I caught myself judging North Dakota before I went. Even though Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the North Dakota national park that inspired our country’s conservation efforts, I didn’t expect much. Ask anyone: North Dakota is just a boring plains state. It’s home to Little Missouri National Grassland — that’s one MILLION acres of fields, […]
This North Dakota National Park is Way Better than Expected Read More »
Rocky Mountain National Park captures your heart immediately: snowy summits provide a gorgeous backdrop, alpine forests and fresh air are waiting to be explored, and there’s wildlife everywhere if you’re willing to look. While many people visit on a day trip from Denver, you’ll want 3 days in Rocky Mountain National Park if you want
3 Days in Rocky Mountain National Park (for Hikers!) Read More »
Old Rag Mountain is one of the most popular hikes at Shenandoah National Park, if not #1. It’s a well-deserved ranking and in fact, it’s so much fun I named it one of the top 5 hikes in Virginia. Despite being one of my favorite trails, I had never made the circuit in winter. With
Olympic National Park offers so much to see that planning a trip can be overwhelming. There are several distinct ecosystems in the park, spread over a vast distance without a lot of roads through the interior. However, by choosing the best hikes in Olympic National Park, you can see all the highlights: mountains, temperate rainforests, the
Best Hikes in Olympic National Park: 4 Unmissable Trails Read More »
If there’s one thing the United States does better than almost all other countries, it’s making the great outdoors accessible to everyone. The U.S. National Park Service manages 59 national parks. Together with national monuments, preserves, and other protected areas, there are 400+ sites covering 84 million acres — and they’re all free August 25-28! Active travel
“But Mom, it’s so far away and we’re spending so much time in the car already,” I said, annoyed that she would even bring up the option of driving to Mount Rainier for a day. We were in the midst of planning a family get-together for after my Olympic Peninsula trip ended and before my parents’ trip to Vancouver
For tourists, there’s one key difference between national parks and national monuments: there are generally far fewer visitors at national monuments than at “full-fledged” national parks. National monuments can be just as beautiful, offer just as many hiking and camping opportunities, and you still get in free with an America the Beautiful Pass. Actually, side
Chiricahua National Monument: A Perfect Day Hike Read More »
Eighteen million people live within sixty miles of Channel Islands National Park but that’s nothing compared to the number of animals that make their home there. Just like the Galapagos, long-term isolation created a home for unique animals and plants. The Channel Islands and the surrounding waters are preserved the way coastal southern California once
Kayaking the Channel Islands, California’s Unknown National Park Read More »
Less than an hour from Santa Fe is a natural wonder and archaeological site of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Today, this protected area within the Frijoles Canyon is known as Bandelier National Monument, a day trip that doesn’t get nearly enough mention. Bandelier National Monument In fact, I nearly never went there. My parents and I had
When traveling in the United States, my absolute favorite thing to do is visit national parks. The amount of variety in natural settings within the USA is mind-blowing: in the past year alone I’ve seen the glow of a volcano, gone rock scrambling in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and driven through desert landscapes. With 401 sites of
Unlimited Entry to U.S. National Parks with America the Beautiful Pass Read More »
