SEASON THREE PARKS
In season three we discuss our trips to various main units of the National Park System as well as some of the smaller sites and trails that make up the 421 units of the NPS. There is also a wealth of other public lands that we have visited that will be included in this season. This page will be updated regularly as we move through the season, be sure to check back!
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Featured in Episode 45, Episode 46, and Episode 47
Located in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde is a park steeped in the history of the native people original to the area, the Pueblo. With the passage of the 1906 Antiquities Act, Mesa Verde became a National Park that highlighted not only the incredible landscape but the “works of man” within the park. While many archeological sites are well preserved within the park, there are scores near by at the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument which only underpin the vastness of the Pueblo in the area.
Dusty and Mike visited Mesa Verde National Park in the spring of 2019. Over their two days in Mesa Verde they were able to hike and explore some of the sites of the Pueblo people, including Cliff Palace.
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Click to learn more about Mesa Verde National Park.
Mesa Verde National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Dine Bikeyah, Pueblo, and Ute people.
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL 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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Click to learn more about Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Great Sand Dunes National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Jicarilla Apache, Ute, and Cheyenne people.
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL 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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Click to learn more about Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Serrano and Western Shoshone people.
PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Featured in Episode 51
Located in northeastern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park truly is The Land Before Time. Along with an impressive array of geological features and landscapes, the national park is known and preserved for it’s petrified wood. While it isn’t everywhere within the park, where you do find it will set your mind ablaze with wonder. If that isn’t enough, the park butts right up to the Painted Desert National Monument, which gives you an even greater appreciation for these beautiful desert landscapes.
Dusty and Mike visited Petrified Forest National Park in the spring of 2017 during their first ever national parks trip which included Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon National Parks.
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Click to learn more about Petrified Forest National Park.
Petrified Forest National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Dine Bikeyah, Pueblo, Zuni, and Hopitutskwa people.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL 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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Click to learn more about Grand Canyon National Park.
Grand Canyon National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Pueblo, Hopitutskwa, Havasupai, Hualapai people.
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK (2020)
Featured in Episode 53, Episode 54, Episode 55, Episode 56, 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.
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For our earlier trip, photos, and episodes from Acadia in 2018 click 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.
CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN
Featured in Episode 58 and Episode 59
While not a main unit of the National Park Service, Catoctin Mountain is no less resplendent. This northern Maryland site is a short drive from Gettysburg National Military Park and is an excellent park to enjoy some challenging hikes within some incredibly lush surroundings. The park is steeped in history including as an important base to the Civilian Conservation Corps and continues an important role today, as a natural barrier to Camp David, the presidential retreat.
Dusty and Mike visited Catoctin Mountain in the summer of 2020. This was a part of their first trip during the pandemic. Several important discoveries and practices about traveling during the pandemic were forged during this trip. This trip also took Dusty and Mike to Gettysburg National Military Park.
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Click to learn more about Catoctin Mountain.
Catoctin Mountin is on the traditional and stolen land of the Piscataway Canoy people.
GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Featured in Episode 60, Episode 61, and Episode 62
While not a main unit of the National Park Service, Gettysburg National Military Park is preserved for its importance in the history of the United States. During July of 1863, the town of Gettysburg and the surrounding fields were host to hundreds of thousands of men as the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia waged a three day battle, one of the most important of the Civil War. Gettysburg National Military Park preserves the spaces of this battle and acts as a steward to the monuments and memorials erected to remember the fallen.
Dusty and Mike visited Gettysburg National Military Park in the summer of 2020. This was a part of their first trip during the pandemic. Several important discoveries and practices about traveling during the pandemic were forged during this trip. This trip also took Dusty and Mike to Catoctin Mountain.
Follow along with our episodes with our photos by clicking here.
Click to learn more about Gettysburg National Military Park.
Gettysburg National Military Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Iroquois.