The Grand Canyon simply takes your breath away. It doesn't matter where you are in the park; it is absolutely the most beautiful place to see. Pictures cannot do it justice.

Posted By Gail Sotrines on January 22, 2010, 5:22 PM

Wow -- Grand Canyon spam. Don't go to the South rim ever, you'll regret it. By the time you fight through the waves of tourists you won't even care about the view. North Rim: That's the way to go. Way out of the way, of course, but that's why it's quiet and beautiful.

As for favorite park: Maybe more of a sentimental favorite than an Oscar winner, but: Great Basin National Park in Nevada. It's just fantastically quite and beautiful and peaceful. Hiked one of the trails up to an alpine lake in the mountains. Just a perfect place.

Posted By bilbob on January 22, 2010, 6:02 PM

Well, seeing as I am blessed to live in a state with three awesome national parks, this is a toughie. But I do have a favorite, and it is our state's least visited - North Cascades National Park. It's particularly unique because there are no roads into it or through it - you have to hike to see it. And it's rugged, steep and craggy, so seeing it does not come easy. But it's glorious, and so worth it. The longest backpack adventure I've taken so far has been an 8-day transect of the park, from west to east over the crest of the cascades, and on day 4 I saw my one and only Northern Spotted Owl.

If Escalante National Monument in southern Utah is ever designated a National Park, I might change my mind.

Posted By Lauren at Casa Casa on January 22, 2010, 11:23 PM

I've gone there dozens of times and every single time, it's more amazing than the first. Olympic National Park out on Washington's Coast has a smorgasbord of scenery, including towering trees, rugged beaches with seastacks and sea stars, the snow capped Mt. Olympus, deep, quiet, mossy glades... yeah, I can go on and on in this florid travel brochure language, but I believe it, it's true, the place is magic, no matter what the weather or time of year, it is uncrowded, and it is never the same.

Posted By pam on January 23, 2010, 11:02 AM

Water Lakes National Park- Unlike Banff, Waterton is not overrun with tourists. The scenery is gorgeous and there are plenty of beautiful hikes. If you're not a big hiker, take the path to Bears Hump. It'll take about 30-60 mins, but the the views of the park and Upper Waterton Lake are amazing!

Posted By SpunkyGirl on January 23, 2010, 11:07 AM

Zion is the greatest because it draws you into its inner secrets, rather than just looking down from the top like most do at Grand Canyon, Zion lets you walk along the river with its towering walls surrounding you. All the magnificent colors and shadows are right in front of your eyes!

Posted By thomas De Man on January 23, 2010, 3:26 PM

Bryce Canyon in Utah. When you hike down among the orange and white hoodoos, it feels like you're on a different planet. I liked that it was much more accessible than the Grand Canyon.

Posted By Erin on January 23, 2010, 4:37 PM

Glacier National Park in Montana. The gorgeous mountains looming over every view, clear lakes, fantastic mountain driving, and a scenic drive named 'Going To the Sun' Road... The road is only open a few months during the summer, and even as far as I could go in May (St. Mary's Lake) was so gorgeous. I'm looking forward to going back this summer after the road opens.

Posted By Arti on January 23, 2010, 8:38 PM

Here's a vote for Jasper National Park (located just north of Banff NP). The possibilities run through the whole range, from the most remote and wild settings to the short easy stuff. It includes the great little town of Jasper, which has all the amenities without being mobbed (unlike Banff). It is reached by driving the Icefields Parkway, which is one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

Beautiful mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and the wildlife has a greater variety of large animals than any of the US parks. Wildlife sightings are very common.

Posted By airbed on January 23, 2010, 11:25 PM

Wind Cave NP is amazing. Not only are there great opportunities for caving, but the above ground hiking is magnificent for wildlife viewing. Then at night the stars are so clear and beautiful.

Posted By Andrew on January 24, 2010, 3:09 PM

The Dry Tortugas is such an amazing place. Sailing out west of Key west you come across such beautiful Keyes. Fort Jefferson rises out of the water showing off its historical past like a mirage in the desert. Hundreds of shipwrecks are all around the Islands and make for just incredible diving. The 1825 lighthouse is such a wonder to look at and go back in time to a nautical age that has long gone by.

Posted By John Sutton on January 24, 2010, 5:29 PM

My vote goes for Glacier National Park. Amazing scenery with a beautiful mountains, streams and lakes. The "Going to Sun Road" is rightly described as one of the most spectacular drives in the world.

Posted By Kim Reese on January 25, 2010, 10:03 AM

I live in California and it would be easy for me to say Yosemite as I have been there many times in winter, spring, and summer and it is spectacular. However, it does get very crowded. I have only been to Glacier National Park once, but it absolutely blew me away. I think its relative isolation compared to some of theother marquee parks makes it more special.

Posted By Rob Seltzer on January 25, 2010, 12:20 PM

Acadia National Park in Maine. Incredible hiking trails (I recommend Jordan Cliffs), biking, kayaking, views of the coastline...and wild blueberries! End the day with a lobster roll! What's better?

Posted By Kate on January 25, 2010, 12:35 PM

I'd vote for Carlsbad Caverns. The caves themselves are breathtaking, especially in a wet year when the cave pools are filled. It's in a beautiful desert setting, making the gaping hole of the entrance even more dramatic. The night bat-flights are also impressive.

Every person I've taken there has been blown away. There are options for people with limited mobility, families, and people who want to do a more technically challenging, wild cave tour.

Plus, it's our only national park that actually makes a profit each year.

Posted By Kim McCleskey on January 25, 2010, 12:38 PM

It is difficult to name just one park, but there is something so special about Mesa Verde in Colorado. I love all the hidden cliff dwellings and archeological sites.

Posted By LV on January 25, 2010, 12:39 PM

Glacier National Park gets my vote. When I was a kid we spent many family vacation summers there. It's hard to describe The Going to the Sun Highway, with all its spectacular views. Looking back at some of our aging photos I need to return with my new and improved camera and lenses!

Posted By Wendy on January 25, 2010, 12:43 PM

I can tell you for sure where I never want to go in the summer..... any of the larger parks that get visitors by the tens of thousands.

Posted By JAMES MARSHALL on January 25, 2010, 12:52 PM

Actually all the National Parks are amazing. All have somehing different to offer. I have seen all except three. Don't forget the National Monuments

Posted By Adele Witrock on January 25, 2010, 1:00 PM

I've been to more than 20 different National Parks, from California to Maine.

Yosemite is still the prettiest and the one I would return to, if I could, many many times.

Posted By Richard Privette on January 25, 2010, 1:02 PM

YELLOWSTONE!! Have been to many of our National Parks and altho they are all wonderful, Yellowstone stands out far above the rest. It is amazing, always changing!

Posted By Penny on January 25, 2010, 1:43 PM

By far our favorite is Yosemite National Park. We were there in October and it was not that crowded. The weather was beautiful and we were able to hike every day. We stayed three nights at the Yosemite Lodge (in the park) and loved it. The restaurant next to the Lodge was great too. I look forward to going back someday.

Posted By Linda Miller on January 25, 2010, 1:51 PM

Of the NPs I've seen so far, I think it's a toss up between the Grand Tetons and Mesa Verde.

Posted By Tanya on January 25, 2010, 2:10 PM

Yosemite is my favorite. The scenery is out-of-this world.... Nothing compares to first time you see El Capitan. And the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias nearby is also breathtaking. Hard to get into from the east as the Tioga Pass is closed a lot. Dining at Lee Vining is an extraordinary treat too. Who knew a gas station could be a gourmet restaurant?

Posted By Jim Murray on January 25, 2010, 2:14 PM

I vote for Glacier National Park, and the best way to get to the Going to the Sun Road is on the Red Bus, it is just a wonderful way to experience the breathtaking scenery...and if you are lucky, you might run into some professional wildlife photographers who allow you a glimpse of the bears that live there. What an amazing site through a telescoping camera. Oh, and if you visit, check out the mouth watering pancakes at the little restaurant in the village within walking distance of Glacier Lodge.

Posted By Rose Mary Kreiger on January 25, 2010, 2:21 PM

I have been to many of the national parks and Glacier National Park has my vote hands down. It has fantastic mountain, lake and waterfall scenery, great park lodges, tons of wildlife. I have found it to be the most accesbile park for hiking. Lots of day hikes for all levels; overnite and backpacking hikes for all levels and ages. There are two backcountry chalets (Granite Park and Sperry) that are terrific overnite stays after hiking gorgeous trails. Greap Huckleberry shakes!

