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My National Parks Checklist


One of my big grand adventure goals is to visit all 62 U.S. National Parks! I plan to use this National Parks Checklist to keep track of all the parks I’ve been to.

my national parks checklist

Defining My Goal


When I say “visit”, I mean really visit — not just pass through.

There are several parks on this list that I’ve actually “visited” by passing through them or stopping in for a few minutes, but I am not crossing those off the list.

I am only crossing a park off this National Parks Checklist if I feel I have fully experienced the park as best I can.

There are definitely some on this list that I’ve visited quickly in a day or two. But even then, I at least tried to fully experience each major part of the park.

On my very first road trip to see my first set of National Parks with my sister back in 2014, we saw almost 10 parks in two weeks. We started in Texas and took an epic road trip up to Montana.

While it was fun, I do not recommend seeing that many parks in such a short amount of time!

Alta Peak Cloudline in Sequoia National Park

How We Experience the National Parks


The National Parks are full of vast wilderness and wonder. You could go back to the same park dozens of times and experience something new!

Everyone will experience a park completely differently and I believe the parks are for people of all walks of life and hobbies. However you choose to enjoy a park, I definitely recommend taking your time and really being present in the moment to fully experience it.

Since I’ve become such an avid backpacker over the years, my personally preferred way to take in the parks is by spending several days hiking a long backcountry trail — so that I can experience the wildest, most untouched parts of each park! But I also enjoy day hikes!

(And as I already mentioned, this is just my preferred way of experiencing the parks. Everyone has to find their own special connection to the parks and experience each park how they want to! I’m a firm believer of this!)

My National Parks Checklist


Current Count: 29 National Parks Visited So Far

  1. Acadia National Park, Maine
  2. Arches National Park, Utah
  3. Badlands National Park, South Dakota
  4. Big Bend National Park, Texas
  5. Biscayne National Park, Florida
  6. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
  7. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
  8. Canyonlands National Park, Utah
  9. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
  10. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
  11. Channel Islands National Park, California
  12. Congaree National Park, South Carolina
  13. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
  14. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
  15. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada
  16. Denali National Park, Alaska
  17. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
  18. Everglades National Park, Florida
  19. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska
  20. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri and Illinois
  21. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
  22. Glacier National Park, Montana
  23. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
  24. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
  25. Great Basin National Park, Nevada
  26. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
  27. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
  28. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
  29. Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
  30. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
  31. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
  32. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana
  33. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
  34. Joshua Tree National Park, California
  35. Katmai National Park, Alaska
  36. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
  37. Kings Canyon National Park, California
  38. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska
  39. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
  40. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
  41. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
  42. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
  43. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
  44. National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa
  45. North Cascades National Park, Washington
  46. Olympic National Park, Washington
  47. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
  48. Pinnacles National Park, California
  49. Redwood National Park, California
  50. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
  51. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
  52. Sequoia National Park, California
  53. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
  54. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
  55. Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands
  56. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
  57. White Sands National Park, New Mexico
  58. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
  59. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
  60. Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
  61. Yosemite National Park, California
  62. Zion National Park, Utah
Staring up a hollow Redwoods Tree

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@ChaseDownAdventure
Blooming season is keeping my heart happy, when ev Blooming season is keeping my heart happy, when everything else in the world feels so heavy. 🌸🌺 #PlantLife #Gardening #Planties #Bloom
Happy Birthday, Love! My wish for you is that you Happy Birthday, Love! My wish for you is that you keep looking out over the edge of all that life has to offer — that you embrace every opportunity in front of you, always believe in what’s possible, continue to discover new passions, and never tire of adventure. Remember how far you’ve come and all that you’ve accomplished. I’m incredibly proud of you and honored to have you as my lifelong adventure partner. Don’t ever stop loving people well, caring for others immensely, standing up for the underdog, fighting for what’s right, or being ridiculously goofy. That’s what makes you uniquely you. I love you!
I recommend following these people to hear less wh I recommend following these people to hear less white noise and more black voices that matter during this time (and please comment with any others you recommend!): @theandrehenry, @ohhappydani, @morganharpernichols, @themanacho, @ogorchukwuu, @minaa_b, @enneagramincolor, @whitehomework, @austinchanning, @aliciatcrosby, @williammatthewsx, @speakingofracism, @unlikelyhikers
The quarantine has forced us into a quiet, stillne The quarantine has forced us into a quiet, stillness, and lack of activity that I’ve honestly come to cherish.
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Over the past few months, I’ve had to get creative with how to pursue adventure at home. And just outside my front doorway, I’ve found ground upon which I can build adventure for myself.
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I’ve fallen in love with plants and gardening and all things green...when I always, always thought I had a black thumb and doubted myself in this area.
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Something like this fluffy, bright green foxtail brings me just as much delight as hiking a mountain — just in a uniquely different way.
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And in the process, I’ve found something new that brings me daily joy — an everyday adventure I can always pursue.
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Adventure is everywhere. We just have to look for it.
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#Adventure #EverydayAdventures #Gardening #GreenThumb #Plants
Congaree National Park deserves so much more of th Congaree National Park deserves so much more of the world’s attention. This hidden gem on the East Coast has so much to offer. Check out my most recent blog post (link in my profile) to read why I think everyone should visit this uniquely wild place. #NationalParks #WildPlaces #GetOutside @congareenps
Each National Park is near and dear to my heart, b Each National Park is near and dear to my heart, because each park is unique and has captivated me differently.
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But if I had to choose my top 5 favorites (so far)? .
They’d be: Zion, Olympic, Bryce, Channel Islands, and Congaree. Click on the link in my profile to learn why!
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What’s your favorite park? I’d love to know!
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#NationalParks #Hiking #Backpacking #GetOutside @nationalparkservice @congareenps @olympic_nps @zionnps @channelislandsnps @brycecanyonnps_gov
My National Parks Checklist is live! Count so far: My National Parks Checklist is live! Count so far: 24 parks. Click on the link in my profile to see my progress. What parks have you been to? I’d love to hear! #GetOutside #Hiking #Backpacking #NationalParks @nationalparkservice
My adventure partner for life. Also, apparently a My adventure partner for life. Also, apparently a really good @patagonia model. 🤣💚 #Adventure #GetOutside #Smokies #Backpacking #Hiking #Love

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