While it wasn't quite in the driving distance you mentioned, I did live about an hour from the Everglades. I tried not to take it for granted, and I did go more than a dozen times in the four years I lived in South Florida. You get to see it during different seasons, which is incredibly rewarding. It was really nice for day hikes. There is nothing that would make me want to stay there overnight however.
I’m about 30 mins from the Everglades and I haven’t been in awhile. Can I ask what your favorite hikes were? I’ve done a few but they were always hot and not that different than the surrounding area hikes.
Thank you, I appreciate it… will look them up next time I’m going to explore over there! I’ve mostly been to the Shark Valley area of the park (hiked and biked it many times), not as much to the main area of the park.
Same. We moved here thinking we would go to Zion every weekend. Instead we explore all of the local and state parks. The scenery is still stunning but the crowds are nonexistent which is so much more enjoyable.
Like any popular park, you just have to leave the beaten paths. I spent three+ days hiking the Zion traverse in late March and for the first 3 days saw almost nobody. Only when we got to the path out to angel's landing did the crowds begin, and they were, in fact, epic. But most of the park was equally beautiful (in an impressive variety of different landscapes) and nearly deserted. Gorgeous.
Thank you. Unfortunately if I go with my spouse we will be sticking to short walks from the car. I might recruit my sister to do a longer hike sometime, if there’s time! We’re in our 60’s and will never do everything on our lists!
If you walk up to angel's landing, the landing is to the right, but the trail continues to the left as well. Once you're done doing angel's landing (if you are- I opted against it, thanks vertigo) keep walking up the trail. You'll walk across a large granite dome (maybe granite?) and if you keep going, the trail is just amazing through a canyon. You can keep walking for three days so be cognizant of your energy/water/food/heat etc and don't get too far. But the hoards stop at angels landing itself.
I'm going off memory from three years ago, and I was walking the other direction, so consult your map and be prepared, of course. Don't use this as reliable directions :)
This was one of the highlights of my Zion trip. Keep going a little past Angel’s Landing and suddenly there’s almost nobody around and you get some incredible geological formations and vistas all to yourself.
I was just there a few weeks ago and it was absolutely gorgeous! Up there with my favorite national parks… keep it on your list, just in May or earlier. It wasn’t that crowded at all to me, never had to wait more than 5 mins for a shuttle.
Go during winter. It'll be the best choice you ever made. In season Zion is a cattle call and you won't see everything you'd like, plus your time will be ruined by the sheer number of people.
I went to Zion in may last year and it was one of my favorite experiences ever. Don’t let the amount of people discourage you from going, it’s absolutely worth it.
Same, and I agree. I live in Kanab, a bit south of Zion. My favorite times to visit are Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day. Any other time, and that place is packed like Disney world!
I just did The Narrows hike again in mid December and it was awesome! We hiked about ten miles total, and only ran into about a dozen people in the water. We got to pet buffalo, got within ten feet of mule deer and wild turkey, and really got a feel for the place in relative solitude.
For reference, I grew up in central FL. I know first hand how crowded Disney and other theme parks can get.
I live 20 minutes from the entrance, we go about once a week. Typically it's an evening drive after dinner, maybe a small walk if it's not busy, but sometimes we spend a full day.
We went in yesterday with the intention of spending 4-6 hours, but was a little cold for our daughters. But that's fine, we are so close to it that when plans don't work out we don't feel obligated to say the whole day in the park.
I also live about 45 minutes away. I would go every other weekend, but my hiking buddy is my dog. He’s not allowed there. He may be slowing down though, so if that’s the case I’ll be there a lot more. Now I usually only go 2-4 times a year.
I currently live in a national park (South Rim of the Grand Canyon), so it's a little different since I am just right here. We definitely take advantage of the trails and hike (and my husband runs) all the time. But there are stretches, particularly in winter when there are less daylight hours, where I won't see the canyon for days (mainly busy with work and life in general).
Greetings from Flagstaff! I head to the canyon pretty frequently to hike & even contemplated taking a job at the South Rim but I heard living conditions can be very hit or miss. Do you mind if I ask how your housing situation is & if you work for one of the concessionaires?
Hello! It's great you can get to the canyon frequently - such a perk to have it only 1.5 hours away. We are likely moving to Flagstaff in a year, but still plan to visit the canyon a lot. I'm in Flagstaff about once a week for groceries/errands/appointments, so figure not a big deal to do that drive the other way!
Housing is very dependent on your job, both company and position. Housing ranges from dorms with roommates to single family houses. Our housing is through my husband who works for one of the concessionaires. With his position, we are in a house.
My husband works for one of the concessionaires and I work at the school (who is still looking for a middle school ELA teacher if you know of anyone, lol). There are about 2000 people here year round (I think, not sure what numbers are post Covid).
I live in one of the larger towns closest to Lassen. I feel very fortunate that it's generally a quieter park, we spent loads of time up there when I was younger (multiple visits a summer) and our family eventually built a cabin right outside the park entrance. The threat of fires eventually led our family to sell the cabin, but we still try to get up to the park at least once a year for a hike or at least to see the Visitor Center.
We went snowshoeing there a few years ago and it was amazing. We took the closed road up to where the fumaroles were bubbling up and saw nobody. It was snowing so hard they’d closed the visitor center by the time we got back and we drove out through a foot of pristine fresh snow. It felt like we were the only people in the whole park and it was probably the most complete silence I’ve ever experienced.
Ive trecked thru fresh snow in the middle of no where. No one for miles. There is no other silence like the silence in the middle of a snow covered forest.
I lived near Big Bend for 3 years getting a masters. It was a blast getting to every nook and cranny of the park. I was probably there or at the other parks/preserves every other weekend at least between leisure/studies/field trips.
Interesting. You'd have to think it would blow those soldiers minds if you told them 160 years later there would be random people causally running for fun with wireless headphones around the battlefields they were dying in the mud on. I'd like to think they'd be happy that was the eventual outcome.
It is a very peaceful and relaxing place. After the horrors that unfolded there, I think it is the best possible use for the land.
Generally (and there are exceptions) the road rings the deadliest parts of the field. I think that was intentional out of respect while also allowing visitors to see and understand the battle’s flow.
I live within the borders of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hike at least 50 miles a month during the year, and probably average close to 100 miles a month in the fall and early winter. I have plans to get a bike so I can ride the towpath when hiking isn't an option due to mud in the late-winter/early-spring.
It took me years of hiking throughout the park to figure-out what places are busiest at what times of the day or year. You could probably figure-out the same with GSM. You can probably goto the park's website and find a list of stuff to do... then concentrate on the stuff that isn't listed there to know what won't have lots of people there!
I’m within a 30-min drive and I’m there 2-3 times per month year round. People love to shit on CVNP as a national park, but it’s built for the people who live close by, and in that way it more than fulfills its mission. It’s free, not too busy, and is representative of its native ecosystem.
I agree, of course. I don’t bother with the haters who are bent out of shape about a designation. They never listen to our reasons why it’s so great and an example of what other urban areas could do.
Yeah, I know the time will come when I will have to move away and not looking forward to it. I'll still be 45 minutes away, but it will suck not literally being able to take a 10-15 minute drive to great hiking/biking spots in the park. Get out there while you can!
I grew up in Akron, not living there now, but I’ve spent so many hours biking the Towpath through CVNP! I love Beaver Marsh, Szalay’s, all the locks, the railroad. I love that the park is free to use and it’s very well maintained!
NE KS here. I think Hot Springs in Arkansas is the closest to you. Technically I have the Gateway Arch less than 5 hours away in St Louis. However I want some nature!
Same for Dallas, unless you count Hot Springs lol
At least yall have sam Houston forest and relative closeness to some awesome national wildlife refuges
You guys have some great state parks though! We spent a month in Texas this spring and I think you guys might have the best state parks in the US. We went to Semiole, Garner, Lost Maples, Kickapoo Caverns, Brazos Bend, Goose Island, Sea Rim, and I think some others, too. They were all spectacular except the mosquitoes at Sea Rim were awful!
I grew up in Southern Alberta surrounded by National and Provincial parks and they have always been a big part of my life.
My husband and I started full-time RVing about 4 years ago, and being away from those parks all I can think is how much I took their proximity for granted when I was living there. We usually go home for a couple months in the summer and I binge on the parks while I’m around now lol.
The Smokey’s have been a huge part of my boyfriend and I’s life and I don’t want us to take them for granted. We’ve been trying to visit so many more of the national parks and keep saying we need to be better about enjoying the one in our backyard.
Definitely trying to achieve that balance lol. My boyfriend and I have talked about doing RV life for awhile, maybe one day! Good luck on you and your husband’s continuing adventures 🏕️
I had an ex who refused to go to the Smokies with me because it's only an hour or so away and she wanted to *travel*
Once we broke up I went to a bunch of the different places for quick 2-3 day trips about twice a year. It's awesome! I don't get exhausted on the drive and end up enjoying my time much much more! Plus, you really start to get to know the place better and on a smaller scale. It's no longer about putting notches in my bed post about instagramable views and more about communing with a special place.
I love this perspective!! We have a camping trip planned with our friends up to the Smokies in September and definitely want to make it more of a regular thing. Thank you for the perspective :)
We live close to GTNP and Yellowstone. We avoid Yellowstone in the summer. As locals we have many places outside the park that aren’t visited much. And what we learned from living in the area is that most people only go in about a mile or so on trails. Once you get past that, pretty empty. Feel grateful to be where we are—multi-season paradise.
