Who is Julia and What’s Well Planned Journey?

Well Planned Journey is a travel blog dedicated to US national parks. I’m a national park expert living in Atlanta, Georgia – and I’m on a mission to visit all 63 US national parks! I started this site to follow that journey and am the exclusive writer and planner behind everything you find here.

So, why should you trust me to help you plan your national park trip?

Well, in short, I’ve been where you are. I work a 9-5 job with limited vacation days. I love exploring the outdoors and national parks. And life sometimes feels like a constant battle to balance the two.

That’s why I share itineraries and national park guides made with busy people in mind. So you can get the most out of your time in America’s beautiful national parks. Whether you’re looking for trip inspiration for your busy family or are a recent retiree on a mission to see all the parks, there’s something for you here!

On Well Planned Journey, you’ll find national park itineraries, plus guides on the best places to stay, things to do, and what to pack for every trip.

Well Planned Journey receives more than one million visitors annually, inspiring detailed-oriented planners to discover the best of America’s national parks.

Meet the People Behind Well Planned Journey

Julia’s National Park Journey

My national park journey started over twenty years ago. 

I moved to Tennessee when I was ten years old and grew up less than an hour from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I spent weekends hiking with my family in the Smokies. I explored the Smokies on excursions from my nearby summer camp. I learned to pitch a tent with my Girl Scout troop in the Smokies. 

Spending the formative years of my life so close to America’s most visited national park instilled a deep love for the outdoors in me. But my love for travel planning came later. 

I was fortunate enough to have plentiful opportunities to travel internationally during college and on my extended post-grad trip, visiting nearly 30 countries on four continents before my 23rd birthday. I was the map-holder, spreadsheet-maker, and trusted planner on those trips. I was always prepared with a color-coded, minute-by-minute itinerary.

But after spending so much time traveling internationally, I felt embarrassed that I’d visited more countries than US states. I wanted to see more of my own country, explore my own backyard, and get back in touch with the nature I’d grown up around.

That’s when I came up with my goal: to visit all 63 national parks and every US state. 

I applied my love of international travel planning to national parks, starting with trips to the Utah “Mighty 5” National Parks and Glacier National Park. 

A few short years later, I’d visited a dozen national parks and moved to California with my soon-to-be husband. While in California, I visited a dozen more national parks on the West Coast.

Friends and family began to ask me questions about national park trips, seeking my advice and input as they planned their vacations. And in March 2020 (we all know what happened then!), I suddenly found myself with some extra time at home. I channeled my boredom into something productive – creating a website all about national parks!

Over the last several years, Well Planned Journey has grown from a small passion project to a trusted resource for national parks. Here, I share everything I’ve learned in hopes that you can benefit from my personal experience in the national parks. 

Today, I’ve visited 21 national parks, covering most of them on this blog. You can check out my national park guides by the park here:

What You Can Expect from Well Planned Journey

On this site, you can find guides on things to do (including hiking, camping, and scenic drives), where to stay, the best time to visit, and itineraries for each national park.

Over the past few years, Well Planned Journey has reached more than 3 million visitors, helping both first-timers and seasoned travelers plan national park trips. Additionally, publications like Insider, Volkswagen, Medium, SFGate, Cruise America, and Joy have featured Well Planned Journey.

But despite that success, I want you to know you can always trust the information you find on Well Planned Journey. Rest assured, you can trust the guides you find here for three reasons:

1. My husband, Evan, and I pay for all our travel. Well Planned Journey does not accept sponsored content, and I don’t get any “freebies”. In fact, I’ve never even mentioned to tourism boards or national parks that I’m a travel blogger! That means all opinions, reviews, and experiences are my own. By planning and paying for my travels, I’m experiencing our beautiful national parks the same way you would. This gives me the perfect insight to share helpful yet informative guides with you.
   
2. Every article on Well Planned Journey has been researched, experienced, and written by me. I don’t accept any guest posts or outsource any part of the writing. I only write about national parks that I have personally visited. While this may mean it takes me longer to publish new guides, I put my heart and soul into ensuring I’m sharing the most up-to-date and accurate information.
   
3. Details are in my DNA. As an engineer and Type A personality, I pride myself on the level of research I put into planning a national park trip. It’s more than just a hobby or a passion. I work hard to share those experiences with you and simplify your planning process (because not everyone enjoys it as much as me!). I’ve received thousands of testimonials and thanks from readers who have benefitted from the guides on Well Planned Journey over the years.

Want to Connect?

Thanks for reading about my story and how Well Planned Journey was born! My goal at Well Planned Journey is to help you simplify the process of planning a national park trip.

To explore more on the site, check out some of these links:

• Blog – Read the latest guides and blog posts.
• US National Parks Hub – Find your next national park.
• Gear Guides – Know what to pack for your trip.

Feel free to email me anytime at julia@wellplannedjourney.com or reach out via my contact page.

To stay up-to-date, you can subscribe to my email list or follow me on social media:

• Well Planned Journey National Park Planning Facebook Group
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Twitter

You can also get in touch by mail at:

Well Planned Journey
P.O. Box 94232
Atlanta, GA 30377