Reports suggest that fifteen percent of Americans will never visit a single National Park (cntravelor.com)
VOA News reported that "25 percent of Americans have yet to visit iconic landmarks" in their own cities. "Twenty-three percent said they had not visited any of the nation's natural wonders, famous buildings or historic battlefields." (learningenglish.voanews.com)
I grew up in the suburbs on the east coast, surrounded by shrubbery and carefully cultivated tree lines. Don’t get me wrong, I did my fair share of rambling through the woods as a kid. I loved tree climbing and creek swimming. But that mostly involved small pockets of forest near my home, a friend’s home or my school.
Growing up here, I remember hearing about some of the big cities in the US but mostly when we learn about the world at large and the wonders of nature, we idealize things across the pond.
We all want to go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. We want to see the rolling hills of Ireland. We want to see the Outback and the Great Barrier Reef. We want to go on a safari in Africa, walk across the Great Wall of China or climb Mount Everest.
Those things are majestic and awe-inspiring and definitely worth the time to make the trip if you can.
But we so underappreciated the beauty within our own borders.
Many people will never see the Great Wall of China, and while that’s sad because it’s a wonder to behold, I find it even more sad how many Americans will never see some of the most beautiful places in America.
The Redwoods, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Yellowstone, just to name a few. And those are the most famous, the ones we’ve all heard of. There are SO MANY other national parks that are just as incredible as those few famous ones.
The more I’ve researched for our big van life trip, the more TikTok videos I’ve saved of hidden gems and sometimes national parks I’d never seen images of.
Like— there’s so many I’m overwhelmed. Our year of travelling isn’t going to be nearly enough to see all the things we desperately want to see while living in our tiny home on wheels.
This country is so big, even a full year of travel isn’t enough. We have to make choices. Choose priorities.
Did you know there are 63 National parks in the U.S.? That’s not including State Parks, which are extremely plentiful. I assume most of the target audience of this page will indeed know that, but I didn't, and I’m not sure it’s common knowledge to most Americans.
I know about The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, obviously. Yellowstone has been on my bucket list for a long, long time (though, ironically, it’s not on our current itinerary.)
But did you know about Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado?
The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Or that this is the view in Mount Zion National Park?
"Follow the paths where people have walked for thousands of years. Gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky
Have you heard of Bryce Canyon National Park?
"Hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) exist on every continent, but here is the largest concentration found anywhere on Earth." Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Or Yosemite National Park?
"Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more." Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Or Glacier National Park
"A showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness steeped in human history." Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Yeah, I could go on.
Not every park in the U.S. is easy to get to. Of the top ten least visited National Parks, 7 are in Alaska and one is in American Samoa. Unsurprisingly, the least visited National Parks are also the most difficult to get to. Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve (Alaska) and Dry Tortuga (an Island in Florida) don't have roads traveling to them.
North Cascades National Park is the only national park in the lower United States that is not on an island to receive fewer than 150,000 visitors last year. Why? Mostly due to parks being nearby that are more easily accessible.
But the issue of inaccessibility is the exception more than the rule. Most National Parks are extremely accessible, even if they're far away. Domestic flights are generally cheaper than international and there's always cars and trains.
Other than distance, there is very little difficulty in getting to these amazing places. The biggest issue isn’t travel, it’s priorities.
We don’t treat the wonders of the U.S. as true wonders. We want to go somewhere entirely different. And while I can appreciate that desire, I do wish our own backyard was more appreciated.
Funny enough, I know our country is beautiful, but as we've been planning a massive road trip across the country in a converted camper van, only a few National Parks have made it onto our "must see" list. We're going to drive right by two of them in Florida. Will we stop? We hadn't planned on it but after writing this post I feel we should make a point to at least make a short visit. Are the national parks in Florida as majestic as the ones on the west side of the country? Maybe not. Or maybe they are, they're just less appreciated. Only way to find out is to check them out.
I've lived near to two of them in Maryland but have I ever visited? Not that I recall.
So, really, I'm preaching to myself here.
I don't think National Parks are the only amazing things to see in our country-- I'm excited for so many different parts of this trip-- but they are a big piece of what makes our country wonderful.
If you have the chance to see these wonders right around the corner (even if that corner is 400 miles away), I challenge you to do it.
Earth is beautiful. See it while you have the chance!