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Why another blog (hey, it’s a resource site) related to traveling to the national parks?

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So, another blog.  And a travel blog.  How imaginative!  Just what we need.   But yes, a travel blog it is and one focused on providing readily available information with a simple mouse click for those traveling to national parks, especially parks out west (but guidance can be used at any park), and those interested in hiking and escaping crowds.

Why begin such an endeavor?

Well, my wife tired of me making sarcastic comments to her about posts I saw on Facebook or elsewhere asking “What are the best hikes in Glacier?”  “What’s the weather like in Yellowstone in September?” “Is two days enough in Yosemite?”  “Is [name the park] worth visiting?”  She said either stop reading the posts or do something (and stop bothering me while I read).  And I decided it was best to procrastinate by starting a blog/resource site rather than cleaning out the basement and garage or reseeding the lawn.

The focus here is to provide Internet sites, resources, and forums that I have found most helpful when making travel plans to our parks especially when seeking out the best hikes—whether those hikes are short or long, little or ample elevation gain, with waterfalls or lakes, kid friendly or more adventurous, or with wildlife or redwoods.  And putting those sites into a centralized location while adding some context to the benefits of each site.  Yes, the same could be done by the user simply plugging in questions into one’s favorite search engine and have various sites and information popping up straightway.  But apparently that is not happening for some who, in particular, tend to frequent a social media site that will remain nameless.  But it has a face and book attached to it.

People are drawn to our parks and have a special connection to them.  And it shows with the numerous websites, blogs, and chat pages (and books) that allow both novices and veterans alike the ability to share information and find answers to almost any question that one has about visiting a park.   From those various sites and apps, I have simply compiled what I have found to be the most helpful for our family and organized them in a user-friendly manner.  BTW–the National Park Service site for each park should be one of the first sites you visit on the World Wide Web.

Most of the information will center on the most heavily visited parks west of the Mississippi (what can I say, we like mountains, canyons, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, the smell of pine and fir trees, and low humidity).  And much of my commentary is dedicated to staying in the parks and tips on escaping crowds when hiking.

To be honest, it is pretty basic stuff.  In posts I make to the blog, I may mention a cabin we liked (especially if it didn’t come with a small rodent) or a park restaurant that had better food than your school cafeteria (it’s a challenge), but the questions I see on Facebook and other forums, which brings out a heavy sigh on my part, relate to hiking and escaping the crowds.  But I won’t bury the lede—you have to be intentional in what you want to see and accomplish, plan your trip as soon as possible, try to find lodging in the park (for us, that means a room with a bed and bathroom), and get up and out early.

That said, the sites I have linked to have plenty of good information about lodging, food, side trips, and visiting with kids.  Indeed, I think a wonderful idea for a travel show (ahem. . . . Food Network) would be one focused on parks and dining. How about “Breakfast, Brunch, and Bears?”   Talking to you Guy Fieri.

Please know that while firsthand knowledge and experience (good and bad) led me to share any wisdom and thoughts that I may have, much of the information and commentary is gathered from endless hours of reading travel books, asking questions, and visiting and researching sites and discussion forums.  We have traveled for nearly two decades to more than 20 of North America’s most popular national parks (can’t forget Banff and Jasper), but as I often say to my wife, “half the fun of the trip, is planning for it.”  I may over indulge in the planning :).  Our son likely would say we over indulge in the parks :(.

Before we start, you need to know the lingo; that way, you will sound like a seasoned park traveler.

