God bless our national parks, or somethin

[RGINN]

So since I now got the ways and means, I visited 4 national parks in 3 days. They were all real nice and all. The price was reasonable I guess, ranging from 10 down to 7 dollars, I guess depending upon what they thought the traffic could bear. I wondered about a couple of things though. Most of the rangers were in little buildings collecting your fee or in the gift shop, not out in the field. I did meet one who was a temporary or helper, and from her I learned it is not ok to shake the base of the balanced rock and scream out 'It's falling, run for your lives!' in any language, and apparently it is not the same me taking a leak on a rock as an elk taking a leak on a rock. I also wondered why the government decided that we should have a paved road leading right up to within a hop, skip, and a jump of every feature of note within the park? Wouldn't it contribute to the preservation of our natural resources if you had to drive in on a dirt road, park about five miles out, and WALK to the 'Hole in the Rocks'? It seems to me that would cut down the traffic and you would spend a little more time enjoying the outdoors. As it was, I could drive through all these parks and take pictures out the window of the pick-up, never got out, and got some good ones. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

Rginn, how can you be so insensitive to the handicapped? Don't you know that they can't hike out to see some of those remote features? Thus that would be discrimination. Tsk Tsk. We have a beach near me, where a wooden ramp-walkway leads out onto the beach, about half-way to the water's edge. I heard it was for wheelchair access. Now, what the heck a wheelchair is going to do on the rest of the beach, when they get to the end of that path, ........ I don't know

 

[RGINN]

I did sound a little rough on the handicapped, didn't I? Sorry. It wouldn't bother me to see my entry fee to go towards a shuttle service to get them up closer. If they made the effort to come out and see some of the outdoors, they probably ought to be let in free anyway. Since it is the outdoors which in its natural state is not user friendly and can kill you, they probably ought to expect to encounter a little hardship.

 

[spartacus53]

I don't mind a little bit of paved road for these parks either, but I hope they keep it to a minimum and not to start looking like highways. I guess another reason for the road beside the handicapped is for emergency vehicles. Dirt roads aren't the most stable and can be washed away. God forbid there was an emergency, say a heart attack, major fall, or any other accident a few miles inland; with poor access it may be someones life at risk, including your own. Just a thought.

 

[dirtscratcher]

Last night there was a show on National Park, they said 95 percent of people visiting the parks don't get more than 50 feet from there car. They also mentioned it helps preserve the park by have roads to everything. Aparently they prefer you not to walk the trails or something. I took horses in Glacier once and a ranger told us we should stick to forest service land instead of riding in the park, we were on a trail marked for horses.

 

[RGINN]

You're right, spartacus53, god forbid there was an emergency, even for me. As I said before, it is the outdoors, and it can kill you real quick. I really don't want to see people getting hurt and needing medical care. However, for me, if I'm stupid enough to wander into an unknown desert area with no idea of how to locate water supplies or how to find my way out if lost, I probably deserve to die. If I'm stupid enough to overextend myself beyond what I know my capabilities are, and I know what they are, I probably deserve to die in the great outdoors and have the buzzards pick me clean. Someday somebody will find my bones and be amazed. I'm sorry, I sound pretty negative and hard on the tourists, and I don't mean to. The best thing I do is when I am out in the great outdoors is to watch out for my fellow campers and hikers and try to take care of them. If I have to die, which eventually I will, how bad would it be to kick over from a heart attack underneath a cottonwood tree somewhere along the river? You could do worse. If you want to see even more radical views than I have, go look up my bud Edward Abbey. We think a lot alike, but he's more radical.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

What parks did you visit? I have visited just about every one west of the Mississippi, except for Carlsbad Caverens.

 

[RGINN]

We hit Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, and Colorado National Monument. You really need to spend at least a couple of days in each one, but I did have about a half a day for each one at least. At Mesa Verde, I was going to go down the trail to the petroglyphs from Spruce Tree House, and was reading the sign at the trail head, and a little fat (honestly) ranger came by and said 'Two miles! It's two miles folks!" All I could say was, "Well then, you stay here." He meant well and it was rude of me I guess, but it was funny.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

We hit Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, and Colorado National Monument. You really need to spend at least a couple of days in each one, but I did have about a half a day for each one at least. At Mesa Verde, I was going to go down the trail to the petroglyphs from Spruce Tree House, and was reading the sign at the trail head, and a little fat (honestly) ranger came by and said 'Two miles! It's two miles folks!" All I could say was, "Well then, you stay here." He meant well and it was rude of me I guess, but it was funny.

All great parks and lots to see off the beaten path. I took a tour a Mesa Verde back in the early 70's and got into trouble with the rangers for walking into buildings I wasn't suppose to. I was just so fascinated with it I didn't pay attention to some signs....

I love Arches N.P., and have been there at least 4 times. Took long walks off the roads, but you want to do that in late spring or early Fall as in the dead of summer it gets really hot, and no place to really cool off except your car.

Colorado Monument I have been through a couple times, it is another great place to visit and explore.

Canyonlands is one of my more favorite parks, you can sit and almost visualize bands of wild Native Americans riding across the canyons.

If you get a chance visit Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion National Parks...........

 

[N.J.THer]

In Denali you are only allowed to drive a mile or two into the park then you have to leave your car behind. You can either hike in and out or take a park bus. Its all dirt roads and I have never seen so much wildlife in my life. Mount McKinley is just amazing.

If you are planning on going to a bunch of National Parks look into the America the Beautiful pass. A very good deal. $80 of an annual pass that gets you into every National Park or Federal Recreation land. If you are 62 or older the pass is only $10 and good for life. You can't beat that deal. When I retire if this program still exists I'm buying a pass and going on a National Park road trip tour.

NJ

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If you are planning on going to a bunch of National Parks look into the America the Beautiful pass. A very good deal. $80 of an annual pass that gets you into every National Park or Federal Recreation land. If you are 62 or older the pass is only $10 and good for life. You can't beat that deal. When I retire if this program still exists I'm buying a pass and going on a National Park road trip tour.

NJ

NJ is correct, you can't beat that pass. I plan on retiring in the Az/Nv/Ut border area and one of the first things I will buy is the America the Beautiful Pass.............

 

[RGINN]

Denali sounds pretty cool, but I'll probably never make it up there. TreasureHunter, if you make it back down to the canyonlands, don't camp at Arches or Dead Horse Point. Go over to Horsethief campground. You can have an actual wood fire there. It's never very crowded. Bring water, too.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Denali sounds pretty cool, but I'll probably never make it up there. TreasureHunter, if you make it back down to the canyonlands, don't camp at Arches or Dead Horse Point. Go over to Horsethief campground. You can have an actual wood fire there. It's never very crowded. Bring water, too.

Whe I was camping there, I camped outside the parks so I could have a fire. I plan on retiring in the Laughlin NV area if all goes well. I will be close enough to Utah to be able to go there when ever I want, I can hunt the gold fields and shoot over to California once a month to hunt the beaches as well.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Just wanted to say Hi RGINN...