National Parks
One of my goals in life is to visit as many national parks in the United States as possible. I know that's a little short-sighted, as there are national parks all around the world, but even trying to tackle just the American ones seems like a daunting task when I think about it. I have a deep passion for the national park system. Introducing the idea of national parks to the world is probably one of the things I am most proud that my country has done. I love the series by Ken Burns and PBS that goes into detail about "America's Best Idea" and it has inspired me to visit as many of them as possible before my short life runs out.
Below is a list of all the National Parks. I will be checking them off as I visit them, for myself, and so others can see and read about my experiences.
| Park |
Location |
Joey |
Alex |
Photo |
 Acadia |
Maine |
|
|
|
| American Samoa |
American Samoa |
|
|
|
| Arches |
Utah |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Badlands |
South Dakota |
|
|
|
| Big Bend |
Texas |
|
|
|
| Biscayne |
Florida |
|
|
|
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison |
Colorado |
|
|
|
| Bryce Canyon |
Utah |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Canyonlands |
Utah |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Capitol Reef |
Utah |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Carlsbad Caverns |
New Mexico |
|
|
|
| Channel Islands |
California |
|
|
|
| Congaree |
South Carolina |
|
|
|
| Crater Lake |
Oregon |
|
|
|
| Cuyahoga Valley |
Ohio |
|
|
|
| Death Valley |
California, Nevada |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Denali |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Dry Tortugas |
Florida |
|
|
|
| Everglades |
Florida |
|
|
|
| Gates of the Arctic |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Gateway Arch |
Missouri |
|
|
|
| Glacier |
Montana |
|
|
|
| Glacier Bay |
Alaska |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Grand Canyon |
Arizona |
✔ |
✔ |
  |
| Grand Teton |
Wyoming |
|
|
|
| Great Basin |
Nevada |
|
|
|
| Great Sand Dunes |
Colorado |
|
|
|
| Great Smoky Mountains |
North Carolina, Tennessee |
|
|
|
| Guadalupe Mountains |
Texas |
|
|
|
| Haleakala (2011), (2016) |
Hawaii |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Hawaii Volcanoes |
Hawaii |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Hot Springs |
Arkansas |
|
|
|
| Indiana Dunes |
Indiana |
|
|
|
| Isle Royale |
Michigan |
|
|
|
| Joshua Tree |
California |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Katmai |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Kenai Fjords |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Kings Canyon |
California |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Kobuk Valley |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Lake Clark |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Lassen Volcanic |
California |
|
|
|
| Mammoth Cave |
Kentucky |
|
|
|
| Mesa Verde |
Colorado |
|
|
|
| Mount Rainier |
Washington |
|
|
|
| New River Gorge |
West Virginia |
|
|
|
| North Cascades |
Washington |
|
|
|
| Olympic |
Washington |
|
|
|
| Pinnacles |
California |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Petrified Forest |
Arizona |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Redwood |
California |
|
|
|
| Rocky Mountain |
Colorado |
|
|
|
| Saguaro |
Arizona |
|
|
|
| Sequoia |
California |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Shenandoah |
Virginia |
|
|
|
| Theodore Roosevelt |
North Dakota |
|
|
|
| Virgin Islands |
US Virgin Islands |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
| Voyageurs |
Minnesota |
|
|
|
| White Sands |
New Mexico |
|
|
|
| Wind Cave |
South Dakota |
|
|
|
| Wrangell - St. Elias |
Alaska |
|
|
|
| Yellowstone |
Wyoming, Montana, Idaho |
|
|
|
| Yosemite |
California |
✔ |
✔ |
|
| Zion |
Utah |
✔ |
✔ |
 |
Completion by state/territory:
| State |
Completion |
Percentage |
| Alabama | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Alaska |
1/8 |
12.5% |
| American Samoa |
0/1 |
0% |
| Arizona |
2/3 |
66% |
| Arkansas |
0/1 |
0% |
| California |
6/9 |
66% |
| Colorado |
0/4 |
0% |
| Connecticut | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Delaware | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Florida |
0/3 |
0% |
| Georgia | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Hawaii |
2/2 |
100% |
| Idaho |
0/1 |
0%† |
| Illinois | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Indiana | 0/1 | 0% |
| Iowa | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Kansas | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Kentucky |
0/1 |
0% |
| Louisiana | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Maine |
0/1 |
0% |
| Maryland | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Massachusetts | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Michigan |
0/1 |
0% |
| Minnesota |
0/1 |
0% |
| Mississippi | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Missouri | 0/1 | 0% |
| Montana |
0/2 |
0%† |
| Nebraska | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Nevada |
1/2 |
50%† |
| New Hampshire | 0/0 | 100%* |
| New Jersey | 0/0 | 100%* |
| New Mexico |
0/2 |
0% |
| New York | 0/0 | 100%* |
| North Carolina |
0/1 |
0%† |
| North Dakota |
0/1 |
0% |
| Ohio |
0/1 |
0% |
| Oklahoma | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Oregon |
0/1 |
0% |
| Pennsylvania | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Rhode Island | 0/0 | 100%* |
| South Carolina |
0/1 |
0%† |
| South Dakota |
0/2 |
0% |
| Tennessee |
0/1 |
0%† |
| Texas |
0/2 |
0% |
| Utah |
5/5 |
100% |
| Vermont | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Virgin Islands |
1/1 |
100% |
| Virginia |
0/1 |
0% |
| Washington |
0/3 |
0% |
| West Virginia | 0/1 | 0% |
| Wisconsin | 0/0 | 100%* |
| Wyoming |
0/2 |
0%† |
* State contains no national parks, but this may change in the future. Marked as 100% because technically, I've been to every NP in that state that is made available to me. Note that this does not include National Monuments, Recreation Areas, etc. Only National Parks.
† National park(s) in this state may also fall within the boundaries of more than one state
Foreign National Parks
During our adventures, we sometimes leave the borders of the United States. Occasionally, that means we visit national parks in other countries. Here is a list of those:
Norway
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