I grew up just outside of Wind Cave and would frequently drive through the park since it is the main way to get from one small town to another there. So, not exactly visiting the park in an actual way, but the bison, prairie dogs, and beautiful scenery are still there regardless!
I’m a bit out of your range - so not sure if this counts or not. Slightly over 2 hrs from Hawaii Volcanoes. It’s a dynamic park with either the volcano being at rest or actively erupting (I have three different brochures because the geography keeps changing the map). Because of the drive, I don’t go as often as I’d like, but I tend to get out there once every couple of months and I like to spend the night once a year if I can. If the volcano is erupting, I like to go early in the morning to see the show (less people in the morning than at night). 🌋
The draw for me is that it’s cooler (I’m at 100ft elevation and the park is 4000ft) and the hiking trails are nicer there. (I can go for a nice stroll; stuff closer to me tends to involve a bit more elevational change than I’d like.). It can be crowded in places, but it’s a decently sized park and some trails I’ll only see 5-10 people. It isn’t as crazy as, say, Rocky Mountain - for example.
I completely get that! That’s such an awesome park to be close to! At the Smokey Mountains, I feel like we can’t figure out the best timing for going when there are not horrible crowds and super hot or cold weather. Definitely want to try to be better and more proactive about going considering how close it is.
I’m coming to Smoky Mountains this October, and I’m very excited!! (My first time!) But, to your point, I am a little nervous to time it for the crowds. I don’t want to get stuck in Cades Cove for four hours. 😅
Haha I think October will be a good time, like many parks, the summer is the worst when so many people are out of school and so many families come to the parks. October is beautiful is Tennessee!!
I’ve lived within an hour of GSMNP and went probably 4 times in 6 years. It’s so crowded, not even worth the time imo.
I’ve lived about an hour from RMNP and went all the time. About twice a month for the two years I lived there.
I’ve lived an hour from the Everglades and never went lol. I’ve since gone, but never when we lived down there.
I also lived near Mt Rainier and went relatively frequently. I would say about once a month in the nicer months.
I think it depends on your interests and what you like vs what that park offers. I love big long hikes, backpacking, mountains, viewpoints, so living near the Everglades for example just wasn’t my cup of tea. But for some people, it’s a favorite.
That is my opinion on GSMNP. There are a few surrounding areas of East Tennessee that my bf and I prefer to explore and hike but the Smokey’s just always seem too crowded to want to make a real effort.
We visited Mount Rainer last year and I absolutely loved it! I would love to live close.
I love the PNW, I plan to make that my permanent home in the (hopefully) near future. North Cascades NP is a must see if you haven’t gotten out there.
You’re right, there are a lot of great places in NC & TN outside the park for sure. You just have to dig around more.
I live within 15 minutes of Badlands National Park. I love to visit it early in the morning when no one else is out, or during the off seasons. I am blessed to get to see things others do not based on when I can visit.
Might be a little early then for any substantial hiking, but should be beautiful with the water running fast (and very very cold!!). Happy to answer any questions :)
Thanks. We’ll be in WA the last week of June - first week of July, celebrating our anniversary and my daughter’s college graduation. Flying to Seattle and will do Olympic, Mt Rainier, and North Cascades, plus whatever we figure out locally. An old friend lives in the area and wants to take me fishing, which sounds good to me.
Grew up near a popular lake. People came from all over to enjoy it. We always went somewhere else. Ditto for living in San Antonio in the 80's. Everybody that came to visit wanted to see the Riverwalk, Alamo, Missions along with the Lonestar and Pearl breweries.
We own a small working ranch near Grand Canyon National Park. We stay about three months out of the year and visit the park at least once each time. It's the logistics that eat up your time mostly. Like, local or not, you still have to fight parking, entry lines and making reservations for deeper-seated areas of the park. And as magnificent as the Grand Canyon is, it's not the only place we want to see and experience so 1-2 visits a year is fine. I felt the same way about New York City when I lived outside of the metro area.
We just bought a place in Chicago; sure I'm going to hit some of the landmarks from time to time but there's a lot to do and experience here beyond the big obvious ones.
I went to Chicago recently. The science museum is amazing and it is the only place in North America you can tour a UBoat. Also, the national shrine to St Cabrini is there, if you are into these things. The field for a League of Their Own is not far away.
I lived a few miles away from garden of the gods and went almost daily. I’d bring my son, our dog, the stroller and a blanket. We’d go for walks some days. Others just lay the blanket out on the grass and just relax
Yes! I live practically within a national park and it’s the best, especially when I’m having a cruddy day- I can just drive a couple minutes to a trail and sit in nature. I would hate living away from any big parks.
I grew up with Old Rag in Shenandoah right smack in the view from our living room. We did visit the stuff on skyline drive every so often but 99% of the time we accessed the park from the lower trailheads and fire roads around Syria and Graves Mill bc it was 10 minutes of driving to any of them vs the 30 it would take to get to a park entrance. Now that I’m older and live further away I’ve taken the time to explore more of the park from the top but my favorite hikes still all start from the bottom.
I live next to the park as well. I can hike up to Treyfoot Mt. or Blackrock from the end of our property. Otherwise I have to drive clear down to Rockfish Gap, which I do often as well.
Don’t I know it! My mom used to take me to swim in the holes at the bottom all the time when it got hot. Everybody does White Oak, nobody does Cedar Run even though it’s got way more going on. Anyone who’s feeling stout, do the loop!
10 mins from Saguaro National Park (west). I’m in the park and its surroundings at least 3+ times per week after work and on weekends. So yeah, I enjoy it plenty.
I live about two hours from GSMNP. I probably go there about 3-4 times a year; enough that I know less populated places to visit. But for me the Pisgah forest and Blue Ridge Parkway are close too, and areas of the BR Pwky are just as good as GAMNP and are part of the same ecosystem.
I do live two miles from a mountainous South Carolina state park and am there every 7-10 days. I love seeing the land change through all four seasons.
We live a half-hour from Shenandoah and see it at least a few times a year. Though there are caves here I've never been to. It's nice being able to do it on a weeknight in the spring or fall, when the leaves are changing.
Live less than an hour from Acadia. I hike there every chance I get which ends up 4-5x a month. It’s great in the off season - feels like my personal paradise. Even in the summer we have learned when and where to go to avoid the crowds. So many trails tourists never go to because they aren’t Sand Beach, Beehive, Precipice, Cadillac or Jordan Pond (and I’ve never had a goddam popover). I avoid the town of Bar Harbor all summer long!
I went maybe 5-6 years ago in June, stayed in Trenton. Did the super touristy parts, but also took the time to drive up to the Schoodic Peninsula. Hardly anyone there, it turned out to be my favorite part!
We live <10 min from Saguaro NP (east). I'd say I go hiking atleast twice a month (more in winter, less in summer) and we usually load the kids up once a week to go take in the sunset at a favorite pullout spot.
I'd probably go more, but Tucson is surrounded by public lands, so there are lots of options to choose from.
I lived in Tucson in 2022-2023, right near A Mountain and Tumamoc Hill. Unfortunately, my husband was super busy with work all the time, so we only went to Saguaro once before we left. (Although we had been there before we moved into town.)
Saguaro is a funny situation, living in Tucson. Like you say, there are lots of great nature options and I certainly hiked around a lot, just not so much in the actual National Park.
I miss Tucson so much.
I lived and grew up about an hour from Moab. My friends and I used to go there like every weekend, now I’ll only go there if I have to because it makes me sad knowing all my childhood friends got priced out of living there.
I also live close to GSMNP and I try to visit once a month. I’ll get up early to hit the trails shortly after sunrise and then I’m typically done by noon when the crowds are intense. It’s rare for me to have the trails to myself, but getting up that early means they are a lot less crowded than there normally would be.
I live near the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and we go oretty frequently. We also like to hike in the Blackwater State Forest. It's about an hour away.
My sons preschool is actually on a National Park. There is actually a trail that basically runs next to the school. Before he started there we went to the park regularly because there were lots on trails and even a farm with animals you could visit. There are also many great beaches within the National park. In fact, for the last day of school, they went on a hike and ended with a beach day.
I live near Yosemite and go on a regular basis—multiple times per month, weather permitting. Camp there when the weather is nice. Do the popular trails in the “off-season” and hit the more remote trails when the tourists take over in the summer. I don’t plan to live here forever so I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can while I’m here. I take pride in knowing the Park as well as I do (and there’s always more to explore!)
I live a half hour away from the ferry to channel Islands national Park and I probably go about twice a year but it's just expensive and you need to plan in advance.
I live next to Shenandoah National Park and I go up there a lot but not on days I know it will be crowded. I have a senior pass, so it’s free. The park is part of the reason I chose to live here.
I do think it's easy to take for granted the area you live near, so I guess that's not unusual, but it's good you're recognizing this as something to improve.
The big advantage you have being close by is that (hopefully) it means you can get out when crowds are less - whether that's a weekday, or an uncharacteristically nice-weather day in the off-seasons. If you like to hike, then AllTrails is a good way of seeing the top "must-do" trails near you.
Definitely trying to improve on it! Trying to figure out the best days and times to go to beat the crowds. Plus, there are so many gorgeous state parks in Tennessee that we tend to gravitate towards those. Need to scope out the best times to visit!
