By Forrest Brown | Cnn

In 2024, young people and other visitors used the US National Park Service website to establish enough to set a record.

The NPS has reached a brand new total milestone, with almost 331.9 million leisure visits of his 433 unitsTo the famous national parks equivalent to Yellowstone, but in addition places equivalent to parkways, battlefields, national coasts, memorial sites and historical sites.

Relatives: Disappeared employees fear that the beloved Yosemite National Park will lose its shine

This number rules out the previous record, which was determined in 2016 with around 330.9 recovery visits. It can be a rise of 6.36 million leisure visits or 2%in comparison with 2023, the NPS reported.

Another remarkable postponement of the number of tourists: The multi -year No. 1 favorite -Blue Ridge Parkway took back to a well-liked area in Northern California in 2024.

Together with the record visits, 4 latest locations were opened in 2024.

Top 10 most visited NPS website in 2024

It was a boom 12 months for National recreation area Golden GateA big collection of places that expand from the southern district from San Mateo to North Marmarine.

On probably the most visited NPS location in number one, military sites equivalent to the Presidio in San Francisco are positioned and supports 19 different ecosystems from coastal gates to Redwood forests. The number of tourists of 2023 rose by almost 15% of 14.95 million.

Relatives: Trump signs of instructions to remove “non-stationary” features of the Presidential Trust

Here are the highest 10 under all NPS website:

1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (17.18 million visits)
2. Blue Ridge Parkway (16.73 million)
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12.19 million)
4. Gateway National Recreation Area (8.92 million)
5. Lincoln memorial (8.47 million)
6. Golf Islands National Seashore (7.80 million)
7. Natchez Trace Parkway (7.36 million)
8. George Washington Memorial Parkway (6.78 million)
9. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (6.41 million)
10. Vietnam veterans memorial (5.29 million)

The Lincoln Memorial is probably the most visited NPS website at No. 5, which doesn’t cover a big area.

Top 10 most visited national parks in 2023

In the compilation of an inventory of the headliners' national parks in comparison with each NPS website, a well-known name has once more arrange the list for 2024:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12.19 million)
2. Zion National Park (4.94 million)
3 .. Grand Canyon National Park (4.91 million)
4 .. Yellowstone National Park (4.74 million)
5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.15 million)
6. Yosemite National Park (4.12 million)
7. Acadia National Park (3.96 million)
8. Olympic national park (3.71 million)
9. Grand Teton National Park (3.62 million)
10. Glacier National Park (3.20 million)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the North Carolina and Tennessee spanned, brought most visitors to the headliner National Parks.

The Zion National Park in Utah and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona proceed their close competition for silver and bronze. In In 2023 it was Grand Canyon who claimed number 2, while Zion placed third place.

While national parks tend to take care of all attention and headlines, the 63 locations with the “National Park” made up only 28% of all NPS visits in 2024.

Last 12 months, 28 locations within the system set a record for annual recreational visits.

The record numbers are made when mass shots of the National Park employees were carried out by around 1,000. The New York Times On Wednesday, in accordance with an NPS memo, the Trump government didn’t report attention to the number of tourists. News publications weren’t issued, but The numbers were published online.

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Six Flags has hung a registration offered on the market in front of its little parks without specifying which of the 42 locations within the North American amusement park chain are officially in the marketplace – but we have now a great idea which may be available to the appropriate bidder.

Six Flags announced that some smaller parks within the chain were on the market last week after the tip of a comprehensive portfolio check after the merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair in July.

“We have completed our first review in which properties were identified that are less strategic and critical for our long -term growth goals, and properties that we would sell under the right circumstances,” said Richard Zimmerman, CEO from Six Flags when calling.

Six Flags didn’t announce which parks were on the market, but the corporate plans to share further details about its long-term strategy on an upcoming investor day on May 20 in Ohio.

Which parks could possibly be on the market or in the sport? And that are inviolable or secure in the interim?

Let's take a more in-depth have a look at all options.

Untouchable parks

The Chain's Eight Largest Parks Based on Attendance Include Buena Park's Knott's Berry Farm (4.2 million Annual Visitors), Ohio's Cedar Point (4 million), Ohio's Kings Island (3.5 million), Valencia's Magic Mountain (3.4 million), Canada's Wonderland), Illinois' Six Flags Great America (3 million), New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure (2.5 million) and Six Flags Mexico (2 million) based on the TEE/AECOM report.

