What are some of the BEST National Parks or other great tourist spots to see in the west?|119124

I_m taking a cross country trip for a month. I plan on all the big parks but was wondering if anyone knows of some real _can_t miss_ places. I_m interested in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Calf.

Zion and Bryce Canyon are worth going to, along with Rocky Mountain National Park (downside: lots and lots of people). Lassen NP in Cali is great, and the hike to the top is really nice. Personally, I wouldn_t spend too much time in the national parks. They are definitely gorgeous, but they are often very crowded, unless you hike far away from the parking lots. In Colorado, for instance, there are other parts of the state that are just as nice as RMNP, but with hardly any people. Utah and other places are the same way. If you don_t mind tourists, then go for the NPs...personally, I would rather have the place to myself.

I enjoyed Zion and Bryce canyon. These parks are both in Utah. Zion is more looking up at these mountains and Bryce is looking into a great valley. Really fun for hiking.

You_ve got to see Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park, absolutely breathtaking scenery. Warning though the weather is unpredictable. It snows alot in Yellowstone. If you enjoy beautiful mountain scenery and wildlife, it_s perfect. I loved it, and plan many more trips there.

There are many fantastic parks across the lower 48. The most stunning in the east are Great Smoky Mountains and Everglades National Park.

In the West, the choices become much larger (both literally and in number).

The _big ones_ would be Yosemite, Sequoia, Redwood, Yellowstone, Mt. Rainier, Glacier, Grand Teton, and Olympic. These parks offer fantastic diverse landscapes.

If you are in search of large, rare wildlife(grizzly bears, moose, wolves, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolverines), Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier have no peer in the lower 48. If you are searching for the parks with the most intact ecosystems in the lower 48, your answer is Yellowstone and Glacier. If you want the tallest trees, your answer is Redwood National Park and Sequoia National Park.

Don_t forget that in many siutations, the national forests that border the national parks are just as wild and often have far less people. Yellowstone would not be what it is today in terms of huge amounts of wildlfe if it wasn_t for the millions of acres of protected national forest lands that border it.

A site that really covers this in great detail is:


http://www.parkcamper.com/

Yosemite is breathtaking. Accross the Golden Gate Bridge is a park called Muir Woods that is a gem. Huge redwoods.

I enjoy driving through Rocky Mt National park - I usually go in by estes park and go south.

Pikes Peak Cog Railroad

If you catch the edge of South Dakota - Mt Rushmore and my personal favorite Crazy Horse.

Ok, I_ve been to all those states! First of all, the Grand Canyon is an obvious _can_t miss._ It is amazing, and you have to have seen it to believe it. Painted Desert _ Petrified Forest are also places to see.
In Wyoming, you_ve got to see the Grand Tetons, which are some of the most beautiful mountains ever, and are right below Yellowstone. Gosh, Yellowstone is definitlely a _can_t miss._ I can_t describe it; I got an oppurtunity to see the Grand Geyser, which was shocking. Gallons and gallons of the water shot from the earth for 20 minutes! Yellowstone was definitely an AMAZING CAN_T MISS place.
In Montana, definitely Glacier National Park, although that is a little far. Anyway, it_s defintely amazing.
Colorado; Rocky Mountain National Park. You_ll have a chance to experience the Rockies at 14,000 feet. That was definitely an amazing experience, being near the top of the mountain above the tree line. That_s a _can_t miss._ If you_re down in the souther part, check out Mesa Verde, where there are some amazing Indian dwellings.
Utah, Arches National Park is an amazing wonder. Zion National Park also had some amazing rock formations. Also, Bryce Canyon was definitely a wonderful canyon; very unique and just as amazing, although less popular, than the Grand Canyon.
Nevada; you should definitely check out Hoover Dam, which is a manmade wonder. Also, there are small state parks, such as Valley of the Fire, with amazing rock formations and other sights to see.
California; Yosemite is definitely amazing. Don_t miss that, if you_re in the area. Although not quite as amazing; Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley are also great places to visit.
New Mexico; It_s not on your list, but if you_re there. If you_re in Albuquerque, gosh, go to the Sandia Peak tram. I saw some of the most breathtaking things on Sandia Peak. Also, White Sands is a great _don_t miss if you_re in the area_ place. The desert is full of completely white dunes. But the real _can_t miss_ place is Carlsbad Caverns. That was more than amazing. Gosh, you wouldn_t believe all the cave formations! They are amazing. I can_t begin to describe it, you_ve GOT to go there. And believe me; don_t miss seeing 400,000 bats fly out in a half an hour during the nightly bat flights.
Have a great time on your trip! The best experiences in my life have taken place in those parks!