One Day at Mt. Rainier National Park
How to spend one day Mt.Rainier National Park and still see all of must-do sights.
Tag: national park
Mt.Rainier Blog
Ben and I disembarked our cruise ship and headed directly for Mt.Rainier National Park
Cruising Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park is located in Alaska’s Inside Passage and covers a little over three million acres. The park began its legacy as a National Monument in 1925, became an official National Park and Preserve in 1980, and integrated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.
The geographic location of the park makes it difficult to visit by normal modes of transportation. Point Gustavus is the closest town to the National Park headquarters in Bartlett Cove. If you were to visit the park by land you would pass through Gustavus. If you cruise into the park, this is where the rangers will board your ship.
There are 26 named glaciers in Glacier National Park, though that number will dwindle as time goes on. For reference there were roughly 80 glaciers in 1850. You would think that there are way more than that in the park, but the definition of a glacier narrows it down. To be a glacier it must be a mass of ice big enough to flow on its own weight, which generally is about 25 acres worth of ice.
Cruising Glacier bay
There is so much to see when cruising into Glacier Bay. Often Park Rangers will board your boat first thing in the morning as you pass by Gustavus. You most likely won’t even know they’re there until the meet and greets start as their tender is very small and your ship won’t stop moving.
Be on the lookout for wildlife on your way into and out of the bay. You’ll have the opportunity to see grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats from the ship-if you bring your binoculars that is. Once you’ve reached the inner part of the bay there will be two main glacier viewing areas. The Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier are in one and the John Hopkins Glacier will be in the other. These are can’t-miss glaciers and you have to find yourself outside as your ship passes by them. On the way in (or out) of the bay you will also pass by the Lamplugh, Reid, Rendu, and Carroll Glacier. These glaciers seem a little bit farther away as they are tucked into their respective inlets.
onboard ship tips
Attend the Ranger Talks
Often, the Rangers will give several opportunities to attend a Q&A session or informational presentation on the park. Attending these will give you more insight into the land you’re visiting, and they have insider knowledge at what to look at as you sail by.
Get Outside
If you have a balcony suite, this is your day to utilize it. If you don’t have a balcony suite I highly recommend camping out in an area next to a window or outdoors if you can brave the weather. The downside to the balcony room or a spot on the side of the ship is you may miss a wildlife sighting. We were parked on our balcony when there was a grizzly bear sighting on the other side of the ship. Later on in the day we were out on our balcony and overheard our neighbors come outside to realize that they had missed all of the glaciers because they were inside the ship!
Bring Binoculars
Without binoculars it will be very difficult to see any wildlife on the shore. You will be able to see the details of the glaciers better with binoculars and you won’t regret bringing them. I used my telephoto lens on my camera while Ben used the binoculars, but the job still gets done.
Dress Appropriately
When we visited at the end of June it was still very cold out in Glacier Bay. I had a hat, coat, and gloves and still didn’t want to linger outside that long due to the wind. I saw a lot of people running outside for quick photos because they dressed for summer.
Enjoy Your Time in the Park
The day goes by incredibly fast. Sitting inside enjoying breakfast, the pool, arcade, casino, etc can be done anytime on your cruise. Be sure to enjoy being in the park while you are able to and participate in the activities to create memories of the park.
Things to Do in Bar Harbor
The ultimate guide to all things Bar Harbor. The closest town to Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor sees almost all the recreational traffic. Picking and choosing what you want to do while in town can be difficult, and were here to help!
Acadia National Park Guide
About
Located on Mount Desert Island, just south of Ellsworth. There is a ton to do in the local area. Most visitors stay in or near Bar Harbor, a very popular tourist town. If you’re looking for a local vibe on places to stay try Ellsworth, Lamoine or Bass Harbor.
There is not much in terms of food inside the park. There is the Jordan Pond House for a formal lunch or dinner service. I would recommend packing in your food so you don’t have to plan your whole day around being in one spot.
The high tourism season here is June-October, with many cruise ships coming into Bar Harbor as well. The shoulder seasons see a noticeable drop in visitation if you don’t want to fight crowds.
Things to Do
Park Loop Road
Most of the attractions are located directly on the 26 mile Park Loop Road. Part of the road is one-way traffic, which can create your schedule for you.
Cadillac Mountain
The entrance to the road that will bring you up Cadillac Mountain is before where the one-way traffic starts. As of 2022, you’ll need a reservation to drive up to the top. Being on the summit for sunrise is an Acadia National Park must-do. Note: Cadillac Mountain is the first place to see the sunrise, you need to be there 30 minutes-1 hour before sunrise is actually slated to happen. The road up is winding and narrow, if you have anxiety driving you may want to sit this one out.
Between the beginning of the one-way road and the first major attraction (Sand Beach) there are multiple pull-offs with great views. You can look back at Bar Harbor from a few of them.
