Sometimes we win... Newest National Park

[Yosemite_Sam1]

National Monument into National Park - White Sand Dunes

[agesilaus]

Well for us it's easier to list the parks we haven't been too and are obtainable for us:
Congaree
Cuyhoga Valley
Denali
Glacier Bay
Hot Springs (been to the town but not the park)
Indianna Dunes
Isle Royale
Katmai
Kenai Fjords
North Cascades (this summer)
Shenandoah (we have driven the Skyline as part of the Blue Ridge)
Voyageurs (like Isle Royale not sure if we are able to paddle this)

So we need 12 for our list to be filled 8 in the lower 48. Some of the Alaskan parks I'm not sure about and need to research more, at least 2 are doubtful. Maybe Alaska in 2021.

We've been to 44 National Monuments and would like to visit another 30 or so. Some of the historical stuff has zero interest to us but we would probably stop is we were close and had time. Others are located in parts of the country we probably are not going to spend a lot of time in Cali and the NE because of the unfriendly political environment and elevated prices.

Nevada is on our to-do list and next cool season maybe the time since we will be full timing. We would pick up a number of NM there.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

monkey44 wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
Well, we've done a bit of camping in NP ... Bkpack>>Tent>>Pk-up>>Van>>TrkCmpr

Acadia, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon N & S Rim, Grand Tetons, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smokey Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwoods, Rocky Mountains, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, T. Roosevelt, White Sands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.

Not to mention national monuments and state parks. Alaska remains on the 'to see' list. 🙂

There is a good discussions here previously about visiting Alaska NPs.

We've planned a trip last year from Seattle. Every inquiry I did said it's not advisable with my trailer and best way to do it is by ferry and just rent an RV or 4WD truck to the NP and/or book a cottage.

So, maybe next time. Meanwhile, we still got a lot to visit int he lower 48.

We'd probably drive up thru Western Canada, as we have Canadian friends along the way. We considered the Ferry, and might still do that. Still in planning stage - would hook up with another couple or two if the timing is right.

Your trip may come ahead of us.

Please share so we can copy your strategies, lol.

Seems also there is a narrow weather window as snow may still be too thick or permafrost melting and roads becomes mushy,.

[monkey44]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
Well, we've done a bit of camping in NP ... Bkpack>>Tent>>Pk-up>>Van>>TrkCmpr

Acadia, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon N & S Rim, Grand Tetons, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smokey Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwoods, Rocky Mountains, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, T. Roosevelt, White Sands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.

Not to mention national monuments and state parks. Alaska remains on the 'to see' list. 🙂

There is a good discussions here previously about visiting Alaska NPs.

We've planned a trip last year from Seattle. Every inquiry I did said it's not advisable with my trailer and best way to do it is by ferry and just rent an RV or 4WD truck to the NP and/or book a cottage.

So, maybe next time. Meanwhile, we still got a lot to visit int he lower 48.

We'd probably drive up thru Western Canada, as we have Canadian friends along the way. We considered the Ferry, and might still do that. Still in planning stage - would hook up with another couple or two if the timing is right.

[chindog]

We look forward to visiting! I just hope we don't get a flat tire on the RV from running over flying saucer debris. Or is that a different place?

[profdant139]

Someone asked if there were National Monuments with camping. Maybe not at all of them, but many do! For example, Giant Sequoia NM has lots of camping, and some decent trees. And if you snowshoe (which is not hard at all), you can have a grove of the Big Ones all to yourself:


Click For Full-Size Image.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

agesilaus wrote:
Yeah, National Monuments usually have small areas. This one is huge.
-----------------------------------
I don't think that's true out west anyway. Grand Staircase is huge, Bears Ears is big, and so are Basin and Range, canyon of the Ancients and Dinosaur.

But others are tiny like Clinton Castle.

I'm not sure there is anything that distinguishes one from the other, just what they get called and maybe the fact that like Monument size can be reduced or even eliminated like Papago-Saguaro National Monument. And others have vanished into history.

True, all it needs is an EO to zap a National Monument off it's designation.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

monkey44 wrote:
Well, we've done a bit of camping in NP ... Bkpack>>Tent>>Pk-up>>Van>>TrkCmpr

Acadia, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon N & S Rim, Grand Tetons, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smokey Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwoods, Rocky Mountains, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, T. Roosevelt, White Sands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.

Not to mention national monuments and state parks. Alaska remains on the 'to see' list. 🙂

There is a good discussions here previously about visiting Alaska NPs.

We've planned a trip last year from Seattle. Every inquiry I did said it's not advisable with my trailer and best way to do it is by ferry and just rent an RV or 4WD truck to the NP and/or book a cottage.

So, maybe next time. Meanwhile, we still got a lot to visit int he lower 48.

[agesilaus]

Yeah, National Monuments usually have small areas. This one is huge.
-----------------------------------
I don't think that's true out west anyway. Grand Staircase is huge, Bears Ears is big, and so are Basin and Range, canyon of the Ancients and Dinosaur.

But others are tiny like Clinton Castle.

I'm not sure there is anything that distinguishes one from the other, just what they get called and maybe the fact that like Monument size can be reduced or even eliminated like Papago-Saguaro National Monument. And others have vanished into history.

[monkey44]

Well, we've done a bit of camping in NP ... Bkpack>>Tent>>Pk-up>>Van>>TrkCmpr

Acadia, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon N & S Rim, Grand Tetons, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smokey Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwoods, Rocky Mountains, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, T. Roosevelt, White Sands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.

Not to mention national monuments and state parks. Alaska remains on the 'to see' list. 🙂

[Yosemite_Sam1]

pnichols wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
National Park is a permanent designation for public use and enjoyment.

National Monument can be reverted back -- and worst case, private use and profit.

Hmmm ... I always considered National Monuments as places for mostly "day trips" where one can visit ... but not camp/stay overnight

and,

National Parks as places that also include campsites/camgrounds so visitors could camp for one or more days.

Am I wrong? i.e. Do some National Monuments include camping areas?

Just looked into White Sands and it seems it already have campsites before the conversion.

Yeah, National Monuments usually have small areas. This one is huge.

[pnichols]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
National Park is a permanent designation for public use and enjoyment.

National Monument can be reverted back -- and worst case, private use and profit.

Hmmm ... I always considered National Monuments as places for mostly "day trips" where one can visit ... but not camp/stay overnight

and,

National Parks as places that also include campsites/camgrounds so visitors could camp for one or more days.

Am I wrong? i.e. Do some National Monuments include camping areas?

[Yosemite_Sam1]

rv2go wrote:
Great. That means that we have visited 43 National Parks. I love White Sands in late fall when the few trees there have there fall color.

Impressive! And only 19 left to go to visit and enjoy.

[agesilaus]

rv2go wrote:
Great. That means that we have visited 43 National Parks. I love White Sands in late fall when the few trees there have there fall color.

I'm impressed. You've been to American Somoa NP, Channel Islands NP, Gates of the Arctic NP, Kobuk Valley NP, Lake Clark NP and Wrangell NP.

Quite a world traveller and serious hiker-Backpacker!

[Yosemite_Sam1]

rv2go wrote:
Great. That means that we have visited 43 National Parks. I love White Sands in late fall when the few trees there have there fall color.

Yup one added item in the bucket list.

[rv2go]

Great. That means that we have visited 43 National Parks. I love White Sands in late fall when the few trees there have there fall color.