Favorites from All 508 Sites in 48 States

Late this year, I visited my 395th park site, earning a rare park stamps award for all official NPS sites in the 48 contiguous states (see map). Plus I drove my EV to 29 NPS affiliates, 60 heritage areas, and 24 national trails (not on map). Read about my favorite sites below.

Screenshot of my NPS unit Visitation Map from the National Park Travelers Club website.

Best’ is subjective, as it depends so much on your individual taste and experience. If you are lucky enough to have great weather, a lucky wildlife sighting, or an inspiring ranger-led tour, that day will be one of your favorites. Click on the links to read my past favorites from 100, 200, and 300 park units visited, and here are favorites from 400 park sites, including affiliates, heritage areas and trails. I have no changes to my previous favorite park units, but I have a few additions.

Best Civil Rights Affiliate: Robert Russa Moton Museum.

Best Flightseeing Tour: Dry Tortugas.

Best Garden: International Peace Garden.

Best Handshake: Red Hill.

Best National Heritage Area: Muscle Shoals.

Best Paddling Tour: Channel Islands.

Best Partner Site: Acadian Village.

Best Revolutionary War Affiliate: Camden.

Most Demolished Since My Tour: White House.

Most Hauntingly Evocative Past: Cumberland Island.

Most Irrevocably Damaged by Climate Change: Biscayne.

Best of the Rockies

Best Park: Yellowstone. Geysers, wildlife, recreation, lodges, forests, mountains, waters. Yellowstone is spectacular and the best park in many categories.

Best State: Utah. 5 stunning national parks—Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion—plus 3 more best parks.

Best Ancient Native American Site: Mesa Verde.

Best Heritage Area: Sangre de Cristo.

Best Paddling: Grand Teton.

Best Place to Lose Yourself in Nature: Theodore Roosevelt.

Best Rangers (tie): Little Bighorn and Fort Union Trading Post.

Best Trail: Lewis & Clark.

Most At Risk: Glacier.

Most Heartbreaking (tie): Sand Creek Massacre and Big Hole Battlefield.

Read about all parks in the Rocky Mountain region.

Favorites from 400 Park Sites*

In 2022, I visited 200 national park units: see my first 100 favorites and my second 100 favorites.

In 2023, my total reached 300: third 100 favorites.

In 2024, my total reached 400 *including 3 extra types*—affiliates, heritage areas and trails—even though they aren’t official national park units. My official total is 385 (out of 433).

My earlier favorites mostly hold, with several important changes.

Yellowstone takes best national park from Theodore Roosevelt.

And, Yellowstone’s geysers also take best geologic feature from Arches/ Natural Bridges.

Best wildlife experience goes to Isle Royale from Great Smoky Mountains.

Best kayaking goes to Ozark NSR from Big Thicket.

And best trees splits into 3 categories: oldest Great Basin, largest Sequoia and tallest Redwood.

Here more of my fourth 100 favorites.

Best annual festival / fairytale: May Day at Amana Colonies in Silos & Smokestacks NHA.

Best place to follow Zane Grey: Rainbow Bridge below.

Best tea: Campobello.

Best trail: Pacific Crest NST.

Best trail stop: Mahaffie Santa Fe stagecoach ride.

Best waterfalls: Yosemite.

Favorite photo is above from Sangre de Cristo NHA: [strictly non-commercial use].

Mossiest hike: Olympic.

Most iconic park: Statue of Liberty.

Historic District of Old Québec

Québec is my favorite city in North America. I love New Orleans, Philadelphia and San Francisco, but there’s a certain je ne sais quoi. Probably the food. UNESCO may have picked it as a World Heritage Site due to its history, architecture, culture, beauty, fortifications, statues, parks, narrow old streets, churches, magnificent vistas, harbor, citadel, Haute-ville, Basse-ville, museums, galleries, Parliament, battlefield, archaeological discoveries, and all the rest, but it’s really the food.

Although the funicular (above) is fun too, and the old shopping district is colorful, amidst several fine restaurants. There always seem to be festivals in all seasons, concerts, and other excuses to try something new to eat or drink. If you want to get out of the city, you can go to Île d’Orléans, by bridge from the north side of the Seaway. They have farms, berries, cheese, bakeries, jam, chocolatiers, wineries, cideries, sugar shacks with maple syrup treats, and a microbrewery. Basically, much of what you eat in Québec City is from the island. As much as I enjoy going around shops and stands there, I prefer leaving all the work to each restaurant’s wait and cook staff, so I order many different dishes and sample the best of everything. Bon appétit!

Favorites after visiting half the park sites

My old favorites from the first 100 sites still stand. But, especially traveling so much in the northeast recently, many of my new favorites are Historical Parks, which are treasure troves.

Most in need of a big budget Hollywood epic to tell the story: Clark.

Favorite Revolutionary War site: Minute Man.

Best site for art’s sake: Gaudens.

Most stirring patriotic site: McHenry.

Site with the least to see but the most fun I had writing a blog entry: Poe.

Favorite from childhood memory: Marsh.

Biggest rule broken: Steamtown.

Most innovative site that also serves historic beer: Dayton.

Best overall city park? Honorable mentions go to Boston and New Bedford, but the best so far is Philly.

Can’t choose a favorite? Oh yes I can: Harpers.