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Hypo: $2M to visit all 433 Nat'l Park Service Sites in the next 12 months
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:30 PM Author: Nazca Redlines There are 433 sites administered by the National Park Service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_United_States_National_Park_System_official_units If you visit all 433 of them in the next 12 months, you will recieve $2M.
For parks based around a particular structure or structures (or something similar), you must enter the main structure(s) for the visit to count, to the extent visitors are normally allowed to enter.
For sites over 500 acres, you must walk, hike, bike, snowmobile, or snowshoe, etc. for at least 1 hour within the site's boundaries for the visit to count.
Do you go for it?
Bonus: Double or nothing if you elect to do it by taking fewer than 8 flights. You must decide in advance.
Inspired by: https://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790361&mc=30&forum_id=2 |
Date: October 27th, 2025 1:35 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., i know a rich boomer jew who did this over his lifetime, including the south pacific ones and the fly-in ones to alaska. seems so pointless. he's bored. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379031) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:37 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Explain. It seems like a 180 way to see the country, the world, nature, and history. Moving fast and having the time pressure trying to do it in a year would be stressful and take away from the enjoyment of the journey. Beyond that, seeing all of the sites would be great and is a goal I would consider in retirement. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379041) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:40 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., it's the box checking aspect of it. i assume the some of them are better than others and there's a lot of redundancy, and i'd rather spend time seeing the best ones than trying to get to every single one. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379048) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:43 PM Author: Nazca Redlines It's a goal and something to do for someone who has plenty of time and it'll make you go to ones you might not otherwise have gone to because they aren't the "best" or most convenient. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379066) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:42 PM Author: sol rosenberg rate this boomer asshole who played the top 100 golf courses in the world in 100 days
https://blog.perrygolf.com/category/around-the-world/page/16/ |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:44 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., been poasted before, but it's 180 and 120 at the same time (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379070) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:44 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Sounds 180. Why not? What else was he going to do instead? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379073) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:49 PM Author: ethereals connection Bird enthusiasts do something similiar. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379111) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:52 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., something similar = waste money on their autism? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379140) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:53 PM Author: ethereals connection at least they own it, h8r (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379144) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:58 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., btw, i met some euroboomers trying to hit unesco world heritage site, which is beyond pathetic since the criteria / politicization of the site selection is beyond retarded. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379176) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:00 PM Author: Nazca Redlines If you have the time, money, and inclination, why not use that as a fun goal for your travel? The World Heritage sites I've seen are fantastic. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379184) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:06 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., the selection process is retarded and lots of amazing sites aren't on there, and some dumbass ones are. shit like this:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1676/ |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:33 PM Author: Nazca Redlines (Die Groot Krokodil) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379320) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:03 PM Author: Mainlining the $ecret Truth of the Univer$e ("One Year Performance 1978-1979 (Cage Piece)") (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379198) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:43 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Offhand the northern sites would require careful planning since they aren’t accessible year round (or with great difficulty). Also a building closure could blow up your plan very quickly. Would travel expenses be covered or you have to pay that out of pocket? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379064) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:48 PM Author: Nazca Redlines The Alaska sites would be good to knock out immediately (if it's not too late already) or to save for late summer next year. Other than that, I expect the vast majority of other sites are reasonably accessible year round.
You're right about building closures. And even without unexpected closures, a lot of the buildings have very limited hours. On the other hand, you can knock out a couple dozen in and around DC, Philadelphia, NY, and Boston.
You pay for everything out of pocket. If you win, you get the $2M, no reimbursements. If you lose, you don't get anything except the memories.
Are you in? |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:11 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Very tempting. You could knock out huge numbers quickly with a rented RV. I’m thinking battlefields and parks in the NE. Then you’d need a coordinated plan for sites you’d have to fly to. I still feel like flights and hotels and rental cars would be well under 500k, even spending lavishly. Building closures are scary. In the event a main visitor center is closed for an extended time and a temporary center is established by the park service, does that suffice? You’d basically have to call each and every one and confirm plans.
