National Park Obsessed

National Park Obsessed National Park Obsessed is your guide to the national parks of the world.

The site focus on comprehensive guides to the parks and helpful tips and tricks for planning your adventures in the national parks.

National Park Q&A❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓I was wondering if anyone knows how much of Denali is wheelchair access...
08/26/2026

National Park Q&A

❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓
I was wondering if anyone knows how much of Denali is wheelchair accessible. We went to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons last and there was a lot we could see. We loved it so much and want to go to more national parks.

🗺️ 🗺️ My Take:🗺️ 🗺️
Denali is actually a pretty good National Park to visit with a wheelchair.

🚗 You can explore the first 15 miles of Denali Park Road in your own vehicle. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the scenery and look for wildlife without having to hike.

♿ There are also a couple of paved, accessible trails around the developed areas of the park, so you aren't limited to seeing everything from the car.

🚌 To go farther into Denali, the park buses have wheelchair-accessible options. This is one of the best ways to experience the park since private vehicles generally can't travel beyond the first section of Denali Park Road during the main summer season.

Denali isn't going to have quite as many developed roadside attractions as Yellowstone, but you can still see and experience a significant portion of the park without hiking.

Denali isn't going to have quite as many developed roadside attractions as Yellowstone, but you can still see and experience a significant portion of the park without hiking.

👇♿ Has anyone visited Denali with a wheelchair or limited mobility?
What did you find particularly accessible, and what advice would you give someone planning their first trip? 👇

🎂🌲 HAPPY 110TH BIRTHDAY TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE!On August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was created to protec...
08/26/2026

🎂🌲 HAPPY 110TH BIRTHDAY TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE!

On August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was created to protect some of America’s most incredible natural, cultural, and historic places while keeping them available for us to experience and enjoy.

A lot has changed in 110 years. What started with 35 National Parks and monuments has grown into a system of 433+ places across the country and U.S. territories.

And while we tend to talk a lot about the 63 National Parks, the National Park Service is SO much bigger than that. National monuments, historic sites, battlefields, seashores, preserves, recreation areas, and so much more are all part of the National Park System.

So today, I want to celebrate the places AND all of the people who have spent the last 110 years protecting them. 💚

📸 Help me celebrate! Drop your favorite photo from ANY National Park Service site in the comments and tell me where it was taken.

Happy Birthday, NPS! Here's to the next 110 years. 🌲🎂

⚠️ MAJOR ROCKFALL AT ZION NATIONAL PARK August 25 UPDATE: Zion Canyon is fully reopened, and shuttle service has restart...
08/25/2026

⚠️ MAJOR ROCKFALL AT ZION NATIONAL PARK

August 25 UPDATE: Zion Canyon is fully reopened, and shuttle service has restarted.

A rockfall has occurred in Zion Canyon between The Grotto and Weeping Rock, resulting in major access closures in the upper canyon.

As of August 24:
🚍 Shuttle service is suspended above The Grotto (Stop #6), which is the stop for the West Rim Trail and Angels Landing.

🚫 Bike, e-bike, and pedestrian traffic is prohibited above the Great White Throne.

This means there is currently NO ACCESS to:
❌ Weeping Rock
❌ Big Bend
❌ Temple of Sinawava
❌ Riverside Walk
❌ The Narrows

If you're visiting Zion in the next few days, keep a close eye on NPS alerts and current conditions. Have a backup plan, and please stay behind all barricades and follow ranger instructions.

⚠️ Rockfalls can happen without warning, and unstable rock may still be present. ⚠️

National Park Q&A❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓Planning a trip out west and want to stop in ND or SD along the way. Wh...
08/24/2026

National Park Q&A

❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓
Planning a trip out west and want to stop in ND or SD along the way. Which one would you choose and why? We are taking the northern route. Any other suggestions. We will be towing a 26' rv.

🗺️ 🗺️ My Take:🗺️ 🗺️
or me, this comes down to how much time you have.

⏱️ Less than 3 days? North Dakota.

I'd stick with your northern route and visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

With a day or two, you can explore the South Unit, drive through the badlands, stop at the overlooks, visit the prairie dog towns, and look for bison and wild horses.

If you're already traveling across North Dakota, it's a great stop without adding a major detour to your road trip.

🏔️ 3+ days? South Dakota.

If you have at least three days to dedicate to the stop, I'd make the detour into South Dakota.

There's simply a LOT packed into the Black Hills and Badlands area.

You could combine Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills into one stop. Add more time and you can start working in places like Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

Three days would still be a pretty fast trip, but there's enough here that I'd consider the detour worthwhile.