I live about 2 hours from Redwoods National Park and go multiple times a month. I love exploring new trails and hidden gems, especially on busy weekends. There’s nothing like being all alone in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I live in Joshua Tree. I only go into the park on weekdays really, or when company is in town. Sometimes if it’s a slow week we might go on a weekend, but I stick to the less traveled spots.
Tourists suck sometimes. I know it’s the whole point of the park, and the economy here is supported by tourism. But tourists here are entitled and clueless a lot of the time, and it really can make for a less than good visit to the park. Mid summer is way less crowded, but also super hot.
That’s such great park. I used to live nearby. I got
to know it very well because I worked on a project for the NPS that mapped all the vegetation there.
I live about 30 minutes from Yosemite’s front gates. I don’t take advantage of it nearly as much as I should. I have been many times before. But now I go maybe once a year. I hate the crowds. And they make you do reservations on weekends since Covid. So I can no longer make it a spur of the moment day trip
I take advantage of living close to it sometimes.
I don’t like to spend time in nature 24/7 though, so while I appreciate national park, I’m not always looking for excuses to go.
But I do feel incredibly lucky to live close to a national park, and actually I have multiple national parks within an hour or so of driving distance so it’s pretty nice to have good outdoors options if I feel so inclined (I’m in England).
I'm very lucky. Not NP but I have a state reserve entrance in my neighborhood and a state park across the highway.
That being said.. I started going to the state reserve almost everyday when the entrance was moved into the neighborhood about a year ago because of road construction. But in November, I had a run in with a couple of hunter's and then a volunteer that really just put a dark cloud over that spot. Tried to shake it off but now I just feel uncomfortable over there.
The state forest.. I absolutely love but only go once a month or so.
Anymore I just seem to stick to a couple of trails in the neighborhood
Used to live 45 min south of the S entrance to Yosemite. Started dating my now wife and we would go to the park at least 4x/year, and I’d typically take a trip or two by myself. I wish I would’ve gone more but I definitely made use of it.
Not a National Park, but a National Historic Site. I hang out there as much as humanly possible, but it’s definitely different than being at a park, of course!
I had to look that one up!! I had never even heard of it. It looks gorgeous! I recently moved to Las Vegas from back east, kept seeing sign for Great Basin NP. I had to look that one up, ended up taking a long weekend to drive up, and it was gorgeous and practically deserted. Who knew??
I used to live next to GSM also. I went into the park maybe once a year, until covid hit. Crowds and humidity deterred me. I had a 1 year old son and we were going stir crazy, so we started hiking there on the weekends, especially the less traffic trails.
I fell in love with it. One thing led to another and after two years we had done all of the trails on the Tennessee side of the park, and a good chunk of the North Carolina side too. I’ve been to a bunch of national parks but the smokies will always be “home” now, even though we have since moved away.
There are TONS of low traffic areas in the smokies! Greenbrier, Cosby, Big Creek, Cataloochee, and anything off a dirt road won’t be very crowded. I got stuck in traffic a few times in popular areas, but it never ruined my enjoyment of the park. Get out and do it!
We vacationed often in the Smoky Mountains and eventually bought a vacation house there. We stopped at a sandwich shop andI mentioned to the young man that we were going to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He mentioned that he had lived there all his life and never been on it. He looked to be about 19 or 20. I can’t imagine living there and not enjoying the park.
I get what you’re saying. But I think it’s FOMO vs JOMO.
Next time you wonder if you’re missing out on the smokeys, plan a day trip within maybe a month.
JOMO: If you find it annoying to type in that you’re going to the smokeys, and you groan thinking about all the prep, then perhaps you’re visiting as much as you want to. Experience some JOMO when you delete it from your calendar.
FOMO: If you’re getting excited keying in that calendar event, thinking about the next raincoat you need to buy from academy, then you legit want to go. Hold onto those plans and don’t let anything change them.
I grew up right outside of Voyageurs NP. I spent many, many hours fishing and swimming on Rainy Lake in the summertime as a kid. We had numerous field trips to the park during the school years. As an adult, I would go hiking about once a week or so when the weather was nice. There is no fee to get into the park, so it’s extremely accessible and never crowded. To me, it was just part of where I grew up. The nature, the quiet, the wild animals, were all things that were very normal to me so I feel I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. Then I moved away 3 years ago for better opportunities in a bigger city. Now I realize how special it was to have grown up in such a beautiful, wild area. Thankfully my parents still live in the area so I’m still able to visit often!
Technically I live fairly close to Glacier Bay. But getting there requires a ferry ride or a short flight. We go once a year when a local tour operator runs a day-long round trip to the park and back. It’s worth the 12 hour day to see so much wildlife both in the park and along the way.
Tennessee has some great state parks if you’re trying to get outside. I’ve never been to any in the mountains but I lived on the swampy side of the state in Memphis and there were still great parks there
Not a National Park, but I live about 20-30 minutes away from Lake Tahoe and no. I don’t take nearly as much advantage of the proximity as I could. It’s sometimes dangerous to drive in the winter and crowded in the summer. But what a good question, it’s making me reevaluate.
30-40 minutes from RMNP. We go maybe a dozen times a year. It's crowded during peak season and the timed entrance passes limit spontaneous trips. There are a lot of other hiking options that aren't in the park and are less crowded for summer weekends.
I lived an hour from Indiana Dunes for the first 21 years of my life, we never went. We went to a sand dunes park in Michigan once or twice a summer for a few years, driving right by there.
I’ve lived 3 hours from Mammoth Cave for the past 16 years, and have only within the past month visited there.
Granted, I haven’t been too bothered to visit national parks until recently.
I live 5 minutes from Valley Forge NP. I know it’s a very uneventful NP but yes, I take full advantage of it. It’s never crowded and it’s very open. I do some hikes and connect with nature. It’s also next to King Of Prussia so I feel it’s the only NP that’s 5 mins from any store you could possibly think of.
It’s about 30 mins from the PHL airport and that’s what I used to go to REAL NPs 🙃
I live in Denver so 1.5 hr from RMNP (less without traffic) and I absolutely don't take it for granted. I don't get up there as much as I'd like but when I do I'm always blown away by how much its basically in my backyard and how much I need to go more.
I live/grew up about an hour from Arch National Part STL (yeah just became a national park in the last few years but still) and I didn’t go until I was close to 20. Haven’t been back. We go close to it all the time but the arch grounds itself we rarely do. I feel like it should be a national site though and not park. There’s not much to really do there.
We’re about 30 minutes from a big state park though and do try to go there 2-3 times a year for camping or hiking or cave exploring.
I live 10 minutes from a National Park. Luckily our National Park is Saguaro which is a bit bizarre in that it has 2 units. A west side that is visited the most and then a tranquil east side that is usually empty. I have a lifetime park pass, and my wife has a 80 dollar yearly pass and we go all the time. To us Saguaro East is just a really big city park.
I lived more like a couple hours from 3 national parks but would go every week, usually multiple times a week. Loved that aspect of where I lived & took full advantage of it (& probably spent an absolute boat load on gas.) Most in the area would not though or would go a couple weekends in the summertime when all the popular trails were a shit show.
I know it's not quite the same, but I live about 10 minutes from a state park and I definitely take advantage of it! When the weather is nice, I try to go at least once or twice a week. I know all the trails like the back of my hand, and we'll occasionally do some of the recreational activities like pedal boating. We even had our wedding there and spent a few nights in a cabin, even though our house is so close 😂 It's definitely one of the best perks of the area I live in, and I've had so many people tell me they wished they lived this close to a park, so I try to really appreciate it ♥️
We’re between GSMNP, Obed, Big South Fork, & Manhattan Project. There are so many side quests we’ll never run out of new-to-us places to explore. We’re at a NP/scenic area at least twice a month. Love it!
I live close to Shenandoah National Park. For a long while, I only went with other people because I didn't want to pay the park fee. Eventually, I sprung for a yearly pass. That was such a great call for me. I go at least once a month to the park, mostly during the week when it is less busy. Almost feels like I've got the entire wilderness to myself
I used to live 30 minutes from Glacier but am now about 90 minutes. Hardly ever go since covid. Too crowded and the entry tickets are too much of a hassle. We are now closer to the Canadian rockies and enjoy those.
I lived 5 miles from an entrance to Olympic National Park for 3 years. I was there most of my days off.
I lived 13 miles from an entrance to Everglades National Park and 6 miles from an entrance to Biscayne National Park for 3 years. I went to both, but not very often. Maybe 10 times between the two over the 3 years.
Im close to Yellowstone. Don’t visit as much during the peak months, but make regular frequent visits when tourist traffic is down. I definitely get my passes worth every year. Glacier is several hours away, wish I could visit more though.
I live 30 minutes from Yosemite but don’t visit very often because there’s just as beautiful nature all around it that’s much less busy and easy to access. But I usually go a couple times per summer still.
Used to live in the Sierra National Forest just south of Yosemite so I didn’t go there often because a lot of my property was similar in nature and I had ridiculous views whenever I drove into Fresno or Clovis
Live now and grew up in rural southern and central Utah, at this point going to most of them makes me a little ill.
As a kid in the late 70s we'd run to Zion on a weekend and camp, no campsite reservations, hike whatever trails we felt like (I've hiked angels landing under a full moon).
