The 63 national parks across the U.S. attract visitors from across the world. Some to enjoy breathtaking vistas and up-close wildlife, and others to make memories with friends and family or take adventures of personal discovery.
National park-goers shared some of those memories and moments on Twitter this week in honor of National Park Week, which runs through Sunday and is celebrated by the National Park Foundation each April.
President Joe Biden asked to hear of favorite national park memories in a tweet Wednesday: “America’s national parks are irreplaceable treasures. They amaze us, inspire us, fill us with pride, and belong to all of us in equal measure. This National Park Week, I want to hear about your favorite memory at one of our national parks. Share by replying to this tweet.”
America’s national parks are irreplaceable treasures. They amaze us, inspire us, fill us with pride, and belong to all of us in equal measure. This National Park Week, I want to hear about your favorite memory at one of our national parks. Share by replying to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/oI7xXpUCQd
Many people responded with photos and memories. Here are some of our favorites:
Twitter user Chris Herbert said a 2017 trip to Yosemite National Park in California was one of the “highlight memories of my life.”
In 2017 my best friend and I drove to @YosemiteNPS and it is still one of the highlight memories of my life. So much beauty in such a large place. pic.twitter.com/ZlW3ELZoTF
Twitter user @Janjr581 reminisced about camping trips with her husband and three sons at Sequoia National Park in California, and though her husband died in September, “the memories he made with the boys will be with them always.”
My three sons who are now 36 (twins) and 35. My husband loved to camp, especially Sequoia National Park and he loved sharing that experience with our sons. He passed away last Sept. and the memories he made with the boys will be with them always. pic.twitter.com/zp1jS1WeZp
Kaz Weida’s daughter dipped her feet in the water at Glacier National Park in Montana, and a favorite photo was born.
My favorite picture of our daughter was taken in Glacier National Park. We absolutely could not convince her to go out on the lake in a canoe. But after an hour of cajoling, I got her to roll up her pants and dip her feet in.
This is her face the moment she first felt the water pic.twitter.com/OFNoxKpwzY
Staci Ortiz Davis shared photos from a Grand Canyon camping trip in Arizona on the first anniversary of her husband’s death with the hashtags #healing #hisrequest and #grief.
Hiked to the bottom & camped on the 1-year anniversary of my husband’s passing. Earned my Junior Ranger Badge doing so. For @DavidDavisHD#NationalParksWeek#GrandCanyon#hisrequest@GrandCanyonNPS#myfavoritepark#getoutdoors#healing#grief#npspic.twitter.com/VoxnB6Ik1f
Twitter user @mg_boulder shared a photo of her then 7-year-old hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park in Utah on “the best adventure.”
Another favorite memory is hiking the Narrows in Zion NP with my then 7-year-old. I didn’t think she’d last long, but I thought it would be fun to try. She lasted 4 hours! And she kept stopping to jump off rocks into pools and to swim in currents. We had the best adventure. ? pic.twitter.com/VG8ZvwOYf7
@JoJOFromJerz spent summer days at the beaches of Gateway National Park in New Jersey and now takes her own children there.
As a Jersey girl, I am partial to Gateway National Park.
I grew up spending my summer days at those beaches with my family, and now I take my own kids there.
Here are my little ones on a stormy late spring afternoon.
The sky was out of this world.
Felt like a Spielberg film. pic.twitter.com/G91Zv8UAvo
Ashley Gebb got engaged at Lassen National Park in California during a night hike to watch the Perseids meteor shower.
My husband proposed to me on the top of Mt. Lassen at @LassenNPS during a night hike to watch the Perseids. Clouds blocked the annual sky show but he made his own shooting stars ??? We celebrate 5 years of marriage and 18 years together this fall. pic.twitter.com/VqNc1HzZeT
Allison Miller Johnson experienced a turning point in a cancer battle on a 13-mile hike in Glacier National Park.
Only six months before this trip to Glacier, I had completed chemo for a cancer recurrence. Afraid I’d never get my strength back and that my days were few, this moment, about 8 miles into a 13-mile hike, was a turning point. I’ve been living (instead of dying) ever since. pic.twitter.com/R324gaojDP
@showmeadventure called a trip to the Grand Canyon with mom “life changing.”
First time wandering around the Grand Canyon was life changing especially since I was able to share the great memories with my mother! #EarthDay2021#GrandCanyon#NationalParkWeekpic.twitter.com/tYXJLtJrNm
Top-searched national parks by state
Biden wasn’t the only one to call out national parks on Twitter this week. Google Trends tweeted out a map that showed top-searched national parks by state over the past two weeks.
Most of the search traffic came from states in close driving distance to the highlighted parks, for instance, states in the Southwest, including Utah, Arizona and Nevada, searched for Zion National Park in Utah, and states in the Northeast, including, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, searched for Acadia National Park in Maine.
But Yellowstone National Park, which sits in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, was the top-searched park for 20 states across the country from as far away as New York and New Jersey.
Happy #NationalParkWeek ?️ pic.twitter.com/9WBiRkF003
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