I’ve been on both sides of the campsite. In my 20s, I was the loud one. These days I’m usually the one sitting by the fire, wondering if the people three sites down know how far sound carries in the woods. (It’s far.)This isn’t a lecture. I’m not the etiquette police, and I’ve broken a few of these myself. [...]
The Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch strings between two trees and gives Tootsie more room to roam our campsite.
My Patagonia Black Hole backpack, waist pack, tote and cubes go everywhere with me.
My Lodge cast iron skillet gets used every morning at camp, on the stove or over the campfire.
L.L.Bean Waterhog mats keep the mud, sand and leaves outside the van, and mine have lasted 5+ years.
The KUMA Bear Buddy Double is a big, comfortable two-person camp chair, my everyday seat on the porch outside the van.
TreeSleeve wooden can coolers are handmade in Vermont from real hardwood, a natural swap for a neoprene koozie at camp.
It is somewhat surreal to go to the birthplace of a living president. Something about the phrase presidential birthplace makes me think it needs to be a founding father sort of time frame. A colonial house. A plaque with a lot of thees on it. And then you walk in, and you are standing in your grandparents' house. [...]
I spent two nights at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, and I have been smiling about it ever since. The idea is good. Being allowed to do it is better. I was completely intrigued by the idea of diamond mining. Honestly, I would have been just as intrigued if somebody had simply sat me down and [...]
Fort Smith is right in town. You park on the street, walk up, and you are greeted by a big red brick building that looks like a barracks. That is because it was one. What you are looking at The building was built as the enlisted men's barracks for the second Fort Smith. When the army pulled out [...]
I am going to be honest about something first, because it affects how I write about places like this. If I go to too many battlefields, they all start to feel the same. Visitor center, touring road, pullouts, interpretive signs, a field. I have done enough of them recently that they mush together in my memory, and I [...]
I went to Saguaro as a day trip, and I am going to be honest with you about it. It was really pretty. I took a beautiful hike through the cacti and I drove the eight-mile loop on the east side. And that is about what I have. Nothing in particular stuck out. I was on a bit [...]
I did not plan to write about this place. I came here to sleep near White Sands. It turned out to be its own thing entirely, and one of the better nights — and worse nights — I have had in a tent. Where it is, and the view Aguirre Spring sits on the east side of the [...]
I visited White Sands on a very gray day. Which meant the sky and the ground were all just about the same color, and it was even more disorienting than I had expected. Everybody photographs this place blazing white under a hard blue sky. That is the picture you have seen. I did not get that picture. I [...]
The head of the American Birding Association on why birding is booming and how to start. Recorded live in Ocean City, Maryland.
I ended up at Assateague State Park because the National Seashore campgrounds were full. That is the whole reason. And it turned out to be a useful accident, because the two campgrounds on this island are genuinely different propositions and I would not have known that if I had got my first choice. It is enormous, and it [...]
I had never been birding in my life. Next week I am doing a panel conversation with Wayne Klockner, the executive director of the American Birding Association, at the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit in Ocean City. And it struck me that we would have a far more interesting conversation on that stage if I had actually done the [...]
What goes in a first aid kit and why, from my brother Jeff, a surgeon and avid outdoorsperson. Build your own, restock it after every trip, and pack for how far you will be from help.
I was so surprised by how much I liked this place. I did not know much about Ulysses S. Grant before I went. General, president, and that was about the extent of it. The first thing: it is extremely dog friendly I want to call that out early, because it is rare and it shaped my whole visit. [...]
A campfire is one of those things everybody assumes they already know how to do, right up until they are crouched over a pile of wood at dusk, out of matches and patience. So I asked someone who does it for a living. Rebecca is a ranger at Pocahontas State Park in Virginia, and she walked me through [...]
Alison Hill of LifeStraw on how to choose and use a water filter, what dehydration does to your judgment on a trail, and why you can trust the thing in your pack.
I came to George Washington Carver National Monument knowing his name. That was about it. I could have told you “peanuts.” I could not have told you one true thing about the man. I got there really early, before anything had opened. Which turned out to be the right accident, because it meant I did the walk first. [...]
I stopped at Tuskegee Institute because I was in the area. That is the entire reason. I had zero idea what to expect. My mind was blown. I had pictured a building with some exhibits in it. What it actually is: a working university campus, and the national historic site is spread across it. Tuskegee is the only [...]
I went to Tuskegee in April 2026, and the reason I went had started more than a year before that. I had been paying attention to arguments about what belongs in the history we teach, and which parts of it quietly get trimmed. It sparked rage. And it took me a year to pull together a trip to go [...]
