Tag Archives: camping

Cape Lookout National Seashore

October 15, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

There are no roads in North Carolina’s Cape Lookout National Seashore, but vehicles can drive the beach nearly the entire 56-mile length of these Outer Banks barrier islands. A passenger ferry leaves from Beaufort, North Carolina to access the Shackleford Banks where feral horses reside. Cape Lookout is on the South Core Banks, a great spot for camping, surf fishing, kite flying, and beachcombing. This island is accessible aboard a passenger ferry from Harkers Island and a vehicle ferry from Davis.

Highlights

Historic lighthouse, undeveloped beaches, seashells, beach camping

Must-Do Activity

If you enjoy beach camping, then you must spend at least one night on the islands. Go beachcombing in the morning after watching the sunrise light up Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

Best Trail

There are boardwalks around the ferry landing and lighthouse, otherwise just walk the beaches.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The majestic 163-foot tall Cape Lookout Lighthouse (wearing argyle) is the icon of this national seashore and looks best at sunset and sunrise.

The lighthouse sticking out of the low fog — Find this photo and many others for sale on Imagekind.

Peak Season

Summer (if there is not a hurricane forecast)

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

Free to visit and camp, $16 roundtrip per adult for passenger ferry, sometimes a charge to climb to the top of the lighthouse

Road Conditions

Paved to the ferry docks in Beaufort and Harkers Island, sandy on outer islands (4×4 required)

Camping

Camping is free on the beaches, but unless you have your own boat you will need to pay for a ferry ride out there. The oceanfront section of beach near Cape Lookout Lighthouse is closed to vehicles, making it perfect for backpackers.

Our campsite

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Pelican at sunrise

Tiff with her collection of shells she found — Seashell hunting out here is great; and yes, the National Park Service allows you to take a reasonable amount home.

Short billed dowitchers

Lighthouse reflection

Explore More – When was the Cape Lookout Lighthouse built?

WONDON WAS HERE

Nevada

Great Basin National Park

October 4, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

Originally designated a National Monument in 1922, the area surrounding 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak became a National Park in 1986. This park is so remote that moonless nights offer some of the darkest skies you will see in your entire life. Plan to stay multiple nights to walk along the scenic Alpine Lakes Loop Trail, summit the peak, visit Lexington Arch, hike through a grove of ancient trees, and take a guided tour of Lehman Caves.

Highlights

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, Lehman Caves, Lexington Arch, bristlecone pine trees

Must-Do Activity

Pass through ancient bristlecone pine trees on your hike to the only remaining glacier in the state of Nevada. This park was once home to the oldest single-stem tree in the world with nearly 5,000 annual rings (a cross-section is on display at the Great Basin Visitor Center). It was killed by a researcher who cut it down to count it in 1964, but he then became a major advocate for creating the national park.

Best Trail

Lexington Arch is located down a long dirt road, the first nine miles of which are passable by any vehicle, but the final two miles require four-wheel-drive. From the trailhead, the hike is 1.7-miles one-way, for a total round trip of 7.4 miles if you park where we did. Lexington Arch is an impressive 60 feet tall and its limestone structure is unique since most arches are sandstone.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Gnarled branches of bristlecone pine trees reach for the sky at 10,000 feet in elevation. Wheeler Peak provides a great backdrop for them.

Peak Season

Summer, with September a great time of year to visit for changing colors in the aspen stands. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive closes in winter.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, which is fairly unique for a National Park, but there is a charge for cave tours.

Road Conditions

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is paved and most dirt roads are passable to all vehicles, with the exception of the final 2 miles of the road to Lexington Arch which requires four-wheel-drive.

Camping

There are several campgrounds in the park, plus dispersed sites along two dirt roads available with a permit. Dispersed camping is allowed on roads outside the park boundaries without a permit.

Wheeler Peak protects the only remaining glacier in Nevada from the afternoon sun.

The steep trail to Wheeler Peak climbs over 3,000 feet in about four miles, but the destination is always in view.

There was fresh snow atop 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak when we summited in mid-September.

The Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker, Nevada displays a cross-section from the 4,900-year-old bristlecone pine tree.

Ranger-guided tours of Lehman Caves are only a half-mile long and worth the price of admission.

On the trail to Lexington Arch

Tiff standing on cave flowstone beneath Lexington Arch.

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Explore More – If the flowstone formations at its base indicate Lexington Arch was once part of a cave, is it actually an arch or a natural bridge?

WONDON WAS HERE …TWICE

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Missouri

Ozark National Scenic Riverways

October 1, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

North of Arkansas’ Buffalo National River on the Ozark Plateau is Ozark National Scenic Riverways, perhaps the wildest section of Missouri. Unlike the many reservoirs around Branson, here the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers flow freely and have been managed by the National Park Service since 1964. The best way to explore the serpentine park boundaries is on the water, but roads and trails access several areas.

