While the fate of our country's most majestic swaths of nature hangs in the balance, there is no time like the present to visit our national parks.
So, break out your bucket list and start checking them off: Here's how to get the best of our 10 favorite national parks this side of the Colorado River.
Oregon's Crater Lake National Park: Magic for Hikers and Divers
Crater Lake National Park
(Courtesy of topworldresort.com)
Crater Lake National Park
Outdoorsy types flock in droves to see this 183,000-acre wilderness. That, and they're all pretty keen to wade their feet in the lake which, at over 1,900 feet deep, is the ninth-deepest lake in the worl). If scuba diving into the belly of an ancient volcano isn't your cup of tea, explore the old-growth evergreen forests surrounding the now defunct volcano's rim via the Garfield Peak Trail.
- Established: 1902
- Camp: Mazama Campground and Lost Creek Campground offer tent-only camping from $10 to $22 a night.
- Main attractions: Elk-watching along Union Peak Trail, and mountain biking and waterfall sightings along Pinnacles Trail.
- Like a boss: Swimming in Crater Lake is allowed at Fleetwood Cove and Wizard Island—but it's a wear-a-wetsuit kind of cold, regardless of month
// Crater Lake National Park, Rim Dr, Crater Lake, Oregon, nps.org