Posted By Mary Lou on January 25, 2010, 2:45 PM

Here's another vote for Olympic National Park, with everything from the sea shore and rain forest to high mountains with a glacier. And the professional rangers at Port Angeles really know the park!

Posted By Pat on January 25, 2010, 2:54 PM

My favorite park of all the National Parks is Great Smoky NP in Tennessee/NC. The URL above leads you to some photos I took there. The day we were there it was cloudy, a bit windy, but I really think that just ADDED to the views we got on the road across the park. Incredible!

Posted By Gayle S. on January 25, 2010, 2:59 PM

Yellowstone. It is absolutely unique in the world.

Posted By Sallie on January 25, 2010, 3:13 PM

Zion is our favorite because there is plenty for everyone in the family to enjoy. The most adventurous can rock climb or try canyoneering. The very young and the very old can enjoy the spectacular views along the drive into the park from the east and take in the views from a rocker on the lawn of Zion Lodge. The bus system keeps the traffic and the emissions under control. An absolutely inspiring place to spend a vacation.

Posted By Dan Moisand on January 25, 2010, 3:14 PM

We visited several national parks in Utah this past fall and my favorite was Zion. It isn't a large park but rather allows you to get intimate with the canyon walls as they tower over your head. Great hiking trails, especially the Narrows hike up the river. Stay in the park if you can and get up early to witness the canyon walls come alive with the sunrise.
My other favorite is Acadia National Park in Maine with it's rugged coastline. Incredibly beautiful shores, great trails up the mountains with views of the islands that go on for miles, quieter trails inland that take you past lakes, wildflowers and towering trees. You can hike, bike, kayak, whale watch, camp or stay at a luxury hotel in Bar Harbor. Head to Jordan Pond House in the park for popovers and lemonade or their amazing lobster stew. Yum!

Posted By Kathryn on January 25, 2010, 3:16 PM

where else can you retreat to the utter world of silence......beautiful stone carvings by nature, and the quietness of the grandeur makes you aware why the Indians called this their spiritual place.

fantastic beauty..

Posted By Marie Vander Vliet on January 25, 2010, 3:36 PM

Yellowstone, hands down.

I've never been to a National Park that I didn't enjoy, but Yellowstone offers spectacular scenery unlike any you'll see anywhere else, and it is so big that if you're not within 100 yards of Old Faithful it almost never seems crowded.

Plus, if offers some extraordinary fly fishing, inside and just outside of the park.

Posted By John on January 25, 2010, 3:45 PM

Watching the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain - the very first place to see the sunrise in the US each morning - makes Acadia National Park in Maine a favorite. Interesting history, good hiking and biking, good birding, crashing waves on the rocky coast of Mt. Desert Island - it's all enchanting. And, oh yeah, I have to second the part about ending the day with a lobster roll!

Posted By Judy Woods on January 25, 2010, 3:53 PM

Yosemite is my favorite...we call it "The Happiest Place on Earth"! I try to get there about 4 times a year, but rarely in summer. Winter is the best season to go.

Posted By Erin on January 25, 2010, 3:56 PM

Ever since my first visit in 1969 to Yellowstone National Park, and two subsequent visits after the fires of 1988, I have loved this Park and call it my favorite and No. 1 Park. There is such a variety of geological features with the Geysers and Hot Springs, and the diversity of Wildlife starting with the powerful Bison and Bears, followed by the majestic Elk and Deer, and the elusive Gray Wolves and Coyotes, and the Birds and Fish that abound in this great Park.
I marveled at the fast recovery to the woodlands after the disastrious fires of 1988 so that the scenic views will again be seen by visitors.
There is just so much fantastic scenery all over the Park and especially over Bear Tooth Pass into Montana.
Yellowstone is a wonderful place to visit in the wintertime to view the Gray Wolf Packs. My third visit was in February 1999 to see the Wolves and the Park in its winter glory.
I have visited many other National Parks and they have some wonderful features and scenery and so my second choice is Glacier National Park.
We Americans today, can be most grateful to the people who had visions more than a 100 years ago, that the land needed to be preserved and protected and best saved by the establishment of the National Park system, and its expansion over the years to bring us what we can enjoy today across America.

Posted By Skip on January 25, 2010, 4:09 PM

All the National Parks are wonderful and all have something special... But my favorite is one of the small ones: THE WEIR FARM in Connecticut... This park is telling us about Connecticut in the 19th century and about the famous American impressionist Weir who, the legend says, bought this Connecticut farm and a gigantic number of acres around with only ONE PAINTING! He was that good, and that famous....
The place is beautiful, the landscape is peaceful and has a great many stonewalls. They have millions of guided tours and programs that make it all so fun... You can bring the children in the summer for an art workshops, or bring your parents for a leisurely stroll around the property...
They even have a program where they invite an artist for a few months to work there and mount a special project...
Anyone who goes to Connecticut should stop there... and if you were not planning to travel to Connecticut, well you should change your plans and go!
HURRAH FOR OUR PARKS...
Here is hoping that the Weir Farm will still be around in the centuries to come thanks to the National Parks!

Posted By Marguerite on January 25, 2010, 4:43 PM

While every park has its own unique views etc. Yellowstone gets my vote. Put yourself in the shoes of the first explorers to see this land. Spouting geisers, mud pots, jet geisers, steam coming from the ground, pools of clear blue water boiling water - all sights that can not be found any where else. Each season brings different vistas, wild life, and places to expore.

Posted By barb on January 25, 2010, 5:19 PM

My family's love affair with Yellowstone began shortly after the end of World War I. My grandfather, a recently returned veteran, decided to take part in a road race from St. Louis to Yellowstone. Every team had to have two cars, one to race and one laden with spare tires, gas, and auto parts of every shape and description. Service stations were still on the far horizon. My Grandfather drove the race car -- a Stutz Bearcat! That I do not know if he won or even placed is a tribute to Yellowstone. That is because when he got to Yellowstone he was blown away. He and his team mates stayed in black and white striped tourist tents and his stories about the "tame" wildlife and the amazing natural features haunted this small child like visions of sugar plumbs dancing in my head.

In 1958, after hearing a myriad of these astonishing tales that seemed akin to Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox, my Dad and Mom took my younger sister and me to Yellowstone. It was a first trip for all of us. We arrived on June 21, the first day of summer, in a raging snow storm wearing the shorts and tank tops Mom had packed for us. Being from Minnesota she reasoned that she knew how to dress for winter -- but this was not winter! Even before we saw our first geyser, we were hustled through the front doors of Old Faithful Inn. Maybe 25 steps into the lobby I stopped and looked up, and up, and up -- past the roaring blaze in the multi-sided fireplace, past the balcony, way up to what appeared to be a tree house clinging to the roof. This 10 year old was stunned at the grandeur of what she saw. Mother ran off to by sweat shirts so we could see the next eruption of Old Faithful. And erupt it did --in the snow with us huddled against the wind. It was full of steam and water and grandeur and confirmed everything my Grandfather had said. Paul Bunyan be gone -- this truly was Wonderland! I was hooked. So was my Dad. Our family pictures show erruptions from a vast assortment of unnamed geysers, bears standing next to the car, and a couple of wide-eyed kids who simply couldn't believe what they were seeing.

In the years since, I have been back more times than I can remember. My family used to say that our van knew its way to Yellowstone all by itself. I quickly learned that more than 90% of Yellowstone visitors never see more than 5-10% of the Park. They have no idea what they are missing.

It is the "secret" Yellowstone that we all have grown to love--the Yellowstone my Grandfather raved about. My husband and I have spent many days sitting next to remote geysers recording times, intervals and durations for geysers that we have then turned into the visitor center so the Park can tabulate the data. (There are many so-called "geyser gazers" who quietly return year after year to collect data and enjoy the less-well-known geysers.) Our favorite is Artemisia a pool geyser whose indicators that it is about to erupt include strong underground thumps which can be both felt and heard and a great over flow from the pool. Another favorite is Calypso which is hidden away and rarely seen by the masses for whom Old Faithful is Yellowstone. We have watched the formation of a major travertine formation at Mammoth, returning year after year and seeing it grow from a small, petite terrace, overtaking trees and eventually filing a small valley. We have the most amazing sunset photos of reflections in Great Fountain geyser. We have sat in the woods, by a small stream waiting for a geyser eruption and watched as two male bison fought in front of us. The ground shook when their huge heads struck one another. We have taken amazing trout on flies from out-of-the-way streams; have seen a gray wolf drinking from a pool with his image reflecting back at him, and watched a line of elk defend their newborns from a hungry grizzly. We visited the Park the first year it was open in the winter and marveled at the outlandish ice and snow formations at Norris and West Thumb geyser basins which included what seemed to us to be Snoopy sitting on his doghouse, and we have cross country skied through the upper and lower geyser basins. We have heard the Elk bugling in the crisp fall days and have seen the dormant Monument geyser basin with its amazing soda straw-like geyser cones. We have seen the many vented Fan and Mortar gysers erupt in concert -- an event we waited days to see and which caused a fellow observer to comment "I can die now, I have seen Fan and Mortar!".

