Subpar Parks and Superb Icons

“Super Unimpressed” These words were used to describe Rocky Mountain National Park by a visitor. Although hundreds of thousands of people would describe it differently, everyone has the right to their perceptions and opinions. Some people might not be enthralled by hundreds of miles of trails, beautiful wildflowers, incredible mountain vistas, and myriads of wildlife species. Nevertheless, acknowledging not so obvious summaries is interesting to me.

Amber Share published a book called Subpar Parks in 2021. She explained her surprise in recognizing that reviews of natural wonders in National Parks might not be shared by everyone. For those of us who love nature in many ways, noting a lack of inspiration from the outdoors is puzzling. Thus, Share set out to illustrate some reviews and refute the claims by showing the basic facts of specific parks. She offered ways to enjoy the park aside from those negative or unremarkable comments.

Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park as seen from Bear Lake

I have visited numerous national parks. I recognize the irony in expressed reviews. Nevertheless, the observations are entertaining, and I answered with my perceptions about the parks I have enjoyed:

Denali: Barren land of tundra (An amazing humongous mountain)

Death Valley: Ugliest place I’ve ever seen (Things grow here)

Joshua Tree: The only thing to do here is to walk around the desert (The trees are in magical shapes)

Mount Ranier: I’ve seen bigger mountains (Surrounded by diverse ecosystems)

Olympic: No wow factor (Trees, mountains, and the ocean come together)

Arches: Looks nothing like the license plate (Rocks fashioned in geometric designs)

Big Bend: It rained on me in the friggin’ desert (A connection between the desert and mountains)

Capitol Reef: Somewhat bland (Fruit pies from the orchard are yummy)

Devils Tower: Just a big rock (A spiritual significance omnipresent)

Grand Canyon: A hole. A very, very large hole (Layers of geological history)

Grand Teton: All I saw was a lake, mountains, and some trees (The lake reflects the mountains)

Mesa Verde: Not much to look at (Cultural significance is clearly interpreted)

Saguaro: OK if you like cactus (Each cactus is unique)

Yellowstone: Save yourself some money, boil some water at home (Thrilling anticipation of eruptions)

Isle Royale: No cell service and terrible wifi (Hoping to hear the wails of wolves)

Voyageurs: There was no one except us (Solitude as seldom found in today’s world)

New River Gorge: Mist obscured the views (Lucious vegetation abounds)

Cape Hatteras: Nothing special (Sand and the seas unite)

To each his or her opinion, I guess!