Exploring the National Parks

153: Zion National Park Trip Report

We just spent three days in Zion National Park in the middle of summer, on purpose, in 105-degree heat. Why did we do that, you ask? Because we don’t want you to have to

152: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Grand Opening

Tennis-ball-sized hail, 100-degree heat, and a weather warning that caused us to miss the glamping trip we’d been looking forward to for weeks. We (almost) risked it all

151: Grand Teton Trip Report

This Grand Teton trip report is less about checklists and more about the pull of a place that gets passed down. On this visit, we brought our extended family — parents, s

150: 5 Fascinating Fun Facts About Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park — it’s one of those national parks that doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves. But today, we’re fixing that!  As the show title

149: Exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Best Tips + Activities

We don’t like to rank national parks because we firmly believe that each one speaks to us all differently. However, there are some parks that end up being unexpected surp

148: Yellowstone Trip Report: Our 2026 Update

Bison jams on the lower loop, a rainbow over the Lower Falls that felt like it was made just for us, prairie dog babies popping out of their burrows mid-traffic-stop, and

147: 5 Incredible Fun Facts About Great Sand Dunes National Park

Tucked between two of Colorado's most towering mountain ranges is a landscape that feels almost fictional. 30 square miles of dunes rising taller than the Gateway Arch, s

146: Exploring Great Sand Dunes National Park: Best Tips + Activities

Picture this: you’re standing at the foot of the tallest dunes in North America, a snow-capped mountain towering behind you, and nature singing all around you. If it soun

145: Stupid National Park Behavior (From the Archive)

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of national parks and explore the interesting behavior that can be observed within these amazing landscapes. From haza

144: Hiking Trails Ranked (From the Archive)

It’s going down!  In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, John and Ash, a former park ranger, are fighting it out in the ultimate trail rumble! Join us as we ra

143: Grand Circle Road Trip (From the Archive)

In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we are talking about what we consider to be one of the top road trips that you can take -- the Grand Circle. This amazing

142: Exploring Yellowstone (From the Archive)

In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we are diving into one of the parks we get the most questions about - Yellowstone!  Since everyone starts trip planning

141: Best Scenic Drives in the National Parks

If you love a drive that has you gasping, laughing, and pulling over every few minutes for “just one more” viewpoint, you are going to have so much fun with this episode.

140: 5 Fascinating Fun Facts about Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is one of the most surprising, mysterious, and underrated parks in the Black Hills. Today we are diving into Wind Cave fun facts that will complet

139: Exploring Wind Cave National Park: Best Tips + Activities

Wind Cave National Park is one of the most underrated stops in the Black Hills, and it is absolutely worth digging a little deeper for. Come with us into the prairies of

138: 5 Incredible Fun Facts about Arizona’s Saguaro National Park

Cactus, sunshine, and desert drama: this is the episode where we go all in on the most iconic plant of the American West. Saguaro National Park is bursting with towering

137: The Best National Parks for Wildlife Viewing!

The wildlife showdown is on! We’re covering the best national parks to see animals in the wild. Whether you’re hoping to see wolves in Yellowstone or whales in Glacier Ba

136: Exploring Saguaro National Park: Best Tips + Activities

The silhouettes of giant saguaros against a glowing desert sky are the kind of view that stops you in your tracks. If you want one park that delivers pure golden hour mag

135: Our Top 3 National Park Experiences in 2025!

What do an erupting volcano, a flooded forest, and the 250th anniversary of American independence have in common? They all made our list of top national park adventures f

134: Q&A - Recreation.gov Loophole, Hidden Gems, Alaska Parks, and Utah's Mighty Five

Wondering when to visit the Mighty 5 or which parks are best for kids? Trying to figure out if staying inside the park is really worth the price? This episode of Explorin