National Parks
ArchiveWhen it comes to advocating for adaptive athletes, the climber and National Park Service employee will never hold back
National parks protect our land and a wide variety of wildlife, many of them dangerous if you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e doing. Here are the animals and reptiles to look out for and the best ways to keep you鈥攁nd them鈥攕afe.
Our columnist had little idea of what to expect when she ventured to the far-flung island territory of American Samoa. In the final report of her 63 Parks series, she explains why this may be the nation鈥檚 wildest, most protected landscape of them all.
The last thing you want while looking out over Bryce Canyon contemplating the millennia is a tourist helicopter buzzing overhead. That鈥檚 why some parks, like Glacier, are working to end air tourism.
Our national park system has 424 units, but visitors pack into only a few of those. You鈥檒l find jaw-dropping scenery, awesome adventures, and way fewer crowds in these often overlooked parks. And yes, we picked our favorite one in every single state.
Emily Pennington wanted to see it all. But life on the road was fiercer than she ever imagined.
Officials issued tickets to ascend 3,284-foot Old Rag in 2022. The program was a success, so the park is continuing it in 2023.
The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her
In her adventure memoir "Feral," Emily Pennington sets out in a van to visit all 63 of America's national parks. She faces a painful romantic breakup, a pandemic, wildfires, and a hurricane. And that's just for starters.
Eager to visit one of America鈥檚 national parks this year? Start planning now. Here鈥檚 all the information you need to book hard-to-get reservations.
Thousands of acres in California鈥檚 Sierra National Forest have been proposed as a national monument. Many argue that the protection is crucial for wildlife, the environment, and wilderness recreation. But it will face stiff opposition.
A raging rain and wind storm is hitting Northern California hard. The state has closed regional, state, and national parks, with partial closings of 37 others, while Yosemite braces for a blizzard.
Our Maui-based writer offers intel on how best to explore the popular park, famous for volcano and crater hikes, sunrise views, tough road rides to the central summit, and supreme stargazing
Buy your own slice of paradise at these surprisingly affordable locations鈥攁nd drool over the listings far out of reach
As the sun transitions to 鈥渟olar maximum鈥 in the next three years, it is prime time to spot the aurora borealis鈥攅ven in the lower 48 states. Here鈥檚 where, when, and how to catch the show in our national parks.
From tropical beaches to wildlife-watching outposts, we鈥檝e rounded up the perfect campsites to escape the cold-weather blues
Officials in the Dutch province of Gelderland say the area鈥檚 wolves are getting too comfortable around humans
As frequent national-park visitors know, the Park Service offers coveted passport stamps, maps, and badges. Here鈥檚 how to get them.
The Sonoran desert toad is under threat from hunters who seek their toxic secretions
Get a front-row seat to epic views and adventure by staying at a national-park lodge. From Yosemite鈥檚 Ahwahnee Hotel to Shenandoah鈥檚 Big Meadows Lodge, these are our favorites.
According to a new Unesco report, glaciers in Yosemite National Park and other World Heritage sites are very likely to melt away by 2050
A longtime resident of the Southwest shares her favorite ways to see this region鈥檚 geological wonders, surreal sunsets, and wide-open spaces
Sparkling alpine lakes, the highest point in the continental U.S., and 800-plus miles of breathtaking hiking trails: Sequoia and Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada are far more than home to the biggest trees on the planet.
Shenandoah National Park has unveiled Shencamp, a text message-based update to help campers locate vacant campsites
The latest story of a tourist behaving badly in a national park is a real head scratcher
From Acadia in Maine to the Everglades in Florida, this road trip hits seven national parks, covers 1,800 miles, and guides you away from the crowds聽
With increasing decriminalization efforts underway, here鈥檚 what it would take to legalize weed on public lands
The Ute Indian Tribe says the White House did not meaningfully consult their government about Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, which is located within the tribe鈥檚 ancestral lands
A Wyoming court has punished a Utah man for holding illicit motorcycle races on grasslands inside the park for at least nine years
The newest national monument sits in the heart of Colorado鈥檚 ski country. Here鈥檚 what you need to know about Camp Hale鈥揅ontinental Divide National Monument.
From temperate rainforests to miles of coastline; from waterfalls and lakes to hiking, backpacking, and camping; from boating to skiing to glacier travel and mountaineering鈥擮lympic has astonishing variety.
When visiting West Virginia鈥檚 New River Gorge, you鈥檝e got to go with the flow鈥攁nd in the fall, during Gauley Season, that means Class V rapids
The landscape is home to prairie dogs, coyotes, badgers, bighorn sheep, and more
We asked the experts鈥攁nd this is the one trail you can't miss in each of the 61 U.S. national parks
This year鈥檚 fire season is coming to a close, and thanks to mitigation techniques and some luck, it wasn鈥檛 as catastrophic as many predicted. But that doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檙e in the clear.
On these expert-led trips, you鈥檒l spot the National Park System鈥檚 wildest residents, from mysterious wolves to fat bears. Pro tip: the bioluminescent fireflies are pretty cool, too.
Some of the top gear makers sell national parks apparel and products. Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 on our list.