We have visited almost all of our national parks. After all--my grandpa had the wanderlust when he first visited this magic place and I inherited it from him and my Grandmother. I can say without a doubt that the secret Yellowstone my Grandfather and that ten year old kid discovered is the best by far. Since I first went to Yellowstone, I have visited every place in the world, except two, where geysers and similar thermal features are found. We have seen breath-taking scenery. But nowhere in the world has the absolutely unique combination of scenery, wildlife and thermal activity that Yellowstone has. Secret Yellowstone IS Wonderland without a doubt. I later learned that early white explorers who convinced each other and the U.S. Congress that this place should become the world's first national park had called it Wonderland, too! Yellowstone deserves to be the center point of your up-coming magazine.

Posted By marti wivell on January 25, 2010, 5:41 PM

Zion,hands down my favorite lots hiking trails and views.

Posted By jim on January 25, 2010, 5:47 PM

Several years ago we went to Bryce, then the North Rim of the Grand Canyon & finished up at Zion, staying in the Park Lodges at each park. What an incredible week that was! The hoodoos of Bryce, the immensity of the Grand Canyon (north rim is far better than the south rim)& the intimacy of Zion with the towering mountains around you. The old Park Lodges were almost as spectacular as the scenery!
This year we are going to Glacier National Park, again staying in the Lodges. I can't wait!!

Posted By Cande Lazenby Fudge on January 25, 2010, 6:12 PM

Pipestone National Park in Minnesota. I've seen more than 3/4 of the National Parks and this one blew us away for the authenticity. I think it's the only one run by an Indian tribe and honors the sacred pipestone used by most of the original tribes. It's truly unique and immerses you in the spiritual culture of it's original purpose.

Posted By Galtravel on January 25, 2010, 6:23 PM

Yosemite is our very favorite as we have been to many of the parks and we still come back to Yosemite. Our family has been there in all the seasons and spring is our favorite.

Posted By Jo Ann Olson on January 25, 2010, 6:49 PM

Bryce Canyon is everything most parks aren't. Calm, beautiful and generally uncrowded. You can hike down into the canyon and be almost alone if you chose surrounded by some of the best scenery in the world.

Posted By Don on January 25, 2010, 7:07 PM

My vote goes to the Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor. Never been anywhere like it, very serene.

Posted By Kelly Osborne on January 25, 2010, 8:13 PM

Each of our national parks has its own unique qualities. As impressive as Yosemite and Grand Canyon are, for me Yellowstone is the king of national parks. I was fortunate enough to have spent a week on a photo expedition in Yellowstone. From wildlife, to the flora and the beauty of the Lamar Valley and throw into the mix the thermal features, it just can't be beat.

Posted By Kenneth M. Schwartz on January 25, 2010, 8:20 PM

We have visited Yellowstone, Glacier, Estes Park, Volcanoes, Zion, Bryce and many other parks - but our #1 vote goes to the Grand Canyon - NORTH RIM. The WOW factor is way up there. Why we waited an entire lifetime to visit is beyond me - we want to go again and SOON! Other visitors we met there concur - they had already visited the South Rim and said if you have a choice - choose the North Rim. Less crowds. And try not to go when everyone else does :0) Stay in the park - at the lodge or one of the cabins. Make sure you see the sunrise AND the sunset. Both are spectacular. A truly memorable trip. Photos do not do this magnificent place justice.

Posted By CMM on January 25, 2010, 9:19 PM

I've been to 33 US National Parks and Katmai is my favorite. Watching the bears catch salmon at Brooks Falls and the interaction amongst the bears in mid July is incredible. Hiking through the layers of ash in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in the Park was also very unique.

Posted By Mark Hanlon on January 25, 2010, 9:28 PM

I think two of the most remarkable National Park units are:
Antietam National Battlefield (the most pristine battlefield park in North America, kept just as it was on September 17, 1862, and it is the site of America's single bloodiest day. 23,110 casualties, and allowed President Lincoln to release the Emancipation Proclamation, begining the process of freeing the slaves.
C&O Canal National Historial Park, at 184.5-miles long it is Maryland's largest and most-visited national park, and enjoyd by more than 3.1-million visitors annually. The park is great for hiking biking, horseback riding, ice skating in the winter, fishing, historical interpretation, and a also environmental studies. The park has it all!

Posted By Tom Riford on January 25, 2010, 9:42 PM

For me, to-date, Yosemite National Park was one of the most awe inspiring natural phenomenon known to man. With weepy eyes, sitting atop the crested views I overlooked the beautiful valley floor-- speechless. With God's good grace, I plan to visit again with my niece and nephew in hopes of them passing down through the generations mother nature's true beauty.

Posted By James Yoder on January 25, 2010, 10:34 PM

While it is difficult to select one favorite in our magnificent national park system, Yosemite is still the most breathtaking place I have ever been. There is a reason they named it after "place of the gaping mouth." To me, it is proof that there is something ultimately good in the universe and it is the place that I feel closest to whatever that power is...

I have read that 95% of visitors do not leave the valley and I am actually ok with that. More deserted backcountry trails for me! While the valley is amazing (and Yosemite Falls is one of a handful of places in the world that you can see moonbows), 95% of visitors are missing out. Visit breathtaking places like Washburn Lake, Mono Lake, Raisin Lake, Cathedral Lakes, Gaylor Lakes or Tenaya Lake. Hike Half Dome, the Panorama Trail, Mount Hoffman, the High Sierra Camp Loop. Watch the unbelievable sunset from Vogelsang and stand with the Jeffery Pine on Sentinel Dome. Take it all in and enjoy the experience!

Posted By Kris on January 25, 2010, 10:59 PM

Assateague Island is one of the most loved parks!
If you want to live on the edge, visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves then life on Assateague Island is the place to be. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent. It's my favorite National Park!!!

Posted By lisa challenger on January 26, 2010, 9:27 AM

I left a piece of my heart in Yosemite, and the Grand Tetons blew me away, but I'd have to say hands down, all things considered, my favorite is Denali. Nothing can touch the beauty, landscape, wildlife and atmosphere of Alaska.

Posted By Nicole on January 26, 2010, 9:38 AM

Having visited dozens of NPs, from FL to New England to the Rocky Mtns, Hawaii, and Alaska, I'd say our favorite is Denali National Park in Alaska.

It's huge, incredibly wild (especially if you get away from the one road corridor in the park), affords you vistas on the scale of the Grand Canyon, views of North America's highest peak (Mt. McKinley), and incredible wildlife viewing.

Once I camped with my brother at Wonder Lake, closest campground in the park to Mt. McKinley. It was a typical cloudy day, as the mountain is large enough to create its own weather patterns, but that evening the clouds began to break up. The first spot to completely clear was at the peak...my brother couldn't believe how high it was. Over the next 2 hours we watched as the entire mountain as well as the Alaska Range revealed itself from horizon to horizon. One of those rare summer days when the mountain was "out."

On another trip, my father and I stayed for one night at the Sheldon Mountain House in the amphitheater of the Ruth Glacier, on the side of Mt. McKinley. It's a totally unique experience, being flown through the narrow gorge with walls of rock towering above your tiny bush plane, as you cruise above a river of glacial ice. The Sheldon Mountain House is perched on a rock outcropping in the middle of this huge rock and ice amphitheater. The outhouse is even more interesting, as it's located nearly on the edge of a very high drop off. The silence was often broken by sounds of rock and ice crashing down as gravity finally took over. Eerie, but an experience we'll never forget.

Denali offers access to everyone via the bus system on the one road into the park. That's a terrific system to control the numbers of visitors in the park at any time. The buses allow for terrific opportunities to view the park's wildlife: grizzly bear, moose, caribou, wolf, lynx, fox, and numerous smaller mammals and birds. For the more adventurous, the backcountry hiking and camping opportunities are incredible, getting you even closer to all that Denali has to offer. This past summer, I took my wife on her first visit to Denali. She really wanted to see a moose...Denali didn't disappoint as we saw several on our first day, including two bulls and a cow before 6am!

