Yes, all 425 parks have significant historical, cultural, or natural facets which make them indispensable to America’s heritage, and many parks are visually and physically breathtaking to experience, but certain aspects of some parks should truly not be missed. All but a few of the items were culled from my personal experiences. The couple of others are recommendations from experts in the great outdoors. I have not hiked every trail in every park, nor seen every waterfall, nor toured every house/building, which means there are probably other must sees/dos that I need to experience and can then add to this list.

This will be one of those lists which can be debated until the end of time. Everyone has a different opinion on what should be inscribed on these types of record. Debate, though, can be healthy. I propose all who read this page to consider the below line items and balance them with the parks and park activities you would instead register. Hopefully, some of the below items are new to you and you determine to give them a go. That is the main point, getting people energized to visit America’s parks and having fun in their experiences.

Please remember some activities require a minimum level of fitness and/or ability. Not everyone is able to climb to the top of Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park or to traverse the full length of the Gunnison Route at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Always know your limitations and organize your experiences accordingly. We all want to have fun, but not at the expense of safety.

The organization for the “must see and do” is by State. Following Wyoming, I will show a list of other activities which may not be quite up to the “must” level, but if you are in the area, stop and experience the opportunity.

ALASKA

Aniakchak NMon - Land (float plane) on Surprise Lake.

Denali NP – Take a flightseeing tour around the park, then land on a glacier.

Glacier Bay NP – Take the day-trip boat ride (and hope for wildlife).

Katmai NP - Hike to Brooks Falls to see Brown Bears catch salmon.

Klondike Gold Rush NHP - Take the White Pass Railroad train tour.

Sitka NHP – Watch and talk to a master Tlingit totem pole carver.

Wrangell – St. Elias NP - Hike on Root Glacier (stay at Kennicott Glacier Lodge)

AMERICAN SAMOA

National Park of American Samoa – Snorkel at Ofu Beach.

ARIZONA

** Antelope Canyon – Take either the Upper or Lower canyon tour, or both (not a NPS unit… near Glen Canyon NRA at Page, AZ).

Chiricahua NMon – Hike the Echo Canyon loop trail.

Grand Canyon NP – Hike down to the Colorado River on the South Kaibab Trail and back up on the Bright Angel trail (arguably hardest day-hike in the NPS)… or stay the night at Phantom Ranch on the river.

Hubbell Trading Post NHS – Peruse the authentic Navajo rug inventory and buy one.

Lake Mead NRA – Tour Hoover Dam.

CALIFORNIA

Channel Islands NP - Kayak to the sea caves.

Death Valley NP – Hike Mosaic Canyon Trail.  Walk out onto Badwater Basin.

Golden Gate NRA – Take ferry to Alcatraz Island.

Kings Canyon NP – Hike to Misty Falls.

Lassen Volcanic NP - Hike the Lassen Peak Trail to the summit

Lava Beds NMon – Walk in the lava tubes (bring a light source).

Pinnacles NP – Hike the High Peaks Trail and the Balconies Cave Trail.

Sequoia NP - Hike the Tokapah Falls Trail.  Hike to General Sherman Sequoia tree.

Redwood NP – Hike the Fern Canyon Trail.

Yosemite NP - Hike to the top of Sentinel Dome.  Climb Half-Dome.  Hike to the top of Yosemite Falls.  Drive through Yosemite Valley.

COLORADO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP – Drive down the East Portal Road, then hike along the river. Hike/Climb the Gunnison Route, if you are up for it.

Colorado NMon – Hike the Devils Kitchen Trail.

Mesa Verde NP – Take one (or more) of the large house tours.

Rocky Mountain NP – Drive the Trail Ridge Road. Hike any of the trails in the Bear Lake area. Climb to the top of Long’s Peak, if you are up to it.

FLORIDA

Dry Tortugas NP – Take a day-trip (Yankee Freedom ferry) to Fort Jefferson.  Snorkel around the fort.

GEORGIA

Martin Luther King, Jr. NHP – See the VC, his birth house, the fountain, the church, and the fire station.

HAWAII

Haleakala NP – Drive to the summit and hike down into the crater.  Arrive at summit for sunrise.