These locations appear to be like central properties in the brand new SIX flags and are currently untouchable.

Six Flags Magic Mountain received a dangling motorcycle coating in 2026

Sure for first

Eight of the remaining parks of the chain are near a very powerful metropolises: Philadelphia (Dorney Park), Dallas/Fort Worth (Six Flags Over Texas), Atlanta (Six Flags about Georgia), Washington DC (Six Flags America and Kings Dominion), Boston (Six Flags New England) and SanamamaMaKas.

But a number of of those eight parks should not necessarily secure.

You will immediately find that two markets have competing parks – Washington DC and San Francisco.

The San Francisco rivalry will soon sort out the California's Great America in the following few years and can probably pushing the Discovery Kingdom into secure column.

Kings Dominion would probably win if Six Flags had decided to have a park within the DC region, which Six Flags America could bring into play.

On the bladder

Four parks within the chain sit within the bladder in medium metropolises: Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, Texas), La Ronde (Montreal, Canada) and Six Flags St. Louis (Missouri).

Carowinds might be certain that Six Flags is now corporate headquarters in Charlotte.

The other three parks could possibly be in the marketplace if Six Flags found the appropriate bidder.

On the market

The six smallest parks remain within the chain – Frontier City (Oklahoma City), Six Flags Darien Lake (Buffalo, New York), Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri), Six Flags Great Escape (Albany) and Michigans Abentuer (Grand Rapids).

Michigan's adventure could argue that it’s near Detroit and Chicago, but probably couldn't compete with the larger Cedar Point or Six Flags Great America.

The dueling six flags parks within the state of New York have koexisted for years – but each are among the many little ones within the chain. Six Flags doesn’t have a lake and only serves as a rental operator, which suggests that the prices there are lower.

Water parks

All water parks within the newly combined chain each pull lower than 1 million visitors a yr.

Most water parks are connected to an amusement park, but not with all of them.

According to TEE/AECOM report, the 2 Schlitterbahn waters in Texas take first and third place under the Six Flags water parks. Knott's Soak City is positioned between the Schlitterbahn parks.

The other top water parks regarding the presence are sure to Six Flags about Texas, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags about Georgia and Cedar Point.

The Phoenix Water Park in Six Flags Six Flags also creates the list of TEA/AECOM TOP 20 North American water parks.

Four independent water parks within the chain in North California, Texas, Georgia and Mexico-Sind do indirectly sure to amusement parks and could possibly be among the many smallest locations within the Six Flags chain.

By planning ahead, you may save as much as $50 per visit in your outdoor adventures this yr.

Here is the information that Every national park within the country Visits will probably be free in 2025. You don't need a pass, but some require advance reservations. (See below)

You must go recreation.gov and seek for the park you wish and “Timed Entry” to seek out reservation information.

Reservations are only required during peak visitor times, which vary by park. For example, Arches National Park in Utah would require a timed entry reservation between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. starting in April this yr. If you don’t receive a reservation or are not looking for to pay reservation fee of $2 recreation.govyou then can simply enter the park before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m. or enter on foot or by bike. Occasionally, as in Yosemite throughout the holidays, reservation conditions apply 24 hours a day, so do your research.

Remember that today off are highly regarded. Be sure to get there at dawn so you’ve got more time for yourself.

But where to? Well, you could possibly hike there Yosemite, Sequoia or Battlements National Parks if you wish to stay in California.

If you've never been there Pinnacles National ParkI like to recommend checking it out. It's something of a hidden gem.

However, once I benefit from today, I head to Joshua Tree within the desert towards Palm Springs.

I like to recommend going before dawn – I do know that’s just crazy, but hear me out. If you permit your own home in the dead of night, you may watch the sun rise over the desert, which is at all times dramatic.

Then eat the snack you brought with you (you brought a snack and water, right?) and head out to some mountaineering trails. You can get a map of the park from the ranger. If you get there before the rangers get there, you may download them at NPS.gov.

And be sure that you’ve got gas, food and water because there aren’t any facilities within the park.

