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02/04/2026

The wildlife episode is ON! 🦬 If seeing animals in the wild is at the top of your national park wish list, this podcast episode is for you.

In the newest release of Exploring the National Parks, John and I break down where to go for the best wildlife viewing in the U.S. and why some parks are in a league of their own.

Tune in to hear:
• our favorite parks for wildlife overall (spoiler: Alaska plays by different rules)
• where to go for specific animals like wolves, grizzlies, moose, bison, and black bears
• the best national parks for sea life including manatees and whales you can hear from your room!
• unexpected parks for incredible sightings like condors, bats, bighorn sheep, and birds

Wildlife viewing isn’t about luck! It’s about timing, location, and knowing where to look.

👇🏼 Tell us: What animal have you not seen yet that’s at the top of your national park bucket list?

Ready to listen? COMMENT ➡️ ENP and I’ll send you the episode!

Save this post, swipe through the parks, and listen to the full episode on the Exploring the National Parks podcast wherever you tune in.

02/02/2026

Planning summer trips and hikes already? Same.

If wildflowers are on your list, these parks absolutely shine in mid-summer:

🥾 Mount Rainier — endless meadows filled with lupine and paintbrush
🥾 Grand Teton — valley wildflowers with dramatic mountain backdrops
🥾 Glacier — short alpine summers = intense bursts of color

Timing matters with wildflowers. Snowpack, elevation, and weather all play a role, so peak bloom can shift year to year, but when you hit it right, it’s magic.

Tell me👇🏼 your favorite parks for flowers or what park is on your bucket list?

Save this for trip planning and follow for seasonal park tips from a former park ranger.

01/28/2026

Thinking about visiting Death Valley this winter? Good news: most visitors can still have an incredible trip!!

If you’ve checked the NPS website, you’ve probably seen a long list of road closures. While that can look alarming, the truth is that most of those closures affect remote backcountry roads, not the main sights most visitors come to see.

Here’s what that actually means for your trip ⬇️

🚗 What’s open and accessible
• CA-190, the main east–west road through the park
• Iconic viewpoints like Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• Mosaic Canyon
• Artists Drive
• Badwater Basin
• Badwater Road - PARTIALLY OPEN
• Many classic pullouts, overlooks, and short hikes along the main corridor

🚧 What’s still closed
• Titus Canyon
• Westside Road
• Twenty Mule Team Canyon
• North Highway
• Lower Wildrose Road (closed long term)
• Salt Creek (boardwalk damaged)

Here’s the key takeaway: even with these closures, you can still see a lot of Death Valley’s highlights. Most first-time visitors naturally focus on the paved roads and major viewpoints anyway, and those are largely back open.

This winter, plan your visit around CA-190. You’ll get sweeping desert views, incredible sunrises and sunsets, short scenic walks, and that classic Death Valley feeling without needing backcountry access.

My advice:
✔️ Stick to paved main roads
✔️ Check conditions right before you go
✔️ Save the more remote areas for a future trip

Death Valley is still very much worth visiting this winter — it just looks a little different than it did before the floods.

01/21/2026

SWIPE ➡️ We’re back with our first podcast episode of 2026! 🎙️

If you’re new here 👋🏼 hi, welcome! I’m Ash, a former national park ranger, and together with my husband, John, we host the Exploring the National Parks podcast, where we break down parks in a way that actually helps you plan a great trip.

We’re kicking off the year with Saguaro National Park, a park that’s wildly underrated and surprisingly diverse.

In this episode, we talk about:
• why Saguaro feels like two completely different parks
• the best time of day (and year) to visit
• where to stay, what to hike, and how to plan your days
• and how to decide which side of the park is right for you

Tell us:
🌅 Are you a West Saguaro person who loves quieter trails and sunset vibes?
🌵 Or an East Saguaro person chasing the biggest, oldest saguaros you can find?

Comment NPpodcast (all one word), and I’ll send the episode straight to your DMs. Be sure to subscribe so get notified each time we release a new episode!

And if you love national parks, trip planning, and insider tips, you’re in the right place! Follow and let’s plan some adventures!

Address

26611 U.S. Highway 385
Hot Springs, SD
57747

Website

https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/

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