Hawaii Volcanoes NP – Hike Kilauea Iki Trail.  Drive the Crater Rim Road and the Chain of Craters Road.

Pearl Harbor NMem – Take the boat shuttle to the memorial.

IDAHO

Craters of the Moon NMon – Hike up Inferno Cone.  Explore lava tube caves.

KENTUCKY

Cumberland Gap NHP – Hike to the gap and the point where three states meet.

Mammoth Cave NP – Take one of the guided cave tours.

MAINE

Acadia NP – Hike the Precipice, Bee Hive, and Penobscot Mountain trails.

MARYLAND

Antietam NB – Drive the Battlefield Tour route.

C&O Canal NHP – Bicycle the length of the trail.

Fort McHenry NMon and Historic Shrine – Watch flag raising ceremony, then tour the fort.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston NHP - Tour the U.S.S. Constitution. Go to Bunker Hill and climb the monument. Stop at Old North Church. Enter South Meeting House and Faneuil Hall. Basically, hike the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail.

Minute Man NHP – Walk to the North Bridge. Walk the Battle Road trail.

MINNESOTA

Pipestone NMon – Talk to master pipestone carvers at the VC.

Voyageurs NP – Take a Voyageur Canoe trip.

MISSISSIPPI

Natchez Trace Parkway – Drive any portion of the parkway.

Vicksburg NMP – Drive the Battlefield Tour route, and stop at the USS Cairo.

MISSOURI

Gateway Arch NP – Take the tram to the top of the arch.

MONTANA

Glacier NP – Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  Hike in the Many Glacier area (including to Grinnell Glacier) and the Garden Wall Trail.

NEW JERSEY

Thomas Edison NHP – Tour the lab complex and his home.

NEW MEXICO

Bandelier NMon – Hike to Alcove House.

Carlsbad Caverns NP – Hike down into the cave, then take a guided tour. Return for the night Bat Flight event.

Chaco Culture NHP – Tour Pueblo Bonito, Pueblo del Arroyo, and Chetro Ketl.  Hike the Pueblo Alto Trail.

NEW YORK

General Grant NMem – Step inside the mausoleum.

Statue of Liberty NMon – Take the ferry to the monument, hike up to the crown, then go to Ellis Island.

Vanderbilt Mansion NHS – Take the tour of the mansion.

NORTH CAROLINA

Great Smoky Mountains NP – Drive and hike to Clingmans Dome

NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore Roosevelt NP – Take the Scenic Drive in North Unit to see the resident bison herd.

OHIO

Cuyahoga Valley NP - Ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad through the park. Bike the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail through the park.

OREGON

Oregon Caves NMon - Take the guided tour of the cave.

PENNSYLVANIA

Delaware Water Gap NRA – Hike to the NJ/PA state line on The AT on the I-80 bridge.  Hike to Dingmans Falls.

Gettysburg NMP – Drive the 16-stop auto-tour.

Independence NHP – Tour Independence Hall and Congress Hall.  Stop to view the Liberty Bell.

Valley Forge NHP – Drive to Washington’s HQ and use the hand-railing to go to 2nd floor.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Congaree NP – View the synchronous fireflies in May/June (requires reservation).

Fort Sumter NHP – Take ferry boat to the fort for a guided tour.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Badlands NP – Hike the Door, Window, and Notch trails.

Minuteman Missile NHS – Take the guided tour of the missile command facility.

Wind Cave NP – Take a cave tour (I took the Fairgrounds Tour).

TEXAS

Guadalupe Mountains NP – Hike to Devils Hall.

UTAH

Arches NP – Hike… to Delicate Arch, in Devils Garden, and in the Windows Section.

Bryce Canyon NP - Hike any of the trails which go to the bottom of the canyon.

Canyonlands NP – Hike to Mesa Arch.

Capitol Reef NP – Take the Scenic Drive, then drive further through the Capitol Gorge (gravel). Hike Sulphur Creek Trail to the waterfall.

Natural Bridges NMon - Hike down (and back up) to the three bridges.

Rainbow Bridge NMon – Boat, then hike, to the monument.