NP—National Park
GTSR—Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park
Many Glacier is an area in the northeast portion of Glacier National Park (not to be confused with there being many (but not as many as 100 years ago) glaciers in the park)
SEKI—Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
ONP—Olympic National Park
Lodge does not always mean a room in a motel like structure or a room with hard-sided walls.  Lodge can mean an area in the park that includes cabins and tents.
Rim—Often associated with the Grand Canyon.  South rim and north rim.  But you will see rim referenced whenever there is a valley associated with the park.  Don’t confuse the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with The Grand Canyon (you know, the one the Brady Bunch visited).
Dark skies—Due to little or no light pollution (in part because no cities are nearby and the park has installed dark sky friendly lighting) and favorable weather condition, many parks in the West offer wonderful stargazing opportunities.
Out and Back (or in and out)—A trail that starts at one point and ends at another and you return the same way.  So when someone says it is 5 miles to the lake, you will travel approximately 10 miles.
Loop—As it implies, a trail with a loop so you won’t see the same scenery twice.  The loop can either bring you back to the same trailhead or to a different trailhead where you walk back to your room or find a shuttle.
Trailhead—This is where you begin your travels on the trail.

And off we go . . .

Links and other Resources for Park Traveling and Hiking

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The links I provide below are my go to resources for when we travel or that I simply enjoy visiting to get my park fix.  There are plenty of other sites and apps to find and use but there is only so much time.

I like to visit multiple sites for a park to seek out hiking options as you get a different perspective or pick up a nugget not found elsewhere.  For example, in Yosemitehikes.com (Yosemite Hikes) when looking at the Panorama trail hike, the author gives the reader a hidden gem—how to take a detour and find the short trail to Panorama Point.  Generally, it is a lesser known fact not found elsewhere and well worth the quick trip (assuming you are not too afraid of panoramic views of the valley without guardrails).  Moreover, you will find options outside of what you may be expecting to do, especially if the weather is not cooperating.

Also, I prefer TripAdvisor for asking questions or scoping out lodging and dining options.  It is for travelers seeking out specific information, not for someone asking is it worth it to travel to Crater Lake in June?  You will find knowledgeable contributors for each park/area who offer thoughtful advice and recommendations.  You will know who they are quite quickly.  The TA forum is easy to navigate, categorizes by date and the question asked, and offers a search engine to narrow down your search to specific interests.

Know in advance that the contributors providing the information on TA often do not play nice with travelers who have not done a bit of homework before asking their questions(s).  Asking questions about what are the best hikes, can I do this hike, can my 6 year old do the hike, is it worth a six hour drive to visit the park, tell me how many days I need to spend in the park, will there be snow in June, or tell me about the lodging in or near the park will not go over well.  You may want to add, what types of hikes you are looking for (e.g., waterfalls, lakes, likely no snow, good wildlife), whether you are a novice or veteran hiker, whether your children enjoy hiking and heights, how many days you have for your trip, where are you coming from, and what type of specific lodging you are seeking, and how much are you willing to spend (e.g., one with a kitchen?).

In other words, the general questions you often see or ask on Facebook likely will not receive an initial warm reception on TripAdvisor.  But it gets better the more specific you are.

Facebook is a good resource for photos and recent news events occurring in the park (e.g. rock slide closing Observation Point in Zion, a fire in Glacier, snow in the Yosemite Valley, mudslides in Rainier).  When asking a question on Facebook, understand that you frequently will not receive the most detailed information.  It is a lot of “do this hike,” “make sure you spend more time at this park,” “don’t forget to do the bus or shuttle tour,” or simply a “yes” or “no” to your question.  And you don’t always know how savvy the person is who is responding to your question.  Sometimes you will ask yourself how do I get back those 45 minutes I just lost?

Discussion forums found on the net can be helpful as well.  There are only a few contributors on each, who may know each other and you may feel like an outsider, but more often than not they are interested in assisting you and generally are quite knowledgeable.  You will often find them discussing their recent visit to the park and how to find a trail less traveled.   The two I often frequent are Yosemitenews.info (Yosemite Discussion Forum) and glacier.nationalparkchat.com (Glacier Discussion Forum).  Indeed, the former is a valuable site for those interested in knowing a bit more about Yosemite and its history, whether you can really see Half Dome from Turlock (now that is a lively and entertaining discussion), or how to find unmarked trails such as Sierra Point, Indian Canyon, and Old Mono.