While all the NPs are special, Denali will always hold a special place for me. For those who've not been to Alaska - make a point to get there in your lifetime. There's nothing quite like it anywhere else in our country.

Posted By Scott on January 26, 2010, 9:56 AM

I once said I would have three homes - one at the beach, one in the city, and one in the forest. Well I have one that encompasses all three in the Presidio of San Francisco. Although I have seen some of our amazing national parks, this one never fails to take my breath away with its changing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean at night from the vistas, the trails to hike on, the sunsets and rises. I've seen it through thick fog and unbelievably gorgeous blue skies. It's a beloved sanctuary in a fabulous city.

Posted By Lissie on January 26, 2010, 11:23 AM

The most spectacular of all the nations parks is Glacier. Not an easy park to get to on the Montana Canadian border, but well worth the trip. The jaw dropping scenery against a soundtrack of falling water just gets better around every bend. With the new shuttle bus service you can enjoy the spectacular scenery and occasional wildlife without worrying about the 1500 foot drop off.

If you are willing to get out of the car short or long walks down numerous pathways lead to even more incredible views. See it soon before the glaciers are gone.

I've done the rim to rim at the Grand Canyon, hiked Yosemite, been to RMNP, driven through the Smokies, kayaked and hiked Alaska and nothing compares to Glacier.

Posted By Robert on January 26, 2010, 11:52 AM

Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park are two of the best if you are interested in history. The reenactments at Valley Forge are superb, the countryside is beautiful. You can walk the same path as George Washington and his troops so long ago. Independence National Historical Park is located in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation. This is where it all began. So much to do, you really need 2-3 days to visit both parks.

Posted By Stacy on January 26, 2010, 12:23 PM

I love Assateague Island. The birding is great year round! Trails along the sand dunes, marshes and coastal forests really let you see a barrier island at work. Fishing, crabbing, clamming and kayaking are some of the activities or if you want to relax, just enjoy the sun and surf.

Assateague is located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland which has a unique culture, historic towns and great natural beauty as well as fabulous food.

Posted By Trish on January 26, 2010, 2:58 PM

Olympic National Park in Washington state. I'm a professional photographer, specializing in the National Park Service (www.frankrabold.com) and Olympic has more diversity than any other park. Snow capped mountain peaks, rain forest, lakes, waterfalls, coastal beaches and rock formations on the Pacific shoreline... and all at one park.

Posted By Zack Frank on January 26, 2010, 3:17 PM

Haleakala on Maui. Going into the crater is surreal Like being on Mars. Mark Twain described it better that I can:

"But the chief pride of Maui is her dead volcano of Haleakala--which means, translated, "the house of the sun." We climbed a thousand feet up the side of this isolated colossus one afternoon; then camped, and next day climbed the remaining nine thousand feet, and anchored on the summit, where we built a fire and froze and roasted by turns, all night. With the first pallor of dawn we got up and saw things that were new to us. Mounted on a commanding pinnacle, we watched Nature work her silent wonders. The sea was spread abroad on every hand, its tumbled surface seeming only wrinkled and dimpled in the distance. A broad valley below appeared like an ample checker-board, its velvety green sugar plantations alternating with dun squares of barrenness and groves of trees diminished to mossy tufts. Beyond the valley were mountains picturesquely grouped together; but bear in mind, we fancied that we were looking up at these things--not down. We seemed to sit in the bottom of a symmetrical bowl ten thousand feet deep, with the valley and the skirting sea lifted away into the sky above us! It was curious; and not only curious, but aggravating; for it was having our trouble all for nothing, to climb ten thousand feet toward heaven and then have to look up at our scenery. However, we had to be content with it and make the best of it; for, all we could do we could not coax our landscape down out of the clouds. Formerly, when I had read an article in which Poe treated of this singular fraud perpetrated upon the eye by isolated great altitudes, I had looked upon the matter as an invention of his own fancy.

I have spoken of the outside view--but we had an inside one, too. That was the yawning dead crater, into which we now and then tumbled rocks, half as large as a barrel, from our perch, and saw them go careering down the almost perpendicular sides, bounding three hundred feet at a jump; kicking up cast-clouds wherever they struck; diminishing to our view as they sped farther into distance; growing invisible, finally, and only betraying their course by faint little puffs of dust; and coming to a halt at last in the bottom of the abyss, two thousand five hundred feet down from where they started! It was magnificent sport. We wore ourselves out at it.

The crater of Vesuvius, as I have before remarked, is a modest pit about a thousand feet deep and three thousand in circumference; that of Kilauea is somewhat deeper, and ten miles in circumference. But what are either of them compared to the vacant stomach of Haleakala? I will not offer any figures of my own, but give official ones--those of Commander Wilkes, U.S.N., who surveyed it and testifies that it is twenty-seven miles in circumference! If it had a level bottom it would make a fine site for a city like London. It must have afforded a spectacle worth contemplating in the old days when its furnaces gave full rein to their anger.

Presently vagrant white clouds came drifting along, high over the sea and the valley; then they came in couples and groups; then in imposing squadrons; gradually joining their forces, they banked themselves solidly together, a thousand feet under us, and totally shut out land and ocean-- not a vestige of anything was left in view but just a little of the rim of the crater, circling away from the pinnacle whereon we sat (for a ghostly procession of wanderers from the filmy hosts without had drifted through a chasm in the crater wall and filed round and round, and gathered and sunk and blended together till the abyss was stored to the brim with a fleecy fog). Thus banked, motion ceased, and silence reigned. Clear to the horizon, league on league, the snowy floor stretched without a break--not level, but in rounded folds, with shallow creases between, and with here and there stately piles of vapory architecture lifting themselves aloft out of the common plain--some near at hand, some in the middle distances, and others relieving the monotony of the remote solitudes. There was little conversation, for the impressive scene overawed speech. I felt like the Last Man, neglected of the judgment, and left pinnacled in mid-heaven, a forgotten relic of a vanished world.

While the hush yet brooded, the messengers of the coming resurrection appeared in the East. A growing warmth suffused the horizon, and soon the sun emerged and looked out over the cloud-waste, flinging bars of ruddy light across it, staining its folds and billow-caps with blushes, purpling the shaded troughs between, and glorifying the massy vapor- palaces and cathedrals with a wasteful splendor of all blendings and combinations of rich coloring.

It was the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think the memory of it will remain with me always."

2nd favorite: Rocky Mountain

Posted By Donnie on January 26, 2010, 3:34 PM

I know I'm biased living in Pensacola, Florida, but Gulf Islands National Seashore is my favorite national park. The longest stretch of protected seashore, you can walk for miles and miles on sugar-white sand dunes with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Pensacola Bay on the other and no commercial development to distract from the view. Plus, there is a huge pre-Civil War brick fortress available to explore. The park rangers provide wonderful nature and history tours.

Posted By Laura on January 26, 2010, 3:45 PM

Our favorite NP is, hands down, Valley Forge! You can't look at VFNP without knowing that America starts there. The tales of von Steuben drilling the ragged men into a fighting army are inspiring and set the stage for the American backbone as we know it today. Hats off to Valley Forge NHP - it's a small gem in the vast National Park system and one worth seeing when you visit eastern Pennsylvania.

Posted By Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society on January 26, 2010, 3:47 PM

The Grand Canyon-the most amazingly beautiful place I've ever seen!

Posted By Nicole on January 26, 2010, 3:50 PM

My favorite park is Kings Canyon/Sequoia!

Posted By Meg on January 26, 2010, 3:58 PM

In the Fall of 2005, we decided to tour National Parks on our way out west. Of all the parks we went thru, I would say that Bryce Canyon was my personal favorite although all were spectacular. Each different in it's own way from Yosemite to Sequoia, from Redwoods to Yellowstone, from Arches to Zion;even Devil's Tower Nat'l Monument in Wyoming was interesting. However, by the end of the trip(2 months), my husband just wanted to go home. According to him, there were only so many rocks and trees that he wanted to see. Too Bad! I can only say we are truly America The Beautiful!

Posted By Lelia Barhardt on January 26, 2010, 4:50 PM

This took a lot of deliberation, as I am so VERY fond of Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, The Great Smokies, to name just a few. But because it has had the most profound effect on me and offers lessons in so many areas (anthropology, Native American culture, history, geography, geology, etc.) my favorite park would be Chaco Culture National Historic Park. There really are few parks in the United States that are as precious historically to both the "new" Americans and the First Peoples of North America as Chaco Canyon. And so much is still a mystery waiting to be discovered, particularly about the ancient cultures who called this place home for hundreds of years. So important is this area that many experts feel it should be re-buried in order to preserve its valuable heritage. Certainly its sacred meaning to so many indigenous peoples might very well warrant the same treatment.

