Plan ahead, so you can enjoy the moment.
Structured, field-tested itineraries for busy people who want to experience national parks the right way—without wasting time figuring it out.
Glacier • Mesa Verde •Olympic • Redwood
Olympic National Park
A structured, flexible itinerary covering the mountains, coastline, and rainforest so you can see the best parts of Olympic without wasting time or overplanning every moment.
Includes timing, routing, and backup options so you don’t have to figure it out on the fly.
Glacier National Park
A structured, flexible 2-day itinerary designed around how Glacier actually works—timing, parking, and access—so you can see the highlights without wasting time.
Includes route planning, shuttle strategy, and built-in flexibility for changing conditions.
Redwood National Park
A 2-day plan to experience Redwood’s quiet, otherworldly forests and coastline—without overpacking your days or repeating the same groves.
Includes intentional route planning, clear decision points, and flexibility to focus on the experience—not just the stops.
Mesa Verde National Park
A practical 2-day Mesa Verde plan built around tour timing, reservations, and the cliff dwellings that are actually worth prioritizing, so you can experience the park without awkward scheduling or rushed days.
Includes intentional route planning, practical decision points, and built-in flexibility to help you focus more on the experience and less on figuring out logistics.
What is the “40 Parks Before 40” project?
I set a goal during the pandemic to visit 40 national parks before turning 40. I’ve visited 25 so far—and built a system for planning trips that are structured, flexible, and actually enjoyable once you’re there.
How is this different from other travel sites?
Most national park content shows you what’s possible—but not what’s practical, especially if you only have a few days.
You’ll see long lists of things to do or perfectly curated highlight reels, but it’s often unclear how those days actually fit together, how long things take, or what’s realistically worth your time.
I approach trips differently.
These itineraries are built from real trips, not just research or recommendations. They’re designed for people who don’t have unlimited time—who are planning around work, limited PTO, and real schedules.
The focus is on execution: how to structure your days so they actually work, without wasting time or overpacking your itinerary.
I’m clear about tradeoffs—what’s worth prioritizing, what you can skip, and where trying to do too much starts to take away from the experience.
Everything is designed around real conditions: time, distance, crowds, and energy all factored in. And built to stay flexible, so you can adjust once you’re there.
After visiting 25+ national parks, I’m less interested in doing everything—and more interested in doing the right things well.
Comments, questions, or feedback?
Send me a quick note!