Secrets of the National Parks

Too many national park vacations are exercises in contradictions: explorations of the natural world… spent mostly in the car. A search for a tranquil Eden… in the company of hundreds of other photo-snappers. But the national parks are more than Mother Earth's answer to the fast-food drive-through: Get out and explore by foot (or raft, or kayak, or bike), and you'll be rewarded with a more fulfilling experience. Concierge.com asked some park insiders—rangers, guides, neighbors, and others—to give us their best advice on how to avoid the crowds and even save a bit of money at a selection of ten parks, some well-known, others way off the beaten path.

Published May 2009. Pictured: Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park, California

Death Valley National Park, California

The setting: The hottest, driest, lowest place in North America, Death Valley is at once harsh and beautiful.

The inside scoop: Head to Golden Canyon, says Brad Day, the founder of Weekend Sherpa, a Bay Area Web site and newsletter for outdoor enthusiasts. It's near the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and is popular for its golden sandstone, which "resembles swirls of giant marble ice cream." But you can lose the crowds after the first mile by following the turnoff to Gower Gulch. A four-mile trail loops around the gulch, which you'll likely have all to yourself. Just be ready to rejoin the masses at the Visitor Center.

Plan B: Hike 9,064-foot Wildrose Peak, a particularly appealing option come summer, since temperatures will be much more bearable this high up (summer temps can spike to 120 degrees in some parts of the valley). The view from the top, says Day, "is arguably the best in the park." He also recommends bringing a picnic to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, just east of Stovepipe Wells Village, and climbing up a spine to catch the sunset.

Money-saving tip: Instead of the famous Furnace Creek Inn (which closes in summer), book a cabin at the less expensive Furnace Creek Ranch. For $124, you'll get a motel-style room with AC and access to a pool, golf course, and tennis courts.

When to go: Fall and spring are more bearable than the heat of summer. If you do come between June and August, be prepared with plenty of water—a gallon per person per day is recommended—and heed ranger warnings about heat exposure.

Denali National Park, Alaska

The setting: Named after its centerpiece, the tallest mountain on the continent (also known as Mount McKinley), Denali is a mix of green-carpeted forest, rock, and snow, and a home to a wide variety of wildlife.

The inside scoop: Traffic on the park's main road is limited to tour and shuttle buses beyond Mile 15. If wildlife is what you're after, park public affairs officer Kris Fister—who has worked at Denali since the mid-1990s—advises boarding a bus at least as far as Mile 53, near the Toklat River. The three-hour ride will take you past wide-open fields with low alpine vegetation—the better for spotting caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and even grizzly bear. If you're set on seeing Denali itself, camp out at Wonder Lake (bring mosquito repellent) and set your alarm for 1:00 a.m.: The sky never completely darkens in summer this close to the Arctic Circle, and very early in the morning is the best time to see the mountain without its usual veil of clouds.

Plan B: If you're short on time, says Fister (perhaps your cruise ship awaits in Anchorage?), Primrose Ridge is a great hike just past Mile 15; you can leave your car near the ranger station at the Savage River and then follow the ridge as it rises 1,500 feet above the road.

Money-saving tip: The park shuttles are less expensive than the bus tours, and the drivers will still stop for wildlife viewing; they know the park well enough to help you figure out what you're looking at. Reservations for either buses or shuttles should be made in advance. Airfares have dropped slightly this summer: $475 from San Francisco to Anchorage, compared with $525 last August.

When to go: Denali's season is short—park transportation starts running in late May and stops in mid-September. Fister likes late August; by then, the moose have their new coats, the mosquitoes are gone, and the foliage has already started to turn.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

The setting: Big Bend National Park encompasses nearly 250 miles of the Rio Grande on the U.S. side of the Mexican border. The diversity of the landscape means that you can visit a river, desert, and mountain range in a single day.

The inside scoop: Jack Sullivan, operations manager at the Far Flung Outdoor Center, has been hiking, biking, and rafting in the park since he was 19. If you've taken the trouble to drive all the way to Big Bend (it's five hours from El Paso), he recommends a multiday float on the Rio Grande through Santa Elena Canyon. The 20-mile trip takes you past spectacular 1,500-foot limestone cliffs. You can do it in two days, or choose a three-day version that includes hikes into side canyons along the way. You can float along in a raft, which is powered by the guides, or opt for a canoe and do the work yourself.

Plan B: Hike the south rim of Chisos Basin. While the surrounding desert averages only 10 inches of rain per year, this mountain range gets about 24 inches, so it's a completely different ecosystem, with black bears and oak trees.

Money-saving tip: The only hotel in the park, the Chisos Mountains Lodge, costs just $110 per night. A three-day float trip with Far Flung is $440 a person, including meals and camping gear.

