Hiking

Gros Morne

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Gros Morne, a world heritage site in Newfoundland, has three must sees: Gros Morne Mountain, the Tablelands, and Western Brook Pond. The first can be seen easily from many viewpoints, and the approach trail is reasonably flat. The whole park is famous for its geology, with rocky coves, pond marked plateaus, deep fjords, dark, magnesium rich cliffs and the lonely mountain of Gros Morne itself, with pinkish quartzite on top. The views from the top are supposedly stunning, but it’s an all day steep hike.

The second must see above is unique and has an easy guided hike. The Tablelands is one of maybe three places in the world where you can walk on the earth’s mantle. Left over from a temporary overlap and receding of the North American and Asian tectonic plates, this mountain of mantle cooled, dried and had its crust removed by glaciers and erosion. The Table Mountains are studied by geologists—including those who developed the theory of plate tectonics—, and it is easy to see soapstone, serpentine, and other interesting rocks here. But most of the rock above is peridotite, an iron rich igneous rock from the mantle.

I took the ‘easy’ Tablelands hike with a guide who explained about the tough creatures who live up here, including the local humans. The forecast was clear all morning, so naturally it hailed and rained for much of the hike. Still, the clouds occasionally parted and revealed some of the muted yet dramatic scenery.

And the third must see also has an easy hike, but then you need to take a boat to see the rest. Western Brook Pond is actually a deep lake in the middle of a landlocked fjord, with high thin waterfalls cascading down massive cliffs. Glaciers carved many fjords, arms and valleys in the park, and this spot offers a great view of the ancient Appalachian landscape. On a good day, it is spectacular, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate.

I would recommend scheduling more time than usual for Newfoundland, as the pace is slow, weather is changeable, and delays are common. I will have to return to see a couple places that I missed due to a ferry cancelation. On the other hand, I’ve been forced to slow down my typical hectic schedule, which is good.

Manicouagan Uapishka

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This UNESCO Biosphere’s most remarkable feature can be seen from space, and you may have wondered about the Eye of Quebec when looking at a map of Canada. Over 200 million years ago a meteor hit here, leaving a 70 mile crater. When the river was dammed for hydropower, the lake in the crater’s ring became permanent with an island in the middle. While it’s possible to drive an electric car up there, I didn’t have a lot of time to hike or kayak around the lake, and, while I support hydropower (with fish ladders), I don’t need to see a dam. I would like to go back to experience Innu culture, but for now I chose to visit the ecologically diverse coastal part of the biosphere.

On the drive here, I saw plenty of rivers, waterfalls, foliage and bays, but this is a particularly good place to get a sense of all of the ecosystems in close proximity, especially near the lowlands that are large enough to have subtle differentiation in plants reflecting how many days per year each part of the land is flooded. Between the Manicouagan River that powers the dam and the Outardes River, there is a delta with Outardes Nature Park on its southwest point. Here there’s a fine visitor center, campsite and good trails to see the different boreal forests, salt marshes and dunes. I saw a Cooper’s Hawk, several Black-bellied Plovers, and a Ruby crowned Kinglet, in just a few minutes. It’s a lovely spot.

Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve

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A couple hours drive northeast of Quebec City, up in the mountains is the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie park, the core of this pristine UNESCO Biosphere. The landscape is dramatic with high cliff multi-level waterfalls in spring and lovely maple foliage in fall, and above a low dam, there’s a boat (above) that takes sightseers up the lake in summer. Canadians are more fit than Americans, so 5 1/2 hour trails that would be labeled “strenuous” in the US are called “moderate” here. They also bring canoes and bicycles to get around, but I think the best views are found by hiking part way up one of the many trails to get a view of the water from above, such as from the Acropole des Draveurs—the rafter’s Acropolis—that looms over the scene above.

The Biosphere includes a big chunk of land from the mountains to the seaway, and there’s a tourist train in the summer that brings folks up to some of the dozen interesting little towns where they can catch buses to a half dozen parks and reserves. Up here the St Lawrence is less lakes & rivers and more ocean bay, and there are whale watching tours from Saguenay. While the peaks are around 3,000 feet—only a fraction of Colorado’s 14ers—, they’re beautiful with plenty of skiing in the winter.

