Happy National Park Week! If you are a regular reader here, then you already know that our family really enjoys the outdoors. We have been daydreaming about trips since the pandemic started, with National Parks at the top of our list. Billy and I have visited a few – Shenandoah (my favorite), Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Mackinac Island, Mammoth Cave, as well as a National Battlefield (Gettysburg), and a National Seashore (Chincoteague) Wyatt has yet to visit one; he has visited a National Lakeshore (Sleeping Bear Dunes), but not a National Park. Yet. And we have a few quick and easy National Park visits lined up for the summer – Cuyahoga Valley NP, Indiana Dunes NP, and a National Battlefield, River Raisin. But we have some pretty big bucket list parks on our list as well. This is my list – Billy and I have some crossover dream parks, but he has a few that are not on mine, and I have some not on his. But anyway, these are the parks on mine!
Acadia National Park, Maine:
Why I want to go: Puffins and whales! I realize I have to get on a boat to do this, and honestly I am terrified of boats, but to see a puffin I will jump onboard one in a second. Also, seriously how beautiful does Acadia look? Mountains, rocky coastlines, forests, all of that calls my name. I took a trip to Maine and the East Coast as a kid and I loved it. I have never forgotten it and have always wanted to go back.
Carlsbad Cavern National Park, NM:
Why I want to go: The bat flight of course!!! I would love to see the bats leaving for the night! The caverns themselves are tricky for our family; they are not wheelchair accessible in a lot of areas due to the steepness of the grading, but there are a few parts that we could visit if Wyatt needs his wheelchair long term. The bat flight is accessible though, and that is my main motivation for going.
Congaree National Park, South Carolina:
Why I want to go: Oo, the trees. So moody. So atmospheric. That old growth forest. The floodplains. And we can canoe right through it! As far as accessibility, canoeing is a good one. And there is a short boardwalk trail so bonus!
Zion National Park, Utah:
Why I want to go: The beauty. The sunsets. The stargazing. And it seems to be a very disability friendly national park, with lots of opportunities and ways to view this park. Billy and I drove across the country one time (in a Uhaul truck, helping a friend move to Vegas) and we didn’t get to spend any quality time visiting the western states that we drove through. We have lots of crazy stories about that trip, and it was fun, but we need a proper visit.
Yellowstone (particularly in winter!)
Why I want to go: It’s Yellowstone!! I want to visit in summer, but if I had to pick just one time to go, I would choose a trip in the winter. First, bears are hibernating. I don’t need to see bears. Especially after listening to the podcast National Park After Dark and all the bear episodes.. no thank you. I also think it would be breathtakingly beautiful! All the snow, everything so pristine and sparkly and magical. Exploring during the day via warm snowcoach, then going back to the lodge at night and being all cozy, looking out at the wilderness. Seriously, this would be a dream trip for me. Huge. I need to do it. A bonus – far less people. And dang it, we want to see wolves!
I would love to visit as many National Parks as possible, but right now, these are the big ones on my list.
What about you? I would love to hear about your trips to any of these parks, or any national park! Or your own bucket list!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
We have been to Acadia National Park…the Thunder Hole was not thundering the day we were there, but the park is spectacular! I love Mackinac Island and would live there if I could afford it! Gettysburg is amazing…I had no idea it would be so big! We went to Yellowstone when I was a kid (so many, many decades ago), and I would love to go back. I really want to go to Zion National Park as well as Crater Lake. Sleeping Bear Dune is also on my list…those beaches look amazing! Good luck on your journeys…whenever they happen!
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Mackinac Island is one of my favorite places in Michigan! I used to dream of living there lol. When I was in college I almost took a summer job there. š And Sleeping Bear Dunes – such views and the beaches are beautiful. š
I think I am going to start actually putting some more concrete details together for these trips!
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I’ve been to Acadia National Park a couple of times. I would love to go to Yellowstone, though. So much I’ve read about it and seen photos of. Seems gorgeous!
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I changed my blog address to https://genrebooksandme.com but for some reason my name in comments doesn’t go through, sorry
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After I wrote this post I started researching more about Yellowstone in winter and some of the packages and trips seem so cool! Sled dog tours, sleigh rides to an elk herd, hot springs – it sounds amazing.
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We went to a lot of National Parks when I was a kid. Such fun! Yellowstone was one of them, and then we went to ones like Yosemite, which is near where I’ve lived my whole life.
Enjoy! Great photos.
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I remember you mentioning Yosemite before!! That is actually on my list as well. It looks beautiful!
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I hope you’re able to visit all these! I’ve been to Zion and Yellowstone. They’re both beautiful.
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Thanks AJ! I should probably start actually planning some of these out!
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When we started traveling in our RV in 2017, my goal was to see all the National Parks. I doubt I’ll really get to do that, but it’s a fun goal and I’ve enjoyed tracking all of the ones we have visited. Acadia is high my list, as is Zion. I really want to see Glacier, Grand Teton, Arches, Denali. So far I’ve been to Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Badlands, Crater Lake, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Pinnacles, Redwood, Saguaro, Gateway Arch, and the Grand Canyon. Some were before rving and some were more recently. Honestly, when I first stepped out of the rv and saw the Grand Canyon, I cried. It far exceed my expectations.
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I think it is an awesome goal, whether you meet it or not. You will have fun along the way!
Now that you mention it, I may have been to Kings Canyon as well, because we saw the General Grant tree. So I guess I should add that to my list!
I can only imagine how the Grand Canyon must be in person. I can certainly understand having tears there – I have been moved by many a landscape as well. š
The Badlands and the Grand Canyon are tops on my husband’s list.
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We’ve been to the Smokey Mountains a number of times but there are so many parks I want to visit and now with that I know Acadia has puffins I want to plan a trip asap!
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I need to get to the Smokey Mountains. They are one of the closer NPs to us, it would be an easy one. And I love the mountains! And yes! Puffins! I think they are offshore and you have to take a boat, but still, puffins!!
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New Mexico is great in general, too, a really nice state. I’d like to go to Chincoteague because of the horse books (but not see the stuffed Misty that’s apparently in a cafe somewhere!).
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I am intrigued by New Mexico. It sounds like it has some really neat things there!
And oh my gosh! I would be disturbed by that as well! That is horrifying. I’m glad that we did not see that on our visit.
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Sadly, I have never been to a National Park. I believe Yosemite is in our state. After a Google, I can’t believe we have nine!
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Lol! It is always neat to learn something new about your state! Sequoia and Kings Canyon are definitely worth a trip.
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My family used to go to Yellowstone a lot! Back then, it was beautiful! I can’t speak of it now – tourism and development and all that. Now we go up to northern california, Yosemite area. But we never go fully into the national park. We stay a little down the mountain, near lee vining and mono lake. It’s too much to go to those popular areas sometimes when you’re trying to go fishing lol Good luck completing your bucket list!
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