Exploring the National Parks

Picture yourself winding down switchbacks into a gaping hole in the Chihuahuan Desert, the air cooling with every step, until the trail opens into a space so big, it takes more than a mile to walk around it. 

That's Carlsbad Caverns, and it's our favorite cave in the entire national park system. In this episode, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about paying these caves a proper visit — including how to get into the cave now that so much has changed, plus a formation-by-formation scavenger hunt for the Natural Entrance Trail and the Big Room.

Your task for today: Head over to the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and tell us which Carlsbad Caverns formation you'd put at the top of your scavenger hunt list — Iceberg Rock, the Witch's Finger, the Bottomless Pit, or the rope dangling from the Spirit World!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-carlsbad-caverns-national-park/ 

White Sands National Park — the national park regarded for its rarity. While it looks like a snowfield, the desert sand actually holds quite a bit of history and geological wonder. 

In this episode, we're digging into the White Sands fun facts that rewrite what you thought you knew about New Mexico’s most famous park. From a mineral factory that shouldn't exist to footprints that are quietly rewriting the story of the first humans in North America, buckle up, because this will be a fun one!

Your task for today: Look up a satellite image of White Sands National Park and see if you can spot it from space, the same way astronauts use it as a landmark. Then share what other national park sights you think would be visible from orbit over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page.

Our Halloween tradition continues! This year, we're chasing three cryptid legends through the national parks – Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Lake Clark National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. 

Are these tales from the spookiest corners of the park fact or fiction? You’ll have to tune in to find out! 

Your task for today: Head over to the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and tell us which cryptid creeped you out the most!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/haunted-national-parks-vol-4

Picture cloud-white sand surrounding you on every side, with the Sacramento Mountains as your backdrop, and a sunset that turns everything a shade of pink and purple.

THAT’s the awe that is waiting for you at White Sands National Park. Well, that and some other fun activities like hiking through nature trails, and even sledding!

We’ll also take you through all the quirky rules this park has that no other national park does — and what makes White Sands so incredibly unique. 

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-white-sands-national-park/

We just spent three days in Zion National Park in the middle of summer, on purpose, in 105-degree heat. Why did we do that, you ask? Because we don’t want you to have to go through all the guesswork that comes with planning a trip to Zion National Park in the summer.

Your task for today: Have you hiked the Narrows or driven through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel? Tell us about it over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/zion-national-park-trip-report-2026/

Tennis-ball-sized hail, 100-degree heat, and a weather warning that caused us to miss the glamping trip we’d been looking forward to for weeks. We (almost) risked it all to make the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

In this episode, we're sharing everything we experienced at the brand-new library in Medora, North Dakota. This is a bit different than our usual content, but if you love Teddy Roosevelt as much as we do, and you’ve been keeping up with our Theodore Roosevelt National Park episodes, you’re in for a treat!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-opening/ 

This Grand Teton trip report is less about checklists and more about the pull of a place that gets passed down. On this visit, we brought our extended family — parents, siblings, and our four-month-old niece — back to Colter Bay for a summer built around making memories. 

During our stay, we adventured to String Lake, saw a rutting buffalo crossing at Elk Ranch Flats, and had a little detour that was unexpected, but proved to be one of the best parts of the trip. 

It’s different from our usual trip report, but we can’t think of any better way to spend time at Grand Teton National Park than with the people we love most!

Your task for today: Do you have a legacy park — a place your family keeps returning to, generation after generation? Tell us over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page. If you don't have one yet, let us know which park you want to claim as yours!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/grand-teton-trip-report/

Theodore Roosevelt National Park — it’s one of those national parks that doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves. But today, we’re fixing that! 

As the show title suggests, we’re taking you around the churned-up, colorful labyrinth of buttes in the quiet North Dakota prairie to share some of our favorite fun facts about Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

Your task for today: In the episode, we talked about the full list of lands Roosevelt protected through executive action. See if a forest, monument, or refuge near you made the cut, and tell us about it over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-fascinating-fun-facts-about-theodore-roosevelt-national-park/

Planning Your Own Theodore Roosevelt National Park Adventure?

We don’t like to rank national parks because we firmly believe that each one speaks to us all differently. However, there are some parks that end up being unexpected surprises, and quickly turn into lifelong favorites. Because of that, we’re crowning Theodore Roosevelt National Park as one of ours. 

Each time we visit, it just gets better and better. And in this episode, we're walking you through all three units of the park, all located in North Dakota, plus our favorite things to see, where to stop, and how we like to experience this hidden gem.

Your task for today: Which wildlife are you most excited to see in Theodore Roosevelt National Park: the wild horses, the rough-and-tumble bison, the very vocal prairie dogs, or something else? Tell us over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-theodore-roosevelt-national-park-best-tips-activities/

Planning your own Theodore Roosevelt National Park adventure?

Bison jams on the lower loop, a rainbow over the Lower Falls that felt like it was made just for us, prairie dog babies popping out of their burrows mid-traffic-stop, and of course, insane views — this is Yellowstone we’ve come to know and love. 

And it’s what we experienced on our latest trip there, yes, even in the summer! 

Prepare to be amazed, because even after several trips to America’s most well-known national park, there’s still so much to love. 

Your task for today: Have you been to Yellowstone and had one of those moments of pure amazement? Tell us about it over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page!

Don't miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/yellowstone-trip-report

Planning your own Yellowstone adventure?