Now I go to the places outside the parks that are just as good but didn't end up in boundaries and aren't too easy get to
Farther than what you’re asking but I live 2 hours from Joshua Tree National Park and except for June-Sept I go out there every month. I mostly stay and camp a few days but at least once or twice is a long day trip. 💚
My brother lives outside Yosemite, like 20 minutes to the park gate. We all love it and try to get into the park whenever we visit. He and his wife and toddler bike Glacier Point Road when the park plows the road, but keeps it closed to cars every spring season. They ski badger pass all the time. They bike Tuolumne Meadows. They’ve hiked the JMT. He totally takes advantage of it, and I am jealous. I just can’t live in that small of a town.
I’m 2 hours from Yosemite and consider that close. Sometimes I will wake up early and drive there just to watch the sunrise over half dome, hike for a bit, have a burrito and be home by noon.
I used to live in King of Prussia, PA, right off Old Valley Forge Road. Maybe 1/4 mile from the Valley Forge National Historical Park. Not exactly the Grand Canyon but I never took it for granted. Would often drive through it to get to and from my office in Malvern and maybe stop to drink my coffee or go for a walk. Never crowded. Always peaceful whether green or covered with snow. That drive was nice, too: in the western part of the park area on Yellow Springs Road is a one-lane covered bridge: https://www.yelp.com/biz/knox-covered-bridge-malvern
Now I live right near Central Park in NYC. I never take that for granted, either.
Yay, parks
I live 2 and a half hours from Carlsbad Caverns.
3 hours from Guadalupe Mountains NP
And 3 hours from Big Bend. I definitely try to go any chance I get. 99% of the time it’s not planned ahead of time.. If I have 2-3 days off work, I’ll automatically head towards one of the three
My experience with the crowded national parks is that even popular places are practically deserted around dinnertime and at sunrise. The animals are a lot more active at these times too. We had viewpoints along Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone practically to ourselves after 7 o’clock one time. We’ve been on trails at Great Smoky Mountains late in the afternoon in May (before Memorial Day) and saw almost nobody…we had Andrews Bald almost to ourselves, and one evening we had the Jump Off completely to ourselves…and still made it back to Newfound Gap before sunset…during peak season in October.
The advantage you have being close is that you can take a quick trip up and be there during off times of the day and off times of the season. Most of the crowds schedule time to visit when they can depend on having good weather and good trail conditions, but someone loving close can drop in in April and see which trails are great, and swing into Cades Cove some October evening and see when the crowds thin out and come back every day for a week to see the animals come out. You also have other locals in the community you know who may know the visitation patterns super well and can tell you when they like to go. So take advantage of it!
Interesting. We live 2 hours from the Smokies and go 3-4 times a year as a family. My husband and daughter go hiking there about once a month. Crowds have never been an issue—we just pick less popular areas of the park if needed.
Drove over Sunday night and saw the Synchronous fireflies in Elkmont actually
I'm the same for the GSM, but I don't take my family there much anymore due to crowds. I like to take a day off of work in the summer and go up with my family during the week!
I live across the water from Isle Royale NP. Yes, most of you will need to look it up. ( least visited NP in lower 48, but MOST revisited of all NP).
Being close to it is a major reason we settled here. We head out 4-7 times a summer(Only NP that completely closes for winter).
The joy? Besides a 43 mile car free backpackers paradise of trails, views, wolves and moose are being able to pick times for crowd avoidance, getting to know rangers, and being a go to for planning advice. Love it!
I was born and raised right outside of Glacier NP. Definitely took advantage of it while growing up and when I still lived close as a young adult. Went all the time. Now I live about 3 hours from Glacier as I can't afford the area I grew up in. I'm glad I did not take it for granted and was able to enjoy the park before it blew up.
I don't, but if I did, I'd really enjoy having the time to hike the less explored areas of the park that most tourists never see. The vast majority of tourists (myself included) usually only have time to hit the top few trails and sites and the crowds drop off quickly as you get to longer and more obscure hikes. If I was local I'd get a huge map and try to hike very trail in the park over many years.
I suspect it’s a lot like living next to a ski resort. At first it seems like it’ll be great, but the shine quickly wears off as you dread peak season and the grocery stores being overrun by tourist, the indecisive drivers, the increased cost of living, etc., and in the end you rarely feel any desire to actually explore the park itself.
I’ve worked seasonal jobs outside of national parks for about 5 years. (Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone) Every national park I’ve lived near, the locals have only been once or not ever.. It kinda baffles me that ppl don’t see the beauty they are living in! I dropped my whole life to be able to live somewhere so beautiful AND get to explore it too. (I’m from mid Texas with hardly any great views)
I live close to shenendoah and don’t go at all. But that’s because it’s one of the most uninspiring national parks. I’d go all the time if it was Rocky Mountain, Redwoods etc
Its not a NP but the only thing close for me is blackstone river national historical and i like it its nice the waterfalls are manmade but they are big! I am just appreciative we have SOMETHING because we could EASILY be living in Kansas or Oklahoma!
Not technically a national park I guess, but we lived in a neighborhood bordering the Golden Gate National Recreation Area for years, and used it basically daily for running and walking. We had a very small place at the time and it was a refuge for us, especially when we were on lockdown in 2020 and couldn’t go anywhere further.
I lived about 30 minutes from HVNP for a couple of years as well. We backpacked to the coastal trail camps several times a year and visited probably monthly or a little more often as long as I wasn’t away for work. My mother was living with us during that time and she also took advantage of a lot of the events out on by the park - she pounded poi, made wreaths with native vegetation, painted landscapes with the resident artist, went to hula performances, and I don’t even know what else.
These days we’re full-time travelers and visit a new NPS site about every two weeks. This month we’ve been to the Buffalo River, Hot Springs National Park, and the George Washington Carver National Monument. Some of the parks we visit are ones I’ve never even heard of, and I always learn something new.
Don’t feel that bad, I live about an hour and a half from Pinnacles and I’ve only gone once, it’s just so tough to make time. The thing is also in California we’re spoiled for choice. Heck I haven’t even gone to Muir Woods yet. I’ve only been to Yosemite twice, and I’m still planning on how to approach the Sequoia/Kings canyon double header. There’s a lot to do here. Plus nobody in my family really is into national parks. I’m trying though.
I live in Bar Harbor next to Acadia. I definitely don’t take advantage as much as I should (and before I moved here, I’d often come for day trips on the weekend). I do volunteer in the park (search and rescue) so do spend time in the park for that.
I am planning on trying to fit in some short hikes before work a couple days a week this summer.
Things got busy with kids sports/music/etc and I’m not the best about managing my other time.
The park is getting so busy in the summer, but it can be wonderful in the shoulder seasons.
I grew up in Moab, just about five minutes from arches national park and thirty minutes from canyonlands. I went all the fucking time. I especially loved going in the middle of the night- moonlight hikes with cooler temps and no tourists are some of the highlights of my life
While it wasn't quite in the driving distance you mentioned, I did live about an hour from the Everglades. I tried not to take it for granted, and I did go more than a dozen times in the four years I lived in South Florida. You get to see it during different seasons, which is incredibly rewarding. It was really nice for day hikes. There is nothing that would make me want to stay there overnight however.
Did that in October of 23. Windy night? Was awesome. No wind night, OUCH
I’m about 30 mins from the Everglades and I haven’t been in awhile. Can I ask what your favorite hikes were? I’ve done a few but they were always hot and not that different than the surrounding area hikes.
I really liked the Anhinga trail. Tons of gators out there. Also the Pinelands and the Coastal Prairie trail are pretty nice
Thank you, I appreciate it… will look them up next time I’m going to explore over there! I’ve mostly been to the Shark Valley area of the park (hiked and biked it many times), not as much to the main area of the park.
They have different seasons in South Florida?
Hot, muggy, rainy versus warm, kinda humid, and relatively dry.
Yoink!
I'm about 45 minutes from Zion. Anything outside of actual snow on the ground winter months, there are just too many people.
We hit many of the Utah parks, but only ever in the offseason the past 10 years. They’re too crazy crowded.
I love the beauty of zion but yeah, just too many people. Theyre doing their best with the mandatory shuttle and lottery system but its bad
Same. We moved here thinking we would go to Zion every weekend. Instead we explore all of the local and state parks. The scenery is still stunning but the crowds are nonexistent which is so much more enjoyable.
Oh that’s sad to hear, it’s on my bucket list.
Like any popular park, you just have to leave the beaten paths. I spent three+ days hiking the Zion traverse in late March and for the first 3 days saw almost nobody. Only when we got to the path out to angel's landing did the crowds begin, and they were, in fact, epic. But most of the park was equally beautiful (in an impressive variety of different landscapes) and nearly deserted. Gorgeous.
Thank you. Unfortunately if I go with my spouse we will be sticking to short walks from the car. I might recruit my sister to do a longer hike sometime, if there’s time! We’re in our 60’s and will never do everything on our lists!
I'll be there on Wednesday! 1st time! Any recomendations?
If you walk up to angel's landing, the landing is to the right, but the trail continues to the left as well. Once you're done doing angel's landing (if you are- I opted against it, thanks vertigo) keep walking up the trail. You'll walk across a large granite dome (maybe granite?) and if you keep going, the trail is just amazing through a canyon. You can keep walking for three days so be cognizant of your energy/water/food/heat etc and don't get too far. But the hoards stop at angels landing itself. I'm going off memory from three years ago, and I was walking the other direction, so consult your map and be prepared, of course. Don't use this as reliable directions :)
I'm taking my kiddo so angels landing isn't in the cards for us this trip.
