A St. Louisan started 2019 with an unusual goal; to visit 418 National Park Service sites in the United States by the end of the year.
On Tuesday, December 31, Andy Magee wrapped up his adventure at the St. Louis Gateway Arch.
“A trip like this takes you to all corners of the United States,” Magee said. “It’s an incredible spread of territory.”
Visiting parks isn’t new to Magee. He said vacation days throughout his life included a visit to a national park or two. But in 2019, he decided to take things up a notch and challenge himself.
“I’ve always been passionate about national parks,” Magee said. “It wasn’t unfamiliar and this time I decided to do something a little crazy and visit all of the parks.”
Reflecting on his journey, Magee said there’s history to learn and a culture to understand and national parks give people an idea of how the United States became to be what it is today.
“They’re so diverse, so different,” Magee said. “Each one is special in it’s own way.”
