Welcome to National Park Bucket List!



I’m Michelle, a national park enthusiast, freelance travel writer, and that friend you always ask to help you find a hotel deal or cool hike. This site is all about planning a bucket list national park trip and falling in love with the incredible landscapes around the United States.

Here you’ll find detailed itineraries, road trip guides, and packing lists to help you get started.

I’m still working on my own national park bucket list (39/63), so I’ll see you out there on the trails!

My favorite:

National Parks

  • Grand Teton
  • Capitol Reef
  • Rocky Mountain
  • Acadia
  • Yellowstone

Places to Stay

  • The Lodge at Jackson Hole
  • Broken Spur Inn
  • Jacob Lake Inn
  • Discovery Lodge
  • Kimball Terrace Inn

Scenic Drives

  • Utah Scenic Byway 12
  • Beartooth Highway
  • RMNP Trail Ridge Road
  • Acadia Park Loop Road
  • Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway

Hiking Trails

  • Devils Garden Trail
  • Zion Canyon Overlook Trail
  • Emerald Lake Trail
  • Golden Canyon Trail
  • Long Pond Loop Trail
The North and South Windows at Arches National Park

What’s a National Park Bucket List?

Your national park bucket list can be anything you want! There are more than 400 sites in the National Park System, but only 63 are designated as “national parks.” The rest are classified as national historic sites, monuments, lakeshores, recreation areas, etc. My first goal is to visit the big 63, but yours may be to see all the parks in your home state, visit every national battlefield, drive all the national parkways, or hike all the national scenic trails.

National Parks List by State