United States Destinations

Retired rangers reveal 10 favourite “secret” U.S. national park spots

Where do America’s retired national park rangers go when they want to get outside, escape the crowds and see some of the most beautiful spots that are hidden away in the less-travelled sections of America’s national parks?

For years, retired National Park Service employees have kept this information to themselves. But now, as a public service to families planning their 2005 summer vacations, the members of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees have decided to share their special insights by identifying 10 of their top picks among the most spectacular and awe-inspiring national parkland spots in the U.S.

There is no doubt that they know what they are talking about: the nearly 400-member group accounts for a total of more than 11,000 years worth of park service experience.

Bill Wade, a retired superintendent who spent nine years at Shenandoah National Park and grew up in Mesa Verde National Park, said: “Whether they are digging out of snow in New England, sitting in weather-related traffic gridlock in North Carolina, cleaning up from floods in the Midwest, or battling mudflows in the southwest, people all over this country are starting to dream about warmer weather and starting to plan summer vacations. Knowing that, we want to make sure that Americans start thinking about our national parks the way they once did. And we are prepared to give up a few of our secrets to get Americans back to the parks.”

“Too many people who come to the parks are what I call windshield visitors who miss all the best views and sites. My advice is simple: ‘Park your car, get out the boots, take a hike and discover your own country!’” said Rob Arnberger, who was superintendent at both Grand Canyon National Park and Big Bend National Park. "The national park units, no matter how big or small, are my ‘places of worship.’ I always enjoy my visits there, especially for the stillness whenever it's possible. The parks are, of course, the cathedrals. But even the smallest historic site can be a chapel. Thank goodness for the wisdom of those who created them!”

The National Park Service now has 388 sites, ranging from national seashores such as Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras, to historic sites such as Gettysburg and the USS Arizona Memorial, to the best-known “crown jewel” national parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite.

As it turns out, some of the most-favoured spots of former National Park Service employees are also among the lesser-known parks or, at least less-travelled sections of the better-known parks. The initial survey of retired rangers yielded 40 sites, including many well-known locations. That list was further pared down to the following 10 sites, which were selected not just for their natural beauty, but also specifically because some are among the spots that, while familiar to park service employees, may be unknown to the general public (or, in the case of the Lincoln Memorial, offer very different experiences based on when a visit takes place):

• Alaska — Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. One retiree said: “I have stood in awe of the geysers of Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the spectacular Bryce sweep of Bryce Canyon and the majesty of the Redwoods. However, my personal favourite is the Arregetch Peaks of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. It symbolizes the essence of true wilderness for me.” Another said: “For sheer wildness, it has to be the Arrigetch Peaks area of Gates of the Arctic.”

• New Mexico — Chaco Culture National Historical Park. As one ranger explained: “The right time to be at Chaco Canyon is summer dawn, just as liquid gold flows across the San Juan Basin and sinks down into the canyon, accented by the sound of a coyote a mile away and the landing of a bluebird on a fragment of standing wall. Beauty is before you, beauty is behind you.”

• Wyoming — Grand Teton National Park. One retiree urges visitors to see the view from atop Signal Mountain in Grand Teton National Park on an early evening following a late afternoon storm. “Look westerly toward the Teton Range,” he explained. “There is enough colour in the foreground to accentuate the mountain range while the sky goes into an endless light show. Don’t exit early — you may miss the best part.”

• Arizona — Fort Bowie National Historic Site. The experience of the isolated ruins of Fort Bowie, in the middle of Apache Pass, with a spectacular geological backdrop, is enhanced by the fact that visitors still have to hike in a little over a mile from the parking lot. One ranger said: “The fact that the Park Service has almost held itself to a minimalist approach gives the visitor that rare and wonderful feeling of having discovered the ruins by himself or herself.”

• Oregon — Crater Lake National Park. A retiree said: “The view of the great caldera from the top of Dutton Cliff, which is only accessible on foot from the Rim Drive by hiking over the open pumice slopes — there is no trail. The view of stars above and below obtained by taking a boat out into the great caldera on a moonless and still night, extinguishing all motors to squelch all sound and vibrations; then looking up at the stars and then down into the glass-like waters of Crater Lake to see the Milky Way reflected in this great six-mile diameter natural mirror.”

• North Dakota — Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Said one retiree: “On a visit to the park, I accompanied a ranger on a horseback patrol of about 15 miles. We started out near the banks of the Little Missouri River, forded the river and followed a faint trail up the bentonitic clay slopes toward the Big Plateau. As we reached the crest of the slope, I was rewarded with a sight few people are ever privileged to see. In one vast panorama, lighted by an early morning orange sun and a deep blue sky dotted with titanium white clouds, the prairie was glowing with yellow, orange, and blue wildflowers. But that was not all, because within my field of vision, all at one time, I saw the primeval American West: a small group of bison, a group of pronghorn, a prairie dog town, a bald eagle in flight, and in the distance a couple of mule deer. All this, and not one trace of mankind. This view has been branded in my mind ever since as having the most awe-inspiring impact I have ever experienced. The trip lasted 12 hours and all along the way we were rewarded with the ever-changing landscape of flora and fauna in what looked to be untouched prairie.”

• Florida — Dry Tortugas National Park. According to one retired ranger, the coral reefs at this park are as close as one can get to a pristine underwater world inside the boundaries of the lower 48. A visit to Dry Torgugas can yield the same kind of natural beauty that might otherwise be seen on a visit outside of the United States to the Caribbean or another more remote and expensive vacation spot.

• California — Yosemite National Park. One retiree said: “Midway up the old one-mile Glacier Point trail, the views of the Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall to the North and to the East, the close-up view of the Diving Board and Half Dome are unforgettable. The old Glacier Point one-mile trail is reached from the vicinity of Curry Village. Access requires a parks service climbing permit, but it is a hike/scramble, not a real climb. Another great spot: the view of Mt Lyle, the Lyle and McClure Glaciers, Ireland Lake, Vogelsang Lake, and Tuolumne Meadows from the summit of the small unnamed peak rising from the eastern shores of Fletcher Lake. This unnamed peak is easily ascended without full-blown climbing.”

• Washington DC — Lincoln Memorial. Even the best known national park sites hold secrets for the well-informed traveller. As one retiree said, “At night, when almost no one is around, is really the best time to see the Lincoln Memorial. That’s when it shares its deep secrets with small handfuls of visitors, secrets that may be lost during the daylight hours when crowds of hundreds at a time are jostling with each other.”

• Utah — Zion National Park. One retiree recommends the Virgin Narrows hike to the beginning of the Narrows from the Temple of Sinawava (first by day, and then by full moon). He said: “The hike is very rugged and involves wading knee deep at times in the Virgin River much of the time. Not recommended for those with knee problems or who are not in excellent physical condition.”