Favorite or Nicest Parks you've ever been to?

[Kingspoint]

Picking a park as favorite or nicest is like picking the favorite or nicest woman...they're all beautiful.

But, if I had to pick one, I like the beauty of Bandon Beach, Oregon. It's unique Geology is of the oldest in the world. It's on a fault line similar to that of Cornwall, England, if you've ever been there. Time has eroded the rock to form my favorite image in the world.

Here's a photo: (I posted some other places I like on an album of "Nature Photos" in my profile with locations in the comments.) These places include:

Crater Lake National Park
Smith Rock State Park
Columbia Gorge Scenic Area
Multnomah Falls Scenic Area
Tillamook Head State Park
East Willamette Valley
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Agate Beach State Park
Yaquina Head Lighthouse at Agate Beach
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Hundreds of places just locally, and tens of thousands more all around.

My favorite beach to walk on is a 5-mile stretch of sand at Manzanita. Bandon Beach is an unpleasant walk for most people, with high winds that blow sand in your eyes and constant drizzle, but it has it's days, and for me, the scenery far outpaces any harsh weather conditions. I don't like heat, anyway, so it's fine by me. Give me cold and wet over heat anyday.

[Betterread]

Best Natl park: Haleakala, Maui
Second: Joshua Tree, Cal.
Best state Park (Mn): Tettegouche, north shore Lake Superior
(Mass) Nauset Beach Dunes, Cape Cod
(NY) - Buttermilk Falls, Long Lake, Adirondacks- there’s another more famous Butermilk Falls near Ithaca, which is also nice.

[RedTeamGo!]

Did you climb down and then back up that nearly vertical dune in Sleeping Bear Dunes?

God no. Even when I was a dumb teenager I wasn’t dumb enough to do that!

[Kingspoint]

Steamboat Springs, Colorado (Summer, where Winter is their most popular time as we are at the top of a ski run), Smith Rock (has the famous "Monkey Face", and this is taken from East of Monkey Face), and the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area where there are literally 1000's of places to hike and swim.

[Redhook]

Steamboat Springs, Colorado (Summer, where Winter is their most popular time as we are at the top of a ski run), Smith Rock (has the famous "Monkey Face", and this is taken from East of Monkey Face), and the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area where there are literally 1000's of places to hike and swim.

I can’t wait to go to Bandon (from your previous post). That’s my #1 on my golf bucket list.

I love Steamboat Springs too. The Strawberry Hot Springs is great there too.

[Kingspoint]

I can’t wait to go to Bandon (from your previous post). That’s my #1 on my golf bucket list.

I love Steamboat Springs too. The Strawberry Hot Springs is great there too.

Don't forget that there's more than one course. And, it's not expensive. You won't need a driver, as you need to keep every shot low. It is links golf. Eat at Dave's Crab Shack. You'll notice the quality by the line out the door. Everything is fresh, literally caught that day.

Went to the hotsprings, of course outside of Steamboat Springs. Could not believe how much wildlife there was in and around Steamboat Springs (and everywhere in Colorado, for that matter). Foxes everywhere, moose walking down the street, bear everywhere (and glad we didn't come up along any), and of course, a lot of rattlesnake. I loved it there. First the Spouse and Daughter went for a week, and then the Daughter and I switched places and I went for a week. I couldn't take more than a week off, and it works out better than way, anyway sometimes. Dragging a teenager along isn't always that much fun, so everyone gets to have a good time. Do the same thing for Bandon or Agate Beach or Seaside...we split the time up with her parents going for a while mixed in. This way, there's always someone staying home with the animals and watching the place.

If you remember the Windows 10 screensaver with a woman jogging on the beach, well, that's Bandon and the rock that's behind her is the one in my picture where the sand comes to an end in the background. It's also the spot where a volunteer every year makes these great labyrinth's in the sand. To the left of that large rock is another that's just about below the cliff where the rock has a tunnel through it you can walk through and where the person was standing when they took the photo. I have the same photo I took before Windows ever took it, and that large rock behind the jogger is actually two rocks about 30 feet apart and at low tide you can walk completely around the first and almost up to the 2nd one further out in the ocean. The first rock also has a tunnel you can walk all the way through, but it's much narrower. Actually tried to picnic in front of the first rock once with Dawn and Emmy, trying to use it for shelter, but eventually gave up from the wind. They'd always sleep late, so I'd have the beach to myself for four hours in the mornings (just enough time for you to get in some golf...I threw my clubs in the garbage can several years ago, and then I completely separated my collarbone with three surgeries to repair it, so I never took it up again, though I since got another set).

That Steamboat Springs photo was interesting in that we had to hurry as it was almost 4:30, and if you've been to Steamboat Springs, you know that's when the thunderstorms start. Everyone batches down the hatches, ties everything down and waits about an hour for them to pass. We were about 30 minutes walk away and didn't quite make it getting drenched before finding shelter.

[Redhook]

These are pics from Staunton State Park I took a few days ago. I’m really really blessed to live 30-45 minutes away from some of the best hikes in the US. You can see Mt. Evans in the first pic and Pikes Peak (CO Springs) in the 3rd pic with both being taken at the same peak at Staunton. Both are 14ers.

[Redhook]

Don't forget that there's more than one course. And, it's not expensive. You won't need a driver, as you need to keep every shot low. It is links golf. Eat at Dave's Crab Shack. You'll notice the quality by the line out the door. Everything is fresh, literally caught that day.

Went to the hotsprings, of course outside of Steamboat Springs. Could not believe how much wildlife there was. Foxes everywhere, moose walking down the street, bear everywhere (and glad we didn't come up along any), and of course, a lot of rattlesnake. I loved it there. First the Spouse and Daughter went for a week, and then the Daughter and I switched places and I went for a week. I couldn't take more than a week off, and it works out better than way, anyway sometimes. Dragging a teenager along isn't always that much fun, so everyone gets to have a good time. Do the same thing for Bandon or Agate Beach or Seaside...we split the time up with her parents going for a while mixed in. This way, there's always someone staying home with the animals and watching the place.

