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What US National Parks have you been to?

I’m inspired to post this after several recent threads on where folks have been and the cute grandma and grandson who just visited ALL the parks. They have inspired me to see more of them.
I’m so stoked that in a few weeks I will be visiting 4 National Parks, 3 of which are ones I have not been to before. Grand Canyon ( rafting the Colorado river), White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Saguaro.

What parks have you been to? What ones are your favorites? Are you going to any this summer?

Edited; some of you said you might need to see the list. There is an excellent website called Earth Trekkers. They have them all listed and tons of great information on how to visit them.

Also adding having been born and raised in Washington, I did not visit Olympic NP until 2020, although I had been to Hurricane ridge which I understand had a fire recently. I had very non adventurous parents and I can’t recall a single NP that we visited. All my visits have been as an adult.
Here’s my list; Olympic, North Cascades, Mt. Rainier, Glacier Bay, Wrangell St. Elias, Katmai, Kenai, Denali, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Zion, Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Cave, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Crater Lake.

Posted by
491 posts

Yosemite
Mt. Rainier
Olympic
North Cascades
Joshua Tree
King's Canyon
Pinnacles
Redwood
Sequoia

My favorite will forever be North Cascades Nat'l Park because it's gorgeous all year 'round. Also, no one goes there.

-- Mike Beebe

Posted by
7974 posts

I had to look at a list before I could commit. :) I love our National Parks and I'm so happy I got the lifetime pass for $10! It's hard to choose a favorite but if I could pick a few, they would be Badlands, Teddy Roosevelt, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Glacier, Yellowstone and Arches. Okay, sorry, that's more than a few...

Redwood NP
Sequoia NP
Mesa Verde NP
Rocky Mountain NP
Everglades NP
Yellowstone NP
Mammoth Cave NP
Acadia NP
Gateway Arch NP
Glacier NP
Theodore Roosevelt NP
Great Smoky Mts. NP
Cuyahoga Valley NP
Badlands NP
Arches NP
Bryce Canyon NP
Canyonlands NP
Zion NP
Virgin Islands NP

Posted by
2660 posts

I'm trying to get to some every year.
My late husband and I went to Acadia every couple of years between "big" trips, so that will always be my sentimental favorite.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but:
Yosemite
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Olympic
Mt. Rainier
Saguaro
Bryce
Grand Canyon
Zion
Denali
Wrangell St Elias

I will be going to Glacier and some Canadian parks next month.

Posted by
9217 posts

Arches
Bandlands
Big Bend
Bryce
Capital Reef
Canyon-lands
Channel Islands
Crater Lake
Everglades
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Joshua Tree
Kings Canyon
Mesa Verde
Mt Rainer
Pinnacles
Redwood
Saguaro
Sequoia
Shenandoah
Windcave
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Zion

Favorites: Bryce, Channel Islands, Grand Teton, Mt Rainer, Yellowstone, Yosemite.

Posted by
627 posts

We love National Parks!

Been to several - Grand Canyon, Saguaro, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Redwood, Yosemite, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Haleakala, Yellowstone, Glacier, Crater Lake, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic, and Grand Teton.

My husband’s favorite is Yosemite and my favorite is Glacier. We will probably go to Crater Lake this summer. Fun to reminisce about the trips we took so many summers with our kids on 16 day road trips.

Posted by
730 posts

I’m British so thought I’d only been to one or two - then I looked at a map and realised that I’d probably been to more US National Parks than UK ones…

Yosemite
Saguaro
Petrified Forest
Rocky Mountain
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Mesa Verde
Great Smoky Mountains
Shenandoah
New River Gorge

(My UK ones: Dartmoor, Lake District, New Forest, North York Moors, Peak District, South Downs, Yorkshire Dales)

Posted by
14719 posts

Weeeelllll, the car is packed and I am headed to Yellowstone tomorrow!! I go for a couple of weeks every summer.

How come I can pack for 6 weeks to Europe in a carry on but for this my car is packed to the gills?!?😉😆

The main National Parks website is www.nps.gov Each park has a separate weblink you can get to with a 4 letter suffix to the main website. It’s the first 4 letters of a one-name park such as YELL for Yellowstone or the first 2 letters of the first 2 words such as GRTE for Grand Tetons or GRCA for Grand Canyon. The exception is Carlsbad Caverns which they chose not to name as CACA but went with CAVE, lol. 🤣

There’s your park trivia for the day!

