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List

Top 10 Backpacking Songs

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This is my first Top 10 list involving music after decades of making mixtapes and playlists.  This month I have been backpacking the Arizona National Scenic Trail, but these songs would be great on any walk.  I have only listened to music on less than 10% of my miles so far, but this was a fun project think about (especially while walking dirt roads which can be tedious and requires less concentration). I included my favorite lyrics from each song and a couple about Alaska in the Honorable Mentions since living there last summer is when I first conceived of attempting this 800-mile trek. Click here for all my Top 10 lists. This link should work to see the playlist on Amazon Music.

10. Beauty In Walking Away by Marié Digby

It’s never quite simple, it’s never that safe

It never seems perfect until it’s too late

It’s never the right time to find a new way

9. Avalanches (Culla’s Song) by A Fine Frenzy

We found ourselves atop of a mountain peak

The air was thin as a beggar’s sleeve

The city lights were miles away

The hush was as thick as your winter coat

8. Above The Timberline by Five For Fighting

Things get slower when it’s harder to breath

I can almost touch the stars that are hanging over me

7. The Climb by Miley Cyrus

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose

Ain’t about how fast I get there

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb

6. Walking Slow by Jackson Browne

Don’t know why I’m happy

I’ve got no reason to feel this good

Maybe it’s because I’m all alone and I’ve got no place to go

5. Have You Ever by Brandi Carlile

Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?

And everything there feels just as it should

You’re part of the life there

You’re part of something good

4. Walk Hard by John C. Reilly

Seen my share of the worse that this world can give

But I still got a dream and a burning rage to live

Walk hard

3. Ends Of The Earth by Lord Huron

No time for ponderin’ why I’m-a wanderin’

Not while we’re both still alive

To the ends of the earth, would you follow me?

There’s a world that was meant for our eyes to see

2. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams by Green Day

I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known

Don’t know where it goes but it’s home to me and I walk alone

…and finally my #1 backpacking song:

1. Keep On Walking by Jem

If it’s true that love makes the world go round, please give some love to me

‘Cause I’m feeling so alone right now, it’s suffocating me

God give me strength to keep on walking

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Honorable Mentions              

Arizona Night by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers

When the mad sun′s, mad day’s tirade is through

Evening comes to seduce you in diamonds on her dress of velvet blue

Something in the Arizona night

Makes us crazy from the heat and dizzy from the height

More Than This by Roxy Music (especially the cover by Missy Higgins)  

As free as the wind

Hopefully learning

Why the sea on the tide

Has no way of turning

More than this

Alaska by Maggie Rogers       

I was walking through icy streams

That took my breath away

Moving slowly through westward water

Over glacial plains

And I walked off you and I walked off an old me

Winter’s Lament by Jamestown Revival

Pinyon pines, horizon lines, the fading of the snow

Darling it’s a pity all this idle time

Let’s set out for the countryside and see what we can find

Walk the Way the Wind Blows by Kathy Mattea

I think I’ll just go out alone and walk my blues away

I’ve gotta do some thinkin’ of where to go from here

Walk the way the wind blows

Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Lead Belly (cover by Nirvana)             

In the pines, in the pines

Where the sun don’t ever shine

I would shiver the whole night through

To The Wild Country by John Denver

Then my heart turns to Alaska

And freedom on the run

I can hear her spirit calling me

To the mountains, I can rest there

To the rivers, I will be strong

To the forests, I’ll find peace there

To the wild country, where I belong

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them my travel guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

List

Top 10 of the 63 National Parks for Multiple Return Visits

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For years I have been helping my Mom visit National Parks and she enjoys seeing new places and adding a sticker to her National Parks water bottle.  In June 2025, together we finally made it to Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska (my last of the 63 National Parks and 401 of 433 NPS sites).  Recently we went to Big Bend National Park, number 55 of 63 for her.  It was my third visit there, but I hiked several new trails and it made me think about how there are so many different places to explore in some of the National Parks.  I have returned to most of the parks in researching my travel guidebooks, so I thought I would make a list of my favorite ones that I keep going back to.  I was surprised how the list varied from my rankings of the Top 10 National Parks and Top 10 National Parks for Hiking (click here to see all our Top 10 Lists).

