Parks & Trails began as a spark during a conversation about past travels.
The first version of the idea was simple: capture what a trail feels like in a way people remember. One hike became a “level” moment—starting easy in theory, then quickly turning into something real, physical, and earned. That framing made the experience relatable, shareable, and honest about what it takes to reach a summit.
But the interesting part was what happened next. Once the “level” idea existed, it naturally started to scale. If one trail could be described this way, why not the next? And if one park could be approached as a memorable experience, why not build a consistent way to describe and encourage exploration across many places?
That question pushed the concept beyond a single hike and into a broader framework—one that could extend across the U.S. National Park System, including not just the 63 National Parks, but also historic sites, monuments, seashores, trails, and other protected places.
I am working on this page in the background so that a near finished version will be completed before launch.
As Parks & Trails develops, this history will continue to grow alongside the project.