PARK MADNESS 2021
Are you ready for an epic competition?! 32 of America’s most beautiful national parks are going head-to-head — which one will be the winner?
The winner of Park Madness 2021 will be announced on April 13 at 10:30 a.m. MST.
STEP ONE: Fill out your Park Madness Bracket
Last year, there was an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference. To keep things interesting, this year I grouped the parks into a Northern Conference and a Southern Conference, with the line drawn through the middle of Utah.
Yellowstone was the 2020 winner, so I left it off the bracket this year to give the other parks a chance to win!
STEP TWO: Vote for your favorite parks
After you’ve filled out your bracket, it’s time to vote! Head over to the Dirt In My Shoes Facebook Page to see each match-up.
Vote for your favorite parks by commenting directly on each Park Madness Facebook post. New match-ups will be released at 9:30 AM and 7 PM MST each day.
To thank you for participating in Park Madness 2021, I WILL BE GIVING AWAY FREE NATIONAL PARK ITINERARIES ($39 value). One commenter will be randomly selected and contacted each day!
STEP THREE: Follow the results
Results are updated daily at 10 AM and 8 PM MST! Check back often to see which parks win the daily vote.
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Round One Winners
Acadia (151) vs Cuyahoga Valley (20)
Katmai (60) vs Glacier Bay (79)
Olympic (108) vs Crater Lake (56)
Mount Rainier (114) vs North Cascades (34)
Grand Teton (160) vs Isle Royale (31)
Denali (67) vs Rocky Mountain (82)
Redwood (38) vs Glacier (126)
Theodore Roosevelt (36) vs Badlands (125)
Round Two Winners
Acadia (115) vs Glacier Bay (55)
Olympic (80) vs Mount Rainier (75)
Grand Teton (122) vs Rocky Mountain (57)
Glacier (153) vs Badlands (19)
Round Three Winners
Acadia (73) vs Olympic (84)
Grand Teton (75) vs Glacier (96)
Round Four Winner
Olympic (40) vs Glacier (111)
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Round One Winners
Zion (126) vs Bryce Canyon (89)
Joshua Tree (95) vs Saguaro (56)
Grand Canyon (139) vs Mesa Verde (47)
Death Valley (89) vs Great Sand Dunes (70)
Everglades (70) vs Channel Islands (66)
Great Smoky Mountains (125) vs Haleakala (32)
Yosemite (131) vs Sequoia Kings (33)
Mammoth Cave (100) vs Great Basin (43)
Round Two Winners
Zion (168) vs Joshua Tree (32)
Grand Canyon (150) vs Death Valley (29)
Everglades (29) vs Great Smoky Mountains (135)
Yosemite (159) vs Mammoth Cave (20)
Round Three Winners
Zion (105) vs Grand Canyon (78)
Great Smoky Mountains (46) vs Yosemite (122)
Round Four Winner
Zion (67) vs Yosemite (91)
FINAL
Glacier (101) vs Yosemite (62)
STEP FOUR: Have fun
I’m so excited to join in on Park Madness with you! Bring it on — may the best national park win!
Which park won last year’s East vs West?
Yellowstone!
Ash, thanks for a few moments of diversion from our current world issues! We picked three of the final four as well as Yellowstone for the winner. Didn’t see Teton knocking off the Grand Canyon but definitely now on our bucket list along with Acadia.
Keep on hiking!
Very cool! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You should definitely get to Grand Teton and Acadia…those are some of the best. Safe travels!
Thank you so much for doing this. We have looked forward to this everyday. I will say it has not went the way I thought it would have. Never would have thought the last two left would be the last two. We have not been to Acadia or a few of the others but they are all on our list. God Bless You, Donna Wilson
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for playing along!
Grand Tetons beat the Grand Canyon ….really?
Haha. Grand Teton is soooo amazing 🙂
This sure has been a fun activity!! Hopefully we all can enjoy the parks again this summer!
I think we will 🙂
Thank you for bringing some fun in these challenging times. We are reminded of the beauty and resilience of this planet. Your positive attitude is infectious. I am praying that you are in your forever home soon.
Thanks Julie!
Did anybody select all 16 in Round 1?
I missed 2.
That Yellowstone/Yosemite match is a doozy of a 1st rounder. 1 of the favorites will be out in the first round. 🙂
Haha I know! Can’t wait to see the results!
This is great fun!! Thank you doing this and highlighting these parks. I love reading your reasoning in how you matched up the parks 🙂 I am unfamiliar with some of the choices, so I’ve had to read up on them, which is interesting. Plus, for parks I’ve been to, what a great reason to reminisce. Thanks and stay well!!
You too, Connie. Thanks for playing!
Great fun, a good diversion! Thanks for keeping our brains busy!!
Happy to 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying it!
This is great! May I have your permission to use this with my 4th graders as a part of our virtual learning? Thank you!
Yes, no problem!
Clever idea!
Thanks!
Enjoy the idea of park madness brackets… our whole family intends to fill out a bracket and follow progress.
That’s fantastic. Have fun!
Great idea, can’t wait to play
Enjoy 🙂
Not being able to play my March madness brackets, this is going to be a fun replacement. Gotta go hike
Haha me too! Good luck with your bracket!
Hi Ashli! This will be fun to watch, I’m not on Facebook but I will be checking out the results.
I wish we were still seeing you in a few weeks, miss you, take care.
Sheree
Miss you too. Hopefully we’ll make it out your direction again soon when all of this is over. At least we got to see you for a day!
I am soooo very excited for this super fun diversion. I’m indefinitely working from home while schools are closed and loved your Yosemite itinerary. Looking forward to Utah’s National Parks in 2022! Thanks for a bright spot right now:)
You’re welcome Nichole. I’m glad it’s going to be a fun diversion for you!
This is awesome!!!
Thanks!
I also did not see North Cascades.
The bracket doesn’t have all 62 parks, just 32 of them 🙂
I did not see White Sands National Park on here. It was just added to the park system wasn’t it?
Great idea! A distraction to keep us hopeful until we can be out and about again! Thanks Ash!
Of course — happy to do it!