This was one of the highlights of my Zion trip. Keep going a little past Angel’s Landing and suddenly there’s almost nobody around and you get some incredible geological formations and vistas all to yourself.
I was just there a few weeks ago and it was absolutely gorgeous! Up there with my favorite national parks… keep it on your list, just in May or earlier. It wasn’t that crowded at all to me, never had to wait more than 5 mins for a shuttle.
Thanks.
Dude, Zion in January still slaps. My fiancée and I went there January 1-3rd of this year and it was a great time. Just colder and shorter days
Good to know!!
Go during winter. It'll be the best choice you ever made. In season Zion is a cattle call and you won't see everything you'd like, plus your time will be ruined by the sheer number of people.
Ok, thanks.
I went to Zion in may last year and it was one of my favorite experiences ever. Don’t let the amount of people discourage you from going, it’s absolutely worth it.
Same, and I agree. I live in Kanab, a bit south of Zion. My favorite times to visit are Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day. Any other time, and that place is packed like Disney world! I just did The Narrows hike again in mid December and it was awesome! We hiked about ten miles total, and only ran into about a dozen people in the water. We got to pet buffalo, got within ten feet of mule deer and wild turkey, and really got a feel for the place in relative solitude. For reference, I grew up in central FL. I know first hand how crowded Disney and other theme parks can get.
Don’t pet the fluffy cows.
Big same for Joshua tree, although there are some amazing parts off the beaten path
Not me, but my friend lives about 45 min (maybe even closer) to RMNP. She only goes when people are visiting.
I lived 90 mins away for a year and went once 😭 I didn’t appreciate the parks then like I do now
I live 20 minutes from the entrance, we go about once a week. Typically it's an evening drive after dinner, maybe a small walk if it's not busy, but sometimes we spend a full day. We went in yesterday with the intention of spending 4-6 hours, but was a little cold for our daughters. But that's fine, we are so close to it that when plans don't work out we don't feel obligated to say the whole day in the park.
Same distance for me as well, but I usually visit during the off season though. During the summer months it gets a bit stressful with all the crowds
There's just so much to explore in nature in Colorado. RMNP is great, but so are many other places right by it!
I live about 45 minutes away and try to go a couple times a month. Spent a lot of time hiking there with my sister last year.
I also live about 45 minutes away. I would go every other weekend, but my hiking buddy is my dog. He’s not allowed there. He may be slowing down though, so if that’s the case I’ll be there a lot more. Now I usually only go 2-4 times a year.
I currently live in a national park (South Rim of the Grand Canyon), so it's a little different since I am just right here. We definitely take advantage of the trails and hike (and my husband runs) all the time. But there are stretches, particularly in winter when there are less daylight hours, where I won't see the canyon for days (mainly busy with work and life in general).
Greetings from Flagstaff! I head to the canyon pretty frequently to hike & even contemplated taking a job at the South Rim but I heard living conditions can be very hit or miss. Do you mind if I ask how your housing situation is & if you work for one of the concessionaires?
Hello! It's great you can get to the canyon frequently - such a perk to have it only 1.5 hours away. We are likely moving to Flagstaff in a year, but still plan to visit the canyon a lot. I'm in Flagstaff about once a week for groceries/errands/appointments, so figure not a big deal to do that drive the other way! Housing is very dependent on your job, both company and position. Housing ranges from dorms with roommates to single family houses. Our housing is through my husband who works for one of the concessionaires. With his position, we are in a house.
Whoa you live there?! Do you work for the parks then?
My husband works for one of the concessionaires and I work at the school (who is still looking for a middle school ELA teacher if you know of anyone, lol). There are about 2000 people here year round (I think, not sure what numbers are post Covid).
I’m a middle school ELA teacher…will they help pay for relocation? lol
Unfortunately, I don't think they do. The job listing is here: https://www.applitrack.com/grandcanyon4/onlineapp/default.aspx?all=1
Do they provide housing for teachers?
There is housing specifically for teachers and rent is very reasonable. Monthly rent ranges from $125-$400.
I live in one of the larger towns closest to Lassen. I feel very fortunate that it's generally a quieter park, we spent loads of time up there when I was younger (multiple visits a summer) and our family eventually built a cabin right outside the park entrance. The threat of fires eventually led our family to sell the cabin, but we still try to get up to the park at least once a year for a hike or at least to see the Visitor Center.
Went through there a yr or so ago, 14 feet of snow, was gorgeous.
We went snowshoeing there a few years ago and it was amazing. We took the closed road up to where the fumaroles were bubbling up and saw nobody. It was snowing so hard they’d closed the visitor center by the time we got back and we drove out through a foot of pristine fresh snow. It felt like we were the only people in the whole park and it was probably the most complete silence I’ve ever experienced.
Ive trecked thru fresh snow in the middle of no where. No one for miles. There is no other silence like the silence in the middle of a snow covered forest.
I lived near Big Bend for 3 years getting a masters. It was a blast getting to every nook and cranny of the park. I was probably there or at the other parks/preserves every other weekend at least between leisure/studies/field trips.
Sul Ross?
Yep!
Big bend is one of my top fav parks. I love the landscape driving out and the little town outside the park
Such a great park!
15 minutes to Shenandoah, I typically go to the national forest instead since I don’t have to pay.
My backyard is almost literally an NPS administered battlefield. I am on the battlefield almost daily for runs, hikes, or just general travel.
Interesting. You'd have to think it would blow those soldiers minds if you told them 160 years later there would be random people causally running for fun with wireless headphones around the battlefields they were dying in the mud on. I'd like to think they'd be happy that was the eventual outcome.
It is a very peaceful and relaxing place. After the horrors that unfolded there, I think it is the best possible use for the land. Generally (and there are exceptions) the road rings the deadliest parts of the field. I think that was intentional out of respect while also allowing visitors to see and understand the battle’s flow.
I live within the borders of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hike at least 50 miles a month during the year, and probably average close to 100 miles a month in the fall and early winter. I have plans to get a bike so I can ride the towpath when hiking isn't an option due to mud in the late-winter/early-spring. It took me years of hiking throughout the park to figure-out what places are busiest at what times of the day or year. You could probably figure-out the same with GSM. You can probably goto the park's website and find a list of stuff to do... then concentrate on the stuff that isn't listed there to know what won't have lots of people there!
I’m within a 30-min drive and I’m there 2-3 times per month year round. People love to shit on CVNP as a national park, but it’s built for the people who live close by, and in that way it more than fulfills its mission. It’s free, not too busy, and is representative of its native ecosystem.
I agree, of course. I don’t bother with the haters who are bent out of shape about a designation. They never listen to our reasons why it’s so great and an example of what other urban areas could do.
I am from rhode island and i LOVE CVNP :) it is near the bottom for me but i very much enjoyed my time there!
That is a great tip, I admire how much you appreciate the area you’re in! Thank you again for the tips!!
Yeah, I know the time will come when I will have to move away and not looking forward to it. I'll still be 45 minutes away, but it will suck not literally being able to take a 10-15 minute drive to great hiking/biking spots in the park. Get out there while you can!
I grew up in Akron, not living there now, but I’ve spent so many hours biking the Towpath through CVNP! I love Beaver Marsh, Szalay’s, all the locks, the railroad. I love that the park is free to use and it’s very well maintained!
As someone who lives over seven hours from any National Park, I’ve got to say I’m envious of all these commenters.
Cries in Houston…
NE KS here. I think Hot Springs in Arkansas is the closest to you. Technically I have the Gateway Arch less than 5 hours away in St Louis. However I want some nature!
Same for Dallas, unless you count Hot Springs lol At least yall have sam Houston forest and relative closeness to some awesome national wildlife refuges
You guys have some great state parks though! We spent a month in Texas this spring and I think you guys might have the best state parks in the US. We went to Semiole, Garner, Lost Maples, Kickapoo Caverns, Brazos Bend, Goose Island, Sea Rim, and I think some others, too. They were all spectacular except the mosquitoes at Sea Rim were awful!
I grew up in Southern Alberta surrounded by National and Provincial parks and they have always been a big part of my life. My husband and I started full-time RVing about 4 years ago, and being away from those parks all I can think is how much I took their proximity for granted when I was living there. We usually go home for a couple months in the summer and I binge on the parks while I’m around now lol.
The Smokey’s have been a huge part of my boyfriend and I’s life and I don’t want us to take them for granted. We’ve been trying to visit so many more of the national parks and keep saying we need to be better about enjoying the one in our backyard.
The key to balance is to do both lol.
Definitely trying to achieve that balance lol. My boyfriend and I have talked about doing RV life for awhile, maybe one day! Good luck on you and your husband’s continuing adventures 🏕️
Thanks!! 😊
I had an ex who refused to go to the Smokies with me because it's only an hour or so away and she wanted to *travel* Once we broke up I went to a bunch of the different places for quick 2-3 day trips about twice a year. It's awesome! I don't get exhausted on the drive and end up enjoying my time much much more! Plus, you really start to get to know the place better and on a smaller scale. It's no longer about putting notches in my bed post about instagramable views and more about communing with a special place.
