As we were outlining our 2021 travel plans, especially in the months before we were able to get vaccinated against COVID-19, we decided to once again prioritize visiting national parks and other sites where we could spend our time outdoors.

This took us to:

• Joshua Tree National Park (California)
• Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
• Montezuma Castle National Monument (Arizona)
• Lava Beds National Monument (California)
• Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
• Redwood National and State Parks (California)
• Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Oregon)
• Denali National Park (Alaska)
• Cabrillo National Monument (California)
• Mt. Rainier National Park (Washington)

Top Picks and Tips

• I really enjoyed experiencing these parks year-round and was especially mesmerized by the snow dusting the Grand Canyon during our visit in February. We prefer lower temperatures and fewer people so I see lots of winter/off-season park visits in our future!
• The annual national parks pass works for more than just national parks – we had some pretty incredible visits to national monuments and recreation areas that I think we sometimes overlook on the quest for new national parks. I’m looking forward to adding more of those to our itineraries.
• I can get caught up in seeing entirely new places instead of exploring something new about a place I’ve already been. Living close to Mt. Rainier and hiking there in all four season this year has reminded me how vastly different a place can be based on the time of year – from the flora and fauna, to the number of people, to the weather and summit visibility.
• Along those lines, how you travel to and through a place can also result in an entirely different experience. While we drove a rental car through Redwood National Park more than 10 years ago, riding our motorcycles among the towering trees gave me a completely new perspective.

We’re looking forward to time in the great outdoors again in 2022 and have booked trips to several new-to-us parks and monuments as well as a few we haven’t visited in a long time, including:

• Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
• Haleakala National Park (Hawaii)
• Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
• Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
• Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
• Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming)
• Fossil Butte National Monument (Wyoming)
• Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

What national parks/monuments/forests/recreation areas are on your bucket list? What top picks or tips would you share based on your experiences?