Favorites from 400 national park* visits

Isle Royale National Park is my favorite site to see wildlife, like the moose and her calf above.

In 2022 I started visiting national parks both as a retirement activity and to prove that it is possible to travel long distances in a zero carbon emission vehicle.  

* There are 63 National Parks, 433 national park units managed by the National Park Service, plus 31 affiliates, 27 trails and 61 heritage areas for a grand total of 553 parks.  By June I had visited 100, 200 by year end, 300 in ‘23 and 400 last year.  

Here are a few of my favorites to date.  (Links go to my ad-free blog, show a photo and a description of my visit).  

• Best art: Gaudens.

• Best bicycling: Cuyahoga.

• Best canyon: Canyon de Chelly.

• Best cave: Timpanogos.

• Best festival / fairytale: May Day at Amana Colonies.

• Best fort: Castillo de San Marco.

• Best icon: Statue of Liberty.

• Best kayaking: Ozark.

• Best moss: Olympic.

• Best national park: Yellowstone.

• Best photo: Sangre de Cristo.

• Best Presidential home (except White House): Sagamore Hill.

• Best tea: Campobello.

• Best trail: Pacific Crest NST.

• Best trail stop: Mahaffie Santa Fe.

• Best trees: oldest Big Basin, largest Sequoia, tallest Redwood.

• Best waterfalls: Yosemite.

• Best wildlife experience: Isle Royale.

• Best Zane Grey’s footsteps: Rainbow Bridge.

Feel free to disagree or add more in comments.  Thanks for reading!