Which National Park

<p>I am trying to plan our next NP trip and need a little advice. My wife and in-laws will be coming with, her parents are fit but her step dad is 64. We did Zion together last May and they were able to join us for several hikes just not the more strenuous ones. What other NP's would be similar to Zion in accessibility while still providing stunning landscapes to photograh? Her parents live in near the smokies in Tennessee so we go there a couple times a year already. Thank you in advance for your help.</p>

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<p>Grand Canyon has a bus system that drives you around the rim. You could take mules down to the bottom and back, although photo opportunities seemed a bit limited when I talked to them. Yellowstone has a LOT to see within easy hikes close to parking lots, but keep in mind that a lot of the park is around 8,000 ft. That's not good if step dad has CPD or something. Lots and lots to see there, so otherwise I'd put it at the top of the list. Not a national park, but the Coastal Redwoods of northern CA are nice and not too hard to hike. Finally, I'll mention Mesa Verde. It's a collection of ancient Pueblo ruins and is spectacular. Parts of it aren't hard to get to. In my own state is Custer State Park. It probably has the best wildlife viewing opportunities of anywhere, and hikes are only as strenuous as you want to make them. If you want something different, the Arrowhead region of Minnesota is stunning, especially in fall. In summer the weather is generally enjoyably cool. Lots of waterfalls, lighthouses, lake scenes, and much more.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Most of the popular national parks (e.g., Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, etc.) have a wide variety of activities and hikes available with many possibilities for the average tourist who wants to hike a few miles but not more. Thinking of parks that are somewhat similar to Zion in terms of accessibility and photogenic scenery, Arches NP is the first place that comes to mind. The park is fairly compact and there are lots of great photo opportunities with most being reachable with walks of a few miles or less. Arches is near Canyonlands NP which also has great locations, a few easy hikes, and some very challenging ones.</p>

You can drive to several arches at Arches in Utah but there are more that require a hike.

<p>Arches /Canyonlands/Dead Horse point from a base in Moab would be a candidate I guess- certainly there's a lot there you can see without getting to far from a car and many of the walks are quite level. </p>

 

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<p>You could take mules down to the bottom and back, although photo opportunities seemed a bit limited when I talked to them.</p>

 

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<p>Pretty articulate for mules then :) Or is it a particular gift of yours? The mule whisperer?</p>

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<p>Thank you for the recommendations so far. Familiar with most of them and will take a closer look at them. Thank you again.<br>

Darin</p>

<p>Agreeing with choices of parks around Minnesota and Wisconsin . . . colors are going to be spectacular this year, in the opinions of the weather dudes. Currently the changes are best in the far northern sections and coupling Lake Michigan or Superior with milder weather, its a fine time to visit here!</p>

<p>Even though I have lived less than a day's drive from Glacier (MT) NP for the last 20 years, I made my first visit there this summer. It has all the beauty of Grand Teton and Yellowstone but without the geysers and the huge crowds. It has a variety of trails with different levels of difficulty from almost level boardwalks to those best suited for the many mountain goats you can also see there. Although the mountain terrain is spectacular, the elevation is relatively low. Some of the highest peaks in Glacier are lower than any place in Yellowstone or Grand Teton. I'm used to hiking in Yellowstone and was surprised I couldn't find even a steep trail in Glacier that would make me puff and pant. The surrounding area is also great for landscape photos.</p>

<p>I was in Glacier two weeks ago. At the top (Logan Pass) I got caught in a sleet storm and 30-40 mph winds. Some people were very prepared, other tourists were running around in shorts. Be prepared with a heavy coat, gloves, and ear/head covering.</p>

<p>I've taken my grandmother to Yellowstone. We pushed her around in a wheelchair through the upper, middle, lower geyser basin and to viewpoints along the upper / lower canyon falls area.</p>

<blockquote>Not a national park, but the Coastal Redwoods of northern CA are nice and not too hard to hike.</blockquote>

<p>Actually, there *is* a Redwood National Park: http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm. It's fairly uncrowded though it's an awfully long drive from Tennessee. There are easy hikes in the redwoods as well as to Gold Bluffs and Fern Canyon. Howland Hill Road near Crescent City is a must-see with miles and miles of old-growth redwoods. Lodging is available in nearby Eureka and Crescent City, and also closer by in smaller towns. </p>

<p>There's a lot to see in that corner of California including Mt. Shasta, Castle Crags, and really the whole Klamath Mountains region. Highway 3 from Yreka to Weaverville is a scenic route, as are highways 299 and 96. Just be prepared for windy roads if you go into the mountains east of U.S. 101. It's also only a day's drive to Oregon's Crater Lake National Park from the area.</p>

 

<p>You should consider Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Similar Sierra Nevada scenery to Yosemite, but no tour buses and crowds. The Giant Forest has miles of easy to moderate trails, the first mile of the High Sierra Trail gives you Eagle View, and Tokopah Falls is great when it is running in the spring. You can drive the Kings Canyon, and in summer, drive to Panoramic Point.</p>

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<p>I went to the Müritz NP and the Eifel NP this year. These are not crowded at all, easy to access and offer beautiful scenery, lots of walks and bycicle tours. Especially Müritz NP is great for birdwatchers (e.g. Sea Eagles, Fish Eagles, Cranes in large numbers).<br>

Ulrik</p>

<p>Thank you again for all the responses, I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences. Jeff, I love MN in the fall, I grew up in ND/MN and lived there until about 5 years ago. Nothing like it close to Memphis although the Smokies in the fall are stunning, I am going there in a few weeks and there should be good color. Ulrik, thank you for your input although I should have stated NP's in the US.<br>

Thanks Again,<br>

Darin</p>

<p>Bryce Canyon. I prefer it much over Zion. Many people "tour" Bryce without getting out of their car or bus. Excellent roads provide access to many pull-outs and overlooks. Hikes down into the canyons are not strenous either.</p>

<p>I might be a little late in this response but here goes anyway ... When I first started reading your question I was thinking GSMNP, but then your last sentence silenced that. (I live within 20 minutes of the west entrance)<br>

A suggestion not mentioned might be Acadia National Park in Maine ... There are some breathtaking landscape opportunities there. <br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm">http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm</a><br>

We also added in a side trip which included a Puffin Cruise to photograph these colorful birds.<br /><a href="http://www.meliving.com/puffins/index.shtml">http://www.meliving.com/puffins/index.shtml</a></p>

<p>Consider Grand Teton, lower elevation (slightly) than Yellowstone, you can stay in Jackson, for other things to do, and lots of the activities and sights are close to the main roads. Plenty do do and see in last weeks of September/first weeks of October especially when the elk are in rut mode. The airport there is small but does offer regular jet service to the major area airports.... Salt Lake City, Denver, etc.....</p>

<p>I'll second Bob's suggestion of Acadia National Park. I live in San Diego and fly there almost every October and never run out of things to photograph and do. There are miles of flat carriage roads to hike or ride bikes (at sea level), but if you want a slightly more challenging hike you can shoot up any number of small "mountains" that top out below 1500 feet. It's truly an amazing place and it's on your side of the country.</p>