Ozark

Highlights

Canoeing/kayaking, Blue Spring, Alley Mill, karst landforms and caves

Must-Do Activity

The crystal clear spring-fed water of the Jack’s Fork River is home to a variety of fish, birds, and even the occasional beaver. We paddled 25 miles from Buck Hollow to Alley Spring, a pleasant day trip.

Best Trail

The dolomite and limestone karst underneath this park is riddled with caves and sinkholes, like Devils Well, Round Spring Cave (ranger guided tours for a fee), and Jam Up Cave (only accessible from the Jack’s Fork River).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Hike to 310-foot deep Blue Spring (which was aptly called Spring of the Summer Sky by Native Americans) or drive to the bright red Alley Mill that dates back to 1894.

Cool shadows

Peak Season

Spring offers peak water flows for canoeing/kayaking

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/ozar/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

None, but you can pay local concessionaires to rent canoes and shuttle your vehicle.

Road Conditions

Highways are paved and most dirt roads are narrow but passable with a passenger vehicle when dry

Camping

There are many campgrounds within Ozark National Scenic Riverways, some with full RV hookups and some primitive (we especially liked Bay Creek). Floaters on the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are allowed to camp on gravel bars.

Tiff in Bananas Trace

Scott at the opening to Jam Up cave — Jam Up Cave is only accessible by beaching your boat along the Jacks Fork River. Find this photo and others for sale on Imagekind

Wading in the water

A great blue heron taking off

More bluffs

Scott with the source of Blue Spring — Scott at Blue Spring

Explore More – The colorful Blue Spring pumps out how many million gallons of water per day?

WONDON WAS HERE

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Michigan

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

September 26, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The turquoise waters of Lake Superior beneath the sandstone cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore make it seem warmer than it actually is. Glaciers carved this shoreline thousands of years ago, but the Ice Age never seems far off in the lake’s cold waters. Minerals leaching from the stone paint the cliffs in many hues, hence the name Pictured Rocks.

Pictured

Highlights

Petit Portal, Miners Castle, Munising Falls, Sable Falls

Must-Do Activity

Kayaking through Petit Portal is an unforgettable experience. Guides can provide the necessary gear and know-how, as well as commercial boat operators that get close to but do not actually pass through the natural arch.

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Best Trail

Not far from the visitor center is a short trail to Munising Falls, one of several waterfalls in this 42-mile stretch of shoreline.

Instagram-worthy Photo

It will be hard to maintain a flat horizon line while bobbing on the waves in your kayak as you pass through Petit Portal, so take plenty of pictures.

Peak Season

Primarily a summer destination, but even then be prepared for sudden storms that can suddenly blow across Lake Superior.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

No entry fee, but there is a charge for backcountry camping permits that are only available online.

Road Conditions

All roads are paved (to our knowledge).

Camping

Three campgrounds, plus 14 backcountry camping areas in the National Lakeshore. More backcountry campsites can be found offshore in Grand Island National Recreation Area, administered by Hiawatha National Forest, which also offers dispersed camping opportunities.

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Tiff with the Petit Portal

Colors like Yellowstone

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Munising Falls near the south Visitor Center

Explore More – What valuable mineral stains the sandstone cliffs green and blue?

WONDON WAS HERE

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Maine

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

September 21, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The Appalachian Trail (or A.T.) is one of only three National Scenic Trails that the National Park Service (NPS) includes in its total of 420+ units, despite there being many other affiliated trails (some with their own Visitor Centers). The trail stretches 2,185 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia (in Chattahoochee National Forest‘s Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area) to Mount Katahdin, Maine, crossing 14 states, 6 NPS sites, 8 National Forests, and countless other parks.

Highlights

Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Mount Washington State Park, Baxter State Park

Must-Do Activity

Even if just for a short stretch, gets a taste for the A.T. by following the white rectangular blazes going north or south anywhere along its length. The trail through Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is especially popular. Check out our blog post on the short hike to the southern terminus of the A.T. at Georgia’s Springer Mountain in Chattahoochee National Forest‘s Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area.

Best Trail

The last stretch of the trail ascends Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park. My impression from the surly park employees is that they would rather not be the official end of the Appalachian Trail. For instance, they fined record-setting Scott Jurek for public alcohol consumption and littering when he spilled some champagne celebrating his accomplishment atop Katahdin in 2015. The funny thing about the A.T. is that it ends (and begins) on top of a mountain where you have to turn around and hike out.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The views on top of Katahdin are unsurpassed and you might get to celebrate with a thru-hiker finishing the 2,185-mile journey.

At the top! The mountain looks similar to many of the 14ers in Colorado

Peak Season

Most thru-hikers go in the summer due to snow. Baxter State Park closes in the winter, but most of the trail is accessible year round.

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/appa/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

Free to hike, but some parks (like Shenandoah National Park) charge for admission and camping.

Road Conditions

Trailhead access can be both paved and dirt (which is the case in Baxter State Park). The trail is only paved in a few portions like atop Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Camping

There are more than 160 trail shelters along the A.T. and in some places like Great Smoky Mountains National Park backpackers are required to utilize them. Otherwise dispersed camping is mostly allowed along the entire length of the trail.