As our dedicated readers have realized by now, I am quite enamored with the National Parks of the US. In fact I have a goal to visit them all! If you missed it, there was an earlier post on National Parks and Seashores of the East as well as Camping Out West. To celebrate the 99th birthday of the National Park Service (can’t wait for the 100th), I’m bringing you more inspiration about a couple of National Parks of the West. Our country is so beautiful so hopefully this post inspires you to add at least one more park to your list.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park wasn’t really on my radar until last year when my husband and I were deciding where to travel on a long weekend trip. It’s only a two hour drive from LA and 45 minutes from Palm Springs, but you feel like you’re a world away from civilization once you get out in the desert. Joshua Trees are so named because they reminded early Mormon settlers of the prophet, with their branches raised heavenward. You’ll also see yuccas and ocotillos in this meeting place of the Mojave and Sonora deserts. We entered the park via the Southern entrance at Cottonwood Visitor Center and were instantly amazed by the vast desert scenes along the stretch we first drove.  Our first stop at Cholla Cactus Garden introduced us to cholla, which look like you’d want to hug them, but don’t try!

Most of the scenic stops are concentrated on Park Boulevard and include Jumbo Rocks, Keys View, and the one-mile Hidden Valley loop trail. There’s plenty to do including hiking, biking, and rock climbing. Don’t miss the short Skull Rock Trail near Jumbo Rocks, where you’ll see the famous rock that looks like a skull, or the sunset, which is pretty spectacular in the desert. Make sure you plan your visit during the cooler period (October-May) and bring lots of water since it’s the desert, and cell phone signal is hard to come by.

Hawai’i VolcanoES National Park

My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii in October 2013, and one of the main reasons I chose the Big Island over Kauai was a desire to go see a volcano! Because of the government shutdown, it was touch and go for a while as to whether the park would be open during our stay, so you can imagine my immense relief when it reopened! It absolutely did not disappoint. I loved seeing the fumes from the lava during the day, but the highlight was to see the lava glow from the vent within Halema’uma’u Crater at night from the Jaggar Museum. Driving Crater Rim and Chain of Craters roads through the park allows you to see all the different scenery available in the park- from the caldera to the desert and more.

My favorite activity was hiking the 4 mile Kīlauea Iki loop trail which takes you through a rain forest and then onto the crater floor where you find a lava lake, steam vents, cinder and spatter cones. Many people do the national park as a day trip from Kona, Hilo or elsewhere on the island but we really enjoyed our stay in the town of Volcano, and because of the weather (lots of rain), it afforded us the opportunity to enter the park multiple times.

Which of the two parks in today’s post sound most interesting to you? Any recommendations on which national park of the West I should visit next?

Stephanie at A Friend Afar

Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.