Hidden Gem National Parks

Summer is here and our spectacular national parks are filling up with visitors.  The stunning natural beauty of The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion is world renown, and these spots rank high on “must see” lists of American and foreign tourists alike.

But there are so many equally picturesque places in our national park system that often go overlooked.  You may not have heard of these national parks, but we want you to know about them.

For more information on these and all of the U.S. National Parks, visit the National Park Service website at http://www.nps.gov.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the newer national parks, gaining that status in 1999.  Its status might be relatively new, but its geological formations are ancient and well worth seeing.  The Black Canyon cuts a deep gouge in the earth, with steep black cliffs stretching for miles. Unlike the Grand Canyon, The Black Canyon of Gunnison can be extremely narrow –only 40 feet at its narrowest- yet has sheer walls stretching nearly 3,000 feet high.

You can enjoy the park via a road that allows for spectacular views or through the day hikes and longer backcountry trails throughout the park. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA

Lassen Volcanic National Park is oddly devoid of crowds. Tucked into northeastern California, the park is situated around Lassen Peak, the southern most peak of the Cascade mountain range. Like other Cascade Mountains, Lassen Peak is a volcano, and last erupted in the 1920s. The park hasn’t seen lava for a while, but there are numerous boiling springs and mud pots that are still quite active.

As the park sits at the intersection of the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada and the Basin range, expect to see a wide variety of plants and animals not typically gathered in one area. 

Congaree National Park, SC

After a long effort spearheaded by the Sierra Club, Congraree National Park in central South Carolina finally gained its national park status is 2003. The park’s claim to fame is that it’s the largest tract of old-growth hardwoods left in the United States. The park floods multiple times a year creating swamps that can be traversed by canoe. While the word swamp doesn’t usually convince people to come running, the paths and waterways in the park are stunning and serene. Visit the park in spring and fall for the most pleasant weather.

Great Basin National Park, NV

The Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada is a study in topographical diversity, you’ll find sweeping mountain landscapes, forests, underground caves and lakes to keep your SteriPEN happy. Situated in a remote location between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, the park  doesn’t get many visitors. So expect freedom and epic landscapes just like the American west should be as you hike and camp around the park.

There’s plenty of backcountry to explore and some nice roads for visitors with less time to spend. Also of note is the forest of Bristlecone pines, which hold the record for oldest trees in the world at 5,000 years, though this is a subject of debate among scientists.

Olympic National Park, WA

Olympic National Park takes up the majority Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and is one of the world’s only temperate rain forests.  You won’t see monkeys and toucans, but you will see a green wall of dense foliage and trees dripping with moss. And if that weren’t enough, the park has miles and miles of beautiful beach.

Covering more area than the state of Rhode Island, Olympic National Park has enough backcountry to keep you trekking for days, though most visitors never venture off a few popular trails.

Being a rain forest, it rains most every day apart from July and August.  Of course, that means a bounty of pristine lakes and streams to keep your SteriPEN busy and your water bottled filled.

The AdventurerOpti is your perfect companion for an outing in a National Park

And speaking of keeping your water bottle filled in the great outdoors, check out the newest SteriPEN, the AdventurerOpti.

The smallest, lightest SteriPEN®, the AdventurerOpti, uses a revolutionary optical eye to sense the water.  Just like all SteriPENs, the AdventurerOpti is fast, safe and reliable.  But its new optical sensor doubles as a convenient LED flashlight as well.  

It’s a great backup light when camping or taking a night-time walk. 

Check it out here.

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