Posted By Oakmoss on January 26, 2010, 7:11 PM

I too love Valley Forge National Historical Park. I like to look at the log cabins and think what hardships the men had to endure to make our country our country. I love the Park in the spring when the beautiful trees leaf out along historic Valley Creek. This is a smaller Park in the National Park system but it's no less wonderous than the bigger ones; maybe it's even more so because for such a small size, it packs quite a visual punch.

Posted By C James on January 26, 2010, 10:06 PM

Only 1 favorite national park - are you kidding? That is impossible so how about the top 8:
1 Grand Canyon 2 Bryce Canyon 3 Yellowstone
4 Denali Park with Mt. McKinley 5 Blue Ridge Parkway 6 Everglades 7 El Yunque in Puerto Rico
8 Cape Hatteras

Posted By Barbara on January 26, 2010, 10:37 PM

Everyone is right. Each park has it's own unique beauty and charm. We visited 15 parks in the past 12 months and loved them all. I guess the best WOW factor is seeing the Grand Canyon or the view from Glacier Point in Yosemite. For sheer beauty Glacier and the Parks of Canadian Rockies are hard to beat. Wonderful wildlife viewing in the Alaskan parks, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the Everglades. Great diversity in the Hawaiian parks and Olympic. We are so lucky to live in American.

Posted By Dan Wathen on January 27, 2010, 10:38 AM

We toured 9 national parks this summer. Most were on our 23 day camping trip out west. Badlands were cool and eerie, Yellowstone was was phenomenal for the wildlife, topography and thermal features, but Glacier/Waterton (Canada) stood out. Others had warned us that after you see the Canadian Rockies you will no longer be impressed with the American Rockies. They were right. We did Badlands, Yellowstone, then Glacier/Waterton, then Grand Tetons and the Grand Tetons were a non-event afterwards.

Posted By Sandy smm6400 on January 27, 2010, 11:15 AM

I loved the Mt McKinley National Park in Alaska. The 8-hour train ride up was awesome! We left out of Anchorage and it took us through the bush country, where people were living with no roads in and no roads out. They would place a flare on the train tracks to stop the train to ride into town. We saw all the wild life and mountains and streams along the way and arrived at the Mt Mckinley Resort, where buses picked us up (about 20 of us) and we were taken to our lodges there. The next morning we went by horsback across most of the national park at Mt Mckinley.....it was the most beautiful Mountain and landscape. Loved it.

Joy

Posted By joy starling on January 27, 2010, 11:30 AM

As a geologist and confirmed desert rat, my favorite has to be Death Valley National Park, especially during the spring wildflower blooms that occur during wet years. There is an El Nino now dumping rain on the desert, and we should have one of those flower displays that comes along once a decade. If you are coming to Vegas in mid-March to late April, plan some time to go see the flowers. If the conditions are right, you will never see anything quite like it...thousands of acres of flowers as far as the eye can see. It's only 90 minutes from Las Vegas. When it comes to rocks, history, springs, and pupfish, there is nothing comparable to Death Valley National Park. The sheer vastness of the place is very humbling.

Posted By Tom B. on January 27, 2010, 9:11 PM

Yosemite is our favorite place in the world. We return annually for Christmas. It is breathtaking in the snow - peaceful, beautiful and full of wildlife. To come thru the Tunnel View Overlook and see the valley laid out before you is amazing. El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome, snow on the mountains and trees - need I say more? Best of all, no crowds in the winter. We've been to most of the National Parks. Yosemite is truly special.

Posted By Marge on January 27, 2010, 9:33 PM

So many to choose from. Badlands I think because it was my first look at the fantastic wild scenery of the west. Amazing rock formations, desolate hiking, animals, colors and watching the play of the light on the rocks and terrain. Stunning but simple, it made me feel like one of the first pioneers to see the land beyond the wide Missouri.

Posted By dru on January 28, 2010, 12:19 AM

I have been to 41 national parks and about 130 national battlefields, lakeshores, monuments, historic sites, etc. I loved the hiking in Glacier National Park, but high on the list of (sentimental) favorites is Big Bend NP - it was my first trip to a national park, back in 1988. Truely the best idea!

Posted By Pradeep on January 28, 2010, 11:51 AM

The beauty of our national parks is in the variety of responses--how can we pick a favorite? For me the one I have visited the most and don't tire of is Rocky Mountain National Parks with its fantastic views and trails for hiking. Plus Estes Park is a great place to stay and then enter the park.
The variety of comments here are proof of what a wonderful system we have. I am surprised that Crater Lake and Mt. Rainier were not mentioned, but that may be my Northwest bias from where I grew up and was first exposed to the wonder that are our parks...
Thanks to all the people who contributed to the development of this fantastic treasure of the American people.

Posted By Don M. Boileau on January 28, 2010, 8:57 PM

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, THE BEAUTY IS ALL AROUND YOU NOT TO MENTION THE BEARS, ELM, SHEEP, GOATS ETC. ALL UPCLOSE. NOT AS BUSY AS OTHER PARK AREAS, BUT LIMITED IN THE TIME TO SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE WINTER WEATHER.

Posted By PAM on January 29, 2010, 9:20 AM

Arches National Park is my favorite place on earth (except maybe Paris). I've been there 20 times or more. It is by no means a bleak desert park... the colors are amazing, it's greener than you would expect, and it contains more natural stone arches than anywhere else on earth. But don't just do the typical gawk-out-the-window tourism... that's ridiculous. You can't begin to appreciate the incredible size of these great arches unless you get up right inside them, and see these amazing stone rainbows right above you. You will think, "This can't be true, things like this don't exist in nature." But there it is, soaring 100 feet over your head. Several of them are very easy to get inside, but the ones you have to hike to may be even more rewarding, since you might be the only person there. And don't miss the greatest arch on the planet... the incredible Landscape Arch -- it's as long as a football field, 300 feet... and hardly 10 feet thick at one point. It is an ancient but fragile structure, standing there for a hundred thousand years... but it is at the very end of its life. Erosion, weather, wind and rain will soon take it down, just as surely as they formed it in the first place. See it while you can!!

Posted By Arch Hiker on January 29, 2010, 9:30 AM

Glacier National Park. Fantastic mountains, wonderful hiking trails, extensive backcountry. It is possible to see this park via car but it's even better that you can get away from crowds (it's not that crowded to begin with) and explore the backcountry. It's got something for everyone.

Posted By Miriam on January 29, 2010, 3:46 PM

I've only been to a few national parks. 7 by my count (Olympic, Mt Rainier, Zion, Grand Canyon, Shenandoah, Acadia, and Everglades). Of those, I would be unable to pick a favorite. All were equally amazing in their own way, and I would never be able to decide on 1 favorite. Right now I am eagerly planning my next trip for this Summer to Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Posted By Scott on January 29, 2010, 5:25 PM

Yellowstone definately, lakes, canyons, wildlife, lodges, history, geysers, mountains. Who could ask for more?

Posted By jay on January 29, 2010, 7:56 PM

I have been to most of the ones mentioned but guess no one else has been to Joshua Tree National Park - AWESOME !!

Posted By Mary on January 30, 2010, 3:21 PM

Like most people, it's hard for me to pick a favorite national park! I've been to 10 by my count: Great Smoky Mtns, Congaree, Mammoth Cave, Hot Springs, Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, and Carlsbad Caverns. Out of those, my top 3 would probably be 1) Yellowstone, 2) Bryce Canyon, and 3) Zion.

The Grand Canyon was amazing as well, but I unfortunately didn't get to experience it for more than a few hours as a child. Hoping to go back one day for a rafting trip!

My boyfriend and I are going on a road trip out west this summer and are aiming to visit Grand Teton, Yosemite, Seqouia/Kings Canyon, Arches, and Mesa Verde. Who knows, I might have to pick a new top 3 after that :)

America is beautiful!

Posted By Katherine on January 30, 2010, 4:56 PM

All the national parks are wonderful, but timing makes the visit perfect. For families, I suggest Yellowstone in the winter, Grand Canyon when the kids are on spring break, Glacier National Park in the summer. You'll enjoy the best each park has to offer with minimal crowds and less traffic. Book lodging in the park for Grand Canyon. Rates are affordable and rooms abundant. Nothing like rolling out of your bed and catching sunrise at the rim.

