Welcome to the Hardcore Husky Forums. Folks who are well-known in Cyberland and not that dumb.
Favorite scenic place that's not in a National Park that you have visited
dnc
Member Posts: 56,850
I won't even pole this one because there's billions of options. What's the coolest place for natural beauty you have been to that isn't in a National Park (or looking at one, so not "my favorite view of Mount Rainier is at _____________)?
I've been blessed to see a bunch of really cool places from name stuff like Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Four Corners and Monument Valley to hidden gems like Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Falls in NC and Hell in the Cayman Islands.
I love all those places and many more but I think Monument Valley was my favorite. It's well known for a reason. Kinda surreal visiting a place like that you've seen in a hundred movies, commercials and pictures.
I've been blessed to see a bunch of really cool places from name stuff like Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Four Corners and Monument Valley to hidden gems like Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Falls in NC and Hell in the Cayman Islands.
I love all those places and many more but I think Monument Valley was my favorite. It's well known for a reason. Kinda surreal visiting a place like that you've seen in a hundred movies, commercials and pictures.
Comments
-
I love the high desert.
-
Santa Barbara hikes/beaches.
-
-
- Garden of the Gods is pretty fucking cool.
- My commute to Fort Carson had me going westbound up and over a hill that gave an awesome view of Pike's Peak at sunrise.
- Anything in Maltby. -
I expected to love the drive up Pike's Peak and be meh about Garden of the Gods but it was the other way around.CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:- Garden of the Gods is pretty fucking cool.
- My commute to Fort Carson had me going westbound up and over a hill that gave an awesome view of Pike's Peak at sunrise.
- Anything in Maltby.
Royal Gorge is another cool spot a little further out of the Springs.
The Black Hills and Needles Highway deserve mention as well. -
-
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international. -
I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.dnc said:
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.
-
That Bachelor?YellowSnow said:
I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.dnc said:
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international. -
International...
-
dnc said:
That Bachelor?YellowSnow said:
I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.dnc said:
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.
NM, South Sisterdnc said:
That Bachelor?YellowSnow said:
I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.dnc said:
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international. -
Close. South Sister.dnc said:
That Bachelor?YellowSnow said:
I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.dnc said:
I mentioned Grand Cayman above as a nod to all you international travelers. It's all up for grabs. Maybe your favorite domestic and foreign spot?YellowSnow said:Domestic travel only ?
If I can use @Logistics might have to go international. -
-
My favorites are all places I had to work to get to and most of them are waterfalls. My favorite is probably Rush Creek falls in the Lewis River basin. Two hellish miles upstream on a raging creek flowing through a narrow, almost vertical canyon choked with virgin timber -
The entire stream looks like this for two miles...high gradient and ripping even in late summer (it's spring fed).
And eventually you arrive at this -
Bring a snack. The walk back out is a slog. Theres another way in from above but I've never been that way.
And fuck off anyways. The fewer people walking around in there the better!
-
You were at the top of the list of people I was hoping wood chime in on this.chuck said:My favorites are all places I had to work to get to and most of them are waterfalls. My favorite is probably Rush Creek falls in the Lewis River basin. Two hellish miles upstream on a raging creek flowing through a narrow, almost vertical canyon choked with virgin timber -
The entire stream looks like this for two miles...high gradient and ripping even in late summer (it's spring fed).
And eventually you arrive at this -
Bring a snack. The walk back out is a slog. Theres another way in from above but I've never been that way.
And fuck off anyways. The fewer people walking around in there the better!
@dflea and @Swaye as well.
-
I lived in Colorado Springs off & on (deployments and shit) for about 3 years and never went to either Pike's Peak or GotG while I was there. Went back in 2017 and someone recommend GotG over Pike's Peak. It was worth it.dnc said:
I expected to love the drive up Pike's Peak and be meh about Garden of the Gods but it was the other way around.CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:- Garden of the Gods is pretty fucking cool.
- My commute to Fort Carson had me going westbound up and over a hill that gave an awesome view of Pike's Peak at sunrise.
- Anything in Maltby.
Royal Gorge is another cool spot a little further out of the Springs.
The Black Hills and Needles Highway deserve mention as well.
I've driven through the Black Hills and it was nice. I drove through eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Both were fucking spectacular from what I saw. I didn't have tim to stop as I had a long way to go and a short tim to get there. -
I hate eastern Montana but I've spent way too many days there (CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:
I lived in Colorado Springs off & on (deployments and shit) for about 3 years and never went to either Pike's Peak or GotG while I was there. Went back in 2017 and someone recommend GotG over Pike's Peak. It was worth it.dnc said:
I expected to love the drive up Pike's Peak and be meh about Garden of the Gods but it was the other way around.CFetters_Nacho_Lover said:- Garden of the Gods is pretty fucking cool.
- My commute to Fort Carson had me going westbound up and over a hill that gave an awesome view of Pike's Peak at sunrise.
- Anything in Maltby.
Royal Gorge is another cool spot a little further out of the Springs.
The Black Hills and Needles Highway deserve mention as well.
I've driven through the Black Hills and it was nice. I drove through eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Both were fucking spectacular from what I saw. I didn't have tim to stop as I had a long way to go and a short tim to get there.mom'sother dad's parents lived there. Wasn't a big fan of most of western ND either though I do want to check out Teddy Roosevelt NP one day, I've just kinda of driven the edge of it two or three tims.
Western SD is tits.
Shoutout Governor Noem! -
There is a piece of the Oregon Trail on the old pass from Nebraska into Wyoming. The badlands made me think of it because we had gone south in South Dakota through the badlands to the classy state of Nebraska
You can touch the wagon ruts and read the graffiti on the cliffs from the 1800s. Pretty cool -
Beartooth Highway is another one that deserves mention. We drove it one night coming northeast out of Yellastone in the fog and hail. Scary as hell.
In daylight the view at the top is about as good as it gets. -
The Gifford Pinchot national forest between Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams is very wild with awesome scenery. The Klickitat valley is awesome as well. Also Makah Bay and Shi Shi beach. The wildest coast in the lower 48, and it's awesome.
-
I believe Artist's Point, above the Baker ski resort, is national forest but not national park. Mindblowing up there:
For a lesser known spot, Racehorse Falls, between Bellingham and Baker:
Three levels of falls, one of them with a natural water slide into a deep pool. The upper two are steep descents to get down to, so there are ropes installed for aid in climbing down. Short hike to get in and out, but it's well hidden and not as well known.
One that's special to me because it combines dirt bike riding to get in, absolutely spectacular fishing once there, and the clearest water I've seen in nature (can watch a trout chase your lure 50 yeeeaaarrrrrrrds away): Two Little Lakes, near Maverick Saddle. Can't find any pics.
-
International would be Machu Picchu, followed by any beach north or south of Puerto Vallarta. Domestic may very well be my back yard
-
-
Shi Shi Beach
Makah Bay
Gifford Pinchot NF
Klickitat Valley
-
Western US division, this place.
Non Western US division, this place.
North America, non US division, this place.
Non North America Division, this place.
-
The bush and the outback.
In yo mama's bedroom.
-
Germany Valley and Seneca Rocks
Mt. Baring
Dry Falls / Grand Coulee
Roan Cliffs
Back side of Mt. Timpanogas and Sundance is beautiful as well as the drive from Bend (top of Pilot Butte has best views) north to Mt. Hood.
-
From a nature/scenic standpoint, hiking at about 13K in Colorado is pretty sweet
Most of the best pieces of real estate that I've ever been on are tied to golf courses. Two of my favorites are the 11th, 17th and 18th holes at Kapalua Plantation and Arcadia Bluffs in Michigan
-
