Travel Articles About National Parks System

River reconnection: backpacking the North Fork Skokomish River Trail in Olympic National Park

Posted on August 23, 2023September 12, 2023By Heather

Why would any sane, rational human being leave the comfort of their home with air conditioning and plumbing, strap 40 pounds of gear onto their … Continue ReadingRiver reconnection: backpacking the North Fork Skokomish River Trail in Olympic National Park

Domestic

Voyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota

Posted on August 8, 2022August 25, 2023By Heather

It appears that 2022 is the year I visit national parks experiencing extraordinary flooding events. In the spring, massive flooding washed out vast parts of … Continue ReadingVoyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota

Domestic

1% of 1% of Yellowstone National Park

Posted on May 29, 2022August 25, 2023By Heather

June 15, 2022 – Yellowstone National Park Update: I published this story just two weeks before record-breaking floods occurred at Yellowstone National Park, causing widespread … Continue Reading1% of 1% of Yellowstone National Park

Domestic Hiking

Western Kitsch: The Black Hills, South Dakota

Posted on May 21, 2022August 25, 2023By Heather

We daydreamed about visiting Badlands area for years. We were drawn by the mystique of its wide open spaces, curious about its strange, striated western … Continue ReadingWestern Kitsch: The Black Hills, South Dakota

Domestic Hiking

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

Posted on March 20, 2022September 10, 2023By Heather

I have been setting my sights on day trip destinations near Kansas City. I’m seeking places to branch out and shoot landscape and wildlife photography. … Continue ReadingLoess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

Domestic Hiking

The Sonoran Desert & Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Posted on May 13, 2021August 25, 2023By Heather

The types of cactus and landscape change as we approach Arizona from New Mexico. The saguaros sparse at first, appearing only occasionally among other cactus … Continue ReadingThe Sonoran Desert & Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Dog-Friendly Domestic

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Posted on April 20, 2021August 25, 2023By Heather

The last time I saw White Sands was more than two decades ago, when it was still a national monument. My younger brother and I … Continue ReadingWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico

Adventure Travel Domestic Hiking

Bryce Canyon National Park

Posted on January 12, 2021August 25, 2023By Heather

Bryce Canyon in southern Utah is the last of the four national parks I visited on this road trip. (Prior parks: Capitol Reef National Park … Continue ReadingBryce Canyon National Park

Adventure Travel Domestic Hiking

Capitol Reef National Park

Posted on December 19, 2020August 25, 2023By Heather

Capitol Reef National Park was the major destination on my 3-week long national parks road trip. I dedicated the whole day to slow, quiet hiking … Continue ReadingCapitol Reef National Park

Domestic

Autumn in Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted on November 11, 2020August 25, 2023By Heather

I have long hoped to string together a series of national parks to form a road trip. With the Covid pandemic still raging around the … Continue ReadingAutumn in Rocky Mountain National Park

Domestic

Mount Rainier & Ashford, WA

Posted on August 11, 2019August 24, 2019By Heather

Mount Rainier has called to me since the first time I saw it with my own eyes nearly 15 years ago. I plan to hike … Continue ReadingMount Rainier & Ashford, WA

Adventure Travel Domestic Hiking

Desert Hiking Trip to Moab, Utah

Posted on October 10, 2017August 25, 2023By Heather

This was the second leg of my annual solo hiking trip to Utah. I spent the last few days in Salt Lake City and then hit … Continue ReadingDesert Hiking Trip to Moab, Utah