to go: North Carolina Far Western part of park 2) Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) 4.6 million visitors, only 257,000 backcountry stays (6%) Where not to go: South Rim!! That's where 90% of the parks visitors go. Grand Canyon Village Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab. Hermit, Boulder, and Grandview Trails Where to go: North Rim 3) Yosemite National Park (California) 4.0 million visitors, 110,000 backcountry stays (3%) Where not to go: Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, High Sierra Camps Loop Where to go: Pacific Crest Trail 49 mile loop trail: Start at White Wolf Trailhead/Tuolumne Peak, Polly Dome Lakes Trail. 4) Olympic National Park 3.7 million visits, 156,000 backcountry stays (4%) Where not to go: Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Lake Crescent area, Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center Where to go: Southern half of park, trails starting at Dose-wallips Ranger Station. 5) Yellowstone National Park 3.1 million visits, 46,000 backcountry stays (1%) Where not to go: Old Faithful, Canyon and Mammoth areas Where to go: Thorofare Country BEFORE YOU GO OVERSEAS US Bureau of consular affairs www.travel.state.gov Hot spots. Airsecurity.com Travelsafe: www.itravelsafe.com ($30 for three months) --daily email intelligence report on 190 countries and a registry that will allow the company to pass on your location to the State Department during an earthquake, coup, or other crisis Great Hikers and their Hikes Micheal Fay: Hiked across central africa through untamed wilderness Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle 1680 Sue Lockwood, Peter Wolfe, Carolyn Hoffman, Chet Fromm, Ed Talone: only people to have hiked the entire North Country Trail Brian Robinson: First person to hike Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT) in one year Karen Berger: First woman to hike Triple Crown Benton McKaye Founder of Appalachian Trail Weird place names you just gotta check out! Paul Bunyan's Potty. Canyonlands National Park, UT Lick Log Creek, Bartrum Trail, SC Hairy Root Spring, Appalachian Trail, NH Hell For Sure Pass, John Muir Wilderness, CA Bumpass Hell, Lassen National Park, CA Six Husbands Trail, White Mountains National Forest, NH Touch-me-not Trail, Catskill Park, NY Poop Out Hill, San Bernardino National Forest, CA Lickskillet Trail, Lake Guntersville State Park, AL Tearbritches Trail, Cohutta Wilderness, CA Trapp Hills, Ottawa National Forest, MI* Packs, Boots, Bags etc., it is all here! Backpackers rate their favorite National Parks 1) Glacier, MT 2) Yellowstone, WY 3) Denali, AK 4) Rocky Mountain, CO * 5) Olympic, WA 6) Isle Royale, MI * 7) Voyagers, MN 8) Mt. Ranier, WA 9) Sequoia/Kings Canyon, CA 10) Great Smoky Mountains, TN NC National Geographic Adventure's Top 100. How many have you done? 5) Hiking the Narrows, Zion National Park, UT 8) Presidential Range Traverse, NH 16) Dark Canyon Wilderness, UT 17) Northern Loop, Glacier National Park, MT 19) Hells Canyon, OR 20) Cirque of Towers, WY 54) Outer Mountain Loop, Big Bend National Park, TX 58) Keyhole Route, Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 67) Boulder Grand Traverse, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 72) Loowit Trail, Mt. St. Helens, WA 73) John Muir Trail to Mt. Whitney, CA 81) Minong Ridge Trail, Isle Royale National Park, MI * 83) 100 mile wilderness, Appalachian Trail, ME 88) Buffalo River Trail, AK 94) Southern Virginia, Appalachian Trail, VA Career Destinations. Have you thought of becoming . . . Environmental Lawyer www.vermontlaw.edu USFWS agent www.sso.org/iafwa Smokejumper www.smokejumpers.com Forester www.sfnet.org Avalanche Forecaster www.avalanche.org Ski Patroller www.nsp.org Expedition Doctor www.wms.org Bush Pilot www.aopa.org Geologist www.geosociety.org Marine Biologist www.sfos.alaska.edu Ethnobotanist www.cieer.org Archaeologist www.saa.org Zookeeper www.aazk.org . |
Thomas Funke Hastings Michigan USA All Rights Reserved (c) 1999-2003 |
