Since it’s common knowledge that I’m a complete and utter national park geek, readers often ask me which parks I most want to visit. That’s when my head begins to spin. There are 63 National Parks to choose from, and the NPS actually has 423 sites that it cares for. Like many of you, I dream of visiting them all. So here’s a compromise: A list of the top five parks I’d most like to see in 2022.
(But if you ask me tomorrow, I might come up with a different list!)
Here are the top five parks I’d love to visit in 2022.
North Cascades National Park
This park is often included on the “least crowded” lists, but the photos look spectacular. I’m only about a six-hour drive away, so I don’t have a good excuse as to why I haven’t been there yet. There’s nothing I love better than epic alpine scenery, and this park definitely qualifies.
Zion National Park
I had hoped to visit Zion in 2020 . . . and then in 2021. It still hasn’t happened yet. Covid obviously derailed the first trip, but the reports of massive overcrowding made me hesitate the second year. Zion has been seeing record numbers of people, and I was dismayed by the pictures of trails looking more like lines at Disneyland than a national park experience. They’re instituting a reservation system this year, so I may take another look at it. Usually, I’m pretty good at finding out-of-the-way spots to enjoy even if a park is crowded, but there are some key features I want to visit at Zion and those are the ones that appear to be most overwhelmed.
Denali National Park
Denali has topped my bucket list since I fell in love with the show Northern Exposure back in the 1980s. One of my dreams was to work as a park ranger at Mount Rainier for a couple of years and then transfer to Denali or one of the other Alaskan parks. After accomplishing the first part of that plan, my life took a detour (married the love of my life!) and I decided to move to Oregon instead. I still intend to get to Denali as a tourist. Maybe this is the year!
Grand Canyon National Park
This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon. I know, I know… This is the one park that my husband has visited that I haven’t. He was able to see the incredible Havasu Falls before it became an Instagram hot spot.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I’m mostly listing parks that I’ve never seen before, but Great Smoky Mountains is an exception. When my last book (Ever Faithful: A Vintage National Parks Novel) came out, my family celebrated by visiting Yellowstone National Park during launch week. I would love to do that with my June 14, 2022 release of When Stone Wings Fly: A Smoky Mountains Novel. I’m not sure if it will happen, but we’re considering it! Can you imagine anywhere better to celebrate?
Okay, so that’s my top five. What parks do you hope to see in 2022?
Happy Dreaming!
