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8 Jaw-Dropping Desert National Parks to Visit in Winter
Winter in the best time to visit some of America’s most beautiful national parks – especially the desert parks. Most often I gravitate to the forests and snowcapped peaks of America’s mountainous national parks but every once in awhile I find myself in a desert park that completely blows my mind. The unique landscapes of the desert always leave me amazed. And for some of these parks, winter is the best time to visit due to the more mild weather conditions. So keep reading for the best desert national parks to visit in winter. Like I just mentioned, for many of these parks, winter provides much better weather conditions for…
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Everything You Need to Know About Bryce Canyon’s Fairyland Loop
I just can’t get enough of Utah’s incredible National Parks. They are each so unique and Bryce Canyon National Park is no exception. This park stands apart because it’s incredibly beautiful and unique hoodoos that rise up out of the canyon. These hoodoos are a product of erosion but are also incredibly beautiful. Hiking the Fairyland Loop trail in Bryce Canyon is a terrific way to see these incredible hoodoos up close & personal. Last weekend, we had the joy of hiking the Fairyland Loop Trail. This trail was everything we dreamt it would be & more. The entire trail was views, views, views and more views. Everywhere we looked…
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The Ultimate Guide to Winter in Rocky Mountain
I’ve started to lose count of how many times I’ve been to Rocky Mountain National Park. This park is truly spectacular and I can’t seem to stay away. It’s also very quickly become one of my favorite parks to visit in the winter time. Winter in Rocky Mountain is magical and the perfect winter playground. Why You Should Visit in the Winter Rocky Mountain National Park has nearly 5 million visitors a year and the majority of those are during the warmer summer months (May – September). During the winter, the park still has plenty of activities but you’ll have to content with way fewer crowds. It’s so much easier…
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21 Photos to Convince You that Fall is the Best Time to Visit Shenandoah
I’ve always been mesmerized by the changing of seasons. Especially since growing up in Texas, where we don’t get to experience much of that. The changing color of leaves in the fall and snow falling in the winter are not something that I have gotten to experience much in my life so anytime that I do it’s always a very special treat. A couple of weekends ago, we traveled to Virginia so Randy could run a full marathon in Washington D.C. (he did phenomenal by the way!) While we were there, we decided to take advantage of our time in Virginia and headed to Shenandoah National Park for some epic…
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How to Prepare for Your First Backpacking Trip
One month ago, I set out on my first backpacking trip. Although I had done a lot of day hiking, up to this point I had never spent a night out on the trail. As the trip approached, I was full of nervous excitement. I was excited to spend a few days out in nature and take in all of the gorgeous mountain views. But I was so nervous that I’d be wildly unprepared or I would forget to bring an essential item. Fortunately, with a lot of preparation and planning ahead we found ourselves prepared and had brought everything that we needed – minus one forgotten spork. There’s a…
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Yellowstone National Park: Don’t Miss These 5 Things
You could easily spend a couple of weeks exploring the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t have that kind of time. Sometimes you only have one day. That was us. After completing our four day backpacking hike in neighboring Grand Teton National Park, we hopped up to Yellowstone National Park for one day of adventure. Read Next: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail Yellowstone National Park is one of the most unique national parks you will find. This park is loaded with all sorts of geothermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, you name it. With only one day to experience the best of Yellowstone, we carefully…
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Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail
Post Topic: Everything You Need to Know about the Teton Crest Trail Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The hardest thing physically, at least. As Randy and I have spent a lot of time in national parks the last couple of years, we have developed a love for hiking and exploring the national parks on foot. But, we had yet to try backpacking to experience an overnight or multi-day hike. We stumbled upon the idea of hiking the Teton Crest Trail, a 3-night backpacking hike through Grand Teton National Park. One of my favorite national parks! Were we a little…
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The Perfect Alaska National Parks Road Trip
Alaska is home to eight of the country’s most grandeur national parks. Of those eight parks, only three of them are actually accessible by car (the other five require chartering a plane to get you there, which can be a bit pricey). The three Alaska national parks that we visited on our road trip were Kenai Fjords National Park, Denali National Park, and Wrangell St. Elias National Park. This July, we set out to visit all three of these remarkable parks but only had one week to do so. Was our week a little jam packed? You bet it was! But with the help of the Alaskan night sun, we…
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The Ultimate Guide to Kenai Fjords National Park
Post Summary: What to do in Kenai Fjords National Park Kenai Fjords National Park blew us away! This unique national park was a delightful first stop on our Alaska adventure and probably my favorite park to visit in Alaska (so far). At Kenia Fjords you can expect to see a variety of wildlife, incredible mountain views, and experience rugged glacier landscapes completely untouched by human development. Maybe you’re currently planning a trip to Kenai Fjords or have never heard of the park. Either way, I hope you can also experience this incredible place one day! Is your trip to Kenai Fjords National Park a part of a larger trip to…
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Epic Colorado National Park Road Trip
Colorado is home to four of the most unique national parks in the United States. Follow this Colorado National Park road trip guide to see some of the most spectacular spots in the whole state. You’ll see snow-capped mountains, 700 foot sand dunes, ancient ruins, and steep dramatic canyons. This guide will navigate you through Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. In that order. So let’s get started! Map of Colorado’s National Parks Here’s an interactive map of this Colorado National Park Road Trip. You’ll find that the four epic national parks and the routes…
