Passion for the outdoors: National Parks Edition
A few years ago my family and I embarked on a journey to visit all 63 National Parks and as many National Monuments as possible. We LOVE the National Park Service (NPS) and their sites because they are very well maintained, clean, accessible to peopl...
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a beautiful and unique National Park in California that is definiely worth visiting!
Don't let the name scare you - Death Valley is a BEAUTIFUL and unique National Park that will definitely exceed your expectations! This is the hottest place on earth so plan your trip accordingly - the best time to visit is in the Winter. We went Dec...
Furnace Creek Campground is a great place to stay if you enjoy tent or RV camping. There are sites with RV hook ups and sites for tent camping. There are bathrooms at the site (which is a huge plus for us), fire pits and picnic tables. We really enjo...
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are fun for the whole family! Explore the dunes, slide down them, make a sand angel! We had so much fun with our two toddlers exploring the dunes.
Badwater Basin is VERY COOL, especially right now (2024) when the ancient lake is filled with water! It is a rare and beautiful site. Fun fact: Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America!
The Salt Flats at Death Valley are worth seeing. The salt has made very interesting formations and at first glance it looks like SNOW!
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is my favorite National Park. It is absolutely STUNNING. The water is a blue that I have never seen before. There are so many beautiful trails around the crater. It is definitely worth the trip to see this beautiful place.
Annie Creek is a beautiful loop tail that I would rate as easy/moderate. The trail itself is beautiful but narrow at parts. It is along a stream and there are beautiful wildflowers and lots of birds and trees. There are no views of the lake from this...
This is the only trail in Crater Lake that leads down to the water. It is a beautiful trail with beautiful views of the lake the entire way down. It is a steep trail - it is only 1.1 miles but it descends 700 feet. It is definitely harder coming back...
Sun Notch trail had my favorite panoramic views of the lake. It is a fairly easy trail and it has some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.
We opted to stay outside of the park but the Crater Lake Lodge is a beautiful hotel located inside the park. It is a great place to stay but it is also a great place to get food and drinks in the park. The observation deck is a great place to relax a...
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument is the most beautiful National Monument. It is located in a magical grove of Redwood trees. If you are in the San Francisco area, it is worth the trip to visit this magical place.
Muir Woods is one of the most beautiful National Monuments. It is very accessible, wheelchair and stroller friendly. It is a great place for kids to explore.
The Main Trail loop is beautiful and stroller friendly. We spent hours just exploring this look, admiring the trees, listening to ranger talks and looking for banana slugs. It was magical.
Muir Woods has great Ranger-lead talks and programs. We learned a lot about the trees and how they live and communicate with one another. It sounds boring but it is actually very, very interesting.
Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park is at the top of my favorites list. It is unique and beautiful and diverse. We spent almost a week exploring this park.
Haleakala National Park is so unique. My favorite experience here (and a MUST SEE in my opinion) is watching the sunrise over the clouds. It is stunning.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED to watch the sunrise over Haleakala. It is truly one of the most spectacular things I have ever witnessed. The early morning drive up the mountain so 100% worth it. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov
The Haleakala National Park continues at the end of the Road To Hana. This drive is beautiful and so worth it.
We stayed in the Wai'anapanapa State Park Cabins. These were very unique cabins in a state park that gave us access to beautiful beaches.
After watching the sunrise, you can actually hike down into the crater of Haleakala!
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
We didn't spend as much time at this National Park as I would have liked but there were a lot of very cool things we experienced at this park.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a beautiful National Park on the big island of Hawaii.
Taking a helicopter tour over the actively erupting volcanoes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced.
Lava tubes are some of the coolest cave formations. I would highly recommend checking this one out.
We only had limited time to explore this national park. This driving trail made it easy to see a lot in a short amount of time.
This Brewery is not a part of the National Park but it is worth checking out after visiting!
Zion National Park
Zion is another one of my favorites. This park has so much to offer.
Zion National Park is one of my favorite National Parks. It is so beautiful, with so many unique things to do. The National Park itself is gorgeous and the little town on the outskirts of the National Park is amazing as well.
We stayed at the Novel House Inn at Zion National Park and it was by far one of my favorite lodging experiences. It is a Bed and Breakfast with 10 author-themed rooms.
A Zion National Park MUST SEE. Even if you can't hike all the way through, just walking a little ways up the water is so worth it. It is such a beautiful and unique hike.
This is one of my all-time favorite hikes. The trail and the views are so stunning.
Redwood National and State Parks
The Redwood National and State Parks are absolutely stunning and magical. They also make the top of my list of favorite National Parks.
We stayed in a bare-bones cabin in the Sue-meg State Park. It was a great cabin with heat but there were no beds or bedding. It's basically a wooden tent. It was very cool and convenient with children!
This was the most magical trail I have ever seen. Ferns run up both sides of a canyon. The trail runs through a shallow creek that you must walk through. It is stunning. It is not wheelchair or Stoller friendly but my 2 year old was able to walk the ...
This was a very fun and easy trail through lots of big trees! We strolled with a toddler and an infant, admiring the trees and looking for banana slugs!
Driving trails are one of my favorite features in National Parks, especially with kids during NAP TIME. This one was a 10-mile driving trail and it was beautiful.
Other resources
This is a very, very condensed list of what the NPS has to offer. There are so many beautiful places to explore under the NPS. If this is something that interests you, there is so much information online to help you plan your trips. Here are some of ...
Recreation.gov is the place to book and manage reservations within the National Parks (campsites, cabins, etc.)
NPS.gov has everything you need to know about the National Parks and planning your visit! There are 63 National Parks and 429 sites managed by the NPS - there is something for EVERYONE!
AllTrails is a great app to help plan hikes in the area!
National Park Essentials
These are the items that we bring with us to every national park. These range from gear and equipment to clothing to the America the Beautiful National Park pass.
The America the Beautiful National Park pass is essential for those who are avid NPS visitors! If you plan on visiting 2+ national parks in a year, this pass is definitely worth it!
These UPF jackets and clothing are perfect for outdoor adventures. They are light weight so they are easy to pack and can be worn on very warm days.. and they protect you from the sun. They are a great addition to your sun protection routine.
These are my absolute favorite hiking shoes. They are so comfortable.