The ParkChasers are heading to Alaska!  This is the second installment in a series on how to prepare for an unforgettable Alaskan vacation.  Check out our first post on choosing the dates for your trip.  With millions of acres of national parks to explore, follow along with us as we plan our next adventure!  Here…

Park Chasers everywhere received a special Valentine’s Day treat this weekend.  The National Park Service just got a little bit bigger with the designation of the 410th unit, Castle Mountains National Monument.  The designation on February 12, 2016 elevated 2 other units in the service to National Monument status and preserved an additional 1.8…

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away and if you haven’t decided what to get that special someone this year, it’s time you thought about camping.  Skip the flowers, forget the chocolates.  Here’s 7 reasons we think you should buy camping gear instead: 1.  The wilderness is the original aphrodisiac.  We all know the stories about asparagus,…

North Dakota has 5 sites in the National Park System, including one of our favorites: Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Theodore Roosevelt National Park NPS Website Named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt who originally came to this area in his mid-twenties and expanded his love for nature and the outdoors.  Throughout his political career Roosevelt…

List after list has marked the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park as one of the best places to stay in the National Park system.  It was the first campground we ever stayed in the NPS, and the reason our ParkChasing adventures began.  In honor of the reservations system opening today, we thought we’d share…

Time for your Monday morning coffee break… Point Reyes National Seashore, located a quick 1.5 hour drive north of the San Francisco International Airport is a must-visit the next time you are in the Bay Area.  The beaches are pristine, the historical buildings are unique, and the panoramic views of the California coastline will stay…

During the chilly winter of 2014 the tiny northern Wisconsin town of Bayfield exploded on social media.  Thousands of national park enthusiasts flocked to the frozen shores of Lake Superior for one of the most unique experiences in the park system: a visit to the Apostle Islands Ice Caves.  The mainland ice caves only form…

Whenever we are looking for our next park to chase, it always seems like we look to the same places for ideas and inspiration.  Word of mouth from the trips of friends, family and fellow ParkChasers usually gets our vacation wheels a’turning.  So do our Facebook and Instagram feeds, full of posts and photographs from…

If you’re anything like us, the cold winter nights are a perfect excuse to start planning summer vacations.  We plan some of our best trips this time of year, since there’s plenty of time to do our ParkChasing homework.  If the Golden Gate National Recreation Area made it on your travel itinerary, it’s time to start thinking…

Iowa has 5 sites in the national park system, including 1 National Monument.  The state also has 1 National Heritage area which is featured below: Effigy Mounds National Monument NPS Website Located along the Mississippi River in Iowa’s Eastern border, Effigy Mounds is home to more than 200 American Indian burial mound sites.  The 2500…