Swimming

While Crater Lake National Park is open year-round, the Lodge itself is only open from the end of May typically (it is scheduled to open 5/26 in 2010) through mid-October.  The lodge is closed for this season 

Crater Lake receives A LOT of snow up into the spring season and starting again in early fall.  So, if your vehicle is prepared for it, snowy months can be beautiful times to explore the park.  Just make sure to check ahead that the roads have been plowed.  The "Rim Road" is usually in pretty good shape for most of the year.

There is no van or shuttle directly to the lodge.  For reservations or more information call Xanterra at (888) 774-2728.

 Have a great trip!

 

Some of our favorite things to do in Acadia are exploring the historic Carriage Roads and enjoying tasty popovers at Jordan Pond House.

Also check out the recommendations on our Sights to See and Things to Do pages. Our Only ad Day and Just for Kids sections will also have some good tips!

Lastly, check out this list of 22 fun things to do with kids!

We hope you have a great trip! Be sure to come back and let us know how it goes!

As of now, firearms are not allowed in national parks.

Although a new law permitting concealed loaded firearms at national parks was passed in May, it will not take effect until February. The Interior Department will continue to enforce current restrictions until then.

Under the current regulation, firearms are generally prohibited in national parks, but citizens may transport unloaded and dismantled or cased firearms and carry firearms while participating in approved hunting programs and under certain other circumstances, according to a Department of Interior spokesperson.

Please remember that firearms regulations may vary by park. Check with the National Park Service or the park you plan to visit before your trip for most up-to-date information.

For more information, see the NPS Great Smoky Laws & Policies website.

Yes, grills are available at picnic areas throughout Nyack Beach State Park.

For more information about the facilities, visit the New York State Parks website.

At Glacier National Park, a great place to take a dip (if you can handle the cold) is Iceberg Lake! The trail to the lake leaves from the campground in the Many Glacier section of the park.

For Wyoming and Grand Teton swimming holes, check out our answer to a question asked by another user earlier this summer.

Some great places for swimming in Wyoming include Hot Springs State Park (http://www.ohranger.com/wy/hot-springs) in Thermopolois, and Edness K. Wilkins State Park (http://www.ohranger.com/wy/edness-k-wilkins) along the North Platte River. <br/> <br/> While swimming in Yellowstone’s hot springs is forbidden, there are a few other places in and around the park that are popular swimming areas. These include Firehole Canyon, near Madison Junction, (http://family.go.com/travel/things-to-do/wyoming/yellowstone--park/poi-282404-firehole-canyon-drive-firehole-lake-drive/) and Boiling River, north of Mammoth Hot Springs. (http://family.go.com/travel/things-to-do/wyoming/yellowstone--park/poi-282411-boiling-river/)<br/> <br/> WyoJones, a Yellowstone buff, also gives some good advice about Wyoming swimming holes here: http://www.wyojones.com/swimming_in_yellowstone.htm. <br/> <br/>  For more information about swimming holes across the country, check out http://www.swimmingholes.org/.

There are indeed hot springs in Big Bend, where you can soak in 105°F waters that bubble up from the ground. The Langford Hot Springs are a short ride from Rio Grande Village. This is the only hot spring that is accessible for soaking, as there's a scarcity of water in the desert and the other hot springs have been reserved as water sources for the animals. You can purchase a Hot Springs guidebook for $1.00 at the Hot Springs trailhead and at the Panther Junction Visitor Center, which is opened year-round. I hope this answers your question. A call to the NPS information line at Big Bend at 432-477-2251 is also recommended to help plan the details of your visit. Be forewarned that there's a long recorded message but pressing "O" will get you a live person! Right now is the slow season, as it's pretty hot there in the summer. No matter when you go, we hope you'll share your experience with everyone in the Oh, Ranger! community. Have fun!

If you enjoy scenic beauty, extended hikes, short day hikes, and the serenity of escaping from the crowds, then you'll love the area around Bonanza Creek Campground in Challis Salmon National Forest. The campground is located in the Yankee Fork Ranger District offers over 300 miles of trails to enjoy. There are trails that will take you into a mixture of rugged peaks, timbered slopes, narrow canyon bottoms and majestic lakes. The Yankee Fork District offers a vast variety of trails to satisfy the desires of all kinds of uses, motorcycles, four wheelers, horseback, bicyclers and hikers, whether they are a novice or experienced. You can find a lot more information about the area here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/yankeefork/trails.shtml have a great trip!