The Great American Adventure: Exploring Five Iconic National Parks as an Expat

One of the things that genuinely surprised me about moving from Singapore to California was how accessible nature is here. In Singapore, nature means Bukit Timah or MacRitchie Reservoir — both lovely, but nothing that prepares you for standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and feeling genuinely small.

Over our first year in the US, my family and I visited five national parks, and I have to say — these trips were some of the best experiences of our expat life so far. Sophie still talks about some of them. Here is what we found at each one, in case you are planning your own visits.

Yosemite National Park: Where you realize how tiny you are

Yosemite was our first national park visit, and it absolutely set the bar. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, this place is all towering granite cliffs, quiet meadows, and waterfalls that thunder so loudly you can feel them in your chest.

El Capitan — a 3,000-foot vertical rock face — is one of those things that photos simply cannot capture. You stand there looking up and your brain struggles to process the scale of it. I kept thinking, "This is where Alex Honnold free-soloed?" (If you have seen the documentary Free Solo, you know what I mean.)

For hiking, the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls is excellent. The Half Dome summit hike is more challenging but the panoramic views at the top are worth every aching muscle. If you have kids or prefer something easier, a walk around Yosemite Valley itself is beautiful and very manageable.

I wrote more detailed tips in my first-timer's guide to Yosemite.

Pinnacles National Park: The hidden gem we almost skipped

Pinnacles is California's youngest national park, and I almost did not include it in our plans. I am glad we went. It is a geological wonderland of volcanic rock formations and these incredible talus caves that Sophie absolutely loved exploring.

The park has about 30 miles of trails. We did the High Peaks Trail, which takes you through rugged terrain with views of California condors soaring overhead. The Bear Gulch and Balconies Caves are fascinating — walking through dark, narrow passages with just a flashlight is the kind of adventure that kids (and kids at heart) live for :D

Pinnacles is less crowded than the bigger parks, which was a nice change. If you are based in the Bay Area like us, it is an easy day trip or weekend getaway.

Grand Canyon National Park: Nothing prepares you for it

I had seen photos and videos of the Grand Canyon my entire life. I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong.

Standing on the South Rim and looking out over 278 miles of canyon carved by the Colorado River — layers of colorful rock telling millions of years of Earth's history — is a genuinely humbling experience. Sophie was speechless for about 30 seconds, which might be a personal record :P

For the adventurous, there are multi-day rafting trips down the Colorado River and helicopter tours. We stuck to hiking along the South Rim trails, which gave us plenty of jaw-dropping views without requiring any extreme physical fitness.

Joshua Tree National Park: Like visiting another planet

Joshua Tree in Southern California feels like stepping onto the set of a science fiction movie. The namesake Joshua trees stand against a backdrop of rugged rock formations, their twisted branches reaching skyward in every direction.

We wandered through the Wonderland of Rocks and found Skull Rock (Sophie's favorite — she insisted on taking about 50 photos), and the aptly named Arch Rock. The best part, though, was the stargazing. The park's remote location means almost zero light pollution, and on a clear night, the Milky Way stretches across the sky in a way I had never seen before. Growing up in cities my whole life — Saigon, then Singapore — I had no idea the night sky could look like that.

I wrote a more detailed guide about visiting Joshua Tree as a first-timer.

Death Valley National Park: A land of beautiful extremes

Death Valley, straddling the California-Nevada border, is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Coming from tropical Singapore, I thought I knew hot weather. Death Valley laughs at that notion. This place holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth.

The Badwater Basin salt flats are the lowest point in North America, and walking across them feels genuinely otherworldly — like being on the surface of the moon. Artist's Palette is where mineral deposits create these vibrant, almost painted-looking hillsides that are incredible to photograph.

My tip: visit during the cooler months (November to March). We went in early spring and it was manageable, but summer temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius. Not a place you want to be unprepared.

More national park guides

Read our complete guide: The Expat Family's Guide to US National Parks (2026) — covering all 26 parks we have visited, road trip routes, costs, and tips for international visitors.

These parks changed how I see America

I think visiting national parks is one of the best things you can do as an expat in the US. It is easy to get caught up in the daily grind of work, bills, and navigating a new system. But stepping into places like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon reminds you why this country attracts people from all over the world.

For me, these trips were also a way to bond with Sophie in our new home. Some of our best family memories from the past year happened on hiking trails and at campsite dinners. If you are an expat family thinking about exploring, I cannot recommend it enough.

Which national parks have you visited, or which ones are on your bucket list?

Cheers,

Chandler

P.S. I recently created a group on Facebook called Asian Expats in the US so that we can share and discuss more tips directly. Feel free to join.