Sand Beach
Probably one of the most picturesque spots in Acadia. The parking lot here fills up fast in the summer months, and it will stay full. In the shoulder seasons the parking lot will fill up but spots will come available as people come and go. If you walk all the way down the beach there is an inlet with a great view of the Beehive Trail. The Sand Beach parking area has a nice bathroom and changing area if you want to get out of a wet bathing suit.
Thunder Hole
This spot is one where the wow factor is heavily dependent on when you get there. You need to catch it when the tide is coming in, around 1-2 hours before high tide. The rougher the day on the sea the better for the “thunder”. As the water comes in against the rocks the water hits a natural cave and results in the big boom and spray of water. If you’re there when there is calm seas or low tide it is still a good spot to enjoy the view of the coast.
Fabbri Picnic Spot
This spot isn’t necessarily one of the major stops in the park but there are wonderful views and usually fewer crowds. We stopped and had lunch here and it was quite peaceful.
Between Little Hunter’s Beach and the Jordan Pond House you’ll drive under two beautiful carriage road bridges. Also an awesome spot to pull off and take some photos.
Wildwood Stables
Want to take a horse-drawn carriage ride down the Carriage Roads? You’re in luck. Wildwood Stable offers rides May-October each year. They also offer a place for your horses if you want to bring your own to ride on the Carriage Roads.
Jordan Pond House
A famous Acadia National Park spot. The Jordan Pond House protocols have changed significantly over the past few years during COVID. Check out their current policies before your trip for the most smooth transaction there. It can get incredibly crowded here and you may need to circle for a while to find a parking spot. The popovers here are 10/10, we have never actually gotten lunch or any other food but popovers from the restaurant. The gift shop is really nice as well, try to get there early if you don’t want to be shoulder to shoulder. Once you’re done visiting the Jordan Pond House take a stroll around the grounds for amazing views of the bubbles and Jordan Pond.
Go Hiking
There are many different beautiful trails to choose from in all sections of Acadia. Trail difficulty ranges from flat, even surfaces to some bouldering depending on your pick. Definitely get out on the trail and enjoy the day outside of the car.
Take a Tour by Boat
There are several companies that offer boat tours of the coastline of Acadia that operate out of Bar Harbor. Depending on your needs you could choose a sailboat charter or a whale-watching style boat that will bring you right along the shoreline.
Isle au Haut
An interesting sidebar of Acadia, Isle au Haut is half privately owned and half National Park. If you want to visit the island you’ll have to catch a ferry from Stonington. Stonington is not incredibly close to Acadia if you’re limited on time. There is a campground and some hiking trails on the island.
Schoodic Peninsula
A little hidden gem for those who want a spot away from the crowds. Schoodic is just as beautiful as the main part of the park but lacks the “main attractions”. There is a 6-mile one-way road that will take you along the coastline with amazing views. Schoodic Peninsula is about an hour away from the main park, so it would be best visited if you have at least a two-day itinerary.
Tips for Visiting
- Pack in your own food and snacks
- The early mornings and early evenings are the best times to be in the park
- Jordan Pond House is busiest around lunch time
- If you plan on hiking, do your #1 priority trail first. Parking lots for trailheads fill up quickly and for the most part stay full
- Depending on your trail wish list you can complete multiple in one day
- Be prepared for traffic on Park Loop Road
- If you plan on spending time at Sand Beach in the middle of the summer, arrive early to get your spot.
Bryce Canyon National Park Guide
Getting there is just as beautiful as being in the park. Nine miles outside of Bryce Canyon on Scenic Byway 12 is Red Canyon. It should be added to your “must see” list, and simply driving through could be good enough. This is where you …
5 Best Hikes Bryce Canyon National Park
The 5 Best Hikes at Bryce Canyon National Park. Make sure you get out and explore on your trip! 🙂
Death Valley National Park
I won’t bore you in the “how to get there” part of the blog, everyone ends up having different itineraries and different needs anywho-so pick what is best for you. I will go over what we did, and wish we didn’t do on our trip to Death Valley. It was not at all how we expected it to be, which I guess is due to my lack of planning.
I was much more focused on Bryce Canyon and Zion, which we did on the same trip. We wanted to check off Death Valley on the same road trip because of where it sat in California. There is no very easy way to get there.
Death Valley is “the hottest, driest and lowest U.S. National Park” according to the National Park Service. The highest temperature recorded was in 1913 when it hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Badwater Basin is the lowest elevation point in North America. Death Valley is also an International Night Sky Park, which means it is one of the best places in the world to see the stars.