National Parks to Visit in February

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On the first Saturday of every month, I recommend 3-5 parks to visit in the contiguous US, matching each of 51 parks with a great month to visit, as I did in January.

There are a few parks in the US which are dangerously hot to visit in the summer, but they’re perfect in February. In the west, especially at elevation, the coldest day of the year is often in December, and by February the southwest deserts are just beginning to bloom with wildflowers.

Big Bend, Death Valley, Saguaro and White Sands are my February favorites. These are beautiful parks, and you’re going to want to get out, hike around and take fabulous photos, without risk of heatstroke.

Big Bend is huge and takes time to explore, so you need to schedule several days there. Unlike most other parks, the full range of activities are open in February, including rafting and horseback riding. In February, the park’s daily temperature variations still stay in a range that allows you to explore the varied terrain. When I was hot, I spent time along the river and enjoyed sunset in the mountains. On cool days, you could go on a more challenging scenic hike. If camping, prepare for beautiful cold nights under clear dark skies. It’s a great park, and February is a great month to see it.

Death Valley daytime highs are around 70-75° F in February. Wildflowers bloom and even super-bloom when the rains have been good. The high Panamint mountains in the background of your photos will have snow-capped peaks as they cast a rain-shadow over the valley, keeping it extremely dry. Every February the park holds stargazing festivals, as the skies are exceptionally clear.

Saguaro also has many wildflowers in February, and the comfortable daytime temperatures mean the coyotes, javelina and roadrunners are more likely to be roaming around. Some say May is when to go in order to see the Saguaro cacti bloom, but there are many other great parks to visit in May, without any risk of over 100° F days. If you’re really interested in seeing the small Saguaro flowers, you can probably find a botanical garden to visit close to home.

White Sands, to me, is about stepping out on the other worldly landscape, so the solitude of February is best. It’s cold at night, but there’s no camping currently in the park anyway. As it’s quiet, there aren’t a lot of ranger-led hikes in February, but White Sands is best appreciated in silence. Many visit a bit later in order to see some wildflowers, but the gypsum desert does not allow much life. I’d happily trade the crowds of spring for easier parking and fewer footprints in February.

We visit national parks to be out in nature exploring, so good temperatures are very important. February is the perfect time to visit these southwestern parks which are dangerously hot for much of the year.

Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Reserve

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Between Lake Champlain New York and Lac Saint-Pierre Quebec is tiny Lac Hertel (above) in the Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University in this UNESCO Biosphere. The hills are covered in Sugar Maple, Beech and Hemlock, some of which are hundreds of years old, plus some other species that have become quite rare recently. Being close to Montreal, the hiking trails were busy, so I didn’t see much wildlife besides ducks and geese. But there are bats, beavers, red foxes, grass snakes and turtles, among others. Advance, timed entry tickets are required, and there are well developed trails, boardwalks, picnic areas and camp sites. Very pretty nature reserve in the middle of a rural farming river valley.

Favorites from All 508 Sites in 48 States

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Late this year, I visited my 395th park site, earning a rare park stamps award for all official NPS sites in the 48 contiguous states (see map). Plus I drove my EV to 29 NPS affiliates, 60 heritage areas, and 24 national trails (not on map). Read about my favorite sites below.

Screenshot of my NPS unit Visitation Map from the National Park Travelers Club website.

‘Best’ is subjective, as it depends so much on your individual taste and experience. If you are lucky enough to have great weather, a lucky wildlife sighting, or an inspiring ranger-led tour, that day will be one of your favorites. Click on the links to read my past favorites from 100, 200, and 300 park units visited, and here are favorites from 400 park sites, including affiliates, heritage areas and trails. I have no changes to my previous favorite park units, but I have a few additions.

Best Civil Rights Affiliate: Robert Russa Moton Museum.

Best Flightseeing Tour: Dry Tortugas.

Best Garden: International Peace Garden.

Best Handshake: Red Hill.

Best National Heritage Area: Muscle Shoals.

Best Paddling Tour: Channel Islands.

Best Partner Site: Acadian Village.

Best Revolutionary War Affiliate: Camden.

Most Demolished Since My Tour: White House.

