National Park Ultra Marathons

As a boy I was fortunate enough to have a family that enjoyed camping and hiking, so we spent countless weekends wandering the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. It was during that time that I gained a love for the outdoors, but it wasn’t until I rediscovered the mountains in my 20s that I gained a true appreciation for mountains that our predecessors had the foresight to set aside as protected land. And so began my love of the National Parks, a subset of protected lands meant to ensure some of the best natural wonders in our country are preserved for future generations.

Over the past several years my mother has put forth the goal of visiting all of America’s National Parks during her retirement, which got me inspired to start doing the same thing. The neat thing about America’s National Park system is they do not just preserve one type of natural wonder, but encompass a great diversity of terrain; from mountains to meadows, wildlife refuges, swamps, canyons, rivers, caves, volcanoes, spectacular rock formations, massive glaciers, towering forests and expansive deserts. This is what is so intriguing about the National Parks, the diversity of landscapes and uniqueness that sets many of the parks apart. So I’ve hatched a plan to outline and execute ultra distance runs in all (or as many as possible) of the National Parks. The purpose is to try and see some of the amazing sights each of these parks have to offer deep within their boundaries, but to do so in one incredible day. Often visits to the National Parks simply encompass a short driving tour with several stops at paved lookouts, but I think that misses what makes most of these parks so wonderful. Other people have set the goal of simply running something in the National Parks, but again to me, to run a paved road on the periphery of some of the most magnificent landscapes in the world misses why these parks exist.

As of April 2022 I’m only twenty five park runs into this long term project, but am excited for the prospects of where it might take me in future years (many years). Surprisingly I’ve already mapped out ultra distance routes in 50 of the 58 National Parks, more than I’d expected was possible. Some of these routes follow classic lines such as the Bryce Canyon’s Under the Rim Trail while many others are creations of my own design, with assistance from locals of course. All have been fantastic adventures and full of amazing scenery deep within the backcountry of each park. The goal is not to set an FKT (unless it’s a First Known Time), but to enjoy and experience each park in a very unique way, and of course to photograph/video the journey to hopefully inspire others to want to experience and protect these amazing landscapes.

Let the adventure begin!

A few photos from the adventure so far, and a table of all the National Park Project runs I have completed (with links to each Trip Report).

National Park
StateDate EstDate RunDistTrip Report
Grand CanyonAZ19195/12/0751miR2R2R
Zion NPUT19195/2/0952miTrans Zion
YosemiteCA18907/1/1564miValley Rim Circumnavigation
Grand TetonWY19299/12/1634miTetons Circumnavigation
Haleakala NPHI191612/20/1634miSea to Summit
Hawaii VolcanoesHI191612/20/1627miHalape-Kaaha-Pepeiao
Bryce CanyonUT19284/13/1632miUnder the Rim-Fairyland
Carlsbad CavernsNM19305/10/1728.6miYucca-Slaughter
Guadalupe MtsNM19665/8/1737miCentral Loop + Guadalupe Peak
Redwoods NPCA19685/30/1734miRidge to Sea traverse
Glacier NPMT19109/7/1755miGlacial Divide Circumnavigation
Pinnacles NPCA201312/28/1726.6miFull Park Loop
Arches NPUT19714/28/1830miDevils PG-Tower Rd-Courthouse Wash
Saguaro NPAZ19943/10/1941.8miMica Mountain Figure-8
Mammoth Cave NPKY19415/6/1933.1miWestern Park Loop
Badlands NPSD19395/25/1926.6miSage Creek Loop
Wind Cave NPSD19035/26/1930.4miFull park Lollipop
North Cascades NPWA19688/2/1934.5miCopper Ridge Loop
Mount Rainier NPWA18998/4/1946.5miGreat Northern Loop
Rocky Mt NPCO19159/22/1930.6miRocky Mt Ridge Run
Great Smoky NPKY/TN193410/14/1972miSmoky Challenge Adventure Run
Kings Canyon NPCA19408/23/2035.3miMuir Pass/Ionian Basin
Yosemite NP HCCA18908/25/2039.3miYosemite High Sierra Camp Loop
Canyonlands NPUT19641/2/2143.7miCanyonlands Island in the Sky Ultra Run
Capitol Reef NPUT19713/27/2130.4miCentral Loop
Chris running through the Box Canyon outside of Phantom Ranch. R2R2R
Nearing the heart of Zion, peering down into Wildcat Canyon.
Pausing atop El Capitan to take in the Yosemite Valley during a 64mile circumnavigation of the Valley rim (July 2015).
View of the Tetons from Hurricane Pass with Schoolhouse Glacier to the right and Cascade Canyon to the left, 9/12/16.
Running through the Haelakala crater at nearly 9000ft.
Lava flowing into the ocean in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
Feeling small yet? Ben running in front of the Wall of Windows.
Sunrise on Guadalupe Peak from the Tejas Trail.
Entering the main Carlsbad Cavern.
Running the Lady Bird Johnson trail in Redwoods National Park.
Looking down the North side of Piegan Pass, this place is pretty awesome. Glacier National Park, Montana.
Looking up Condor Gulch toward the High Peaks section of the park. Pinnacles National Park.
Running the fins in the Devils Garden Arches NP, weeee.
Running through the desert of Saguaro National Park in an especially lush year, 3/10/19.
Mammoth Cave National Park, main cave.
Bison grazing along Sage Creek in Badlands National Park.
Boxwork in Wind Cave National Park.
Copper Ridge in North Cascades National Park.
North Boundary Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Rocky Mountain NP Continental Divide
Great Smokies National Park AT.
Kings Canyon National Park High Country, Muir Pass.
Yosemite National Park High Country.
Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky.
Capitol Reef National Park, Spring Canyon Loop.
Great Sand Dunes National Park Traverse.