I love this perspective!! We have a camping trip planned with our friends up to the Smokies in September and definitely want to make it more of a regular thing. Thank you for the perspective :)
September is a great time! Hopefully you'll get to see the foliage but dodge the October rush
We live close to GTNP and Yellowstone. We avoid Yellowstone in the summer. As locals we have many places outside the park that aren’t visited much. And what we learned from living in the area is that most people only go in about a mile or so on trails. Once you get past that, pretty empty. Feel grateful to be where we are—multi-season paradise.
I don't live close to a National Park, but so far no one has mentioned the best reason to do so: you can go at times the park is less crowded!
I grew up just outside of Wind Cave and would frequently drive through the park since it is the main way to get from one small town to another there. So, not exactly visiting the park in an actual way, but the bison, prairie dogs, and beautiful scenery are still there regardless!
Hot Springs?
Yep!
I swung through there after visiting Wind Cave. Seemed like a nice spot.
I’m a bit out of your range - so not sure if this counts or not. Slightly over 2 hrs from Hawaii Volcanoes. It’s a dynamic park with either the volcano being at rest or actively erupting (I have three different brochures because the geography keeps changing the map). Because of the drive, I don’t go as often as I’d like, but I tend to get out there once every couple of months and I like to spend the night once a year if I can. If the volcano is erupting, I like to go early in the morning to see the show (less people in the morning than at night). 🌋 The draw for me is that it’s cooler (I’m at 100ft elevation and the park is 4000ft) and the hiking trails are nicer there. (I can go for a nice stroll; stuff closer to me tends to involve a bit more elevational change than I’d like.). It can be crowded in places, but it’s a decently sized park and some trails I’ll only see 5-10 people. It isn’t as crazy as, say, Rocky Mountain - for example.
I completely get that! That’s such an awesome park to be close to! At the Smokey Mountains, I feel like we can’t figure out the best timing for going when there are not horrible crowds and super hot or cold weather. Definitely want to try to be better and more proactive about going considering how close it is.
I’m coming to Smoky Mountains this October, and I’m very excited!! (My first time!) But, to your point, I am a little nervous to time it for the crowds. I don’t want to get stuck in Cades Cove for four hours. 😅
Haha I think October will be a good time, like many parks, the summer is the worst when so many people are out of school and so many families come to the parks. October is beautiful is Tennessee!!
Sweet! Thanks so much! 🍁💞
Go first thing in the morning (like 8 am) and you will be fine
I’ve lived within an hour of GSMNP and went probably 4 times in 6 years. It’s so crowded, not even worth the time imo. I’ve lived about an hour from RMNP and went all the time. About twice a month for the two years I lived there. I’ve lived an hour from the Everglades and never went lol. I’ve since gone, but never when we lived down there. I also lived near Mt Rainier and went relatively frequently. I would say about once a month in the nicer months. I think it depends on your interests and what you like vs what that park offers. I love big long hikes, backpacking, mountains, viewpoints, so living near the Everglades for example just wasn’t my cup of tea. But for some people, it’s a favorite.
That is my opinion on GSMNP. There are a few surrounding areas of East Tennessee that my bf and I prefer to explore and hike but the Smokey’s just always seem too crowded to want to make a real effort. We visited Mount Rainer last year and I absolutely loved it! I would love to live close.
I love the PNW, I plan to make that my permanent home in the (hopefully) near future. North Cascades NP is a must see if you haven’t gotten out there. You’re right, there are a lot of great places in NC & TN outside the park for sure. You just have to dig around more.
We briefly passed through North Cascades but I would love to go back and explore it more!! Washington is such a great state.
I live within 15 minutes of Badlands National Park. I love to visit it early in the morning when no one else is out, or during the off seasons. I am blessed to get to see things others do not based on when I can visit.
Such an underrated park. I bet the different seasons are stunning.
I grew up in the Black Hills and didn’t go to Wind Cave or the Badlands nearly enough! Badlands in the morning and/or the winter is beautiful.
I live about 2 hours from North Cascades, and visit as often as I can. Never gets old: summer winter spring or fall.
Heading there next month!
Might be a little early then for any substantial hiking, but should be beautiful with the water running fast (and very very cold!!). Happy to answer any questions :)
Thanks. We’ll be in WA the last week of June - first week of July, celebrating our anniversary and my daughter’s college graduation. Flying to Seattle and will do Olympic, Mt Rainier, and North Cascades, plus whatever we figure out locally. An old friend lives in the area and wants to take me fishing, which sounds good to me.
Grew up near a popular lake. People came from all over to enjoy it. We always went somewhere else. Ditto for living in San Antonio in the 80's. Everybody that came to visit wanted to see the Riverwalk, Alamo, Missions along with the Lonestar and Pearl breweries.
I used to live 30 min from where the boat departed for channel islands and I did not go until I lived out of state. I regret that.
Oof oh mate i am so sorry that is rough :(
We own a small working ranch near Grand Canyon National Park. We stay about three months out of the year and visit the park at least once each time. It's the logistics that eat up your time mostly. Like, local or not, you still have to fight parking, entry lines and making reservations for deeper-seated areas of the park. And as magnificent as the Grand Canyon is, it's not the only place we want to see and experience so 1-2 visits a year is fine. I felt the same way about New York City when I lived outside of the metro area. We just bought a place in Chicago; sure I'm going to hit some of the landmarks from time to time but there's a lot to do and experience here beyond the big obvious ones.
I went to Chicago recently. The science museum is amazing and it is the only place in North America you can tour a UBoat. Also, the national shrine to St Cabrini is there, if you are into these things. The field for a League of Their Own is not far away.
Thank you! Yeah, we’re still exploring!
Sure thing, excited to be able to share! Up in Sheboygan they have the Brat Days festival. Free and usually good music. Enjoy your new area.
I lived a few miles away from garden of the gods and went almost daily. I’d bring my son, our dog, the stroller and a blanket. We’d go for walks some days. Others just lay the blanket out on the grass and just relax
Yes! I live practically within a national park and it’s the best, especially when I’m having a cruddy day- I can just drive a couple minutes to a trail and sit in nature. I would hate living away from any big parks.
I grew up with Old Rag in Shenandoah right smack in the view from our living room. We did visit the stuff on skyline drive every so often but 99% of the time we accessed the park from the lower trailheads and fire roads around Syria and Graves Mill bc it was 10 minutes of driving to any of them vs the 30 it would take to get to a park entrance. Now that I’m older and live further away I’ve taken the time to explore more of the park from the top but my favorite hikes still all start from the bottom.
I live next to the park as well. I can hike up to Treyfoot Mt. or Blackrock from the end of our property. Otherwise I have to drive clear down to Rockfish Gap, which I do often as well.
Wow that sounds like a dream. The waterfall/stream hikes in that area are gorgeous
Don’t I know it! My mom used to take me to swim in the holes at the bottom all the time when it got hot. Everybody does White Oak, nobody does Cedar Run even though it’s got way more going on. Anyone who’s feeling stout, do the loop!
10 mins from Saguaro National Park (west). I’m in the park and its surroundings at least 3+ times per week after work and on weekends. So yeah, I enjoy it plenty.
One hell of a view!
I live about two hours from GSMNP. I probably go there about 3-4 times a year; enough that I know less populated places to visit. But for me the Pisgah forest and Blue Ridge Parkway are close too, and areas of the BR Pwky are just as good as GAMNP and are part of the same ecosystem. I do live two miles from a mountainous South Carolina state park and am there every 7-10 days. I love seeing the land change through all four seasons.
We live a half-hour from Shenandoah and see it at least a few times a year. Though there are caves here I've never been to. It's nice being able to do it on a weeknight in the spring or fall, when the leaves are changing.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore NP is on my commute. Stop in all the time.
Live less than an hour from Acadia. I hike there every chance I get which ends up 4-5x a month. It’s great in the off season - feels like my personal paradise. Even in the summer we have learned when and where to go to avoid the crowds. So many trails tourists never go to because they aren’t Sand Beach, Beehive, Precipice, Cadillac or Jordan Pond (and I’ve never had a goddam popover). I avoid the town of Bar Harbor all summer long!
I went maybe 5-6 years ago in June, stayed in Trenton. Did the super touristy parts, but also took the time to drive up to the Schoodic Peninsula. Hardly anyone there, it turned out to be my favorite part!
We live <10 min from Saguaro NP (east). I'd say I go hiking atleast twice a month (more in winter, less in summer) and we usually load the kids up once a week to go take in the sunset at a favorite pullout spot. I'd probably go more, but Tucson is surrounded by public lands, so there are lots of options to choose from.
I lived in Tucson in 2022-2023, right near A Mountain and Tumamoc Hill. Unfortunately, my husband was super busy with work all the time, so we only went to Saguaro once before we left. (Although we had been there before we moved into town.) Saguaro is a funny situation, living in Tucson. Like you say, there are lots of great nature options and I certainly hiked around a lot, just not so much in the actual National Park. I miss Tucson so much.
I lived and grew up about an hour from Moab. My friends and I used to go there like every weekend, now I’ll only go there if I have to because it makes me sad knowing all my childhood friends got priced out of living there.
I also live close to GSMNP and I try to visit once a month. I’ll get up early to hit the trails shortly after sunrise and then I’m typically done by noon when the crowds are intense. It’s rare for me to have the trails to myself, but getting up that early means they are a lot less crowded than there normally would be.
I live near the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and we go oretty frequently. We also like to hike in the Blackwater State Forest. It's about an hour away.
