Find out where White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend rank on list of national parks

Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
·2 min read
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A comfortable footwear company just ranked all 63 national parks and you might be surprised where those around El Paso landed.

Kuru Footwear is celebrating the National Park Service's 106th birthday by ranking the parks from best to worst for hiking. The list might come in handy since 48% of Americans want to visit a national park as part of their bucket list.

The top three national parks are No. 1 Yosemite National Park, No. 2 the Great Smoky Mountains and No. 3 Yellowstone National Park.

A view of the Grand Canyon on Nov. 4.
A view of the Grand Canyon on Nov. 4.

But let's get to the parks in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

The Grand Canyon in Arizona made it to the top 10 at the No. 8 spot. And the park also came in fourth for most visitors. The park had 4,532,677 visitors for 2021.

Making it to the top 20, Big Bend National Park landed at the No. 18 spot on the list. Guadalupe National Park came in at No. 28. Carlsbad Caverns came in at 50 and White Sands National Park came at 59.

What do you think? Is that a fair assessment?

Or course, the study wants to encourage people to go to any park, so check out the full list at https://bit.ly/3Xp2usR.

Here are some tips for planning that trip:

  • Do your research. Plan your trip in advance by researching weather, trails you want to prioritize, trail difficulty, length, bathroom stops, and finding any needed lodging.

  • Wear supportive footwear. Bring a pair or two of comfortable, supportive shoes with plenty of traction, as you could walk many miles per day as you explore.

  • Stay hydrated. Bring plenty of water to get you through long days. It’s smart for each person to wear a hydration pack along with additional bottles of water if needed.

  • Use sun protection. When in the sun, apply sunscreen every two hours, wear a hat and sunglasses, and wear moisture-wicking clothing with as much coverage as possible.

  • Bring a first-aid kit. On the trail, you might not have immediate access to medical care, so bring a kit with you that includes the basics (think disinfectant, Band-Aids, elastic bandages, etc.) until you can get more help.

More:Blackwell School, which served Marfa Hispanic students, designated National Historic Site

White Sands, captured by Santa Fe photographer Craig Varjabedian, was ranked 59th on the Kuru Footwear list.
White Sands, captured by Santa Fe photographer Craig Varjabedian, was ranked 59th on the Kuru Footwear list.

María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, mcortes@elpasotimes.com and @EPTMaria on Twitter.

Free entrance days

On five days in 2023, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2023:

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: See where White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Big Bend rank on parks list