Top 10 most visited National Parks in 2009

Top 10 most visited National Parks in 2009

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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Despite the recession, or perhaps because of it, more than 285 million visitors flocked to national parks last year, falling just short of the all-time visitation record of 287.2 million set in 1987.

The National Park Service reported that 2009 visitation represented an increase of 10 million people, or 3.6%, versus the prior year.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar speculated that the increases may have be a result of families on tight budgets view parks as bargains, parks offered free visitation on three weekends, and parks attracted extra attention as a result of Ken Burns's documentary on the history of parks.

As usual, the Great Smoky Mountains ranked the highest in total visitation. Here's how the top 10 parks ranked in terms of visitation for 2009:

1) Great Smoky Mountains (9.5 million visitors)
2) Grand Canyon (4.3 million visitors)
3) Yosemite (3.7 million)
4) Yellowstone (3.3 million)
5) Olympic (3.3 million)
6) Rocky Mountain (2.8 million)
7) Zion (2.7 million)
8) Cuyahoga Valley (2.6 million)
9) Grand Tetons (2.6 million)
10) Acadia (2.2 million)

Also, the Blue Ridge Parkway was the most visited unit of the system with nearly 16 million visitors in 2009.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Win a Trip to One of America's Most Popular National Parks

Win a Trip to One of America's Most Popular National Parks

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

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In celebration of Ken Burns’s landmark documentary, “America’s Best Idea: The National Parks,” airing on PBS throughout February, the National Park Foundation and ARAMARK Parks and Destinations are giving you a chance to explore your land – with a free trip to one of America’s most popular national parks.

Participating is easy – just share with the world one, or all, of your favorite spots in America’s national parks. Anytime during the month of February, visit the NPF website to explore America’s national parks online, and then mark your spot by sharing your favorite moments, stories and experiences. Individuals that add their spot to at least one park will be entered to win a three night trip for two, including lodging and airfare, to their choice of the following destinations located in, or within close proximity, to some of America’s most beloved parks:

* Shenandoah National Park
* Mesa Verde National Park
* Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
* Denali National Park
* Glacier Bay National Park
* Yellowstone National Park & Grand Teton National Park
* Olympic National Park

The grand prize winner will also receive a $300 resort credit to use towards meals and/or activities (cannot be used towards lodging, retail, fuel, or any non-ARAMARK managed operations), and an official “America’s Best Idea” book signed by filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. In addition, twenty runner-up winners will receive an “America’s Best Idea” poster signed by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, and a limited edition National Park Foundation “America’s Best Idea” t-shirt.

Individuals can add one new spot to the NPF website each day to increase their chances of winning. The National Park Foundation and ARAMARK Parks and Destinations will announce the winners in March. For more information and complete contest rules, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Smoky Mountain Day Hikers Store Wide selection of hiking, travel and history books related to the Great Smoky Mountains and the surrounding region. We also carry top quality gear and apparel from some of the best outdoor brands.

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Bizarre and Interesting Hikers on the Trail

Bizarre and Interesting Hikers on the Trail

Sunday, September 21, 2008

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Have you ever meet any interesting characters while out on the trail? Do you have any good stories about an encounter with a strange or unusual hiker? I’d love to hear about them.

I have three stories I’d like to share: one was a bit unsettling at the time, one that was truly absurd, and the other a unique and interesting one.

Back in the mid-Eighties I did a short evening hike with a small group to one of the overlooks in Red River Gorge in central Kentucky. Just before reaching the Chimney Rock overlook, an extended Vietnamese family passed us heading back towards the trailhead. We exchanged greetings, thought they looked like nice enough people, and didn’t think anything more about it.

Roughly fifteen minutes later we began hearing some shouting from at least two different locations in the valley below us. Although we couldn’t understand what was being said, it didn’t sound particularly friendly. Another thirty minutes or so passed before we decided to head back up the trail before it got too dark. We hadn’t walked too far when three guys, dressed in full battle fatigues, with war-painted faces and large hunting knives sticking out of their belts, approached us from the opposite direction.

Red River Gorge is in the Daniel Boone National Forest where hunting isn’t allowed. So, obviously, these guys weren’t hunters. Needless to say we were a little taken aback as they approached us. They proceeded to ask us if we had seen any “gooks”, which was a common disparaging term used to describe North Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War. We immediately knew who they were looking for. Although we had just passed the Vietnamese family less than an hour before, we played dumb and told them we hadn’t seen anybody.

To this day we have no idea what was going on that evening in the Gorge, but I can say with certainty that it didn’t appear to be a good situation.

My absurd hiking story occurred in the Grand Tetons a few years ago. We were hiking the Cascade Canyon Trail when we came upon a large group of people making a great deal of noise. The “leader” of this group, a muscular guy without a shirt and wearing a bandana, whom we appropriately nicknamed “Rambo”, was banging the ground with an extra-large stick. He and his group of about ten were all yelling at a young black bear walking just in front them along the trail. Recognizing their accents, we assumed they were tourists from Germany.

The absurd part of this story is that the bear didn’t care how loud these people yelled. He continued strolling down the trail at his own leisurely pace. With the Germans leading the way, we literally followed the bear for at least a mile before the bear decided he had had enough and meandered off into the woods.

My final story occurred on the Dream Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. About a mile into the hike we came across a group of about 30 Buddhist monks from Vietnam, all dressed in traditional clothes. They were taking part in a Buddhist monk convention in Estes Park and decided they wanted to do a little hiking in the mountains. We spoke with a couple of them and even had a picture taken with one of them. They were all very friendly. It was one of the most unique and memorable hikes that I’ve ever been on.

What about you? Do you have any interesting, bizarre, or unique hiking stories?


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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