Under “General Resources for Park Traveling,” I begin with links and resources that offer advice, trip ideas, itineraries, and finding hikes for any national park.  I then move to the most popular parks out west and provide links to the sites I use for each park/area identified–for some parks I over indulge with the links (sometimes there is a paralysis by analysis as there is so much good information to find).

With respect to finding and researching hikes, I am most partial to REI’s “The Hiking Project.”  But “All Trails” is excellent as well.

Apps also are great resources and provide the opportunity to download when offline.  Free ones often are sufficient especially if you already have done the research through websites and books.  The REI National Parks Guide app (hiking project) provides more than 5000 trails to hike with most of the popular trails in the national park system. The Chimani National Parks System app has a cost attached to it, but is a one size fits all app for those wanting information about every park, photos, sights to see, and planning.

All Trails is another excellent hiking app providing detailed descriptions about thousands of hiking and biking trails, with up to date conditions.  Seriously, it will find a trail only a few miles from where you live.

And don’t forget about YouTube or TV shows you can find streaming or on cable.  I mention a couple that work well for me when I am using the elliptical.

Please know that I do not have a dog in the fight with respect to any of the sites.  I do not know anyone personally and cannot attest to their accuracy.  That said, I have found them quite helpful when planning for national park trips.

For the resources, simply hit the highlighted link and you will be taken to the site and your park.

Resources for Park Traveling

Pick your poison when seeking a park to visit either using the interactive map or typing in the name of the park.  All things national parks whether interested in a park’s history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, animals likely to see, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, videos, or simply a 101 tutorial.  The National Park Service site for each park should be your first and last stop before your visit.

My favorite resource.  Hiking Project is an REI crowd source trail guide and mapping resource. HP’s guidebook is accessed either on the web or on your phone’s or tablet’s app.  It is a go to resource that is easy to navigate.

HP has nearly 70,000 trails highlighted in North America and Internationally.  Most of the trails are in the US and include a majority of trails found in the national parks.  There is a wealth of information on the site that is up to date as it is provided by hiking enthusiasts who share their knowledge with HP’s administrative team for review.

HP offers GPS route information; elevation and mileage profiles; trail condition (a highlight as it is updated by hiking contributors); photos; difficulty rating; summary of trail highlights; challenges; and what to bring; and so much more.  If looking for one site to visit, this is the one (but don’t forget about the next link coming up).

A site similar to REI’s Hiking Project and some will view it as even better (I will not argue).  As noted on the All Trails site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides and they have more than 100,000 hiking and biking trials to choose from.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail, which is a useful resource as hikers often provide up-to-date trail conditions.   Simply put in the name of the park and your adventure begins.

Basic site of hiking adventures for visitors’ travels to parks on the West coast focusing on California and Pacific Northwest.

10Adventures, while also partnering with tour companies, has pulled together a “best-of” lists for the top hiking, biking, and skiing trails in every location in the world.  While they offer worldwide assistance, they provide concise route descriptions for hikes found in nearly a dozen states, including most of the popular park in the West.  Included in their descriptions are digital maps, a standardized difficulty rating system, and insider hints and tips.  Most hikes also include comments from those who have walked the trails.

A team of two started the “Greatest American Road Trip” in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.  The two traveled to all 59 (at the time 59) U.S. National Parks in 52 weeks.  Each park on the site, has among things, its own gallery page with photographs, video, stories, and sites to see.  Simply select ‘National Parks‘ in the navigation header and search for your next adventure.

Family of four who have visited 69 countries on 6 continents.  Site provides travel advice, destinations, and sample itineraries.  Though focused on worldwide hikes, the drop-down “Hiking” icon provides a guide to various epic national park hikes.

