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It's Always an Adventure...

Designated National Parks in the United States

I visited my first National Park when I was 22 years old while driving from Buffalo, New York to Los Angeles, California with my Dad. As cliche as it may be, Grand Canyon National Park would prove to be my first visit to a designated National Park. I remember my Dad and I talking about how it formed and being completely blown away looking out at the grandiosity of the canyon. As I moved back to Los Angeles and visited Yosemite, I had similar thoughts - how did Yosemite Valley form? How am I looking at something so beautiful? It soon became clear that each and every park would be unique, one of a kind, different from all the rest.

 

And just like that, I wanted to visit them all. I've since added "Visit all the US National Parks" to my bucket list. I am so thankful the National Park Service preserves these incredible places. There is truly "cultural and historic significance, scenic and environmental worth, and educational and recreational opportunities" in every park. As eager as I am to visit each one, I am just as excited to share the beauty of each park with you.

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  1. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Re-designated Gateway Arch National Park in 2018)

  2. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

  3. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

  4. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

  5. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

  6. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska, June 2015 & June 2019)

  7. Denali National Park (Alaska, June 2015 & June 2019)

  8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (Alaska, June 2015 & June 2019)

  9. Yosemite National Park (California, August 2016)

  10. Saguaro National Park (Arizona, September 2016)

  11. Joshua Tree National Park (California, November 2016)

  12. Death Valley National Park (California, April 2017)

  13. Zion National Park (Utah, June 2016)

  14. Channel Islands National Park (California, September 2017)

  15. White Sands National Monument (New Mexico, January 2018; Re-designated a National Park in 2019)

  16. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas, January 2018)

  17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico, January 2018)

  18. Big Bend National Park (Texas, January 2018)

  19. Olympic National Park (Washington, January 2018)

  20. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah, February 2018)

  21. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah, February 2018)

  22. Pinnacles National Park (California, April 2018)

  23. Great Basin National Park (Nevada, June 2018)

  24. Sequoia National Park (California, June 2018)

  25. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida, July 2018)

  26. Biscayne National Park (Florida, July 2018)

  27. Everglades National Park (Florida, July 2018)

  28. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California, August 2018)

  29. Redwoods National Park (California, September 2018)

  30. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio, September 2018)

  31. Virgin Islands National Park (St. John USVI, September 2018)

  32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona, October 2018)

  33. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas, November 2018)

  34. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky, November 2018)

  35. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa, December 2018)

  36. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado, December 2018)

  37. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska, July 2019)

  38. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (Alaska, July 2019)

  39. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Alaska, July 2019)

  40. Katmai National Park and Preserve (Alaska, July 2019)

  41. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Alaska, July 2019)

  42. Haleakala National Park (Hawaii, November 2019)

  43. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii, November 2019) 

  44. Canyonlands National Park (Utah, June 2020)

  45. Arches National Park (Utah, June 2020)

  46. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado, June 2020)

  47. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado, June 2020)

  48. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado, June 2020)

  49. Acadia National Park (Maine, September 2020)

  50. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana, March 2021) 

  51. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia, June 2021)

  52. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee/North Carolina, June 2021)

  53. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (West Virginia, June 2021)

  54. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota, July 2021)

  55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina, September 2021)

  56. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington, July 2022)

  57. Kings Canyon National Park (California, August 2022) 
     

If you missed my presentation entitled "Find Your Park: Exploring America's Lesser Known National Parks," there's a recording here!

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