Which National Parks Are You Going to Visit This Summer?
Consider this your invitation to enjoy our National Parks this summer!
There are many things you can do at our National Parks. One popular activity is hiking. It is a great way to explore nature deeper away from your RV. You can hike on easy trails that offer an up-close and personal look between the trees. Or, you can get onto one of the more challenging trails that offer difficult sections where you’re doing more than just hiking.
You might want to do a multi-day hike that stretches for miles towards a base camp. That would mean getting serious about your gear, including a loaded backpack, a sleeping bag, a tent, and everything you need to get through a night or more away from your RV.
Backpackmagazine is an authority on hiking on trails through our National Parks. They listed ten in a recent article. A couple of them are right here in Washington state. Many of the ones listed are in the western part of the country, including one in Alaska. Which hiking trails did they list?
We should start with the ones here in Washington state. Across the Puget Sound is Olympic National Park. You take one of the Washington State Ferries across to get to Tacoma. Once you’re there, you can hike the 45.2 miles of the Elwha River Trail. There, you can experience a vast amount of old-growth trees, glacial rivers, and wildlife for days. After a night camping at Hayes River Guard Station, you can take a 13-mile round-trip hike to go deeper into the park.
Further up on Interstate 5, past Mount Vernon, is the North Cascades National Park. Inside the park is the Cascades Pass and Sahale Arm, where you navigate through “30 gradual switchbacks” and majestic trees along the way. Along the way, there are plenty of wildflowers and blueberries along the trail. You will find yourself at Cascades Pass, where the view is undeniably spectacular, with snowcapped peaks in the distance. After hiking, you will reach Sahale Glacier Camp for the night.
The list includes Denali National Park in Alaska. The home of the highest peak in the U.S.A., they offer incredible terrain and landscapes worth visiting. They offer what Backpack magazine calls the “wildest” set of hiking trails, which require a permit before setting out. We’re talking seriously untamed territory at the base of the massive mountain.
The list adds several spots in the Western U.S.A., including Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Zion.
One of the tips the article states is to ensure you have the proper permits, including for RV parking and campsite use. You can either get those ahead of time through that specific National Park or upon your arrival.
To get ready for the next hike, make sure your RV is ready to go. Contact us at Valley RV Superstore for a service appointment or for a new RV just in time for a summer getaway to the nearest National Park. We also do rentals!
