More than 424 parks make up The National Parks system. The first, Yellowstone National Park, was created in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant. Parks can be found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and many US Territories. Included in the legislation for the first park, and I believe an unofficial motto for Parks, is a beautiful reminder for us all –
“For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.”
National Park Blogs
George Washington Birthplace National Monument Virginia — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Hyde Park New York — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Death Valley National Park
Shenandoah National Park Virginia — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Hot Springs National Park Arkansas — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Arkansas — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Grand Canyon National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Trail Review: Angels Landing
Trail Review: Sullivan’s Knob Trail
Trail Review: Tower Trail
Devils Tower National Monument
The Parks Podcast Episodes
Save Public Lands – This Land Belongs to All of Us (Episode 84)
Save Public Lands – A Proactive Vision for America’s Public Lands (Episode 83)
The Roadless Rule – An Update & What It Means For You (Episode 82)
About Missy
Save Public Lands — One Million Signatures for National Public Lands Day (Episode 81)
Big Bend National Park — What’s Happening on the Ground and How to Help (Episode 80)
Jimmy Carter National Historical Park – From a Farm in Georgia to the Oval Office
Protect Our Parks: DC Triumphal Arch
Protect Our Parks: Utah Monuments
Protect Our Parks: Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Best Day Ever: The Movie That Will Change How You See the Outdoors (Episode 78)
Chaco Culture National Historical Park — The Fight for the Buffer Zone (Episode 77)
National Hammock Day — The Art of Slowing Down with ENO’s Anna Rawlins (Episode 76)
Bears Ears & Grand Staircase-Escalante: What Just Happened and What You Can Do (Episode 75)
Summer in the Parks (Episode 74)
What Playing Outside Teaches Us — Resilience, Mindfulness, and the Gift of Nature (Episode 73)
DC Triumphal Arch — What You Need to Know Before June 15 (Episode 72)
Cook Park — Atlanta’s Neighborhood Park That Saves a Community (Episode 71)
Leave No Trace — The Seven Principles Every Outdoor Visitor Should Know (Episode 70)
The Appalachian Trail — America’s Greatest Footpath (Episode 69)
LGBTQ Outdoors — Finding Community in Nature (Episode 68)
Black Hill Discovery Center — Nature Education, Forest Schools, and the Power of Outdoor Childhood (Episode 67)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park — A Living, Breathing Community Park (Episode 66)
Crime Off the Grid — What Park Rangers Really Deal With (Episode 65)
Save the Boundary Waters — Fighting to Protect America’s Most Visited Wilderness (Episode 64)
Our Story: The President’s House — George Washington, Slavery, and the Exhibit That Was Removed (Episode 63)
Introducing Our Story — A New Series from The Parks Podcast (Episode 00)
National Park of American Samoa — The 50th Park, the Birthplace of Polynesia, and 200 Coral Species on One Beach (Episode 62)
Face Value — The Battle for the 2026 NPS Park Pass and One Artist’s Solution (Episode 61)
Micro spikes
Voyageurs National Park — Where You’d Better Bring Your Boat (Episode 60)
History and the Parks — Why Telling the Full Story Matters Now More Than Ever (Episode 59)
Redwood National and State Parks — Tallest Trees, Wild Coast, and the Most Dog-Friendly Park in the System (Episode 58)
First Day Hike 2026 — How to Start the New Year Outside (Episode 57)
Winter in the Parks – Indiana State Parks (Episode 56)
Winter in the Parks – New York State Parks (Episode 55)
Winter in the Parks – Virginia State Parks (Episode 54)
Hueston Woods State Park — Ohio’s Winter Wonderland Lodge (Episode 53)
Winter in the Parks – Malabar Farm State Park – Ohio (Episode 52)
Winter in Arizona State Parks — Holiday Season Trails & Events (Episode 51)
Communities in the Park
GirlTREK — Walking as a Civil Rights Issue (Episode 50)
Winter in the Park – 2025
