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Nice video and very interesting! I guess I am surprised that Owyhee Canyonlands isn't on the list because it seems to be gaining a ton of momentum in congress and may become a national monument in the next year or two, but then again, it would become a national monument, not a park (yet anyway, but I do believe it is about as worthy of park status as almost any park in the American Southwest). - Tongass: YES!!!! Absolutely yes, and I can't believe I never thought of it as a potential new park until just a few months ago, knowing about for years how significant it is as the largest remaining tract of Pacific Northwest/west coast old growth trees, and as notable and significant as the Redwoods in California (I mean, Douglas firs used to be the worlds tallest trees, at over 100 ft taller than the current tallest Redwood trees, but sadly all of those 400+ Doug firs were cut down back in the 1800s and early 1900s. So all we have left are old growth Doug fir giants that are significantly shorter than the current tallest Redwoods). - Shawnee: I have never heard of this one, but I would be in support. The Midwest in general is very underrepresented by the park system, and Indiana Dunes and Gateway Arch are terrible picks. Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks would have been better picks. Indiana Dunes instead should have been a national monument (which would give it about the same protections. Alternatively, expand the park and include better dunes examples, and make Indiana Dunes one of the park's various units.) - Craters of the Moon: Not my first pick for a "lava flows/cinder cones volcanic landscape" park in the lower 46, but one I would still support. I mean if California and Utah can have many parks of "similar" types of landscapes, then I think volcanic scenery can have multiple examples in the system too. Comparable examples I'd point to, equally deserving of park status, would be the Three Sisters and Mt Washington Wilderness areas in Oregon (centered around McKenzie Pass and Belknap Crater), Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona, and Lava Beds National Monument in California. The first two of which would be FAR more stunning and impressive with basically the same features/landscape type, with the addition of stratovolcanoes for the Three Sisters. - Delaware Water Gap: Probably not, but would not be opposed either. While the waterfalls there may be stunning and maybe reminiscent of the Columbia River Gorge (of which I am a local to, so I am biased to waterfall-gorge type of scenery), I just don't really consider Delaware Water Gap to be all that significant for a national park. I mean there are also other places with stunning waterfalls in the east, such as Amicalola Falls State Park and Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia. Far more places worthy in New England and the Mid Atlantic I think, such as the Adirondacks, Maine Woods, and the Presidential Range (Mt Washington). That said, if I loosen the criteria for noteworthiness, like in my list in the reply, then maybe I would include this on my list. - Katahdin Woods and Waters: YES! Absolutely, and I have always believed New England needs a proper national park for its mountains. It's really bizarre to me, as a west coaster, that all of the parks in the Appalachian Range are down in the less alpine, (and imo, thus less stunning) sections of the range. This also would be a true wilderness park for the east coast, which it lacks. It is reminiscent to me of some northern Canada or Alaskan parks, like Gates of the Arctic or Northern Rockies (Prov.) Park. - Ocmulgee Mounds: I agree, should remain as a historic park, but I would support inclusion of additional state/federal lands to expand it. It could also be re-designated as a national monument if focusing on its natural ecosystem is important too, but I think its historical significance is far greater, making it best fit as a historic park. - Chiricahua: I have never heard of it before but I think it is deserving too. I mean if Pinnacles can be a park (which I would not have considered worthy of park status), then surely this place is deserving of it.
Very good list! Chiricahua is absolutely stunning. I've been to 53/63 NPs and I think Chiricahua would be one of my top 15 if it were given the status.
Great video! I agree with you about the one that shouldnt be a National park because of history. I think its dumb how Gateway Arch is a national park and it has no scenery or wildlife. National monument yes but national park no.
Another informative video👍🏻 All of these are good choices, but agreed Craters of the Moon seems the most unique to me🌛 And all of the points made about Chiricahua work as well
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Countdowns Playlist th-cam.com/play/PL56M1jREu-ZkQxMaKeeNVq0plPTYSBpcm.html&si=FW5TnwviXg75BTMv
Nice video and very interesting! I guess I am surprised that Owyhee Canyonlands isn't on the list because it seems to be gaining a ton of momentum in congress and may become a national monument in the next year or two, but then again, it would become a national monument, not a park (yet anyway, but I do believe it is about as worthy of park status as almost any park in the American Southwest).