Sorry, no time to type out my list, but I’ve been to “lots”, 💕😂

Tammy, you’ll have a terrific time. Those 4 parks are very, very different from each other.

Posted by
6438 posts

Visiting National Parks is our passion! There are many more parks under the National Park System (like National Monuments, some basically the same as a national park), but the ones we've been to that are designated "National Park" are as follows:

Acadia
Arches
Badlands
Black Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capitol Reef
Crater Lake
Cuyahoga Valley
Gateway Arch
Glacier
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Great Basin
Great Sand Dunes
Great Smoky Mountains
Hawaii Volcanoes
Indiana Dunes
Isle Royal
Joshua Tree
Lassen
Mammoth Caves
Mesa Verde
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Petrified Forest
Redwoods
Rocky Mountain
Saguaro
Sequoia
Theodore Roosevelt
Virgin Islands
Voyageurs
Wind Cave
Yellowstone
Zion

Favorite?! That's like picking a favorite child! If forced, some that come to the top of the list, Bryce, Crater Lake, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Isle Royal, Mount Rainier Olympic, Redwoods, Rocky Mountain, Theo Roosevelt, Zion. We have to re plan our summer camping trip. One of the places we were going to was Mt. St. Helens Volcanic, which is not technically a "national Park", but I believe its in the system. However, the road, as I learned on this forum, is now not passable to the Observation center. I think we will be hanging out in Oregon, instead.

Posted by
16537 posts

So far:
Acadia NP
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Mesa Verde NP
Arches NP
Bryce NP
Canyonlands NP
Capitol Reef NP
Zion NP
Chaco Culture NP
Olympic NP
Grand Canyon NP (North and South)

But add some interesting/scenic National Monuments and the list grows! Bandelier NM, Colorado NM, Petroglyph NM, Tent Rocks NM, Canyon de Chelly NM, Muir Woods NM... Then there are the National Historic Sites, Forests, Recreation Areas... The favorite so far - if it's possible to even pick one - is probably Canyonlands Needles; we're noodling with a trip back to the Moab area in the fall to revisit that one and some other faves while our knees can still handle them! 😬

Posted by
6438 posts

Kathy, I've been to those National Monuments, and they were fabulous. Tent Rocks was so interesting. I agree, many of the national monuments are basically the same as a national park. I think it does keep them less trafficked. I recall how wonderful Colorado National Monument was, and there were not many people.

Posted by
2544 posts

I would need a full list so I can check them all off. I’ve probably been to 90% of them. We tent camped all the time as I was growing up, and my Dad loved national parks. You name it, I’ve probably been there.

My favorite is Yosemite. We went last summer. My husband hasn’t traveled much in the US. He wasn’t overly enthusiastic about going, but I dragged him! He was left completely in awe. He really wasn’t prepared for the majesty of the valley and how little it makes you feel.

Next would be the Redwoods. We visited a few years ago. It was somewhat of a spiritual experience. Wandering through those ferns and trees, I could almost hear the wind whispering “Welcome home.” I felt like that is where I belong, so much so that I told my husband that I want my ashes buried under a tree there. There’s a program where you can do that.

Posted by
755 posts

Years ago I was determined to see ALL of them but that hasn’t happened yet. Maybe I should stop going to Europe?

Favorites: (so far)
Glacier
Olympic
Arches
Denali
Death Valley

Posted by
468 posts

Have been to several National Historical Parks, Monuments, Seashores, Refuges, but these are my main National Parks:
Mt Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Joshua Tree
Virgin Islands
Acadia
Haleakala
Hawaii Volcanoes
Arches
Canyonlands
Glacier Bay
Shenandoah
Rocky Mountain

My favorite inside my home state is Olympic. My favorite outside WA is Joshua Tree. Can't believe I have lived in the Northwest my entire life and never been to Crater Lake, or Redwoods, for that matter.

Posted by
4602 posts

One of the newest NPs: Congaree near Columbia, SC
Smoky Mountains
Shenandoah
Hawaii Volcanoes
Acadia
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Bryce Canyon
Grand Canyon
Olympic
Mt. Rainier
Gateway ARch

Posted by
420 posts

Haven't been to any.
A quick count has me having visited at least 30 in my home State. I have lived 30 metres from a National Park for the last 20 years.
I have visited 50 (give or take) Aussie National Parks. Might be more not too sure. I generally visit a National Park at least 5 days a week.