If you or someone you love are interested in visiting the 63 National Parks, our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself makes a great gift!

10. Olympic (Washington)

So many trails to hike through ecosystems ranging from the coast to the alpine regions; after multiple visits, I am still hoping to make it to Staircase someday.

9. Yosemite (California)

You have to come in multiple seasons because spring is best for waterfall flow, Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows are closed in the winter, Half Dome has chains in the summer (reservations required), and Horsetail Fall only glows at sunset in late February (reservations required).

8. Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee-North Carolina)

Countless trails to waterfalls (if you can find a parking spot), amazing fall foliage, the seasonal road closure to Clingman’s Dome, and backpacking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail all mean this a year round destination. 

7. Grand Canyon (Arizona)

It takes good planning to visit both the North and South Rims in one trip, plus it is worth the long drive to see Toroweap (free online permit required).  If you are able, hike to the bottom of the canyon or take a long float trip on the Colorado River.

6. Mammoth Cave (Kentucky)

There are many different cave tours to choose from and miles of trails to hike or backpack, plus opportunities to float the Green River.

5. Death Valley (California)

In my many visits I have avoided the summer, which is the only time to drive up to Telescope Peak, so I still need to return for that experience.

4.  Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

The road across the park closes in the winter, when snowshoeing is still possible from many trailheads on both the west and east sides.  High elevations open up for exploration after spring snowmelt, as does the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

3. Big Bend (Texas)

A great National Park to hike and drive in the winter, the elevations of Chisos Basin are inviting when the desert heats up the rest of the year.  I still want to canoe part of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River.

2. Sequoia (California)

I prefer snowshoeing through the sequoia groves in the winter, when you can also reserve a bed in the Pear Lake Ski Hut.  Summer melts the High Sierra for exploration, including Mt. Whitney (permits required).

…and finally the #1 National Park for multiple return visits:

1. Yellowstone (Wyoming-Montana-Idaho)

If you have never been to the world’s first National Park in the winter, then book your snow coach (or snowmobile) and lodging as soon as possible.  It is very different than a summer visit and wildlife is still abundant (except bears).  I have been to Yellowstone more than a dozen times and plan to return.

Honorable Mentions

Pinnacles (California)

There are two different entrances east and west that are a long drive apart, both have hiking access to different caves (check before going to avoid seasonal closures).

Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota)

Most of us will not make it back to this remote corner of North Dakota, but it does have a North and South Unit, plus surprisingly good fall foliage.

Channel Islands (California)

Every island is different (I have backpacked overnight at Anacapa and did a kayaking tour of Santa Cruz) and I would like to see them all. 

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes (Hawaiʻi)

The unpredictability of lava flows mean that you might have to come back to see active eruptions, or maybe you want to make the strenuous backpacking trip to the top of Mauna Loa.  Who wouldn’t want to return to the Big Island?

Wind Cave (South Dakota)

This is a personal favorite because of the Wild Caving Tour and free permits to backpack on the prairie with the free-ranging bison herd.  The Black Hills keep calling me back.

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks. 

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Top 10 Visitor Centers in National Forests

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We have now published blog posts on more than half of the 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands in America, so it seemed like a good time to do another Top 10 list.  Visitor centers are much rarer in National Forests than sites managed by the National Park Service (plus they seem to mostly be open only on weekdays), but there are still some good ones.  Some are small and tourist-focused like the one at historic Lolo Pass on the Idaho-Montana border, while others are large but mostly serve as the headquarters for employees, like at Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota.  Presented here are the best from our travels, plus check out some of our favorite National Forests in our many other Top 10 lists.  Still struggling to figure out the difference between a National Park and a National Forest?  Read this blog post for help.

