We have currently hiked 37 of the 63 main units of the National Park System. While we have visited other National Historic Sites, Military Parks, Preserves, and National Monuments, as well as National Forests and state parks, our podcast is centered around the hiking trails of the 63 National Parks.
Below, you will find the parks we have visited in an alphabetical list. Each park on the page has links to the episodes about it’s hiking trails, images from our travels, a link to the main NPS page for that particular park, and a Native Land Acknowledgment, denoting the original peoples of these spaces.
You can scroll through the parks or use the buttons below to bring you to a specific alphabetical range of parks found on this page:
PARKS A-F
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 and Season 3 Park
Featured in Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 53, Episode 54, Episode 55, Episode 56, and Episode 57
As New England's only National Park, Acadia is a wonderful representation of what Maine has to offer. Nestled along the rocky coast, Acadia is contained on Mt. Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula (5% of the park is here). Along with the breathtaking shore-break, the park features a variety of lakes, ponds, mountains and peaks. The park features the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard, Cadillac Mountain, which can be reached by foot or by car.
Dusty and Mike first visited Acadia National Park in the summer of 2018. Their second trip took them to the park in the summer of 2020 along with some other sites in New England like Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont and White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. This trip took them to less popular but no less beautiful areas of the park like the Schoodic Peninsula and Western Mt. Desert Island.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here and here.
Click to learn more about Acadia National Park.
Acadia National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Wabanaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki people.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 13 and Episode 14
Quite possibly the most literally named National Park, Arches does not disappoint. Located in southeastern Utah, the park is situated on top of a giant Mesa. While Arches does have a considerable backcountry, most visitors stick to the park road to enjoy these geological marvels. While many of these sites can be viewed from the car or after a short walk, there are close to dozen arches that you must hike to in order to see.
Dusty and Mike made their trip to this land of the lost in the spring of 2017. This park includes Mike’s favorite hike, The Devil’s Garden.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Arches National Park.
Arches National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute people.
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Season 5 Park
Featured in Episode 95, Episode 96, and Episode 97
Badlands National Park has a feeling of loneliness and desolation, but in that there is a great beauty. The rock formations which tower above in gnarled spectacles give way to open vistas leaving you wondering where in the world you might be. While there is beauty in this desolation the landscape once played host to a giant shallow inland sea, its only remnants are in the plentiful fossils to be discovered within the parkland and the dead ocean floor which you now hike across.
Dusty and Mike visited Badlands National Park in the summer of 2021 as a part of a much longer five week road trip. During their day within the park they hiked the trails, were awed by the desolate beauty of the badlands, and learned a great deal about fossils.
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Click to learn more about Badlands National Park.
Badlands National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Cheyenne, Ochethi Sakowin, and Mnicoujou people.
BIG BEND
Season 6 Park
Featured in Episode 105, Episode 106, Episode 107, Episode 108, Episode 109, and Episode 110
A park in isolation, as described by the National Park Service, Big Bend National Park takes a little effort to get to. But by no means is it the most isolated park in the park system or the most difficult to get to, but for some reason this jewel on the Rio Grande is not as visited as some of the other parks in the southwest. From incredible desert to a mountain range contained within the boundaries of the park to dinosaurs to wonderful hikes, Big Bend is truly a park that offers more than meets the eye.
Dusty and Mike visited Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2023. Long described to us as a “sleeper park,” it’s a mystery to us why more people don’t visit.
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Click to learn more about Big Bend National Park.
Big Bend National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Jumanos, Coahuiltecan, Mescalero Apache, Lipan Apache, and Chisos people.
BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 36, Episode 37, and Episode 38
Getting its name from the extreme steepness of the canyon walls which leave many areas shrouded in darkness, Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a canyon set apart. Established in 1933 as a National Monument and made a National Park later in 1999, the canyon offers a variety of activities for it’s visitors. From driving the scenic South Rim Road which allows for a variety of panoramic stops, to hiking the areas of the Northern Rim (which is closed in the Winter), to traversing one of several unmaintained wilderness routes to the Gunnison River, traveling a treacherous path the entire way, there is so much to do at this Colorado canyon.
