Are you ready to swap out your dress shoes for hiking boots and add a backpack to your wedding day wardrobe? Elopements and small weddings in national parks have become increasingly popular recently. Check out the best national parks to elope to or get married at!
One of the most iconic marine animals in the world, orcas (or killer whales) live in every ocean on the planet. In the United States, they’re a common sight along the West Coast, especially in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Check out these top national parks to see orcas in the wild.
On a scenic road trip from Seattle to Sacramento, you can see, explore—and even climb—more than a dozen mighty Cascade Range Volcanoes in nine separate parks, from Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, Newberry Volcano, Crater Lake and Lassen Peak.
Their range extending from the north Rocky Mountains to the Cascade Range and into southeastern Alaska, mountain goats are an iconic species in the national park system. You can see them in their native habitat in these national parks.
Heading deep into a park’s backcountry, setting up camp, exploring an unspoiled landscape, encountering wildlife,… Spending any number of nights backpacking in one of the national parks is something you’ll never forget.
I wholeheartedly believe that you can’t experience a national park to the fullest without spending the night there. As the saying goes, in many national parks “half the park is after dark.” So far, these are our all-time favorite national park campgrounds.
In spring, and in some parks early-summer, colorful wildflowers put up quite a spectacle in certain national parks, carpeting desert flats, covering mountain slopes and adding color to old-growth forests.
One of the best things about American national parks is their variety. From different landscapes to iconic wildlife to usually a historical aspect as well, there’s plenty to discover in these epitomes of nature conservation, especially if you have a car at your disposal.
All of these romantic lodges are open in winter and located in or near a beautiful national park, making them the perfect base for a Valentine’s Day getaway. Whether you’re looking for winter sports or a warm winter destination—maybe even a tropical getaway—you’ll find it at these amazing national park lodges.
Washington, the Evergreen State, is a destination that offers endless adventures. Encompassing the rugged Pacific coast, unspoiled temperate rain forests, numerous glaciers, and the waterfalls and volcanoes of the Cascade Range, the three national parks in Washington State are world-class outdoor playgrounds.
Featuring various lake activities, such as boating and fishing, as well as fantastic wildlife viewing, great hiking, breathtaking Quinault Rain Forest scenery, and some beautiful waterfalls, the many things to do in the Quinault Valley will keep you busy for a day or two. This is easily one of my favorite places in Olympic National Park.
The westernmost national park in the lower 48 states, Olympic National Park is a pristine wilderness unlike any other on earth. Often called “three parks in one”, its ecological variety is of such magnitude and importance that the park is both an International Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It may be the season when trees go dormant, bears hibernate and people cozy up near fireplaces, but winter also provides some amazing outdoor fun. If you’re up for a snowy adventure, America’s national parks offer everything from winter wonderlands and wildlife viewing to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
With their mesmerizing natural beauty and abundant wildlife, America’s national parks aren’t exactly the dream destinations of architecture lovers. At least, that’s what they think. The truth is that you can find gorgeous and photogenic buildings in national parks all over the U.S.