👇What would you choose?
🦬 North Dakota
🏔️ South Dakota
And how many days do you think you need to make the South Dakota detour worthwhile? 👇

What easy National Park hike has a ridiculously good payoff?
08/22/2026

What easy National Park hike has a ridiculously good payoff?

National Park Q&A❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓Heading to Alaska next summer and thinking of taking a bear viewing day...
08/21/2026

National Park Q&A

❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓
Heading to Alaska next summer and thinking of taking a bear viewing day trip. Leaving from Homer and there are so many options, a few different NP. Anyone do this and have recommendations?

🗺️ 🗺️ My Take:🗺️ 🗺️
The first thing you need to decide is what's more important: visiting a National Park or seeing bears? Because there are really two different types of trips being sold out of Homer.

✈️ Flights TO the National Parks or 🐻 Flights specifically TO SEE BEARS

For the most part, the flights go to the same group of places. The main difference is one promises bears. The other goes to a specific park, usually to a spot where the bears are.

Depending on when you are there and the group's desire, you might end up at Brooks Falls or another river watching the bears fish for salmon, or you could end up along the coast watching the bears on the tidal flats. It just depends.

⭐ So my recommendation comes down to your goal:

🏞️ Want to check Katmai or Lake Clark off your National Park list?
Book a trip specifically to that park.

🐻 Want the best possible bear-viewing experience?
Book with an operator whose goal is to take you wherever the bears are that day.

Personally, if I'm spending the money on a dedicated bear-viewing flight, I'm booking the trip that follows the bears.

👇For those who have done a bear-viewing flight from Homer:
Did you book a specific National Park or let the operator choose the best bear-viewing location?
Would you make the same choice again? 👇

National Park Q&A❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓Is there a way to see Zion without having to do much hiking?🗺️ 🗺️ My Ta...
08/19/2026

National Park Q&A

❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓
Is there a way to see Zion without having to do much hiking?

🗺️ 🗺️ My Take:🗺️ 🗺️
Absolutely! You do NOT have to be a hiker to enjoy Zion National Park.

One of the best things about Zion is that some of its most spectacular scenery can be enjoyed from the road, shuttle, and a handful of very short walks.

Give yourself a full day. Spend part of it riding the Zion Canyon Shuttle and the rest exploring the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.

You won't see every corner of Zion without hiking, but you can absolutely have a worthwhile Zion experience without tackling long or strenuous trails.

👇Who has visited Zion without doing much hiking?
What scenic stop or easy walk would you tell a first-time visitor not to miss?👇

National Park Q&A❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓In 2027 I have 3 possible dates I can camp at Glacier. All come with pr...
08/17/2026

National Park Q&A

❓❓Asked in Our Facebook Group:❓❓
In 2027 I have 3 possible dates I can camp at Glacier. All come with pros/cons. Weather, crowds, GTTSR being open, snowpack, wildfire smoke. I’m not going to hike the long famous hikes like Grinnell Glacier or even Highline Trail. I may not even drive GTTSR as my truck barely meets the size requirement. I want to take a Red Bus tour. I have an e-bike so GTTSR pre auto would be fine. The dates are June 12-23, July 4-14 or August 4-1

🗺️ 🗺️ My Take:🗺️ 🗺️
For what you want to do, I'd pick June 12–23.

Normally, I'd be hesitant to recommend mid-June for a first Glacier trip because there's a good chance the entire Going-to-the-Sun Road won't be open yet. Higher-elevation trails can still be buried in snow, Logan Pass may be inaccessible by car, and the weather can be all over the place.

But in this case, a lot of those disadvantages don't matter as much.

🚲 June could give you an incredible e-bike opportunity.

If conditions and road work cooperate, you may get a chance to bike a portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road while it's still closed to vehicle traffic. That's a pretty special way to experience the park, and once the road opens to cars, that opportunity is gone for the year.

You'll also generally be dealing with fewer visitors than during the heart of July and August.

The downside is uncertainty. There's no guarantee how much of Going-to-the-Sun Road will be accessible when you arrive. A big snow year could limit what you can do, and you'll need to be flexible.

⭐ My ranking for THIS trip:
🥇 June 12–23 – fewer crowds + potential car-free GTTSR e-biking
🥈 July 4–14 – better chance of full access, but very busy
🥉 Early August – maximum access, but crowds + greater smoke risk

👇Which would you choose?
🚲 June for fewer crowds and possible car-free biking
☀️ July for better odds of everything being open
🔥 August for maximum access despite the smoke risk
Glacier regulars, when would YOU go? 👇

What's your #1 piece of advice for someone planning a National Park trip?
08/15/2026

What's your #1 piece of advice for someone planning a National Park trip?

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