Thanks for the recommendation! Yeah, there’s a boatload of courses now and they all look amazing. Looks like golf heaven to me. I get to play for a great rate too (PGA) and kids play for free with a paying adult.

Steamboat is awesome and probably my favorite place in Colorado. Telluride is more stunning and prettier, but I prefer Steamboat more overall. Crested Butte, Ouray, Breckenridge, Vail, Beavercreek, Aspen and Snowmass are all beautiful too. You really can’t go wrong here (except some places are stupid expensive).

[Redhook]

Since the majority of Redszoners currently live or grew up in Ohio, I have to mention Hocking Hills. What a great place! I’ve been there 4 times and loved each trip. It’s beautiful, peaceful and unique. If you’re ever stressed, a few days there always helps. Get yourself a cabin in a woods, discover new places all day then drink some beers and cook some dogs on the fire pit.

[marcshoe]

I still haven't made it to Yellowstone. I had plans to go there to celebrate my doctorate, but Covid came, followed by a foot injury I'm still recovering from. I keep pushing the trip forward, and the latest date isn't good for snowy travel. I might just go to spring training in March--I've always wanted to do that.

At the moment, it would be between the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I never thought I'd see anything more mind-blowing than the canyon, but a year later I drove into Yosemite Valley, and I felt as if I were in some alien land of gigantic proportions. Yellowstone would complete the big three. I nearly made it to Zion a couple of years ago, but a stomach bug delayed my trip, and I kept on to Vegas. I'd like to go off-season and avoid the crowds, but all these places have too much snow. I hate driving in snow.

[mth123]

I'm working on making it to all of them. Pretty early in my journey, Had my Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip cancelled because of Covid, so I hope to go in 2023. Been to about 15 national parks and many state parks, national monuments, etc. Here are my top 5 so far.

1. Arches National Park
2. Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada)
3. Custer State Park (South Dakota)
4. Bryce Canyon National Park (Would like to go back for a longer experience)
5. New River Gorge National Park
Bonus: Diamond Head State Park (Hawaii)

The Grand Canyon's great, but I've only been to the rim for a couple hours a couple of times. I want to hike into the canyon one day.

[Kingspoint]

These are pics from Staunton State Park I took a few days ago. I’m really really blessed to live 30-45 minutes away from some of the best hikes in the US. You can see Mt. Evans in the first pic and Pikes Peak (CO Springs) in the 3rd pic with both being taken at the same peak at Staunton. Both are 14ers.

Nice. Love the dog! We went to Fish Creek Falls, of course, while we were there, and yes...it is a privilege to have so many choices, but where you live is a choice, isn't it? I've always considered Oregon and Colorado as being the most similar of States in so many ways. I think I'd live there if I didn't live here (technically, I live across the River on the shores of the Columbia in Vancouver, a 16-minute drive from my Spouse's home by the University of Portland). Chauncey Billups was asked why Jabari Walker was so energetic (or something like that), and he said, "well, you know, it's those Colorado men that do things the right way (or something funny like that)".

Great pictures. Another thing I found remarkable was the gold dust that is literally everywhere. It was everywhere. I went to a spot on Fish Creek under the bridge that has a good flow to it and I literally picked up a rock out of the water that had gold in it.

[Kingspoint]

Bonus: Diamond Head State Park (Hawaii)

The Grand Canyon's great, but I've only been to the rim for a couple hours a couple of times. I want to hike into the canyon one day.

Did watch the sun rise from the top of Diamond Head with 50 others back in '06. I'm guessing that somewhere along the Grand Canyon is going to be the next place to go as we keep talking about it. Though, I'm open to most things.

[Redhook]

I still haven't made it to Yellowstone. I had plans to go there to celebrate my doctorate, but Covid came, followed by a foot injury I'm still recovering from. I keep pushing the trip forward, and the latest date isn't good for snowy travel. I might just go to spring training in March--I've always wanted to do that.

At the moment, it would be between the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I never thought I'd see anything more mind-blowing than the canyon, but a year later I drove into Yosemite Valley, and I felt as if I were in some alien land of gigantic proportions. Yellowstone would complete the big three. I nearly made it to Zion a couple of years ago, but a stomach bug delayed my trip, and I kept on to Vegas. I'd like to go off-season and avoid the crowds, but all these places have too much snow. I hate driving in snow.

Yosemite Valley is the real life Garden of Eden. The place even smells great, like fresh baked cookies.

I’ll let you know about Zion. I think I’ll like it more than Yellowstone, but we’ll see. When you make it to Yellowstone, be sure to travel 45 minutes to the Tetons. It’ll blow you away. Don’t bother to go to Yellowstone in March. It’ll be frozen so….enjoy AZ.

Regarding the snow in the fall, south Utah is a desert and doesn’t getting a lot of snow so I wouldn’t worried about it. Yellowstone on the other hand, don’t bother after late October. We went there for fall break in mid-October and it was still fine. Mid-50’s most days, but it changes so fast in the mountains.

[Cyclone792]

Try the North Rim. Fantastic all the same and not crowded at all (at least not the day we went, which was in July). The weather is better on the North Rim in the summer, too.

I'll make a note of that. We went to the South Rim this past July. Not surprisingly it was hot, and then a monsoon moved in which made it humid.

Speaking of monsoons, some of the most impressive lightning I've ever seen was from monsoons we saw in Petrified Forest NP and nearby Holbrook, AZ when we visited in July. Just incredible, relentless cloud-to-ground lightning.