It seems a bit counter-intuitive to be making a list of Top Posts of 2020.
I mean, does 2020 really make the “top list” of anything? Maybe the “Top Years We’re Glad to Be Leaving Behind?”
Since the very beginning of the pandemic, someone mentioned online we’re all navigating the same storm, just in different boats. That’s stuck with us through adjusting to a full-time work from home lifestyle, the civil unrest near our home in St. Paul, and through friends and family members battling the virus.
What a year we’ve all journeyed through together.
Yet as we wrap up the end of the year, our hearts are full of hope and gratitude that our own personal boat was left mostly untouched in the storm. Gratitude weighted by sorrow for all those who have not weathered as well.
But because we believe that the skies are beginning to lighten and that there’s a chance of safely returning to #parkchasing in 2021, we’re still posting our Top Posts of 2020 list this year.
Our 2020 Highlights
Here are some of our highlights from a stormy 2020:
- The National Park Service added 4 new units in 2020 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, District of Columbia; Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument, Kentucky; Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, Missouri; Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Mississippi). That’s 4 more places we’re adding to our #parkchasing list!
- Just before the pandemic hit in March, we crossed off an additional 10 parks on our list during a Midwest National Park Road Trip. We didn’t know at the time it would be our only trip in 2020 and are so grateful for the opportunity.
- The community of national park creatives came together in some big ways this year. First as the National Park Creative Exchange to celebrate April’s National Park Week. Then, we joined as the Midwest Ambassadors for Hello Ranger, a new website and app dedicated to the parks. Finally, to highlight the need for greater equality in the parks in a new DiverseNPS series.
- Parkchasers.com got a makeover! In the second half of 2020, Parkchasers.com underwent a major transformation including a new site design, speed upgrades, and some improvements to make it easier to find your next park adventure. We learned a lot more about web design than we thought was possible and there’s still more to come in 2021. But excited by where we’ve come since launching the site in 2015.
Park Chasers Top Posts of 2020
And finally, what you came for. Our Top Posts of 2020
We hope you enjoy looking back on a year of travel and storytelling as much as we have this week. We are so grateful that you choose to share your love of the national parks and part of your time with us each week.
Here are the posts you all loved the most this year:
The Best National Park Podcasts to Listen to In 2020
Are you looking for the year’s best national park podcasts? You’ve come to the right place! For the 2nd year in a row, we’ve put
Planning a Midwest National Park Road Trip
In just a few weeks we’ll be starting out on another #parkchasing adventure. This time we’re embarking on a Midwest national park road trip. It
The Most Visited National Parks in 2019
Get that drumroll ready. It’s time to find out who holds the honors on the list of Most Visited National Parks in 2019! Every year
The Least Visited National Parks in 2019
Have you ever wondered about the least visited national parks? Every year in early March National Park Service publishes visitor statistics from the prior year.
Visit All The National Parks in Missouri
We know the burning question you’re all asking today. Hey Parkchasers, what’s the best way to visit all the national parks in Missouri? Wait, not
BARK Ranger Day with Grandma Joy’s Road Trip
Can you believe we’ve made it to the end of National Park Week? We’re so excited to be celebrating this year’s BARK Ranger Day with
14 National Park Forts to Fall in Love With
Did you know that more than 80 different units in the National Park Service preserve and protect a fort? National park forts have become some
Hiking Hot Springs National Park: The Gulpha Gorge Trail
One of the things we loved most about our time in Hot Springs National Park was the hiking trails. The trails here are old, many
Park Chaser Profile: Our Wander-Filled Life
Hiking on a snow-covered trail in Chiricahua National Monument – Photo Credit: Our Wander-Filled Life We’re so excited to be kicking off another year of
A Park Chaser’s Guide to Ozark National Scenic Riverways
For every national park unit we plan to visit, there’s a certain amount of research that goes into what to see and do. Websites, blog
A very special thanks to everyone who dropped in our little corner of the world this year. If you didn’t see your favorite posts on our Top Posts of 2020 list, drop us a note in the comments below. We’d love to hear what you enjoyed most this year.
Cheers to the end of 2020 and more #parkchasing adventures in the new year!
Greg & Amy
aka “The Park Chasers”