I have been to the Gateway Arch twice, and I have never been up it. The first time, I just did not feel the desire to. The second time I had Tootsie with me and could not have gone up anyway. I am sure there is great storytelling up there. I am sure the views are extraordinary. People clearly [...]
I freaking loved Petroglyph. Start at the visitor center, and I mean it Petroglyph is in Albuquerque - a monument co-managed by the National Park Service and the City of Albuquerque. The visitor center is separate from all the places you actually go to see the petroglyphs. There are no petroglyphs at the visitor center at all. That sounds [...]
Petrified Forest is a perfect stop along Route 66! The shape of the day Petrified Forest is predominantly a driving tour. Twenty-eight miles of road through the park, with stops all the way along where you get out and look at what is there. Be realistic about those 28 miles...it takes quite a while, especially when you want to [...]
It annoys me when people say a park like Yosemite allows dogs. It does undefined in the campground, and in your car. This page tells you something more useful: where I would actually take mine. Everything here comes from having been there with Tootsie. Where I have not taken her, I say so. The thing that actually [...]
Save Public Lands is a proactive effort to let our state and national representatives know that they matter to us. Sign the petition to help send 1 million signatures to our government officials.
I stopped at the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home having only recently heard it existed, and knowing nothing at all about Medgar or Myrlie Evers. It is completely unassuming. It sits in among neighbourhood houses, exactly as it did in 1963. When I arrived I drove a loop around the block, just to be sure I had it [...]
I have never been inside the Washington Monument. I lived in Washington for years. I went to college there. I have driven past it, biked past it and walked around it more times than I could count. And I have never once been to the top. That is the classic hometown problem. You do not do the tourist [...]
My experience I remember when they were talking about putting this memorial on the Mall. I think it was the first addition in a very long time, and it was quite a political debate about whether it would disrupt what was already there. And now when I walk around it and see hundreds and hundreds of people soaking [...]
My experience The Korean War Veterans Memorial is one I always forget about. And it is really one of the more beautiful spots on the Mall. On a recent visit I walked up and said to my friend, “Remind me what the Korean War was about?” Which led the two of us down a beautiful rabbit hole about [...]
My experience The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is probably one of the most visited spots on the National Mall. I always find it moving, especially at night. And the further you go into the story of what it means, the more touching it becomes. The names on the wall are in the order of their death. So as you [...]
Save Public Lands is a proactive effort to let our state and national representatives know that they matter to us. Sign the petition to help send 1 million signatures to our government officials.
My experience The Capitol is my favorite place in Washington, DC. When I was in college I would go at night and sit on the Capitol steps, when the rest of the Mall was basically empty. Usually after I had been studying, or when I needed a break. This was before they had the barricades. Sitting [...]
My experience The Lincoln Memorial sits opposite the Capitol. It is like Lincoln is watching over the business of America. I think it is one of the more iconic spots in Washington, DC, and certainly the busiest. Have patience for the lines and the activity — and know that this is also a common place for [...]
My experience The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a solemn and a celebratory place at the same time. First there is the structure. You walk through the stone to enter, and then you see his likeness carved out of it, looking out over the Tidal Basin. Just thinking about it sends chills. Once you have [...]
My experience One of my favorite things to do in Washington, DC is walk around the monuments at night. They are so peaceful. The crowds are usually gone, and you can stand there and reflect on the meaning of each statue and the story of this amazing country. It was on one of those nights that I first [...]
My experience Frances Perkins was a pitstop. I was driving the coast of Maine, and this one was on my list because a historian I had met put it there. She was well versed in Frances Perkins and the impact she had on this country, and she told me to go. The stop is unassuming. A small sign [...]
My experience I got to Theodore Roosevelt near the end of my 2021 road trip, and by then I had enough confidence to have no plan at all. Just show up. It worked — a campsite wasn't hard to come by. I hadn't expected the drive in to look like that. I knew badlands as a South Dakota [...]
My experience I was strategic about Yosemite. I wanted shoulder season — late enough that the park was open, early enough to miss the crowds. What I was less strategic about was where I would sleep. My spontaneous side doesn’t mesh well with the big parks, and this one is a beast. Everything inside was long gone, so [...]
I went to bed with bites all over my legs. I'd already tried everything in the house. A shower. Benadryl cream. Absorbine Jr. I decided I'd just tough it out and sleep through it. I woke up in the middle of the night scratching. That's when I got up and went digging through the bag of samples I'd [...]
Ombraz Sunglasses rethink the functionality of sunglasses by removing the arms and hinges.
