Across the country, national parks inspire travel and exploration. From rocky mountain peaks to deep, colorful canyons, from dense swamps teeming with life to wide-open deserts, they encapsulate the country's geographic diversity. They remind visitors of the wonders that exist in our proverbial backyards by preserving not only public lands but also the historic sites, artworks, and artifacts they include.

To celebrate National Park Week, which took place in late August, we asked readers of the National Trust’s weekly email newsletter to share their favorite parks. We received great responses from readers across the country, a sampling of which we share below.

What is your favorite national park?

Bonus points for any great stories or memories to share.

The submissions have been edited for clarity and space.

"Bryce Canyon will always be the favorite in my heart. I first visited with my parents and little sister when I was in my early teens. I’ll never forget that first glimpse of the colors when we arrived. We stayed in a cabin and ate at the lodge—I was blown away. Years later, I shared the experience with my husband and son. That visit was no less magical than the first. Although I’ve visited many of our national parks, Bryce will always stand out as my first love." - Janice D.

"Lassen National Park in California. I took my sixth grade class there for a two night overnight. It was a magical experience for them." - Penny S.

"I loved three that I visited at the same time—Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Saguaro. So glad I visited before weather changes impacted that area. The desert is just so vast, spacious. Seems to be clear of 'stuff' until you look closely and see how much there is to learn about. For similar reasons I loved Big Bend. What seems empty is just full of interesting, unique flora and fauna. Also, darkness so you can see the sky." - Catherine P.

"Grand Teton National Park is my favorite of the U.S. National Parks... I went back to Grand Teton and to Yellowstone several times in the winter and spring of 1995 when the wolf restoration project was placing the first wolves in Yellowstone. I was so excited about the wolves and have followed their story over the decades. But the gem in the crown of visits was in September 1999, [when] I stayed in the park late for star gazing and drove back to Jackson just before dawn. On my way (very slowly) through Grand Teton, I observed more wildlife than I had ever seen in one place before. There were great horned owls sitting on signposts, porcupines waddling around, a bear with cubs, foxes, and sleepy moose and bison in and around the roadway. It was unforgettable." - Amy P.

"Yosemite National Park is my favorite national park... One day I was reading the paper and saw the article about the Fire Falls. It was happening in days according to the article. It was winter, February I think, so we grabbed our boots and down coats and drove the four hours to Yosemite. We lined the street with a few thousand other people hoping to see this natural wonder. We spoke to people from Japan and Australia and the Netherlands, people from all over the world. Many of them had mistimed the event on more than one occasion and kept coming back to fulfill this dream. We were the lucky ones. Spontaneous trip and timed perfectly. Our first time and we enjoyed this wonder with enthusiasts from around the world. It was breathtaking." - Catherine L.

"National Park favorite—Petrified Forest National Park—the entire park is a desolate beautiful echo of "what once was." Even my favorite park lodge Painted Desert Inn, is of the past." - Brent A.

"My favorite National Park is the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. While not one of the official National Parks, I think these smaller NPS owned and managed spaces are just as vitally important to people's everyday life. For a Southern city like Atlanta that loves to sprawl, preserved natural space along the Chattahoochee River is a godsend. I use the trails along the river at least once a week to walk my dogs, go for runs, float down the river, and generally just reconnect with nature. The trails are well used and maintained, and other neighboring municipalities prioritize connecting their trails and sidewalks to the National Recreation Area." - Kendra W.

"My favorite national park is Glacier. To celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, my wife and I boarded Amtrak’s Empire Builder in eastern Washington and the next morning [we] arrived at Glacier Park. In a rented auto we drove to Glacier Park Hotel with a grand view of the shrinking glacier. It was shocking to compare it with photographs of the glacier from 80 years earlier. Highlights of the visit were a boat ride on the lakes and “Going-to-the-Sun” in a vintage Ford bus, where we were greeted by wild goats grazing. After four memorable days we re-boarded the eastbound Empire Builder. Nothing along the way thereafter would compare with Glacier National Park." - W. Roberts R.

"I love all of the parks that we got to visit last summer. And the most memorable for me was Bryce. Rocky Mountain came a close second. And in all the parks, but especially Bryce, it was the volunteer rangers who made the difference and made us feel so welcome." - Holly H.

"My favorite National Park is Yosemite. I was 10 years old in 1947 when we took our Kaiser four-door car with four adults and four kids in it from Maryland to California. We went into California over Tioga Pass—a one lane road with pull-offs for oncoming traffic! We met with relatives and toured lots of places in California—the redwood forests, the beaches, and finally Yosemite... We had a picnic on blankets in a small meadow just off a side road, which of course was dirt. We waded in the small creek, caught bugs, played games, and had a great time. We all felt our daylong visit to this park was at least a week short and always wanted to go back. It always has been a wonderful memory to share with my kids when I knew they would be visiting California." - Beverly R.

"I love Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It’s 33,000 acres between Cleveland and Akron. It’s the only national park with a scenic train running through it." - Walter Z.