Gratitude with Gravy — Massachusetts Parks After Thanksgiving (Episode 49)
After the Government Shutdown — What’s Next for Our Parks (Episode 48)
Black Hill Regional Park Montgomery County Maryland — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Outdoor Stores – Wyoming
Outdoor Stores – Vermont
Outdoor Stores – Idaho
Outdoor Stores – Maine
Kelty Wayback 20 Degree Sleeping Bag — Missy’s Honest Take
Shopping Values — How The Landmark Project Gives Back to Our Parks (Episode 47)
Outdoor Stores – Massachusetts
Outdoor Stores – Montana
Outdoor Stores – North Carolina
Outdoor Stores – Virginia
ENO Parkway Adjustable Hammock Stand
Sierra Club Military Outdoors — Nature as Healing for Veterans (Episode 46)
Walk, Ride, paddle by Tim Kaine
Kelty Highroads Shelter
PyreLogs
Farm to Feet Socks
Otterbox 2-in-1 Crossbody Strap
Smokey Bear Puzzle
The Landmark Project Playing Cards
Smokey Bear Mug
Eco Fuego
Keepa Magnet
Ruffwear Roamer Leash
NPS and State Park Passes
Park Passes
Radiant Revolve Rechargeable + Solar Lantern
NutLit Rechargeable Lantern
NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash
Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst — Where PEI’s History Began (Episode 45)
GSI Cutlery
ENO Hammock Straps
Echoes of the Badge Book
Birdie Personal Alarm
Gear Guide 2025
Yeti Drinkware
NiteIze GlowSteak Ball
Teva ReEmber
Tik Patrol
NiteHowl Max Necklace
Government Shutdown Day 27 — An Insider Update on Our Parks (Episode 44)
Maryland’s Parks, Forests & Public Lands — A State That Gets It Right (Episode 43)
Prince Edward Island National Park — Canada’s Red Sand Shore (Episode 42)
Our Parks and the Government Shutdown — How to Visit Responsibly (Episode 41)
Website Elements
Brand Presentation
Fort McAllister State Historic Park — The Unbreakable Confederate Fort (Episode 40)
Business Champions for Our Public Lands — The Conservation Alliance (Episode 39)
Why We Need the Roadless Rule — A Hunter and Angler’s Perspective (Episode 38)
Understanding the Roadless Rule — What’s at Stake for Our Public Lands (Episode 37)
Ryōken
Projo Coffee
Fishe
Flowfold
Hüga
White Duck Outdoors
RECPAK
Campground Review: Flagstaff KOA Holiday
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park — Where the Journey Ended (Episode 36)
Neve
Hooks by Craggy Games
Farm to Feet
Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument — A Park Being Born (Episode 35)
Missouri Headwaters State Park (Montana)
Black Standy State Park (Montana)
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve — America’s Newest National Park (Episode 34)
Tip #2 – What to pack for Lake Elmo State Park (Montana)
National Hammock Day — Everything You Need to Know About Hammocking (Episode 33)
LifeStraw
Teva
The Landmark Project
Ombraz Sunglasses
Tip #1 – Preparing for Beartooth Highway & Yellowstone
General Coffee State Park — Georgia’s Agricultural Gem (Episode 32)
Mountain House
Learn more about The Parks Podcast
Lowell National Historical Park — Where America’s Industrial Revolution Was Born (Episode 31)
What’s in the van? – The Front Porch
Van Life Resources
Van Life For Me
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks — The Biggest Trees on Earth (Episode 30)
George Washington Birthplace National Monument Virginia — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Walk, Ride, Paddle: A Life Outdoors with Senator Tim Kaine (Episode 29)
Pearl Harbor National Memorial — How to Visit America’s Most Solemn Park (Episode 28)
Trail Review: Lake Loop Trail – Fort Mountain State Park (Georgia)
Fort Mountain State Park (Georgia)
Echoes of the Badge — Life as a National Park Ranger (Episode 27)
Virginia Outdoor Adventures — Learning to Play Outside with Jessica Bowser (Episode 26)
On the road again – kickstarting van life
Protect Our Parks – Lincoln Memorial
Advocating for Our Parks — What You Can Do Right Now (Episode 25)
Lancelot Jones
Harriet Tubman
What to wear for winter park adventures
KeeKee Plush
Solo Stove
Gift Guide 2024
Election Week Survival Guide
Maybury State Park — The Tuberculosis Sanitarium That Became a Park (Episode 24)
Pocahontas State Park — Virginia’s Largest State Park (Episode 23)
Biscayne National Park — 95% Underwater and 100% Extraordinary (Episode 22)