Also to confirm around what you have to do at each park or site - you said just hiking for one hour is all that’s needed? So I can literally just pull into Denali’s visitor center, go in and piss, then hike the kiddie trail for 60 minutes and I’m good for all 2 million acres? |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:40 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Building closures only matter for sites that focus on a building that is generally open to visitors. Like for Federal Hall in NY, you have to actually go into Federal Hall for the visit to count. For Denali, you don't have to go into a building in the park at all. You just need to walk around for an hour within park boundaries.
$500k seems very high. You could probably get to the vast majority of sites for under $50k. The costs only start to rack up flying to remoter sites and for hotels, if you are inclined to spend big on hotels. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:10 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Agree. I was expecting to have to crisscross the country last minute to close some gaps. You could go super cheap with this, too, but that would be less comfortable for fat, balding lawyers.
Anyway, yes, I’m in. This seems doable. I would quit my job and focus on this. $2m-costs is enough to compensate for lost earnings and career disruption and I would legitimately enjoy doing this.
Edit: just saw the double or nothing clause. Is that 8 legs or round trip flights regardless of legs? Is there a maximum layover time if the latter? |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:25 PM Author: Nazca Redlines 8 single flights. So, e.g., LA to Honolulu and Honolulu to Guam would count as 2 seperate flights, even if you don't leave the airport in Honolulu. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379802) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:50 PM Author: ethereals connection you couldnt pay me enough to be outside, in nature, breathing fresh air, not looking at screen. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379129) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:54 PM Author: ethereal connection (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379147) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:56 PM Author: ...,,..;...,,..,..,...,,,;.., as a jew, this reads totally the opposite (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379169) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:58 PM Author: ethereal connection I really like it here. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379178) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:59 PM Author: ethereal connection as a jew, tp (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379182) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 1:56 PM Author: N904PD I think it’s physically impossible to do it since you have to go to buttfuck Alaska plus Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, multiple Virgin Islands. And there’s also stuff that’s a pain to get to in us (like Channel Islands and dry Tortugas).
Definitely impossible to do with less than 8 flights.
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:04 PM Author: Mainlining the $ecret Truth of the Univer$e ("One Year Performance 1978-1979 (Cage Piece)") Ljl Channel Islands is easy to reach friend
Gates of the Arctic ljl |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:14 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Eh, it’s a 5 mile walk from the highway and the visitor center is in Fairbanks.
As a designated wilderness, there are no roads or official trails in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Visitors must arrive by bush plane or hike in, usually from the Dalton Highway that runs five miles to the east of the park.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_of_the_Arctic_National_Park_and_Preserve |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:20 PM Author: Mainlining the $ecret Truth of the Univer$e ("One Year Performance 1978-1979 (Cage Piece)") ? What are you talking about? You have to fly in via Bush plane (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379273) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:22 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Dude, read what I copied from the wiki above. But anyway, bush planes are everywhere in AK. Hoping in one wouldn’t be a big deal. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379284) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:40 PM Author: Nazca Redlines (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379335) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 2:44 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Without any restrictions on flights, this isn't even close to impossible. The bigger limitation is buildings that are only open on weekends or otherwise less than 5 days a week.
Even with the flight restriction, it's very possible. Almost all of the sites are in the continental US and are drivable from each other. Most of the rest are accessible by boat. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:07 PM Author: N904PD Yeah, I guess you can probably hit 5-10 a day in ny/dc etc. so the 1.3 avg won’t be too bad even if takes you like 3 days to go to American Samoa (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379384) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:39 PM Author: Nazca Redlines So are you in? Would you devote the next year to this? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379539) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:36 PM Author: I don't collect things, I collect experiences Absolute piece of cake. And I'd take the double or nothing.
I'd research boat options for the Pacific but otherwise easy to take a cruise from USA to Hawaii, then fly round trip Honolulu - Guam, then Honolulu - Samoa and save that for the last destination to end the trip there. Cruise USA to USVI to save flights. Cruise or road trip to Alaska for same reason. If I started today, maybe I could hit the Alaska/PNW stuff before winter makes things inaccessible. Otherwise I spend a chill winter road tripping/cruising and then knock out the other stuff in the spring. 6 months at most. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:40 PM Author: Nazca Redlines 180. But, how are you covering the remoter Alaska sites? You can't drive to some of them. For those, are you going on our own? Hiring a snowmobile or dogsled guide? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379546) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:47 PM Author: I don't collect things, I collect experiences Sure, I know a 180 luxury Arctic outfitter/guide, I'd give him $20k and tell him to figure it out. He'd arrange luxe pharaoh-quality snow machines or whatever to drag me all over Alaska (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379584) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 3:53 PM Author: Darnell those more remote sites are so far apart. i think it would be hard to manage without bush planes. the double or nothing hypo seems very difficult (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379618) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:07 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) It 100% changes the nature of the challenge. With unlimited flights it can be done as a luxe-boomer quest. Without, you’re driving and on the road a lot. I’m still waiting on the definition of flight however. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379695) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:12 PM Author: I don't collect things, I collect experiences Obviously flight = plane takeoff off and landing.
