Bats

National Parks to Visit in September

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September is an ideal month for many parks, but I recommend visiting these five in particular: Carlsbad Caverns, Crater Lake, Grand Teton, Redwood and Sequoia.

Besides the magnificent cave, the top experience at Carlsbad Caverns is watching the bats in the evening, and September is best for that. Arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to get a good seat and listen to the ranger talk.

Crater Lake is surprisingly tricky to visit. The rim road is frequently closed in sections, and the park gets crowded and can be too hot in summer. September is by far the best option, as snow starts falling in October and the road is closed until the end of June.

Grand Teton is simply beautiful in September, with aspen foliage, elk rutting, fat bears, pronghorn, and less crowded scenic drives. Water levels can be low, especially later in the month, so if you want to raft or kayak make a reservation for early September. Plan ahead as the area has gotten extremely pricey.

Redwood has a long season along the temperate California coast, but I like September best. The hiking is easier because it’s dry, the elk are easy to spot, and there are hikes that go through lush green areas like Trillium Falls to give you a sense of flowing water. And after hiking a bit, I had the trees to myself.

Sequoia is another California park where you want to wait until the crowds of summer have passed. It will still be busy, but the weather is still nice and a bit better than October.

Timing is very important for having the best park visit, and these particular parks pay off best in September.

El Malpais National Monument

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The caves were closed by Covid, but I enjoyed the hike and wildlife. There’s a private site nearby that apparently is still conducting “ice cave” tours. I’m happy to leave the bats alone underground and not risk introducing fungus or disease. I suppose it’s ironic to have the cave closed here when Covid likely originated from a bat cave in China. But the larger problem is that climate change is spreading more diseases globally, affecting both us and other species, so we need to be more responsible.

I should add that beyond the borders of the monument, there are both wilderness and conservation areas protected in El Malpais, meaning badlands.

Click to see my photos of all national park units in New Mexico.

Pinnacles National Park

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I enjoy revisiting parks now that I travel by electric vehicle (EV), but this one was particularly good. When Pinnacles was still a National Monument before 2013 and I still traveled by burning carbon, we took the kids, but our timing was a bit off. Pinnacles gets crowded on weekends with full campgrounds and limited parking at trailheads. And the seasons are tricky. Winter can be too cold with icy roads in the hills, and summer is too hot for me, especially with our new and changing climate. Spring break is popular, and the campground pool opens on April 1st this year. Last time, we experienced both too many crowds and too much heat. After a bit of research, I decided to go mid-week at the beginning of Spring.

The biggest difference is visiting the caves at Bear Gulch. To protect the large, sensitive colony of Townsend’s big eared bats, it’s rare to be able to visit the entire cave. I remember being underwhelmed by the caves on our earlier visit and described it as being more like a narrow canyon with a few boulders stuck overhead, compared to other caves in the park system. So this time, I checked the status of the caves, and I learned that the last week of March often has full cave access, before the bat breeding season starts. And wow, it was a very different experience.

First, I hiked from the campground to save EV battery range and get more exercise. That turned out to be a beautiful hike through varied terrain with quail, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, jays, turkey vultures and other birds. But when the Gulch narrowed, I felt the cold air from underground, even before entering the lower caves. Last time, we must have taken the less-scenic shortcut. This time, I felt like a spelunker. By the time I got to the upper caves, my iPhone was in my breast pocket for light, because scrambling and ducking required both hands. It was more adventure than I expected, but fortunately, people along the way helped keep me on the path to the lovely small reservoir at the top. Well worth revisiting!

“An elf would go underground, where a dwarf dare not. Oh, I’d never hear the end of it.” — LOTR Return of the King

Click to see my photos of all national park units in California.