With the summer high season wrapping up, a variety of national parks are doing away with timed-entry and reservation rules for the next few months
These places get our vote as the most important to protect
Now is the time to wander among the world鈥檚 largest trees. Wildfires in central California for the past few years have decimated their numbers, so seeing these thousand-year-old natural wonders up close is, today more than ever, a privilege.
国产吃瓜黑料 visits every state in the U.S. to find the best parks鈥攏ational or state鈥攊n every region. What park made the cut in your state?
Avoid traffic jams and see America's best idea by foot, bus, or bike
Our national parks have some hilarious and inspirational social media accounts. These are our favorites to follow.
Pirates, enslaved people, and Spanish explorers shaped these seven small islands west of the Florida Keys. For most visitors, deep-diving into the past and then swimming the azure waters makes for an unforgettable trip.
Zion National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and areas around Moab, Utah, were inundated by water after heavy rainfall pummeled the U.S. Southwest
Snorkel and paddle among quizzical lobsters, baby sharks, green turtles, and more at Biscayne, home to a massive coral-reef system off the coast of Miami
When retired art dealer Forrest Fenn hid a chest full of a million dollars鈥 worth gold, rubies, and diamonds in the Rocky Mountains, he sent thousands on a journey of desperation
But seriously: at this popular South Florida park, come for the large reptiles, but stay for the subtropical scenery, varied birdlife, and all-out airboat rides
You don鈥檛 have to know much about paddling to wend the dark waterways of Congaree, in South Carolina. But persistence and a good sense of humor will help you along.
Yellowstone and Death Valley. Now Joshua Tree. What the hell is going on in our national parks?
To control mass tourism, the National Park Service is working on solutions, like its reservation system. We tourists need to do our part, too. Here鈥檚 how.
The Wind Cave is the seventh-largest mapped cave in the world
Here鈥檚 how to make the most out of a visit to one of the wildest places in the U.S., from kayaking to birding to fishing and so much more
Western national parks like Yellowstone, Zion, and Joshua Tree are among our most iconic, but it鈥檚 the journeys road-tripping in between them that provide the greatest opportunities for adventure. From Montana to Southern California, here鈥檚 how to make the most of this itinerary and avoid the crowds.
Deep, dark, and hiding some dreadful bits of history, Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, is a fascinating place for underground exploration
From the perfect cooler to the best bug-repelling candle, we鈥檝e rounded up our favorite products that make picnicking a breeze
Too many rocks? Not enough people? Illustrator Amber Share says bring it on.
Plastic rangers exploring America鈥檚 best idea
Many visitors to the mid-Atlantic make a beeline to the Smokies. But our 63 Parks columnist argues that there鈥檚 plenty of wild adventuring to be had in Shenandoah鈥攁nd Blue Ridge views for days.
Unique recreation opportunities and uncrowded wilderness abound in areas impacted by Yellowstone flood
Acadia, in Maine, woos visitors with hikes that overlook the Atlantic Ocean, bike rides along historic carriage roads, and some awesome lobster rolls
Award-winning poet Elizabeth Alexander explains how the expansion of the National Park Service Mellon Humanities Fellowship will allow scholars to deepen our understanding of the history within our public lands and share it with visitors
In the show's six episodes, host Baratunde Thurston takes viewers across the U.S. and has thoughtful, honest conversations with the people he meets about their relationships to the natural world
The world鈥檚 first national park will reopen this week after the devastating floods. Here鈥檚 what you can expect.
You can still find a slice of solitude in the country's most visited parks
Summer road trip, anyone?
We鈥檙e for an official mandate: make this the season of long weekends. To help you out, we found the most fun new summer adventures.
Rangers in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are asking hikers to be mindful of bears
It's been six months since the first NPS director in five years stepped into office facing $22 billion in deferred maintenance. This is what he's accomplished so far鈥攁nd what's still coming.
An atmospheric river dumped 200 to 300 percent more moisture than usual onto the area over the weekend
A new order from interior secretary Deb Haaland reverses a Trump-era policy that prevented national parks from banning plastic bottles
If you haven鈥檛 snagged a reservation to the growing list of timed-entry parks, it might seem like a trip there this summer is out of the cards. But fret not鈥攚e found some legal ways to visit.
The 200-million-old fossil, which contained footprints from an alligatorlike reptile, is believed to have been stolen from the park roughly five years ago
The former president once said, 鈥淚t was here that the romance of my life began鈥
Our national parks are overcrowded, especially in summer. One solution is to create more of them. Here are the regions that get our votes.
鈥極ur Great National Parks鈥 overly idealizes U.S. conservation efforts and gives a mealymouthed call to climate action
The best way to catch aurora borealis in all its lit-up beauty: go to the darkest places on earth, at just the right time, and hope for the best
You need more natural silence in your life. Find it in these parks.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio turned a canalway into a 90-mile trail perfect for hiking and biking, and our 63 Parks columnist highly recommends a ride
Indiana Dunes National Park is an adventure gem for urban midwesterners all year long, but particularly in summer, when Lake Michigan almost appears tropical