High Sierra Topix

My dream trip would be just over the border to the Bugaboos, helicopter in to otherwise inaccessible areas, the photos I've seen are just awesome....

Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone and Glacier - not necessarily in that order.

I would love to see Glacier again - definitely would want to backpack in and stay a while.

Don't forget the very unique hike along the Pacific Coast in Olympic Nat'l. Park....I think Mountaineers Press has a book with all the details. Living in Seattle, but haven't done it except in weekend bits- on the bucket list for when I can't power over the big peaks anymore. But a special and worthy destination for sure.

I can't believe that as of yet no one said Yellowstone. It's my first pick. My second pick is Yellowstone (ha ha). My third pick is Glacier Park.

Grand Teton National Park is my first choice. Great mountaineering and good hiking too.
And I am quite partial to the wilderess areas in the WInd RIver Mountains of Wyoming

Actually it is hard to pick- too may parks and wilderness areas; not enough time!
All of them are on my "bucket list"

If I stay strictly within your guidelines of two weeks and not in the Sierra, I would probably say Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. I’ve been to both, but only once and barely scratched the surface. Both parks are huge and you could easily fill two weeks with hiking, camping, fishing, rafting, etc. Plus I could go to Grand Canyon in April or May and leave the summer months for the Sierra!

For me personally, some parks like Bryce Canyon, Arches and Crater Lake seem a little small for a two week trip. Others parks like Lassen and Death Valley are close enough to home that I can “do” them with smaller chunks of time and long weekends.

Two honorable mentions that I’ve yet to visit: Glacier and Everglades.

OP doesn't say that it needs to be ONE two week backpacking trip. SO with that in mind, I'd have to vote for southern Utah and ALL of the parks there. A few days here, a few days there...and those weeks would fly by.

One park? Either Yellowstone or Glacier.

balzaccom wrote:OP doesn't say that it needs to be ONE two week backpacking trip. SO with that in mind, I'd have to vote for southern Utah and ALL of the parks there. A few days here, a few days there...and those weeks would fly by.

Totally agree. Southern Utah is amazing. Spent a month there in late sept in '88. 10,000' peaks and then the canyonlands.. amazing place. The breakfasts at the Boulder cafe were very nice as well.

Yeah, Bryce and Zion were more of "on the way".. still nice places..

For me it would be Denali or Gates of the Arctic. I have always wanted to get to Alaska and Backpack in the tundra ( and climb Denali)

Wind River Range in Wyoming
Glacier Peak Wilderness in Washington

Unsolicited commentary:
National Parks always piss me off so I avoid them if possible. North Cascades is high on the list though.

There are lots of great wild mountains in Wyoming, including the Absorokas & Beartooths, I'd like to see.

I consider Alaska a foreign country because it's so far away and there's so much really cool stuff I want to see that's closer. I'll have to get up there someday though, because their mountains & glaciers are so much bigger.