In 2005, my family visited our first National Park on our very first fly/drive road trip. Two big travel firsts for my family that would shape our future travel adventures.
Our destination, as you can see, was the majestic Grand Canyon! This amazing natural wonder is located in Arizona. It encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and its adjacent uplands. I have to admit that my desire to visit this amazing place was just a little bit influenced by the Brady Bunch episode! But kidding aside, exploring National Parks is a great travel choice for anyone. And over the last 15 years, my family made it a conscious effort to visit many of these amazing destinations.
What many don’t realize is that you are probably closer to one of these amazing places than you think. At this point in time, 29 states and 2 U.S. territories have designated National Parks. There are, however, many national historic sites, monuments, seashores and trails in all states that are federally funded and overseen by the National Park Service. And most likely, you will be near enough one of them to visit and explore. Believe me.. they will not disappoint.
As a New Yorker, I know this since I live in a state that officially doesn’t have any National Parks. Through the years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit many of these sites (even more than once) including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, FDR New Hyde Park home, Sagamore Hill and the list goes on.
So get out there and explore our National “gems.”
Utah’s National Parks
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone, Custer & More
Five Perfect Days in the Great Smoky Mountain