Posted by
2637 posts

I don't remember the names of the ones we did on the east coast as it has been over 20 years since we were stationed there. Here on the west coast/western half of the US though, this is my list.

Crater Lake
Mt Rainier
North Cascades
Olympics
Mt St Helens
Gates of The Arctic
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Redwood

Tammy--The fire at Hurricane Ridge was confined to the visitors center, thankfully. They were doing renovations to the building, and something happened and the entire thing burned to the ground. Thank goodness it didn't spread! IT is such beautiful area up there.

Posted by
773 posts

Acadia

Arches

Badlands (staying there later this month)

Bryce Canyon

Denali

Everglades

Gateway Arch

Glacier

Glacier Bay (via ship)

Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

Great Smoky Mountains

Hawaii Volcanoes (a friend who was a volcano photographer there was our tour guide, it was great)

Hot Springs

Mesa Verde (one of my favorites)

Rocky Mountain

Theodore Roosevelt

Voyageurs (the closest to our home)

Wind Cave

Yellowstone (visited every season and winter was my favorite)

Yosemite

Zion

Posted by
878 posts

Hi Tammy, I bet you knew I'd answer this one.

I've been to 26. Here they are in the order I visited them (first visit) from about 1973 for Shenandoah to 2013 for Hawaii Volcanoes:

Shenandoah
Acadia
Rocky Mountain
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Mesa Verde
Arches
Pinnacles
Yosemite
Lassen Volcanic
Mammoth Caves
Joshua Tree
Olympic
Mount Rainier
Redwood
Crater Lake
Grand Canyon
Bryce
Zion
Kenai Fjords
Virgin Islands
Gateway Arch
Death Valley
Haleakala
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Hawaii Volcanoes

Favorites: All except for Gateway Arch (!), but if I had to narrow it down I would say Yosemite, Olympic, Yellowstone, and Mesa Verde.

Highest priorities for the future:
Glacier
Denali
Kings Canyon
Sequoia
Great Smoky Mountains (tentatively planned for September)

Posted by
332 posts

I've been to 23. My list includes Dry Tortugas and Isle Royale. The southernmost and northernmost in the lower 48 states.

Posted by
2774 posts

Arches
Badlands
Bryce Canyon
Crater Lake
Cuyahoga Valley
Gateway Arch
Glacier
Grand Canyon
Grand Tetons
Great Smoky Mountains
Haleakala
Hawaii Volcanoes
New River Gorge
Petrified Forest
Rocky Mountain
Shenandoah
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Zion

I love our national parks! My favorites (in alphabetical order) are Glacier, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. The one I most want to add to the list is Acadia.

Posted by
464 posts

What a fun topic! I haven't been to that many yet, but would like to see more. I have been to: Arches, Canyonlands, Glacier, Haleakala, Joshua Tree, Mesa Verde, North Cascades, Olympic, and Yellowstone.

One of my kids is really interested in National Parks so for spring break we did a road trip to visit Arches, Canyonlands, and Mesa Verde. It definitely made us want to visit more!

Posted by
11872 posts

At a slight tangent to the topic, did Hawaii Volcano last night.

As I entered the park there was a patch of clouds that had an orange tint.

The view at night is Spectacular !!!

Left Kona at 7 PM and got back around 130 AM. ( tad over 4 hrs of driving)
Definitely worth the trip. It does need to be dark to get the full glowing experience

Posted by
4580 posts

I would have had no idea that I'd been to some if I hadn't looked them up on the National Parks website. Since I love cities more than nature I've got quite a few within cities that I had no idea were national parks or I'd forgotten such as Boston, Independence in Philadelphia, Alcatraz, Golden Gate, Presidio in San Francisco, Castillo de San Marcos in Florida,...

Arizona

  • Montezuma Castle-Arizona

California

  • Alcatraz
  • Cabrillo
  • Fort Point
  • Golden Gate
  • Joshua Tree
  • Muir Woods
  • Presidio

Florida

  • Castillo de San Marcos

Hawaii

  • Hawaii Volcanoes

Massachusetts

  • Boston

Montana

  • Little Big Horn

North Dakota

  • Theodore Roosevelt

Pennsylvania

  • Independence (Philadelphia)

South Dakota

  • Badlands

  • Jewel Cave

  • Mount Rushmore

Alaska

  • Glacier Bay
  • Klondike Gold Rush (I think, if it includes Skagway).

