Looking for Next Destination
 

I'm looking for the next destination. I've been to Yosemite, Banff, Jasper, all 5 NP in Utah, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons.

Main interests are photography, wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery. Hiking is fine (starting to do shorter and easier hikes) but mostly a means to see scenery and/or wildlife..

I may take my granddaughter who's also a photog. She has her own DSLR camera. On our recent trip to YNP & GTNP her favorite things were photographing wildlife and the challenge of Mt Washburn. So I have to keep those things in mind.

Of course, we could always go back to Glacier for spectacular scenery and the challenge (for her) of Iceberg Lake and wildlife in Many Glacier and Logan Pass. I'm not opposed to going again.

But, something new might be an idea.

Rocky Mountain NP. My concern is that the hikes are long and the altitude quite high. She did fine at Mt Washburn in YNP but I'm also thinking about my self. I've also read that there isn't that much visible wildlife. That could be very wrong.

Great Smoky Mtn NP. I've read that it's always cloudy there and it's actually considered to be in a rain forest. The park is 95% woods. That probably confirms the weather. Also I've read that while there's wildlife, it's mostly in the woods and very often not visible. That could be very wrong.

Comments about these places and possibly others would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

It is not "always cloudy" at GSMNP but you are correct, there are a lot of wooded areas and no, IME there isn't going to be a lot of "wildlife" running around visible and it certainly will not be the same kind of wildlife you may have seen out West.

I'm not sure why you insist that things are "wrong" as opposed to not to YOUR liking.

Perhaps you need to think other countries at this point.

We just retuned from the mountains of northern Colorado. They are unbelievably beautiful. I was glad to get back to sea level in Seattle, but the elevations were well worth the views.

When we visited Rocky Mountain NP a few years ago, the mountains were on full display. On this trip they were obscured by clouds and rain one day and fog the next.

Fortunately, Colorado has much more to offer. On this trip, we especially enjoyed Loveland Pass, the drive up Mt. Evans, Independence Pass, Glenwood Canyon, Lookout Mountain near Golden, and the Colorado National Monument. Many of the small towns have done a good job preserving their historic buildings.

You can't go wrong by purchasing a Colorado guidebook to help you plan a trip there.

HTtY

Have you been to SW Colorado? Mesa Verde NP is so special and the entire area is amazing. Chaco Canyon, Durango, Taos, Santa Fe....

RMNP definitely has some short/easy hikes with great scenery, especially on the east side. There are a few short/moderate hikes on the tundra as well, and some moderate length but not super difficult hikes that result in some great scenery.

There aren't really any hikes that I can think of where the payoff is wildlife though - for the most part you will be hiking to a lake or waterfall or just a mountain view. The wildlife are generally seen in the meadows or along the roads. Elk are everywhere, you will almost certainly see mule deer, and moose, coyote and bighorn sheep are seen less often but with some regularity.

It's definitely higher elevation than the other parks you mention. You'd want to give yourself some time to acclimate and start with the easier/warmup type of hikes to see how you react. There's also a decent shuttle route along Bear Lake Road - if you two wanted to split up so she could do a difficult hike while you did an easier one, you'd have the ability to do so fairly easily in that area.

I know from various topics that you don't do difficult - the altitude isn't going to get any easier as time goes on so I'd say visit RMNP now and try to do as much of the moderate hiking as you can. The short/easy stuff will always be short and easy.

How absolutely wonderful. I perceive you may have "rubbed off" you photography to your DGD.
I think the Smokeys could be wonderful. It isn't "always" foggy/cloudy as someone else said.
There is also "heritage" nearby--literally close off the Parkway.
I will be interested to see what you also offer to your GD0-it could also be "way of life" in the mountains, crafts,
It isn't always wildlife.

Dukey1,
You obviously misunderstood what I wrote.

I never wrote that anything in any of the parks is "wrong". What I was asking if maybe what I had read is wrong.

Gretchen,
I think my daughter got the photography thing from me and passed it on to her daughter (my granddaughter).