Posted By Richard on January 30, 2010, 6:59 PM

The natural beauty of the USA national parks is astounding.....Long may we preserve these for all who wish to seek to see and be in these natural surroundings.
My favorite time is to go "off season" ....No noise of machines.
In the early 70's a friend and I went to yellowstone in the dead of winter and snowshoed and camped. We were later informed by the ranger that we were the only campers in the park that night. We were the only two people at the geyser, elk came walking past us as we hiked, and birds flew nearby. The utter beauty and stillness was incredible.
We hope that Yellowstone and other natural settings ban snow machines in the winter so others who are a bit adventurous can have a natural experience as we did.

Posted By Joanne on January 31, 2010, 12:31 PM

We've been to more of the National Parks than I can count. I am on my 3rd national park stamp book. It is hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to pick just one, it would be Yellowstone. It is like visiting 3 different parks. Each loop is a separate park in itself: the waterfalls, the Mammouth Hot Springs area and then the southern section with Old Faithful and all the other smaller hot pots and geysers. We have stopped here several times over 35 years, and each time there is something different. Our last visit was in Sept. 2008. The hot springs have almost dried up, but there were more animals.

Posted By Dot on January 31, 2010, 2:53 PM

So far Zion is my favorite, you get to experience canyons and mountains from different perspectives. I especially loved Hiking the Narrows, where else does your hiking "trail" bring you through chest high water?
Another favorite NP experience was a Glacier/wildlife cruise through Kenai Fjords NP followed by hiking Exit Glacier the next day.To see how far the glaciers have receded makes you realize how fragile these ecosystems can be.

Posted By bridybo on January 31, 2010, 9:11 PM

Although I adore the Teton Nat'l park, you get the most bang for your buck at Yellowstone. You see waterfalls, geysers, mountains and mega-fauna all in one park. Go in the fall during the elk mating season...awesome!! They are everywhere. These two parks are similar and worth seeing both if you have the time.

Posted By Beth on February 1, 2010, 10:56 AM

If I had to pick one, it would be Death Valley...often overlooked, always spectacular, the view from Dante's View is hypnotizing, the colors of Artist's Palette amazing...and easy to get to (only 2 hour drive from Vegas).
Others on my 'A' list would be Zion, Mesa Verde, Lake Clark (the solitude here almost mystical), Olympic, Crater Lake...can't really go wrong with any of the NPs!

Posted By Mark F. on February 1, 2010, 12:56 PM

On my first visit to Grand Teton National Park, I turned to my two companions and said that if it weren't for the money, I would come back every year. That was in 2004. We went on to Yellowstone thinking it couldn't top the Tetons. We were wrong! After visiting many parks in the West and three of the big ones in the East, I can say without hesitation, that Yellowstone is my favorite! That park, coupled with the Grand Tetons just to the south evoke a sense of "home" and the way life should be for me. I returned to both parks with my mother in 2005 and created a monster. We now try to visit as many parks as possible to fill our National Parks Explorer Passports with stamps and stickers. My mother likes to needle me and say it was too bad that I took her to the best one first, as now all the others seem to pale somewhat in comparison. That's not to say that we don't love the others. We do, but Yellowstone is special. We returned to the area again in 2007 on our way to Glacier National Park. It ended up being most economical for us to fly in and out of Jackson Hole. My mother remarked, "Darn! What a shame that we have to drive through Yellowstone again!" Obviously she was being sarcastic. The drive through the park that year was complicated by fire near the East Entrance (we also were visiting Cody on this trip - and it was the only entrance to Yellowstone we had not been through yet) and caused us to take a 4 hour detour around the fire. However, as a bonus we saw a bull moose and grizzly bear on the detour! A couple of days later, we finally made it through the East Entrance despite the further complication of a mud slide that had been caused by excessive rain, which ultimately tamed the fire enough that the entrance could be reopened. Along the way we saw a young grizzly on the side of the road, that probably had recently left its mother.

I cannot express adequately the feeling of being in that part of the country. I long to be there and would love to live there. My mother and I joke about our home in northwest Wyoming that we will purchase when we win the lottery . . . and when we do, we will be sure to welcome friends and strangers alike to our favorite wonderland and share our love for this most magnificent of parks.

Posted By Kathy on February 1, 2010, 1:00 PM

National parks, in the words of Ken Burns, are, without doubt, "America's Best Idea" I have lost count of how many national parks we have visited, including some that nobody knows (Great Basin NP, for example) How do you chose one among so many? My favorites are, in no particular order, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Badlands, Everglades, Glacier, Crater Lake, Joshua Tree, Great Sand dunes... etc. etc. But probably the incredibly variety of Yellowstone makes this the number one national park

Posted By Nini on February 1, 2010, 1:36 PM

I love the National Parks and have made it a life goal to get to all of them. So far, I'd say it is a tie between Glacier and Yosemite. Yosemite was the first National Park that I felt awestruck by the majesty of the natural world. It inspired me to see God in the creation. I loved the variety of the landscape and the uniqueness of it. I loved Glacier for the awesome views, the hikes unlike anywhere else and wildness of it. Going to the Sun Road is unlike any road anywhere. I'm proud to be an American there and it makes me love and honor my country even more.

Posted By LaVonne on February 1, 2010, 2:22 PM

I have been fortunate to visit many of our incredible national parks, Grand Canyon is amazing, Sequoia beautiful, but hands down my favorite is Yosemite! Go if you can before the main tourist season begins and enjoy the solitude. The drive up the mountain and exit to the vista of Half Dome is breath taking, God was having a wonderful day when these areas were created. It is no wonder that native Americans are in awe of these places known to them long before our explorers ever set foot into them. Thanks to every explorer, politician and American that helped make our National Park system the "Best Idea" to quote Ken Burns. Also I'd like to take time to thank him for bringing this history to light and sharing our beautiful nation. Get out there and see the USA everyone, there are vistas that dwarf cathedrals of Europe...we need to protect these natural areas and encourage our youth to experience the amazing beauty sometimes just outside our home towns!!!

Posted By Pat Rohm on February 1, 2010, 2:50 PM

Olympic National Park in Washington State. It has a little bit of everything, and it's never super crowded.

Posted By Tiffany on February 1, 2010, 2:51 PM

My favorite is Yellowstone! It has something for all ages and capabilities. You can view wildlife from your
car or take back country treks. ( We have done both)
There are easy walks to see geysers and vistas. There is a lot of history being the first national park in the USA.

Posted By Renee Maglietti on February 1, 2010, 3:27 PM

To say that anyone park is my favorite is impossible to do. Each park is unique and has it own distinct "flavor," if you will.

However, after having been to the Grand Canyon four times, and to the bottom twice on foot, I have to take real exception to bilbob comments posted on January 22, 2010. Most any park has it area of crowds but generally one only has to go a short distance to move away from the crowds. The Grand Canyon is no exception. Even at the South Rim in the area of the Bright Angel lodge and the El Tovar Hotel, if one walks 1/2 mile away from either on the rim trail, one will leave most of the crowd behind. Take time to stay in the park for at least a couple of nights. Get a sack lunch and plenty of water, hike down to the Three Mile Rest house, stop and see the beauty of the canyon from inside and enjoy the afternoon hiking back out. The perspective and view of the canyon changes so dramatically with taking a little more time to see it.

A place like the Grand Canyon is not a place to run up, look over the side for a few minutes and leave. When I am told by the park service that the average visit to the Grand Canyon is only three hours, and you have people that stay in the park overnight and sometimes for many nights, then those people that do come in an look over the side and leave must stay only about an hour. Such a short visit of the Grand Canyon or for that matter any park, can't give one a good experience.

Posted By Max on February 1, 2010, 3:40 PM

Yosemite. It does get a bit crowded, but there's just no place else like it. I was fortunate enough to visit recently after a 30+year absence and share it with my nieces. It was more beautiful than I remembered. My mother wants her ashes to spread off of Half Dome. I know it may sound gross & is probably illegal, but that's how much she loves it! All of our national parks are such a treasure that if you are able, you should take advantage of this privilege we have here in the United States.

