Top 5 Favorite Moments in the Parks in 2023
2023 was quite a fulfilling year for me in terms of adventures in the national parks. I was able to take three major trips, which led to a personal record of thirty new national park sites visited during the course of the year. Here are the top five moments that I experienced this year in the parks:
5. Hiking the Honey Creek Loop Trail
When I went to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area I wasn’t expecting much. In fact, the place I was most looking forward to visiting during my trip to southern Appalachia was Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but I came away having enjoyed Big South Fork the most. The highlight of this visit was a hike on the Honey Creek Loop Trail. The hike started as a normal walk through the woods, but slowly the magic of this area revealed itself. At some point I got stuck in a continuous cycle of wonder as I hiked through waterfalls, rock scrambles and caves of all shapes and sizes. The hike was capped off with a stunning viewpoint that revealed the Cumberland River cutting through the entire landscape. It was a dream hike.
4. Learning About the Establishment of the New England National Scenic Trail as a National Park Site
There may be recency bias involved with this one, but the day I found out that the New England National Scenic Trail was added to our national park system was a memorable one for me. The New England Trail runs through my home state of Connecticut, and I have section hiked the entirety of it. This happened just a few weeks ago on December 7, and on that day I happened to be visiting Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ohio. Hopewell Culture is our newest World Heritage Site and I quite enjoyed my time there. So it really was a great way to cap off an already exciting day by going to my hotel and seeing the news all over my social media feeds. It also helped that I got to process this by sitting at the hotel pool.
3. My Annual Vacation with Andrew
As co-hosts and co-owners of Parkmanship it should be no surprise I like to travel to the national parks with Andrew. We get at least one big trip in every year, and this year that trip was a road trip through South Carolina’s parks. South Carolina has vast amounts of Civil War (like at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park) and American Revolution (like at Cowpens National Battlefield or Ninety Six National Historic Site) history. It also has a natural haven in Congaree National Park. So there was an immense amount of diverse parks that we ended up enjoying. We both agree that we have had better trips, but it’s hard not to enjoy even the lesser parks while in good company.
2. Escaping From Civilization at Obed Wild & Scenic River
Obed Wild & Scenic River is one of the more remote and less visited parks in the eastern United States. My visit there offered me the rare opportunity to feel like I could escape from civilization for a bit, and this feeling was so relaxing. I spent most of my time there at Rock Creek Campground, a campground a bit in the middle of nowhere that you could only get to by dirt road. The campground was right on the Emory River so I spent my evening in solitude on the river watching as day turned into night. I got to reflect on things and just enjoy the beautiful scenery around me. It was a rejuvenating experience.
1. Hiking the Whiteoak Canyon and Cedar Run Trail Loop
Shenandoah National Park is one of my favorite parks in the country. I took another visit to the park this spring, and I had quite the memorable time. The first morning I was there I decided to hike the Whiteoak Canyon and Cedar Run Trail Loop and ended up being completely floored by how much fun I had on it. The entire hike was a constant cycle of hiking for a mile or so and then walking into a waterfall. The waterfalls just never seemed to end and came in a stunning amount of varieties. There is quite a bit of elevation gain on this hike as you are walking into and out of a canyon so the hike isn’t for everyone. However, this is a premiere hike in the national park system. It also helped that I pregamed this hike with a scrumptious breakfast at Skyland Resort and then returned at the end of the hike for drinks and a great stay in one of their rooms. It was another classic visit to Shenandoah.