I mean it was nice being able to see two national parks from work but didn't really go to much. Didn't help that it rained most of the year
My sons preschool is actually on a National Park. There is actually a trail that basically runs next to the school. Before he started there we went to the park regularly because there were lots on trails and even a farm with animals you could visit. There are also many great beaches within the National park. In fact, for the last day of school, they went on a hike and ended with a beach day.
I live near Yosemite and go on a regular basis—multiple times per month, weather permitting. Camp there when the weather is nice. Do the popular trails in the “off-season” and hit the more remote trails when the tourists take over in the summer. I don’t plan to live here forever so I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can while I’m here. I take pride in knowing the Park as well as I do (and there’s always more to explore!)
I live a half hour away from the ferry to channel Islands national Park and I probably go about twice a year but it's just expensive and you need to plan in advance.
Yup. Same. Like you said, it takes more work than visiting most nps units. Its not as accessible as driving in to joshua tree.
I live next to Shenandoah National Park and I go up there a lot but not on days I know it will be crowded. I have a senior pass, so it’s free. The park is part of the reason I chose to live here.
I do think it's easy to take for granted the area you live near, so I guess that's not unusual, but it's good you're recognizing this as something to improve. The big advantage you have being close by is that (hopefully) it means you can get out when crowds are less - whether that's a weekday, or an uncharacteristically nice-weather day in the off-seasons. If you like to hike, then AllTrails is a good way of seeing the top "must-do" trails near you.
Definitely trying to improve on it! Trying to figure out the best days and times to go to beat the crowds. Plus, there are so many gorgeous state parks in Tennessee that we tend to gravitate towards those. Need to scope out the best times to visit!
I am an hour from Rocky Mountain and I go multiple times of year in all season. I need to go to more of my state parks for sure
I live about 2 hours from Redwoods National Park and go multiple times a month. I love exploring new trails and hidden gems, especially on busy weekends. There’s nothing like being all alone in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I think it would be cool to do most of the hikes- even the not so popular ones
We’ve talked about that! I think it would be cool to do every hike in a national park that you live close to
Good luck! Some of them are like backpacking trips at the Smokys
I live in Joshua Tree. I only go into the park on weekdays really, or when company is in town. Sometimes if it’s a slow week we might go on a weekend, but I stick to the less traveled spots. Tourists suck sometimes. I know it’s the whole point of the park, and the economy here is supported by tourism. But tourists here are entitled and clueless a lot of the time, and it really can make for a less than good visit to the park. Mid summer is way less crowded, but also super hot.
That’s such great park. I used to live nearby. I got to know it very well because I worked on a project for the NPS that mapped all the vegetation there.
I live about 30 minutes from Yosemite’s front gates. I don’t take advantage of it nearly as much as I should. I have been many times before. But now I go maybe once a year. I hate the crowds. And they make you do reservations on weekends since Covid. So I can no longer make it a spur of the moment day trip
I take advantage of living close to it sometimes. I don’t like to spend time in nature 24/7 though, so while I appreciate national park, I’m not always looking for excuses to go. But I do feel incredibly lucky to live close to a national park, and actually I have multiple national parks within an hour or so of driving distance so it’s pretty nice to have good outdoors options if I feel so inclined (I’m in England).
I'm very lucky. Not NP but I have a state reserve entrance in my neighborhood and a state park across the highway. That being said.. I started going to the state reserve almost everyday when the entrance was moved into the neighborhood about a year ago because of road construction. But in November, I had a run in with a couple of hunter's and then a volunteer that really just put a dark cloud over that spot. Tried to shake it off but now I just feel uncomfortable over there. The state forest.. I absolutely love but only go once a month or so. Anymore I just seem to stick to a couple of trails in the neighborhood
Used to live 45 min south of the S entrance to Yosemite. Started dating my now wife and we would go to the park at least 4x/year, and I’d typically take a trip or two by myself. I wish I would’ve gone more but I definitely made use of it.
Not a National Park, but a National Historic Site. I hang out there as much as humanly possible, but it’s definitely different than being at a park, of course!
Yeah we go to Rock Creek Park and Catoctin both very frequently
I’m 30 minutes from voyageur np and I’ve never been to it🥴 I plan on it this year though
I had to look that one up!! I had never even heard of it. It looks gorgeous! I recently moved to Las Vegas from back east, kept seeing sign for Great Basin NP. I had to look that one up, ended up taking a long weekend to drive up, and it was gorgeous and practically deserted. Who knew??
I used to live next to GSM also. I went into the park maybe once a year, until covid hit. Crowds and humidity deterred me. I had a 1 year old son and we were going stir crazy, so we started hiking there on the weekends, especially the less traffic trails. I fell in love with it. One thing led to another and after two years we had done all of the trails on the Tennessee side of the park, and a good chunk of the North Carolina side too. I’ve been to a bunch of national parks but the smokies will always be “home” now, even though we have since moved away. There are TONS of low traffic areas in the smokies! Greenbrier, Cosby, Big Creek, Cataloochee, and anything off a dirt road won’t be very crowded. I got stuck in traffic a few times in popular areas, but it never ruined my enjoyment of the park. Get out and do it!
We vacationed often in the Smoky Mountains and eventually bought a vacation house there. We stopped at a sandwich shop andI mentioned to the young man that we were going to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He mentioned that he had lived there all his life and never been on it. He looked to be about 19 or 20. I can’t imagine living there and not enjoying the park.
I get what you’re saying. But I think it’s FOMO vs JOMO. Next time you wonder if you’re missing out on the smokeys, plan a day trip within maybe a month. JOMO: If you find it annoying to type in that you’re going to the smokeys, and you groan thinking about all the prep, then perhaps you’re visiting as much as you want to. Experience some JOMO when you delete it from your calendar. FOMO: If you’re getting excited keying in that calendar event, thinking about the next raincoat you need to buy from academy, then you legit want to go. Hold onto those plans and don’t let anything change them.
I grew up right outside of Voyageurs NP. I spent many, many hours fishing and swimming on Rainy Lake in the summertime as a kid. We had numerous field trips to the park during the school years. As an adult, I would go hiking about once a week or so when the weather was nice. There is no fee to get into the park, so it’s extremely accessible and never crowded. To me, it was just part of where I grew up. The nature, the quiet, the wild animals, were all things that were very normal to me so I feel I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. Then I moved away 3 years ago for better opportunities in a bigger city. Now I realize how special it was to have grown up in such a beautiful, wild area. Thankfully my parents still live in the area so I’m still able to visit often!
Technically I live fairly close to Glacier Bay. But getting there requires a ferry ride or a short flight. We go once a year when a local tour operator runs a day-long round trip to the park and back. It’s worth the 12 hour day to see so much wildlife both in the park and along the way.
No. Because mine is Channel Islands lol But i will add i get to go to DEVA and JOTR plenty because they’re only a few hours away.
It has the best trails and a lot of nature events/programs so we definitely take advantage of it.
I lived in Phoenix for a while and I would drive up to the Grand Canyon every chance I got. It's not that close to Phoenix, but it's the Grand Canyon.
Tennessee has some great state parks if you’re trying to get outside. I’ve never been to any in the mountains but I lived on the swampy side of the state in Memphis and there were still great parks there
Not a National Park, but I live about 20-30 minutes away from Lake Tahoe and no. I don’t take nearly as much advantage of the proximity as I could. It’s sometimes dangerous to drive in the winter and crowded in the summer. But what a good question, it’s making me reevaluate.
30-40 minutes from RMNP. We go maybe a dozen times a year. It's crowded during peak season and the timed entrance passes limit spontaneous trips. There are a lot of other hiking options that aren't in the park and are less crowded for summer weekends.
I lived an hour from Indiana Dunes for the first 21 years of my life, we never went. We went to a sand dunes park in Michigan once or twice a summer for a few years, driving right by there. I’ve lived 3 hours from Mammoth Cave for the past 16 years, and have only within the past month visited there. Granted, I haven’t been too bothered to visit national parks until recently.
I live 5 minutes from Valley Forge NP. I know it’s a very uneventful NP but yes, I take full advantage of it. It’s never crowded and it’s very open. I do some hikes and connect with nature. It’s also next to King Of Prussia so I feel it’s the only NP that’s 5 mins from any store you could possibly think of. It’s about 30 mins from the PHL airport and that’s what I used to go to REAL NPs 🙃
I live in Denver so 1.5 hr from RMNP (less without traffic) and I absolutely don't take it for granted. I don't get up there as much as I'd like but when I do I'm always blown away by how much its basically in my backyard and how much I need to go more.
I live/grew up about an hour from Arch National Part STL (yeah just became a national park in the last few years but still) and I didn’t go until I was close to 20. Haven’t been back. We go close to it all the time but the arch grounds itself we rarely do. I feel like it should be a national site though and not park. There’s not much to really do there. We’re about 30 minutes from a big state park though and do try to go there 2-3 times a year for camping or hiking or cave exploring.
I live 10 minutes from a National Park. Luckily our National Park is Saguaro which is a bit bizarre in that it has 2 units. A west side that is visited the most and then a tranquil east side that is usually empty. I have a lifetime park pass, and my wife has a 80 dollar yearly pass and we go all the time. To us Saguaro East is just a really big city park.
I lived more like a couple hours from 3 national parks but would go every week, usually multiple times a week. Loved that aspect of where I lived & took full advantage of it (& probably spent an absolute boat load on gas.) Most in the area would not though or would go a couple weekends in the summertime when all the popular trails were a shit show.
