Although it’s the national parks that get all the spotlight, it’s often the state parks where families, friends and couples go for weekend outings. Whether it’s for a Saturday hike, a Sunday picnic or an overnight camping trip, the state parks in America might just be more closely interwoven with people’s everyday life than their national cousins.
Shenandoah National Park protects a long and narrow section of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia. It comprises 311 square miles (805 square kilometers) of mountains and meadows, …
Although it may look small, dwarfed by the Australian mainland, Tasmania is actually a pretty large island. Only 25 islands in the world are bigger in size. And what’s more, over 40% of its surface area is protected, including a huge UNESCO World Heritage Site and no fewer than nineteen Tasmania national parks.
Caroline and I spent four days and three nights in Death Valley, exploring the park in depth and hitting a few of its greatest hiking trails. The photos in this blog post portray the sheer majesty of Death Valley’s epic landscapes, as well as some of its smaller, less obvious features.
From the calm waters of the Missouri River to the lush Pacific Northwest forests of the Cascade and Siskiyou ranges, national monuments in the West feature a wide variety of ecosystems, wildlife and landscapes. If you’re looking for new adventures in 2018, consider adding these beautiful public protected lands to your list.
They embody everything that’s great about nature in America, but national parks aren’t necessarily impossibly remote or difficult to get around in. Often, it’s the contrary, in fact. Although they are the epitome of natural beauty and wildness, most of them are surprisingly accessible.
When thinking about America’s national parks, the same five or six names always come to mind first. There are, however, numerous other parks that are basically just as spectacular, but receive only a fraction of the visitors.
Hiking in Zion National Park is the one and only way to explore this epic national park in Utah. And although there are a number of superb hiking trails in Zion, from easy walks on flat paved walkways to thigh-crunching climbs, there is one that stands out from the rest—the Observation Point Trail.
Italy is a lot more than just art, history, and architecture. There are some extraordinary landscapes, lots of wildlife and a bunch of beautiful national parks in Italy. These amazing parks protect the jaw-dropping wild, rugged corners in and natural wonders of the Italian landscape.
After a few hour’s drive through the rolling farmlands of central California’s Salinas Valley, the towering landscape of Pinnacles National Park seems out of place. And it literally is. The steep canyons, monumental monoliths and boulder-covered caves of the park are the remains of a twenty-million-year-old volcano.
From driving Skyline Drive to sunset hikes and stays at historic lodges, wonderful Shenandoah National Park has plenty to offer. What I haven’t talked about in greater detail, though, is the best waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park.
One of the largest cities in the United States, Houston is chock-full of attractions, from excellent eateries to historic parks to entertainment venues to the Houston Space Center. If you’re a fan of outdoor adventures, you can also use Houston as a base for some epic national park exploration.
Shenandoah National Park may be a popular day trip destination, but I strongly recommend that you spend one night and two days there, at least. If you’ve ever wondered where to stay in Shenandoah National Park, the answer is right here in this blog post.
One of the three amazing national parks in Washington State, Mount Rainier National Park lies less than two hours by car from Seattle, the region’s main hub. It’s exceptionally accessible, which is why Mount Rainier is one of the best Seattle day trips.