National Parks

In honor of National Parks Week, I am sharing some photos from the parks I have been to over the years. The National Park Service was established in 1916 and includes sixty one parks. These parks are national treasures and we need to preserve and protect them so they can be enjoyed by future generations. I have been to only ten, but I hope to see many more in the years to come.

1. Crater Lake, OR.

A view of Mt. Shasta from a fire watch station is pictured above, below is Phantom Ship, a small island in Crater Lake.

2. Death Valley, CA. Bad Water Basin and Artists Palette are pictured below. This is such an interesting place to visit with so many great hikes! I recommend visiting in the winter since it is absolutely scorching in the summer.

3. Denali National Park, AK. We visited in September, 2010 and the weather was unusually warm, 65 and sunny.

4. Grand Teton, WY, where the bison freely roam. You’ll see them everywhere!

5. Joshua Tree, CA. Perhaps my favorite of the parks. We visited in January a few years ago and the weather was perfect, 60s and sunny. If you enjoy hiking, try the Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail.

6. Mt Rainier, WA. I am fortunate to be able to see Mt. Rainier frequently since it is so close to my home. I took the photo below from an Alaska Air flight a few years ago.

7. Redwood, CA. This is actually a collection of national and state parks with many great hikes and other activities.

8. Yellowstone, WY, is probably the most well known and popular of the National Parks, but once you get away from Old Faithful, you will find many places that are less crowded. In addition, there is an abundance of wildlife.

My daughter and I walking into the mist. Photo curtesy of theTravelsketcher.

9. Yosemite, CA. Another one of my favorites. The first time I saw Tunnel View it took my breath away. I recommend visiting in the spring when the falls are full.

The tenth park I have visited is Haleakala in Hawaii. Unfortunately, I visited over 30 years ago and don’t have any photos, but I do vividly remember standing near the water and seeing the steam rise up as the hot lava hit the water.

As always, please leave a comment about your favorite parks.

Wishing you grand adventures!

Tricia