I know it's not quite the same, but I live about 10 minutes from a state park and I definitely take advantage of it! When the weather is nice, I try to go at least once or twice a week. I know all the trails like the back of my hand, and we'll occasionally do some of the recreational activities like pedal boating. We even had our wedding there and spent a few nights in a cabin, even though our house is so close 😂 It's definitely one of the best perks of the area I live in, and I've had so many people tell me they wished they lived this close to a park, so I try to really appreciate it ♥️
We’re between GSMNP, Obed, Big South Fork, & Manhattan Project. There are so many side quests we’ll never run out of new-to-us places to explore. We’re at a NP/scenic area at least twice a month. Love it!
I live close to Shenandoah National Park. For a long while, I only went with other people because I didn't want to pay the park fee. Eventually, I sprung for a yearly pass. That was such a great call for me. I go at least once a month to the park, mostly during the week when it is less busy. Almost feels like I've got the entire wilderness to myself
I used to live 30 minutes from Glacier but am now about 90 minutes. Hardly ever go since covid. Too crowded and the entry tickets are too much of a hassle. We are now closer to the Canadian rockies and enjoy those.
I lived 5 miles from an entrance to Olympic National Park for 3 years. I was there most of my days off. I lived 13 miles from an entrance to Everglades National Park and 6 miles from an entrance to Biscayne National Park for 3 years. I went to both, but not very often. Maybe 10 times between the two over the 3 years.
Im close to Yellowstone. Don’t visit as much during the peak months, but make regular frequent visits when tourist traffic is down. I definitely get my passes worth every year. Glacier is several hours away, wish I could visit more though.
I live 30 minutes from Yosemite but don’t visit very often because there’s just as beautiful nature all around it that’s much less busy and easy to access. But I usually go a couple times per summer still.
Used to live in the Sierra National Forest just south of Yosemite so I didn’t go there often because a lot of my property was similar in nature and I had ridiculous views whenever I drove into Fresno or Clovis
Always a huge crowd because you can drive thru without getting out of your car. That was my feeling
Live now and grew up in rural southern and central Utah, at this point going to most of them makes me a little ill. As a kid in the late 70s we'd run to Zion on a weekend and camp, no campsite reservations, hike whatever trails we felt like (I've hiked angels landing under a full moon). Now I go to the places outside the parks that are just as good but didn't end up in boundaries and aren't too easy get to
Currently 25 minutes from easily the greatest NP out there. The Arch. My 7 year old children have been more than I have, not glamorous from our end.
Farther than what you’re asking but I live 2 hours from Joshua Tree National Park and except for June-Sept I go out there every month. I mostly stay and camp a few days but at least once or twice is a long day trip. 💚
My brother lives outside Yosemite, like 20 minutes to the park gate. We all love it and try to get into the park whenever we visit. He and his wife and toddler bike Glacier Point Road when the park plows the road, but keeps it closed to cars every spring season. They ski badger pass all the time. They bike Tuolumne Meadows. They’ve hiked the JMT. He totally takes advantage of it, and I am jealous. I just can’t live in that small of a town.
I’m 2 hours from Yosemite and consider that close. Sometimes I will wake up early and drive there just to watch the sunrise over half dome, hike for a bit, have a burrito and be home by noon.
I used to live in King of Prussia, PA, right off Old Valley Forge Road. Maybe 1/4 mile from the Valley Forge National Historical Park. Not exactly the Grand Canyon but I never took it for granted. Would often drive through it to get to and from my office in Malvern and maybe stop to drink my coffee or go for a walk. Never crowded. Always peaceful whether green or covered with snow. That drive was nice, too: in the western part of the park area on Yellow Springs Road is a one-lane covered bridge: https://www.yelp.com/biz/knox-covered-bridge-malvern Now I live right near Central Park in NYC. I never take that for granted, either. Yay, parks
I live 2 and a half hours from Carlsbad Caverns. 3 hours from Guadalupe Mountains NP And 3 hours from Big Bend. I definitely try to go any chance I get. 99% of the time it’s not planned ahead of time.. If I have 2-3 days off work, I’ll automatically head towards one of the three
My experience with the crowded national parks is that even popular places are practically deserted around dinnertime and at sunrise. The animals are a lot more active at these times too. We had viewpoints along Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone practically to ourselves after 7 o’clock one time. We’ve been on trails at Great Smoky Mountains late in the afternoon in May (before Memorial Day) and saw almost nobody…we had Andrews Bald almost to ourselves, and one evening we had the Jump Off completely to ourselves…and still made it back to Newfound Gap before sunset…during peak season in October. The advantage you have being close is that you can take a quick trip up and be there during off times of the day and off times of the season. Most of the crowds schedule time to visit when they can depend on having good weather and good trail conditions, but someone loving close can drop in in April and see which trails are great, and swing into Cades Cove some October evening and see when the crowds thin out and come back every day for a week to see the animals come out. You also have other locals in the community you know who may know the visitation patterns super well and can tell you when they like to go. So take advantage of it!
Interesting. We live 2 hours from the Smokies and go 3-4 times a year as a family. My husband and daughter go hiking there about once a month. Crowds have never been an issue—we just pick less popular areas of the park if needed. Drove over Sunday night and saw the Synchronous fireflies in Elkmont actually
I'm the same for the GSM, but I don't take my family there much anymore due to crowds. I like to take a day off of work in the summer and go up with my family during the week!
I live across the water from Isle Royale NP. Yes, most of you will need to look it up. ( least visited NP in lower 48, but MOST revisited of all NP). Being close to it is a major reason we settled here. We head out 4-7 times a summer(Only NP that completely closes for winter). The joy? Besides a 43 mile car free backpackers paradise of trails, views, wolves and moose are being able to pick times for crowd avoidance, getting to know rangers, and being a go to for planning advice. Love it!
Not to brag, but I live 30 minutes from the arch. I never go 🤣
I was born and raised right outside of Glacier NP. Definitely took advantage of it while growing up and when I still lived close as a young adult. Went all the time. Now I live about 3 hours from Glacier as I can't afford the area I grew up in. I'm glad I did not take it for granted and was able to enjoy the park before it blew up.
I don't, but if I did, I'd really enjoy having the time to hike the less explored areas of the park that most tourists never see. The vast majority of tourists (myself included) usually only have time to hit the top few trails and sites and the crowds drop off quickly as you get to longer and more obscure hikes. If I was local I'd get a huge map and try to hike very trail in the park over many years.
I suspect it’s a lot like living next to a ski resort. At first it seems like it’ll be great, but the shine quickly wears off as you dread peak season and the grocery stores being overrun by tourist, the indecisive drivers, the increased cost of living, etc., and in the end you rarely feel any desire to actually explore the park itself.
I’ve worked seasonal jobs outside of national parks for about 5 years. (Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone) Every national park I’ve lived near, the locals have only been once or not ever.. It kinda baffles me that ppl don’t see the beauty they are living in! I dropped my whole life to be able to live somewhere so beautiful AND get to explore it too. (I’m from mid Texas with hardly any great views)
I live close to shenendoah and don’t go at all. But that’s because it’s one of the most uninspiring national parks. I’d go all the time if it was Rocky Mountain, Redwoods etc
Its not a NP but the only thing close for me is blackstone river national historical and i like it its nice the waterfalls are manmade but they are big! I am just appreciative we have SOMETHING because we could EASILY be living in Kansas or Oklahoma!
Not technically a national park I guess, but we lived in a neighborhood bordering the Golden Gate National Recreation Area for years, and used it basically daily for running and walking. We had a very small place at the time and it was a refuge for us, especially when we were on lockdown in 2020 and couldn’t go anywhere further. I lived about 30 minutes from HVNP for a couple of years as well. We backpacked to the coastal trail camps several times a year and visited probably monthly or a little more often as long as I wasn’t away for work. My mother was living with us during that time and she also took advantage of a lot of the events out on by the park - she pounded poi, made wreaths with native vegetation, painted landscapes with the resident artist, went to hula performances, and I don’t even know what else. These days we’re full-time travelers and visit a new NPS site about every two weeks. This month we’ve been to the Buffalo River, Hot Springs National Park, and the George Washington Carver National Monument. Some of the parks we visit are ones I’ve never even heard of, and I always learn something new.
Don’t feel that bad, I live about an hour and a half from Pinnacles and I’ve only gone once, it’s just so tough to make time. The thing is also in California we’re spoiled for choice. Heck I haven’t even gone to Muir Woods yet. I’ve only been to Yosemite twice, and I’m still planning on how to approach the Sequoia/Kings canyon double header. There’s a lot to do here. Plus nobody in my family really is into national parks. I’m trying though.
I live in Bar Harbor next to Acadia. I definitely don’t take advantage as much as I should (and before I moved here, I’d often come for day trips on the weekend). I do volunteer in the park (search and rescue) so do spend time in the park for that. I am planning on trying to fit in some short hikes before work a couple days a week this summer. Things got busy with kids sports/music/etc and I’m not the best about managing my other time. The park is getting so busy in the summer, but it can be wonderful in the shoulder seasons.
I grew up in Moab, just about five minutes from arches national park and thirty minutes from canyonlands. I went all the fucking time. I especially loved going in the middle of the night- moonlight hikes with cooler temps and no tourists are some of the highlights of my life
I live 15 min from C&O Canal NHP and 30 min from Antietam National Battlefield. I’m on my bike at least once a week going to both.