Top 10 Places to See

Our Top 10 Places You Should Visit

If you've ever wondered where we think you should go first, you're in luck — you've found it! Below is our list of the top 10 places we think are absolutely worth the trip.

1 - Bryce Canyon

Location: Utah
Coordinates: 37°35′N 112°11′W / 37.583°N 112.183°W
Established: February 25, 1928
Website: nps.gov/brca
Phone: (435) 834-5322

Internet Service: We've used different services here in the past, both inside and outside the park. We'll update this next time we're there.

Dogs Allowed: Inside the park, dogs are allowed on any paved surface — unfortunately, that means no trails into the canyon.

Helpful Hint: There's a limited number of free camping spots just outside the park. No check-in needed — it's first come, first served, and you can stay up to 14 days.

2 - Alaska

Not exactly one location, but we enjoyed the whole trip! We may break this down into specific spots in the future, but for now, we're taking the easy way out.

Location: Alaska

Internet Service: Had a pretty good connection with Starlink throughout.

Dogs Allowed: Yes, depending on where you go.

Helpful Hint: Take your time traveling here — this was more of a first exploratory trip for us, since we know we'll be back.

3 - Acadia

Location: Maine

Coordinates: 44.3593° N, 68.2397° W

Established: February 26, 1919 (renamed Acadia in 1929)

Website: nps.gov/acad

Phone: (207) 288-3338

Internet Service: Did not try to connect.

Dogs Allowed: Yes — Acadia is one of the more dog-friendly national parks, with dogs allowed on 100 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads (on a leash no longer than 6 feet). A few steep or ladder trails aren't recommended for pets, so check the park website before heading out.

Helpful Hint: Get to trailheads early — the parking lots fill up.

4 - Grand Teton

Location: Wyoming

Coordinates: 43.7904° N, 110.6818° W

Established: February 26, 1929

Website: nps.gov/grte

Phone: (307) 739-3399

Internet Service: Had a good connection with Verizon. AT&T was spotty, and we couldn't connect at all with T-Mobile.

Dogs Allowed: No, but they are allowed on the surrounding Bridger-Teton trails unless otherwise posted.

Helpful Hint: There's free camping down the road from the park. Take a left out of the park, and a ways down you'll find a road on the right leading to a camping area. You can stay up to 5 nights, no check-in required.

5 - Zion

Location: Utah

Coordinates: 37°18′N 113°00′W / 37.300°N 113.000°W

Established: November 19, 1919

Website: nps.gov/zion

Phone: (435) 772-3256

Internet Service: Did not try to connect.

Dogs Allowed: On the Pa'rus Trail.

Helpful Hint: Parking can fill up quickly if you arrive later in the morning. Consider parking in town and taking the shuttle, or walking in from near the equipment rental. Bring water and stay within your limits when choosing which trails to hike.

6 - Oregon Trail

Not exactly one location, but we see the trail as a must-travel. See our Oregon Trail page for more details.

Location: Starts in Independence, MO
Coordinates: 39.0911° N, 94.4155° W
Established: N/A
Website: nps.gov/oreg
Phone: N/A
Internet Service: Dependent on location, but had pretty good service along the way using Verizon.
Dogs Allowed: Dependent on where you are.
Helpful Hint: Take your time — there's a lot to see along the way.

7 - Badlands

Location: South Dakota

Coordinates: 43°45′N 102°30′W / 43.750°N 102.500°W

Established: November 10, 1978

Website: nps.gov/badl

Phone: (605) 433-5361

Internet Service: Had a good connection, though not sure whether it was Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.

Dogs Allowed: Not sure about the trails since we weren't there for that, but they're fine around camp and outside the park. Watch out for bison and other animals.

Helpful Hint: There's some free camping down a gravel road — you'll drive for a while and it'll be on the left, first come first served, no check-in needed. There's also a spot on a road to the left, right before the park entrance coming from Wall Drug — that's our go-to every time we come this way now.