National Park Questions...

[serankko]

Hey guys,

We have finally decided (well, actually our wives let us go ;)) to go to a National Park but do not know which is more convenient for us. Some of our background:

When: March 13 (Friday) to March 17 (Tuesday). Not a fix date, it can be moved if we find something nicer. 5 days including trips should be the max.
Who: 2 enthusiast photographers
Equipment: Canon 5D and Canon 30D, Canon 28-300L, Canon 70-200L 2.8, Canon 100-400L, Canon 24-70L 2.8, Canon 17-55 2.8, Canon 85 1.8, Canon 50 1.4, 1.4 Extender, and carbon fiber tripods, coking Filters, etc
Budget: Trying to keep it very low. We can pay for round trip flight, car, hotels and meals but we can not afford paying for a workshop also.
Where: ANY NATIONAL PARK with water (lakes, rivers, snow, etc)

Atlanta is cold but no snow at all, we are not experts but we can handle it. Also, we went to the Smokeys already, so a different one would be nice.

Please help us…

Thanks

[timeasterday]

Is the southwest too far out or too expensive for you? Lots of places out there to go. I am in the Atlanta area too and right now I would love to get out there. We already have a Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip booked for September, otherwise we would be headed to Death Valley, Arches, Zion, Bryce, etc. about now.

[dashotgun]

i just got back from Joshua tree that was incredible no water though it is desert.

[LarryD]

The Grand Canyon is nice that time of year.. Of course, there is a river at the bottom... Some incredible views if you can take the hikes...and the California Condor is now there too:

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa67/LD_album/Nature/Grand%20Canyon/GrandCanyonRiver.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa67/LD_album/Nature/Grand%20Canyon/GrandCanyonLoneTree.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa67/LD_album/Condors/condor3.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa67/LD_album/Condors/CalCondor.jpg

[Win]

SW Utah wouldn't be a bad bet. Fly into Las Vegas and go to Valley of Fire and Lake Mead on your way in or out. Zion will have Spring beginning but not in full bloom. Bryce will probably still have snow. Crowds will be to a minimum and you'll be able to drive into Zion that time of year.

Have fun,
Win

[sevans16]

I live in Vegas and am looking for road trips out of Vegas!! I want to go somewhere to photograph large game: elk, moose, wolves, etc...

[pantherphotos]

I live in Vegas and am looking for road trips out of Vegas!! I want to go somewhere to photograph large game: elk, moose, wolves, etc...

Yellowstone would be great...I live in SW Montana and only about an hour from Yellowstone. My first trip there this summer, I saw bison, elk, moose, wolves, all kinds of birds, plus the scenery is superb.

Being in LV, not too far from the southern part of the park. Depends on how far you want to drive. I highly recommend Yellowstone, though!!!

[XPert]

Yellowstone would be great...I live in SW Montana and only about an hour from Yellowstone. My first trip there this summer, I saw bison, elk, moose, wolves, all kinds of birds, plus the scenery is superb.

Being in LV, not too far from the southern part of the park. Depends on how far you want to drive. I highly recommend Yellowstone, though!!!

I drove through Sheridan a couple of times last summer... I never thought I'd see anyone online from there!



Anyways, Yellowstone would be awesome in early March except that you have to realize it's going to be covered in snow. That could be a good thing if you're looking to do winter landscapes, but just remember you can't drive around the park like you did in the summer - it will have to be by snowmobile, snowshoeing, x-country skiing, etc. Same would be true of Glacier National Park, except I think most of the park is off limits without a special permit unlike Yellowstone.

I've never been to Olympic National Park in Washington, but there you would have access to alot of water - the ocean, alpine lakes, waterfalls, etc.

[sparker1]

Given the difficulty of getting around in Glacier or Yellowstone in March, I'd vote for SW Utah. There are so many places to shoot around there, five days will only whet your appetite. Five months wouldn't be long enough to see it all. That said you can mix and match areas with and without snow, depending on conditions at the time. You can take the time for long hikes, or you can drive most everywhere to cover more ground.

