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Favorite scenic place that's not in a National Park that you have visited

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.
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Comments

  • RaceBannon
    RaceBannon Member, Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 114,919 Founders Club
    I love the high desert.
  • backthepack
    backthepack Member Posts: 19,942
    Santa Barbara hikes/beaches.
  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    I love the high desert.

    I'm surprised I'm surprised


  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    - 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.

    Royal Gorge is another cool spot a little further out of the Springs.

    The Black Hills and Needles Highway deserve mention as well.
  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    Domestic travel only ?

    If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.

    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?
  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    dnc said:

    Domestic travel only ?

    If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.

    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?
    I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.


    That Bachelor?
  • YellowSnow
    YellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 37,592 Founders Club
    International...


  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850
    dnc said:

    dnc said:

    Domestic travel only ?

    If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.

    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?
    I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.


    That Bachelor?
    dnc said:

    dnc said:

    Domestic travel only ?

    If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.

    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?
    I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.


    That Bachelor?
    NM, South Sister
  • YellowSnow
    YellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 37,592 Founders Club
    dnc said:

    dnc said:

    Domestic travel only ?

    If I can use @Logistics might have to go international.

    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?
    I can never pick one domestically, so I will go with my backyard.


    That Bachelor?
    Close. South Sister.
  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    International...



  • chuck
    chuck Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 11,753 Swaye's Wigwam
    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!



  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850
    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!



    You were at the top of the list of people I was hoping wood chime in on this.

    @dflea and @Swaye as well.

  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850

    dnc 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.

    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.

    Royal Gorge is another cool spot a little further out of the Springs.

    The Black Hills and Needles Highway deserve mention 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.

    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 (mom's other 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!
  • RaceBannon
    RaceBannon Member, Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 114,919 Founders Club
    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
  • dnc
    dnc Member Posts: 56,850
    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.
  • dflea
    dflea Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 7,287 Swaye's Wigwam
    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.
  • Fishpo31
    Fishpo31 Member Posts: 2,660
    edited December 2020
    International would be Machu Picchu, followed by any beach north or south of Puerto Vallarta. Domestic may very well be my back yard



  • biak1
    biak1 Member Posts: 4,237
    dnc said:

    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 Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is a helluva beautiful drive. @Swaye
  • IPukeOregonGrellow
    IPukeOregonGrellow Member Posts: 2,183
    Western US division, this place.



    Non Western US division, this place.



    North America, non US division, this place.

    Non North America Division, this place.

  • PurpleThrobber
    PurpleThrobber Member Posts: 48,306 Standard Supporter
    The bush and the outback.

    In yo mama's bedroom.



  • huskyhooligan
    huskyhooligan Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 5,987 Swaye's Wigwam
    edited December 2020
    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.

  • Tequilla
    Tequilla Member Posts: 20,165
    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