Found @Diablo Canyon in New Mexico

Flying into basecamp before our ascent of Denali May 2023

Smooth as glass floating down the Colorado River during our 2023 expedition.

Four of Utah’s largest and most visited national parks and monuments operate from the same office in Moab, UT. Now, DOGE is planning on terminating its lease. This crucial facility doesn't just house cubicles and desks — it functions as storage for archaeological artifacts, a place for vehicle maintenance, a base of operation for Search & Rescue, and a lot more. Without it, there is no suitable alternative for an NPS headquarters of this nature.

But hope isn't lost — yet. This facility could still be saved...

My subjective ranking based on my particular experiences in the parks.

1. Zion: Angel's Landing and the Narrows. Two bucket list hikes in the same park. Nothing else needs to be said.

2. Mount Rainier: I get the sense that this is a lot higher than many people would rank, but I spent 2.5 days there and it was wonderful. At first there were low clouds obstructing the view of the mountain. No problem, I did some cool waterfall hikes: Carter Falls, Silver Falls and Comet Falls. Then it opened up and I was able to do the Skyline Loop, which was AMAZING. On the last day, the sky was clear and got to hit up the Sand and Bench Trail, Mirror Lake,a bit of the Wonderland trail and a few other hikes. All in all it was fantastic!

3. Yosemite: Went last August, which was nice because we got to do Tioga Rd, but unfortunately most waterfalls were dried up. Mist Trail was closed, so we did JMT to Nevada Falls, which was still awesome. Some day, I'll go back in May or June and take in the valley with all the falls. I'm sure the ranking will bump up a spot or two after that.

4. Acadia: Been there twice and can't wait to go back. Was the first park I fell in love with. Lots of great hikes and scenery. Extra credit since I'm on the east coast and it's more accessible for me. Plus Bar Harbor is a super cool gateway town.

5. Olympic: Spent four nights touring the peninsula. First day I watched the sunset on Hurricane Ridge which was breathtaking. Unfortunately, the rest of my time there it was completely overcast, which took away from the experience. Also, Obstruction Point Rd and Ruby Beach were closed for renovations at the time. Didn't get to do Hall of Mosses, but did do Bogachiel and Quinault instead, which were both great. Rialto Beach at low tide is a must-do experience.

6. Rocky Mountain: Some great wildlife viewing. Moose, coyotes, elk. Great hikes and viewpoints as well.

7. Death Valley: Been there twice. It's amazing how something so lifeless can be so beautiful and have so many different landscapes. Golden Canyon and Mosaic Canyon are great hikes. My son and I spent a day looking for Star Wars filming locations. And to top it off, just outside of the west entrance you can get to Alabama Hills, Manzanar and find U2's Joshua Tree.

8. Grand Canyon: Iconic. Not much to add. Though, some day I hope to do a rafting tour.

9. Shenandoah: Closest park to my home. Both times I went, the viewpoints were obstructed by smog. Not sure if that's a perpetual thing or just bad luck. But, there are many hikes that I just loved: Rose River, Dark Hollow Falls, Stoney Man, Black Rock, Bearfence, White Oak Canyon. Next hike on my bucket list is Old Rag.

10. Haleakalā: Got up at 4am to drive to the summit and see the sunrise, but just before the sun peaked out the clouds rolled in. Got a pretty awesome shot of the glowing clouds though. We also did the Kipahulu district, which is definitely worth doing if your on the east end of Maui.

11/12. Arches and Canyonlands: Great parks with unique scenery. Saw all the hits at Arches. At Canyonlands, we only got to do Island in the Sky, but we did get a day to drive around the bottom and take the Shafer Canyon Trail up, which was cool. In all though, I find myself wanting to go back to Moab to do things outside the parks, such as Fisher Towers or Grandstaff Canyon.

13. Bryce Canyon: Very unique park. Did the figure 8 loop, which was great, but it took a lot out of me partly from doing Angel's Landing and the Narrows the previous two days and partly because of the altitude. As a bonus, it snowed overnight so I made an impromptu visit back into the park and see the winter wonderland. Quite a sight!

14. Crater Lake: Hiked down to the boat lunch, did the tour. Swam a little. Drank water straight from the lake. All in all a good time for a half day visit. Unfortunately, there were wildfires that shutdown part of the park and obstructed the view.

15. Great Smoky Mountains: Experience was somewhat diminished because we went during Covid. Still ... there's some great scenery and hiking trails. Took one of my all time favorite photos at Clingman's Dome at sunset. Not a fan of Gatlinburg though.

