Nature
Zion National Park was the trip that changed everything. A Marine Corps assignment out west put it in reach, and that landscape made it impossible to think about hiking the same way again. Ever since, chasing the next trail has been my favorite way to unplug. The whole point is earning the views you can’t see from the parking lot.
The Big Goal
All 63, one trip at a time
I’m slowly working my way through every U.S. National Park. Fifteen down, plenty of road-trip miles to go. Each one is a marker on the map below.
15 of 63 national parks visited
How I Get Out There
Most weekends, somewhere on a trail
Day hikes are my default reset button. Close to home that usually means Hocking Hills or Red River Gorge; when travel allows, it means somewhere with a bigger payoff. I’ll always take the route with varied terrain (ridgelines, forests, and water) over the flat, easy one.
Carrying everything I need
Multi-day trips are where it gets interesting: route planning, managing weight, reading conditions, and solving problems miles from the nearest road. That navigation, gear discipline, and stay-calm-in-the-field mindset is the same one I lean on doing network operations with the Marine Corps, just with a better view.
Landmarks & scenic detours
Not every trip is a summit. Some of my favorite stops have been the detours : Monument Valley, the Valley of Fire, a slow drive through Moab, the kind of places worth pulling over for.