Until I began my quest to visit all the national parks in the US and Canada, I had never heard of Riding Mountain. I am guessing that most people reading this haven’t heard of riding mountain either. Many national parks have some big ‘thing’ which is the main attraction. Mountains, canyons, waterfalls, volcanoes and geysers …
Located due south of Yellowstone National Park and connected by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, Grand Teton National Park offers some of the most picturesque mountain views in the United States. Named after the largest peak in the Teton Range, the park is home to elk and moose as well as Jackson Lake …
I won’t beat around the bush. North Cascades is probably the least deserving site I’ve visited in the US to have a national park designation. The primary feature of the park is a dam. Almost everywhere you go in the park you find high voltage electrical lines. It really should be designated as a National …
I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that Mount Rainier is the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest. Visible from Seattle on a clear day, it dominates the surrounding region. In fact, it is so large that it can also be seen from Portland and from the top of the mountains surrounding Vancouver. …
Technically speaking, Bryce Canyon isn’t a canyon. It’s an amphitheater. That being said, whatever you call it, Bryce Canyon is incredible. It isn’t the biggest national park, but the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater is an incredible thing to experience. If you visit Bryce Canyon, I’d recommend waking up to watch the sunrise over the amphitheater. Afterward, …
Wind Cave is one of the United States oldest national parks, created in 1903 by president Theodore Roosevelt. I’ve been to Wind Cave several times and I have found it is helpful to actually think of Wind Cave as two separate parks. The first part is the cave itself. Wind Cave is one of the …
Technically, Badlands National Park was the first national park I ever visited. My family visited here on a road trip in the late 70’s. I’ve visited several times since then and it never ceases to amaze me. What makes Badlands special is its colorful landscape. The erosional features of the park are actually the remains …
Cuyahoga Valley is very different from most national parks. Unlike Hot Springs, it at least can be considered a park. While not an urban park per se, it is the most accessible of all the national parks in the US. Cuyahoga is far from being a wilderness area. Unlike most national parks, there are farms, …
Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite national parks and perhaps the most underrated national park in the entire US National Parks system. I visited the park as part of my 2009 North American road trip. Located in the Western North Dakota Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt was named after the US President who spent time in …