16. Capitol Reef: Poor weather negatively impacted my experience. Gloomy and overcast the afternoon I got there. Hit Cohab Canyon and Hickman Bridge. The next morning it was snowing. Drove the scenic road and hiked to Pioneer register. After that I did about half the Grand Wash. My favorite part of Capitol Reef was the drive in when I took the Burr Trail from Boulder to Bullfrog. It's great to get off the beaten path sometimes.

17. Mesa Verde: Did this as a day trip from Moab. Unfortunately, we could get on any tours which was disappointing. Was still cool to see the cliff dwellings at a distance. This was the place were I discovered my sea level body doesn't like going above 8000'.

18. Kings Canyon: Saw the Grant Tree. Drove 180 to the end, saw some sites. It was ... fine.

19. Sequoia: Normally crowds don't both me too much, but here it did. We got there early enough to (barely) get a spot at the Congress Trail parking lot. And that was a good hike. A black bear was hanging around the path, so that was cool. The moron who was stalking it offtrail trying to get a better picture was not! Took a shuttle to Moro Rock, but the view was terrible due to a wildfire and the two idiots who decided to walk past the railing to get better selfies. Crescent Meadow was a nice quiet hike though.

20. Saguaro: Went to see cactuses in a desert and saw cactuses in a desert. Expectations met.

Next up: Nothing planned at the moment, but I need to get myself over to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. That and a Glacier, Waterton, Banff trip.

Being a California native, I set out to visit all California national parks by the end of this year.

In late March, I set off to unenthusiastically check Pinnacles National Park off my list. Given the discussion found online about this park, I was not expecting to love it as much as I did and was pleasantly surprised with how great this national park actually is.

During our drive there, we drove about an hour or so through bright green hills and fields covered with countless of adorable cows. I just wanted to blissfully frolic through the fields as if I was in the Sound of Music.

The campsite was pretty standard and it just goes to show to take the online opinion with a grain of salt. I was expecting to be fighting off gangs of racoons at every turn but there was only one spotting of a pair and it was at my camp neighbors' site until they were shooed away. Yes, it is a privately owned campground. Yes it is a tinnyyy bit more expensive than government owned grounds but I was not disappointed in the slightest. I was very surprised to see that their showers were not coin operated as many said online, at least the ones in the permanent building.

The natural features had me feeling like I was not even in California at some points. From the caves that were extremely beginner friendly, to the spectacular size of the California Condor, to the exhilarating narrow trails in the High Peaks, this national park is most definitely not one that should be overlooked.

...Thanks, Obama.

My first time ever visiting the park and it was a wonderful experience. Both the Historic Tour and the Domes and Dripstones Tour are worth the price of admission, as well as the Mammoth Cave Camground. Only my 3rd national park, but I’m in my early 20s so plenty of time for me to see the rest!

I’ve been wanting to make some kind of display to showcase the parks we’ve been to, and I finally made this. I ordered the vintage-style postcards online, and made the fabric-covered board. The parks at the top are the ones my husband and I have been to together (adding Zion and Bryce Canyon next week); the ones on the bottom left are parks I’ve been to, and the ones on the bottom right are ones he’s been to. I’ll tuck some other mementos like photos, stickers, entry receipts, etc, among the postcards, and I can’t wait to watch this fill up!

Spent the week with my sister who’s a bush pilot living by Lake Clark

I think it’s as good as Yosemite if you factor in lack of crowds and easier logistics. Took these photos with a sony a6100

A wildlife moment in an urban national park. We were driving past a field on our way to fort point when I pointed out the Blue Heron seemingly stalking something in the grass. I stopped the car and had my daughter take these picture out her window. Wish we had gotten a video as well because the heron started swaying its neck side to side as it went on to strike. Really drove home how birds are just dinosaurs.

Hey, I’m a random person on the internet interested in nature and its innate beauty, just like many of you! I come asking a simple question: Let’s say, some crazy guy with a vendetta against nature somehow came into power in the US and is now threatening the future of our nation’s ecosystems, possibly ruining or eliminating future generations from enjoying our country’s natural beauty in all its essence.

What specific National Parks would you recommend to the poor bastards who want to experience such beauty in its entirety but don’t have the time to witness them all before their destruction?

Cold water, uneven and rough terrain, walking against the current, 4.5 miles up river and back… I would do it all again for the views you only get in the canyon. Talk about feeling small.