What we wish we knew before our trip
- Coming into the valley, you can literally see almost everything
- In April it is SO INCREDIBLY WINDY
- The drive into the park is lonely and weird
- Everything is quite far apart
- You can visit in one day and see most everything you want
- Cell service is poor
- Get gas before you enter Death Valley and the surrounding area (it’s expensive)
- There are no showers at the NP campgrounds ( Furnace Creek Resort only)
- Pack your own food/don’t plan on eating out
- Doing just the “can’t miss” things is more than fine here
Can’t Miss Sights
Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes
These sand dunes are a fun stop in the morning before it gets hot. We stopped at sunset and it was beautiful. The sand was still really hot when we got there as the sun was going down. There aren’t any actual trails on the sand dunes, but there are some taller ones in the far distances where you can get your cool looking dune photos.
Zabriskie Point
The Zabriskie Point pull-off makes things easy on you, you don’t have to walk far at all to the viewpoint. Being there at dawn makes the colors stand out that much better.
Artist’s Palette and Drive
A definite can’t miss on your trip. The drive to get there is fun, with amazing views the whole way up. The Artist’s Palette itself is a volcanic deposit, where the coloring comes from the minerals in the soil. I would suggest walking right up into the colorful hills instead of viewing from your car. This is also how you get the really cool photos like you see online.
Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level. When you walk out to the flats and turn back towards the parking lot and mountain’s you’ll see a green sign tucked up on one of the mountains. The sign is where sea level is and gives quite the perspective. The salt can get dirty depending on the season and how much rain there has been, so double check what time of year you go.
Natural Bridge
Flash floods caused the rock to erode into a bridge over the canyon. It is a 1-mile hike up a canyon to see the Natural Bridge. There is no official “trail” but there is a parking area and it is pretty obvious where you will need to go. You can always download the map from AllTrails.
Harmony Borax Works
A great historic stop for history buffs. Harmony Borax Works and 20 Mule Team Canyon. A long story short Borax was found and mined in Death Valley for a good while, and it is an important history of the park.
Dante’s View
One of the most phenomenal views of Death Valley is from Dante’s View. It is 45 minutes from Furnace Creek, so it’s not too far off the beaten path.
Devil’s Golf Course
Another stop where you will probably just want to pull over and take some photos. It is essentially just rock salt that has been eroded into sharp bits.
Devil’s Cornfield
The Devil’s Cornfield is more of an attraction, a thing to see than a stop itself. You may want to just pull over the car on the way by and get a few photos. It is a massive spanse of arrowweed in big clumps.
Still amazing, but may not fit in your itinerary:
All of these additional stops were originally on our itinerary, but we had to cancel seeing them due to how far away they were. Most of them are around 3 hours away from the rest of the park. However, they are also some of the coolest sites to see.
Ubehebe Crater:
To visit the crater you can either park, or take the trail along the rim of the crater. Ubehebe crater was created by a maar volcano, and is estimated to be around 2,100 years old.
Race Track Playa:
Race Track Playa is a dry lake bed with “moving rocks”. I always picture the scene from Pirates of the Caribbean when Jack is trapped on the ship. There are new articles that are posted on the National Park’s website that go into detail on how the rocks actually get around. Another reason we axed this stop is because we were in a rented car, and the road is supposedly recommended for 4×4 vehicles only.
Wildrose Charcoal Kilns:
10 Charcoal Kilns built in 1877 for the mines, but were also used during the filming of Star Wars.
Our Experience
We drove into Death Valley from Beatty and Daylight Pass Road. The very first thing we noticed and had not anticipated was that the entire park quite literally sits in a valley where you can see everything. We got there late in the evening with the intention of staying at Stovepipe Wells campground. That was closed and we needed to turn around-everything is far apart in this park. We high-tailed back to Furnace Creek Campground and found it to have a few open spots. We visited in April and it was SO windy. Our camper van shook all night long, we woke up to find the vans next to us had moved in the night because it was so bad.
The next morning we got up super early and set out to see the major sites. It didn’t actually take us that long to maneuver the sites. We didn’t do any of the longer hikes and walks because I developed one heck of a blister at the very beginning of our trip. Our first stop of the morning was Badwater Basin. We walked out about 250 yards before turning around. You can see most of what you’re going to see in that distance. We ended up visiting at the wrong time of year to see the nice white salt flat you think you’d see. Our next stops were the Natural Bridge, Devil’s Golf Course, Artist’s Drive, and Golden Canyon. We finished up with Zabriskie Point. We left Death Valley via 190 to Pahrump.
All in all, I personally put Death Valley at the bottom of my “favorite National Parks” list. Not to say that you shouldn’t visit, because you absolutely should, I just would not plan a whole trip around going just there. The views are fantastic and otherworldly, but to me, it was almost too much. The history of the park and the natural wonders made up for it.
Springdale, Utah
Your guide to Springdale, Utah! Directly outside Zion National Park, Springdale is the main town to visit during your trip.