An excellent resource for traveling with kids.  They claim their site is the first gay family travel blog, and they are confident it is.  The two dads and their two kids travel around the world and provide great insight and tips on what to see and do in the most popular US national parks. Details of parks visited are quite descriptive of sites to see, kid friendly hikes, and accommodations.  Beautiful photos and pleasing format.

A truly helpful resource.  A mom and dad with three kids traveling the world, including the US national parks, provides practical and insightful information for each visit and teach us that families can travel almost anywhere.  For the parks they have visited, which are the most popular parks in the park system (and one state park that rivals the top national parks), good tips on lodging, hikes, where to find a snack, and a general itinerary.

A family of 6 who decided to sell everything and move into an RV! From that RV, they travel the world.  Their travels to the national parks provide helpful tips to others on traveling with kids and adventures both inside and outside the parks.

Former park ranger provides insight on most of the national parks with a page link dedicated to each of the parks.  Good introductory site to the national parks providing the user the opportunity to explore which parks to hit up next.

Journalist travels the world seeking “off the beaten” path destinations.  While his world travels find those hidden gems, he also travels to many of the not so hidden national parks.  One of his many goals is to show travelers that one does not need a large budget to travel.  While not the most informative when seeking out full details about our parks, his site is easy to navigate, with nice photos and videos, and you may discover something about a park that you did not know.  Also, an excellent mile to mile summary of Top stops on Going to the Sun Road.

Travel Platforms/Discussion Groups

  • TripAdvisor

Offers reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

  • Facebook

All Parks have groups dedicated to them—some you join with a simple click on the “like” icon (e.g., National Park Service Groups), others require you to take an extra step to join—generally quite simple, though.  Facebook is a good resource for photos and recent news events occurring in the park, but getting correct or thoughtful information takes some digging. It is not the most user friendly in finding advice and information related to previous questions/issues (or even to the question you are following—btw—turn on notifications).

APPS

  • There are two apps related to REI. There is the National Park Guide app dedicated specifically to, yes, national parks and more than 5300 trails to hike, including most of the popular trails in the national park system.  Extremely user-friendly.  There also is the REI Hiking Project app, which includes the national parks, but also trails outside the parks system and throughout the globe.  There are more than 225,000 miles of trails contained in HP with new trails added every week.  Both are free to download.
  • AllTrails has more than 100,000 hiking and biking trail maps with reviews and photos provided by hikers. Free to download.  There also is an AllTrails Pro with an annual subscription offering GPS location with no signal, map overlay, and custom topo maps.
  • Chimani National Parks System is a one size fits all app for those wanting information about every park, photos, sights to see, and planning. There is a cost to download.

TV/Video

  • Rock the Park 

Jack Steward and Colton Smith are grade school friends who really want to share their love of the outdoors and our national parks (including every unit of the national park system) with the viewers.  The half hour show takes you on specific hikes, kayaking trips, cave adventures, ice climbing, and mountain biking.

Jack and Colton are enjoyable to watch and unquestionably they have great chemistry and a love for our parks.  Watch for the scenery alone as it will inspire you to hit the road.  As they say, “If we can do, so can you!”  You can catch Rock the Park on ABC or YouTube TV.

  • Glacier:  The Hiker’s National Park

For those who want to know what it is like to hike in Glacier National Park, grab some popcorn and your favorite beverage and spend 90 minutes with Steve Salis and his tour of Glacier on The West is Big!  Steve has been to Glacier 17 times and brings his knowledge of the park, including its lodges and campgrounds, to the screen.  His tour starts with a drive across Going to the Sun Road and he then takes you on some of the most popular hikes in the park, such as the Highline trail (an excellent play by play), Grinnell Glacier, Trail of the Cedars, and Piegan Pass.

On his site, The West is Big!, you also can find his other travel videos on the national parks in Utah.

Resources for Specific Parks

California Parks

Yosemite National Park

All things Yosemite (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Good primer for everything Yosemite with excellent commentary and highlights of hikes; chart noting mileage; elevation gain; and author’s assessment regarding crowd factor, difficulty, and scenery factor for each trail identified.

