Eric Peterson - Frommers EasyGuide to National Parks of the American West

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Residents of northern New Mexico for more than 40 years, Don and Barbara Laine have traveled extensively throughout the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, exploring the mountains and deserts and especially the national parks, with their always-curious dogs. The Laines have authored or contributed to a number of Frommers travel guides, including all previous editions of this book, and have also written Little-Known Southwest, New Mexico & Arizona State Parks, and Best Short Hikes in Arizona for The Mountaineers Books.

Eric Peterson has been writing about travel for more than 20 years. Beyond covering the Rockies in numerous Frommers guidebooks, hes written about skiing, hiking, and other ways to get up and down mountains for such publications as the New York Daily News, Delta Sky, and his own Ramble series of travel books. When hes not on the road, he covers the arts, technology, and city-building for Confluence Denver, a hyper-local website. Eric lives in Denver with his wife, Jamie, and their trusted canines, Mini and Duncan.

ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommers has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, criticalboth pro and conin their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs weve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com.

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Arthur Frommer

T he National Parks of the United States are, to put it as subtly as possible, wonderful, stupendous, fabulous, stunning, and some of the most beautiful places in the world. And if you dont believe us, ask the many Europeans, Japanese, Australians, and others who flock to our parks every year.

The national parksespecially those in the American Westhave a rugged beauty, but more than that, they offer visitors myriad opportunities for hiking, climbing, rafting, sightseeing, and even learning. They are truly Americas National Playground.

The purpose of this book is to help you get the most out of these national treasures, to know when to go, what to see and do, how to avoid the crowds, and all-in-all, to help you have the very best national park experience possible.

FINDING THE BEST NATIONAL PARKS FOR YOU

In planning a national park vacation, one of the first decisions you have to make is which park or parks to visit. The authors have thoroughly explored each and every one of the parks in this book, and we assure you that there are no duds here. It would be pointless to try to rate them, to create a Best Of list, because each one is unique and truly the best of the best.

But the real question is, which parks are best for you? Each national park has its own personality and opportunities, so to determine which ones you should visit youll need to do your homeworkand maybe a little self-analysisbefore heading out the door.

First, think about what kind of experience youre looking for. If you are a looker, your main motive in visiting a national park is to see that fantastic scenery first hand. This may involve hiking, or at least walking, which youll also enjoy, but seeing the mountains, rock formations, lakes, streams, and all the rest is why youre really there. On the other hand if youre a doer, your primary motivation is to hike the trails, climb rock formations, kayak, and enjoy whatever other activities are available.

The National Park Service has done an admirable job of making every park in this guide wonderful places for both lookers and doers, and at every one there are hiking trails, walking paths, scenic drives, viewpoints, visitor centers, and ranger programs. But some parks are best for sightseeing while others are ideal for hikers and those who enjoy other outdoor activities. To give two contrasting examples, Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, is an easy and fun place to see spectacular red rock arches, from the scenic drive or along a trail after a short walk. Right across the road at Canyonlands National Park youll find a few nice viewpoints, but to really appreciate the park youll need to hit the hiking trails or backcountry roads. The first therefore is for the gawkers, and the second is best for folks who like a challenge.