When the remaining of the hikers stream into the park, that's your cue to move out, have a pleasant, relaxing lunch, after which head home, perhaps stopping for a swim at Desert Hot Springs.

Enjoy! nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Originally published: January 16, 2025 at 10:28 am PST

From Asilomar State Beach to Mount Diablo, greater than 70 California state parks offer special guided hikes on New Year's Day. It's a part of the state's First Day Hikes program, which inspires people to begin the brand new yr in the nice outdoors.

The hikes are easy to seek out via the interactive First Day Hikes website – parks.ca.gov/FirstDayHikes – This includes special events on January 1st and beyond, including a guided, family-friendly hike on Mount Diablo on January 2nd, open to children ages 7 and up.

Here's only a sampling of the choices at Bay Area State Parks. Visit the First Day Hikes website for more information, including meeting locations, parking and day-use fees, age restrictions and weather conditions.

5 hikes to try on the primary day

1 Angel Island State Park: Join state park interpreters at 10:30 a.m. on January 1 for a 4-mile moderate walk 'n' talk that features moderate elevation changes, paved and unpaved surfaces, and stairs.

2 Sugar Loaf Ridge SP: Meet at Kenwood Park's White Barn at 9 a.m. Jan. 1 for a 6.5-mile hike to Bald Mountain, where some significant elevation changes — a climb of 1,500 feet — gives you 360-degree views. Bring a reusable mug so you’ll be able to enjoy hot cocoa afterwards.

3 Pacheco SP: This Hollister hike begins at noon on New Year's Day and features a mile-long walk through 180 years of history and stories in regards to the Pacheco adobe and Pacheco Pass.

4 Big Basin Redwoods SP: Meet at 8 a.m. January 1 for this guided, 0.7-mile loop hike that explores the forest's recovery from the 2020 CZU wildfires. A 3-mile hike begins at 11 a.m. and takes you over moderate to strenuous terrain, including a bit of the Skyline to the Sea Trail.

5 Mount Diablo SP: Meet at 9 a.m. January 1 for a 4-mile hike exploring the park's seasonal attractions, including mistletoe and California holly. Or take a 1.5-mile Fire and Water-themed walk starting at 12 p.m. on January 2nd.

Originally published: December 18, 2024 at 12:24 PM PST

Today is Sunday, December 1st, the 336th day of 2024. There are 30 days left within the yr.

Today in history:

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to provide up her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama; The incident sparked a year-long boycott of buses and helped galvanize the U.S. civil rights movement.

Also on this date:

In 1824, the presidential election was transferred to the U.S. House of Representatives after not one of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay) won greater than 50% of the favored vote. Although Jackson won probably the most electoral votes, Adams would ultimately win the presidency.

In 1969, the U.S. government held its first military draft lottery since World War II.

In 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union.

In 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to be sent to the war in Afghanistan, but promised to start withdrawing in 18 months during a speech to cadets on the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 2017, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who served as President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacting the Russians on Trump's behalf. (Trump would later pardon Flynn.)

Today's birthdays:

• World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino is 85.
• Rock musician John Densmore (The Doors) is 80.
• The actress and singer Bette Midler is 79.
• Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, is 72.
• Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is 66.
• Model-actress Carol Alt is 64.
• Actor Jeremy Northam is 63.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker is 58.
• Actor Néstor Carbonell is 57.
• Actress and comedian Sarah Silverman is 54.
• Actor Riz Ahmed is 42.
• Singer and actress Janelle Monáe is 39.
• Actress Sarah Snook is 37.
• Actress Zoe Kravitz is 36.

The parent company of Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain is considering selling or closing a few of its 42 theme and water parks following the merger of the 2 largest regional amusement park chains in North America.

Six Flags raised the potential for selling some theme parks as a part of Project Accelerate in the course of the company's most up-to-date quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, November sixth.

Six Flags and Cedar Fair merged in July after a Justice Department review that allowed the newly combined company to maintain Magic Mountain and Knott's – which compete within the Southern California market.

In an investor presentation, Six Flags cited “portfolio optimization” as a key goal and promised a “comprehensive review of the portfolio to evaluate the potential divestiture of non-core assets to help reduce debt.”