Ankle gaiters insulated with oyster shells and recycled bottles. What Hikas are, what they keep out, and why I picked hot pink — before I've worn them.
Save Public Lands is a proactive effort to let our state and national representatives know that they matter to us. Sign the petition to help send 1 million signatures to our government officials.
Save Public Lands is a proactive effort to let our state and national representatives know that they matter to us. Sign the petition to help send 1 million signatures to our government officials.
Save Public Lands is a proactive effort to let our state and national representatives know that they matter to us. Sign the petition to help send 1 million signatures to our government officials.
The Roadless Rule public comment period is now open. Learn more about the status from Katie Johnson at The Conservation Alliance.
Host & Founder Hi, I'm Missy. I got in a van and drove. And somewhere along the way, I fell completely in love with America's public lands. I spent a long time in a career I was good at — building marketing campaigns and brand partnerships for professional sports organizations. I was busy. I was [...]
A working farm. A one-room campaign HQ that won a presidency. A garden where they're buried side by side. Jennifer Hopkins, Lead Education Ranger, shares 100 years of history in Plains, Georgia.
A working farm. A one-room campaign HQ that won a presidency. A garden where they're buried side by side. Jennifer Hopkins, Lead Education Ranger, shares 100 years of history in Plains, Georgia.
A working farm. A one-room campaign HQ that won a presidency. A garden where they're buried side by side. Jennifer Hopkins, Lead Education Ranger, shares 100 years of history in Plains, Georgia.
⚠️ The public comment period has been reopened. New deadline: July 30th. Submit your comment now — it takes three minutes. When the public comment period on the DC Triumphal Arch opened in June, we had 10 days. Ten days to weigh in on a proposal that would permanently alter one [...]
The proclamations are signed. The fight is not over. Here's how to keep the pressure on. I acted quickly on this one because it matters. On July 13th, two proclamations were signed that rolled back nearly 90% of the protected boundaries of two of America's most significant national monuments — Bears Ears [...]
The public comment period has closed. Stay informed and keep the pressure on. I hadn't been to Chaco Culture National Historical Park before this episode. I didn't know enough about it. And then I got a flurry of social posts about drilling and mining threats and I knew immediately I needed to [...]
A six-inch-too-narrow bridge. A community that decided to fix it. Best Day Ever is the film about building the world's first fully adaptive mountain bike trail network — and what happens when the outdoors truly belongs to everyone.
The 10-mile protection zone around Chaco Culture — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is about to be revoked. Maude Dinan of NPCA explains what's at stake and how to submit your comment before July 29th.
July 22nd is National Hammock Day — and we're celebrating from inside My Hammock Summer. Anna Rawlins of ENO on how to hammock safely, sleep in one, and why a hammock is the best invitation to slow down you'll ever accept.
President Trump just signed two proclamations removing 90% of the protected boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Katie Johnson of the Conservation Alliance explains what it means — and exactly what you can do right now.
Too expensive? Too complicated? Too late? Missy and Shannon Jones of KeeKee's Big Adventures debunk the summer vacation myths — and make the case for parks, staycations, and a fortune teller that picks your next adventure.
What we learn playing outside follows us everywhere. Jesse Tubb of GRIT Adventures on resilience, mindfulness, and why nature is the most powerful classroom we have. The Parks Podcast.
A 250-foot arch proposed in the heart of Washington DC threatens one of the most significant viewsheds in America. Architectural historian Priya Jain explains what's at stake. The Parks Podcast.
A 16-acre park in Atlanta's Vine City that holds 10 million gallons of floodwater — and gave a historic civil rights neighborhood the park it always deserved. The Parks Podcast.
Leave No Trace is more than "pack it out." Jeanelle Soland and Rob Pelton from the Subaru Leave No Trace traveling team break down all seven principles and why they matter. The Parks Podcast.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy President & CEO, Cinda Waldbuesser, explores the history, volunteer spirit, and essential planning tips for hiking the iconic 2,198-mile trail from Georgia to Maine.
In this episode of The Parks, host Missy Rentz talks with Justin Yoder, founder of LGBTQ Outdoors, about his journey from starting a simple Instagram page to building a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to creating safe, inclusive community spaces in nature.
Black Hill Discovery Center introduces kids of all ages to nature through through school, camps, and programs.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park not your typical "fenced-off" wilderness; it’s a living, breathing landscape where history, industry, and nature are constantly shaking hands.
Go behind the badge with the creators of Crime Off the Grid as we explore the reality of law enforcement in America’s most remote and wild places.
The President's House delves into the history of George Washington and the 9 humans he enslaved in Philadelphia as President of the United States. Listen to the episode and learn more.
