My Journey to Visit All 63 U.S. National Parks
I never really set out to become someone with a goal of visiting every national park in the country. It happened a little more unexpectedly than that. Our love for the national parks really began with a trip to Alaska. There was something about seeing places like Denali and Kenai Fjords that completely changed the way I thought about travel. The mountains, wildlife, wildflowers, glaciers, and landscapes that seemed to stretch forever made me realize just how much beauty there was to see right here in the United States.
We came home from that trip inspired and within two weeks, we bought an Airstream! Looking back, that probably tells you everything you need to know about us. Apparently, “we should visit more national parks” quickly turned into, “let’s buy an airstream and visit all 63!”
The Goal: All 63
What started as wanting to see more of the country eventually turned into a family goal: visit all 63 U.S. National Parks. And because our daughter is growing up much faster than I’d like to admit, we decided we’d love to visit all 63 before she turns 18. Suddenly, these trips became about so much more than checking places off a list. They’re years of family memories being made along the way. Long drives. Tiny towns. Campgrounds. Early mornings. Beautiful sunsets. Wildlife sightings. Hiking trails. Unexpected stops. Lots of miles in the truck. And plenty of moments where we’ve looked at each other and thought, I can’t believe this is real.
Traveling by Airstream
Our Airstream has become a huge part of this adventure. There’s something I love about taking a little piece of home with us wherever we go. We can spend one week surrounded by mountains and the next near the ocean, all while coming back at the end of the day to our own little space. Traveling this way has also allowed us to slow down.
Instead of simply flying somewhere, seeing the main attraction and heading home, we’ve gotten to experience all the places between the destinations, too. And I’ve learned that sometimes those are the places I remember most. The roadside flower stands. The charming little downtown we didn’t know existed. A beautiful garden. A great, local restaurant. A field of wildflowers. A scenic road we took simply because it looked pretty. Those little discoveries have become just as much a part of the journey as the parks themselves.
Every Park Is Completely Different
One of my favorite things about visiting the national parks is realizing just how incredibly diverse this country is. We’ve stood among giant trees in California, driven through mountains in Montana, explored rocky coastlines in Maine, watched wildlife in Wyoming, wandered through deserts, seen glaciers, waterfalls, caves, beaches and landscapes that look like they belong on another planet. And somehow, every time I think we’ve seen the most beautiful place yet, another park surprises me!
I’ve also learned that my favorite parks aren’t always the ones I expected to love the most. Sometimes it’s the scenery. Sometimes it’s an experience we had there. And sometimes it’s simply the season of life we were in when we visited. That’s part of what makes each one special!
More Than a Checklist
Of course, there’s something incredibly satisfying about adding another national park to our list. But somewhere along the way, I realized this goal isn’t really about getting to number 63. It’s about everything that happens on the way there. It’s about showing our daughter the beauty of the world around her. It’s about choosing experiences and time together. It’s about seeing places we might never have visited otherwise. And for me personally, it’s made me notice the beauty everywhere. Not only in the huge, breathtaking landscapes, but in all those little details along the way. The flowers growing beside a trail. The way the light hits the mountains in the evening. A quiet morning outside the Airstream with a cup of coffee. A beautiful old house in a town we’ve never visited before. Those are usually the things I end up photographing.
Where We Are Now
As of August 2026, we’ve officially visited 45 of the U.S. National Parks! Our most recent adventure was Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. We arrived by seaplane, which is an experience I’ll definitely never forget! With 18 parks still left to explore, the adventure is far from over. I’ll keep updating this post as we make our way toward number 63!
The Journey Continues
We still have plenty of parks left to visit, and honestly, that’s part of the fun! There are more road trips to plan, more states to explore, more trails to walk and probably plenty more last-minute changes to our itinerary. I’ll be sharing those adventures here as we continue working our way towards all 63 along with the beautiful towns, gardens, places and unexpected finds we discover in between. Because if there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that there is so much beauty out there to see. And I don’t want to rush past any of it!