When to go: Summer temperatures peak around 115 degrees, but it's a dry heat—and a little cooler on the water. If you want a bigger ride, river levels tend to be higher in October.

Yosemite National Park, California

The setting: A favorite of early environmentalist John Muir, Yosemite combines sheer rock cliffs and Sequoia forests that rise up the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range.

The inside scoop: Come summer, "Yosemite Valley is full and can feel overwhelming," says Lissie Kretch, who spent four years working for the Yosemite Institute, which runs environmental education programs. "But getting out of your car and onto a trail means you lose most of the visitors." One of the valley's less-visited routes runs from Mirror Lake to Snow Creek Falls, an eight-mile round-trip with gorgeous views of Half Dome.

Plan B: Tuolumne Meadows (pictured) opens only in the summer, so the human impact is reduced. Kretch recommends "finding a spot to sit and watch the clouds burst along the Tuolumne River. If you're up for it, hike Mount Hoffman, which is the geographical center of the park and supposedly Muir's favorite peak."

Money-saving tip: There's no need to rent a car in Yosemite. You can take public transportation into the park from San Francisco: Amtrak links to the Yosemite Area Rapid Transportation System via Merced for just $30 each way.

When to go: Since Yosemite does see a fair amount of weekend traffic from San Francisco and Sacramento, try to time your visit for midweek; hotel rates will be lower, and the trails emptier.

Glacier National Park, Montana

The setting: Glacier National Park is a stunning million-acre forest carved by ancient glaciers, the remnants of which are still visible—but quickly disappearing.

The inside scoop: Woody and Betsy Cox fulfilled their dreams when they retired to nearby Whitefish in 2002 and bought a B&B. They like to take a bottle of wine and head out on the Avalanche Lake trail (pictured), which meanders for about two miles beside a trickling stream and ends with a heart-stopping view of waterfalls emptying into the crystal-clear lake.

Plan B: Enter the park from the eastern border, which is far less touristed than the west, and visit the Many Glacier area. Here you can hike to Grinnell, one of the park's few remaining glaciers, and sit on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake, surrounded by mountains.

Money-saving tip: Rooms at the Coxes' B&B, the Good Medicine Lodge, start at just $100—and that includes a hearty, home-cooked breakfast.

When to go: The park is open from mid-June until the first snowfall, usually in October, but planning a trip on either edge of the season is a gamble with the weather gods. The last week of August and first of September typically see warm temperatures yet fewer crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana

The setting: The country's first—and probably still best known—national park, Yellowstone is famous for both its otherworldly geological features (geysers, hot springs, and more) and its iconic mammals, including bison and elk.

The inside scoop: The Lower Loop of the Yellowstone road is the most crowded; the Upper Loop, a bit less so. But the least populated corner of the park is the Lamar Valley, through which runs the road from the Upper Loop to Cooke City, Montana. According to Lee Whittlesey, the park historian and a 30-year Yellowstone veteran, this also happens to be the place where you're most likely to spot the large predators—bears and wolves. "It's the American Serengeti," he says. He should know: He's written eight books on Yellowstone.

Plan B: Don't miss the two most popular sights in the park: Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Instead of watching Old Faithful with the hoi polloi down on the boardwalk, hike about one mile up the Observation Point Trail to a quiet spot that overlooks the famous geyser. For the canyon, Artist Point is the busiest viewing spot, but if you're reasonably fit and not afraid of heights, clamber the quarter mile down Uncle Tom's Trail, which drops you 500 feet into the ravine.

Money-saving tip: Accommodations within the park are relatively expensive and in high demand. Outside the park, you'll generally find cheaper options in Gardiner, by the north entrance, than in West Yellowstone.

When to go: Since the park isn't near any major cities that would bring in weekend traffic, it's equally crowded every day of the week. The park tends to get quieter at the end of August, when kids are getting back to school, and the weather is still pleasant through early September.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

The setting: Oregon's only national park, Crater Lake is centered on the country's deepest lake, created by the eruption and subsequent collapse of Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago.

The inside scoop: You shouldn't miss hiking down into the caldera on the short but steep Cleetwood Cove trail, but since it's the only route down to the lake and the popular boat tours, it tends to get crowded. Karl Samson, who wrote Frommer's Oregon and has visited Crater Lake more than ten times, suggests supplementing that with the quieter, 2.5-mile trail up Mount Scott. "The views from this summit on the rim of the caldera are stupendous," he says.

