Tips and Tricks for Exploring “America’s Best Idea”

I will never forget the first time I went to a National Park. I was five years old sitting in the front of the family station wagon with my parents, while my sister and brother slept in back. We slowly climbed the serpentine road out of Fresno. I could smell the trees, but I couldn’t see much in the headlights. When we finally reached the summit and entered Wawona Tunnel, I started to get excited. I love tunnels. When we emerged on the other side to the sight of the monumental Yosemite Valley shimmering below dressed in the green glow of a full moon on a warm windless summer’s night, I could not believe my eyes. I’d arrived in heaven. The next few days were filled with events that I still remember vividly, not the least of which was being brave enough to sleep outside only to wet the bed when a black bear ripped open the ice box next to me. Tighten your saddle strap and hold on because here comes a small sampling of my lifetime of National Park “best kept secrets.”

Visit two awesome parks in one trip, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, by staying in-between at Togwotee Mountain Lodge. Avoid the summer crowds at Grand Teton’s Park Headquarters, by heading east on nearby Antelope Flats Road to see bison and antelope with the Grand Teton as a backdrop. Take a boat trip on beautiful Lake Jenny and then hike a moderate hill to breathtaking Hidden Falls. Visit in winter to hit the slopes in Jackson Hole and then snowmobile up close and personal with Yellowstone’s wildlife. These animals aren’t stupid, they walk on the road rather than through deep snow!

Two parks not enough? Visit Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, all an easy day trip from Wahweap Lodge part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, aka Lake Powell. It is in the heart of what is referred to as the “Grand Circle” of parks.

Glen Canyon is also home to the Rainbow Bridge – the world’s largest natural arch. Mule trips are a great way to see Bryce, especially in the heat of summer. Alstrum Point at sunset is a spectacular must see when going to the Grand Staircase, although it requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle and the better part of a day. The region has numerous deep and very narrow sandstone “slot canyons.” These slot canyons range from flat and easy like Antelope Slot Canyon to high adventure requiring climbing gear and dry suits like those in and around Zion. I suggest Chief Tsosie Tours for Antelope Slot Canyon with a flute-playing guide like my friend Mylo James or for the slot adventure of a lifetime Zion Adventure Company owned by friend Jonathan Zambella. Hit the canyons early midday since this is when the sun is overhead and shines directly into the slots.

Denali National Park is not just for bucket listers. This is a grand adventure for all ages. In addition to the abundant wildlife, vast landscapes of incredible beauty, and the highest peak on the continent, there is also whitewater rafting and helicopter glacier tours for the adventurous. Tip: only park buses are allowed deep into the park and the first bus each day often sees the most wildlife. The downside is it leaves at 5 a.m.! These Tundra Wilderness Tours take seven to eight hours, but each has fantastically unique wildlife sightings. So, consider taking more than one.

For marine life, a boat trip to the Kenai Fjords National Park out of Seward, Alaska is hard to beat. In a recent trip we saw a calving glacier as well as humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, puffins, Dall porpoise, seals, and much more.

The best way to get to both Seward and Denali is on an Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage. Their fantastic dome cars allow viewing of the scenery and wildlife in every direction, even straight-up. And, you don’t have to worry about driving off the road or getting lost. You can even enjoy a great meal and drink along the way! The Cook Inlet, glaciers, and mirror smooth lakes passed on the way to Seward make this one of the most scenic train rides in the world.

On the East Coast, visit the Cape Cod National Seashore where you can usually see whales from shore, but be sure to go on a whale-watching tour to get a closer look. Enjoy the vistas of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, where deer are seen daily at the Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge. If you want to see a black bear, visit in the fall when the bears are out in force eating acorns off the ground to fatten up for winter. There are a few natural rock waterslides in the park, and it is also a great place to see stunning fall colors.

In the South, dive the reefs in Biscayne National Park within sight of Miami or less than an hour’s drive away take an airboat ride to see alligators in the Everglades. Already have an Orlando theme park vacation planned? Take a day to relax on the beach at Canaveral National Seashore on the Space Coast, just a 45-minute drive. Stay another day to experience the mouth dropping rockets of Kennedy Space Center, a truly educational theme park including simulator rides.

National Parks are also about our cultural heritage. Fort Pulaski near Tybee Island, Georgia outside of Savannah marked the end of an era in castle-like fortifications after a Civil War battle fought there. The wildlife is great too, with alligators sunning themselves moatside, Bald Eagles scanning for fish from the fortress walls, and even the occasional manatee. See the fascinating ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans and enjoy “100-mile views” at Mesa Verde National Park where mule deer are everywhere at dawn and dusk around Far View Lodge. Mesa Verde is also near the center of the “Grand Circle” making Aztec Ruins National Park, Chaco Canyon National Historic Park-the Geneva of the Ancient North American world, and the Four Corners an easy day trip.

The top 10 percent of visited parks receive 60 percent of the visitors, while the bottom 10 percent receive less than .1 percent of visitors. So, try the road less traveled like Lassen Volcanic National Park. Think Yellowstone without Old Faithful. Redwood National Park has the tallest trees in the world with the majestic Roosevelt Elk and fantastic seascapes. Or, visit the Channel Islands for a true “Island of the Blue Dolphin” experience. If you like waterfalls, the Olympic Peninsula is the place. There are hundreds as well as the dramatic mountain scenery of Hurricane Ridge and miles of empty driftwood strewn beaches to boot. If you’re still set on a big name park, try it in the off-season. Yosemite in winter is fantastic and with lots to do!

Visit National Parks for free on Public Lands Day (Sept 25, 2010), Veterans Day (Nov. 11, 2010), and National Park Week (April 17-21, 2011). And, take free photography classes from Canon this summer in Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Acadia and Yellowstone. Prefer video? Free EOS HD video shooting classes are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Bar Harbor, Maine. Canon even supplies equipment! Visit www.usa.canon.com/parks for details.

Park visitation reached its peak in 1987. Although the numbers of visitors has declined only slightly, the overall U.S. population has increased during this period by more than 26 percent! This means a much larger percentage of America’s youth have yet to visit a National Park.

The National Park System is sometimes referred to as “America’s Best Idea” and now you know some of my “best-kept secrets.” For me, our national parks are still heaven on earth. So, whether you’re an old pro or a first timer, get out there and enjoy an experience of a lifetime. And, if like me you end up wetting yourself, I promise not to tell.

Jeffrey Lehmann is the Emmy awarded host and Emmy awarded producer of the “Weekend Explorer” travel series provided free to PBS stations nationwide.