Nationally-Owned, if Not Always Nationally-Known
Discover Some of the Nation's Greatest Natural Wonders

By C.J. Hughes
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, June 5, 2006 12:11 PM

In case you've been biking to work every day and haven't seen a gas pump, you should know that prices are through the roof. That means many Americans are going to stick close to home this summer, trading a week at the shore for a trip to a relatively lower-cost national park.

Parks like Acadia, Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Great Smokies, which are already car-clogged, could get even more packed. So it might be better to head to the lower-profile parks, where crowds are rare but there's still enough to do to give the family a proper vacation.

Isle Royale National Park

What kid doesn't fantasize about being marooned on an island? Certainly anybody who's read Robert Louis Stevenson (or, more likely, watched "Survivor") has dreamed of life as a castaway.  At Isle Royale National Park, that fantasy can dutifully be played out.

Once you step off the ferry, America may seem far, far away. Cars and bikes are banned on the paper clip-shaped bit of Michigan in Lake Superior and only 18,000 people visit a year. As a result, it's easy to feel like your family has the  45-mile-long stretch of wilderness to itself.

Set out on any of the 165 miles of hiking trails. Some lead to views of lighthouses -- there are four ringing the island -- while others, snake through velvety pine forests or brush by the ruins of 19th-century copper mines. The 1,074-foot Mount Franklin provides gauzy views of Canada and perhaps you'll come across some of the 450 moose that call Isle Royale home (or a few of the  30 gray wolves that occasionally make meals of them).

It costs just $4 a day to use the island, so camping is essentially free. But families may prefer renting a cottage -- $300 a night for four people during the peak summer season -- in Rock Harbor, which functions as the island's "town." Each comes with a built-in kitchenette, in case you want to go budget and cook your own grub.

Some places on Isle Royale are only reachable by water.  You can travel by water taxi or rent a 14-foot aluminum boat with outboard motor to explore coves like Tobin Harbor, though the water might be too cold for a dip.

Still, that Great Lakes water is crystal clear, as evident from the six-hour ride there from the town of Houghton and the faster one, from Copper Harbor, which takes three. (Sea planes are another option from from Houghton). Although round-trip boat tickets can cost between $80 to $120, (depending on time of year) that may be a small price to pay for channeling your inner pirate.

Big Bend National Park

If Isle Royale sits on top of the country, Big Bend National Park is squarely at the bottom, on the Mexican border in western Texas.

Big Bend's high desert landscape, graced with deep canyons and soaring peaks, doesn't get much rain (as little as seven inches a year). It also doesn't see too many visitors (about 400,000), since it's remote. The closest real city, Midland, is three hours away.

Yet kids who stay patient during the long journey find plenty waiting for them when they get there and, as parents will surely appreciate, all for just $15 per car per week.

Encompassing 800,000 acres where the Rio Grande River takes a jog to the north, Big Bend offers a dazzling array of wildlife with mountain lions, bears, lizards, bobcats and even those speedy roadrunners.

And for anybody who's seen a Western movie, the rugged terrain itself can instantly stoke images of stolen horses and banditos hidden in caves. This is especially true from a raft on the river. Hire a private guide for a half-day, five-mile trip that will usually include lunch as well as time for kids to dig in their paddles (without too many scary rapids).

Unlike many national parks, Big Bend offers 180 miles of road for back-country four-wheeling where visitors -- under skies speckled with eagles and falcons -- bounce along in their SUV's between former mining camps and U.S. cavalry outposts.

And kids who don't mind hoofing it may like trails like Window View and Hot Springs, both under a mile, and with detailed brochures that explain what they're seeing.

"You're not going to run out of things to do here if you like the outdoors," says David Elkowitz, Big Bend's chief of interpretation.

In case you don't feel like crashing in the outdoors, however, Big Bend does provide creature comforts, like the unobtrusive Chisos Mountains Lodge, where $83 a night will get your family a room with two double beds. (Rangers recommend that you reserve well in advance. And, the adjacent dining room, open to all, serves three hot meals a day in case the diet of beef jerky and apples gets a little old.

Zion National Park

With 2.6 million visitors a year, Zion National Park isn't exactly an off-the-beaten-path secret. But it does such a good job of crowd control, it can feel that way.

In 2000, the park, located in Utah's southwestern corner, became fed up with the 4,000 cars and RV's jockeying for 400 parking spots, so it closed the road beyond Canyon Junction and set up an efficient system of shuttle buses. The buses also tote mountain bikes, in case, your son gets a little winded on the Pa'rus trail.

Impressive public transportation is hardly the only reason to come to Zion, where just $20 buys your car a seven-day parking pass.

Colossal rock faces shimmer in different hues of iridescent red depending on the angle of the sun and form the walls of deep, sheltering canyons. Globe mallow and paintbrush provides hints of yellow and pink under baby-blue skies.

Though the religious nomenclature may be a bit much, Zion can inspire spiritual thoughts. For instance, the less-visited Kolob Canyons has a separate car entrance and offer a flat half-mile path to the Timber Creek Overlook, which pays tribute to the park with a vista which might be described as majestic.

Though other national parks offer Boy Scout-like programs, where mastering basic skills can earn kids badges, Zion goes a step further, offering a coveted patch after a two-and-a-half hour class.

Kids may also flock to Zion's nature center, which reopens this summer after a rehab. So too does the Watchman Campground Amphitheater, where rangers will hold nightly slide shows about the ecology of the park. Zion even has a program where children aged 6-12 can become Junior Rangers. 

Springdale, the laid-back town that nuzzles up against Zion's main entrance, offers many accommodations that would be considered family-friendly, like the Best Western, where a room for four in summer starts at $130.

And if spending the summer in the desert sounds stifling, consider that July temperatures at night in Zion average 68 degrees, making for a solid night's sleep after hours in the sun.