Plan B: Board a boat to Wizard Island (pictured), the cone of a new volcano that is sprouting up in the western end of the lake. The island's two hiking trails will take you up the rocky peak, scattered with a few hardy conifers, and past large chunks of cooled lava. Be prepared to spend the day there, however, since you're not guaranteed a ride back to Cleetwood Cove until the last boat of the day (overnight stays aren't allowed).

Money-saving tip: Have dinner on the deck of the Crater Lake Lodge as you watch the sun go down, then head to your less expensive motel unit ($90–$120) at the Prospect Historic Hotel, less than 45 minutes from the rim of the caldera.

When to go: The park is quieter but not yet snowy in September (Wizard Island closes mid-September). If you visit in late July or early August, take the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail "through meadows that are awash with color," says Samson.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

The setting: This red-rock wonderland is far less touristed—and much bigger—than neighboring Arches National Park.

The inside scoop: Utah resident Cate O'Hare Adams has visited Canyonlands over a dozen times with her family. Her favorite memory of the park comes from a multiday rafting trip through Cataract Canyon with Western River Expeditions. After running 100 miles through the park to Lake Powell—floating calmly down the canyon most of the time, but with one thrilling day of riding more than 30 white-water rapids—guests board a small plane for the scenic flight back to Moab. "My pilot was the former head park ranger for Canyonlands," says Adams, "and he showed us from the air all of the places we had hiked to and camped at the past few days."

Plan B: Bike the White Rim Road, a 100-mile Jeep trail that loops around the "Island in the Sky," a high mesa with endless views. You can reserve permits to camp along the way, or book a guided trip through Rim Tours (from $675 for three days).

Money-saving tip: Adams shares a condo at the Moab Springs Ranch with another family to make the trip more affordable. "They have streams and pools, and hammocks hanging in the trees that are wonderful after a day of mountain biking or hiking," she says. A two-bedroom condo, which can sleep up to eight, goes for just $240 per night. For more advice on visiting this region, including the Grand Canyon, read Condé Nast Traveler's "10 Perfect Days in the American Southwest."

When to go: If you're heading to the park in the heat of summer, book a river tour—where the air is cool and the water even cooler—or plan to get out early and spend the middle of the day by your condo's pool.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

The setting: Located on the Big Island, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park includes sections of two of the world's most active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

The inside scoop: "Most people come to the park expecting to drive up to a river of molten lava," says Christina Hoffman, a biology professor at the University of Hawaii who has also led hiking trips for Hawaii Forest and Trail since 1997. "Sadly for them, this is not the case. Currently, Kilauea's lava flows are inaccessible from the ground." Instead, Hoffman recommends the Kilauea Iki trail, a four-mile loop that drops from the rain forest onto the floor of a former lava lake, where tough pioneer plants like the scarlet-colored Ohi'a lehua flower sprout next to tufts of steam still rising from cracks in the earth.

Plan B: Though you may need to contend with some crowds, Hoffman says you shouldn't miss either the Thurston Lava Tube—a tunnel formed by lava flow—or the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, where you can learn about the work being done by volcanologists in the park and have a sheltered view of Kilauea.

Money-saving tip: If you don't feel like pitching your own tent at the Namakanipaio campground, stay at the Volcano House Hotel's rustic camper cabins; they sleep four, in one double bed and two twin bunks, for $55 per night.

When to go: The crowds decrease between Labor Day and Christmas, and you'll have the park more or less to yourself if you start your hike before 10:00 a.m.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

The setting: Picture the juxtaposition of the tallest dunes in North America with the 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains behind them and the wet meadow below. It's a combination you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else on earth, and together these elements make up the country's newest national park.

The inside scoop: Charles Bedford—who, as state director of the Colorado Nature Conservancy, helped acquire the land and push through the legislation to create this park—calls Great Sand Dunes "one of the crown jewels in Colorado." Experiencing it isn't difficult: There's only one road into the park, which dead-ends at the main visitors center. Right beside the parking lot is an "enormous expanse of sand," says Bedford. "It's like a beach on steroids." Climb a dune, throw yourself off the edge, roll back down to the bottom, and you'll end up with just a little sand in your hair.

Plan B: Sign up for a dude ranch vacation at the Nature Conservancy's Zapata Ranch, which borders the park. You can wander into the dunes between horseback rides to round up cattle or to learn about the herd of 2,000 bison that graze nearby.

Money-saving tip: Call ahead to reserve a spot at Pinyon Flats, the single campground in the park. Bedford calls it "one of the primo camping sites in the country." Aim for a full moon, which will cast magical shadows across the dunes.

When to go: Since the park's altitude is close to 8,000 feet, summertime never gets very hot. In May and June, a river of snowmelt runs right across the dunes; in the fall, cottonwoods and aspens burst with color.



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