Posted By Heather Plyler on February 1, 2010, 4:17 PM

So many great parks, especially in the west. I was lucky enough to work in Yellowstone for several years so could hike and camp in the backcountry every weekend or ski off trail in the winter. Like others have said, most visitors to many of our national parks don't see so much of the unique sites in these parks because they don't get out of their cars or out onto the trails, or don't spend the time to explore. Yellowstone is breathtaking, spectacular and filled with so many sites that you can see no where else. I have been to many national parks that I love and appreciate but Yellowstone is truly special. The variety of thermal features, wildlife and scenery is unmatched. Each area of the park offers something different to see and each area even FEELS different. Rapidly changing weather in any season at these high elevation western parks is what makes a person's visit to these places such a different experience each time. It might snow for a few hours in July, you might get caught in a sudden hail storm in June after an unseasonably hot day, or you might have one beautiful clear sunny day after several days of snow in February. Nature surprises you and it reminds us of how vulnerable we are. This is a good thing.
The Grand Canyon is spectacular, Glacier is wonderful and Acadia is fabulous. But overall Yellowstone, and because it is the first national park, offers a wider variety of beauty than the others.

Posted By Wyoming gal on February 1, 2010, 4:34 PM

This is a tough one. I have two and I love them both. Glacier National Park and Capitol Reef.

Posted By Brian on February 1, 2010, 5:16 PM

Big Bend National Park - It is a hidden gem that doesn't get the lime light as Yosemite or Yellowstone. And for that, it make it a great place to visit in all seasons. No traffic jams, great photography opportunities and just a place for peace and quiet. You can also throw in a visit to Fort Davis National Historic Site and tour the ruins of one of the best preserved Indians Wars forts in the US.

Posted By Jim Miculka on February 1, 2010, 8:52 PM

For folks in the Eastern half of the states, the Great Smokey Mountains are wonderful. Wait a few months for them to remove the rock slide covering I-40 near the NC-TN line. Then come to Asheville to enjoy the Biltmore House. The Blue Ridge Parkway, another awesome park, is 499 miles long and goes from Cherokee, NC to Front Royal, VA. It is a beautiful road that follows the mountain ridge. No commercial traffic and no billboards!

Posted By Marylyn on February 1, 2010, 9:38 PM

Having traveled to all 50 states and visited 40 National Parks, it is impossible to choose a favorite. If I had to narrow it down, I would choose any park that offers cabins within the park. Cabins allow more opportunities to enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets without having to travel from nearby lodging or brave the elements while camping. My favorite cabins are located at the Grand Canyon North Rim, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park. I make reservations exactly one year in advance and always request the Western Cabins. Rocking chairs on the porch are my favorite after a long day of hiking. The parks vary so much that it is nice to see how beautiful our country really is without returning to the same location every year. Traveling in the spring and fall are preferable since the crowds are smaller and the seasons are more apparent. However, we did travel to all 50 states with our four children during summer months due to school and thoroughly enjoyed each park we visited. National Parks are the perfect family vacation since most lodges in the parks do not have televisions. Leave the electronic games in the car and play board games, sports, etc., and go for long walks/hikes. I can’t wait to begin sharing the beauty of the National Parks with my five grandchildren. Our first trip was a year ago and although my one-year old granddaughter had no clue she was at the North Rim, I knew she was there and I enjoyed every minute. There was nothing better than sharing the miracles of nature with our little miracle of life.

Posted By Beverly McDonald on February 2, 2010, 12:01 AM

Assateague National Seashore on Maryland's outer banks!! Seeing the bands of wild horses gallop through the sand-dune campsites or along the miles of pristine beach at sunset is a not-to-be-missed experience!

Posted By Carlton on February 2, 2010, 10:03 AM

Zion National Park; it is very small but amazingly beautiful!

Posted By Sherry on February 3, 2010, 8:17 PM

I have been to over a hundred National Parks and Monuments, but none continue to draw me emotionally or spiritually like Yosemite. Plus, it has an amazing balance of the touristy (great for the family) cultural (art galleries, heritage sites, AND theater? Great!) and breathtaking, can't-believe-this-is-real beauty. Crowded? Yes, it can be, but walk ten minutes in any direction and you will be on your own. The loop trail that encircles the valley is empty just a mile away from the village.

Posted By Chris on February 4, 2010, 11:40 AM

In 2003 we had the rare opportunity to visit Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii shortly after the major April eruption. Seeing lava flow down the volcano and into the sea is something that words can never describe and pictures cannot do justice. The fiery magestic sight is something that our family will always remember.

Posted By Carolinagirl on February 4, 2010, 12:34 PM

I too have visited virtually every National Park and most National Monuments and was disappointed that no one mentioned Isle Royale National Park. It is the perfect combination of complete escapism and ample surroundings. The fast boat still takes at least three hours to get there, and there is no radio, television, cell phone coverage or even landline phone on the island. The scenery is beautiful--I'd highly recomment hiking down to the float plane dock near sunset. Although many people were roughing it, that isn't necessary if you don't want to--our family stayed in one of the cottages with a microwave and fridge, as well as huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Almost anything you need is available at the small Park Service-run store. You tend to run into the same people at meals, on hikes or at NPS programs, which is also nice. It is a very special place.

Posted By David on February 4, 2010, 12:55 PM

Wow this is difficult to pick just one. There are so many that I love...Crater Lake, Bryce, Yellowstone, Sequoia...But I think my favorite is still Ansel Adam's favorite subject of photography... America's first national park. Yosemite.

Posted By Karen Olivia on February 4, 2010, 1:41 PM

I agree with so many of the previous votes, but Canyonlands in Utah is spectacular and should get at least one vote - so it has mine.

Posted By Barbara Krueger on February 4, 2010, 2:51 PM

I agree with all of the other posters that have stated how difficult it is to choose. All of our National Parks (as well as Monuments, Historical Sites, etc.) all have their own particular beauty.

My favorite is Yellowstone because of the diversity available within the park and especially if you combine it with nearby Grand Teton National Park. It has the thermal features, wildlife and beautiful vistas throughout. I cannot wait to go back - but there are other National Parks that I still have to get to as well.

Posted By Linda Beaudoin on February 4, 2010, 3:31 PM

This question is nearly impossible to answer, but I guess I'd have to go with Olympic and Arches as my top 2. They've got amazing scenery and great facilities. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone are all good parks too, but overrated and overcrowded in my opinion.

Posted By Virginia on February 4, 2010, 5:23 PM

Bryce: the Hoodoos are magical in the changing light. the trails while somewhat challenging are doable by most. Enough wildlife and critters to keep it interesting. And I simply love the rustic ambiance of the lodge.

Posted By dmg on February 5, 2010, 10:34 AM

Amazed that nobody has mentioned Death Valley NP in California. It's a wonderful park, with so much variety: mountains, salt flats, extinct volcanoes, sand dunes, canyons -- plus, in the middle of a desert, hot springs that heat a swimming pool.

Posted By Jane on February 5, 2010, 4:49 PM

You haven't fully experienced Alaska unless you've been to Denali National Park. Its boundaries encompass an amazing six million acres -- the size of the state of Massachusetts. Home to Mt. McKinley, North America's highest peak soaring an unbelievable 20,320 feet into the sky, the Park hosts an array of wildlife -- from moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears to gray wolves and red foxes. Located only one mile from the Park's entrance, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is the premium riverside accommodation in the area. An expansive deck overlooks Denali National Park and the Nenana River -- the ideal spot to relax, visit with friends and savor the exquisite landscape. Located in Denali National Park

Posted By Denali national park on February 8, 2010, 12:23 AM

Gates of the Arctic National Park. Probably the least visited (no roads)but one of the most beatiful. The Brooks Range is simply incredible.

Posted By alsek on February 8, 2010, 11:14 AM

Our family absolutely LOVES the Badlands of South Dakota! It is beautiful and rich in Native American history as well as unique wildlife and fossil finds. Bonus: not as crowded as better known parks and for those unable to hike through the park you can drive the Highway 240 Loop Road which takes about 60 minutes and has spectacular views of the wondrously colored buttes, pinnacles, and spires.

Posted By kip on February 8, 2010, 12:52 PM

It's hard not to select Grand Canyon. But my favorite has to be Glacier, the land of "Purple Mountain Majesties". This is one of the few places you can see magnificant mountain goats in the wild.

Posted By kenl on February 8, 2010, 2:49 PM

I have to agree with everyone who said Zion. It was my family's first stop on a whirlwind trip through the four corners states, and nothing - not even the Grand Canyon - could top it. Bryce and Arches came close, but to me the views and hikes through Zion were more beautiful.

Someone upthread mentioned the Arizona Memorial, and I agree with her too. It's a powerful and moving memorial because it's so small and intimate - and because you can actually see the Arizona below you. It conveys the gravity of the Pearl Harbor attack in a way that Gettysburg and other battlefields somehow don't.

