See America

The following post is sponsored (and inspired) by the poster:


I love numbers, planning, organizing and things that can be somehow measured. Hence as much as I understand that traveling and sightseeing are not about crossing off places one visited, still having numerical data on the national parks and monuments in the US that I have visited during last 3.5 6.5 years appeals to my overly organized nature.

So here it is for my onanistic pleasure.

The United States has 58 59 national parks and 100 104 national monuments. The oldest national park is Yellowstone (established in 1872) and the youngest is Great Sand Dunes (2004) Pinnacles National Park (2013). Most national parks are located in Alaska and California (each has 8 eight and nine, respectively), followed by Utah (five) and Colorado (four).

I have been to 18 19 20 23 25 40 out of 58 59 national parks (to most more than ones, see the list below).

Parks of the Colorado Plateau:

Arches National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), and 2013 (summer)
Bryce Canyon National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2010 (summer), and 2012 (spring and winter)
Canyonlands National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), 2013 (summer)
Capitol Reef National Park - visited in 2008 (summer)
Grand Canyon National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2009 (spring), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and winter)
Great Basin National Park - I hope to visit it later this year; planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (spring)

Mesa Verde National Park - visited in 2008 (summer) and 2012 (winter)
Petrified Forest National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Saguaro National Park - we planned to visit it during our honeymoon, but changed our plans; maybe we will visit it during the spring of 2013  - visited in 2013 (spring)

Zion National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2012 (spring) and 2013 (winter)


Parks of the Southwest:

Big Bend National Park - not visited yet
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)


Parks of the Pacific Southwest:

National Park of American Samoa - not visited yet
Channel Islands National Park - not visited yet, maybe we will visit it this or next year visited in 2010 (fall)
Death Valley National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2011 (fall) and 2012 (spring)
Haleakala National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (spring)
Joshua Tree National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and fall)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Yosemite National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2009 (spring, summer, and fall), 2011 (spring and summer), 2012 (winter)
Pinnacles National Park - visited in 2008 (fall), 2011 (spring), and 2012 (fall)

Parks of the Pacific Northwest:

Crater Lake National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska visited in 2011 (summer) and 2012 (fall)
Lassen Volcanic National Park - hopefully we will visit it at the end of July visited in 2010 (summer)
Mount Rainier National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska visited in 2011 (summer)
North Cascades National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska
Olympic National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska visited in 2011 (summer)
Redwood National Park - visited in 2005 (spring) and 2011 (summer)


Parks of Alaska:
- None visited yet, likely we will visit some of them next year in 2013

Denali National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Katmai National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kenai Fjords National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park


Parks of the Rocky Mountains:

Badlands National Park - not yet - visited in 2013 (summer)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Grand Teton National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Great Sand Dunes National Park -visited in 2010 (summer)
Rocky Mountain National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Theodore Roosevelt National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Glacier National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Wind Cave National Park - planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)
Yellowstone National Park -- planned for 2013 - visited in 2013 (summer)


Parks of the East

Acadia National Park - not explored yet at all
Biscayne National Park - visited in 2011/2012 (winter)
Congaree National Park - not explored yet at all
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - not explored yet at all
Dry Tortugas National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Everglades National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - not explored yet at all
Hot Springs National Park - not explored yet at all
Isle Royale National Park - not explored yet at all
Mammoth Cave National Park - not explored yet at all
Shenandoah National Park - not explored yet at all
Virgin Islands National Park - not explored yet at all
Voyageurs National Park - not explored yet at all


I've also been to 20 29 35 out of 100 104 103 national monuments. In the alphabetical order: Aztec Ruins, NM, Bandelier, NM, Cabrillo, CA, California Coastal, CA, Canyon de Chelly, AZ, Canyons of the Ancients, CO, Carrizo Plain, CA, Casa Grande Ruins, AZ, Cedar Breaks, UH, Chiricahua, AZ, Colorado, CO, Devil's Postpile, CA, Devils Tower, WY, Giant Sequoia, CA, Grand Staircase-Escalante, UH, Hovenweep, CO+UH, Jewel Cave, SD, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM, Lava Beds, CA, Montezuma Castle, AZ, Mount St. Helens, WA, Muir Woods, CA, Natural Bridges, UH, Navajo, AZ, Pinnacles, CA, Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ, Rainbow Bridge, UH, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, CA, Sonoran Desert, AZ, Sunset Crater Volcano, AZ, Tuzigoot, AZ, Vermilion Cliffs, AZ, Walnut Canyon, AZ, White Sands, NM, World War II Valor in the Pacific (HI part), Wupatki, AZ). I've also been to 3 5 out of 18 national preserves (Denali, AZ, Katmai, AZ, Great Sand Dunes, CO; Mojave, CA; Big Cypress), 6 out of 46 national historic parks (Boston NHP, MA, Chaco Culture NHP, NM, Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP, HI, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP, HI, San Francisco Maritime NHP, CA, Lewis and Clark NHP, OR), 5 out of 18 national recreation areas (Glen Canyon NRA, UH+AZ, Lake Mead NRA, NV+AZ, Golden Gate NRA, CA, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, CA, Whiskeytown NRA, CA), 1 out of 10 national seashores (Point Reyes, CA), and to none of 4 national lakeshores, 5 national rivers, 10 national wild and scenic rivers, 3 national reserves, 9 national parkways.

Actually, I do not aspire to see most of those places (e.g. majority of the historic sites sound pretty boring to me...), but I guess I would love to see all of the national parks. It looks like it will be a 10-year project!

Moreover, I would love to visit all 20 21 World Heritage Sites located in the US. As 13 of them are national parks, it shouldn't be too difficult. (The national parks on the list are: Carlsbad Caverns, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes, Mammoth Cave, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Olympic, Redwood, Glacier, Wrangell-Glacier Bay NPs).

Remaining 7 8 positions on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are:

Pueblo de Taos, NM - visited in 2010
Chaco Culture, NM - visited in 2012
Statue of Liberty
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, IL
Independence Hall
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
Papahānaumokuākea
So far I've been to 9 12 out of 21 of World Heritage Sites, and I hope to be able to visit remaining 12 9 within next 5 years.