I swear, it wasn't on purpose that I left Bryce Canyon to last among the Mighty 5 to visit; on my first trip to one of Utah's national parks – Zion in 2019 with my friend Marissa – the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel was closed. This tunnel, which began construction in the late 1920s, helped connect Zion and Bryce Canyon and aided the latter in its effort to become a national park. Today, it's common to visit both parks on a single trip – when the tunnel is closed, that's hard to do...| Valerie & Valise
My trip to the Arctic was full of surprises: cultural experiences, new foods, and – of course, for Alaska – incredible scenery unlike anything I've seen before. (I was especially smitten by the sea ice still visible in late June!) One other notable surprise was which national park unit I most enjoyed visiting – no, it wasn't either of the National Parks, Kobuk Valley or Gates of the Arctic...| Valerie & Valise
I floated in on the wind, with the sun shining through a thin layer of clouds and wildflower smoke. Below the plane, a huge river snaked beneath us, treelined except for occasional breaks where smaller tributaries added to the mass of water slowly making its way toward the Arctic Ocean. Suddenly, the trees disappeared, replaced by golden sand, stretching almost as far as the eye can see. Wait... sand? In Alaska? In the middle of nowhere?...| Valerie & Valise
I was surprised to learn that I am not alone in preferring Capitol Reef above Utah's other Mighty 5 parks; it is less visited than all but Canyonlands, and doesn't ever feel crowded even on busy summer days – at least not the same way you might feel crowded in Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion! Don't be surprised if Capitol Reef's combination of fewer crowds, jaw-dropping scenery, fascinating geology, dynamic hiking, and delicious fruit pies win you over after you visit, too...| Valerie & Valise
Ask anyone who's been, and they have a favorite among the five National Parks in Utah (that would be Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Zion, just to remind you). Even I do – now that I've visited them all, that is! I finally ticked off the fifth of Utah's Mighty 5 with a visit in April 2025; my friend Marissa and I made it our destination for that year's annual national parks trip...| Valerie & Valise
The sky is clear and the sun creates a million sparkles of light on the face of the ocean. A humpback whale erupts from the shallow waves in a full breach. A glacier cracks loudly making the phrase "white thunder" make sense as a giant piece of ice falls into the water. An otter rides the wake of our boat, holding onto a rock it will use to crack open the clamshell in its other paw for lunch. These are some of the quintessential experiences you can have on a Kenai Fjords National Park cruise...| Valerie & Valise
When it comes to Utah's National Parks, it's easy to understand why they're called the Mighty 5. From Arches eponymous formations to Zion's riotous red canyons, it's hard to believe there can be anywhere so beautiful in the world. This is undoubtedly why Utah ranks #3 for the most national park visitors in the country (after North Carolina (Great Smoky Mountains) and California with its 9 parks)...| Valerie & Valise