The very first National Park we visited as a fam: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 2004 and 2008.
In 2004, my dad and sister also accompanied us on the trip, making for a great family bonding experience. The park was beautiful and the lava tubes were fun to walk in.
Pu’uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park– Hawaii
This is the place of refuge. If you were sentenced to death for breaking kapu, or sacred law, your only hope was to make it to Pu’uhonua for safety.
Death Valley National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Pinnacles National Park, California
Sequoia National Park, California
Yosemite National Park, California– Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA- Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area
This set of parks boasts over 76000 acres of land, and includes Muir Woods, Fort Mason, and the Presidio. This is where the kids earned their first Junior Ranger badges.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Mesa Verde National Park, Southern Colorado
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
El Malpais National Monument- Grants, New Mexico
Of sandstone bluffs, lava flows, and arches
Gateway Arch National Park, St. Louis, Missouri
We first visited here when it was still the Jefferson Expansion Memorial. We all earned our junior ranger badges here, and those say “Jefferson” on them. The Gateway Arch is the smallest of the national parks and consists of two parts: the Arch and the Luther Ely Smith Park which also has the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott v. Sanford case was heard. The Gateway Arch National Park was established as a national park in December 2018 to preserve these important parts of American History.
Biscayne National Park- Homestead, Florida
Everglades National Park- Homestead, Florida
The Cranky Camper 