Yosemite news, information, advice and discussion forum.  Heavy users are frequent visitors and nearby residents of Yosemite.  Good resource for up to date conditions, finding “off the road” hikes, and those simply missing Yosemite. You will need to do some digging for specific information but the search function works well.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

All things Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Delaware North operates the lodging in SEKI.  But its site provides visitors with much of the information they will need to visit the parks.  Similar to what you will find on the national park site.  The hiking information is pretty basic but will get you started.

Good resources for trails in California and in particular for both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

Things to do in SEKI, brought to you by a family of six and their dogs.  Good information for families.

Washington Parks

Washington Trails Association.  Online hiking guide for comprehensive overview of hikes in the State of Washington, including those found in the national parks.  Hikes can be found by way of an excellent interactive map or a search of locations/specific names.  Hikers also post up to date reports on trail conditions.

Rainier National Park

All things Rainier (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Olympic National Park

All things Olympic (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking question about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under Top Questions for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A visit to Olympic National Park is not complete without a visit to its coast and the tide pools.  But to travel far on the coast, don’t get disappointed or caught by high tides.  Know when the tides are low.

Kaleberg is a frequent contributor to TripAdvisor and Olympic National Park.  I stumbled onto this website as a result.  A really nice summary of ONP, its hikes, things to do, a trip planner, and restaurants in Port Angeles and North Olympic Peninsula.  Also, a user-friendly tide table prediction chart for timing your time at the beach.  You also can find tide predictions on the NOAA website: NOAA Tide Predictions.

Glacier National Park

All things Glacier (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A comprehensive site providing detailed information on more than 65 hikes in Glacier National Park.  Site includes trail descriptions, photographs, key features, difficulty ratings, maps, and elevation profiles.  User will find links regarding general hiking descriptions (top attractions), GTSR, and getting around Glacier.  Also, a handy mileage chart for GTSR hiking trails and sites.

In 2011, Jake Bramante became the first person to hike all 734 miles of trail in Glacier in one season. It took him five months, with 89 days of hiking, covering 1,200 miles.  Detailed description of all Glacier trails.  An excellent resource from someone who knows and loves Glacier.  Hike 734 also provides links to other trails at popular national parks in the west.

A chat page for discussing all things Glacier.   Topics include general discussion, upcoming trips, past trip reports, lodging and restaurant reviews and recommendations, road conditions, and attractions surrounding Glacier.  Under the general discussion, an excellent Glacier FAQ link written by Hockey Ref (look him up) with an insightful write up of his favorite hike at Glacier (Highline trail from Logan Pass to Many Glacier).

Pretty self-explanatory–top 10 hikes in Glacier by two hikers.  But Dave and Annie are serious backpackers with much of their guidance focused on multi-day hikes.  For day trippers, though, check out their favorite day hikes in Glacier.

The site is much more as there is a wealth of information on various national parks and hidden gems and top things to do in the US and the rest of the world, especially if traveling on a budget.  But for those traveling to Glacier, a special treat—here are the top stops and attractions on GTSR (not quite mile by mile but a very nice effort).

Scenic viewpoints and pullout chart on your trip on the GTSR.   Helpful mileage chart for those going east or west on the road highlighting tunnels, vistas, parking, picnic areas, and trailheads.

Yellowstone National Park

All things Yellowstone (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Yellowstone has more than 50 trails totaling north of 1,000 miles.  This site offers a quick glance at the most popular short and moderate hikes.

Xanterra isn’t just for booking lodging in Yellowstone.  It offers plenty of advice on what to do once you’re there.  Here is their take on 12-day hikes you may want to consider.

Yellowstone has too many hikes to create a Top 10 list.  So, another top 12 list for best trails.

