Hi, my name is Eric. 👋
I’ve been drawn to the outdoors for as long as I can remember. As a kid, nothing made me happier than being in the woods — camping, hiking, or spending time outside as a Scout. Somewhere along the way, being out in nature stopped being a hobby and became a core part of who I am.
My first National Park visit was in 2008, on the summit of Haleakalā. A year later, my brothers and I backpacked through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and that trip is what truly hooked me on backpacking and the mountains.
In 2009, the Ken Burns series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea came out, and I decided right then: I’m going to visit all of the National Parks.
I started planning a two-week trip to Yellowstone and Glacier for the summer of 2010, and it became one of the most memorable, formative experiences of my life. After that, I was all-in.
Since then, I’ve visited 62 of the 63 U.S. National Parks across 180+ individual park visits. The parks have shaped me in countless ways — through moments of awe, challenge, silence, and connection.
My favorite National Park is Yosemite. There’s something about that valley — the granite, the waterfalls, the giant sequoias, the light, the way the air changes when the sun drops behind the walls. I’ve stood in front of Half Dome as it glowed orange, watched moonlight spill across the meadows, and felt that unmistakable pull in my chest that says, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
I return to Yosemite more often than anywhere else. It feels less like a place and more like a part of my story.
I’ll finish the final National Park — #63 — in late 2025.
When I’m out in wild places, I bring a camera everywhere. I love capturing timelapses, glowing alpenglow, quiet trail moments, wildlife encounters, and single-shot long exposures under dark skies. Photography is how I share the feeling these places give me.
Thanks for being here and following along on the journey.
Eric — MountainsCalling.me