Park Guides
Four landscapes that rewrite your sense of scale — geysers roaring at dawn, slot-canyon light beams at noon, a canyon you cannot fit inside a single glance, and granite walls that catch the last sun like stained glass.
Practical itineraries, entrance tips, and the one viewpoint you should not miss in each park.
Wyoming, Montana & Idaho
The place that invented the idea of a national park. Come for the geysers, stay because a bison just crossed the road and nobody is in a hurry anymore.
The world’s most reliable geyser erupts roughly every 90 minutes, shooting boiling water up to 180 feet.
A hot spring larger than a football field, ringed in vivid orange, yellow, and green microbial mats.
Yellowstone’s Serengeti at dawn — wolves, bison herds, elk, and pronghorns against wide grasslands.
A 1,200-foot canyon carved by the Yellowstone River, with two thundering waterfalls.
Page, Arizona
A sandstone slot canyon sculpted by flash floods and polished by wind. Light falls from above in thick, golden beams that make the walls glow like embers.
The famous ‘Corkscrew’ section with narrow passages and dramatic midday light beams.
Steeper ladders, longer passages, and fewer crowds than the upper canyon.
A 1,000-foot meander of the Colorado River just ten minutes from the canyon.
Access is only permitted with a Navajo Nation guide, who also shares the canyon’s geology and cultural history.
Arizona
A mile deep, ten miles wide, and somehow still wider than your camera lens. The South Rim is where first-timers learn the word “unfathomable.”
The classic first overlook, a short walk from the visitor center, with panoramic canyon views.
A well-maintained trail that descends into the canyon with rest houses and water stops.
A stone tower at the eastern end of the South Rim with 360-degree views and Colorado River vistas.
A small museum with a huge window framing the canyon and exhibits explaining how it formed.
California
John Muir called it the great temple. Granite cliffs rise straight from the valley floor, waterfalls thunder in spring, and the meadows fill with evening light.
The first full view of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome as you enter the valley.
One of the tallest waterfalls in North America, with a strenuous hike to the top.
A panoramic overlook perched 3,200 feet above the valley, looking straight at Half Dome.
Home to more than 500 giant sequoias, including the Grizzly Giant and the Fallen Monarch.