10. El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico)

The Forest Service’s El Portal Rainforest Visitor Center reopened in January 2022, just weeks after we visited this as our final one of all 155 National Forests.

9. Gila National Forest (New Mexico)

This visitor center is co-managed with the National Park Service due to its proximity to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument; ask about the hot springs in the area.

8. Ottawa National Forest (Michigan)

An interpretive trail through the forest leaves from this site, a good stop before driving down to Black River Harbor Recreation Area past its many waterfalls.

7. Inyo National Forest (California)

In the White Mountains, a steep paved road leads to a visitor center at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and visit the one on Mono Lake along scenic Highway 395.

6. Gallatin National Forest (Montana)

Earthquake Lake Visitor Center on Highway 287 is open in the summer to tell the tragic story of August 17, 1959.

5. Toiyabe National Forest (Nevada-California)

There are cool stained-glass windows along the top of this modern visitor center outside Las Vegas.

4. St. Francis National Forest (Arkansas)

Mississippi River State Park has an amazing new visitor center that interprets this small neighboring National Forest, and it has a gift shop.

3. Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Idaho)

There are a couple of visitor centers around scenic Redfish Lake and the town of Stanley in both Sawtooth and Challis National Forests.

2. Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Gifford Pinchot National Forest runs seasonal visitor centers on both the east and west sides of Mt. St. Helens, plus there is one in Seaquest State Park.

…and finally our #1 National Forest visitor center:

1. Tongass National Forest (Alaska)

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan accepts America the Beautiful passes, so bring yours along on the cruise ship, which is how most visitors arrive.

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Honorable Mentions

Coconino National Forest (Arizona)

Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center has the best location in the heart of Sedona right off Red Rock Scenic Byway (Highway 179)

Black Kettle National Grassland (Oklahoma)

Located downstairs from the National Park Service visitor center for Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, there is also an excellent interpretive trail outside.

Grand Mesa National Forest (Colorado)

A log cabin atop the mesa shows two films about the region, while the historic Lands End Observatory offers superb views.

Wayne National Forest (Ohio)

Always seem to drive past this Welcome Center on Highway 33 when it is closed, but it looks nice from the outside.

Caribou National Forest (Idaho)

The National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier has a Forest Service flag flying out front, but it does not seem to be run by them at all.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland (South Dakota)

Wall Drug is not the only attraction in the town of Wall, as the National Grasslands Visitor Center serves as the main interpretive site for all 20 National Grasslands (plus Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which has its own nice visitor center in Illinois). 

Forest Service Information Center (Washington, D.C.)

We have been inside the historic 1878 Sidney R. Yates building on Independence Avenue SW, but do not recall the animatronic Smokey Bear that now resides there.

Learn more about all 155 National Forests in our travel guidebook Out in the Woods

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Top 10 Gifts Highlighting National Monuments

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It is gift buying season again, so here are the best ideas for the person on your list who loves National Monuments.  This year we published Monumental America, our travel guidebook to the 138 National Monuments, so we have had those often-overlooked public lands on our minds. We previously published our Top 10 Gifts for National Park Lovers.  Click here to see all of our Top 10 Lists, including some book lists that may help you find a special gift for your favorite reader.  As always, products we have created are available under the Shop tab above. We also have a Pinterest board for National Monuments, as well as one for National Park gifts and those harder-to-find National Forest gifts.

10. Postcards

For someone who loves one of the 138 National Monuments, pick up a postcard from Anderson Design Group

9. Quarters

The U.S. Mint finished releasing its America the Beautiful series in 2021; there are books and maps highlighting all 56 quarters (and you can buy the entire set for little more than the coins’ value)

8. Phone Case

Devils Tower became the first National Monument in 1906, so why not commemorate it on the one thing you take with you everywhere?

