From Alaska to U.S. Virgin Islands. Hartville man visits 425 national parks in a year

HARTVILLE − Thomas Wright says it's fine to read about American history, but he wants you to get out of your chair and go see the country for yourself.

On Nov. 19, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. retiree completed the astonishing feat of visiting all of America's 425 national parks in a single year. He began on Jan. 1.

"I just love national parks," the 60-year-old Hartville resident said with a smile.

The previous record was three years. There is some debate as to whether Wright's quest will be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records over the question of public transportation. In at least one instance, he had to charter a bush pilot to reach some remote areas in Alaska.

To honor his accomplishment, NovaCare Rehabilitation at 850 W Maple St., where Wright exercises, designated Nov. 22 as "Thomas Wright Day."

As Wright and his wife, Elizabeth, entered NovaCare on Wednesday, they were greeted by applause and a balloon arch.

"We just wanted to let people know he did it," said Joseph Risden, NovaCare's fitness manager, adding that the staff kept track of Wright's progress on a map with pins marking each stop.

Wright's 111,000-mile adventure included all 50 states, as well as Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"There were a lot of parks I hadn't been to," he said.

In August, President Joe Biden established five new national parks, protecting 1.5 million acres as part of his America the Beautiful Initiative to restore 30% of federal lands by 2030.

Wright said his tour included the new Emmett and Mamie Till National Monument in Chicago, which has a second component in Mississippi where the 14-year-old was murdered in 1955.

Thomas Wright's book: "100 Parks for 100 Years"

The National Park Service was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. To honor the centennial, Wright wrote a book, "100 Parks For 100 Years: A National Parks Odyssey With Storied Tales of Baseball Past."

Wright grew up going to national parks but the first concerted effort to see them all took 46 years to complete. He started in 1977 when his family visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch in Texas.

"The first time, the National Park Service sent me a certificate. I wanted to do it again," he said. "I decided I wanted to go back and see them all."

Wright explained that although the National Park Service has 63 actual "parks," every site it manages — from the Washington Monument to the National First Ladies' Historic Site in Canton — enjoys national park status.

"There are 19 designations within the system," he said. "The superintendents I talked to were so grateful because they consider themselves to be national parks. They included me in their social media posts."

During his tour, Wright wore a T-shirt stating his goal to visit all the parks in 2023.

"People would stop and talk," he said. "Thousands more visited my website (www.anationalparksquest.com)."

Asked to name his favorite park, Wright said he is awed by Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska for its wild beauty.

"The main activity is a daylong boat trip on a catamaran, which carries about 200 passengers," he said. "We saw six humpback whales, 10 killer whales, five brown bears, five bald eagles and hundreds of sea lions on Marble Island."

America's least visited national park, he noted, is Aniakchak National Park & Preserve in Alaska, home to the largest, most-active volcano on earth.

"It only gets 100 people a year," he said. "Fewer people visit there than climb Mount Everest. It's gorgeous."

A member of the National Parks Travelers' Club, Wright said visiting national parks will help people to get out their comfort zones.

'Do it while you can'

"After you do some research, it's easier than people think," he said. "There is excitement waiting for them that they don't know about. Discover America's heritage. Books in school are fantastic. Wwe need that, but there's nothing like seeing it in person."

Wright said Americans would be surprised at the wide range of National Park Service sites. During a presentation for local fifth graders, Wright told the students about the Minuteman Missile National Site, which features a deactivated missile still in its silo.

"It's down the road from Mount Rushmore, which they've heard of, so I hope they'll go home and tell their parents," he said.

NovaCare client Jane Young was inspired and she fulfilled a childhood dream after hearing Wright talk about his plan.

"It's amazing," she said. "He was really enthusiastic and I thought, 'If he can do this, I can go on a cruise — alone.' I always wanted to go to Tahiti since I was a child."

She did just that.

"Do it while you can," she said.

Risden said Wright's accomplishment should encourage everyone to challenge themselves.

"It goes to show you that no matter what age, you can do something; you don't have to sit around," he said.

Wright did the tour by himself. His wife, he explained, prefers more traditional vacations.

"I picked up and moved every day," he said. "That's not her lifestyle."

His advice? 'Plan, plan plan'

Elizabeth Wright initially was hesitant about the quest because Wright would be gone for so long.

"But he wanted to start his retirement out with a bang, so we supported him," she said, laughing.

Wright said the trip took 13 months to plan. He strongly recommends visiting the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov before embarking on a trip. Detailed information is available for each location.

For instance, some parks require reservations, timed entrances and admission fees.

"Plan, plan plan," he said. "During COVID, visitation went through the roof. Check the hours and services. They've had staffing problems the last few years because of COVID. They're juggling every day."

Wright, whose knowledge about the National Park Service is encyclopedic, said he plans to write a second book about his recent experience, but has promised his wife he'll only work on it during the early morning hours.

Wright said he's looking forward to turning 62 in a couple of years because he'll qualify for a lifetime park pass for $80.

"I can't wait," he said with a grin.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Thomas Wright visits all U.S. national parks within a single year