Planning for 2017

After a fantastic 2016, I am very excited for what 2017 will bring. Here are the trips I have in mind for next year, with some of my initial thoughts and reasons behind the timing. Also, since I don't have any pictures of most of these parks yet, I included charts of each park's monthly visitation in 2015 so you can see when the parks are the busiest (and least busiest).

Joshua Tree in 2008

Joshua Tree National Park in April
UPDATE: Spent one night in the back country in early March.

In late April, I will be attending my 10-year college reunion near Los Angeles, California, and I am eager to re-visit a national park that is very near and dear to my heart. When I first visited Joshua Tree, I had recently moved from Illinois to California for college, and I had very little outdoor experience. I had never even heard of REI... When I look back at some of the pictures from my earlier trips, my inappropriate street shoes and obvious lack of awareness make me shudder. For my "homecoming" next year, I will return as a much more seasoned traveler.

Crater Lake National Park in July
UPDATE: Spent one night at Crater Lake Lodge in early July.

The rest of the parks on this list will all be first-time visits for me, and I am extremely excited about them all. Crater Lake was the last park to fill out the year, and I put a lot of thought into this choice. First of all, I love the Pacific Northwest. I visited Olympic near Seattle this year, and I am already thinking about going back for Mt. Rainier and North Cascades. I have great friends in the area, so I have many reasons to visit. And I've seen enough pictures of Crater Lake to know that I need to see that deep blue lagoon for myself.

Glacier National Park in August
UPDATE: Spent four nights camping at Many Glacier Campground in August.

It's finally happening. I'm going to Glacier! I've been waiting for this park for some time. Ever since I heard that Glacier National Park might lose its glaciers in a matter of 2-3 decades, I put it at the top of my list. Glacier is one of the most-visited parks in the country, which is especially impressive because it is located in one of the least-populated states (Montana). This means that people are willing to travel long distances to visit this park, and for good reason. It's a mammoth park with monster hiking, and I need to shape up before I go. July and August are the "hot" months go to this park, but the end of August should be relatively less crowded, once the kids are back in school.

Acadia National Park in October

UPDATE: Dates have been set for October 5-9.

Oh Acadia, you've been calling my name, and I've been calling yours. Year after year, I've thought of you and even penciled you in, only to put you off for one reason or another. Well, your time has come. I will be there when your leaves change colors next autumn, and I will there with my just-as-enthusiastic parents. This year, we visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton for our annual trip, and they are officially on board for more national park adventures. Maine, here we come!