PARKS G-K
GATEWAY ARCH
Season 6 Park
Featured in Episode 113 and Episode 114
Located right on the Mississippi River, Gateway Arch National Park is a bit of an odd man out in the grand scheme of the park system. Not only is this urban park the smallest of the 63 National Parks, but it’s preservation seeks to underscore the historical importance of the site rather than it’s natural splendor.
Dusty and Mike visited Gateway National Park in the summer of 2021 as a part of a much longer five week road trip. This park was different in many ways from the other nine parks they visited during this trip, most notable the fact that this park is one devoid of trails really struck an interesting contrast in the rest of their journey.
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Gateway Arch National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Kickapoo, Kaskaskia, Osage, Myaamia, O-ga-xpa, Ochethi Sakowin people.
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Season 4 Park
Featured in Episode 72, Episode 73, Episode 74, Episode 75, Episode 76, Episode 77, Episode 78, Episode 79, Episode 80, Episode 81, & Episode 82
Located in western Montana, there are few words that can adequately describe Glacier National Park, but resplendent comes to mind. Carved and manipulated by glacier retreat, the landscape here is one that is simply gigantic. While many of the glaciers for which the park is named have fully melted, some do remain, echoing a time long past but not forgotten.
Dusty and Mike visited Glacier National Park in the summer of 2021 as a part of a much longer five week road trip. Over the week they spent within Glacier, they were able to not only see the many areas of the park, but hike and explore the landmarks within.
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Glacier National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Blackfoot and Ktunaxa amakis people.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Season 3 Park
Featured in Episode 52
Located in northern Arizona, The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular sights you may ever lay your eyes on. It is hard to really think about it’s size, but when you know the entire state of Rhode Island could fit inside of it, it makes it a little more manageable to comprehend. Cut over time by the waters of the Colorado River, the canyon has been a home to indigenous people for thousands of years. Whether you are just stopping to take a look at it’s beauty or plan on a hike down the walls of the Canyon to the mighty Colorado, it is sure to amaze and inspire.
Dusty and Mike visited Grand Canyon National Park in the spring of 2017 during their first ever national parks trip which included Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and Petrified Forest National Parks.
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Grand Canyon National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Pueblo, Hopitutskwa, Havasupai, Hualapai people.
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Season 4 Park
Featured in Episode 68, Episode 69, Episode 70, and Episode 71
Located just south of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton is not a park to be missed. While the Teton range itself is iconic, it is the hiking to these upper peaks that is most magnificent. Although Grand Teton can be enjoyed from a variety of vantages, it is the impressive heights that leave many awestruck. That being said, the lowlands within the park offer their own sort of otherworldly beauty, from the lakes to the wildlife, there is surely something for everyone.
Dusty and Mike visited Grand Teton National Park in the summer of 2021 as a part of a much longer five week road trip. Over their two days in Grand Teton they were able to hike and explore the incredible heights and landmarks within the park.
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Grand Teton National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Shoshone-Bannock, Eastern Shoshone, and Cheyenne people.
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
Season 3 Park
Featured in Episode 48
Located in south central Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National park is an unexpected landscape of shifting sands and towering dunes. The dunes are the tallest on the North American continent and make for some interesting hiking conditions. While there are no set trails within the dunes, there is plenty to explore and some fun activities to try including sand sledding and sand boarding. The park also features forested and alpine trails which allow you some lengthier hiking adventures.
Dusty and Mike visited Mesa Verde National Park in the spring of 2019. While we only had one day within the park, we were able to explore the dunes and partake in some of the unique activities offered here.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Jicarilla Apache, Ute, and Cheyenne people.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7
The hanging mist through the undulating landscape of Great Smoky Mountains gives this park a sense of reverence and only adds to it’s draw. As America’s most visited National Park, Great Smoky Mountains is a spectacle no matter the season. Explore the vastness of the park in both Tennessee and North Carolina and no matter what you do, make sure to climb to the top of one the peaks within the park for views you won’t regret.
Dusty and Mike have visited Great Smoky Mountains twice. Sadly, neither of these trips included a stop at Dollywood.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Cherokee people.