Zion NP - Hike/Climb Angels Landing. Hike upriver to the Narrows in the Virgin River.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Buck Island Reef NMon – Snorkel inside the reef.

Salt River Bay Preserve – Take the night kayak tour to see bioluminescent microorganisms.

Virgin Islands NP – Snorkel at Trunk Bay with its underwater trail.

VIRGINIA

Blue Ridge Parkway – Drive any portion of the parkway.

Colonial NHP – Visit both Yorktown Battlefield and Jamestown Settlement.

Fort Monroe NMon – Drive into the fort, then tour the Casemate Museum.

Petersburg NB – Drive the 8-stop Eastern Front Battlefield Tour route.

WASHINGTON

Olympic NP – Drive to Hurricane Ridge and hike (especially when snow is still on the ground). Drive the Hoh Rain Forest road.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Walk to all the park units on the National Mall (from Capitol to Lincoln Memorial).

Take elevator to top of Washington Monument.

Ford’s Theater NHS – Take the self-guided tour, including Peterson House.

WEST VIRGINIA

Gauley River NRA – Take a white-water rafting trip.

Harper’s Ferry NHP – Walk across the train bridge to Maryland, then step on The AT, Potomac Heritage NST, and C&O Canal NHP.

New River Gorge NP – Drive route 82 down to the river, then under the New River Gorge Bridge.

WYOMING

Devils Tower NMon – Hike the Tower Trail and stop at Prairie Dog Town.

Grand Teton NP – Hike the Cascade Canyon and Hidden Lake trails.

Yellowstone NP – Hike the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail (Midway Geyser Basin).  Hike the Upper Geyser Basin loop trail.  Take Uncle Tom’s Trail to view Yellowstone Falls.  Hike Fairy Falls Trail.  Drive and hike around Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces. Be on the lookout for wildlife.

These are the other items which are higher up the priority list, in alphabetical order…

Acadia NP – Drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Acadia NP – Walk to Bar Island at low tide.

Big Bend NP – Hike the Boquillas Canyon Trail to the Rio Grande River.

Carl Sandburg Home NHS – Walk to the pasture to visit the goat herd.

Curecanti NRA – Drive to Morrow Point Dam Overlook.

Denali NP – Visit the sled dog kennels and watch a demonstration.

Edgar Allen Poe NHS – Look for the Black Cat in the basement.

G. Washington Birthplace NMon – Drive to the family cemetery.

Gateway NRA – Walk around the batteries at Fort Wadsworth.

Great Smoky Mountains NP – Hike to Laurel Falls.

Kenai Fjords NP – Drive to Exit Glacier and hike to overlook.

Lake Chelan NRA - Take bus to Rainbow Falls and the Bakery.

Lassen Volcanic NP - Hike to Bumpass Hell section.

Little Bighorn Battlefield NMon – Look for Custer’s headstone on the battlefield.

Mesa Verde NP – Hike the Far View Sites trail.

Moores Creek NB – See Venus flytraps.

North Cascades NP - Hike to Thornton Lake.

Obed Wild and Scenic River – Hike to Melton Mill waterfall.

Olympic NP – Hike along Rialto Beach to Hole-in-the-Wall.

Petroglyph NMon – Hike the trails at the Boca Negra site.

Pictured Rocks NL – Drive to Miners Castle Overlook, then go to Miners Beach to get in the water.

Pictured Rocks NL – Hike to Miners Falls and Mosquito Falls.

Redwoods NP - Stop at the “Big Tree”.

Rocky Mountain NP – Hike to the Alluvial Fan.

Sagamore Hill NHS – Drive to the family cemetery where Roosevelt is buried.

St. Paul’s Church NHS – Walk to the grave of Hessian soldiers.

San Antonio Missions NHP – Drive Mission auto-tour route and stop at each mission.

Springfield Armory NHS - Tour the gun displays in the VC.

Steamtown NHS – Tour the buildings and view the trains… take an excursion (in season).

Whiskeytown NRA – Pan for gold in the park (obtain permit from NPS).

Zion NP - Hike to Weeping Rock.