national parks Archives – Terradrift

Utah National Parks Road Trip: A 10 Day Itinerary to Visit the Utah Mighty 5

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 22 May 2025 15:08:29 +0000

We recently visited all 5 Utah national parks (known as the Mighty 5) in one road trip with my parents (!). While Josh and I have been to all five before, including on road trips, backpacking trips, bikepacking trips, you name it, but this was the first time my parents had ever been to any of them. So they flew over, we picked them up at Salt Lake City International Airport, and we hit the road for a 10-day road trip for the ages. Want to plan your own Utah national parks road trip? Here's our route and recommendations.

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What Do National Park Layoffs Mean for YOU? Yes, You, Fellow Outdoorist.

Alisha McDarris — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:42:58 +0000

Wondering what the mass national park layoffs and cuts mean for you? We describe what's happening and what to expect at parks this summer.

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Free National Park Days This Year [2025]

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:49:08 +0000

There are a total of 5 fee free national park days in 2023, which means you can get into any of the more than 400 parks, monuments and conservations areas, many of which usually charge a pretty penny, for free (or almost free)! And we highly recommend you take advantage of these days if you're traveling on a budget, hoping to save some dough on your next adventurous outing, or you're looking for any old excuse to visit a national park near you (or not so near you). Which you totally should, 'cause they're pretty dang great! So if you're ready to enjoy some seriously epic landscapes, pack the camera and start planning! And remember that you'll still need to make reservations ahead of time at some national parks (we'll tell you which ones).

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Beginner Guide to Death Valley National Park – Where to Hike and What to Do

Alisha McDarris — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 18:34:05 +0000

We've long been enamored with the idea of Death Valley National Park in California. I mean, we're pretty into the dark and macabre, so how could we not want to visit a place with landmarks named things like Badwater, Devil's Golf Course, and Funeral Peak?! But rest assured, even if those places inspire more reticence than excitement, Death Valley National Park is still absolutely worth a visit. So here's some info to get you started.

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Beat the Crowds on the Quiet Side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Alisha McDarris — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 16:51:52 +0000

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, split between Tennesee and North Carolina, is the country's most visited national park. Like, by a lot. A lot, a lot. This park, which is free to visit, btw, saw over 12 million visitors last year. Twelve! Million! The next most-visited park only saw a little over three! So yeah, it's safe to say that the Smokies are overrun with tourists and visitors, especially if you're on the south side of the park around the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fortunately, there's a trick to avoiding the massive amounts of people (and traffic) rambling through the area: head to the quiet side of the Smokies, the northern edge where there are still picturesque hiking trails and adventures galore, just a lot fewer people. Wanna know what things to do on the peaceful side of the Smokies? Here's what we recommend.

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Beginner Guide to Acadia National Park

Alisha McDarris — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 23:11:19 +0000

Heading to Acadia National Park for the first time? Not sure where to start or what to expect? We feel you. We were wondering many of the same things not long ago. But since we were road tripping around the northeast, we figured we owed it to ourselves to visit the "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast." So we did! And here's what we learned.

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Backpacking on Isle Royale – Guide to Isle Royale National Park

Alisha McDarris — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:37:00 +0000

Not gonna lie, a little over a year ago when my dad said, "I really wanna go backpacking in Isle Royale National Park next summer; wanna come?" I was 100% not sure where the heck Isle Royale even was. So after a quick map search (it's an island in Lake Superior) and a brief discussion of whether it's pronounced roy-al as in Royale with cheese or roil as in the royal family (park rangers use the latter pronunciation), followed by a hearty bout of laughter brought on by my parents thinking I plan more than a month in advance...Isle Royal National Park was suddenly very much on my radar.

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Backpacking in Denali National Park

Alisha McDarris — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 03:02:46 +0000

Watch this video directly on YouTube. The beginning of week three of our Alaska road trip (read about week one and week two) finally saw us in Alaska! We were …

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Day Hiking in Canyonlands National Park

Alisha McDarris — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 03:19:16 +0000

Ah, Canyonlands. So many units to choose from (three, actually), so many day hikes available. We set out on one just two days after hiking rim to rim across the …

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Backpacking Rim to Rim at Grand Canyon National Park

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 23:25:20 +0000

We’ve backpacked in Grand Canyon National Park before. We hiked down the North Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel Trail. It was glorious. But ever since that first trek, …

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