The other option might be Death Valley, truly one of the most colorful places on earth. March is a great time to visit DV, and you might even get some wildflowers this year that are rarely seen.

[pantherphotos]

I drove through Sheridan a couple of times last summer... I never thought I'd see anyone online from there!


LOL...Not much in this town, huh? You blink and you'd miss it!

But that is a good point about Yellowstone. It would be worth it, but there may be better places in March. Depends on what you want!

[Mike55]

The southwest is awesome but really lacks the water compared to the Northern Rockies. You will get nicer camping weather and more sun in the southwest though.

If you want water in March and warmer temps, try out Redwood National Park in California. VERY spectacular and the ocean is right there, as well as rivers. Moderate temps as well. 131,00 acres with lots of trails and beaches. That would be a very nice five day trip. There are black bear, mountain lion, sea lion, owls, all kinds of critters and then of course the tallest trees on earth.

Another "watery" park to try in March is Olympic National Park in Washington state which has considerable beach front mixed with old growth forests, mountains and big rivers.

You can always try Yellowstone! The north road will be open (Gardiner to Cooke City). There will be wildlife, scenery and water but it will be cold. The west side of Glacier will be open (Apgar) and the rivers there are amazing(Northfork of the Flathead). Lake McDonald is beautiful as well. I really wonder though if you will be very limited in the Northern Rockies at that time of year. Probably so.



I can also recommend a place I sometimes camp in spring and that is the Gila National Forest in New Mexico(NW of Las Cruces just north of Silver City)). It's far enough south that you get the warm desert temps, but you also still get the aspen and pine if you go up into the mountains. There's not much water(some pretty trout streams here and there) but the average temp in March is 59 degrees, and you get the ability to hike, see old dwellings(gila Cliff Dwellings):

http://cjvilla.com/images/southwest/Gila-Cliff-Dwellings.jpg

and some wildlife. I camp in the wilderness. There are two there, the Gila wilderness and the Aldo Leopold. Take route 15 north of Silver City to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. You will see the Gila River as well as numerous trails. The Gila National Forest is 3.3 million acres, one million acres bigger than Yellowstone. But to me thebest parts of the forest are the wilderness areas and immediate bordering areas. Here's a pic of a May hiking trip (not mine) from the Willow Creek campground on the northern border of the Gila wilderness:

http://www.thebeckoning.com/explorations/hikes/backpacking/gila-wilderness2005/gila-wilderness2005-day1.html

[hockeyceej]

My Brother, Son and I spent two days in Zion National park Feb 20th and 21st...weather was superb on Saturday...clear blue skies...Sunday was overcast and the sky was blown out in most shots. Hikes were awesome...a few waterfalls. I highly recommend the water hike through the Narrows...need water gear and can rent in Springdale for $45. Disappointed we didn't plan for that. Snow at higher hikes...so no trek to Angels Landing or Hidden Canyon. Awesome trip...no clouds. I have shots at www.picasaweb.google.com/hockeyceej if you are interested. may post some here later.

[mdvaden]

Mike55 suggested Redwood National Park....

I've been on a redwood binge for 3 years.

Just starting to get a few Oregon spots back in my regime.

Ya - know ... the redwoods look good all year. I just got an email from a couple who travel and take professional quality images. Anyhow, they just went to the Giant Sequoias, and conveyed that the Coast Redwoods still beat the Sequoias as far as grandeur of trees goes. Figure, the redwood in this image is not the largest known, and at 25' across, is within about 1' diameter of General Sherman at shoulder height.

The trilliums will just start to be emerging. No Rhododendrons till May. But most of the stuff is all evergreen - even the sorrel. The small brooks and drips along the slopes are best this time of year. Fog is all year on an off. The moss is at a premium this time of year. And a moss-like plant called Oregon Spikemoss which drapes up to 4 feet from Big Leaf Maple branches.

If you go - go for it. Forget Muir Woods. Maybe at the end. Head for Avenue of the Giants, And up to Jedediah Smith. Lodging can be under $60 per night, like at the Curly Redwood Lodge in Crescent City.

:D