63rd National Park!
17 years.
9 months.
16 days.
That’s how long it took—from my very first National Park visit to Haleakalā National Park to my “final” park: National Park of American Samoa.
From March 7, 2008 to December 23, 2025.
My quest is complete.
I had always imagined this moment differently. I expected tears of joy, or some overwhelming wave of emotion that would hit me all at once. I’ve replayed this milestone in my head so many times that I thought I knew exactly how it would feel.
Instead—there were no tears.
Just smiles. And a lot of positive vibes.
When I walked into the Visitor Center, I greeted the ranger on duty and immediately began scanning for merch—magnets, stickers, t-shirts and of course my final patch.
As I was trying on shirts, I casually mentioned to the ranger:
“I’ll take both… because this park is a special one for me—it’s my 63rd.”
Her eyes lit up. She smiled, congratulated me, and asked if I wanted my picture taken. Of course I did.
The park prints a certificate of completion for visiting all 63 National Parks, and they photograph you holding it to share on their social channels. Next month, my face will be on their Meta accounts (Instagram and Facebook), holding that certificate. I already knew they did this—I’ve followed every one of the National Parks social accounts for years—and I was thrilled they still keep this tradition alive.
The entire Visitor Center experience took about 40 minutes.
From there, we headed to the actual park boundary—the Visitor Center itself isn’t technically inside the park. Once we reached the entrance sign, I took photo after photo, trying different angles and compositions. I wanted options. I wanted the one—the image that would memorialize this moment forever.
Inside the park, we spent time at one of the most spectacular beaches I’ve ever seen. Cool blue water. Waves crashing against a rocky shoreline. Palm trees lining the coast. Steep, dramatic cliffs covered in lush green vegetation. It was the perfect place to sit with the reality that this long-term quest had finally come full circle.
Over the next two days, we fully explored the island. We snorkeled. We lounged in the sun. We ate local cuisine. We watched sunrises and sunsets by the water.
I don’t know if I’ll ever make it back to American Samoa.
But even in a short visit, I feel like we experienced something special.
It’s hard to put into words how impactful this idea—this decision to see all the National Parks—has been on my life. What started as simple curiosity turned into a passion, and that passion ultimately shaped who I’ve become.
When I began, I didn’t even know if I’d finish. I just wanted to start. I wanted to visit the places that looked most spectacular—the ones I’d heard about while watching The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, which inspired me to begin this journey in the first place.
As the count climbed—10 parks, then 20, then 30—it started to feel more real. Still distant, but no longer abstract.
Had I avoided revisiting the parks I loved most, maybe this journey wouldn’t have taken so long. But I wouldn’t change that for anything. I never set out to visit each park exactly once. That idea makes no sense. Many of these places could take an entire lifetime to truly explore.
These National Park visits have filled my memory banks with the most incredible experiences I could have imagined.
And I’m genuinely grateful that I made this a life goal.
The mountains called.
I answered.
And somehow, along the way, they gave me everything I didn’t know I was looking for.
