⛺ National Park Notes

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.