122: Best National Parks for Teenagers!

Exploring the National Parks

Dirt In My Shoes

Science, Society & Culture:places & Travel, Nature, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.8 • 653 Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we're diving into a topic near and dear to many parents' hearts: finding the perfect national park for your teenagers! We're sharing our top picks and strategies for turning those eye-rolls into awe-some moments and Instagram-worthy adventures on epic trails. If you're looking to spark a love for the outdoors in your teens, this episode is packed with our insights and recommendations! Join us as we discuss… Why teens can actually be the perfect national park partners What truly makes a national park "teen-approved" like epic adventures and Instagrammable moments Why we consider parks like Zion, Mammoth Cave, and Grand Canyon to be prime destinations for an unforgettable teen adventure How to pick the national park that best suits your teenager's personality and interests The experiences Denali and North Cascades offer, from wildlife spotting to landscapes that will grab their attention Our tips for "warming up" teenagers to outdoor recreation, even if they're hesitant at first Why this list offers fresh ideas beyond the usual suspects and focuses on parks that will resonate with teenagers We hope this episode gives you plenty of ideas for your next national park adventure with your teens! Remember, the goal is to create memorable experiences that foster a love for the outdoors. Today’s Task: If you've taken your teenagers to a park they've raved about, we'd love to hear about it! Head over to the Dirt In My Shoes Facebook or Instagram pages and chime in on our post. For a full summary of this episode, links to things we mentioned, and free resources and deals to get your trip-planning started, check out the full show notes. Getting ready for a trip to Zion, Denali, or another national park? Check out our free resources, including more podcast episodes, a master reservation list, a national park checklist, and a trip packing list to keep your trip planning stress-free! Zion Podcast Episodes Denali Free Resources Master Reservation List National Park Checklist National Park Trip Packing List

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you're trying to warm up your teenager to outdoor adventure, this is the park to take them to.
0:09.0	Because not only does it just have epic adventures, but it's also like, they're going to care about this.
0:17.1	It's Instagramable.
0:18.7	So Instagramable. Yeah.
0:22.9	This is the Exploring the National Parks podcast with Dirt in My Shoes.
0:28.0	My name is Ash and I'm a former park ranger and the founder of Dirt in My Shoes.
0:32.2	I think that the parks are best seen from the trail and I'm here to make National Park
0:37.0	Trip Planning easy. And I'm John. I carry the kids on the trail and I'm here to make national park trip planning easy.
0:38.5	And I'm John. I carry the kids on the trails, tell stories, and notice all the things that
0:43.1	Ash doesn't care about much, like flowers. Join us as we show you around America's spectacular
0:49.9	national parks. We're sharing our favorite places, fun facts, adventures, and misadventures.
0:55.4	And we'll even throw in a little trip planning. Let's start exploring.
1:04.4	So we're coming to the end of the summer and I have to tell everybody that I am so excited because
1:13.6	this is the first year that all of my fruit trees are fruiting. I have spent so many years
1:25.0	nurturing and loving two peach trees and two apple trees. And this is the first
1:31.6	time that all of them at the same time are returning that love with fruit. John hugs them every
1:40.4	morning and whispers sweet nothings to them.
1:45.4	Listen, I don't do that.
1:46.8	They've been very fickle these past few years.
1:49.8	It's like I was dating ash all over again.
1:53.2	This wasn't returning the same, you know, attention that I was giving them.
1:58.7	You do love your trees.
	...

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