A tour of America’s famous National Parks

I have been fortunate enough to visit many National Parks in America several times now. But why have I been to the Grand Canyon four times already? And which hike would I still love to hike with my kids one day?

The first time in America

In 2001 I visited America for the first time. I then traveled for six months with my sister, a car and a tent, through America. We started in New York in March and ended here in September. In between we got to visit many National Parks, cities and places. The advantage of travelling for so long is that you can stay everywhere for a very long time, there is no rush.

For example, we stayed almost a week in the Grand Canyon. A place where most people often spend only a few days. Little did I know then that I would be visiting America much more often.

And then my sister emigrated

But when my sister emigrated to San Diego in 2004, I understood that America was a country I would visit more often. This same year I visited my sister and her husband. Besides discovering San Diego, we went to our favorite place in America: Las Vegas and visited King’s Canyon National park. Then in 2009 I went for the first time with my husband and our son to visit my sister who had just had a son at the time.

We rented a motor home and did the famous tour of western America.

Taking a big trip with the family

When the boys were three and one year old the husband and I took a sabbatical. We traveled for seven months in an RV through America and Canada. Because of the boys’ chronic illness, we were running on our gums and knew we would not be able to keep this up for long.

Taking a long trip suddenly popped into our heads. My sister was pregnant with her second so that I would go to America was a given and I would also like to see Canada one day. The husband who actually wanted to do that trip I did in 2001 as well.

Once again we rented an RV, this time for seven months and hit the road.

The known and unknown parks of America

Now we visited ‘ besides the standard National Parks, also many new ones where either just me or both of us had not been yet. Besides the National Parks, we also visited all the big cities we passed and went to Cape Carnival, for example, and also visited many unknown parks.

Memories of America

The boys don’t remember this trip at all. in recent years, we did go to America twice for a week for a family reunion. Once to Pennsylvania and once to Georgia. Yet the plan is to go to America again in the coming years. We will then visit my sister, of course, and with an RV or a tent, again make the famous tour of National Parks.

But why are we doing this again? Why am I going to the Grand Canyon for the fifth time? Because it is worth it. The nature in this part of America is so beautiful, I really want to share this with our children.

What are real places you should visit if you have the chance.

Also read: What to do in Georgia, America.

Perhaps the most famous round of National Parks

There is a round trip west that many people do and rightly so because these places are beautiful.

The Grand Canyon

Perhaps the most famous park in America, the Grand Canyon. The very first time I was here, parked the car and walked to Mather point, I was really blown away. How beautiful it was! This feeling never came back, yet I still love the south side of the Grand Canyon.

We also visited the north side, but this is not really necessary to drive all the way around for this. The view here is not nearly as beautiful as from the south rim. On the South Rim I have hiked several trails, but have never been all the way down the canyon.

The times I was there, it was so hot, that this was actually not doable.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Just before the entrance to Bryce National Park is a campground, ideal. With a bus you can visit the park and at night you can watch a rodeo that takes place near the campsite. Bryce Canyon National Park is a beautiful park, the colors amaze you the first time around. It is located in the southwestern part of the state of Utah.

Bryce Canyon is famous for its unique geological rock formations. The combined forces of freezing and thawing slowly erode the limestone and sandstone formations, forming what are known as hoodoos. The eroded peaks create beautiful formations that look very mysterious in the sunlight. The sun provides shades of the colors of the rocks.

The colors vary from pink to orange. You can do beautiful walks here.

Zion is a beautiful park with the most beautiful hike I have ever walked ‘Angels Landing’. National Park Zion is a nature reserve in the United States and has beautiful viewpoints to waterfalls, rocks and water. In herpark you have many beautiful walks, short and long, easy and difficult. Angels Landing, falls under a very difficult hike, with cables and steep trails.

I’ve never hiked this hike with the boys, but we will definitely do it next time.

Kings Canyon and Sequoia

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park are two National Parks located next to each other, but managed as one large national park. Both parks are known for the presence of redwood trees. Giant sequoia trees. If you like walking then you’ll come into your own here.

The advantage in all parks in America is that there are short and long hikes to do. In Kings canyon it was the first time we were warned because a bear had been spotted. We didn’t see them then, but during later trips, we were able to admire quite a few bears.

Yosemite

As a climber Yosemite is for me of course the ‘Valhalla’ with its Half Dome and El captain. But even for non-climbers, Yosemite is really worth a visit. You can make beautiful walks here to the most beautiful viewpoints.

Perhaps the most beautiful hike is the Mist trail. Beware though, if you go here in June, you really need to bring a raincoat, because the waterfall is still very present then.

But also think about these National Parks

Not everyone goes west or perhaps has more time in America that you can visit other parks as well. The National and State parks below I have visited once or twice and are definitely worth visiting. I will write an article about this soon too, with the practical tips and beautiful hikes.