Women Who Travel Podcast: How to Choose a National Park

LA: Yes, I was going to, well, I have to noodle on mine and I will not reveal them right away, but Acadia is up there for me.

MS: Yeah, it’s just I think having grown up in California, moving to New York, and then seeing that if you keep driving towards Canada, there’s this dramatic coastline that still feels similar and different from Northern California, which is very nostalgic for me, but the kind of rocky outcroppings going into the ocean, forests right up to the beach kind of thing. I think Acadia is gorgeous in that way.

LA: Well, I actually saw Big Sur before I saw Maine, and when I went to Maine for the first time and went to Acadia and was driving along the coast to get there, to me I was like, oh, this is the Big Sur of the East Coast. This is equally as kind of rugged and dramatic and beautiful and still feels quite untouched and peaceful, even though obviously it’s a very, very well-trafficked national park and is next to a bustling tourist town, Bar Harbor, which is a destination in its own right.

MS: Definitely. And the third national park that I love is Redwoods. My earliest childhood memories are being dragged on camping or park trips where I just think my parents really wanted to show us the beautiful nature that California had. And I think seeing these gigantic trees that your car can drive through some of them, they’re just so big-

LA: And so old.

MS: They’re so old, they’re so tall. And I think to be a small child and look up and just be like, I have to lean my neck so far back, I’m going to fall over trying to see this thing, is amazing.

LA: It’s funny because I think in a sort of relatively self-deprecating, but also I’m not going to say narrow-minded way, but maybe unseeing way, a lot of Americans say, “Well, we don’t really have anything old here.” And you have some of the most ancient trees in the world.

MS: Some redwoods can live up to 4,000 years old. They are one of the oldest things in the country, which is kind of amazing.

LA: Beautiful.

As I said, I need a minute to think about mine, but we will get back to what parks and where my parks are, I promise. How do you choose? Obviously everyone is different and going to be looking for different experiences. What are some basic criteria if you’re choosing a park and planning a trip to ask yourself about as you’re making these decisions, things for people to remember?

MS: So I would think about the group that you’re traveling with, if you’re not going alone. Everyone has different fitness levels, mobility needs, and when we’re talking about summer, some of these parks are very hot, which not only can be physically difficult for some people, but not always enjoyable. So just thinking about what you’re actually up for.