Dusty and Mike visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in the spring of 2019 while on a larger road trip that included Rocky Mountain National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute people.
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 3 and Episode 4
Around every corner, there is something new to discover at Bryce Canyon National Park. From high canyon walls, to hoodoos, to pinyon pines emerging from the shadowed passages, Bryce Canyon is a veritable visual feast. Located in remote southern Utah, this park has one of the darkest skies in the contiguous United States making it an excellent spot to view the night sky.
Dusty and Mike made their trip to this high desert paradise in the spring of 2017 and have been talking about its scenery every since.
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Click to learn more about Bryce Canyon National Park.
Bryce Canyon National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute, Southern Paiute, and Pueblo people.
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 15
A literal hop, skip, and a jump down the road from Arches National Park and Moab, Canyonlands has an incredibly vast landscape. Divided into four sections (Islands in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and Rivers) the park is impossible to see in just one visit. With Islands in the Sky being the most readily accessible portion of the park, it’s a good idea to try and see this section first.
Dusty and Mike made their trip to the Islands in the Sky section of the park in the spring of 2017. Along with the breathtaking hikes they enjoyed the incredible pull off overlooks as you drive the park road. Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Canyonlands National Park.
Canyonands National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute people.
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 41, Episode 42, Episode 43, and Episode 44
Capitol Reef is a National Park full of history, incredibly landscapes and stunning beauty. Preserved for the Waterpocket Fold, a major geological feature that runs through the park, it also contains active orchards left over from Mormon settlers who once lived in the Fruita section, and petroglyph panels from the Fremont people, ancestral Pueblo people who originally occupied the land. There is plenty to do and see in this amazing desert park, so if you are planning a trip to Utah, make sure to include it in your itinerary.
Dusty and Mike visited Capitol Reef National Park in the spring of 2019 on a larger road trip that included the four National Parks in Colorado.
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Click to learn more about Capitol Reef National Park.
Capitol Reef National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute and Paiute people.
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Season 2 Park
Featured in Episode 39 and Episode 40
Dubbed the Galapagos of the North Pacific, Channel Islands National Park is truly a beautiful and unique national park. Off the coast of California, this island chain is accessible by ferry from Ventura and Oxnard or by private boat. The islands themselves are host to unique flora and fauna, have a bevy of hiking trails, and are a favorite spot for kayakers and snorkelers alike. Not only that but they have an interesting history that includes everything from native peoples, to turn of the century ranching and oil prospecting.
Dusty and Mike visited Channel Islands National Park in the spring of 2018 while on a larger road trip that included other California National Parks including Yosemite and Joshua Tree.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Channel Islands National Park.
Channel Islands National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Chumash, Limuw, Michumash, ‘Anyapax, Wi’ma, and Tuqan people.
CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 12
Stretch your legs along the boardwalk trail, or find yourself on one of the nature trails that jut their way off it. Kayak or Canoe down the Congaree River and it’s tributaries and navigate through the cypresses and tupelo trees. Watch your step though, because creepy crawlers are about in this South Carolina National Park. Welcome to Congaree.
Dusty and Mike made their trip to this old growth bottomland forest in the summer of 2017. Dusty is still scarred from all the spiders we saw.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Congaree National Park.
Congaree National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Cherokee people.
CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Season 1 Park
Featured in Episode 19 and Episode 20
Cuyahoga Valley is a beautiful glimpse of the natural splendor that the state of Ohio has to offer. Steeped in history, the park is home to much of the Erie and Ohio Canal system. Not only that, but the park is one that intersects with communities and civilization on a level that we had not seen. Whether hiking along the canals or meandering along the Buckeye Trail, Cuyahoga Valley is an experience for all.
Dusty and Mike and their friend Leah visited Cuyahoga Valley in the spring of 2019. Despite the hot, hot, heat, the three persevered and exploring this green wonderland.
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Click to learn more about Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Kaskaskia and Erie people.