Pompeys Pillar National Monument — William Clark Was Here (Episode 21)
How to Use Recreation.gov — Your Guide to Booking Public Lands (Episode 19)
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site — From Humble Beginnings to the White House (Episode 20)
Tucker Park Maidens Virginia — James River Park Guide | The Parks Podcast
Trail Links
Poop bags
Dog Bowl
Long Leash
Packing for Pup
Meet Tootsie
Gift Guide: Under $50
Gift Guide: Under $200
Gift Guide: Under $100
Support My Work
Gift Guide: Father’s Day
Trail Review: Ousel Falls (Big Sky, MT)
Saguaro National Park — America’s Sonoran Desert Redwood (Episode 18)
Chasing the Northern Lights
Statue of Liberty National Monument — The Story Behind the Icon (Episode 17)
The Science of Happiness and the Outdoors — New Happy with Stephanie Harrison (Episode 16)
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Packing up your tent
Nice to meet you
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad — The Full Story (Episode 15)
Sky Meadows State Park — Dark Skies, the Appalachian Trail, and a Farm That Saved Itself (Episode 14)
Home on the road
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Bryce Canyon National Park — Hoodoos, Dark Skies, and the Top of the Grand Staircase (Episode 13)
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Hyde Park New York — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
Holliday Lake State Park Virginia — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Death Valley National Park
First Day Hikes — The Best Way to Start Your New Year (Episode 12)
Lake Elmo State Park — The Urban Park With a Jazz Club Past (Episode 11)
Belle Grove Plantation (Episode 10)
Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park (Episode 9)
Death Valley National Park — The Hottest Place on Earth Has a Lot to Teach You (Episode 8)
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Craters of the Moon National Monument — Earth’s Most Otherworldly Landscape (Episode 7)
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park — Four Battles, One Story (Episode 6)
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument — America’s Green Desert (Episode 5)
Trail Review: Uplands Trail Loop (Big Sky, MT)
Family Travel to Parks — Planning Tips with KeeKee’s Big Adventures (Episode 4)
Shenandoah National Park Virginia — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Pie Iron Pizza Recipe
Shenandoah National Park — The Park That Came Home (Episode 3)
Big Bend National Park — The Park at the Edge of Everything (Episode 2)
Little Rock Central High School — Where Nine Students Changed the World (Episode 1)
Welcome to The Parks Podcast — Missy’s Story and Why This All Exists (Episode 0)
Hot Springs National Park Arkansas — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Arkansas — Missy’s Guide | The Parks Podcast
National Park Week 2023 – April 26
Grand Canyon National Park
National Park Week 2023 – April 24
National Park Week 2023 – April 25
National Park Week 2023 – April 23
National Park Week 2023 – April 22
Hitting the Road in 2023
Trail Review: Beaver Lake Trail
Pocahontas State Park Virginia — Missy’s Complete Guide | The Parks Podcast
Yellowstone National Park
Rumpl Blanket
Trail Review: Deep Run Park Perimeter Trail
Hiking Boots
String Lights
Helinox High-Back Seat Warmer
Tips For Your National Park Visit
REI Kingdom 4 Footprint
Sleeping Pad – REI Dream Sleeper
Camp Table – Helinox One
A Stroll Through Paris
355 Days
Plates, Bowls & Utensils
Yeti Rambler
ENO DoubleNest Hammock
Helinox Rocking Feet
Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller
Goal Zero Crush Light Lanterns
REI Kingdom Mud Room
Helinox Savanna Chair
Eureka Ignite 2-Burner Camp Stove
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
IceMule Classic Cooler
Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler
REI Kingdom 4 Tent
Trail Review: Angels Landing
Trail Review: Sullivan’s Knob Trail
Vermontasaurus Vermont — The Roadside Dinosaur Sculpture Worth Every Detour | The Parks Podcast
Campground Review: New England Outdoor Center
Trail Review: Natural Bridge
Happy 105th!
Bryce Canyon National Park
Trail Review: Lava Lake
The Universe Was Talking…Time to Listen
Trail Review: Tower Trail
Devils Tower National Monument