Celebrating National Park Week

Grand View Point, Canyonlands National Park

Get excited! It's National Park Week! To celebrate, all national parks are offering free admission to all of their units across the United States; make sure to get out there and take advantage of it! In honor of this week, I've compiled a list, complete with a photo, of all of my favorite national parks/monuments/recreation areas/ect. Each place listed has at least one other blog post associated with it, except Glacier, and I would like to point out that these are in no particular order.

Arches National Park:

This park, located near Moab, UT, is incredibly popular, and for good reason. The rust-red sandstone is prime for forming the largest concentration of arches in the world. You can hike to many of them, though the most popular by far are Delicate Arch (pictured above) and Landscape Arch.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve:

Where can you go wrong with the highest sand dunes in North America? Absolutely nowhere, as long as you go visit this park, located in central Colorado between two mountain ranges sporting several 14ers. Ringed by life-giving seasonal streams, Great Sand Dunes is a desert paradise, located right next to a mountain oasis. You have to at least make the three-mile trek to High Dune, the tallest dune on the front range of the dune field. If you're feeling adventurous, continue on several miles to Star Dune, the tallest dune in North America (though make sure you bring plenty of water..and don't be on the field in a thunderstorm!)

White Sands National Monument:

Speaking of sand dunes, did you know there is such a thing as snow-white sand dunes? A trip to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico will show you I'm not joking, and that the picture above really is sand, not snow! This desert park bakes during the day, and the white sand is really good at reflecting the sun right into your eyes. Try visiting in the morning or the evening to fully enjoy this beautiful park. Also, you can backpack in the dune field. I want to go back!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

This is the most popular park in the states for a very good reason. Not only are the Smoky Mountains located in the southeastern US, where a great population of citizens live and work, but there is something alluring about the rolling green mountains, waterfalls, and open coves that stretch on for miles. The Appalachian Trail cuts directly through the middle of the park, and wildlife (including bears) are abundant. Make sure you have plenty of time when you visit this park; you're gonna need it.

Canyonlands National Park:

As Arches National Park's less-popular neighbor, Canyonlands doesn't see nearly as many visitors, though in my opinion that's what make it amazing. Maybe it's the drive up a mesa to get to the Island in the Sky District, or the distance to the three other districts encompassed in the park (including The Needles District, pictured above) none of which are connected by roads through the park, requiring you to drive miles and spend hours just to get to them. Whatever the reason people skip this park, Canyonlands has something to offer to sightseers, hikers, backpackers and jeep junkies alike. As of right now, this is my favorite park out of all of them. I've only visited the Island in the Sky District and the Needles District, though I would love to visit The Maze and Horseshoe Canyon at some point!

Capitol Reef National Park:

For reasons unclear to me this park, located in south-central Utah, is often skipped over by travelers making a beeline between Arches National Park and Zion National Park. They have no idea what they're missing! A great uplift in the earth's crust thousands of years ago created a great barrier to easst-west travel of cliffs and canyons, and the desert sun parched the land. There is, however, the Fremont River that carves its way through the canyons and brings life to the area. The ancient Fremont Culture used to call the park home, and in more recent times Mormons settled the area and farmed the little oasis. Their orchards still stand, and during the fall you are welcome to pick your own fruits. Don't forget to take a hike through Grand Wash or Capitol Gorge, or hit one of the backcountry roads for a bumpy, thrilling ride.

Bryce Canyon National Park:

Not a true canyon, red rock hoodoos tower within this amphitheater located at the highest elevation of the Big Five national parks in southern Utah. Due to this elevation, the park is often blanketed with snow during the winter months, which actually draws photographers from all over to try to capture the snow-topped hoodoos. Be warned, if you visit during the summer there is a good chance of thunderstorms, and it is very hot. If you visit during winter most of the park road is closed, and the plows have a hard time keeping up with the amount of snow that gets dumped on this high desert park.

Zion National Park:

Ever wondered what it would be like to walk up a shallow, cool river in the middle of a desert summer, while red cliffs tower hundreds of feet above you? Take a trip to this park and you can find out for yourself. While the Virgin River Walk is definitely popular during the summer and fall months, this park is enormous and offers hiking for all abilities. Angel's Landing, the dizzying strenuous hike to the top of a narrow sandstone fin hundreds of feet above the canyon bottom is another popular trail, though it's not for those afraid of heights. Whether you're there for a day or a week, you won't run out of things to do at this amazing park.

Rocky Mountain National Park:

My list wouldn't be complete without Rock Mountain National Park. As the first park I actively remember visiting, and definitely one I've revistited most often, Rocky Mountain holds a special place in my heart. Hikes anywhere from an hour to several days await you in this park, and Trail Ridge Road is not to be missed. Don't just stop on the east side of the park either, but cross the Continental Divide and check out the west side. You're much more likely to see moose on that side down by the banks of the tiny Colorado River!

Glacier National Park:

This is a park that I haven't visited in nearly ten years, but the fact that I'm including it on this list ought to be enough to convince you to go check it out for yourself. Located in northern Montana, this is a park that is a little bit difficult for me to get to at the moment, especially given that I prefer to drive everywhere I go. That being said, I'm working on plans to get back up north and revisit the park that remains under snow well into summer. From my memories, journals and pictures, this park is a hiker's haven, and I would need at least a week there just to scrape the surface. Plus, as it's name implies, there are glaciers to explore!

Morane Park, Rocky Mountain National Park

If you've been following along, you know by now that I have no intentions of ending my travels. I would love to visit every single one of the National Parks units sometime in my life, and often plan trips according to what parks are close by. I tend to revisit my favorites, though I am trying to branch out and discover new places. Every park has something that makes it special; go discover it for yourself!

Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park