Posted By Elizabeth on February 8, 2010, 3:46 PM

My vote is for Yellowstone. It has a great lodge as well as other splendid accomodation, some of the best encounters with wildlife I've ever had (Can you say Bison traffic-jam?) and the geological features are downright alien. Not only is it fun to look at and experience, it's a fantastic geological learning experience for kids.

Posted By Max Palmer on February 8, 2010, 5:27 PM

There are so many wonderful gems in our National Park System that it is hard for me to pick just one!!! I suggest that you visit as many as you can and decide for yourself! If you have never been to a NP let me suggest Yosemite as your first park...any time of the year is wonderful! Spring has the full waterfalls. Summer has the warmer weather. Fall is gorgeous with the colors. Winter is breathtaking and quiet. ( Not that I am choosing a favorite, mind you.)

Posted By Katie on February 8, 2010, 6:07 PM

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK...There is nothing like it anywhere. All those other parks have much in common, and they're all good, but for a TRULY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, hands down is Everglades NP. Alligators, crocodiles and hundreds of species of birds. Most visitors drive around and hit the easy points, which are awesome in their own right, but hike a few hundred yards down a path or better yet bike a few miles and the solitude of an ecosystem is all yours. It's like being there before man set foot on the planet! Early morning or afternoon sets in play a light show like no other. Search a bit on the internet, check out the pics, you'll see.

Posted By Max on February 9, 2010, 9:26 AM

I love the Great Sand Dunes in south central Colorado. But I also love Chaco Canyon, Arches, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone. Impossible to choose!

Posted By Marilyn on February 9, 2010, 10:28 AM

Yellowstone is the oldest and still my favorite. There may be more beautiful parks, and parks that are more important ecologically, but Yellowstone started the concept of land reserved for public use and is our greatest gift to America and to the world. There is such majesty there from the herds of American Bison (buffalo) to the geysers and paint pots. We were there in the summer with thousands of over tourists and it still did not seem like it was full. I am not a morning person, but my father convinced us we should all get up early in go to breakfast at Yellowstone Lake Hotel. The sun was just coming up, the mist was rising from the water, there were eagles soaring, and pelicans swooping among smaller birds. It was a sight I will never forget!

Posted By char on February 9, 2010, 3:34 PM

Yellowstone. Such a wide variety in one park, and the size and remoteness really feel majestic. It can get crowded around Old Faithful, but we spent days in other parts of the park, plus we drove hours to the park, and those experiences were very scenic and mostly solitary.

Posted By Liz on February 12, 2010, 12:32 PM

One of my favorites is Black Canyon of The Gunnison in Colorado. It is a smaller and greener Grand Canyon without the crowds. You have the park to yourself. (No one knows about it, Oops, my secret is out!) Colorado weather is always fabulous, great wildlife,fishing,hiking,camping and photography.
My other favorite is Mesa Verde, outstanding!!On the tours be prepared to climb, just like the ancients! up and down ladders between cliffs as you watch eagles soar!! Fantastic!

Posted By Sharon Reiser on February 14, 2010, 1:10 PM

#1 hands down is Glacier National Park. I've been to about 10 national parks on vacation with my family. Glacier is the only one I've been to multiple times since my family has a place in northwest Montana now. There's incredible white-water rafting, fishing, hiking, camping, the Going-to-the-Sun Road, amazing photography opportunities. I also enjoyed Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain Nat'l Parks.

Posted By Megan on February 14, 2010, 3:50 PM

Arcadia National Park has the ocean,the woods and Cadillac Mountain.Every corner of the park is a postcard picture.Carriage rides,hiking,birding,cycling,whale watching,and solitude.Life doesn't get any better than this.

Posted By allen a on February 16, 2010, 5:39 AM

I know each National Park is unique but I would like to vote for Denali National Park in Alaska. We went there for our 30th wedding anniversary. What an unforgettable trip we had. But Denali is the most awesome place for Wildlife & the great one - Mt McKinley. The scenery is just breathtaking. On one of the many trails we were maybe 15 feet from a moose in a lake, she was protecting her calf on the other side of the lake. The park's bus system is great, we seen so many different animals. Our bus driver was the greatest, she spotted so many animals. If at all possible, please add this park to your trip list. You will not regret the trip.

Posted By Debbie on February 16, 2010, 8:26 PM

Grand Canyon, Bryce, Yellowstone, Arches, Yosemite, Sequoia, I love all, but that is the sequence of preference. They are all so different and unique beauty, they make you forget everything else going on in your life and you will appreciate what you have and USA more.

Posted By Leticia Gil on February 18, 2010, 2:11 PM

quite hard to choose from so many superb places.
#1 Death Valley -started going there when i was 3 as it was my parent's favorite place and went every year x 15 yrs. been in every little canyone/ghost town around.
#2 Teddy Roosevelt NP in ND - yes it's AWESOME - better than the SD badlands, but both are superb.
#3 Yellowstone - in winter on xc skiis
#4 Arches - campground is awesome
#5 Gettysburg hist park: even in 90 degree/100 % humidity it was overwhelming - then add in fireflies and it was surreal!
#6 Glacier - going to the sun hiway of course.

Posted By sue on February 26, 2010, 3:48 PM

1) Grand Staircase Escalante. Technically a national monument, but who cares. Simply extraordinary --a lifetime of exploration to be had.
2)Zion: Lots of Hidden Gems, especially if you are willing to try your hand at canyoneering. The Subway is something out of this world, and Mystery canyon is the best adventure I have ever had.
3) Lest Utah get all the spotlight, I'll throw in a vote for Yosemite. Yes, it is crowded, but even the more remote parts are more scenic than the best of other parks. Best hike: Glacier point down to Yosemite valley stopping at Half Dome.

Posted By Alan on March 4, 2010, 7:24 AM

I have to agree with everyone who said Zion. It was my family's first stop on a whirlwind trip through the four corners states, and nothing - not even the Grand Canyon - could top it. Bryce and Arches came close, but to me the views and hikes through Zion were more beautiful.

Posted By Crusie on March 30, 2010, 1:30 AM

If I could spend a week visiting anywhere in America, I'd go to southern Utah. I love the solitude and remoteness here, as well as the vast stretches of public land, and knowing that I can go just about anywhere without seeing a "No Trespassing" sign... or another person. More and more people are discovering the desert Southwest, though. I don't even try to visit the Grand Canyon during the summer months, and even places like Zion and Arches National Parks are getting pretty darn crowded.

Posted By Facts About Africa on May 10, 2010, 3:41 AM

I've been to almost all of them. Yellowstone has the most variety (geologic wonders, scenery, wildlife), even over the Alaska parks. A Grand Canyon raft trip has no equal. Chaco Cultural in NM is cool because access is by dirt road and the site seems otherworldly. Antietam is the best military park. Carlsbad Caverns is awesome. Glacier is the prettiest. A favorite? Can't say.

Posted By Tom Aplin on June 5, 2010, 10:51 PM

This (I warn you) is a love letter to my favorite national park....it wasn't the first that I visited (I had previously visited Acadia, Arches, Badlands, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain)....

First, let me explain what I enjoy the most in a Park (these are my biases)....mountain scenery and great hiking....greens and blues and snow capped peaks...

The 7th National Park that I visited was my last (at least for a while) because it was love at first sight...I spent 10 nights there in 2008 (my first time), then 17 nights in 2009, followed by 22 nights in 2010...(planning on 25 nights in 2011)...yes, it has become an addiction...

This love letter is to Glacier National Park...

Where do I begin??

Scenery - The GTTS Road is breathtaking with spectacular views of majestic mountains, towering several thousand feet above the valley floor, a new vista at every turn....

Hiking - I have done over 20 different very good to incredible day hikes in the Park (it also has some of the best backpacking in the country)....the hikes have ranged from a few miles to over 20 miles...the heart of the Park is on the trails...the gorgeous mountain lakes, spectacular mountain passes, beautiful forests, raging creeks and cascading waterfalls...there are great hikes of all lengths and difficulty on over 700 miles of trail...

Wildlife - Every year I have seen Black and Grizzly Bears, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, and my favorite the Mountain Goats....

Lodging - Great historic lodges, inns, cabins and several wonderful campgrounds (I mainly camp)....

Isolation - Ok, it isn't Alaska, but compared to the more popular Parks, Glacier has fewer crowds (especially when I go in September)...you get to the trailhead before 8AM and see as much wildlife as people.....

I'd have gone to Glacier sooner, but it doesn't get the press of Yellowstone or Yosemite....make sure that you don't make the same mistake and put off a trip to Glacier for too long....

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