Wyoming

  • Yellowstone
Posted by
49 posts

I can add White Sands NP in New Mexico (really unusual--though tbh can be seen in a couple hours).
Also I loved Canyonlands, UT, way underrated imo (with Arches getting all the love)---no lines either and has some very remote areas.
Dry Tortugas about 90 miles from Cuba. If you are really young and adventuresome you can camp there or take a seaplane which is what I did.

Posted by
8963 posts

Some people may not know this, but you can (starting last year) get a free access card to US National Parks if you are a veteran.

Posted by
2449 posts

Free passes are also available.to war orphans although the park service only takes your word for your status and I am afraid some people will take.advantage of.this privilege.

Posted by
1418 posts

Our national parks are a wonderful treasure and I hope to visit more in the next several years. Acadia is one I’ve always wanted to explore. Oddly, I lived in NH and Vermont as a child, but never made it up to Maine. Here is my list:

Bryce Canyon
Crater Lake
Gateway Arch (will visit this August)
Glacier
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Hawaii Volcanoes
Joshua Tree
Kenai Fjords
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Rocky Mountain
Yellowstone
Yosemite

Posted by
2637 posts

Stan--We have that pass as my husband is retired military. The only drawback of it is that it can only be in his name, so I can't use that pass if I go without him, so we still have to buy a pass for me each year.

Posted by
115 posts

Nearly all my visits have been on the east coast and I haven't visited any of the big parks out west. We're planning on visiting as many as we can from Sept 1 2024 - August 31 2025 through the Every Kid Outdoors program.

Anyway, my list so far, which includes some national monuments as well:

Antietam
Assateugue Island National Seashore
Blue Ridge Parkway
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Constitution Gardens (my favorite place in DC, I spent many many hours there in undergrad)
Crater Lake
Ellis Island
Flight 93 National Memorial
Fort McHenry
Gettysburg
Great Falls
Great Smoky Mountains
Mount St Helens

Posted by
4805 posts

Grand Canyon
Petrified Forest
Hot Springs
Mesa Verde
Yellowstone
Carlsbad Caverns
Arches
Bryce Canyon
Capitol Reef
Zion
Grand Tetons
Gettysburg
Gateway Arch
White Sands

My next highest priorities include the parks in CA and Alaska, and Glacier.

Posted by
756 posts

My husband and I are National Park freaks LOL!

Been to:
Acadia
Arches
Badlands
Biscayne
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capital Reef
Carlsbad
Congaree
Crater Lake
Cuyahoga
Death Valley
Denali
Dry Tortugas
Everglades
Gateway Arch
Glacier
Grand Canyon
Grand Tetons
Great Basin
Great Sand Dunes
Great Smoky Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains
Haleakala
Hawai'i Volcanoes
Indiana Dunes
Isle Royale
Joshua Tree
Kings Canyon
Lassen Volcanic
Mesa Verde
Mt. Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Petrified Forest
Pinnacles
Redwood
Rocky Mountain
Sequoia
Shenandoah
Theodore Roosevelt -- MY FAVORITE. Without him there would be no National Park System as we know it.
Voyageurs
White Sands
Wind Cave
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Zion

Posted by
468 posts

Naalehuretiree--That is one impressive list! Your passport book must be very full!

Posted by
33 posts

Smoky Mountains
Shenandoah
Hawaii Volcanoes
Acadia
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Bryce Canyon
Grand Canyon
Olympic
Mt. Rainier
Grand Canyon
Zion
Yosemite
Joshua Tree
Everglades
Denali
Kenai Fjords
Mt Ranier
Rocky Mountain
and lots of National Monuments

Posted by
3560 posts

Back home now and we did not get to Saguaro, but we did stop in at Guadalupe Mountains NP on our way from Carlsbad back to Phoenix. However, most of the trails were closed due to extreme fire danger so with limited time and not being serious hikers, we only went to the visitor center. Ok, does that count as a visit? This is a remote park and I probably won't be in that area ever again.