National Parks

National parks preserve our most stunning and important natural landscapes, monuments, and ecosystems for all of us to enjoy. I love visiting national parks, and my family has built many a vacation around one. Here I share the national parks, national monuments, and other remarkable natural sites I’ve visited. Enjoy them for your own armchair travel, and I hope you’ll be inspired to go see more of these wonders yourself.

ARIZONA

Antelope Canyon (not a national park but worthy of a visit)

• Beams of light set Antelope Canyon aglow, April 2023

Grand Canyon National Park

• Grand views at Grand Canyon, June 2020
• Mule skinning in the Grand Canyon, May 2003

Saguaro National Park

• Finger-pointing cacti at Saguaro National Park, June 2020

CALIFORNIA

Joshua Tree National Park

• Otherworldly trees and rocks at Joshua Tree National Park, June 2020

Kings Canyon National Park

• Wildflowers and waterfalls at Kings Canyon National Park, June 2020

Redwood National Park

• Playing among giants at Redwood National Park and a hike in Fern Canyon, August 2017

Sequoia National Park

• Bears and giant trees at Sequoia National Park, June 2020

Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite National Park, grand temple of nature, June 2020
• Earthshaking thrills at Yosemite’s Half Dome, June 2020
• Wildflowers and wildlife in Yosemite meadow, June 2020
• Yosemite National Park, the most beautiful place on earth, October 1995

COLORADO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

• Cliffs of insanity: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, April 2023

Dinosaur National Monument

• Wall of bones at Dinosaur National Monument, May 2023

Great Sand Dunes National Park

• Kicking off our western national parks tour at Great Sand Dunes, April 2023

Mesa Verde National Park

• Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, August 2016

Rocky Mountain National Park

• Gold in them thar hills: Aspen season in the Rockies, September 2024
• Rocky Mountain National Park: Bear Lake, wildlife, & tundra, July 2012
• High in Rocky Mountain National Park, July 2009

FLORIDA

Everglades National Park

• Everglades National Park: A beautiful, mysterious waterworld, March 2010

MONTANA

Glacier National Park

• Wild creatures and smoke-shrouded scenery at Glacier National Park, May 2023

NEW MEXICO

Bandelier National Monument

• Bandelier cliff dwellings, Valles Caldera, and epic New Mexico Scenery, September 2022

Capulin Volcano National Monument

• View from a cinder cone at Capulin Volcano National Monument, July 2021

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

• Going underground at Carlsbad Caverns, August 2016

Valles Caldera National Preserve

• Bandelier cliff dwellings, Valles Caldera, and epic New Mexico Scenery, September 2022

NORTH CAROLINA

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Elk watching in Cataloochee Valley, October 2022

NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

• Bison, wild horses roam at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, May 2023

OREGON

Crater Lake National Park

• After the volcano blows: Crater Lake National Park, August 2017

SOUTH DAKOTA

Badlands National Park

• A good day in Badlands National Park, May 2023

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

• Mount Rushmore musings during Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, September 2018

TENNESSEE

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Golden trees and black bears in Great Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove, October 2022

TEXAS

Big Bend National Park

• Big sky, scorched earth at Big Bend National Park (Day 1), March 2012
• Canyons, river, and sky: Big Bend country (Days 2-3), March 2012

UTAH

Arches National Park

• Windows to the sky at Arches National Park, May 2023

Bryce Canyon National Park

• Hoodoo wonderland at Bryce Canyon National Park, April 2023

Canyonlands National Park

• Canyonlands: Purple canyons and cliff-clinging Shafer Trail, May 2023
• Hiking and off-roading at the Needles in Canyonlands, May 2023

Capitol Reef National Park

• Capitol Reef National Park petroglyphs, orchards, and pie, May 2023

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

• Scenery for a million miles at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, April 2023

Zion National Park

• Waterfalls, wildlife, and wonder at Zion National Park, April 2023

VIRGINIA

Assateague Island National Seashore

• Wild ponies and birds on Chincoteague and Assateague Island, October 2021

WASHINGTON

Mount Rainier National Park

• Majestic Mount Rainier National Park, July 2011

WYOMING

Devils Tower National Monument

• Back to Devils Tower, May 2023
• A close encounter with Devils Tower in Wyoming, September 2018

Grand Teton National Park

• Majestic mountains, wildlife, and Mormon Row at Grand Teton, May 2023
• Grand Teton grandeur, May 2000

Yellowstone National Park

• Grizzlies and geysers at Yellowstone, part 1, May 2023
• Bison kick up their heels at Yellowstone, part 2, May 2023
• Moose, goose, grizzlies, and more Yellowstone wildlife, part 3, May 2023
• Yellowstone National Park, an American safari, May 2000

INTERNATIONAL

TANZANIA

Lake Manyara National Park

• Tanzanian safari: Maasai school and Lake Manyara National Park, June 2007

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

• Tanzanian safari: Ngorongoro Crater, June 2007

Serengeti National Park

• Tanzanian safari: Serengeti National Park and sunrise hot-air balloon ride, June 2007
• Tanzanian safari: Tent camp on the Serengeti, crocodiles, and soaring over volcanoes, June 2007

Tarangire National Park

• Tanzanian safari: Elephants, lions, and baobabs in Tarangire National Park, June 2007