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 27 and Episode 28
Literally translated to “House of the Sun,” Haleakala’s beauty is unparalleled, even to its sister park, Hawai’i Volcanoes. Located on the island of Maui, his vastly different park allows you to glimpse the world from above the clouds as you hike through a non active volcano so large, it could hold the entire island of Manhattan. Be prepared to hitchhike your way o the summit in order to complete an epic thirteen mile hike that starts on the Sliding Sands Trail.
Dusty and Mike visited Haleakala National Park in the summer of 2019. They were also able to drive part of the Road to Hana on their second day on the island of Maui.
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Haleakala National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ko Hawai’i Pae’aina people.
HAWAI’I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 24, Episode 25, and Episode 26
An incredible landscape that sheds light on the pure, unbridled power of Mother Nature, Hawai’i Volcanoes is a park not to be missed. Located on the southern part of the Big Island, the park not only allows you to experience a vulcan landscape, but rainforests, craters, and even the sea. Experience a National Park like no other where you will learn more about the eruptions that shaped it and the culture that surrounds it.
Dusty and Mike visited Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in the summer of 2019. While they only spent a day on Big Island and in the park, they were able to do and see so much in this incredible landscape.
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Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ko Hawai’i Pae’aina people.
HOT SPRINGS
Season 6 Park
Featured in Episode 115, Episode 116, and Episode 117 which are forthcoming.
Located an hour from Little Rock, Arkansas, Hot Springs National Park is one steeped in history. The waters of this hamlet have offered relaxation and healing for people throughout the years. Along with the beautiful natural surroundings, Bathhouse Row is an homage to a time gone by and a testament to the rejuvenating powers of these waters.
Dusty and Mike visited Hot Springs National Park in the fall of 2022. The park, which offers some trails, was a welcome spot for our relaxation as we got to experience the spa services of the longest running traditional baths which are still in operation here within the park.
A photo gallery of Hot Springs and our time there will be added soon!
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Hot Springs National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Osage, Quapaw, and Caddo people.
INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK
Season 5 Park
Featured in Episode 98, Episode 99, Episode 101, and Episode 102
An unexpected beauty, Indiana Dunes is nestled at the tip of Lake Michigan not far from the bright city lights of Chicago, in fact the city can be viewed from the shores of the park. Like the dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park, this landscape is actively moving and changing which makes the parkland even more interesting. A product of the glacial retreat that formed Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes, Indiana Dunes National Park is more than just a day at the beach. With miles of trail, historically preserved homesteads, and various ecosystems, there is plenty to discover here.
Dusty and Mike visited Indiana Dunes National Park in the summer of 2021 as a part of a much longer five week road trip. This was the first park of their road trip and it did not disappoint. Miles of trail, lake front walks, and boardwalk strolls through marshes were just some of the beautiful sights they saw.
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Indiana Dunes National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Kickapoo, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Potawatomi, and Myaamia people.
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Season 3 Park
Featured in Episode 49 and Episode 50
Located in southern central California, Joshua Tree National Park takes it’s name from the trees that find a habitable home within the environs of the park. Named by Mormon settlers because they reminded them of the biblical figure Joshua, with his hands cast towards the heavens, Joshua trees are becoming increasingly rare in the world. Joshua Tree National Park, while one of the spaces the trees grow, is so much more than their home. This desert landscape allows for hiking, bouldering, and exploring and tends to be a respite of those from Los Angeles and San Diego.
Dusty and Mike visited Joshua Tree National Park in the spring of 2018 while on a much larger road trip through California which included Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Channel Islands National Parks.
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Joshua Tree National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Serrano and Western Shoshone people.
KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 33
Established in 1890 as General Grant National Park, it was eventually renamed Kings Canyon National Park after greater expansion of its terrain in 1940. The original park as it stands is a small sliver of what the park is today. Mainly encompassing the Grants Grove area, or area around the General Grant Tree, it’s easy to see why this area was renowned and preserved by early American settlers despite the early onset of ranchers and loggers in the area. Much of the larger potion of the park is rugged backcountry that includes both the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails. That being said, the Grants Grove area has much to offer by way of trails and impressive Sequoia trees.
Dusty and Mike visited Kings Canyon National Park in the spring of 2018 while on a larger California road trip that included Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Sequoia and Channel Islands National Parks.
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Click to learn more about Kings Canyon National Park.
Kings Canyon National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Western Mono people.