I’ve been to 18 national parks and counting. Here are my thoughts on each:
- Arches
- The hike to Partition Arch is a fun little scramble with an amazing view at the end.
- Double Arch is a short stroll from a parking lot and just incredible.
- The hike to Delicate Arch is probably the most popular in the park. The most difficult part of the hike is over sun-exposed rock, so bring plenty of water.
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Small park. You need a wilderness permit to hike below the rim.
- If you don’t get a wilderness permit. Hike to Warner Point and enjoy the view and quiet.
- Bryce Canyon
- The red hoodoos look especially beautiful in the snow.
- Of all the parks I’ve been to, this one most feels like walking on a foreign planet.
- Canyonlands
- The name is appropriate. The canyons are wide and vast.
- Next time I would like to check out the Needles District, particularly Chesler Park.
- Congaree
- I found Congaree underwhelming, though I was there for only half a day. It might be worth a revisit to go kayaking.
- Denali
- I didn’t go far into the park, but Denali Mountain is incredible from a distance.
- Glacier
- You will have to wake up super early in the morning if you want to hike the Highline Trail. Parking fills up quickly.
- Hike to Grinnell Glacier. See marmots and bighorn sheep. Bring a Gatorade Glacier Freeze for color comparison (spoiler: they are identical).
- Grand Canyon
- Hiking down to the canyon on an icy morning without clamp-ons is reckless and not recommended. We went carefully, but saw several people slip and fall.
- Bucket list items: Rim-to-Rim Trail and kayaking the Colorado River.
- Grand Teton
- Like Yellowstone, the wildlife is incredible.
- Joshua Tree
- Yucca trees, boulders, and influencers.
- Mount Rainier
- I did not anticipate liking Mount Rainier as much as I did. It is a stunning mountain.
- Hike to a fire lookout tower for amazing views.
- North Cascades
- It’s difficult to get to, so I would recommend on planning an overnighter.
- Pinnacles
- It’s a small park, a bit out of the way from anything interesting.
- Sometimes the caves are open, sometimes they aren’t.
- The park has a pool. You’ll have to share it with bees looking to cool down.
- Redwoods
- The park stretches over a huge area. Make sure to visit the coast while you are there.
- The hike to Fern Waterfall is busy even in shoulder season. The waterfall was more impressive than I expected, thanks to recent rainfalls.
- Sequoia
- Big trees.
- The High Sierra Trail is gorgeous.
- Yellowstone
- Yellowstone feels a bit like the Disneyland of national parks. You go from attraction to attraction, taking a stroll along a boardwalk at each stop.
- It’s huge and there is so much to see.
- The wildlife is stunning. Everywhere you look, you’ll find something — bison, bears, deer, marmots, foxes.
- Yosemite
- Half Dome looks incredibly intimidating from below the cables, but isn’t so bad, and is absolutely worth it.
- In the summer it is hot, dry, and packed with tourists. Bring a mask or handkerchief to cover your face so you aren’t inhaling too much of the kicked up dirt.
- Don’t keep to the valley. At least hike to a waterfall.
- Zion
- Absolutely stunning, maybe my favorite national park.
- I went in December several years ago. We woke up early enough in the morning that there weren’t a ton of people hiking Angel’s Landing. I highly recommend going in the downseason.
Not a national park but still in the system:
- Alcatraz
- Great audio tour.
- I hear the night tour is the way to go.
- Cabrillo NM
- Near San Diego and very busy.
- Carrizo Plain National Monument
- During wildflower season it’s packed with tourists behaving abominably as they take their Instagram selfies.
- Colorado NM
- More worthy of national park status than many national parks.
- Edgar Allan Poe NHS
- Cool gift shop.
- Independence Hall
- Reserve a tour before your visit.
- Manzanar National Historic Site
- Such a tragic, desolate place.
- Marin Headlands National Recreation Area
- Cool lighthouse.
- Gorgeous views of San Francisco.
- Say hi to Karl.
- Montezuma
- It’s a brief walk, but cool to see these cliffside dwellings, even from afar.
- Muir Wood National Monument
- Redwoods!
- As an alternative, consider visiting Big Basin State Park with equally amazing redwoods and far fewer tourists.
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Really cool lighthouse.
- Stop for oysters on your way home.
- Presidio of San Francisco
- Go for a picnic when you’re in The City.