7. Coasters

We often purchase a Lantern Press coaster from the National Park Service bookstore during our visits, but there are also sets for sale online

6. Stickers

For someone on the quest to visit all 138 National Monuments, pick up a sticker set showcasing all of them

5. Mugs

Why not recall a favorite National Monument every time you enjoy a hot beverage? Check out the options at Western National Parks Association

4. Blanket

Keep warm under a National Parks and Monuments blanket map from Nomadix

3. Posters

Artwork or photographs of our beautiful National Monuments make a great gift and there are an overwhelming number of options (try starting at Creative Action Network)

2. Clothing

T-shirts, hoodies, socks, and anything else people wear have all been emblazoned with National Monument logos and images; did you know the Statue of Liberty is a National Monument?

…and finally our #1 gift featuring National Monuments:

1. Monumental America Guidebook

Especially if your National Monuments journey is just getting started, our one-of-a-kind guidebook can help with planning the travel logistics

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Honorable Mentions

Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles had a renaissance during the pandemic and there are many National Monument options in photographs or artwork

Photo album or photo board

We passport stamp all of the “unigrid” pamphlets (like the ones Echo the Raven poses with for each NPS blog post) from the parks and collect them in a photo album (actually three since we have visited 414 of 433 units so far)

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List

Top 10 National Monuments in National Forests

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Only 16 of the 138 U.S. National Monuments are found in National Forests, and many of those are jointly administered with the Bureau of Land Management (the BLM ones will be covered in a future Top 10 List).  Moreover, ten of them are located in only two states (California and Colorado).  However, that does not mean they are not worth checking out.  We have visited 15 with the exception of Admiralty Island in Alaska (but did read Alone in the Fortress of the Bears by Bruce L. Nelson), so we have an educated opinion in our ranking.  Click here to see all our Top 10 Lists, including our Top 10 National Monuments Managed by the National Park Service.

Learn more about all the National Monuments in our new book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments

10. Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains (California)

A gondola ride up into Mt. San Jacinto State Park is the easiest way to access these mountains south of Palm Springs where the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) runs

9. Camp Hale–Continental Divide (Colorado)

During World War II, the 10th Mountain Division trained in this section of the Rocky Mountains

8. Browns Canyon (Colorado)

The only legal way to access these lands is on a whitewater rafting trip

7. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon (Arizona)

The second newest of these 16 National Monuments includes the pictographs in Snake Gulch, part of Kaibab National Forest

6. Chimney Rock (Colorado)

This hilltop pueblo in San Juan National Forest may have been an astronomical observatory used for ceremonial purposes

5. Bears Ears (Utah)

La Sal National Forest’s Dark Canyon Wilderness has natural arches and cliff dwellings, as does the BLM portion of this sprawling National Monument

4. Misty Fiords (Alaska)

The first National Monument in a National Forest was created in 1978 and is best explored by floatplane from Ketchikan

3. Mount St. Helens (Washington)

The forest is quickly recovering in this area devastated by the 1980 volcanic eruption

2. Newberry (Oregon)

Beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and volcanic features are protected within Deschutes National Forest

…and finally our #1 National Monument in a National Forest

1. Giant Sequoia (California)

Not as busy as Sequoia National Park, there are some impressive giant sequoia trees found here (including the Boole Tree, one of our favorites)

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Honorable Mentions

Sand to Snow (California)

We are mostly familiar with the BLM part of this National Monument, but it stretches up into the San Gorgonio Wilderness of San Bernardino National Forest

San Gabriel Mountains (California)

Trails abound in the peaks that rise up to 10,068 feet above the Los Angeles metropolitan area

Berryessa Snow Mountain (California)

This portion of Mendocino National Forest is less than 100 miles from San Francisco

Admiralty Island (Alaska)

A large population of grizzly/brown bears occupies the Kootznoowoo Wilderness in Tongass National Forest 

Saint Francis Dam Disaster (California)

The site of this deadly dam failure is still under development within Angeles National Forest

Sáttítla Highlands (California)

The newest of these 16 National Monuments was created in 2025 from portions of Klamath, Modoc, and Shasta National Forests

Learn more about all the National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments