One place that I KNEW I had to visit in Colorado is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Located about 3 1/2 hours south of Denver, I made this a stop along the way to Durango. Here’s how I spent one day in this park and why Great Sand Dunes National Park is worth a visit.

I’d been to Grand Canyon National Park a few times on various road trips and made the stop along the way. I’ve gotten out of the car and snapped the obligatory Instagram-worthy pics and then hopped right back in the car. But that’s not truly experiencing this magnificent park and seeing it in all of its glory. That’s why when I had the opportunity to take an REI adventure tour flying over the canyon and then hiking into it, I jumped at the chance.

National parks were not super on my radar yet. My dad and I planned a long road trip for the move to California and THAT’S where I started to get it. We stopped in Moab and took pictures at Arches National Park, we took back roads to drive through part of Rocky Mountain National Park, we stopped at the Grand Canyon to take in all of the wonder and man did it spark something in me!

Yosemite Ziplines and Adventures is a family-owned and operated ziplining ranch and is about 1 hour away from the east entrance of Yosemite off Highway 140 near the town of Mariposa. It was a perfect way to escape the busy summer Saturday Yosemite crowd.

The Half Dome hike has amazing scenery with up close views of Vernal and Nevada Fall. Whatever your level or desire, there are multiple hikes and stopping points along the Mist Trail and you can turn around at any time. So here is a breakdown of the hike up to Half Dome and some facts you'll need if you're lucky enough to get to the summit!

The next stop was the popular Hidden Valley Trail. This hike is a popular one for many reasons, it's surrounded by picnic areas and a nearby campground, it's right off the main road, it's only a one mile loop, and it's a gorgeous nature walk that is well maintained and easy for all levels.

49 Palms Oasis is a 3-mile roundtrip hike to a fan palm oasis and takes between 2-3 hours to complete. It's considered moderately strenuous and ascends 300 feet each way. This hike has it's own access road off Park Boulevard and therefore does not require an entrance fee.

The Emerald Pools hike is an easy and quick hike that is great for all ages and hiking abilities. There are three stops along the way; the lower, middle, and upper pools so you can plan your hike accordingly or hit all three for a 3 mile roundtrip hike. This is one of the parks most popular hikes so it gets very crowded on the narrow parts of the trail, but it is worth every busy step.

The Narrows is one of the most unique and beautiful hikes in America. It was ranked #5 in National Geographic's America's Best 100 Adventures. This gorge runs along the Virgin River in Zion National Park. The entire trail is 16 miles in length and goes from the Temple of Sinawava to Chamberlains Ranch where there is a campground for two-day hikers.