“In layman’s terms, Six Flags will review its park list and may consider selling some of them,” it said Attractions Magazine.

The possible closure or sale of some Six Flags theme parks “is now on the table,” it says Theme Park Insider.

The combined portfolio of Cedar Fair and Six Flags includes 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks within the United States, Canada and Mexico, attracting 48 million visitors annually.

Six Flags owns seven of the 20 largest amusement parks in North America based on annual attendance, in response to the TEA/AECOM annual report.

The chain's largest parks include Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park (4.2 million visitors per 12 months), Cedar Point in Ohio (4 million), Kings Island in Ohio (3.5 million), Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia ( 3.4 million), Canada's Wonderland (3.2 million), According to the TEA/AECOM report, they were Six Flags Great America in Illinois (3 million) and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey (2.5 million).

Originally published: November 7, 2024 at 5:12 am PST

When something “goes horribly wrong” on a ride through an amusement park, it often happens on purpose. Designers use this story gimmick on a regular basis to present guests a way of danger and tension.

But once in a while something goes really flawed on an amusement park ride, necessitating a significant renovation or perhaps a redesign. Ultimately, roller coasters and other theme park rides are machines, and even the very best designed and maintained machines eventually reach the top of their useful life.

Some of the theme park rides are a contemporary Theseus ship, with almost the entire original parts replaced over time. But some rides, especially progressive roller coasters, show their problems early on. Several parks around the globe are currently facing this challenge as outstanding roller coasters are within the strategy of being remodeled.

RELATED: Top 25 for 2024: The best recent theme park rides and attractions

The best-known is likely to be Cedar Point's Top Thrill 2, which barely finished its media preview before it resulted in May. This Zamperla roller coaster was an try to redesign the park's top thrill dragster, an Intamin Accelerator, which suffered a serious accident in 2021.

Knott's Berry Farm's Xcelerator is a smaller version of the Top Thrill Dragster and has suffered its own extensive downtime and modifications over time. The king of all Intamin accelerators – the Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi within the United Arab Emirates, the fastest roller coaster on the earth – was shut down indefinitely earlier this yr as a consequence of its own technical difficulties.

It's an inherent mechanical challenge to push hundreds of kilos of individuals and roller coaster trains to speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour – 149 miles per hour within the case of Formula Rossa – about every minute of daily for years. But that's exactly what parks are attempting to realize with their high-speed launch attractions.

RELATED: Legoland California is constructing its own Space Mountain-style indoor roller coaster

Cedar Point can also be targeting a return of Top Thrill 2 in 2025. We haven't heard anything about Ferrari World's plans for Formula Rossa, with the park only publicly stating that the ride is “closed until further notice.”

Building a world-class roller coaster could be just as wild and unpredictable because the rides themselves. Fans of Knott's Berry Farm are still waiting for the return of Montezooma's Revenge, the classic Schwarzkopf Flywheel Launch Shuttle Coaster that closed in 2022 and is now on the lookout for a redesign and will return next yr after a renovation.

When testing the bounds of roller coaster innovation, quite a bit can go awry as designers and engineers work to make sure these coasters at all times stay on the right track.

By Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse

As fall arrives within the United States, many foliage watchers eagerly await Mother Nature's annual display of splendor—that’s, when the leaves turn sensible yellows, oranges, and reds. But understanding exactly where and when this phenomenon reaches its peak brilliance in numerous parts of the country requires greater than just guesswork.

National parks are at all times a superb place to see the colourful transformation of trees, because where higher to watch the changing seasons than in places where the forests are preserved and guarded? However, some tree species have greater potential for picturesque coloration than others, and a few parks offer higher access to areas where the kaleidoscopic effect may be seen.

That's why onX, which offers digital maps and other resources for outdoor enthusiasts through a series of apps, recently analyzed its data to find out which national parks are more likely to have essentially the most colourful fall foliage this yr.

According to Frommer's, the corporate applied its Hunt app's “deciduous tree layer” filter to discover parks with the best density of trees known for his or her sensible fall colours, including oaks, maples, hickories and birches. By combining this data with trail length information, analysts compiled a listing of nine parks where visitors have the most effective likelihood of seeing massive amounts of spectacular foliage this fall.

