Each year, one week in April is designated National Park Week. The National Park Service refers to this week as a time to experience some breathtaking scenery and learn about history and culture. We are feeling the spirit of exploration, learning, and discovery over here and want to share some unique ways to get your celebration on for National Park Week. Join us for a virtual road trip to ten underrated parks and historic sites you’ll want to add to your bucket list.
Whether you’re in the market for a family vacay idea or enjoy adding to your trivia repertoire (Q: Which national park boasted a new-found dinosaur footprint in 2005? A: Denali National Park), check out the list below for some fresh takes on national park destinations. Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Arches, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion–these are national park names you’ve heard before and may have visited. While you can’t lose with these classics, the variety of sites under the purview of the National Park Service is extensive and certainly worthy of exploration. Added bonus: a less crowded and more enjoyable experience. We’ve identified a national park site to suit everyone’s taste. These underrated parks are bound to impress, inform, and offer serious bragging fodder.
For Remembering the Ladies during National Park Week: National Parks Sites Honoring Women
When you think of national parks, you probably think wide open places and expansive, breathtaking scenery. But the many sites under the purview of the National Park Service are so much more than that and feature national historic sites and landmarks as well. If you are interested in the often neglected history of 51% of the population, these sites are great additions to your bucket list:
Women’s Rights National Historical Park, New York. The Women’s Rights National Historical Park honors the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention held on July 19th and 20th, 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY. You can follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the women and men who took up the mantle of women’s rights over 150 years ago. The park even hosts its own Convention Days each year, a combination of in-person and online learning dedicated to topics such as the history of abolition and women’s rights.
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, California. Rosie the Riveter has served as a cultural icon for decades. The historical park named after this cultural force tells the story of the labor shortage created by WWII and what that shortage meant for women and minorities seeking to enter the workforce. The park’s robust visitor’s center offers a comprehensive history of how the homefront workforce lived, worked, and faced the challenges of their day.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, New York. The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park was established only a few years ago, in 2017. The park’s location in Auburn, New York marks the place Tubman lived and cared for her family and others seeking refuge from the horrors of slavery. Visitors can spend a thoughtful moment at Tubman’s grave and the church where she worshipped. The 32-acre park definitely deserves a spot on your bucket list and some extra visits and love during National Park Week.
For Glimpses of Unique Flora and Fauna during National Park Week
National parks are great places to visit for the glimpses they offer into our natural worlds. If you love learning about the creatures and vegetation parks offer us, celebrate National Park Week by adding these locations to your places to travel in 2022:
Channel Islands National Park California. If you are looking for a unique experience, add Channel Islands National Park to your bucket list. This park includes five islands and their ocean surroundings. Referred to as the “Galapagos Islands of North America”, this park boasts the most endangered species of any national park. Visitors keep their peepers peeled for rare animals and plants while hiking or camping. Access to the park’s islands is available only by boats so be sure to plan ahead and make reservations.
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. The 800-square-acres of park within the Southern Appalachian Mountains is considered the most diverse in the National Park system. Scientists have documented more than 19,000 unique species of animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms within the park and believe there to be between 80,00 and 100,000 additional species living there. If that is not reason enough to add this park to your bucket list, the amazing scenery shifts throughout the season should be.
For Your Fill of Urban Adventure during National Park Week
National parks are about more than the mountain ranges or great plains. They also help us celebrate the cities we love. If your bucket list could use a little dose of urban adventure, these parks are for you:
Gateway National Recreation Area, New York. Created in 1972, this park includes 27,000 acres stretching from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City. The Gateway National Recreation Area includes beaches, national historical sites, and greenspaces. It’s also fascinating to spend time in a national park nestled into one of the most densely populated urban areas in the country!
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is tucked between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. The Cuyahoga River flows through the park and was well-traveled by American Indians for thousands of years. Eventually, the river became incorporated into the Ohio and Erie Canal. Today, the park captures a diverse history and features a range of scenic attractions as well. Any visit must include a trek to Brandywine Falls, a beautiful waterfall especially resplendent amidst autumn foliage.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas. Consisting of outposts that served as missions during the 17th and 18th centuries, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a blast to the past amidst the city of San Antonio. This park is also the only UNESCO world heritage site in Texas, meaning it has great cultural and historical significance. For many, the park is a place to see and understand how the colonial Spanish culture and American Indian culture both collided and coexisted hundreds of years ago. One of the most compelling aspects of the park is its collection of descendant stories. To commemorate National Park Week, check out some of these incredible stories online.
For a Dose of Adrenaline during National Park Week
For some, a bucket list of ideas featuring places to visit is an opportunity for an extreme adventure and a chance to challenge themselves. If that sounds like you, there is definitely a park for that!
Acadia National Park, Maine. This park boasts some of the most difficult hikes in the entire national park system. If you are feeling extreme, test your mental and physical fortitude with Precipice Loop. The name alone can give a person chills! Precipice Loop is just over a three-mile loop but involves non-technical climbing over a few rock faces. It’s not recommended for kids, those who are afraid of heights, or the faint of heart.
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is the northernmost national park in the U.S. With no roads, no trails, and no recognized campsites . . . this park is off the grid. Literally. Cell phones don’t work in the park. If you consider yourself a serious outdoors person, and you’ve always wanted to try that 24 hours of sunlight thing, head to the Gates of the Arctic in the summer months and cross this park off your bucket list!
Happy National Park Week, everyone!
