Check back here often as we continue to rank our favorite places to hike, camp, and kayak, as well as books to read and gear to purchase.
Top 10 National Monuments
10. John Day Fossil Beds (Oregon)
9. Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona)
8. Statue of Liberty (New York, New Jersey)
Top 10 National Historical Parks
10. Manhattan Project (Tennessee, New Mexico, Washington)
9. Lewis and Clark (Oregon, Washington)
8. Dayton Aviation Heritage (Ohio)
Top 10 National Park Campgrounds (with running water)
10. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
9. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
8. Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland)
Top 10 Primitive Campgrounds in National Parks
10. Haleakala National Park (Hawai’i)
9. Channel Islands National Park (California)
8. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Top 10 Backcountry Campsites in National Parks
10. Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Georgia to Maine)
9. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
8. Buffalo National River (Arkansas)
Top 10 Sand Dunes in National Parks
10. Cape Lookout National Seashore (North Carolina)
9. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
8. Salt Flat Dunes at Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
Top 10 Caves in National Parks
10. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai‘i)
9. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Kentucky)
8. El Malpais National Monument (New Mexico)
Top 10 Novels Set in a National Park
10. Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen (2004)
9. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (1960)
8. Winter Study by Nevada Barr (2008)
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in a National Park
10. Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park by Tim Cahill (2004)
9. A Naturalist in Alaska by Adolph Murie (1961)
8. The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck (2015)
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in Multiple National Parks
10. Hey Ranger! True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America’s National Parks by Jim Burnett (2012)
9. My Wild Life: A Memoir of Adventures within America’s National Parks by Roland H. Wauer (2014)
8. Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks by Mark Woods (2016)
Our Favorite National Park in All 50 States
Alabama – Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Alaska – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Arizona – Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Arkansas – Buffalo National River
See the entire list