And to find out the best time to go out, the information creators also relied on satellite imagery from 2023 to find out when each of those parks had its best color last yr. This provides invaluable insight for planning your fall trips this yr. Of course, the brightness of fall foliage may be affected by one other crucial factor: the weather, so that you'll want to think about meteorologists' predictions of where fall foliage is more likely to be at its best.

Here is an outline of the national parks with essentially the most beautiful autumn colours in line with onX:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Distance of the route: 1,025

Tree species: Oak, maple, beech, hickory, birch

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

2. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Distance of the route: 664

Tree species: Oak, maple, birch, ash

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Distance of the route: 311

Tree species: Hickory, maple, beech, aspen

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

4. Acadia National Park, Maine

Distance of the route: 186

Tree species: Oak, maple, birch, aspen

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

5. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Distance of the route: 186

Tree species: Aspen, birch, beech, elm, ash, poplar, oak

Main dates in autumn 2023: 2 to 30 October

6. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Distance of the route: 157

Tree species: Aspen, birch, maple

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

7. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Distance of the route: 76

Tree species: made from oak, made from ash

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

8. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Distance of the route: 73

Tree species: oak

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 October to 13 November

9. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Distance of the route: 13

Tree species: made from oak, ash, maple, beech

Main dates in autumn 2023: 16 to 30 October

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Originally published: September 24, 2024 at 12:08 p.m.

Was 2024 the 12 months you travelled again – and flew through the skies? Our readers actually did, reporting on their adventures along the best way and telling stories of Greek islands, Wanderings through Downton Abbey and camel rides within the Sahara.

This week, we hear from a Los Gatos couple whose recent Wyoming trip included some particularly memorable sights. Read on for details, and find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.

Wish you were here

WYOMING: Gene Sabo, his wife Laurie Turner and their golden retriever Sundance from Los Gatos visited Grand Teton National Park this summer (pictured). “Besides the beautiful mountains, there are accessible lakes like Jenny and Jackson and lots of wildlife to see,” says Laurie, “including moose, bears, pronghorn antelope, eagles and ospreys.”

“The Tetons are located between two other attractions, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park. Jackson Hole includes the town of Jackson, which is not to be missed. If you're feeling adventurous, I highly recommend trying a tandem paragliding flight from the top of the ski mountain in Teton Village. You won't get better views anywhere else.”

TRAVEL TIPS: Plan to spend several days visiting Yellowstone, Laurie recommends. The national park is so large and offers so many natural wonders. “Consider spending a few nights in at least two different areas so you can spend more time in the park and less time driving.”

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CHARLOTTE, NC — Six Flags is offering a pass with unlimited access to all of its parks, including Carowinds, next 12 months, only one month after merging with Carowinds' parent company.

The additional “All-Park Passport” offer means unlimited access and parking in any respect 42 Six Flags theme and water parks starting January 6, the corporate said.

For Carowinds park pass holders within the Charlotte area, the inclusive pass could be added to Gold and Prestige season passes for added access, the park's website says. A Gold pass costs $99 per 12 months and a Prestige pass costs $260 per 12 months, the park's website says.

Cedar Fair, the previous parent company of Carowinds, will offer access passes to all of its parks starting in 2024, Six Flags spokesman Gary Rhodes said.

Last month, Cedar Fair and Six Flags accomplished an $8 billion merger that may move the brand new theme park's headquarters to Charlotte. Cedar Fair has owned and operated Carowinds since 2006, after buying it from Paramount for $1.2 billion.

Carowinds is a 400-acre amusement park that straddles the North Carolina/South Carolina border in Charlotte and Fort Mill, South Carolina.

The All-Park Pass will help integrate Six Flags and Cedar Fairs parks, said Richard Zimmerman, Six Flags president and CEO, in an announcement.

This month, Six Flags announced two recent Carowinds' Camp Snoopy attractions opening next 12 months – a family-friendly roller coaster and an interactive raft ride.

Six Flags also announced plans to update its food and drinks menus and facilities. The amount of cash that shall be invested in these upgrades was not disclosed. The recent menu items shall be announced next 12 months, Rhodes said.

Originally published: August 19, 2024 at 12:38 pm