= = = = = =
The reason I'm placing a high priority on wildlife is that I took my daughter and granddaughter to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in late July.

What she liked best was photographing wildlife and the challenge of hiking to the top of Mt Washburn. She also liked climbing above Grand Prismatic Spring to get an elevated view and part of the day at Artist Point where they both spent a couple of hours painting in front of an audience.

What she liked least were the geysers and hikes that were not a challenge.

Gorgeous photography from the Smokies - at least the lower corner of it (not the park)
http://www.mcintoshmountains.com/fgallery/2

What about Acadia NP? That would be a great choice.
http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

GC is a good option but I'd say that Vegas is also a place worth looking at.

there are vistas in the GSMNP. There is wildlife. It is called "smokey" for a reason--wispy. Sunrises can be spectacular. Hikes can be challenging but not overwhelming. There is also the Nantahala Gorge nearby for water excitement.

For something different, I think that Debit's suggestion of Mesa Verde NP would be fun/interesting for her. You can climb into the ancient ruins, hike on petroglyph trail etc. We did see some deer but not many other animals there.

If you went south and visited Bandelier NP you would get to see a different kind of ancient dwelling. We like hiking in a section of Bandelier called Tsankawi which is about 5 miles closer to Santa Fe. A short drive west is Valles Caldera where we saw elk in rut one September, which was awesome,but not last year.

Of course for very different views, go to Arches and Canyonlands. If you click my name, you will find a TR last year that did a loop from Albuquerque to Mesa Verde to Arches and Canyonlands to Bandelier/Santa Fe and back to Albuquerque to show friends the area. This did involve some driving and wasn't to do lots of hiking but you could extend the times in the areas you wanted to hike more.

Thanks.

I'll look into some of these ideas.

Just my two cents: The Smokies offer some challenging hikes. There are plenty that offer substantial elevation gain.

Look at http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/difficulty.htm and scroll down to the end for the hardest of hikes. But there are plenty of moderate hikes, too, that are sufficiently challenging. The biggest challeng in the Smokies is finding a road less traveled. I don't enjoy hiking with the masses, so we prefer some areas of the park over others and look for trails that offer "solitude."

I've seen plenty of deer and bear there, especially in the Cades Cove area. Plenty of birds, too. For me, the joy of the Smokies though is in the details (although there are lovely views as well). Spring is especially nice because of the abundant wildflowers. They make for a great subject, but you gotta think small rather than big.

From a wildlife standpoint, we saw little in Acadia, Canyonlands, Arches or Zion, although I love each of those parks from a hiking and photography standpoint. I just wouldn't bet on seeing a lot of wild animals. It's hard to beat Yellowstone, Glacier and the Tetons for wildlife. It sounds like your DGD is school age. If not, I might suggest a fall or winter visit to Yellowstone when wildlife viewing is really at it's prime.

Well, if you are looking for alternate suggestions I would look at Mt. Rainier and Olympic, Big Bend and anything in Alaska.

Alaska would be at the top of the list for scenery and wildlife.

I also have been something of a photographer in my day, and my son and daughter in particular love it now--and perhaps a grandson.
animals are thrilling. The idea of Mesa Verda is excellent--practice some composition in the various venues.
There is a lot to photography.
and I can get real "caught up" on the geysers also--not all that wonderful/static.

There's elk in Maggie Valley/ Cataloochee area -
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/elk.htm

Have you been to the high country in Yosemite? I know you weren't crazy about The Valley, but Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding High Sierras are a completely different kettle of fish. Much of the Eastern Sierra is amazingly beautiful and majestic. It is my favorite place to hike. Bodie, the ghost town is a photographer's dream.

I just wanted to chime in and say that every time I've been to the Cades Cove area of GSMNP, I've encountered wildlife. We've seen more deer than you can count, turkeys and other birds, and once, a mama bear and her cubs.

Having been to many of the same places as you, I think the 2 best places are YS and Glacier, and we would probably go back to Glacier first for the abundance of wildlife. Being said, the window to travel there is smaller and I understand since we went 5 years ago it has grown tremendously in popularity. Please share what you decide to do as wildlife photography is what we thrive on most ourselves. Perhaps I should join! :) Fantastic photos!

The Pacific Northwest is one of our favorites. You could do Olympic, Mount Rainier, San Juan Islands, and Seattle.

Olympic has 5 or 6 major areas. First is the coast. I would imagine she would find tidepooling there interesting. Second is the Mountains(Hurricane Ridge specifically) Next is The Rain Forest. I would spend a little time at Lake Quinault and Crescent Lake. Sol Duc Falls and Sol Duc Hot Springs are both interesting. You would need a min. of 3 days here.


Let me mention a couple of other places. The Columbia River Gorge near Portland Oregon is really awesome for really cool waterfalls. I mean tons of waterfalls. You could do a bit of the coast, plenty of things in Portland to do, Crater Lake, Mt.Hood, and Mt. St Helens.

San Juan Islands-The main attraction here is Whale Watching, IMOP. You could do this in a day or maybe spend the night. Your granddaughter would probably find the Ferry interesting too. Lavender fields are neat there.

Mount Rainier. To me Rainier blows Colorado(we've been to Colorado many times) off the map. You often Mention High elevation as being a challenge. At Rainier you would be below 8,000 feet. At RMNP, expect to really really really feel the altitude. I think you need 2-4 days at Rainier. We've been to Rainier twice and I hope to go again. It's that good to me(some people may not see it like I do, but its a good one).

Seattle. You need 2-4 days here. I would suggest the Space Needle and Pike Market for sure.

Ive been to the Smokeys 4 times and actually may go again this year. I don't really get the draw though. Nothing there truly in the spectacular category in my opinion. I think the reason a lot of people like it is because there is the National Park and then there is Pigeon Forge. I like both parts, but nothing is a TEN in either.


If you happen to go to Mesa Verde and want to splurge consider www.soaringcolorado.com. I swear you would love it. Older people and any age would love it. I've done several zipline, this one blows everything else away.

All of the places I mention do not come close to wildlife in YS, Tetons, or Glacier. We did see a bear at Rainier. Now there is a lot of sealife on the coast tho.

We began doing parks about 10 years ago when our daughter was age 10. I've been to about 40 of them and my wife and daughter have been to about 35. There were 3 or 4 trips that we didn't all go together.
My wife and our daughter would both rank Yellowstone as their favorite. We all like the Utah Parks. My daughter say Arches is her all time #2 favorite. I rank Yosemite very high, but I don't think the two of them do. My wife like Glacier and she really liked Rainier.

Each park is special in its own unique way. We've even spent 3 or 4 days in places like Big Bend and Guadalupe. So, I'm not sure you can go wrong. I must say, I'm a bit surprised that your granddaughter wasn't wowed by the geysers though. I find them very impressive.

One of my favorite memories of the Smokies is of mama black bear and her two cubs sitting by the side of the road and watching the people oogling them (from our cars, of course).

The Smokies are very cloudy during and right after rain. But at other times, no more cloudy than anywhere else. I think you could probably get some good photos but, as spiro says, nothing as dramatic as some of the parks in the west. Things in the east are just more intimate.

Big Bend would also be a good choice for photography, particularly eagles.

I guess this trip is about 1st of August next year?

Ok. Let me explain a bit.

For me I'd like to start taking it a bit easy on the elevation and steepness of hikes. I don't mind being in elevation but I want to start taking it easy with the uphill stuff.

If I were to be going alone, wildlife is always good but not the end all and be all. Scenery is important as well.

My granddaughter turns 8 in October. I took her and my daughter to Yosemite three years ago but she really didn't do much under her own power. She remembers the ranger kid hikes and walking under Yosemite Falls with me.

When I planned the recent Yellowstone, Grand Teton trip I didn't know what she'd like. So I planned some of everything. Unfortunately she and her mother stay up late playing games on there tablets/Ipads, etc and then sleep in a bit. I got up early and saw most of the wildlife although they saw a fair amount.

I also told them about a hike I did when I was in Yellowstone a few years earlier. Mt Washburn. I told them I didn't expect to do it again. A few months later she told me she wanted to try that hike I had told them about.

At the end I reviewed everything to see what she liked and what she didn't.

For some reason she had little interest in the geysers. Maybe because we walked all over the Upper Basin for the whole afternoon.

She was more interested in the climb to the elevated view of Grand Prismatic Spring than the actual view itself. I think it was the challenge.

She appeared to get tired and partially lose interest during ordinary hikes.

Mt Washburn was probably less of a "hike" and more of a challenge. She never complained and stuck with it thru hail and rain.

When we saw wildlife she got really exited. The camera came out, the telephoto lens went on and she was in heaven. I kind of had to restrain her a bit. I think she was under the impression that she had to introduce herself and shake hands before photographing them. Either that or she though it was their eyeballs she was photographing. Maybe it was the thrill of climbing a hill to get closer.

If it's me alone I could be very happy with an Arches, etc. But if she's involved I want to make sure there's a very good chance of wildlife.

I've been to Glacier twice. She'd probably do very well there. I could turn the Iceberg Lake and Hidden Lake Overlook hikes into challenges.

Mountain goats around Logan Pass, bears near Many Glacier Road and deer and moose at Fishercap Lake would probably make her happy.

However, I'd like to try something different while I can if possible.

It's almost tempting to take a quick trip (3 days) in October to GSM and spend time in Cades Cove and Greenbrier. Then I'd have an idea if I should plan something a bit longer.

I've read all of the posts above and will reread them in the next few days. I'm not just interested in trips with my granddaughter. I'm looking at various possibilities.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming.

Just be mindful that GSNP is packed in October. Except when Cades Cove is closed to traffic, expect crowded conditions.

I wish I could go back and correct the typos in my last post.

indyhiker,
You're correct. Many people there. I was told that on normal days they don't open Cades Cove until 8 or 9. Not sure. Why do they close it?

Why is October so crowded? Getting close to winter and bad weather?

"Why is October so crowded? Getting close to winter and bad weather?"

Because it's the most beautiful/ most popular time of year = fall foliage.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/hours.htm

"Primary roads such as US-441 (Newfound Gap Road), Little River Road, and the Cades Cove Loop Road are open year round, weather permitting. Click for information about temporary weather and construction related road closures of these roads.

Secondary roads are subject to seasonal closures. Seasonal opening and closing dates for secondary roads are listed below:


• Balsam Mountain Road
Open May 23 - November 2, 2014.

• Cades Cove Loop Road
This road is closed to motor vehicles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10:00 a.m. from May 7 through September 24, 2014 to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to enjoy the cove. Otherwise the road is open daily from sunrise until sunset, weather permitting..."

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/seasonalroads.htm

Myer, I think you would have a fine time at Smokies. However, it is nowhere close to Yellowstone, Glacier, or Yosemite in my opinion.

Several good easy short hikes. Abram Falls, Grotto Fall(you can go behind this one), Laurell Falls. All of these would be in the asy category compared to other hikes you have done. Cades Cove you are likely to see turkey and deer. Could see a bear(we have not on our trips there). We did see a bobcat, but we actually have those where we live.

We actually saw more wildlife on a trip to Shenandoah than the Smokies. Both are somewhat similar. Your granddaughter would likely enjoy a day at Pigeon Forge area(something totally different than a park).

It's been ages since I visited the Smokies but I would love to go back. Beautiful scenery, lots of waterfalls, etc. Not sure whether your grand-daughter would enjoy this place as much as some other options though.

I have visited Rocky Mountain National Park more recently, and I usually see moose and elk. We tend to see the bighorn sheep and mountain goats outside the park, at the top of Mount Evans or another spot someone in Breckenridge suggested. Twice, we have combined a trip to Breckenridge (and RMNP) with a side trip to the Maroon Bells wilderness outside Aspen. (One of those times, we spent the night nearby and arrived before sunrise to photograph the alpine glow of the mountains reflected in the lake.) We missed seeing the beaver and moose at Maroon Bells but met people who saw them the night before. We tend to do a fair amount of driving when we visit Colorado though....

For what it is worth, here are the places I have been in the USA and would love to revisit with my camera in hand.

USA
Acadia NP - scenery and wildlife
(Note: We took a trip to see puffins on our way to Acadia.)
Denali NP in Alaska - scenery and wildlife
Glacier NP - wildlife & scenery
Hawaii - scenery, sea turtles, etc.
Maroon Bells wilderness - scenery
Mt Evans (twisting drive up a mountain) - 360 views, wildlife
Mt Rainier NP - scenery
Rocky Mountain NP - wildlife & scenery
Sedona, AZ - scenery
Shenandoah NP - scenery and wildlife
Smoky Mountains - scenery, mountain streams and waterfalls

Visiting Yosemite is high on my wish list!

I generally avoid cruises, but loved our cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and the land touring we did when we arrived. Instead of taking the tours offered by the ship, we arranged our own side trips at each port and it worked out very well. My favorite excursion (while on the cruise) was the Misty Fjords flightseeing tour that we took in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Hope you have fun planning and then spending time with family in beautiful places!

What about the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota? We saw plenty of wildlife in both Badlands NP and Custer State Park. You could do the hike to Harney Peak as well as several other shorter hikes that are a lot of fun. Then for some other different things - you could include one or both of Wind Cave NP or Jewel Cave NM as well as Mt. Rushmore where you might also see mountain goats. We went this June for a little more than a week and really enjoyed it - although I think Yellowstone is also still my favorite. ;)

I couldn't tell after rereading the posts above if your trip was being planned for October or if it is just your granddaughters bday but that could be a potential issue with weather in the Black Hills / Badlands as I know they had a blizzard there last year in October.

There are so many great places to choose from - I am sure you will enjoy whatever you pick!

lindsyb,
Her birthday is in Oct and has nothing to do with when we'd go.

If we went it would be sometime in the summer when school's out. Also, we would consider the length of season in the selected area.

Thanks.

We too have been to a majority of our nations national parks. We have found most to be a worthwhile and scenic experience. However, Alaska, the whole state, just blows the completion away. The wildlife, mountains, fishing, glaciers and just plain drop dead scenery should propel it to the top of your list. Go to Alaska, you will not regret it.

Alaska is the bomb, but very costly and travel time to get there and when you get there is an effort and costly. Really, you would need to do at least one small plane or helicopter, IMOP. Train there is worthy. You could do Kenai Fjords fairly easy from Anchorage. We did a fly out fishing from Soldotna while visiting Kenai. Totally amazing.

Added cost and time needed for Alaska is worth every cent.

Might look at Maine

For some reason I thought your granddaughter was in her 20s...so when I suggested Alaska I had that age in mind.

I would not plan a trip to Alaska around an 8 year old. Wait on that big trip for a few years when she can appreciate it more, and when her interests have solidified and become more clear to you. It's too big of a trip to take a girl that young who likes to stay up late playing games on her iPad.

For now with her I would plan smaller trips and if she is still into wildlife and photography 5 years from now, then start talking about Alaska. Certainly you could go alone next summer and go back in a few years with her, there is so much to see that you will never cover it all on one trip.

WhereAreWe,
She's definitely too young for an Alaska trip though she has been to Europe several times. Most recently Italy and she can describe everything she saw.

I have three granddaughters; Two will be 8 this month and the other is 4.

The reason she's been on these trips is that she and her mother (my daughter) are both photographers.

I wish I could get her interested in landscape scenery. She's very much taken with wildlife.

Myer, I bet she would be interested in going into some of the ancient dwellings and learning about how kids her age lived in the old days. Bandelier or Mesa Verde would provide that and perhaps a few mule deer too.

The answer to getting her into another field is to introduce it. Everyone loves to see animals. Mesa Verde would be gorgeous. Introduce "light" and composition to telling the story of the Anasazi.

I suggested Maine--possibility of wildlife, but the beautiful streams, and then the rocky coast. Lobster boats. The "camps" of the wealthy and the not so wealthy for architecture.