Paul's ranking of National Parks *UPDATED*

Tara and I just got back from a trip to the South where we visited 3 national parks (Mammoth Cave, Great Smoky Mountains, and Congaree). Our synopsis on each of these parks will be coming, but I want to do them in order that we visited them. But, I decided to update my rankings of the National Parks (see original post here http://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2017/08/pauls-ranking-of-national-parks.html) with these three new parks.

1. Zion, UT
2. Yellowstone, WY, MT, ID
3. Grand Canyon, AZ
4. Yosemite, CA
5. Mt. Rainier, WA
6. Acadia, ME
7. Arches, UT
8. Glacier, MT
9. Mesa Verde, CO
10. Carlsbad Caverns, NM
11. Grand Teton, WY

#12     Great Smoky Mountains (TN, NC)

picturesque views of the Smokies in Cades Cove

The most visited National Park in the country is a hiker's delight. The highest peaks east of the Mississippi, the Smokies capture the essence of the Mountain South. Enjoy the hikes to a number of waterfalls, dozens of scenic drives, historic farms, lots of wildlife and just outside of the park boundaries are tons of places offering southern, kitschy fun like Dollywood.

13. Bryce Canyon, UT

14. Crater Lake, OR

15. Olympic, WA

16. Rocky Mountain, CO

17. Sequoia, CA

18. Death Valley, CA

19. Petrified Forest, AZ

20. Joshua Tree, CA

21. Badlands, SD

#22     Mammoth Cave (KY)

natural entrance

Mammoth Cave is, at 400 miles and still counting, the longest cave system in the world by far. Although there are not many cave formations (although there are some beautiful ones in the Frozen Niagara section), the sheer size of the cave is overwhelming, unique and well worth a visit.

23. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO

24. Guadalupe Mountains, TX

25. Capitol Reef, UT

26. Theodore Roosevelt, ND

27. Canyonlands, UT

28. North Cascades, WA

29. Channel Islands, CA

30. Great Basin, NV

31. Kings Canyon, CA

32. Great Sand Dunes, CO

#33     Congaree (SC)

common sight along the boardwalk trail

Congaree is a small, less-visited park that protects an old growth forest in a swamp. There's not too many places left in the US that look like this. It's certainly unique but other than the 2 mile long boardwalk trail and kayaking in the swamp, there's not too much going on at this park. I wouldn't recommend going too far out of your way to visit.

34. Hot Springs, AR

35. Saguaro, AZ