It does not have the heaviest use in terms of those commenting and unlike other sites, the questions/comments are not organized by topic—simply by date.  However, should you follow the FAQ link, you will find a wealth of information about Yellowstone.  Within the Index section, there are more than 70 topics ranging from campsites, biking, weather, locating waterfalls, finding where the animals generally are found, and hiking.  A good resource to get acquainted with Yellowstone.

A community discussion page organized into trip reports, news, and insider information.  One can get a taste of what to expect in Yellowstone through trip reports provided by recent visitors—some quite detailed.

Grand Teton National Park

All things Grand Teton (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A site dedicated to offering detailed description of more than 45 hikes found in the park.  Information contained for each trail, includes key description and features, length, elevation profiles, map, difficulty rating, and photos.  Authors also have broken down hikes by location, features, and difficulty.  They also have their list of top 10 hikes and best easy hikes.

Grand Canyon National Park

All things Grand Canyon (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A detailed listing of a majority of the hikes at the Canyon.  Provides rating, difficulty, mileage, and elevation gain.  Hitting the link for each hike sends you to a page filled with a summary and the highlights of the trail.  Author provides information about water sources, campsites, and fun facts/notes.

Good summary of the top hiking trails at the canyon.

A quick reference guide for things to see and do around the Grand Canyon area.  Not the most detailed with respect to hikes but does offer you a reference point that might whet your appetite to look for hikes on other sites.

Utah Parks and Moab

All Things Utah relating to the Mighty Five National Parks and more. Excellent resource and introduction to Utah’s five national parks, including hiking opportunities, potential lodging sites, and side trips.

As noted by the authors, most of trails found on the site are in California.   But there is plenty of information and lots of hiking information for those traveling to the Moab area.

Another site introducing you to Utah and its five parks.  This link takes you to Moab.

Zion National Park

All things Zion (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Joe’s Guide to Zion National Park.  Mic drop as this is the only site you essentially need for Zion.  Not only is there an exhaustive list of hikes in and around Zion with a detailed description, trail difficulty, elevation change, likely time required, and plenty of photos; the site also gives you everything you need to know about Zion—lodging and dining option, dealing with crowds, and a “101” introduction to the park itself.  One of my favorite sites dedicated to a national park.  Joe Braun is the author of the site—two thumbs up, way up, for his work.

Well, ok, a second mic drop.  This site is another everything you need to know about Zion with an exhaustive list of hikes not only in Zion but also around southern Utah and its parks, with a detailed description of each hike.  Also fun is the interactive Zion Map, which allows you to easily link up with other attractions and parks around Zion and additional hiking options.  It is not as clean and user friendly as All You Need for Zion Hiking, but it has a wealth of information that you should check out.

Bryce National Park

All things Bryce Canyon (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A Utah travel site (think AAA) with lots of good introductory information about hikes, places to stay, sites to see, and adventures outside the parks.  Not simply for Bryce but all attractions in Utah.  You also can request free brochures and maps that will be sent to you by US mail.

Arches National Park

All things Arches (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

Basic guides for tips and sites to see at Arches.

Canyonlands National Park

All things Canyonlands (history, current conditions, road closures and openings, ranger talks, maps, hiking trails, what do to when visiting, webcams, photographs, and videos).  The first and last site to visit to start your trip.

Travel platform showing reviews of lodging and restaurants, with an interactive travel forum.  The latter finds knowledgeable contributors from the national park area (as well as other travelers) providing constructive feedback to those asking questions about park travel.  Excellent resource for those seeking specific information and asking detailed questions about their upcoming travels and itinerary.  Links under “Top Questions” for each park forum (found in upper right) will address many of your queries.

As noted on their site, their goal is to build the largest collection of hand-curated trail guides.  Excellent resource for finding the best trails at all parks, with a brief description, detailed map, and commentary from those who have hiked the trail.

A commercial site but worth your time if visiting Moab and Canyonlands.  Good information on attractions, lodging, tours and rentals, and bike and jeep trails.