Most Hauntingly Evocative Past: Cumberland Island.

Most Irrevocably Damaged by Climate Change: Biscayne.

All NPS National Recreation Areas

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There are 18 NRAs managed by the park service for biking, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, horse riding, swimming and other activities. (I should note that there are also 13 NRAs managed by the US Forest Service, and I plan to visit some of those too.)

Two are in the North Atlantic region: Boston Harbor Islands and Gateway, which is shared with the Mid-Atlantic region. Both are great for birdwatching and hiking along the shorelines.

The Mid-Atlantic has two more: Delaware Water Gap and Gauley River, plus the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. All are great for paddling, although Gauley is more challenging.

Three are in the Pacific Northwest: Lake Chelan, Lake Roosevelt and Ross Lake. All have great lakeside camping.

Three are in the Rocky Mountain region: Bighorn Canyon, Curecanti and Glen Canyon, which is shared with the Western region. Each has great views.

The Western region has four more: Golden Gate, Lake Mead, Santa Monica Mountains and Whiskeytown, each unique.

The Southeast has one: Chattahoochee River, which is great for hiking and maybe tubing near Atlanta. Plus they have the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, which is great for paddling.

And the Southwest region has Amistad, Chickasaw and Lake Meredith, which all take advantage of dams for boating.

Oh, and while the Midwest doesn’t have any NRAs, they do have the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the Missouri National Recreational River, both with lovely hiking and paddling.

Best of the North Atlantic

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Best Park: Acadia. Wildlife, wilderness, views, varied hiking, boating, camping, forests, mountains, waters. Acadia National Park, above, is the only National Park in the region, the best North Atlantic park in many categories, plus proximity to fresh lobster rolls.

Best State: Massachusetts. Oh, sure, New York has more sites overall, more presidential sites, more historic sites, more Civil Rights sites, more recreation areas, plus 2 world heritage sites, but Massachusetts is still better. Just like the Red Sox are better than the Yankees.

The North Atlantic specializes in history, exemplified by these best-in-class parks.

Best Affiliate: Touro Synagogue.

Best Art: Saint Gaudens.

Best Bicycling: Cape Cod.

Best Forest: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller.

Best Heritage Area: Upper Housatonic.

Best Ranger: Women’s Rights.

Best Trail: Climb Mount Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail.

Best World Heritage Site: Statue of Liberty.

Hidden Gem: New Bedford Whaling.

Read more about all parks in the North Atlantic region.

Southeast Trails

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The southeast includes some of our oldest and most scenic trails, and the Florida NST, Natchez Trace NST and the Selma to Montgomery NHT are unique to the Southeast. Both Appalachian and Natchez Trace scenic trails are individual park units. Here’s a quick summary in case you are interested in exploring the trails in the region.

National Historic Trails

  • Lewis & Clark 1804-1806, runs along northern Kentucky, and they did some fossil hunting for Jefferson at Big Bone Lick.
  • Overmountain Victory celebrates the trail crossed by Patriots in 1780 to turn the war.
  • Selma to Montgomery has several fine exhibits at both ends and at a few stops along the way. Highly recommended.
  • Trail of Tears ~1830 to ~1850, Native Americans from all across the region were forcibly removed on this trail that crosses through most states in the region. There are numerous sites along the trail, including Little River Canyon.

National Scenic Trails

Florida National Scenic Trail

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The southern terminus (above) of the Florida Scenic Trail is in Big Cypress National Preserve on the Loop Road. One of the two barely visible signs at the virtually unmarked entrance almost apologetically notes that the trail is maintained by volunteers. 1,500 meandering, swampy miles northwest is the northwestern terminus (below) at Fort Pickens in Gulf Islands National Seashore. While I’ve been to both ends of the trail, and crossed over it a few times, I have not hiked any significant sections. It’s reportedly a rather solitary experience likely requiring significant wading.

I should mention that Fort Pickens was a Union held fort during the Civil War, protecting Pensacola Bay. The Confederates tried taking it, but the fort is on a rare bluff in the area, giving it the high ground for miles. When the Confederates took some smaller forts across the channel, the Union guns expertly demolished the smaller positions. The beginning of the trail here is beautiful, with many birds and water on both sides.