Yeah I'll be on the road a lot. I have a year and have $4,000,000mm waiting ... Road trip will be 18000000. I'll probably take bids from rental car companies or JEEP or something to sponsor me and make it even easier |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:18 PM Author: Diane Rehm talking dirty (🐿️ ) Not so obvious. Airlines certainly don’t define flight that way.
But if you’re young and in decent health the road trip would be the way to go for an extra 2m. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:28 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Confirmed: "flight = plane takeoff off and landing"
Road trip would be 180 for 95% of the sites. Ferries (and cruises and chartered boats where necessary) would be great for about 3% of the sites. But, then the remaining 2%--sites in northern Alaska and the Pacific--would get tough. With 7 flights, it should be feasible. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:08 PM Author: I don't collect things, I collect experiences That's mostly flame from my 2 minutes of googling earlier. Gates of the Arctic has a road coming within 5 miles of the park. That Charles/Yukon River one has a road going to theclosest town where you can take a boat down the river to the park.
In Iceland they have these monster truck looking things that drive people into the interior with zero roads and they can drive across rivers and stuff. With 4x4s, four wheelers, boats, etc., the Alaska stuff seems fine, especially in summer |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:32 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Where there is a road 5 miles from the park, are you hiking in on your own?
Some of the NPS Sites are much further than 5 miles from the nearest road that's connected to other roads. E.g., https://www.nps.gov/cakr/planyourvisit/directions.htm
Getting There Cape Krusenstern National Monument is very remote. There are no roads to provide access, so planes take care of most transportation needs.
Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue, or from Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you must fly to the park with authorized air taxis. From Kotzebue, commercial airlines provide regularly scheduled flights to villages near the park.
Summer access: May include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Some visitors bring their own packable boats and have pilots drop them off to start a float through the park. Study a topographic map, then talk with a pilot to decide on a feasible backcountry landing spot. Hiking into the park from Kotzebue or Bettles is possible, but it's a wilderness trek over rough terrain that requires many weeks to complete.
Winter access: May include aircraft, snowmobiles or by foot. Small commercial planes fly to the local villages year round, weather permitting. Chartered aircraft may be able to land at backcountry sites on skis when the weather is clear. There are no local equipment rental services in Kotzebue. With advance planning, visitors can bring their own skis, snowshoes, dogteam or snowmobiles to travel into the park. Any winter trip requires advanced knowledge of cold weather survival. |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:14 PM Author: Green JoIIy Squancher (✅🍑) I see up thread that I can do it in a motor home. can I hire a driver? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379734) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:33 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Absolutely. Are you in? Are you using the RV for all sites in the lower 48? Thoughts about the others? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379825) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:35 PM Author: Green JoIIy Squancher (✅🍑) I think I am in but I am worried about a couple of places in Alaska that others are discussing upthread. That’s the only thing holding me back. If I pull the pin, yes I’m using the RV with driver in the entire lower 48. Territories like Puerto Rico and American Samoa are excluded I assume? |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:37 PM Author: Nazca Redlines Absolutely not. It's all 433 NPS sites. Why would they be excluded? Getting to those more distant sites is part of the fun. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379846) |
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Date: October 27th, 2025 4:48 PM Author: Green JoIIy Squancher (✅🍑) So it includes not just Hawaii and Alaska, but also Guam, Samoa, Puerto Rico, and half a dozen sites in the Virgin Islands. I’m in, I think it would be an incredibly interesting year even without the money, but “fewer than 8 flights” is completely impossible given the external territories are included. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5790430&forum_id=2Elisa#49379885) |