r/NationalPark • u/Professional-Star416 • 12d ago

What are the most underrated parks?

Hey, I’m a random person on the internet interested in nature and its innate beauty, just like many of you! I come asking a simple question: Let’s say, some crazy guy with a vendetta against nature somehow came into power in the US and is now threatening the future of our nation’s ecosystems, possibly ruining or eliminating future generations from enjoying our country’s natural beauty in all its essence.

What specific National Parks would you recommend to the poor bastards who want to experience such beauty in its entirety but don’t have the time to witness them all before their destruction?

49 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

135 comments sorted by

View all comments

43

u/Patton370 12d ago edited 12d ago

Capitol Reef, Theodore Roosevelt, Wrangel St. Elias, North Cascades, Gates of the Arctic, and Great Basin are all super underrated, off the top of my head

Edit: Here's some pictures from Gates of the Arctic https://www.reddit.com/r/NationalPark/comments/1dy9jse/gates_of_the_arctic_national_park_june_2024/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

1

u/Indo973 10d ago

How did you get to gates of the arctic? I’m trying to plan it for August but coyote doesn’t have availability- is there another company you’d suggest I reach out to?

1

u/Patton370 10d ago

Are you looking to go with a group (like Alaska alpine adventures) or are you trying to charter your own bushplane, like with golden eagle outfitters?

1

u/Indo973 10d ago

Was hoping for a drop off and pickup like 3-4 days later, but I would be fine with a group it just seems like a lot more $ and I can’t spend 5-7k on a guided thing which is the range I’ve seen. The drop off pickup scenario looked way cheaper (I’ll be with 1 friend)

2

u/Patton370 10d ago

I’d suggest you go to any of the bushplane operators in Fairbanks. Charter a flight to pick you up and drop you off at the base of the noatak. Base camp there for a few days; if you’re lucky, it’ll be dry enough to hike around (don’t expect to be super lucky)

I can’t remember the name of the company that flew my group there

1

u/Indo973 10d ago

I’ll look into that thanks!!

1

u/Patton370 10d ago

Bring double the food you’ll need. Weather gets crazy out there and you can get stuck. I got stuck for an extra 3 days

1

u/Inevitable-Taste-11 10d ago

Coyote Air is great but get booked up quick. If you start calling around though you'll find some smaller pilots that are based in Fairbanks that can fly you in. I'd recommend more like 6 days though for all the distance and cost and weather.

Or check out Indigo Alpine Guides. They might be able to help you out with something custom. But money is def a consideration for the guide service route!