John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged national parks · everything

www.explore.com

Beautiful US National Parks To Add To Your October Bucket List

This travel guide recommends 14 U.S. national parks ideal for October visits, highlighting each park's specific autumn attractions—from fall foliage and wildlife viewing to stargazing and cooler hiking temperatures. The parks range from Glacier and Rocky Mountain in the north to Joshua Tree and Big Bend in the southwest, with details on signature trails, seasonal activities like elk rutting season, and practical benefits like fewer summer crowds and lower costs than city travel.

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summitborn.com

The 15 Most Beautiful Destinations to Visit on the American West Coast

This is a travel guide listing 15 major attractions along the USA West Coast, from Washington to California, including national parks, coastal towns, and cities. Each destination is briefly described with its key features—such as Olympic National Park's rainforests, Yosemite's granite cliffs, Big Sur's dramatic coastline, and Napa Valley's wineries—along with recommended activities like hiking, kayaking, and sightseeing. The guide is organized to appeal to various traveler types: nature lovers, adventure seekers, foodies, and culture enthusiasts seeking diverse West Coast experiences.

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Islands

The Best KOA Campgrounds Around North America For Stunning Views And Exciting Attractions - Islands

A roundup piece profiling 13 KOA campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada chosen specifically for the scenery visible from the sites themselves, not just proximity to attractions—ranking spans the brand's three tiers (Journey, Holiday, Resort) to show that even basic locations can rival pricier ones. Each entry pairs the campground's on-site views (Devils Tower framed by your tent, Rockies visible from Denver West, Kachemak Bay mountains in Homer, Acadia coastline in Bar Harbor) with nearby national parks or cultural draws worth the detour. Useful as a planning reference for scenic RV/tent stops near major U.S. and Canadian landmarks, plus a quick explainer of what distinguishes KOA's tiers and its rewards program.

Permalink campingnational parksroad tripsoutdoor

www.backpacker.com

The 37 Best Waterfall Hikes in America

This is a roundup piece that compiles four previous waterfall-hike lists into one reference: a 20-fall national ticklist (top pick Alamere Falls, CA), a personal-favorites list highlighting spots like Ricketts Glen, PA, a Colorado-specific list of 12 falls curated by a local guidebook writer, and a bonus list of frozen winter waterfalls like the Apostle Islands ice caves. It closes with practical safety tips—checking flow conditions, wearing proper footwear, and avoiding common accident scenarios near ledges and swift water—making it useful as a season-spanning planning resource rather than a single curated list.

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www.travelandleisure.com

The 15 Least-visited National Parks in the US for Beautiful Views and Adventure Without the Crowds

The article profiles the least-visited U.S. national parks, explaining why remote parks receive far fewer visitors and offering practical context for would-be travelers. It highlights remote Alaska entries such as [[Gates of the Arctic]], [[Kobuk Valley]], and [[Lake Clark]] alongside island and mainland outliers like [[Isle Royale]], [[Dry Tortugas]], and [[American Samoa]], and links low visitation to factors including limited access, seasonal weather, high travel cost, and deliberate preservation policies. The piece summarizes visitation statistics, terrain and wildlife characteristics, access logistics, and recommended planning tips including permits, transportation, safety, and leave-no-trace practices so readers can understand trade-offs between solitude and infrastructure and decide whether an adventurous, less-crowded national park experience is right for them. It also offers suggestions for timing visits to maximize wildlife viewing and photography opportunities while minimizing environmental impact.

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www.thetravel.com

Train From Denver To Moab: How To Take This Scenic, Bucket-List Journey

The Rocky Mountaineer's Denver-to-Moab route is a two-day luxury train journey through Colorado and Utah that traverses iconic landmarks including the Moffat Tunnel, Byers Canyon, and Ruby Canyon before ending in Moab near Arches National Park. The trip includes an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs with hot springs access, world-class dining and service in glass-domed coaches, and costs between $1,599 and $2,159 per guest depending on service level. The train operates April through October on Wednesdays and Sundays, offering an alternative to typical American car travel with dramatic southwestern scenery.

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www.outsideonline.com

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

National Park Service campgrounds have become increasingly difficult to book, with camping visits exceeding 13 million overnight stays in 2022, so advance planning is essential. The piece details eight of the most coveted and hard-to-reserve campgrounds across the system—from Yellowstone's Slough Creek to Acadia's remote Duck Harbor—providing specific booking windows, fees, best sites, and nearby hiking or outdoor activities for each. The takeaway is practical: start reservations six months in advance through Recreation.gov on a rolling basis, or risk ending up at an RV park instead of your dream national park campsite.

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www.outsideonline.com

The Best Hike in Every State

This is a state-by-state guide to the best single hike in each of the 50 United States, selected by the publication's writers and editors based on considerations like scenic beauty, terrain variety, and distinctive features. Each entry includes a brief description of the hike's route, elevation gain, length, and what makes it noteworthy—whether that's waterfalls, alpine views, cultural landmarks, or wildlife encounters. The selections range from accessible short walks like Michigan's Pyramid Point (easy family-friendly dune views) to challenging multi-day backpacking routes like Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness and the John Muir Trail in California.

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www.nationalparkstraveler.org

RVing The Parks | Top Tips For National Parks With RV Hookup Campsites

Only 13 of the National Park System's 130 camping destinations offer RV hookups, with just five parks providing full hookups (water, sewer, and electric), making these sites highly competitive and requiring advance reservations six months or more ahead. Full hookups in national parks offer practical advantages like climate control for vulnerable populations, reliable power for medical devices, and reduced generator noise, while allowing visitors to spend more time actually exploring the parks rather than traveling to distant private campgrounds. Success requires knowing your RV's exact dimensions, understanding each park's different reservation system, and carrying proper supplies like water filters and surge protectors to protect both your equipment and the parks' infrastructure.

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www.mentalfloss.com

51 Must-Visit National Park Properties Across America

This is a state-by-state guide to over 400 National Park Service sites across the United States, highlighting one notable property in each state plus Washington, D.C. Each entry provides a brief description of the site's distinctive features—whether geological formations like the Grand Canyon, historical landmarks like Valley Forge, or cultural heritage sites like the Freedom Riders National Monument—along with specific activities and attractions visitors can expect to find there. The guide serves as a practical reference for planning road trips or identifying NPS destinations within driving distance regardless of location.

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www.mensjournal.com

Nine Trails Added to U.S. National Trails System

The Interior Department added 340 miles of new trails across nine states to the National Trail System, bringing the total to over 91,000 miles, with all nine newly designated trails classified as National Recreation Trails rather than the longer scenic or historic trail categories. The additions range from a one-mile garden trail in Alabama to a 158-mile water trail spanning Wisconsin and Illinois, and include greenways, nature parks, and mountain biking destinations designed to support outdoor recreation and local economies.

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www.wanderluststorytellers.com

The 20 Most Beautiful Places in America You Need to Visit Before You Die

I've only been to 9 out of 20 :(

This is a listicle showcasing 20 of the most visually striking natural destinations across the United States, including national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, as well as distinctive geological formations like Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley. Each entry briefly describes the key features that make the location appealing—dramatic landscapes, wildlife viewing opportunities, hiking trails, or photographic potential—along with affiliated booking links for tours and accommodations. The piece is primarily a travel planning resource designed to inspire visitors and direct them toward booking travel services.

Permalink travelnational parksunited statestourism