[Conifers]

From your fellow citizens!

[tigermn]

Some of those people would complain that heaven didn't have enough pitchforks, fire and brimstone...

[Daryl]

Most of the national parks are really crowded. We need a lot more reviews like these!

[Ingunn]

[Cyclopath]

Can't help noticing the Grand Canyon gets most of the hate. I haven't been to that one. I had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I went to Canyonlands though. Also this makes it really clear that most people who go to national parks - especially the big, popular, famous ones - don't want to leave their car and refuse to hike more than a quarter mile.

[l'Emmerdeur]

Pearls before swine. Obviously Disneyland needs an RV park. Obviously that's not entirely fair, different strokes and all. Still, you see these folks every time you go to one of these places, wandering around wondering what they're even doing there. Also, the Battle Cry of the modern aesthetic and attention span being that if it's not your "thing," then it's "dumb." The worst part is that these people vote and would just as soon these parks became more like Disneyland. Sad.

[Voxxjin]

I'm afraid that someone will listen to all the people complaining about the possibility of falling to their deaths at the Grand Canyon. And the park service might install fences.

[Navy salad]

Yeah, the trouble with the outdoors in general is that once you're out there, it's like -- now what? Once you spend, you know, like 5 minutes outside, you can't help but wonder what's the big deal?

[Malachai Constant]

Some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope. - Walter Brennan

[coldrain108]

[olderthanIusedtobe]

[olderthanIusedtobe]

National Parks really are a treasure, but such a mixed bag. The very definition of tourist traps, hard to escape the "amusement park" mentality when you are visiting them. Some of our most beautiful places are in National Parks, so they are worth visiting. Fortunately many of our most beautiful places are NOT in National Parks so you can always go hiking/backpacking/etc. in Wilderness Areas and avoid the vast majority of the tourons.

[grannyhiker]

Interesting comments, some amusing. A few comments echo mine to a degree. After a day in Yellowstone, taking a quick look at Old Faithful and a few hot springs pools, I always got awfully sick of hot stinky water. Of course I never got tired of the scenery and wildlife. Yellowstone Canyon and the falls seem to take second place to the hot water for many tourists, but not for me. As for the Grand Canyon, visiting Zion and other such places before the GC made the latter a bit of a letdown for me. Of course it didn't help that I spent my formative years living amidst the colored rock formations of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, so when I first saw the GC it was nothing new, just bigger. My main complaint about national parks is that they are too crowded! The last time I visited the Tetons, I stopped for the traditional view of Mt. Teewinot over Jenny Lake, and had to stand in line for almost 15 minutes. Getting away from the roads and crowds and out on the trails really helps. So does going in "off" season. Or the far less crowded National Forest wilderness areas.

[Randito]

Kind of like reading product reviews on Amazon. Backcounty.com, etc -- Many times are product will have a bunch of 4 and 5 star reviews -- and then a couple 1 star reviews with comments like "these bike panniers are a piece of junk -- after daily use bike commuting for two years, they are wearing out!"

[Malachai Constant]

A lot of the national parks in other states are likeWA parks. You have to seek out the less traveled places Jenny Lake has always been crowded but if you go in from the Idaho side it is pretty empty and just as beautiful. Sout rime at GC is a tourist trip but the less frequent trails are pretty lonely. There are even quiet corners of Yosemite.