- Tongass: YES!!!! Absolutely yes, and I can't believe I never thought of it as a potential new park until just a few months ago, knowing about for years how significant it is as the largest remaining tract of Pacific Northwest/west coast old growth trees, and as notable and significant as the Redwoods in California (I mean, Douglas firs used to be the worlds tallest trees, at over 100 ft taller than the current tallest Redwood trees, but sadly all of those 400+ Doug firs were cut down back in the 1800s and early 1900s. So all we have left are old growth Doug fir giants that are significantly shorter than the current tallest Redwoods).
- Shawnee: I have never heard of this one, but I would be in support. The Midwest in general is very underrepresented by the park system, and Indiana Dunes and Gateway Arch are terrible picks. Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks would have been better picks. Indiana Dunes instead should have been a national monument (which would give it about the same protections. Alternatively, expand the park and include better dunes examples, and make Indiana Dunes one of the park's various units.)
- Craters of the Moon: Not my first pick for a "lava flows/cinder cones volcanic landscape" park in the lower 46, but one I would still support. I mean if California and Utah can have many parks of "similar" types of landscapes, then I think volcanic scenery can have multiple examples in the system too. Comparable examples I'd point to, equally deserving of park status, would be the Three Sisters and Mt Washington Wilderness areas in Oregon (centered around McKenzie Pass and Belknap Crater), Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona, and Lava Beds National Monument in California. The first two of which would be FAR more stunning and impressive with basically the same features/landscape type, with the addition of stratovolcanoes for the Three Sisters.
- Delaware Water Gap: Probably not, but would not be opposed either. While the waterfalls there may be stunning and maybe reminiscent of the Columbia River Gorge (of which I am a local to, so I am biased to waterfall-gorge type of scenery), I just don't really consider Delaware Water Gap to be all that significant for a national park. I mean there are also other places with stunning waterfalls in the east, such as Amicalola Falls State Park and Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia. Far more places worthy in New England and the Mid Atlantic I think, such as the Adirondacks, Maine Woods, and the Presidential Range (Mt Washington). That said, if I loosen the criteria for noteworthiness, like in my list in the reply, then maybe I would include this on my list.
- Katahdin Woods and Waters: YES! Absolutely, and I have always believed New England needs a proper national park for its mountains. It's really bizarre to me, as a west coaster, that all of the parks in the Appalachian Range are down in the less alpine, (and imo, thus less stunning) sections of the range. This also would be a true wilderness park for the east coast, which it lacks. It is reminiscent to me of some northern Canada or Alaskan parks, like Gates of the Arctic or Northern Rockies (Prov.) Park.
- Ocmulgee Mounds: I agree, should remain as a historic park, but I would support inclusion of additional state/federal lands to expand it. It could also be re-designated as a national monument if focusing on its natural ecosystem is important too, but I think its historical significance is far greater, making it best fit as a historic park.
- Chiricahua: I have never heard of it before but I think it is deserving too. I mean if Pinnacles can be a park (which I would not have considered worthy of park status), then surely this place is deserving of it.
Very good list! Chiricahua is absolutely stunning. I've been to 53/63 NPs and I think Chiricahua would be one of my top 15 if it were given the status.
That’s great to hear!
Fingers crossed for Shawnee 🤞🏽
Great video! I agree with you about the one that shouldnt be a National park because of history. I think its dumb how Gateway Arch is a national park and it has no scenery or wildlife. National monument yes but national park no.
I'm totally a believer of Shawnee being a National Park.
Yes. Tongass AK and Shawnee IL have to be right up there in contention for it. Delaware Gap maybe.
😬
Too much good stuff!
Another informative video👍🏻 All of these are good choices, but agreed Craters of the Moon seems the most unique to me🌛 And all of the points made about Chiricahua work as well
Idaho definitely deserves a national park
idaho has one haha
how can you not include ocmulgee??
so ur a coaster enthusiast and a national park enthusiast
Correct!