The government trapper who took the grizzly knew he had made Escudilla safe for cows. He did not know he had toppled the spire off an edifice–a building since the morning stars sang together.

Escudilla still hangs on the horizon, but when you see it you no longer think of bears. It’s only a mountain now.

-Aldo Leopold

I’m thankful for places like Glacier National Park, where the wildest animal in the lower 48 can still roam free. This photo was taken in Glacier, on the eastern side of the divide.

I was blown away on my first visit to California’s national parks. You hear so much about California, about how there are too many people, taxes are too high, pollution, and so forth. What you don’t hear is that the state is blessed with millions upon millions of acres of pristine national park and national forest lands. I would even say that the amount of such land in California embarrasses most other states. And chief among these landscapes is the gigantic sequoia and redwood groves. The sequoias are an inland species, living in much drier climates. Redwoods are a coastal species.

I found Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park to be one of the most impressive parks I’ve ever seen. When you are standing amongst the ancient groves, you can’t help but feel as if you’ve somehow traveled to another planet. Completely surreal.

The camping in Sequoia-Kings Canyon was quite good as well. And in some campgrounds, you can pitch your tent within some of these majestic groves.

Below is a photo of the author. Now that’s a tree! For reference purposes, I’m 6’3 and 200 pounds.

I look forward to visiting California’s great parks again one day. The sooner, the better.

This is the general area where the Gallatin, Custer, and Shoshone National Forests all meet. This is also still very much part of the Yellowstone ecosystem. Over the years, I have found I prefer camping in the national forests surrounding Yellowstone, both in terms of crowds, scenery, and the actual campgrounds themselves. Don’t get me wrong, Yellowstone is amazing, and one of the most beautiful places on earth. But there’s much more to Yellowstone than the official national park. The Yellowstone ecosystem comprises 18 million acres, and the land surrounding the park is often more scenic, and far less crowded.

Those seeking watchable wildlife like bison and the unique geothermal features will prefer Yellowstone. but the national forests that border the park offer a more “in-the-mountains” vibe, without the traffic jams one can find in the park.

The Beartooth Mountains are to the north in the photo, just beyond the snow-dusted mountains. To the left is the Absaroka Range, one of the longest ranges in the U.S.