The President's House delves into the history of George Washington and the 9 humans he enslaved in Philadelphia as President of the United States. Listen to the episode and learn more.
Welcome to our story, a new series from The Parks Podcast. 've shared that I came to the Parks for nature, but I'm really drawn to the history and the stories that make up our parks. It may be one person whose actions led to the creation or expansion of the park, or maybe a unique or endangered animal that calls the park home. Maybe it's a pivotal event that marks our history in unique and meaningful ways. These people, places, and events make up our collective story.
National Park of American Samoa is a paradise that celebrates the coral, rainforests, fruit bats, and American Samoa culture.
Jenny McCarty, artist and owner of Sage Leaf Studio, created a sticker to help keep nature on the 2026 NPS Park Pass.
How to use Micro Spikes Have you heard of micro spikes? Other than maybe in a movie when you watch someone walking up a glacier...and those probably aren't the same. Well this piece of gear is your best friend on icy trails and sidewalks. Micro spikes (often called crampons) are chains that you put [...]
Voyageurs National Park is 40% water with vast conservation of water, animals, and land.
This episode of The Parks Podcast explores the deep connection between our national landscapes and the stories that define us. Host Missy Rentz sits down with Beth English, Executive Director of the Organization of American Historians (OAH), to discuss why preserving "unvarnished" history is essential for our future.
Redwoods National State Park is home to the largest trees in the world as well as amazing rivers, oceans, and animals.
Kick off the New Year with First Day Hikes - a day to celebrate in our State Parks all around the United States.
Indiana State Parks is kicking off winter with hikes, bird watching, light tours, and more.
New York State Parks & Historic Sites is celebrating winter with hikes, snow and ice activities, craft & creating activities and more.
Virginia is for Lovers...and park lovers! This winter, the Virginia State Parks have activities for all ages and abilities.
Hueston Woods State Park is hosting the holidays with movies, breakfast with Santa, hikes, and more. Learn more in this episode.
Malabar Farm State Park is an historic farm, and former home to Louis Bromfield. Visit the park during the holiday season to visit the historic home all decked out in its holiday best.
Arizona State Parks & Trails has some incredible activities this winter. Learn about them and make plans to visit the parks.
Parks and and outdoor lovers are a tight community. But a welcoming community. Finding groups that use parks and host activities that you may be interested in is a great way to explore. You get healthy activities and create community filled with laughter and fun. I am constantly meeting people who are in or starting [...]
GirlTREK is an organization committed to using nature, movement, and community to save lives around the world.
'Tis the season to visit parks! Winter is a great time to explore our parks. And many have programs the embrace the winter wonderland.
Are you celebrating Thanksgiving in Massachusetts? Join Massachusets DCR for "Gratitude After Gravy" on Friday, November 28.
Alan Spears, from National Parks Conservation Association, joins us to talk about the status of our National Parks and public lands after the 43 day shutdown. We also talk about what's next for our beloved places.
Black Hill Regional Park is a hidden gem, just outside of the DC metro area. With hiking & biking trails, water activities, and an inviting beach, this park has a little something for anyone looking to escape the city.
Headwall Sports Kmart Plaza 520, US 89 Jackson, WY 83001 Teton Mountaineering 170 N Cache Street Jackson, WY 83001 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your community, please share it on our contact me page. I'll add it [...]
Outdoor Gear Exchange 37 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your community, please share it on our contact me page. I'll add it to the map.
Habitat - High Altitude Provisions 18 N Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 Outdoor Exchange 1405 W Grove Street Boise, ID 83702 Yöstmark Mountain Equipment 110 E Little Ave Driggs, ID 83422 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your [...]
L.L. Bean Flagship 95 Main Street Freeport, ME 04032 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your community, please share it on our contact me page. I'll add it to the map.
Missy's take on the Kelty Wayback — a flannel-lined square bag that's a throwback to childhood camping. Why comfort beats mummy bags every time.
Matt Moreau from The Landmark Project joins us to talk about Shopping Values and how his company is committed to giving back to parks, public lands, and our environment. In this episode we talk to Matt Moreau from The Landmark Project. Matt has made giving back a part of their core mission from day one.
Natick Outdoor Store 38 North Ave Natick, MA 01760 Summit Bound Outfitter 348 Sommerville Ave Sommerville, MA 02143 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your community, please share it on our contact me page. I'll add it to the map. [...]
The Base Camp 1730 Grand Avenue Billings, MT 59102 The Base Camp 5 E Broadway Street Helena, MT 59601 If you have a favorite outdoor store in your community, please share it on our contact me page. I'll add it to the map. [...]
